Celestial Magic Art BattAmanda Solomon "I have created a deep purple batt with flicks of green and deep red. I wanted this batt to have a lot of depth in it and pops of color that you wouldn't see from just looking at it. I pictured a beautiful black woman with a braids and beads in her hair with lavender clothing and all of her spell books on a shelf. She is mysterious and catching on all levels. She is more than what meets the eye, just like this batt. I have also dyed matching Mashum locks to go with this beautiful batt. I love the combo of deep purple with a striking green that jumps out at you. I have dyed various shades of green on bamboo, faux cashmere, cotton nepps and silk. That creates texture within the merino roving when you are looking at it as well as when you spin this batt." The MagicianBrandon Fierman Reply Hazy Intarsia ChartsQuayln Stark The "Reply Hazy" sweater was actually my first ever knit sweater AND intarsia project. Go big, or go home, right? Though I don't have a full-out graded pattern for you all, I do have both charts available for free below! I recommend working the charts on size 7 or smaller needles so that the gauge of them will fit onto a sweater. As for the words shown on the triangle side, I cut out and hand stitched wool felt directly onto the fabric! You can do this, duplicate stitch embroidery, or more intarsia to get the look! Artist BiosAmanda Solomon is a fiber artist that resides part time in the city and part time in the hills of the Catskills. Amanda is both a spinner, farmer and mentor that takes inspiration from music, adventures and her history. Find her on her website or Instagram
Brandon Fierman is a fiberartist and student of graphic design at FIT. Find him on Instagram Quayln Stark has established himself as a strong presence in the fiber arts scene, designing for many companies within the fiber arts field. Unique shaping and outlandish concepts help Quayln to push the boundaries of what it means to be a fiber arts designer in the social age. The mission statement of his design house, QUOE, has always been to “Break The Status”, and as such, embraces everyone who isn’t scared to step outside the established perimeters of crafting, art, and fashion. Follow what Quayln is up to next on his Blog | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Ravelry
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Hello everyone! A while back, I had the idea of making a zine which curated submissions from some of my absolute favorite fiber artists. These submissions encompass all mediums, including art, poetry, patterns, and essays. I reached out to some of my amazingly talented friends with the theme of "Fortune", and they created amazing pieces! Sadly, at the time many unexpected life events played out, and I've never been able to showcase these pieces in a zine form as anticipated. However, it would be a tragedy for these pieces to go to waste, and as such I have decided to do a series of blog posts this month to publish the beautiful and inspiring work sent back to me! Tune in each Saturday this month to view all the amazing submissions from my fiber arts friends! If you enjoyed their work, please show your appreciation by staying up to date with them on their linked social medias. With all that said, please enjoy today's submissions from artists YarnGirlLiv, Adémígua Wittstock, and myself. Pamela the pom pom heartYarnGirlLiv I made Pamela in the spring of 2020, April I think is when I got started on her. I don’t like to discuss (in much detail anyway) the reasons why I make my pieces or what the meanings behind them are but I will say they all have some meaning. It’s easy to hide the real substance behind bold, bright colors and silly faces. When I started working on Pamela I was actually in the middle of another project. In fact the 230 pom poms that went into her were meant for that other project but once I got them made I realized they didn’t fit right with that one so instead they became Pamela. I came up with the basic concept for Pamela in March. I was actually doing some found poetry with the help of an instagram challenge from my friend Kathryn Vercillo (@kathrynlucillevercillo) While writing I doodled a rough sketch of what would later become Pamela. 2020 has been a rough year for most of us and I was really going through it the day I doodled that sketch. Pamela is about that time in my life. She’s about sadness, confusion, and grief but also about new beginnings, hope and following your spiritual path. Your Fortune is in Your HandsAdémígua Wittstock What does fortune mean to you? What images come into your mind when someone wishes you good fortune? Do you think of stacks of money, yachts, and luxury cars? That’s a great definition of the word fortune, but it is an incomplete definition. There can be emptiness in both poverty and financial wealth, but there can be fullness in both ends of the spectrum. How can we discover that beautiful richness in life, no matter where we are on the financial spectrum? We create it! We create the fullness and richness with our every thought and our every word we utter. It’s like magic. My mother used to wake my siblings and me at 4 a.m. every morning for our mantras, prayers, and alter time. Of course, like most kids, I didn’t appreciate it then because I didn’t understand the power in it. Masaru Emoto’s research, the power of words on the formation of ice crystals is a beautiful example of this in a physical representation. I encourage you to research further into his work if you aren’t familiar with it. In a nutshell, the water that was exposed to positive, uplifting words formed into beautiful crystals, and the water exposed to negativity or ignored, formed ugly imbalanced formations. What kind of thoughts and words do we express on a daily basis? Are we talking or thinking about the things we hate? Or are we wishing people well on their journey? Since I’ve been exposed to the practices of mantras and prayers from an early age, it comes naturally to me. Before I begin a creative process that will have an impact on others, I feel myself shift into a certain headspace and I begin to hear the mantras/ prayers that I need to focus on for this particular creation. I’m intentional with everything that extends to others, whether I’m cooking food that will nourish my family’s bodies, or creating a garment that someone will be wearing. I want the energy of what I’m creating to create fortune for those I’m serving. I want the garment I create for someone to make them feel amazing and empowered when they wear it, so I infuse it with delicious energy and high vibes! So, how can we incorporate some positive fortune-creating intentions into our daily routine? Our fortune comes from the care and love that we put into ourselves. If the water that received the positive words formed such beautiful formations and we are composed of 60% water, how amazing that we can create fortune in our own lives by how we treat ourselves with our thoughts and words. There have been volumes written on this topic, but I want to give you just a few seeds to plant in your own life to help you create fortune in your daily lives. Body Let’s start with a basic need that we all do on a daily basis – our bathing or showering routine. How do you take care of and nurture yourself with the simple act of bathing? Could you incorporate more self-care into it? The shower or bathing time at the end of the day could be turned into a beautiful ritual of not only cleansing, but nourishing after. The mood in the bathroom could be softened with some candles, essential oils, or even fresh flowers in the tub. If it’s been an especially hard day you can incorporate salts or even ground coffee to scrub the day off, both physically and energetically. After you’re cleansed, spending time to nourish yourself with essential oils is a beautiful touch. Rose oil can be used to infuse more self-love and sweet almond oil is not only used in money draw spells, but is also very nourishing to the skin. We could all use a bit of extra sweetness in our lives, right? Mind Meditation is a beautiful way to cleanse the mind on a daily basis to create a space where fortune would like to reside. I’m not talking about meditation from a standard, one size fits all, perspective though. Meditation can simply be a state of awareness and observance while you take your morning walk, observing the flowers, trees, and even the traffic. Meditation could mean sitting and listening to a nice piece of music that invokes a release for you. As a child, I resisted the chants and mantras my mother taught me and chose to do walking meditations, where I would walk a straight line and count my steps. That worked for me as a child. When I got older different mantras resonated with me and I began to use them. The mantra I still use today is “I am…I am.” It’s very simple but is a powerful tool to connect the mind to its true nature. Try different mantras, affirmations, sayings, and meditative techniques to find what works best for you. One very special prayer my grandmother used was “I am grateful to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right people, for the right reason, right now!”. The key is to bring your mind to center, to use the mind as a tool to create fortune for yourself and others. There is power in our words. Each utterance is a vibration that will bring failure or fortune. What thoughts and words are you using to shape your space? Spirit The spiritual aspect that I want to touch on today is feeding your spirit in service to others. It could be as simple as making cookies for your neighbor, or if you’re shoveling snow in your driveway, shoveling for your neighbor at the same time. You might take food to the homeless man on the corner, or knit him a hat when the weather gets cold. All of this is feeding your spirit because as we know when we give to others, we are giving to ourselves. Giving to others does not leave you with less. There's enough room for all of us. What will you do differently in your day today? Will you be more intentional with your thoughts and words as you create for others? Will you choose to incorporate some nourishing self-care habits into your day? How will you love and care for yourself to create fortune in your life and expand that to others? Sending you love and good fortune from me to you as a start! Destiny is mineQuayln Stark They say destiny’s a thin red line. They say that destiny is preassigned. Well, I say they’re wrong. I say they’re lying. Because I know that destiny is mine. They say that fate will find its way. But I change mine from day to day. So I’m free to live, And live, I may. To not the gods or stars or fate will I obey. They say that fortune favors the bold But I’ve no faith in riches foretold. Take what I have and spin it to gold, There’s no luck, I’m a force that’s uncontrolled. I have beauty, I have brains, And my fervor’s yet to wain I’ve got that certain “je ne sais quoi” Won’t stop at good because I’m great. Not when my future is at stake. Because my success depends on moi. They say I’m filled with delusions of grandeur. Because I want to be a star. Well this I say, and I say it with candor. I’m gonna go far. Because destiny is mine. Artist BiosYarnGirlLiv is a crochet artist. She's mostly nomadic, but has a home base in upstate New York. When she's not crocheting she's usually traveling and going on adventures or spending time with her family. Find her on Instagram, Patreon, or Etsy
Adémı́gua Wittstock is a fiber artist, circus performer, and priestess to Obatala in the Lucumi tradition. She comes from a family of witches and artists and uses her knowledge of occult, fine, and performance art to help others and spread the message of self-care and healing. She is the owner of Prema Witch handmade, a company selling handmade items and fiber supplies. She also is a co-host of the Triple Goddess Retreat, a retreat centered around providing healing for women through dance, art, tattooing, and energy work. Find her on Instagram at Prema Witch Quayln Stark has established himself as a strong presence in the fiber arts scene, designing for many companies within the fiber arts field. Unique shaping and outlandish concepts help Quayln to push the boundaries of what it means to be a fiber arts designer in the social age. The mission statement of his design house, QUOE, has always been to “Break The Status”, and as such, embraces everyone who isn’t scared to step outside the established perimeters of crafting, art, and fashion. Follow what Quayln is up to next on his Blog | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Ravelry ![]() This simple shortie sock recipe will quickly become a go-to for the everyday knitter that wants handmade socks but can’t devote weeks to making them. This simple afterthought sock is the perfect recipe for a quick custom-fit pair that you can make in an afternoon. Utilizing a pre knit sock tube will also save hours! Stick around to the end of the blog for a link to the free downloadable PDF! MATERIALS AND TOOLS Sample uses Wool for the Dame Sock (75% Superwash Merino / 25% Nylon, 100g/463yds, 4-Ply Fingering Weight) in colorway “The Magic” Yarn needle 32” Circular Knitting Needles- Size 2 (2.75 mm) Or size to obtain gauge. Alternatively, DPNs may be used. 2 Locking stitch markers Optional: Pre-Knit 64 stitch sock tube using 50 grams of designated yarn from Totally Tubular Sock Tubes. BLOCKED GAUGE 36 Stitches by 44 Rounds — 4’’ in Stockinette STITCH GUIDE K- Knit P- Purl sts- Stitches SSK- Slip Slip Knit K2Tog- Knit 2 Together NOTES
Divide sock blank in half before starting. Toe On one end of the tube, remove waste yarn and pick up all 64 sts along the edge. Divide into 2 32 stitch halves for magic loop. Join new yarn. Place locking stitch marker on the first stitch. Round 1: [K1, k2tog, k to 3 sts before end of side, ssk, k1] twice. — 60 sts. Round 2: K all sts. Rounds 3-20: Repeat rounds 1, 2. — End with 24 sts. Kitchener stitch toe closed.
Heel Place sock blank on foot and place locking stitch marker into fabric approximately 2’’ from the end of heel. Remove sock blank and prepare for an afterthought heel. Starting at the stitch in the same stitch column as the first stitch of the toe, pick up 32 stitches along its same row as marked by the new stitch marker. Then pick up 32 identical stitches 2 rows down from the first row. In the middle of the skipped row, snip one leg of a knit stitch and unravel along either side until all 64 stitches are live on the needles. join new yarn and begin heel. Round 1: [K1, k2tog, k to 3 sts before end of side, ssk, k1] twice. — 60 sts. Round 2: K all sts. Rounds 3-14: Repeat rounds 1, 2. -- End with 36 sts. Kitchener stitch heel closed.
Cuff Mark 20 rows up from heel and unravel to that point. Pick up all 64 sts around and join new yarn or use unraveled yarn. Rounds 1-10: K2, p2 around. Bind off using your favorite stretchy bind-off method. Finishing Weave in all ends and block socks.
![]() It is with a heavy heart that I bring you this blog. My Abuela, Yolanda Olguin, passed away earlier this month. This has been a devastating blow to myself and my family, as she was our family's rock. She will be missed tremendously, and I want to say a sincere thank you for the well wishes that have been sent to me and my family during this trying time. Over my extended stay in Odessa last summer, I had many amazing days with my grandma. I will be eternally grateful I was given that time. One of those days, my grandmother and I worked on a special spur-of-the-moment project. I've named this vase cover Las Alabanzas de Yoli. ![]() My grandmother was a true creative and enjoyed many hobbies including floral arrangement. Together, she and I created this piece as a representation of our two creative outlets together. For her part, my grandmother selected and arranged the flowers. For mine, I knit the vase cover. This pattern wasn’t intended to be released, but I have decided to publish it to honor her memory and legacy. My work and style have always and will continue to be influenced by my Grandma Yoli. To Grandma; this is for you, thank you for all you have taught me. I’m only just getting started down this road, and a part of you will forever be with me as I travel it. Like you said; atras del miedo esta el dinero. Te amo mucho, Yoli.
These patches have been created as a way to show your stance on the current happenings of the world. Breonna Taylor, and everyone effected by police brutality deserve justice. The charts to create these patches will remain free in perpetuity. In lieu of payment, please consider donating to the Louisville Community Bail Fund, or similar funds to assist jailed protesters near you. For the patches themselves, I recommend 14 count Aida fabric and heavy weight floss, or fingering weight yarn. Look for a tutorial for finishing patches from me in the coming weeks. Stay safe, and stay activated.
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AuthorQuayln is the creator behind everything QUOE. Archives
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