Knitting Archives - Dora Sislian Themelis Art

Painting and Knitting

What’s new in the art world, here in my little studio? Lots of daydreaming, some process painting, more daydreaming, and now that the weather is changing knitting could happen soon.

Before I talk about knitting, let me show you the latest watercolor painting. Try to remember I’m working on the process, ok? That’s what I keep telling myself. Ahem.

Tractor, 8x10 Watercolor, Arches paper — Tractor, 8×10 Watercolor, Arches paper

I already worked this in the hated acrylic paints, but decided to revisit the scene using old school Maribu watercolors. Why not? I really enjoyed this day of plein air painting with a new/old friend I made online and finally met in person this day, so it was special. As we were leaving the flower nursery we were at we found these great tractors and took photos to paint from later on.

Now, about the knitting. Wintry weather makes me want to knit wooly and warm things so I’ve been looking over my yarn stash, and hunting for patterns. That’s the daydreaming part.

We now have a 4 month old grandson to knit for. Thrills!

Beyond knitting baby items I found this article on how knitting is healthy to do titled “5 Reasons Knitting is Good for You.” Perfect! That’s just what I need to hear, so I can keep on buying, oops, knitting with yarn.

Did you know that an hour of knitting burns 55 calories? Yes!

Knitting helps keep dementia at bay? Perfect!

Want to tamp down that ‘fight or flight’ response? Yep, knitting can do that.

Now if I could paint and knit simultaneously that’d be a great thing.

Knitting, Ripping, Knitting, Ripping

Knitting is usually relaxing. I enjoy the feel of the yarn running through my fingers as I knit. The clicking sound of my needles is comforting and almost musical. The colors of most of the yarns I choose please me as well. The whole action of knitting, the process, is something I’m addicted to.

Knitting

See this lovely little swatch of knitting? It’s so innocent as it sits waiting for me to pick it up and continue the click-clack of the needles, the rhythm of knit stitches humming along.

Just look at it. Quiet. Waiting. Pretty yarn.

Don’t be fooled, it’s a monster laying in wait.

I have knit this piece, and ripped it out to that little hole more times in the last day than I can remember. It makes me want to poke my eyes out. It is by no means a simple little knit, as advertised. No way, no how.

It’s a beast.

Just knit stitch in a pinwheel pattern they say, change colors every ten rows as you increase, then do a provisional cast on for the sleeves…

Stop the music! Their instructions for this cast on is so weird I abandoned it and searched the internet for something usable, which I found thank you very much. Still, I ripped and re-knit, finding my count off, the yarn overs unknit, dropped, you name it. Rip again. It’s my newest excuse not to paint, since I have to get this to a place where I can relax a bit.

Resistance, much?

New Knitting

Halloween has come and gone. November is in full swing here in New York, with windy and cool weather creeping in. Besides the weather, Daylight Savings Time will make our days darker and drearier than necessary. I’m so not interested in winter.

What’s great about this season? Knitting happens a lot.

As you can see I’m knitting something new. New colorful yarns are delicious. Knitting with them is a feast for the eyes and fingers. Yes, delicious.

I’m not so sure about the pattern I chose to knit though. There’s some new things I need to learn how to do so I can continue. Counting stitches gives me a headache, yarn overs can slip off my needles if I’m not careful, and the stitches on the stitch holders with the provisional cast-ons keep getting in my way.

Until I get past a certain point in this piece of knitting, there will be no painting fun happening. Or any other fun around here.

This is serious business. Ahem.

Eventually I’ll Figure This Out

Knit Baby Hat

As I pull my hair out of my head by developing a new website/blog I have resorted to double posting. How wonderful is that? Um, it’s not. I have never been more flabbergasted by the steepest learning curve I have come across since geometry in high school. Man, it’s difficult.

However, knitting has been happening. Painting? I can’t right now. I think I might have to change that up soon too. Oil paints have been calling me and I might oblige, if Mr. Resistance will let me.

This baby hat was knit in one sitting, while sort of watching television one night. Soon as it was finished I started another one, same pretty color in this lovely wool yarn. I love how the stitches look all nice and neat and together. Happy me.

So yeah, WordPress. Crazy people think it’s so easy to develop yourself, so professional looking. Well, okay, it’s professional, clean, neat, crisp, if you find the right theme to work with. Then there are the plugins, the widgets, the menus, the categories. Ugh, like I said, there’s a lot to learn language wise.

So, here I am, blogging over here, and, blogging over there. How I am going to move this blog over to that blog I have no clue.

I guess I’ll figure that one out, eventually.

Resistance Likes Painting, Not Knitting

The thing about resistance is that it has a life of it’s own. Mr. Resistance is not a nice entity and can waylay one’s ambitions just as surely as the sun rising and setting each day.

In other words, it/he/whatever is powerful. And some days it’s just easier to let resistance have it’s way.

The Big Rib Cowl

However, knitting is happening here. Lots of knitting these quick big knits have been flying off my needles. That Mr. Resistance just likes painting right now, I guess.

Last week I participated in another shopping event. I brought the same wares: paintings, notecards of paintings, jewelry, and hand knitting. Everyone was very positive about all of my work. I met some very interesting people and had some wonderful conversations. One baby bracelet sold the whole night.

Most of us vendors enjoy meeting each other, looking at our wares, and doing some shopping ourselves! It’s a nice evening out. Even nicer if pieces sell. Overall, it’s good exposure, good practice speaking about my work, and the work gets out there in public.

But these cowls I’ve been knitting have become a popular item. I’ve sold quite a few so far.

Right away the colors are strong, just how I like it. The pattern is big. I like that too. There’s a little sparkle. Also nice.

So, okay, maybe the paintings aren’t moving as well as the knitting, and some jewelry designs. But the plus side is that if I sell some knitting I get to buy art supplies.

I should only paint.

Sshhhhhhhh….

My apologies for the non-post friends. Rainy day #2 is well under way and Rainy Day #3 is expected to be more of the same. It’s depressing. Thank goodness the weather is sort of warm rather than cold. That would really be terrible.

Rather than painting I’ve been knitting, but I forgot to take a photo of the finished product. I knew it would be a bad idea to put away the painting supplies when I was having a dinner. Out of sight, out of mind. You know how that goes.

Finishing the knitting project was an accomplishment though. My granddaughter now has a new hooded sweater to enjoy. I hope she can wear it for a while before she gets too big. A finished item is like a miracle around here. Done and out. Next!

As spring is in full swing with the rain, stalking is also happening in earnest. But guess what? Peek-boo-I-see-you too! Its easy to feel anonymous and stalk to one’s heart’s content.

I know who is who, friend or foe. (Most here are friends.) Just as people can stalk, it is just as easy to see the stalker. Don’t they get that? Come on. Maybe now they will get the idea. But, then again, maybe not.

Finished Items for Friday

TADA! Voila! Finished items! Yes! Winning! (A Charlie Sheen-ism) The knitting marathon is done! And I must say I am very pleased with the outcomes. I didn’t want to give it away in the earlier post, but these were birthday items for my sister. Working from the mohair yarn we purchased the hot pink and the pink, fire polished beads. The mohair became a scarf adorned with the beads at the fringes. The hot pink with sparkles became an adult bonnet-like hat with extra beads at the ends of the ties, and a pair of fingerless gloves. My sister is definitely a “winter” and these colors suit her perfectly. She likes a bit of bling!

I knit the scarf in a garter stitch pattern on really big needles to accommodate the loftiness of the mohair and rayon yarn. It’s beautiful stuff from Fiesta La Boheme. Sounds beautiful, right? It does to me. This yarn is delicious and soft as anything. I must admit this yarn is a bit pricey, but it’s justified due to the colors they offer and the great softness. Besides, mohair is a warm yarn. So while it looks gorgeous, it’s practical too. The hat and scarf are acrylic blends and they will hold up wonderfully as hat and gloves. Overall, it was a fun project to make and give.

On the painting front I finished two watercolors. Well, one is really finished, the second is finished in my head. I signed both anyway. The second work just needs a brush stroke where I know an apple stem is supposed to be, and I’m done!

Dark Apple (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
8×12 Watercolor on Arches paper

Dark Apple in the Afternoon (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
8×12 Watercolor on Arches paper

Good thing I keep the painting equipment out on the dining room table or they’d never see any action with the studio in my basement and the baby asleep upstairs! I’ve used up my favorite paint colors in the small travel set so this week I brought up my large palette. Now, I’m not thrilled with the paints in this palette, but I have to use them up before I buy more.

The travel set was Windsor&Newton, the large palette has MamieriBlu. Not thrilled with the later, more comfortable using the former. Although the MamieriBlu paints are really lovely on the paper, the colors are throwing me for a loop. Alizarin Crimson is not the same as the WN paints. This apple was a very deep red and I just wasn’t feeling it with these colors. I did my best. I lifted out color. I added color when dry. I did what I could to make it feel right.

I set up the first painting and worked from there. For the second work I just shifted the paper the objects were laying on and painted the same items from a different angle. I think I will do that again at the next session. I think I moved the apple so I saw the top end instead of the bottom. A more pleasant view.

Finished work, non the less!

A Knitting Deadline

The latest project is on the needles. No painting can happen until I meet this particular deadline, which is coming up soon. I have just days to finish.

The hot pink color of this yarn is amazing and fun to work with. Can you see the little sparkles? Fun! I’m still in the loop, holding Resistance at bay if I keep going. “Finish something” has been playing in my head. There’s plenty more where this came from to keep me busy, but right now I have to finish this set of projects. The pink mohair item is in a holding pattern while I work on these. Yes, there are two! Look at the picture, get the idea? Another item is done. Somewhere in my day today I must finish this and go on to the next one.

Have you ever heard of “second sock syndrome”? Think about it. You need two socks, right? You complete one whole sock. Ah, satisfaction with a project that is finished! But wait! You have to do it all over again, same pattern, same yarn, same colors, same needles. Yawn! It’s possible Resistance can show up and you never get to make the second sock. What are you going to do with one lousy sock, huh? But it happens.

I like taking these little projects with me to doctor’s appointments to work on in the waiting room. I’ve been getting allergy shots and the wait time is twenty minutes. That means knitting time. I don’t know if the allergy shots are doing anything, but I’m getting knitting in!

The socks I started knitting for myself during our vacation in Greenport, NY during the summer never materialized into socks. I started them on vacation, and ripped them in the doctor’s waiting room. I reknit them, and ripped them again. For some reason I never liked how the knitting looked.

First, I knit them too tight and the colors were pooling. I was seeing zigzags and blotches of colors. Yuck. I ripped. Then I began again with different needles and new number of cast on stitches. Better, stripes were happening, but the stitches looked too open and holed. Rip rip rip. Next reknit I still didn’t like the look of the stitches. RIP! Now I have no socks, just a ball of nothing. The girls in the allergists office were asking where the socks are that I was working on. I showed them a ball. They gasped. Oh well.

So anyway, now I’m on a deadline. I can’t wait to finish this round of knitting and move on to painting where there are other adventures to tackle.

I "Heart" Knitting For Now

I spent my Sunday indoors. A quiet house is heaven for me. Anything I might have done outside of the house could be put off to today. Why not enjoy my space? I really like my space, too. Was talking about this same thing with my sister the other day. Some people can’t wait to go out and spend the day off doing whatever, and that’s fine. For some it’s a necessity because they’re working and they get their stuff done. I look for excuses to stay home.

If the weather is good I can be out, but if I don’t have to leave my house why go out? And if I can avoid the mobs on a Sunday, all the better. The Mr. went out and Son#2 followed him. I had my house to myself, with all sorts of possibilities.

I have been put off with that watercolor painting of the apple. You know, the bad highlights and too much paint? So I was laying low with it. Perfect time to segue to the knitting front. Except, I have to undo the skeins of yarn and make knitting-ready, center-pull balls. No easy feat. Mohair and rayon mixed together, although deliciously beautiful, and twisted into a skein, is sometimes very uncooperative. The yarn was sticking to itself as I untied and unraveled it causing me to pull it apart in spots, as I clenched my teeth. But beautiful nonetheless. Yummy colors.

Remember when they used to show knitting and someone had to hold their hands open and apart with the yarn skein wrapped around them while another person wound that yarn into a ball? That was me, except no one was around to hold the skein open. Just as well, because if anyone was around they’d hide if I asked for any help. The dining room chair came in handy as I wrapped the skein around the back and wound up the ball myself. I could make things happen when I want!

However tangled it wanted to be, I untangled it. It looks worse than it was. Mission accomplished. Once I was finished winding the balls I went on to the other knitting project on the list. The colors of these yarns are delicious and fun to watch as they pass over my fingers and needles. I like seeing the fabric that results from knitting with this yarn. I was at home and loving it.

Today will be an errand and outside the house kind of day. And it’s Valentine’s Day. Nothing special going on here except making dinner, as usual, and maybe I’ll bake something chocolate in a heart shaped pan. What’s with all the fuss? Some see love in diamonds and chocolates. Didn’t they just say I love you on Christmas with the same things? Is it the heart shapes? Is it because it’s the dead of winter and people have nothing else to do except have winter depression? It’s another over commercialized day.

I think knitting says I love you, to me!

Category: Knitting