Friday, August 3, 2012

I'm almost ready...

 I had coffee today with my pal Laura and we checked out some of the local antique shops. I found some more great items and I think I have gathered enough new things now that I am almost ready to get busy making some work. I only have 14 more days before Wesley goes back to school and Gerry will be back to a schedule that has him gone most all the time, so I am just spending a few more days with them, because soon I won't see much of either of them and I can really focus on some studio time.
This tiny hand built cup and saucer seems to be earthenware with a terra sig finish, adorable. Not very functional, but I like the way it feels, so smooth and it has that funny clunk that clay has when it isn't vitrified. I love that clunk. What would you think about drinking from something like this?
 I also found this basket of wooden things, not really for sewing, maybe darning, but I love the wooden spool and the patina
 This will make a great finial for a house with a niche for the spool. I think I might want to do more with old sewing things. I don't see a lot of them, but they have so much character.....
What is this? Anybody know? If I knew what it was I could google how to use it......
Fun day, it's so nice to spend time with friends and I am lucky enough to have a bunch of really great friends that I love spending time with!! I promise soon there will be more photos and conversations about work I am creating.... sooooon.......

21 comments:

New Leaf said...

I remember as a child, my sisters and I would drive nails into wooden spools like the one pictured. Then we would do some kind of hooking (maybe with a crochet needle? I don't remember), to create the kind of thing you see on the spool. We would use them as necklaces, bracelets, to hold a skate key or house key (I know some people remember those). I think we called it spool tatting but I don't remember for sure; however, if you google spool weaving or knitting you'll find directions and photos.

Tracey Broome said...

Yay! I knew bloggers would know what this is, sounds exactly right. I was thinking tatting, definitely something to do with crochet! Thanks xo

cookingwithgas said...

you have a knack for finding great things! I would like to just hold and admire....

Tracey Broome said...

They just seem to come to me Meredith, it's like they know I will give them a good home:)

Anonymous said...

yes, spool knitting- i had a version of this as a kid, w/more nails & a bigger hole. round & round w/a hook to pull the loop over the nail, creating long tubes that we would sew together into coasters, etc. (think rag rugs). they sell mushroom shaped ones for kids now a days.
& YES for houses w/sewing things!
thoughts of thimbles...

Trish said...

Hi Tracey..
Yes, I think 'handstories' has it right... I remember the spool knitting as well..If you loop the threads correctly, you should end up with the long tubes. and yes, they were sewn together to make 'things'..:)..cool. You do seem to attract wonderful objects. :). I must go antiquing more!. and.. my daughter is home right now too for a visit and then a short holiday to Lakeside with us...yay, summer!..
Cheers, T.

Tracey Broome said...

Now you guys have me wanting to use this spool to crochet instead of using it on a sculpture. I have to investigate this!

Anna M. Branner said...

Yup I remember the "spool knitting" too. You can actually buy plastic versions of this at craft stores now. AND there is a style of weaving that uses this same type of set up but it uses crazy mathematical combinations....I think it originated in Japan....but I don't remember the technique name....

Melissa Rohrer said...

Glad some other people knew what that was. I remember seeing one of those around when I was a kid. Now I know.

Tracey Broome said...

I googled spool knitter and there are lots of tutorials. What did we ever do without google?!

Michèle Hastings said...

My sister and I had a few different versions of the spool knitter when we were kids... both wood and plastic. I had forgotten all about them. I remember a wood one shaped like a woman with a painted face. It was sort of Scandinavian looking.

Tracey Broome said...

Michele,when I googled this spool I saw lots of them like you are describing. Im not sure how I missed this craft I had every other one as a kid!

smartcat said...

We called them Knitting Knobbies. I didn't do a lot of stuff with them as I learned to knit and crochet when I was seven and found it far more interesting.

In the recent past when I was still working (with developmentally delayed adults) we found frames for making large items. One very creative lady made loose knits and felted them into bags.

These things carry an evocative beauty and history. You have a great searchgene!

Anonymous said...

Hi Tracey
I have been reading your blog for quite some time. Your work is very nice and I always wanted to comment - but didn't.
Now I have to, because I had one of those wooden spool knitting mushrooms when I was a kid! That was about 40 years ago.
You can google "Strickliesel" that's the german name for it.
I live in Switzerland but spent seven years in the US with my husband when he was at Cornell (Ithaca, NY). During that time I worked at the Cornell Pot Shop. We had such a wonderful time in Ithaca.
It's been 12 years since we left the US. I read a lot of blogs and surf the internet to know what's going on in the ceramics world in the US.
Greetings from Europe!
Karin

Tracey Broome said...

It seems like many of us got a start in the yarn world before finding clay! I had a little plastic knitter, but somehow I never got this one. Roth, so nice to hear from you! I gave my husband a trip to Switzerland for our 10th anniversary, so he could mountain climb with his pals . We keep talking about going back there.... Some day....

Patricia Griffin Ceramics said...

Looking forward to seeing how you incorporate these!

Unknown said...

I can remember doing this as a child....in England we called it "French knitting"

Unknown said...

Yeah, it was 'French knitting' over here. Just thought I'd bring a man's voice into this! I remember my sister's one, like a little figure... hmmm... may have to make one now, you know how i like little figures and characters!
Good to see you building up to something Tracey, sorry i've been a bit quite on the blog front lately.

Tracey Broome said...

I like the name French knitting, makes it sound so exotic. Hey Scott, so nice to hear from you, nice to have a guy chime in!!

Nancy said...

Hi, thought I'd add my 2 cents! I have heard of these called "Knitting Nancy" (or Nellie). I have a plastic one that I have never mastered, but picked up when I was doing a lot of weaving with young children. Here is a google image page with lots of interesting ones. Your finds are beautiful! I especially like that the long strand is still there showing the pale colors against the rich wood :)
https://www.google.com/search?q=knitting+nancy&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=v4x&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=UNshUNqLCITa2AXYvYDoCw&ved=0CFoQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=608

Nancy said...

PS Just saw this one too:
http://spoolknitter.blogspot.com/2007/07/introducing-spool-knitter.html

Ha!