Yarn Bits

Golden

Download Fibonacci_and_the_Golden_Mean 

I have been designing some new woven shibori scarves for the Fall and wanted to refresh my ideas about the "golden rectangle" or Fibonacci series of numbers that lead to pleasing and well-balanced design.  The series begins with 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, and on and on as you add together the last 2 numbers in the series.  So, of course, I went to Google and looked for some references and, indeed, found many, a lot of which were videos of varying lengths. I have saved one which is quite beautiful and will try to insert that reference for you to have a look at.  It takes a few seconds to begin but seems to work.  If your interest is piqued, then have your own "google" time.  I watched several related videos.  I have come up with a few new designs which have woven shibori in various widths of stripes mixed with some solid colour areas.  I'll have to actually weave and dye a couple before I'm sure I'll be happy with the results, but that will have to wait until I'm finished the series of polyester shibori scarves I'm now working on, using  painted warps.  I have 3 different shows to prepare for this Fall, so I'm trying to build up a stock of different scarves.  Pictures will come later as I'm just finishing the first couple of the polyester pieces.

Fall Inspiration

I managed a short walk today to mail a couple of letters and took along my digital camera.  The colours of Fall are so warm and comforting which seems a bit strange as the season itself is heralding in cold and discomfort, at least in my mind.  I'll share some of the photos I took, along with an image I developed while playing in Photoshop.

Design Resource

"Threads" magazine may be familiar to many of you, especially if you do sew wearables.  I don't often buy this magazine, but I always check it out and pick it up if there is something I feel I could use in that particular issue.  The most recent issue, November 2007, has a few articles that are quite adaptable to sewing with handwovens or knitted pieces for that matter.  There is a vest pattern which is made from a rectangle 72" x 27".  It has to be cut in 2 places to give it it's shape, but it is quite interesting and worth trying.  I do have a couple of extra pieces of handwoven fabric that have been patiently waiting for some time to be developed into a unique wearable and this could be it.  I need to measure the pieces and see if there is indeed enough handwoven or if I would need to add some commercial fabric to the mix.  Either way it would be worth a try. The 'Threads" vest is shown with a fringe which my fabric does not have, so I guess that would mean another trip to Mokuba for fringing materials.  That would be such a hardship--NOT!!

There is also a pattern review and illustrations of other patterns with details of the brand of pattern and the exact name of each one.  Many of them would easily work for handwovens. I picked up my copy at Shoppers.  Give it a look see.