Kafferepet
I'm now on the third row of Chain stitch quilting.
Swedish Cushion
Kiko's Flower stitch, TAST #132, found its flower bed in one of the paisley designs.
Swedish Wool Embroidery Collar
The lining is on, and as you can see I used the same fabric that I lined the wrist warmers with last year. It actually comes from a kimono my sister-in-law used in her youth. Unfortunately it had been stored without mothballs and the hungry buggers had munched their way right through all the layers (kimonos are stored folded) perforating many areas of the garment. Now the scraps of the kimono have found a new life on my Swedish Collar.
The next step is making cords so the collar can be tied with a bow. I have a choice of two methods; either following the kimono lining theme and making a Japanese kumihimo braid with either of the white discs, or sticking to the Swedish theme and using the Slynggaffel, called lucet in English. This fork like tool has been used since Viking age, although this one is made of plastic and was bought at FOQ last year.
This is my first attempt. The lucet cord becomes square, and works up really fast. Since working this orange knobbly cotton yarn, I tried some purple wool. I find lucetting quite addictive and the result is a strong, but smooth cord...
Which type of cord would you choose for the collar?
TAST Reference Chart
Kiko's Flower grows like weed! Here it is again on the TAST Reference Chart.
30 comments:
My sister-in-law is an expert kumihimo maker and I would ask her ;-)
Those little buggers are good at finding anything tasty. Hopefully you will find a good place to store your goodies.
such neat chain stitching Queenie this is looking so good. You have certainly got the kikos flower looking lovely and so looking forward to seeing the collar completed. Not sure which would be better for the cords, I do ilke the lucet reminds me I have one somewhere, must get it out and maybe use it on the crazy blocks somewhere. The flat braid is nice too, If you want to make it with different colours your decision will be easy as it will not work with the lucet unless you use a very fine thread well 2 threads together.
The flower looks perfect, Carin, it is probably the best method to do it with hold-down stitches. The cord made with the fork looks nice, square as it come out of the hole - interesting tool - Japanese moths are as hungry as European ones - what a pity - but you made something beautiful recyclingthe kimono. And bravo for being persistent with the
cushion and kafferepet - I could not find the word "lucet" in dict.de (on-line dictionary)
I haven't heard of a lucet before, but now I want one! It reminds me of a French knitting doll, but with neater and more compact results. For the colours, black with ends that match the wool tufts, might look nice?
Great progress on all your projects! I really like your TAST reference chart and want to do one. I can't keep up with them as they come out, let alone go back and do all the ones in the past, though!
I spend a small fortune on mothballs and dehydration powders to protect my textile treasures from the climate challenges of Japan.
Another of my sister-in-laws is also an expert kumihimo maker, but of course she makes her 'obijime' cords from silk thread and on a 'marudai' (loom).
It was my first attempt with the lucet and I found the cord grew extremely quickly. Yes, I was thinking of using two threads, or a variegated one to add colour...
I will make Kiko's Flower with the anchor stitches to make it stay put, as Annet mentioned her old ones now have started to loosen up.
If you Google 'lucet' or 'slynggaffel' you can get information. Online dictionaries, or indeed printed ones, aren't very good for speciality termonology.
Elizabeth, you are going to AllyPally aren't you? I am sure you can find a lucet at the Knitting and Stitching show.or go to www.thelucet.co.uk.
The cords will be made from the yarn used in the embroidery and napped edging so you know what colour range I have to play with. The ends for the cords are another chapter. Watch this space!
The TAST reference chart is one of the best tools I have! I can highly recommend making one. It does not take a lot of time to add the stitches as you only need to do a few stitches for each box, and you would be able to add each week's stitch in a few minutes, and keep ut with them as they come out.
You made great progress on all projects! I bought a lucet last year, but didn't us it very much. This YouTube video helped me a lot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzFNb_8noec&feature=related
She shows 2 ways of using a lucet with different looks. Maybe it can help you too!
I think the kumihimo cord wil look pretty at your collar.
Your collar and cuff are fabulous. I'm really interested in your cording, will be back to see
your progress.
Blooming lovely. Pleased to hear you are finding your chart useful. I've never used a lucet but when I was young I made French knitting braid using an empty cotton reel with nails stuck in the top.
You are so productive lately and your stitching is lovely. I bought a kumihimo loom recently but haven't got around to using it yet and as for those moths, they are just as voracious here.
great progress and wanted to say if I had time I would work a kumihimo braid as it is stronger - but it would come down to the time factor
In the lucet kit I bought there was a booklet with all sorts of variations, so I have much to learn both from the book and the internet.
I'm still testing which look I like best.
Thank you for your support. I haven't decided yet what to do about the cording. Watch this space as they say!
French knitting and the bobbins used must be popular around the world. I have seen bobbins like yours, Clovers plastic ones or beautifully formed dolls with colourful paint. In Swedish they are called påtdocka、in Japanese Lily-Yarn Bobbins. I have also heard expressions like corking and tomboy knitting. Interesting isn't it?
The kumihimo loom is fun when you use 16 threads, work only 8 and your head starts spinning with the disc!
Yes, the lucet cord has much more stretch in it and can't be as strong as the kumihimo. However, I mainly need the cord for decoration and keeping the collar in place... I'm still pondering my options.
Fabulous progress Queenie...I agree with Sharon that the kumihimo is more in keeping , especially with the Kimono fabric !
hugs
Chris Richards xx
Kumihimo goes with the Japanse lining and the lucet goes with the Swedish embroidery. Will I have to toss a coin for it?
Your collar is beautiful. I like the two cords with a slight preference for the the kumihimo cord.
Yes Queenie, toss a coin and let fate decide...... xx
I am now working on the two techniques side by side and still can't decide which one I like the better...
That is sound advice!
Queenie, your work is all so lovely! Your Kiko's Flowers turned out great! As for the cords... I absolutely LOVE the kumihimo sample you photographed above. And, I imagine it would be gorgeous in colors from your collar. Looking at the photo you shared of your collar in this post, and noting the delicate sprays of flowers, I think I would find myself leaning toward the more delicate lucet cord (perhaps made with a variegated yarn if I wanted more color?) It is a tough decision that I do not envy! Whichever one you chose, I have no doubt it will fit perfectly.
I, too, love the look of kumihimo - you can get so many different designs, but the cord gets stiff (perfect for the rope like belt you anchor the wide kimono obi belt with, but a bit too rope like for the collar). The lucet cord is much softer and flexible. It looks a lot duller, though! I WILL have to toss a coin, I guess!
Nice progresss on your quilt, the chain stitch has been a good choice to use. Your collar is lovely a perfect match for the wrist warmers. I like both cords but I would choose the lucet cord because it is more flexible and it would hang better may be!
Thank you for your kind comment. I am so pleased with the pair look (collar and wrist warmers) I might consider adding another item, a cap maybe, or a bag.
I will have to make a decision about which cord to use - soon!
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