Here is the finished
Paperbark cherry scarf. I really love it now that it is finished. And the
fringe totally makes the scarf. Now I need to finish the panel that will be
wrapped around the tree. Still so much to do! I have not decided how to publish the patterns of the pieces I am making in tandem with the wrapped panels. But hopefully by the time I get everything done I will figure it out.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Friday, January 22, 2016
Paperbark Cherry
I fell in love with this
bark the first time I saw it: the beautiful red color with the light brown
stripes. I definitely want to use this bark in my project.
Paperbark cherry, also called Tibetan cherry or Birchbark
cherry, is native to China and Tibet. The bark of a Paperbark cherry is it’s
most stunning feature. The deep red bark peels away leaving younger softer skin
beneath. In winter its bark stands out starkly against the landscape adding
beautiful unexpected color.
At first, I tried knitting
an abstract of the bark. You can see it here, geometric lines going around with
slipped stitches of background color. I started with short lines at the bottom
of the swatch then changed to longer lines. But it still isn’t a reflection of
the bark.
So, I ripped it out and
started fresh with thicker more organic lines. I think this mimics the bark
better. I like the narrow swatch I made and so started making a tubular
scarf (maybe with fringe!) for the wearable pattern.
Monday, January 4, 2016
Redwood
My creative process involves
working on several projects all at the same time. So even though I am still
working on the Palm bark, I am also working on another bark design, this time
from Redwood.
Growing mainly in Northern California, redwood
trees are the largest and tallest trees in the world. They can live thousands
of years but are endangered from logging, air pollution, and habitat loss. The
tallest living tree is a redwood named Hyperion that lives in Northern
California; its location kept a secret to help protect it. The redwood’s
beautiful orange-red bark changes and shifts in the varying light creating an
enigmatically strong yet fragile impression.
I wanted to replicate the
beautiful subtle texture of redwood so I actually learned a new stitch that I
have been meaning to master, the brioche stitch. It is the perfect deep squishy
rib that echoes the beautiful red bark. Knit up in Shepherd’s Wool Roasted
Pumpkin and adding a few decreases and increases creates a wonderful knitted
bark. I am definitely on the right track with this one.
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