I'm getting TOTALLY PSYCHED for this retreat next week. In anticipation, I am launching a replay of last year's workshop so that I can remind myself (and anyone else interested) what I learned last year at Alie Scholes' workshop. I'll be replaying these in bits and pieces throughout the week as we count down to the retreat. Tee hee.
Mom first fell in love with the Freeform look when we went to Stitches 2003 and we ran into a lady in the lobby with the most beautiful jacket on. It was loud, crazy, colorful and composed of multi shapes and textures. We asked her for the name of the pattern and she laughed! She told us it was her design, one of a kind, but that it was a Freeform jacket and that if we wanted to learn more about Freeform, there was a book by Prudence somebody that we should look into. At the time, we were rank beginning knitters, still green around the knitting gills, so we didn't think we'd ever be able to knit/crochet anything that complex.
After attending the workshop, the thing I liked best was the freedom it made me feel. Clara at Kniter's Review called Freeform "offroad kniting." Well, Alie Scholes is one of those offroad knitters. She first took a Freeform workshop in 2000 with a fiber artist named Valentina Devine of Los Alamos, New Mexico.
What did we learn? How to select colors and yarn that will work best for this type of knitting; how to knit a scrumble; pitfalls to avoid and things that make it work better; how to knit including circles, rectangles, log cabin squares, ruffle, curves and many more. How to knit in the tails; how to transform swatches into projects; how to attach icord as accents to your garment. How to use thrift store vests, jackets and purses as cavases for Freeform designs and embellishments. How to make bobbles. How to pin and arrange the individual pieces to form a cohesive garment and avoid as much finishing as possible.
I can't wait to build upon my knowledge and learn even more when we go next week.
4 comments:
I am becoming more envious by the minute. Drool, slobber. Have a great time!
You will have such fun! Take any possible yarn you might use, friends will help you figure it out if you get stuck... more is better. We tend to edit things out too soon.
Have the best of times!
This isn't freeform related, but I wanted to thank you for bringing Thursdays at 8 to my attention. Not my normal flavour of reading but I enjoyed it immensely.
And definitely take LOTS of yarn. I once made a modular coat, started with one colour palette (carefully, agonizingly chosen) and the thing wouldn't co-operate. It ended up a whole different hue.
Thanks Lynn and Elysbeth! I am really excited. I will take tons of yarns, and photos. I love to get ideas from seeing how others use their creativity.
Elysbeth, glad you liked THURSDAYS AT 8. What novels do you normally read? I love to read and enjoy learning what others are reading.
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