Ends & Picks » textile center

Bobbin Lace

Melissa — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 01:38:38 +0000

This fall I took a six week class at the Textile Center to learn the basics of bobbin lace. Bobbin lace is technically a type of weaving, but it is done with pairs of bobbins and pins instead of the traditional warp, weft & shuttles.

The Snake was our first project and used 7 pairs of bobbins.

Check out those beady eyes!

Our next two projects were exploring the half stitch and the cloth stitch.

Our last project was some delicate nursery lace.

I really enjoyed this class once I got used to the new techniques needed in bobbin lace. I have some great ideas I’d like to try out once I get through the frantic Christmas knitting on my needles right now…

Woodland Creatures

Melissa — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 20:17:53 +0000

A few months back, rhymeswithfun and I were able to take another great class at the Textile Center – Woodland Creatures!

We learned basic embroidery techniques as well as how to dye wool felt with Kool-Aid.

But the best part was that The Madre was in town and joined us to make an adorable owlet!

Silk Fusion

Melissa — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 02:24:06 +0000

Back in April I took yet another class at the Textile Center, this time taught by Susan Stein on silk fusion (also known as silk paper, but silk fusion sounds cooler, doesn’t it?)

Silk fusion is created from silk roving and a textile medium and is limitless in possibilities. I enjoyed layering in ribbons, metallic threads and Angelina fibers for some extra sparkle!

My last bit of silk fusion was an experiment to see if I could intentionally create open spaces.

While I find the colors rather garish, the technique itself is rather interesting and definitely deserves some more tinkering with for future projects. Maybe a sun catcher or lamp shade to show more layering?

Long Overdue

Melissa — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:23:59 +0000

These last few months have just FLOWN by and I am so behind on so many posts. So without further ado, here are some long overdue photos of the awesome weekend workshop I took at the Textile Center back in March, entitled Artful Knit: A Sculptural Approach to Knitting taught by Adrienne Sloane.

Adrienne started off our weekend of sculptural knitting by challenging us to knit with materials we wouldn’t normally knit with. We were tasked to experiment and see what craziness we could come up with. I played with wire, ribbon, fabric strips and woven tape threaded through felt circles. It was quite a liberating experience!

I also played around a bit with “finger knitting” which I hadn’t done in YEARS. I’m hoping to finger-knit a bit more ribbon yarn and then knit that into a bigger knitting piece for some cool knitted-knitting texture.

I think my favorite part of the class was all the discussions we had on how to knit different shapes, holes, bumps, bobbles, loops and pockets.

Some of my technique samplers turned out looking a bit like the Loch Ness monster, don’t you think?

All in all it was a FANTASTIC weekend. Thank you so much Adrienne for being so inspiring and teaching such a wonderful class!

Painted Skeins

Melissa — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 01:39:08 +0000

Today I took the Paint A Wool Skein class at the Weavers Guild. Aimee Radman is a great teacher and it was a really fun class.

We mixed enough colors to paint two skeins. The hardest part was waiting for the colors to set and yarns to cool before the final rinse.

The colors really blossomed beautifully after finishing.

What a great class!

I made yarn…I think

Melissa — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:23:00 +0000

Yesterday was my second day of Spinning for Knitters that I’m taking through the Weavers Guild at the Textile Center. Our teacher, Nancy Preckshot, is a great teacher with a wealth of spinning knowledge, but also enough patience to deal with us bumbling newbies. It definitely took me awhile to figure what I was doing, and even then the going was pretty rough. But amazingly, by the end of our first 3 hour class, I had yarn!

Granted, it’s probably some of the gnarliest yarn you’ve ever seen, but it’s yarn nonetheless!!

Nancy encouraged us to take a wheel home with us for the duration of the class so we can continue practicing at home.

She also sent us home with 5 oz. of brightly colored fleece to practice with. No big surprise that mine is purple and turquoise, I’m sure.

Celeste approves of the gnarly yarn (or maybe it’s just the dangly woolly bits…)

A Common Thread

Melissa — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 03:13:54 +0000

A Common Thread is up through February 21, 2009. Go check it out!!

I love a good birthday that comes two months early

Melissa — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:43:00 +0000

Day Two of the Madre Visit 2008.

Today started of with a bang a the Textile Center of Minnesota. Oh man am I in trouble now that I know this place exists. I had actually signed up to take a class here later this month, but thought we’d stop by today to see the newest exhibit in the gallery. Fantastic! Everything was so inspiring. And the items for sale in the store were just gorgeous. If only I had an extra $225 to buy a beautifully embroidered bag I would be scared to use… I ran into real trouble at the Hand Weavers Guild of MN store in the next room over. Luckily my mom decided to buy me a few new early birthday presents to help out with the monetary damage I was getting ready to do.

First purchase/gift: The Ashland Book of Weaving for KnittersThis book is meant for weaving on rigid heddle looms, but the pictures were just so pretty and inspiring it had to be mine.

Book Two: Creative Weaving

Again, beautiful pictures. Unique and fresh color combinations = mine.

Both books seem to contain some really basic patterns, but using really interesting novelty yarns. Of which I have lots. And lots. We’re talking like 4 tubs full of yarn from knitting projects that never went anywhere. Just sitting, waiting, DYING to be used. Now if I can only decide on which project to start first!

The last purchase of the day was a small, foam kumihimo kit. Kumihimo (the Japanese art of braiding) is something I’ve wanted to try for awhile, but some of the equipment is rather pricey. A good marudai (the thing you braid on) runs $50-$200 and that’s more than I care to invest in a hobby I’m not too sure of yet. So when I saw a beginners kit for $5, I was sold. I started messing around with it during the Opening Ceremonies tonight and much to my delight, found that it was really quite simple to make a cute 7 strand braid rather quickly.

And sure sign your project was a success – kitty approval!

I also picked up quite a lot of literature about classes and other offerings at the Textile Center. I already have four classes circled for this fall. I sense an addiction coming on…