I live in a small town in Kansas where the wheat fields are more plentiful than the homes.
I am passionate about the wonderful art forms that are made with yarn or thread. My interest started young when my mother taught me to make a chain stitch in grade school with some crochet thread and a hook. She taught me to read crochet patterns and then knitting patterns and I began going through all her patterns to make as gifts.
When I would accompany her to antique stores, I saw so many different types of beautiful lace work made by generations before us. I began looking for sources to teach me some of these techniques and over the years I have found some wonderful books that explained the art forms.
Here are a few items I made of Assisi embroider.
I love the look of this cross stitch embroidery because of the fanciful creatures that are used and because the design is actually made from the area that is not embroidered.
In the antique store, I saw knitted lace doilies. I found this pattern but could was not able to find the small knitting needles in our local store. My wonderful husband was able to make me some double pointed needles using a needle gauge to get the write circumference.
I was amazed at the wonderful artwork involved in Irish Crochet and finally found some books that taught me this process.
As our children came along. we got pet angora bunnies who are loved and well cared for. Their wool, (the warmest wool available) is brushed and then I mix it with dyed Moreno Sheep wool (a wool that is almost as soft as my bunnies wool. I spin the wools on a replica of an old Irish Hearth Wheel. This is usually done in the evenings and my daughters loved to go to sleep to the sound of this relaxing activity. I then ply the wool to make yarn for knitted lace garments.
I have done spinning demonstrations on "old settlers days" and other history re-enactments to help others understand how knitting is done help bring the history of this garment making process in to the present. My work has also been shown in a Kansas Art Gallery.
My children are gone out of the home now and I have time to design my own patterns for knitting lace and crochet. I am amazed at the challenge my own but it is a challenge I love.
