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Sunday, March 20, 2016

A Sugar Bowl

ceramics, amy myers, photography, handmakers world, earthenware, unglazed, design, designer, studio
...or, at any rate, a bowl for sugar.
ceramics, amy myers, photography, handmakers world, earthenware, unglazed, design, designer, studio
This was a long overdue project as we had descended to the level of using a plastic cup!  High time for the potter to be busy.

The upper section was coiled first, then allowed to firm up.  It was then inverted and the foot coiled directly onto the base.
ceramics, amy myers, photography, handmakers world, earthenware, unglazed, design, designer, studio
Made from my red earthenware clay, left entirely unglazed, and fired to Orton Cone 04 in about a 10 hour firing.

It has been in frequent use since!
ceramics, amy myers, photography, handmakers world, earthenware, unglazed, design, designer

Sunday, March 6, 2016

The Handknit Poncho

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Handknit poncho.  Photo by Sarah Myers, used by permission
Some of you may remember this project from last November.  I actually completed it before the end of December, but only now do I have photos.  Thank you to my sister for all her help with these!

The poncho is a traditional wrap found up and down the Americas, from Chile to Mexico.  It is a very simple garment, traditionally a handwoven rectangle with a slit for the neck (or perhaps two handwoven rectangles joined up the center with fancy stitching and separated at the neck).

In this case, I have chosen to handknit this design, which made it easy to add some simple shaping at the shoulder to reduce overall bulk on a small wearer, namely myself!  This shaping was achieved by using what knitters refer to as "short rows", which produce a diagonal increase across the garment.  It also produces the double row of eyelets seen along the shoulder.
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photo courtesy Sarah Myers
Otherwise, I have simply knitted a rectangle, split at the neck into two sections worked separately, then rejoined to work down the back.  In other words, it is knit all in one piece with a straight opening at the neck.

Decoration is in garter stitch and stocking stitch.  Garter stitch panels edge the entire garment as well as the central motive and neck.  The rectangular pattern up the center is in variations of stocking stitch and reversed stocking stitch.  Front and back are identical.

When I was quite small, I had a wrap which we called a poncho.  It was in red yarn with a sort of netted construction.  It was perhaps more accurately called a cape as it was circular with slits for the arms, and it was certainly more for looks than warmth!  But I was always fascinated by it.  

My recent version is considerably more effective as a wrap.  I did, however, make it of cotton rather than wool, which could only really be used for a few weeks each year here in the desert.  Already in March, there is no need to dress warmly, except occasionally in the evenings!
handknit, poncho, handmakers world, amy myers, sarah myers, photography, desert, textile design, knit design
photo courtesy Sarah Myers