Math of the Granny Square

I'm a nerd, there, I admit it. (Though it never was truly a secret, but only we know that.) I love Sci-fi Novels, my favorite being "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, of whom just recently passed away. I love to figure things out. One of my friends nicknamed my "DIY Dawn" a couple of years ago. I found it so true. I don't just want to know the end result, but the process of how it is achieved.

For the past year, I have been working on the most glorious afghan. It a simple Granny Square, really.   Start with four stitches of three double chains, and add an extra group to turn each corner. I've taken it across the United States to various Fiber Festivals and friends homes to work on (and show off on occasion, since I love it so much). It started out as a way to use up all those 20 yards sock yarn Phat Fibers samples I had been gathering from the various participants. I had a basketful of tiny hanks of bright and plain yarn love. I decided to make a mammoth project of these tidbits. Heck, the artists worked so hard to bring me a sample of their colors and fibers from the shops, I had to pay homage somehow. Thus, the Great Granny Blanket began.

For months I worked on this blanket. First it was big enough to make a pillow. Okay, that was great, but I wanted bigger! Then, it was a baby blanket size. No way in heck was I giving this beauty away! Soon, I ran out of samples. Okay. . . I looked in my scrap pile from various projects and pulled out all those left over bits. 50 yards leftover from the shawl I knit last Fall. . . another 100 yards from the socks I knit my mom for Christmas. This blanket kept growing and growing. I finally had to halt all production since I didn't have any more yarn. Gasp! How can that happen? It sat in a basket for several months before I purchased a special hank of yarn at a fiber festival from a friend. It's the only hank so far that I've bought for it. I finally gathered enough samples to work on it again on my 12 hour drive to visit my Grandmother. Yay!

While busily hooking away on my baby. I start thinking about how much time I actually put into this. I hadn't been keeping a log or anything. It's that project that you pick up whenever you have a few extra minutes. So, I started pondering about an equation to figure out the estimated time. (Did I mention, I'm a geek?) For the life of me, I couldn't figure it out. I knew with the simplicity of the math (starting with four groupings, and adding four on every row) a solution was possible. I looked everywhere online for the solution to come up empty. There might be an answer somewhere, but not where I could find it.  So, in my infinite wisdom (insert laugh here) I posed the question to my father. Now, this could be unusual for some, but my Daddy has an Engineering Degree and was a Captain/Pilot in the Air Force. He loves math and thinks very logically. He and I played around for about a half and hour discussing different equations. It was always that first increase from 4 to 8 bunches that got us off kilter. I actually even started writing down what the total stitches would be for each row completed by simply adding four each time. Let me tell you, that took 15 minutes, in and of itself!

Here's the basic Granny square diagram:


Finally, though, we figured it out.

You want to know the answer? Here it is...

The answer is:
1/2 (4X+4) x X = total groups
X = the amount of rows. 

Yep, that's it. To me it's like God finally answering, "What is the meaning of life?". Now, here's how to figure out, roughly, the amount of time you put into your simple Granny Square.

So, if you plug what row you just finished as x. You will be able to figure out how many groups of three you get. Remember, simple granny squares start with 4 groups of 3, then go to 8 groups of three, then 12 groups of 3, and so on.

With this number, all you need to estimate the amount of time you've put into a blanket is to time how long it takes you to do a bunch of groups.

For example, I was on row 95 when I figured this out.

1/2 (4X+4) x X
1/2 ([4x95]+4) x 95
1/2 (380+4) x 95
1/2 (384) x 95
192 x 95 = 18,240

Then, let's say, I can complete 6 groups in a minute.
18240 divided by 6 = 3040 total minutes
3040 minutes divided by 60 (minutes per hour) = 50.66666 hours total time
So, it roughly took me 50 hours to complete the afghan to row 95.

ALSO, you could also use the total groups number to estimate yardage. Let's say it take one yard of fingering yarn for two groups.

Divide 18,240 groups by 2 (groups per yard) = 9,120 total yards.

Of course, this would be an estimate since joins would add some more yards that don't contribute to the groups or if I were falling asleep and slowing down, my time would increase. At least, though, you can know get an idea of how much time it takes to make a simple granny blanket.

Who said Algebra would never come be handy in the real world? Now, grab your calculators and get to work!

6th Annual Fiber Christmas in July 2012

Fiber Christmas in July has a special place in my heart. It was the first Fiber Festival I had ever attended, and the friends I made have grown into lifelong friendships. We gather, discuss, promote, and generally make fiber mayhem for everyone to enjoy year after year.

Now, that means a full year of planning that you all don't see see from creating advertising, handing and mailing fliers, setting up the buildings, and finally managing the chaos that is the festival.

This year, we wanted to do some new things. We had two contests: handspun and chemo hat. One was to promote your skills as spinners; the other to gather hats for charity. Both wonderful in their own rights. The variety and quality of entries blew me away! I swear there was one particular handspun yarn that was so perfect, it looked machine made.



Another was the Passport Card, in which we handed out sheets with all the vendors names had to be marked to be put into a drawing. I loved seeing just how excited everyone got when they were looking for vendors. We were surprised by just how many finished getting their papers all signed.

Classes were a huge hit! We had several classes, some new, some repeats. We asked several months ago what classes everyone would like and found teachers for what we could. Each class wound up being filled to the brim with eager students.

I actually was able to take two myself. First was a soap making class. I had been asking for this particular class for a year or two now. I learned so much as to the hot process of making soap. The mistakes we made were nicely trouble-shot, so I know what to do the next time I make soap. I came home with 12 bars of handmade lavender soap that should be hardened and ready to go by Christmas. Aren't they lovely?

 I taught a class on Solar Dyeing. A technique I use every summer to get deep, rich colors using natural heat. I always worry about not giving enough info, but am always pleasantly surprised by just how thankful and open the students are. We went through several techniques and tips. They enthusiastically absorbed all the info and left with mason jars full of fibers and dye.

I also was excited to run some projects through a Felt Loom. This ingenious machine can needlefelt fabric into fleece fabric to make the most beautiful sheets of color. This first is a two sided tree with a rainbow background. It took no time at all to finish.

  

The second is a landscape of a mountain by a lake.We had to work carefully as to not move the fibers around too much. I have so much more detail to add, but it's on its way!

Finally, I took a wonderful class from Kate Lowder of Lowder Colours Farm. She is an expert on sheep and fleece. I could sit and pick her brain for hours. We all discussed a variety of sheep breeds, their history, and how that changed the way the fleeces are. It was very informative. Though I have a baggies full of fleece to sample and write down my findings. We hope to discuss them next year in a follow-up class and to cover new breeds of sheep.

All in all, I am joyously, exhausted. The whirlwind weekend of friends and fibers have me thinking ahead for new things to plan for next year. There are more photos on the Flickr Group if you want to see. We may have some exciting news on the horizon if all goes as planned, but you will have to stay tuned to see.

DIY Giant Spinning Wheel Sewing Bobbin

Here is a new one for you. I'm always looking for fun and interesting ways to show off my favorite hobby, spinning yarn. I also love over-sized, jumbo creations such as pillows that look like buttons or knitting needles the size of your arm. Recently, I can across these big cable bobbins from my friends' husband who works for a cable company. For $5 a piece, I couldn't pass them up! So with a little bit of imagination and elbow grease, here is how to turn that ugly roll into a giant bobbin.




Materials:
Empty Cable Bobbin (comes in many sizes so the choice is up to you)
Sandpaper
Wood Conditioner
Wood Stain
Soft towels or rags for staining
Polyurethane
Yarn/Roving (the bigger, the better to give a more accurate visual)







1. Take your bobbin and clean it up. For mine, I had to remove the stickers and clean it with a little soap and water. I also sand the rough edges to keep them from snagging on the yarn.

 2. Condition the wood. Unless you want to stain to appear muddy and antiqued, this will make the plywood stain better.

3. After drying the appropriate amount of time, take a soft cloth and apply stain as directed on the can. I choose a dark stain to completely change the look and feel.





4. Seal all the stained pieces with Polyurethane. This will protect the wood as well as keep the stain from getting on the yarn, you, or the other things.

5. Allow it to completely dry overnight. Yes, please remember to be patient. Nothing like fingerprint all over your project. : )







6. Wrap yarn around the center. I used a super-bulky hand spun yarn that I spun up just for this purpose. You could also use a roving instead if you don't have anything else on hand. As you can see the smaller super-bulky looks like thread, whereas the giant bulky (1 inch wide) looks more like a 2-ply yarn.

7. Enjoy! Sit back and appreciate your ingenuity and creative endeavor. Most will never imagine or even attempt such a project.

Whether you want to make one to add a little whimsy to you creative environment or a a display stand for a craft fair, these make your space a little more unique. I can imagine these for a Cinderella themed little girls playroom. Can't you just see the little mice rolling these out to sew her dress before the ball?

Thank you for reading!

If you like this or any other DIY tutorials, feel free to donate directly to me using the link below. I truly appreciate anything you can offer to keep me creating. 

Recap of Yellow Rose Fiber Producers Fiesta 2012

Whew! What a whirlwind weekend! I've been hard at work getting reorganized after the wonderful weekend in Seguin, Texas. If you have never been to a festival before, this would have been an excellent one to start with.

My mother actually came with me for the first time. I have been doing festivals for several years, but she had never attended with me before. Being retired now, it was the perfect opportunity to join in the fun! Besides, having someone there to help is always wonderful. Even if it is just watching the booth for a minute. I believe she was blown away by just how many people love fiber as much as I do. I've included some random shots of everything so you can get an idea of what was available. A pictures worth a thousand words!

 

Gritty Knits

Knitting Lagniappe

Royal Oak Alpacas

Dawning Dreams

Oh, and we were in for a treat! Sheri of https://www.facebook.com/withthesehands444 brought one of her goats for a visit. For some who have never seen an angora goat, it was a big eye opener as the where this fiber comes from. That poor little guy was so worn out by the time they left. I truly appreciate them bringing him though. 

Of course, the best time I had was with my fiber friends such as Emily of BuenaSuerte, Andrea of Natural Obsessions, and Laurel of Spinatude as show below. We all met at the Phat Fiber Reunion last year and were lucky enough to get together this weekend to share stories, jokes, and ideas over dinner. Nest year we have plan to create an awesome booth for everyone to join in the hilarity that is us! You can see more on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-fiber-party.

 On Sunday I had the pleasure of using the Felt Loom machine to create something
 that has been in my head for years. One of my local alpaca farms purchased one of these machines, but I haven't had the chance to use it. Luckily, I had some time to run over and create this beauty before the masses hit. It's massive at about a yard wide and two long. I enjoyed laying out the fiber and creating my logo. Several of us employed the machine. I know Gritty Knits made an awesome textural piece and someone else did a giant dragon fly. I just love sharing in the creativity of the moment.

 There was such a variety of vendors spanning from knitwear designers, independent yarn dyers, and farms, I was blown away by the variety. If it had to do with fiber, it was there. I chatted and hugged with just about everyone that I could. In the end, I walked away with a bag full of goodies from Natural Obsessions, BuenaSuerte, KCL Woods, Spinatude, and Gritty Knits.

Alrighty, the fun is over and now it's time to get back to work. Batts to card, spindles to photograph. . . Thank you to anyone that attended and made the weekend outstanding. I will see you all next year there!

Sometimes I Just Go For It

There's this great song I ran into many years ago named "Sometimes I Just Go For It" by The Used. The passion behind the strokes of the piano make me stop and breathe. It doesn't have any words, nor does it need any. The amazing thing is that it's not a composed or written piece, just a man who sat at the piano and hit record.

    That is the exact way I feel about all the art I make. I don't always have a plan in place or pattern in mind. I don't read through magazines and blogs to see what's in style or the color palette of the year. For me, it's not about making something to sell, though I love it when you do purchase them because without you, I wouldn't be able to make more. So, please, keep those orders coming!

    This is my art. This is my hand and imagination at work. This glimpse of my interpretation of the world around me culminates into these pieces of art.  I paint my collections with wool and a hook (or knitting needle in some cases). 

So when you see one of my creations, feel the passion and intent I put into each piece. They take lots of inspiration, hours of concentration, and days of hard work to create and bring to you.

Sometimes I just go for it. Maybe you should too.

Shawl Display Via Pinterest

I figured since I work and live at home, I can make it a bit more inspiration and joyful to be in. I'm under a strict monetary limit however. I never buy full retail and often make things myself. This is the story of one of those projects.

First off, I saw this image of hanging shawls.  I have a lot of shawls. Getting them out of the closet and displayed has been on my list for some time. It was simple, too simple for my style, but it inspired me to try something similar.


I have this wonderful antique store in my town. It's filled to the rafters with awesome and reasonably priced treasures just begging to be sifted through. If you're OCD or claustrophobic, you wouldn't be able to handle it. There is not much rhyme or reason to the layout, which makes it great. I always find something new and interesting when I visit, from antique hats and gloves, to old tools, jewelry, dishes, and more! This time I went in with a mission, to find something appropriate to display my handspun and handknit shawls.



After perusing for near an hour. I found a simple piece of wood that had white knobs on it. It wasn't fancy, but since it was ready to hang and had the holes in it, it was a perfect start. It was really funny because when I asked the owner about it, she said she just purchased it for the knobs. Well, since I didn't want the knobs, I took them off  and gave them to her. Then, going back to the far end of the shop, I found a shelf full of old mix and match dresser pulls. After getting an assortment together, I asked her how much she wanted for the knobs and wood. For 20 knobs, I paid $12 and she threw in the wood for free since she didn't want it in the first place. I said she was reasonable right? The white ones were the original knobs that I couldn't remove at the shop. I figured they added to the allure anyway, so I left them.

This has become a favorite place of mine to look at. I forgotten just how much work I've done and what I've accomplished with my craft. It's great to look there and remind myself every once in a while.

A Look at Fiber Festival Preparations and Booth Design

This month I wanted to give you all an inside look at what happens at my homebase before a fiber festival. I do not simply load up the car and head out. I wish it were that simple. With a majority of my income from face-to-face sells, I put a lot of thought behind every detail, from what inventory to bring, to how to set-up my displays and even tagging everything.

Having participated in many festivals now, I have a better idea of what works well for me and what doesn't. However, no two festivals are the same. The people visiting aren't the same. What I have in stock isn't the same. You get the picture. Besides, if I went to various fiber festivals and saw the same set-up and inventory every time from a vendor, I probably wouldn't keep visiting them because I would already know what they have and if I were interested. Now, that's not to say there is a certain stock that I take every time like batts and roving. I just like to add something new to tempt you. 

For example, at my next Fiber Festival, Arkansas Fiberarts Extravaganza in December, I plan to bring hand-dyed silks and my new drop spindles. On one hand, I'm delighted to bring them because I am so proud of getting these finally out for sale. I've been working on the drop spindle designs for nearly a year now, testing weights, hook shapes, shafts, etc. . . To finally be able to put them in spinners hands will be rewarding. On the other hand, that means I need to figure out a way to display them in a booth that's attractive and accessible.

To begin with I start brain storming. In previous years, I have displayed drop spindles by hanging them on a tree of sorts. You can see it in the example below of my booth at Mid-Ohio Fiber Festival. It worked out well for my inexpensive beginner drop spindles. However, it took up a lot of space within the small 8X8 feet booth.



So off to the drawing board. I usually start off with a pen and paper (or pencil in my case). I take the space I'm given and create a square. One inch equals one foot in my models. It's really easy to measure everything else out then. Here's an example of my latest layouts. I know I'm going to have a table and a chair, plus some of my other displays. So I take those big items and start placing them within the space. Let me tell you, it's a lot easier than pulling out a table and moving it around.

 

Once I get an idea of what will work, that's when I make a Mock booth set-up. I usually do it in my dining room since it is the easiest to remove everything and it's large enough to accommodate all sizes of booths.

You also have to keep in mind that these items have to be able to fit in a car. I personally only have a 2002 Saturn. It's a midsized car with good trunk space. I don't own a trailer and I don't want to waste money on a U-Haul. Therefor, everything must be able to fit in the car. Knowing this, I try to make everything I use for display very portable and able to break down into small bundles. While attractive wooden shelves are nice, I personally want people to see my products not the shelves. Besides, if my displays get in the way of the amount of fiber I bring, that's money lost.

I use a wire shelving system that many vendors use. They are wonderful because they can be put together in numerous ways to suit your needs. They are very portable and inexpensive comparably. I know many vendors that use Grid Walls as well, but they don't fit comfortably in my car (or I would use these babies!). So when I looked at displaying the spindles, I tried using the things I already had on hand. 

First, I placed them in the holes on to see how that looked. Well, You can see the tops of the spindles, but only if they are on that second level. It's not very attractive and I could only get about 25 spindles per level.









Then, I hanged them up on the upper shelves. Well, unless you want to just see the bottom or side of them, this was not a good option. Plus, unhooking one to look at tended to knock the others down. Hmm. . .

 So after contemplating what I learned from the experiments: I want to see the tops, not hang them, and yet not add anymore display gear. I tried this option. I took dowel rods and placed them at an angle so the spindle was tilted towards you. It's easy to set-up, doesn't take a lot of room, the spindles are easy to grab, and you get a great view of the tops. I can also fit a lot of spindles using the vertical space between shelves rather than using a space that can be filled with something else.

This is a winner! 

Now, I'm ready to place products in the shelves. I also write up a diagram for that, too. Here's the beginner layout. It's a diagram of just the table with the shelves. You can see this was before I added the spindles. I try to place things together, like fibers in one section and yarns in another. You have to make the flow smooth from one product to another. No one likes to jump around to find what they want.



At home I can play around with where to put things rather than wasting time at the event. You usually only get a small amount of time to set-up and I'd rather spend it fine tuning display, rather than trying to fix a major catastrophe that could have been avoided.

Another good reason to do a mock booth is that you can count the inventory you plan to bring. It also allows you to repack everything in a compact manner for the upcoming trip. I know that all my fibers tend to get spread out as I create more and sell them online. Having to gather and pack it all gives me the opportunity to do some housecleaning.

So, here is my final booth at Arkansas. I actually had to switch the batts over from the right side of the booth to the left, since more people would see them from that direction. Once again, that was just one of those things the I tweaked based on the environment.

 The vintage ironing table was an excellent table for the register, business cards, and other information. It doesn't take up much room either. See the spindles displayed on the table. It worked beautifully!

I was most excited to see the wall of batts go up.  I usually keep them all organized in buckets. Having them out and displayed was very fulfilling. That's a lot of elbow grease on that wall!