Playing with strings

It had to happen eventually, right? Designing for a new form of fibercraft. I've made a foray into appliqué with my first set of quilt patterns, Hawaiian Harps. 

My mom and I learned to do Hawaiian appliqué a long time ago, but I hadn't done much with it since. I leaned more toward knitting and crochet (which she also taught me), where the tools of the trade aren't generally sharp enough to draw blood.

But since I lost my mom last year, my heart hasn't been in the yarn. What to do instead? Quilt blocks. She was great at pieced quilts, and I can still tell a double wedding ring from an Irish chain. But while I appreciate traditional quilts and the work that goes into them, I much prefer to creating appliqué - there's less mathematical precision involved.

The idea for Hawaiian Harps came from the tradition of Hawaiian quilting, where the design fabric is folded in eighths and the pattern is cut out and unfolded, then sewn onto a background. If you've ever made a paper snowflake, you are familiar with the process. Most real Hawaiian quilts have leafy, flowery tropical designs and are quilted in an echo pattern. Mine are a little different. I wanted harps, and there was nothing like these out on the internet. I used the process of making a Hawaiian quilt block, but based each original design on a different harp with a coordinating border. Here's the end result:

The block patterns are available individually for $8 each through my Payhip store (or directly below) and from the Sylvia Woods Harp Center. There are 12 designs total. If you're interested in purchasing four or more, I recommend you take advantage of the quantity discounts of 15-30% at Harpcenter.com. 

The blocks can be used individually in any project you can think of. I plan to join mine to make a bed quilt, but wall hangings, pillows, bags, and throw blankets would all be viable options. Each pattern includes full-size eighth-fold templates for 14" and 18" blocks. Cutting and assembly instructions are included, but finishing instructions are not. For the motifs, I used batik fabrics from Gathering Friends Quilt Shop on Etsy.

Purchase directly from Payhip without ever leaving this site by using the following links. (No quantity discounts apply.)

Q001 Celtic: Add to cart
Q002 Clarsach: Add to cart
Q003 Concert 1: Add to cart
Q004 Concert 2: Add to cart
Q005 Egyptian: Add to cart
Q006 Gothic: Add to cart
Q007 Whale Song: Add to cart
Q008 Harmonic Curve: Add to cart
Q009 Kinnor / Harp of David: Add to cart
Q010 Lyre: Add to cart
Q011 Simple Harp: Add to cart
Q12 Paraguayan: Add to cart

Are there other designs you would like to see turned into appliqué blocks? Let me know in the comments!

 Happy crafting and please stay safe,
~ Caroline

Twin Harps!

Guess who was lying on the sofa today watching YouTube videos when she had a pleasant yarn-related surprise? That's right, this girl!

I was watching Camille and Kennerly, the Harp Twins, give a tour of their Harp Room. In case you haven't yet seen these ladies, they are identical twins and incredibly talented harpists who perform together on matching harps. I am extremely fond of their performance of the Theme from Doctor Who: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R061gfebd7Q

In their Harp Room, the Harp Twins keep their matching sets of electro-acoustic concert harps, acoustic-only concert harps, electric lever harps (one set each in black and silver), and small (blue) and large (white) acoustic lever harps. You can watch their Harp Room tour here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRCTcNNz3y4

After showing the harps, Camille and Kennerly highlight some of the room's decor, including a beautiful screen Rosemaling designs carved by their grandpa and an art wall featuring artwork spanning their careers so far, with paintings and drawings both professional and fan-made. So here's the surprise - at 9:45, a pair of crochet harps appear on screen. What do you know, it's "Perpetual Gliss" - doubled! Kennerly mentions that they are hand-made by Gloria at Cuddle Tree Crochet. Gloria did a great job - the harps are good and sturdy, and I like the accent edging. I would never have thought one of my designs would show up in the Harp Twins' Harp Room! Squeee!! Here's a screenshot from the video:

I had to find out more, and a Google search led me to their Facebook unboxing video from December 2020 in which the harps feature heavily. The ladies mention that the harps stand on their own and have some sort of structure inside. They do - the pattern explains how to make the infrastructure (I used plastic - repurposing is even better than recycling!) and weight the harp for stability. Watch the unboxing video here: https://www.facebook.com/CamilleandKennerly/videos/unboxing-amazing-crochet-goodies/691307851542672/. Two screenshots from the video:

The adorable dolls were also made by Gloria; I don't know from what pattern she used. But they look adorable with their harps. So whether you want to learn more, purchase a crochet harp, or make one of your own, we've got you covered with these links:

Harp Twins: www.harptwins.com

Gloria at Cuddle Tree Crochet, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cuddle.tree.crochet/?hl=en
Gloria at Cuddle Tree Crochet, Twitter: https://twitter.com/treecuddle

Perpetual Gliss crochet soft-sculpture harp pattern from KnitDesign by Caroline:

$5.95 buy now | add to cart | show cart View details at Ravelry | Sylvia Woods Harp Center

BTW, in case you were wondering, I absolutely do allow both giving and selling of items made from my patterns (as long as the pattern itself is not resold without permission). Those who want finished items and those who want to make them are generally two distinct groups, and there's room for everybody. See my FAQ for more details.

Happy knitting, crocheting, and harping, everyone. Please stay safe, and keep each other safe too. 💖

~ Caroline

A foray into crochet

glissando {ɡlisˈsando, plural: glissandi, abbreviated gliss}: A musical term referring to either a continuous sliding one pitch to another (a “true” glissando), or an incidental scale played while moving from one melodic note to another. Italian, from French glissant, present participle of glisser, ‘to slip, slide.’
It’s the sound many people think of when they think of a harp. “Perpetual Gliss” is a small soft-sculpture crocheted harp that can be used to decorate any area. Due to the fragile nature of an open harp frame, it’s more appropriate as a decoration than as a toy. Make it for yourself or for your favorite musician. Note: Does not actually play music.

 
I've been crocheting since long before I learned to knit. To be honest, most of my early crochet revolved around oddly-hued granny squares that didn't necessarily get used for anything after they were finished, and once I learned how to knit, crochet didn't figure in my crafting for a long time. At times, it still calls to mind salmon tinted or pale blue acrylic purchased on sale from the local discount store.

However, because crochet fabric can be thicker and sturdier than knitted cloth, there are some items for which it is far more suitable. Case in point: my newest pattern, Perpetual Gliss.

Concert harps have such a delicate silhouette that to make an open crochet harp that would stand up, the fabric needed to be dense and sturdy. My solution? Single crochet, and lots of it, stabilized with plastic.

So what do you need to know to make one of these sweet little harps?

1. Use any yarn weight you want with the appropriate hook. All the harps shown in the photo have the same number of stitches; only the yarn and hook changed.
2. It's not necessarily hard, there are just a number of steps to follow. Most stitches are single crochet with a few half-double or double crochet for shaping. All the pieces are both written out and charted.
3. You can use plastic canvas or sheets from the craft store for the stabilizing pieces, but it's not necessary. I used straws in the pillar and pieces cut from leftover food containers for the flat pieces. Just be sure the plastic you choose is clean, dry, and not too brittle - the kind with a little flexibility.
4. The smaller the harp, the more stable the finished item. All three sizes are free-standing, but the larger size is a little wobbly. Because of the delicate nature of the open frame, they are more suitable as decoration than as toys.
5. Each harp shown is strung with a single long length of jewelry elastic. Strings were colored with permanent marker. 

So are you ready to try making your own?
Perpetual Gliss, $5.95
View details at Ravelry | Patternfish  | Sylvia Woods Harp Center

Put a bead on it

Yukiko Cowls & Scarf - $5.95
Ravelry | Patternfish

Miyabi Collar - $5.95Ravelry | Patternfish

So, over the winter I got temporarily obsessed with this interesting stitch pattern out of a Japanese stitch dictionary. It has graceful leaf forms divided with seed stitch. It's versatile, too - as you can see on the left, it works well in rectangular form for cowls and a scarf, and on the right I adapted it for a circular collar.

In addition to its other merits, the leaf and diamond shapes also lend themselves to embellishment,which led to another obsession - knitting with beads. Large-hole beads (size 6/0) work wonderfully well. I also have a fairly large bead stash from my jewelry-crafting days, but most of them are seed-beads (10/0). They'd probably work well if they were pre-strung, but the beads on all of my designs so far have beads added with a crochet hook during knitting. With some trial and error, I found a way to get the seed beads on the stitches without too much effort using fishing line. Here's my little graphic and explanation:

Working with small beads: Are you using seed beads with very small holes? It can be very hard to get them over a stitch, even with a crochet hook. Try this: Cut a piece of fishing line or beading wire about 8" / 20 cm long. When you reach the stitch to be beaded, thread the fishing line through the stitch and hold the ends together. String the bead onto the fishing line. Holding the fishing line tightly, take the stitch off the left needle and push the bead down onto it with space at the top. Return the stitch to the needle and remove the fishing line. Knit or purl the stitch.

Carry A Tune - $6.95
Ravelry | Patternfish |
Sylvia Woods Harp Center

Once the beading was done, it was time for another type of stitch pattern: double-knitting. It's been awhile since I gave y'all a musical pattern. I asked myself, what does every musician need? I answered myself: a music bag. So here I present to you Carry A Tune. It's knit in mega-sturdy Cascade 220 with harps on the front and musical symbols creating a brocade-like design on the back and inside. It was fun to design and is absolutely HUGE inside. There are two large interior sections and one small pocket, and the layers of fabric make a cushy and protective carry-bag for anything, not just music.

Even though the cold weather is on its way out (yay!), that's no reason to stop having fun with yarn. Small projects aren't oppressive during the hot weather, and they'll come in handy again all too soon. Best get started now. :)

Happy knitting!
Caroline

Harmonic Curves

As you may have guessed by now, I like (and play) the harp. As of today, I've designed, knit and released into the wild two new coordinating patterns: the Harmonic Curves Tam and Harmonic Curves Wristwarmers.

“Harmonic curve” is a mathematical term describing a parabola, or a U-shaped curve formed by the intersection of a plane and a cone. Musically, it is the term for the shape of a harp’s neck (the piece across the top). A curve is necessary so the harp’s strings can change in length rapidly as the notes get higher. The exact shape of this piece varies depending on the luthier (harpmaker). On both pedal and lever harps, the harmonic curve will resemble the design depicted in the new patterns.

One of my favorite things about the design is the difference made by a change in fiber and color. The tam is very floppy, so choose your size accordingly. The brown and white hat is size medium, the black/multi tam is small. Blocked over a bowl, it would be a regular slouchy hat; blocked over a dinner plate (as these were), it becomes a tam. The wristwarmers have a finger loop that keeps them in place without getting in the way of the fingers.

Harmonic Curves Tam: $6.95 at Ravelry
Harmonic Curves Wristwarmers: $5.95 at Ravelry

You may be wondering about that book I mentioned in my last post, The Bride of Newgate by John Dickson Carr. I wouldn't rank it among the great literature, but I did rather enjoy it. There was lots of swashbuckling, and I did not see the ending coming. Set in Napoleonic England, it is considered to be the one of the first historical mysteries. The author includes an afterword of explanation as to how much of the novel is fiction and how much is fact. While the main characters are all fiction, there are quite a few historical personages who make appearances in the background. He also researched speech patterns of the time to make the dialogue as realistic as possible. There's a good no-spoiler summary of the mystery at classicmystery.wordpress.com, and I mostly agree with the reviewer's opinions of it. Wikipedia also has a page about the book. The book reminded me on a very small scale of The Count of Monte Cristo, a massive and sweeping historical novel which I much enjoyed. As thick as it was, I couldn't put it down.