Woven stole with knitted border in mill-spun merino. Photographed while being blocked into shape while wet. Cable-ties prove to be very useful when blocking. Yes, I recycle them. NFS.
Two recent commissions: A client wanted to have two special trees on her farm captured as wall-hangings. These were eventually mounted and framed. Works are 60x80cm in spun/dyed/knitted wool. Embroidery is in 2ply mill-spun and metallic yarn.
“Monarch”
Worked in 2ply merino wool, nylon gold filament and linen.
Body is filled out with alpaca fibre and the antennae are black elastic.
This is a proptotype for further experimentation.
NFS
Construction was “in the round” starting at the waist. The only seams are at the shoulder where a three-needle bind-off was used.
Some rows of linen were worked into the hem-line to give contrast.
A special commission completed Nov 2021
2ply fine merino was used for this Special Occasion Dress.
Waterlilly Shawl NZ $250
“The Waterlilly Shawl”
So-named as the flower design is in my library of favourites. It is based on pi and is worked from the centre out at a ratio of 1:3 increases in the round. Lace does not need to be an all-over design and a solid depth of plain knitting gives balance to a delicate edge. Good blocking on a recycled child’s trampoline frame from my neighbour helps.
Begonia Shawl worked in mill-spun 2ply merino. 90cm diameter.
SOLD “Connemara Stole” NZ$375
“The Connemara Stole”
Part of my heart is still in the west of Ireland. It’s a rugged windswept landscape with Celtic iconography. Again, the central motif is symmetrical over the horizontal and vertical axises so this meant I could start at one end and work the whole way through. The border was one line of the central motif repeated over and over.
The wool was the last of my hand-spun from Waiheke. 1.6m x 70cm. Photo Richard Joseph
“Summer Haze” NZ$450
“Summer Haze”
Some designs go beautifully together; “Fern stitch” in its usual gauge on the border and a Baltic all-over motif for the centre. This motif is symmetrical on both axises…useful if you want to avoid the more traditional method with stoles of starting from the middle and working out to the border. NZ mill-spun merino.
“Summer Haze” mill-spun NZ merino. 1.4m x 70cm
“Summer Flounce” NFS
“Summer Flounce”
Spun raw from a fleece donated by Dianne and Richard Kidd –Ballance Farm Award winners for sustainability.
The fleece spun easily with minimum preparation allowing a flouncy, silky fabric to develop. The shawl is spoked with set-in sleeves –This piece is about shape and drape.
Size -Medium
“Summer Flounce” medium size.
SOLD “Kaipara Valley Shawl” NZ$400
"Kaipara River Shawl"
Hand-spun naturally coloured fleece. Over-dyed in navy blue to represent river. Fern stitch was enlarged to create wet-land flax plants in centre.
“Kaipara Valley Shawl” 2m x 2m photographed by Richard Joseph.