Showing posts with label design process. Show all posts
Showing posts with label design process. Show all posts

Sunday, February 19, 2023

Proto-Ranger

Day 129: Back at the end of January, I began working on a new krokbragd design. My first draft had a fatal flaw, and I wound up cutting it off the loom after the first few inches showed that there was no hope of redeeming it. That said, the idea was sound, so I went back to the drawing board and did some revision. It does well to remind you at this point that designing krokbragd is the weaver's equivalent of drawing with a nine-pin printer. The difference is that I can make the characters taller, but no wider because I am limited to four throws, two of which must be identical, i.e., a sequence of 1-2-1-3. Most krokbragd patterns are geometric for a good reason! Once I'd worked out the pattern, it was time to experiment with colours. Since the bonker loom is occupied by sheep (the best ones yet, in my opinion), I had to weave my test piece on the inkle. I set up a little over two yards, confident that my design would work well enough to be usable. I completed the sample this morning and will be making one small adjustment to the design, and when I weave Version 2, I will use richer colours in some areas and a neutral background. The face will unfortunately have to be a brighter pink. The pale pink I used here is too close to white, but after purchasing four new cones of thread to find a better choice, I am out of options. We'll just have to assume Proto-Ranger forgot to put on sunscreen.

Friday, February 7, 2020

The Process Of Design

Day 117: As my readers will recall, I recently entered an original design in a contest for tatting and crochet. Participants are not limited to a single entry, so after talking with the sponsors at some length about the shortage of cluny tatting patterns, I decided to create one for a second entry. The design process for me consists of a lot of trial and error; I have a tendency to imagine the results in reverse, a sort of dyslexic interpretation of my intent. Consequently, I choose to use up "short balls" of thread or yarn while in the developmental stages, and then translating them into a display-worthy piece once I've sorted out the issues. I am far enough into the cluny piece that I felt confident enough in its direction that I reproduced it in the final fiber (a pale variegated green cotton) before moving on to the next row in the "test" piece. The finished doily will probably be one of my entries in the Puyallup Fair this year as well, although they don't give extra points for original design. However, another cunning plan is in play here. Even if the piece is not one of the winners in the contest, I have opened discussion with the sponsors with regard to producing a book of cluny designs. They were quite enthusiastic about the suggestion.