Knit With Me

How would you like to Knit With Me?

Please remember what I have to say regarding miniature knitting is all about personal preferences and my knitting experience. 

One also has to knit in a style that one enjoys! I love miniature lace knitting, it just Pleases my Soul somehow.

The finer the thread used the more detail one can achieve in a design.

I don't believe that Venne 34/2 or DMC 80 and 100 threads are fine enough for miniature knitting, many people will disagree with me...sooooooo please remember personal preferences.

I started off my miniature knitting career using DMC 80 and 1 ply industrial yarn for my teddy bear patterns.

For larger dolls and teddies I believed I was doing just fine.

I now smile as I remember.

The best place for seasoned knitters to begin a miniature knitting career is to teach your fingers "miniature knitting memory"

With practice the finer threads and very narrow needles will become second nature, you will soon wonder what all the fuss was about. 

Then the next time you knit for the "big world" you will feel as though you are knitting with broomsticks and rope.

Making an Afghan to fold at the bottom of a miniature bed is a good place to start. 

There are enough stitches on your needles to keep the flow of your knitting going and the tension will come together with practice.....a few rows everyday will do just fine.

Looking through my collection of Victoria magazines from the 90's I came across a photograph of a bed dressed with a knitted afghan which incorporated a simple cable.

It was an Ah Ha  moment for me and I thought great this will be perfect for Rose's first venture into My Mini Knitting World.......
So I have named the Afghan "The Rose Evans Afghan" 

I tried various combinations of panels 

First the coral shade, then the green, finally settling on the cream!

May I suggest you knit the Afghan in Venne 70/2 Kolcotton which is a 100% mercerized cotton and 1mm knitting needles, This combination of the thread and needle size knits up giving a soft texture and drape to the fabric produced.

Folded into 1/3's and placed at the bottom of your miniature bed

it should look great.

If you would like to 

 Knit With Me 

 leave a comment and I will be in touch.

1:12th Scale Miniatures

This is the second class I did at convention it was such fun.

 Our Miniature Baking Table

This is Erika's our teachers table, I am busy with mine.

The fun part was using molds and hey presto...

 a slab of chocolate, 

a pound of butter,

 scones by the dozen, 

custard slices 

These all appear as if by magic

One was so tempted to pop them into ones mouth.

One has to get used to icing the custard slices, 

using texture paint to make "cream"

No wonder there is so much miniature food around it is "WONDERFUL FUN " to make

I have not glued my goodies down onto the table as yet as I would like to have my bowl of African Violets on the table but have to wait till I do it at guild.

I would love to make cakes the best part is one can make them without having to eat them.

Tomorrow I will show you a cake a friend made me, only just found it again I had put it in a safe place

So wish I would not do that.

Enjoy

Sharon

Miniature Polymer Clay and Paper Flowers,

What Fun our South African Miniature Convention turned out to be.

Those that did not manage to join us missed out Big Time.

 The quality of the various classes was certainly "World Class."

 

 The time went by so very quickly...always does when one is enjoying oneself.

 

Before convention I was so busy getting ready for my teaching 

assignment, that before I knew it the convention was upon us.

I now have a new respect for teachers after my learning curve experience, 

so much of the work goes into the preparation for teaching a class....

Thank goodness I worked at it steadily 

as I would surely have run out of time had I left it to the last minute.

 I was luckily enough to get my first choice of classes,

 so did two classes with Erika Gross an amazing woman, 

her attention to detail was heart warming!

 

This was one of Erika's classes.

12 students made paper flowers in a planter box.

This is the photograph that accompanied our notes on "How To". 

How pretty is this planter!

We were so fortunate Carol Wagnor a Fellow of the IGMA Guild in the Art of Paper Flowers gave Erika permission to teach us some of her paper flower making techniques.

What amazed me was...
The stamens are made out of stiffened silk thread, and were touched with coloured sand for the pollen.
The fern was a laser cut that Erika had designed for us.....we stippled and painted and learned so much.
We each received "a jig" to make our petunias....whoever would have thought a jig would be used to make paper flowers, it makes so much sense now after having worked with one.

I loved every minute of this class, I did not manage to finish as I wanted to make the best flowers I could manage, and this is what I have been doing at home.


All in all the various products used in our hobby is somewhat overwhelming to a beginner flower maker....but so very informative.

An Ah Ha moment for me was the fact that one can clean our paintbrushes when having used all these products.....wait for it....SURGICAL SPIRITS.
That has made all the difference to me personally.

Another product LIQUITEX Gel medium is mixed into Americana paints (which have strong pigmentation I am told) to stop the paint from peeling off the brass wire we used in making our ferns......

Thank you to the teachers that are innovative in what products they use and are then happily prepared to share their secrets in a class, makes the road to success for a beginner so very much easier and more rewarding.

On Saturday the 21st April we are going to learn to make African Violets at out Miniature Guild meeting ....I can't wait.

In the meantime I have put in an order for some paper Punches from "Hanky Panky"

We all smiled at such an unlikely name for miniature flower punches, the post office clerk should get a laugh out of that when this old lady goes to collect her parcel.

Polymer Clay and Paper Flowers

I have been playing with Polymer Clay all day to get into the swing of what I have to teach at our convention. So the next few posts will show some of the things I have made over the years using flowers as decoration...I find even when I doodle .....

I always draw flowers.

My flowers are not true to life having more fantasy in their creation, or should I say artistic license.

Here is a crib I made in fimo, it was rather difficult as the fimo kept on bubbling on the larger sections...

The flowers were definitely the fun part.

I have the distinct feeling the teddies like their crib too!

CLICK ON the photograph to enlarge it!

The Teddies were made by a lady here in Cape Town but I have clean forgotten where I put their labels.

Yesterday at our guild, I learned how to make a mold in silicone so using a finding of a leaf, I made a mold.

Well the Gypsy ladies of my imagination have had a lot of fun making garlands to decorate their dresses.

Here a leaf there a leaf everywhere a leaf  leaf!!!

Pictures on the next post, they are still in the oven....

Way too hot at the moment!!!

Followers and Favourite Blogs

For months now I have subscribed via Email to the Blog

It's About Time

Searching centuries of Art, Nature, & Everyday Life for Unique Perspectives, Uncommon Grace, & Unexpected Insights.

http://bjws.blogspot.com/

This is how Barbara describes It's about time

The largest blog "It's About Time" scours history, art, nature, & everyday life for unique perspectives, uncommon grace, & unexpected insights. If you are visiting just for fun - relax & enjoy, there is a little museum in each blog - no travel necessary.

She is so right I do get to visit a museum each evening wondering what today has to offer.

I particularly enjoy the way Barbara has chosen to sort the paintings into themes, such as paintings of

Woman wearing gloves, Lace Ruffles, or Family scenes 

In the last few days it has been all about Lace Ruffles and in amongst the Adults is this portrait of Lady Waugh by Larkin

 I just enjoyed the the use of lace on her ever so grand Bonnet and the simplicity of the gown.

Then one also looks at the carpet thinking
 "Wish she would move her feet so one could take a better look."
It's all in the detail.......

Enjoy