Author Archives: Margaret Ford

Grevillea Wrap: a knitted treasure

Posted on July 11, 2021 by Margaret Ford

I like the knit designs of Ambah O’Brien. Her designs are on Ravelry. (https://www.ravelry.com/designers/ambah-obrien) So I bought her Grevillea Wrap pattern and also a kit of yarns for it produced by Koigu. It was not my preferred colourway but it … Continue reading →

Posted in Clothing, Kits, Knitting | 3 Comments

Kicking the fast fashion habit

Posted on July 11, 2021 by Margaret Ford

A friend alerted me to this absorbing and powerful book which I read before Christmas. First published in 2019 in the UK, it is packed with startling facts. For example: *100 billion garments are produced every year. *The average garment … Continue reading →

Posted in Clothing, Design | 1 Comment

Tassels

Posted on July 11, 2021 by Margaret Ford

I love making these. I made this one as a Secret Santa gift for a member of one of my sewing groups. It’s constructed using a variegated Perle 8 thread crocheted with beads into a tube then inserted into a … Continue reading →

Posted in bead crochet, Design, freeform crocheting, tassels | 1 Comment

Venation Shawl

Posted on July 11, 2021 by Margaret Ford

Today I sat down to start blogging another experiment.  I found lots of Covid-time blogs in my drafts!!! Here’s one below. Sometimes one eschews the pressure to create. One simply wants to “make”. Preferably while sitting on one’s front porch … Continue reading →

Posted in Clothing, Knitting, Scarf | Leave a comment

Marled Magic Shawl by Stephen West

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Margaret Ford

I like Stephen West’s designs (https://www.westknits.com). I have made them before. He backs the sale of his written patterns with videos which elaborate and demonstrate some details of his designs. Buying the pattern for Marled Magic Shawl, I was attracted … Continue reading →

Posted in Clothing, Knitting, Stash-busting yarn | Leave a comment

Brown Onion Dip

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Margaret Ford

A new blog is well overdue but I’m not very productive or innovative at the moment so I am sharing something I did two nights ago after seeing a new you tube video from “Rebecca from Chemknits“:   The first … Continue reading →

Posted in brown onion as dye, Natural dyeing, Scarf | 2 Comments

Three-dimensional armatures

Posted on November 20, 2019 by Margaret Ford

Recently I demonstrated simple techniques for wrapping a wire armature at my contemporary quilt group.  This is a summary:   Requirements Figure 1 Machine weight thread and decorative threads Figure 2 Wires, wire cutters and pliers for bending   Method Select … Continue reading →

Posted in Hand embroidery, Three dimensional armatures | Leave a comment

Dyeing wool yarn in a slow cooker with food colouring

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Margaret Ford

  In her book The Modern Natural Dyer (1), Kristine Vejar emphasises the importance of keeping baths for scouring, mordanting and dyeing at steady temperatures  suited to the dye material and the fibres being dyed.  I have often ignored this … Continue reading →

Posted in food colours as dye, slow cooker dyeing, WAFTA | Leave a comment

Oh, What a Feeling!!

Posted on January 25, 2019 by Margaret Ford

No, not Toyota***, but related.  I’m watching the first day of the Brisbane Test match Australia vs Sri Lanka.  As I start this blog the score is Sri Lanka 7/105, which partly accounts for my happiness. In parallel, as one … Continue reading →

Posted in Bag, Crochet basket, Stash-busting yarn | Leave a comment

Mulberries: maximising their impact

Posted on December 24, 2018 by Margaret Ford

My next door neighbour knows I like to use natural dyes.  Still, coming home in early summer to find a couple of containers of fresh mulberries on my porch was a real surprise.  I knew, however, that she didn’t intend … Continue reading →

Posted in Dyeing with mulberries, Natural dyeing, soy milk, soy milk mordant for cellulose fibres | Leave a comment