LOUNGE
For enjoying hand-knitting much more, and levelling up knitting skills much better, also as a place of knitters' mutual communications, this page is made up of the below-mentioned contents.
Introduction of hand-knitters
Hand-knitting experiments and adventures
Hideko's atelier reports
Information of hand-knitting
Hideko's atelier reports 8
Beautiful season has come. How are you getting along?
I've stayed out of knitting due to the circumstances after the last
renewal of the GALLERY.
I'm sorry I didn't answer to those who gave me
e-mail the while.
Now, as the GALLERY of this time has no renewal, please see some works in
this column.
The first one is bright knitting pattern suitable for beautiful flower
season. Though the work is prettily made as a child's vest (waistcoat), it
is possible to change the image clearly by using other colours and
materials.
Please make use of this pattern for your reference if you're interested
in.
This design and work is made by Akiko Tsuchiya of the Atelier ATTOO.
Next two are my casual wear, which I touched on in the Atelier Report 8,
arranged check pattern. This is made of the remainder of various knitting
yarn.
The way is: at first take the gauge with main yarn to know the outline of
size and so on, and then knit freely without drawing.
If you don't have much time but you want to knit a lovely wear, the
combination of check pattern and simple knitting base is useful. You will
never fail in any case.
Try the yarn you usually don't use, then you can find the role of half
tone which you would think no use because of its vague character, or you can
see the condition of materials' combination.
For knitting more enjoyable one, there is a way to knit many small pattern
pieces whenever you have free time, and unite them lastly. This is also good
for your refreshment, so try to begin comfortably with your favorite colour
and yarn.
It's enjoyable to make a small thing of the remainder of yarn, but I'm
sure if you spend daily life more happily by making your own original
sweater, such yarn will be also very happy.
So please be good care of your remainder of yarn even if you want to throw
them away. The turn of them will be sure to come.
As the work of this time is a similar colour combination, I'll show the
other different one someday.
Well, be looking forward to the next time.
Hideko's atelier reports 7
It completely becomes autumn. How are you getting on? I'm very fine.
Maybe it's owing to having had spent summer days by making Haiku.The works carried in this gallery are having been dealt with before summer. I like the design of Kasuri like pattern of this right picture. This pattern was made in the extention of check pattern I've been studying till now. I can't say now when I show you my check pattern work, but I'd like to have a chance to make them public as my casual wear, so please wait and see them then.
These days' temperature is good for knit working, but this period is unexpectedly short, and soon the busy end of the year will come, so I think these days are precious for knitters. Let's enjoy knitting greatly.
Thanks for all your e-mail. These mails always encourage me very much. I'd like to appreciate on this site.
Well, looking forward to the next time. Take care.
Hideko's atelier reports 6
This report becomes after a long absence. I had many business to go out
personally from this early spring, then was pretty late for renewal of the
gallery.
During those days I received e-mail from many people, sent reply to some
of them, and felt very reassuring to know many persons looking at my work
from various angles. Thank you very much for your encouragement.
Works on this gallery are titled from Saijiki (an encyclopedic book of
Japanese four seasons' nature, things and events). They are everyday
clothes for women to live daily life heartfully, not so elaborated in design
or technique, but examined in material and color, also persistently aimed
wearing comfort of mind and body.
It becomes summer finally. What summer vacation are you planning? I
intend to be at home calmly knitting my or my daugters' wear.
Take care and stay well.
Hideko's atelier reports 5
The real knitting season has come this year again. The fashion industry is making a presentation on various knitting works having each own opinion, and it looks like the rate of them has more and more increased. I hope the knitting attractiveness will broaden out more widely on its all scenes. Well, this time leaving such a trend or suggestion for a while, I'd like to talk about Okinawa I traveled the other day.
It was the end of September I went to Okinawa, where still remained summer atmosphere, surrounded by beautiful sea, people is gentle and full of vigor, and traditional crafts are living. Especially in crafts I had desired to see the cloth such as Bingata dyeing and Ryuukyuu kasuri, pottery, glass and so on, so I went to each craft place.
In Syuri, I visited the studios of Ryuukyuu sarasa (chintz) and Bingata dyeing, and was able to see the peculiar color shade and many patterns of them through the process of dyeing work.
Moreover in Yomitan village I watched the traditional wearing style of them in Ryuukyuu dance and the exhibits of the art museum. The allurement of Bingata dyeing as dancing costume at the gorgeous Court showed the lady, whose movement was silent and elegant, supremely beautiful, with the complete wearing style and manners, also with the music.
And I was very attracted by the various patterns and colors of kasuri cloth of Bashoufu and Yomitanzahanaui from their simple ones to very refined ones, in costume for fishing celebration of good catch, house wear and working wear. They are so to speak brightness, strength, gentleness, modesty, frankness, feeling at ease, purity and freshness, and reflect people's life.
As another aim, pottery and glass, first I visited Yatimun area of Yomitan village, and was guided some of the factories and studios. Yomitan village was just opening the exhibition of Mr. Jirou Kinjou's works. He is the leading person of Tuboya pottery and one of the living national treasures of Japan. I was so lucky to be able to meet his ninety-nine works from his early years to recent ones. And fortunately I had a chance to see Ryuukyuu dance here too.
The village museum of the exhibition is at the site of Zakimi castle, there leaves only stone wall, we can view the silent and beautiful sea dividing its color with emerald green and cobalt blue. Due to the refreshing wind from the sea, I felt very reluxed.
After that I went to Naha city, and walked the main streets, seeing pottery at Tuboya where is the cradle of Tuboya pottery.
Because of almost all kilns moved to Yomitan village, only shops and galleries are remained there. I stayed there half a day, walking through the quiet row of houses, seeing those shops one by one, and picking up nuts falling at the site of closed kilns, and I felt that the quality of pottery exhibited there was more various than the kilns.
Naha city was outstandingly impressive for me, where they have poterry, glass, and many other things, the variety of those kind and quality, and full of particular energy so to say the smell of human being.
I got some of the cloth, pottery and glass, and after came back I've used them in my daily life. Every day I taste the response which only belongs to the things made with putting human beings' hearts and souls into it, and overcome the changes of history and age. The sea from the splendid wall of Syuri castle, and the red flower in Yomitan village, the beauty of which had not a slight of shadow. This travel left it in my heart.
"Not a slight of shadow,
The flower is blooming on the island"
Coming back to my quiet atelier, I have to work hard all the more. Now, see you again.
Hideko's atelier reports 4
At present my knitting class and circle are in the summer holidays. Although in every this season I work hard for winter knitting in my atelier closed all its windows and properly cool air conditioned, this year is different from such an usual summer. Opening all the windows, I'm knitting summer works. The reason is as follows.Now I go to Vogue knitting school to study three-dimentional drawing. The concept of this drawing is to fit the body into solid good form. Using the pattern of yours own gaining by this drawing method, you can get a flexible, movable and neat knitted wears covering the weak point of body line. So, I've carried out one thing and another, and made four pieces of my own first. After finished each work, tried to put on itimmediately, they are all for summer season. Thinking my health too, I don't use the air conditioner to the utmost. In this way, because of the wind from the outside, my atelier has been in a little bit different summer ... leaving a thought about winter knitting works slightly in my head... .
On the fully leafy persimmon tree in my garden, the great tits have come unusually and been singing pretty songs "chicchi-pee, chicchi-pee". What a charming voices they are through semisigure (cicadas' overwhelming sound of chirps in summer ) ! If I had closed the windows, I could not have heard them.
" Cicadas' chorusWell, in reference to the bush warblers in this spring, they sang splendid songs pretty later than usual so to speak "rou-ou" (bush warblers singing still early summer). I relieved to know that the environment of this area had not so changed. In my garden, the mukuges (one of mallows) are in full bloom. Owing to starting new study, my enjoyment to wear knitteds has much increased, then I'm thinking about where to go having them on. Please spend a good summer. Now, see you next time.
sounding through it
little birds' songs "
Hand-knitting experiments and adventures 1
This time I made two works in the way directing the knitting course from one body side line to the opposite. Although this method is one of the usual ways to vary the knitted base's expression, I'd like to explain the important points of each work.
Example 1 " To go and see friends "
It's unexpectedly difficult to express a vertical line casually. Then I knitted it by taking a single crochet line knitting at one interval of the layer, and obtained neat appearance of vertical line.
Although crochet knitting is a technique easy to express hand-made feelings, here I'd rather wished for casual and neat impression by putting down the hand-made feeling. So, this work shows a cool and refreshing feeling by soft-pink fancy knitted and its luster.
Example 2 " To invitation "
This is knitted with monotone stripe-patterned garter stitch crosswise as to show the stripes length wise. The elasticity of garter stitch brings about natural fitness for body line. But if the elastic degree at each part of body is excessive, it would not be nice. This work controlls it suitably.
Reference to the above two works, please see pages of "GALLERY-2"
Hideko's atelier reports 3
In April and May, I went to see exhibitions of "The Opera - That's splendid World" and "Japan Hobby Show".Though "The Opera - That's splendid World" was very crowded reflecting the amount of its fans, exhibited costumes, which had been used actually on stages, were magnificent in a word.
I think it's a long time since I saw such an exhibition as the meaning of design or show was powerfully appealing to me.
At the beginning I saw them excitedly, overwhelmed by massiveness of costumes which had been worn by well-built opera-singers, as if their fingures on stages were before my eyes and their songs sounded to my ears.
Then I came close to them and watched carefully, I found the variation of materials, making the most of many techniques in hand-sewing, the quality of cloths, affluent rich colours, and amazing gorgeous accessories. And I felt all of them formed a harmonious whole, playing a symphony.
Taking whichever display, it was a splendid exhibition. I was very impressed by European culture's profound potentiality.
At the "Japan Hobby Show", there were 180 hobbies, from by corporates to by individuals, actually full of contents.
In reference to knitting, yarn makers' booths, displaying so many various yarns and works, were very interesting and informative to me. Especially hand-knitted works by persons disabled in their sight were impressive. Many works by them were exhibited. Between them I saw a young lady disabled in her sight had been hand-knitting with stick needles one stitch by one stitch. The figure was gentle, warm, and very impressive.
I always desire much more people to know the fun of hand-knitting, the day's such experience was very nice to meet another attractiveness of hand-knitting.
At the same time, I was shown by exhibitors many cloths from quiltings made of "kasuri" to foreign made, and known each own taste of characteristics. Also talking many things with them, I could see a part of their hearts in their each own world of themselves.
Seeing this annual exhibition, the hobbby world seems having been broadening widely and variously. This time looks like the individuals' exhibits have increased. I think it's a desirable tendency. It was so happy day that I didn't feel tired in spite of seeing around through long time.
Well, I've just finished summer knitting works, so soon I'll renew this home page's "GALLERY". And one more thing, I'm going to start a new series. Please expect and be looking forward to it.
Hideko's atelier reports 2
The trend of this spring-summer fashion looks like in romantic feminine. About knitting, lacy works lead a trend too. But they are produced with taking full of hand-made feelings on detail and having rich expressions.This trend may be welcomed by hand-knitting. Because, although the appearance of summer knitted is very cool, not a little people want to avoid to wear it due to hot and humid Japanese summer, even if its material is cotton or linen. Especially hand-knitted wears are in this tendency.
This summer's trend may blow off such a tendency, and we can really enjoy nice summer knitted wears cool and refreshing, not only seeing but also wearing.
We have a different fun in summer knitting from in autum or in winter.We can try very interesting knitting in a small amount of yarn, by including full of playing mind in hand made feeling, or, making it drasticly lacy, variating with combination of skirt or trousers, and so forth.
I hope hand-knitters will enjoy summer hand-knitting much more. Also I'm producing now, but not so going it due to many other things to do in March and April. I have to do seriously soon, and do my best to show you as soon as possible.
By the way, my hand-knitting class is making stoles with Actress-Lame' yarn which is carried in "RICH MORE - 55". Each member changes a little bit its design, or chooses each favorite colour, and enjoys a different good time from usual, though my class rarely makes small articles. But I think knitting small articles is good exercise in crochet knitting which needs equal stitches.
Now, that's about it for this time, see you next time.
April, 1997
Hideko's atelier reports 1
My atelier is on the second floor of my home, and it's very bright because of windows setting in three directions. In winter this room becomes both an atelier and a sun room, and my favorite flowers are blooming variously in sunlight through the windows. So I made a haiku . My atelier,Actually I make haiku sometimes.
winter sunlight pouring into,
I'm hand-knitting all day long
Opening the east side window and going out on the veranda, the grass garden spreads below mu eyes. This is the garden of the apartment house at the back of my home. Since there is nothing to obstruct the view, I can look many kinds of birds coming there.
It's very cheerful that daurian redstarts with beautiful orange coloured breast are bustling their tail feathers up and down.
BY and by bush warblers' songs will reach my ears from the garden's forward bush. Every year I'm looking forward to it, I wonder if their songs are plentiful or not this year, since last year they were not so much.
Now I'm beginning summer knitting, thinking this or that, doing many trials with yarn.
From now I'd like to send you various informatious about hand-knitting and its referential matters and things on this home page.
Well, see you next time.
March,1997