Sunday, April 22, 2007

Quick post answering questions

People asked a bunch of nice questions, so I want to respond...

LISA - Thanks! I don't know if any of these will be a Wren Closure for two reasons. One is that they are the sorts of shapes that catch on things, and I am the sort of person who has run-ins with her local environs, so that if there is something that CAN get caught, it will. The other is that my Wren is made of the Brilliant, which has a snaggable nylon element that is going to show wear, I think, so I am going to proceed cautiously there. When it gets big enough to actually try something out on I may do that though! And I have one or two other designs which are more likely candidates...

GRACE - you are so sweet! I am not ready to set up bookeeping just yet, and have to develop my own designs more - these are from books and therefore mine to use for self and gifts but not to sell - same as knitting patterns. However, you will be among the very first to know if and when I get that far. Oh, and I dreamed about your scarf last night. I was somewhere and there were a bunch knitted up, in a pale pale green similar to the perle cotton green we had last week, but wool. Oh, and Harry Potter was there. That scarf is getting around!

SMARIEK...yeah, I am busy - and totally ADD. See how little Wren is! The price I pay for messing around with too many things at once, LOL!

LES and all other Wrenners - I think I MAY have some understanding of why the bottom is flipping.

First of all, I think it may have something to do with decreasing from the ribbing in the last row there. That pulls in, and may be giving that hem area naughty ideas.

Next, I think it may have to do with how tightly the yarn is being knitted up. Getting guage on the Brilliant, which is supposed to knit at that guage, yields a very soft and drapable fabric. (I would say "floppy" but that does not sound nice) I am wondering if it flips up more on yarns that are being knit more firmly? I am going to do a little experiment with my zodiac when I get a chance. I will report back....

and JOAN HA! Now I know who will be getting the plaintive e-mails wailing "How do I..." It is a very expnsive hobby - I did some in HS but never owned the tools myself, especially a soldering set up. Back there we had everything, including a mill to make our sheet metal thinner... and here I have a few pair of cheap pliers, a hammer and a bench block I had to order from some place that will also sell you your own smelting equipment, which would be handy if I had a silver mine on the property but which, as things stand, I am quite certain I will never need!

So far I am practicing with copper wire and beads I had around from the LAST time I tried to sell jewelry, and so it has not been a major investment yet, but clearly, if I want to be able to anneal and re-work, or start needing a real bench and stakes to hammer with, this is going to quickly spiral right out of control. I am intrigued by the idea of making spoons, but it is really the expense of the equipment which has stopped me. That and only having one mouth. How many spoons can I use at once....

3 comments:

sk said...

My property was an old silver mine 100 years ago. We have 7 mine shaft within 100 meters around the house. The closest one is 80 feet deep which filled with ice cold water year round. We first planned to use it as a well, unfortunitely, the cedar structure in the mine shaft makes the water not tasty. We have the mining right on this property. We prefer the silver stays underground.
On the other side of my property, we have an old barn, which used to be a work horses station. At old days, they use horses to carry the silver out to the train station. we still have a lot of old implements in it.
Your work is beautiful, I love it.
SK

LisaW. said...

thanks T...stop by and see what you inspired me to try!

LisaW. said...

T-all i did was use the straight piece (with the two curly cue ends) as a toggle woven through the knit fabric (the holes between stitches are large enough for the smaller curlycue to go through with a little care) the other end of the big circular piece is all mashed in with the curly end-8 or 10 pounds with the hammer and you can't tell where one stops/starts...and boy all that hammer whacking felt good. What size yarn (i mean wire) do you use with yours? Your closures look like real pin closures, did you bend those yourself? then just pound the pointy end flat? enquiring crafty minded women want to know.