Knitting & Purling

Maybe the long winters that drive me indoors also drive me toward quirky creative projects. But that wouldn't explain the thousands of knitters who produce exuberant, extensive and extravagantly colored yarn bombs in perfect paradises.  For me, yarnbombing parking meters outside of our own Kitchen Theatre Company a few years ago was great fun. It's a joy thing. Because it's fun to surprise people by contrasting morose hardscapes with cheerful hues in soft fibers outdoors where they "don't belong." To express happiness. Show delight. Or challenge the status quo.  I wanted to capture the idea that we couldn't wait what the Kitchen would serve up next. With two parking meters right outside the front doors, it was an ideal set-up. So diving into my scrap yarn, scrounging for graph paper, and adopting some Fair Isle patterns were all I needed. After that it developed into a backstage mystery. This installation lasted more than a yea...

Valentine's Day is a fun time to remember life's great romantic moments -- whether your own or those of someone dear to you. Last year, with my daughter's June wedding on the horizon, I began plotting a sweet surprise for the bride and groom. There's little decorating needed when an outdoor wedding is in a splendid location. But my idea? A play on tree graffiti with a nod to the fun of yarn bombing. The bride and groom's initials in a heart echo the ritual (but disfiguring) practice of tree-carving proclamations. The piece is knit in all-cotton with a crocheted lace edge. I-cords were used to simply tie the piece around the trunk. I chose an old-fashioned font with a handmade look. It's a reminder of samplers and counted-cross-stitch projects, which were both needlecrafts enjoyed by my grandmothers. Happy Valentine's Day!  When it comes to knitting for weddings there are many fabulous ideas. See one blogger's collection I really love.   ...