A New Use For---

You recgonize these floor mats, available at your local home decorating, DIY type store.

I use them in front of my cutting table to cushion my feet.  One side of the mats has a textured, non-slip surface for your feet,  but the other side is smooth.  Necessity being the mother of invention, I discovered that the smooth side of these mats are perfect to use as  a pinnable surface!  Fabric and patterns can be pinned into them.  So, if you need to pin  a slippery fabric and pattern to cut out--this is a good solution.   Pin fabric into them when manipulating pleats, etc, and for designing.  Knitters can use them for blocking.   Quilters can use them as a design board.  If you need a padded surface for your dining table--these are a good solution.  They can be cut to size also, with a craft knife.   Because they fit together like a puzzle, you can have any length or width you need.   Mine were sold in packages of 4.   Who knew?

Last month, I took a knitting workshop from Mihaela, who sells her fabulous sweaters and coats for hundreds of dollars and whose designs are seen on the likes of Julia Roberts aned Oprah.   Needlework and Textile Guild of Michigan was fortuante enough to have have her for two days.  She is a knitwear designer and has her own line of yarn.  Michigan people, she teaches at CraftyLady, which is--Shelby Twp, I believe.  Our workshop was called "Texture in Knitting".   We were given a bag of mixed yarn, different textures and colors to begin this "Peruvian Shawl".   Here's a picture of the pattern.

There's a lot of 2-stranded knitting, and it forces you to put a lot of colors and textures together that I wouldn't normally do.  Unfortunately,  I got sick and couldn't take the last day of the workshop.  I have the pattern though, and this project is on my needles.

On another pair of needles is this Einstein Coat,

by Sally Melville, from this book:

It's an oversized, easy coat, knitted in garter stitch rectangles.  There are several gals I know who are knitting this.

Still working on the Vogue pattern in my last post.  I haven't made much progress, but I'm practicing bound buttonholes and hope to get them finished today.

Have a great day!