Category Archives: Uncategorized

blogs vs newsletters, and making a change

Posted on 09/17/2023 by lisaviolinviola

Edited 10/18/23 Hello Yarny Ones, I’m about to simplify the way I communicate with you. For a while now, I’ve been posting occasionally here on this WordPress blog, but I also write a newsletter (which is also called Freeform Yarny … Continue reading →

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keep it playful

Posted on 08/23/2023 by lisaviolinviola

Recently, these words caught my eye: “All art is a work in progress. It’s helpful to see the piece we’re working on as an experiment. Whatever the result, we will receive useful information that will benefit the next experiment. If … Continue reading →

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Vacation Variation

Posted on 08/20/2023 by lisaviolinviola

When I made the original Vacation Favorite Shawl in 2021, the goal was not to create a design to publish as a pattern, it was to use stitch patterns in an asymmetrical triangular shawl to highlight a special yarn. It … Continue reading →

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Valentina Poncho

Posted on 08/03/2023 by lisaviolinviola

Valentina Devine (September 9, 1933 – June 5, 2023) was a German fiber artist who lived in Los Alamos, NM. This article from the Los Alamos Daily Post has a photo of Valentina in her fiber studio. She taught many … Continue reading →

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summer knitting camp

Posted on 08/02/2023 by lisaviolinviola

What a great idea from MDK, Modern Daily Knitting: start with a designer who teaches, then assemble good yarn, an interesting dishcloth pattern, and a date for a Zoom class in the hot of summer. The kit mailed out to … Continue reading →

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love the process

Posted on 07/31/2023 by lisaviolinviola

Recently I was talking with a friend about our works in progress and what we take into consideration as we choose our projects. Will we actually wear the thing we are about to start making? Does it fit our individual … Continue reading →

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summer improvisatory knitting

Posted on 07/29/2023 by lisaviolinviola

So far this summer, I’ve set up my new and improved studio to include more surface area (the guest bed, lol) for managing freeform projects. These projects love to take up a lot of space when they’re ready to come … Continue reading →

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Vacation Favorite Shawl

Posted on 07/14/2023 by lisaviolinviola

In 2021 I made this Favorite shawl variation (see the original Favorite shawl here) with some Softyak DK and one ball of Mountain Color Twizzle in the Mardi Gras colorway, a colorway exclusive to The Quarter Stitch, the New Orleans … Continue reading →

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Abstract realism

Posted on 06/23/2023 by lisaviolinviola

My preference is to use only abstracts and geometric shapes in my freeform fabrics, nothing that leans towards realism. Leaves and flowers are the exceptions, though. Their natural shapes almost seem to blur the line between realism and abstraction. Here’s … Continue reading →

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game of chance freeform challenge 2023

Posted on 06/20/2023 by lisaviolinviola

I have to laugh just a little bit about this photo, something of a glamour shot of this little scrumble languishing on giant hosta leaves. But, it’s the best photo I have of this piece, so here it is. The … Continue reading →

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