I named this one ‘fair isle’ because I’m very into knitting these days, and have tried a few stranded color-work projects. I think the Fair Isle knitting technique is more than I want to attempt just yet. But this was super easy! Anyway, 56 holes and mid-advanced beginner.
This bind has 84 holes, which makes it more complicated than it might be otherwise. Also, holes 24, 44, 64, and 84 need to be much larger than the others because there are 15 threads entering and exiting.
The tutorial was a bit complicated to write (though I don’t think it is as difficult to sew)…so if you find an error, please leave me a comment and I’ll correct it. I also broke up the written instructions so you can see where one snowflake ends and the next begins.
**click to enlarge**
hole pattern
sewing pattern
EXIT = needle pointed DOWN and ENTER = needle pointed UP
=====
enter 1, leave a tail but don’t knot it, wrap around right edge, enter 1 again
exit 5,
enter 6, wrap around right edge, enter 6 again
exit 7
enter 8
exit 9
enter 5
exit 9
enter 8
exit 7
enter 6
exit 5
enter 24
exit 6
enter 24
exit 7
enter 24
exit 8
enter 24
exit 9
enter 24
exit 10
enter 11
exit 12
enter 24
exit 12
enter 11
exit 10
enter 24
exit 13
enter 14
exit 15
enter 24
exit 15
enter 14
exit 13
enter 24
exit 16, wrap around spine at angle to below 24, exit 16 again
enter 24
exit 17, thread needle through loop from 16, point right, exit 17 again
enter 24
exit 18
enter 19
exit 20
enter 24
exit 20
enter 19
exit 18
enter 24
exit 21
enter 22
exit 23
enter 24
exit 23
enter 22
exit 21
enter 24
exit 5
enter 1
exit 2
enter 25
exit 44
enter 38
exit 2
enter 38
exit 44
enter 26
exit 27
enter 28
exit 44
enter 28
exit 27
enter 26
exit 44
enter 29
exit 30
enter 31
exit 44
enter 31
exit 30
enter 29
exit 44
enter 32
exit 33
enter 34
exit 44
enter 34
exit 33
enter 32
exit 44
enter 35
exit 36
enter 37
exit 44
enter 37
exit 36
enter 35
exit 44
enter 39
exit 40
enter 41, wrap around spine, enter 41 again
exit 42
enter 43
exit 39
enter 43
exit 42
enter 41
exit 40
enter 39
exit 44
enter 40
exit 44
enter 41
exit 44
enter 42
exit 44
enter 43
exit 44
(opposite side, weave needle under thread coming from 39 and 43) enter 25
exit 2
enter 3
exit 45
enter 46
exit 47
enter 48
exit 49
enter 45
exit 49
enter 48
exit 47
enter 46
exit 45
enter 64
exit 46
enter 64
exit 47
enter 64
exit 48
enter 64
exit 49
enter 64
exit 50
enter 51
exit 52
enter 64
exit 52
enter 51
exit 50
enter 64
exit 53
enter 54
exit 55
enter 64
exit 55
enter 54
exit 53
enter 64
exit 56, wrap around spine at angle to below 64, exit 56 again
enter 64
exit 57, thread needle through loop from 56, point right, exit 57 again
enter 64
exit 58
enter 59
exit 60
enter 64
exit 60
enter 59
exit 58
enter 64
exti 61
enter 62
exit 63
enter 64
exit 63
enter 62
exit 61
enter 64
exit 45
enter 3
exit 4
enter 65
exit 84
enter 78
exit 4
enter 78
exit 84
enter 66
exit 67
enter 68
exit 84
enter 68
exit 67
enter 66
exit 84
enter 69
exit 70
enter 71
exit 84
enter 71
exit 70
enter 69
exit 84
enter 72
exit 73
enter 74
exit 84
enter 74
exit 73
enter 72
exit 84
enter 75
exit 76
enter 77
exit 84
enter 77
exit 76
enter 75
exit 84
enter 79
exit 80
enter 81, wrap around spine, enter 81 again
exit 82, wrap around left edge, exit 82 again
enter 83
exit 79
enter 83
exit 82
enter 81
exit 80
enter 79
exit 84
enter 80
exit 84
enter 81
exit 84
enter 82
exit 84
enter 83
exit 84
(opposite side, weave needle under thread coming from 79 and 83) enter 65
exit 4, wrap around left edge, exit 4 again
enter 3,
exit 2, tie off
Second place in the tutorial poll. A very simple bind, no twists or complicated V shapes. 58 total holes. If you’d rather have cinnamon rolls instead of sushi, ignore the steps marked with an asterisk “*”.
**click any image to enlarge**
hole pattern
sewing pattern
EXIT = needle pointed DOWN and ENTER = needle pointed UP
=====
enter 1, leave a tail but don’t knot it, wrap around right edge, enter 1 again
exit 2, wrap around spine, exit 2 again
enter 3
exit 4
enter 5
exit 6
enter 5
exit 4
enter 3
exit 2
enter 1
exit 7
enter 8
exit 9
enter 10
exit 11
enter 12
exit 13
enter 14
exit 15
enter 16
exit 17
enter 18
exit 19
enter 20
*exit 16
*enter 20
exit 19
enter 18
exit 17
enter 16
exit 15
enter 14
exit 13
enter 12
exit 11
enter 10
exit 9
enter 8
exit 7
enter 6
exit 21
enter 5, wrap around spine, enter 5 again
exit 22
enter 23
exit 24
enter 25
exit 24
enter 23
exit 22
enter 5
exit 21
enter 26
exit 27
enter 28
exit 29
enter 30
exit 31
enter 32
exit 33
enter 34
exit 35
enter 36
exit 37
enter 38
exit 39
*enter 35
*exit 39
enter 38
exit 37
enter 36
exit 35
enter 34
exit 33
enter 32
exit 31
enter 30
exit 29
enter 28
exit 27
enter 26
exit 25
enter 40
exit 24, wrap around spine, exit 24 again
enter 41
exit 42
enter 43, wrap around spine, enter 43 again
exit 44, wrap around left edge, exit 44 again
enter 43
exit 42
enter 41
exit 24
enter 40
exit 45
enter 46
exit 47
enter 48
exit 49
enter 50
exit 51
enter 52
exit 53
enter 54
exit 55
enter 56
exit 57
enter 58
*exit 54
*enter 58
exit 57
enter 56
exit 55
enter 54
exit 53
enter 52
exit 51
enter 50
exit 49
enter 48
exit 47
enter 46
exit 45
enter 44
exit 45
enter 40
exit 25
enter 26
exit 21
enter 6
exit 7, tie off
Another spiral. I am actually not too fond of snails, as I think they’re gross and slimy (and I encountered way too many when I lived in England)…but how could I not try for the stab pattern? You could modify this and make the snail’s body longer, but I thought it looked odd, so I shortened the spine width down by an inch.
I’d rate this bind as very easy. There are segments that could be easily missed while sewing the bottom edge, but it’s very simple to add in the missing stitches later.
39 holes. 5″(12.7cm) wide, .25″(.64cm) thick. I forgot to write down how many times I wrapped the spine for the thread length (sorry!), but I think that it was around 8 times.
For a while now I’ve been wanting to create a project using obscure or old-fashioned English words. I just wasn’t sure how I would do it. Enter the fabrication lab and the laser cutter! I decided to create a ‘book’ of laser cut and etched acrylic plastic sheets, sewn together with one of Keith A Smith’s techniques. Though the bind looks ok, I think I might have to redo it with a modified version. There just aren’t enough pages for the design to look right.
First I sketched the designs on paper, then digitized them in Illustrator. The darker the color, the deeper the laser will etch the plastic. It was similar to the thought process behind intaglio printmaking – the darkest colors will be the lightest, and the lightest colors the darkest. It took a a couple of tries to find the right setting for the laser, but I was fairly happy with the second run.
I tried a couple of different colors of acrylic paint, but settled on white and a shimmery gold. I smeared the paint into the etched lines and gradients, then wiped (or scrubbed, if it had dried) off the excess paint.
“lucubrate” – to work diligently by artificial light
“ignivomous” – vomiting fire
“fulgent” – shining brilliantly, radiant, gleaming
“ascian” – a person or thing without shadow
“clinquant” – glittering, showy, dressed in tinsel
Finished size: 6 in x 4 in (15.24 cm x 10.16 cm). I’m planning several more ‘volumes’ of obscure terms. If you’re curious about where I found these words, check out this book: Mrs Byrne’s Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words.
Dedicated to former adviser, Robert…I know you miss my ‘butterfly’ days… :)
An intermediate bind with a difficult hole pattern.
**click on an image to enlarge**
hole pattern
sewing pattern
EXIT = needle pointed DOWN and ENTER = needle pointed UP
=====
enter 1, (leave a tail but don’t knot it) wrap around right edge, enter 1 again
exit 2
enter 3
exit 4
enter 5
exit 6
enter 7
exit 8
enter 5
exit 8
enter 7
exit 6
enter 5
exit 4
enter 3
exit 2
enter 6
exit 2
enter 1
exit 9
enter 3
exit 10
enter 5
exit 10
enter 3
exit 9
enter 11
exit 12
enter 10
exit 12
enter 5
exit 12
enter 13
exit 14
enter 13
exit 12
enter 14
exit 5
enter 14
exit 8
enter 14
exit 15
enter 7
exit 15
enter 16, wrap around spine at an angle to below 19, enter 16 again
exit 15
enter 14, wrap around spine, point needle to the right, thread needle through loop from 16, enter 14 again
exit 17
enter 18
exit 16
enter 19
exit 17
enter 19
exit 16
enter 18
exit 17
enter 14
exit 20, wrap around spine at an angle to below 21, exit 20 again
enter 14
exit 12
enter 21
exit 22
enter 23
exit 24
enter 23
exit 25
enter 23
exit 22
enter 21
exit 26
enter 25
exit 27
enter 25
exit 26
enter 21
exit 28
enter 29
exit 30
enter 31 wrap around left edge, enter 31 again
exit 32
enter 33
exit 34
enter 35
exit 36
enter 37
exit 38
enter 35
exit 38
enter 37
exit 36
enter 32
exit 36
enter 35
exit 34
enter 33
exit 32
enter 31
exit 30
enter 33
exit 39
enter 35
exit 39
enter 33
exit 30
enter 29
exit 28
enter 39
exit 28
enter 35
exit 28
enter 40
exit 41
enter 40
exit 28
enter 41
exit 35
enter 41
exit 38
enter 41
exit 42
enter 37
exit 42
enter 43, wrap around spine at angle to below 46, enter 43 again
exit 42
enter 41, thread needle through loop from 43, point needle to the left, enter 41 again
exit 44
enter 45
exit 43
enter 46
exit 44
enter 46
exit 43
enter 45
exit 44
enter 41
exit 47, wrap around spine, thread needle through loop from 20, point needle right, exit 47 again
enter 41
exit 28
enter 21
exit 12
enter 11
exit 9
tie off with tail from 1
Difficulty level… intermediate.
During a very long flight to Richmond, Virginia, my friend Mel challenged me to create a bind based on a peacock feather. This is the result. It looks like one to me…does it to anyone else?
This bind is fairly straightforward…I’d say advanced beginner/intermediate.
This is a fairly advanced binding. The edge-wrapping is much more complicated than my other binds, and the directionality of several holes change (exiting vs. entering) but I liked the way it turned out. There are 53 holes! The instructions are written, if anyone wants to try it. Though the diagram might take me a bit longer to create…
becca making faces 