When I was first learning fiber crafts, I would get an embroidery kit. I followed the directions meticulously. I achieved the result on the package. For many of us, this is a solid way to learn a new skill. The project can have a skill level matched to our level of comfort. Everything can be planned so a beginner is successful. Nothing is too difficult nor uncertain. At some point, crafting is about more than following instructions. There's a difference in art class between "let's copy this famous painting" and "pick your own subject and express it." Yes, copying and following directions can help you acquire skills. Crafting at its highest artistic level is about using those skills to create items reflecting the personal expression of the maker. It is about transmuting tradition into innovation, old into new. For knitters, the transition to innovation is often subtle. It may start with, "Oh, I like this pattern, but I can't find...
Today's post is about how I made a grief blanket. The overall design is modular. I printed and cut out 1-inch squares with the design on them, then moved them around on a table. It was much like designing a quilt block, but using texture rather than color and value. The most common block has a two triangle pattern, with half the block in moss stitch and half the block in welts. The "joining" block is a double-moss stitch, essentially a 2×2 checkerboard. I could have played with other block patterns. Indeed, I generated multiple options. I ended up with three innovations on this project: a refinement of a Mondragon loop block join, a continuous chain selvedge, and an improved way to add a perpendicular border to a chain-stitch edging. The blocks are knit both vertically and horizontally. While normally I would have picked up blocks as for a modular project, the joins in this project are Mondragon loops. Because the welts are narrow str...