Knitter of the Year
A year ago Eunice came to my knitting class and got off to a nervous start. She was quite sure she would never be good at it. But she didn’t give up and within a few months had made, among other things, a couple of lace shawls for her Mum and Aunt, a beautiful cabled scarf for her sister and a pair of socks, both of which she bravely unraveled and knitted a second time (each was too big in a different place). Here she’s wearing a seed stitch scarf made with Trish Anderson’s Tanglewood Fibers breathtaking hand spun, hand dyed cashmere.
Eunice’s tentative beginning, perseverance and ultimate success are an inspiration. There’s a long list of things I’d like to learn but don’t: salsa dancing, roller blading (does anyone still do that?), fabric printing, pattern drafting, Spanish….. my excuse is that there’s never enough time but really, it’s courage I’m lacking, to risk failure or worse, mediocrity!
So, with thoughts of my gentle Cook island holiday still fresh, I took the plunge and have been trying my hand at making a tivaevae pillow. Ina’s skill, my own impatience to get started, and a lack of chalk inspired me to cut my pattern freehand but for the next one I’ll sketch it first. Unfolding it was thrilling!
I can’t claim any skill at embroidery, but I’m having fun (saying this reminds me of what I tell new knitters: enjoy the process, and don’t worry about the results). I work on it while I’m making dinner (Honey, is that soup burning?), a sure sign of addiction. I’ve been told that one of the Tivaevae teachers in Rarotonga never lets her students unpick their work. She makes them keep it as a reminder of how much they’ve progressed. How wise. Even in this short time I think I’ve improved. As yet my pattern doesn’t have a name, since I cut it in a burst of spontaneity. Most are named for flowers (zinnia, chrysanthemum, hibiscus) and plants (breadfruit, pineapple) but I have seen one from Hawaii enigmatically named “a distressing rain in Hanalei”. Wouldn’t you love to know the rest of that story.
My branches might turn out to be “orange trees in Santa Monica”. I’ll add the fruit later. It will need some hot colours to capture the spirit of the Islands.
The ladies in Rarotonga seem to favour these Rose Brand cotton threads. The variegated colours are the most popular and give the embroidery added texture.
Here are two readily available books on Tivaevae.
Below is my favourite quilt from this one (link to Amazon) which I already own and can recommend.
I haven’t seen this one yet (link to Amazon) but it’s published by the British museum and promises to be excellent. I’m waiting for it to arrive in my mailbox and inspire me even further.
Happy stitching!
Mel
August 13th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
I think the bravest thing you can do in life is to wear your mistakes as openly as your triumphs. How lovely to think tivivae celebrates this. I can’t wait to see this all develop Mel and I am so excited to see all the colours you use.
August 14th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Big congrats to Eunice for being awarded Knitter of the Year! Something for me to aspire to for next year!
August 15th, 2009 at 2:22 am
Hooray for Eunice! The scarf she is wearing is so beautiful and cozy looking.
I am unfamiliar with this “tivaevae.” I’m going to have to look into it. Thank you for sharing your new project and also the links. I really like that quilt, too, and please share photos when you are done with your project!
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:32 pm
I have seen a clip on the history of tivaevae on the Antiques Roadshow. And boy was it good! Interesting, and such gorgeous quilts.
I must say as soon as I saw your freehand pattern, it instantly reminded me of what I saw on that show and it looks just like those beautiful ones. I think you did quite well without a sketch! You sure are naturally crafty talented.
I love your patterns, so fun and pretty and classical and original, but not at all fussy. I did not know when I came upon your site, that I had already “knew” you from your knitting book.
Thank you so much for sharing and I am so glad I found your site, I am logging it in my:
“FAVES-Most beautiful/inspiring/colorful/excellent” blog folder
Keep on knittin’ — Valerie
October 15th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Hi, I loved the tivaevae…are all of them made from this Azil fabric? Both the underpart and the top part? Is this what we call applique but applied to another material with embroidery stitches?
I’m new to this whole thing, and I need to learn how to make these tivaevae, so any basic info would really be useful.
I really like your work and your blog, so enlightening. Oh, btw, you recommended 1 book (that you own) about tivaevae…does that book highlight the types of stitches and materials used?
Thanks so much for the posting and for the all the information. You’re a star!
October 16th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Hi there,
Yes they’re all made from Azlin fabric. It’s easy to fold the edges of the design with this fabric (they fold as they embroider). I tried using a finer (Kaffe Fassett) fabric but it didn’t hold the folded edges well and was too difficult to embroider.
Azlin is a basic kind of 100% cotton and it is used for both the backing and the design.
The tivaevae books I mentioned are more of a fascinating and inspirational visual and social history but they do not have the stitches in them. The ladies in Rarotonga seem to use the same one, a blanket stitch, with some fancier variations. Mostly they achieve their effects with use of color and pattern.
In Tahiti (different country but close to Rarotonga in the South Pacific)) they use a blind stitch, with plain cotton thread, and no embroidery on top.
Regards,
Mel