Tuesday, January 31, 2006

How do you Habu?

Remember these?


I will be knitting these up for the shop. The trunk show for AlterKnits is coming to Article Pract at the end of February. The trunk show will not include the lanterns, so I happily offered to knit them up for the shop. PLUS, Leigh Radford will coming in March to teach a couple of workshops at the shop. I am so excited!
This is my first time working with Habu. I have always longed to knit with the Shosenshi Paper (100% linen). But WHAT on earth would I ever make with paper?!! And then AlterKnits comes along & *BAM* there it is, Paper Lanterns Man oh man, that Leigh Radford is a genius.

I have been drooling over these for so long. I am making the version that uses both the Shosenshi Paper held together with the Paper Moire (50% linen, 50% nylon). These were not my ideal color choices, but I was anxious to get started & did not want to wait for a special order. I started them tonight. It couldn't be easier, they are knit in the round on dpn's, the "ladders" created by the joins at the corners are pinched to define the edges of the lanterns. The paper is, to my surprise, pretty easy to work with.

I finished one lantern is about an hour, maybe a little less. I was dying to see it lit up, cause it certainly didn't look like much on it's own. I was too lazy to go down into the freezing cold garage & pull out a strand of xmas lights. So I just shone a flashlight into it. It made the COOLEST light pattern on the wall! I am sooooo much more excited about these now than I was before, didn't think that would be possible. Truthfully I cannot wait to finish the shop set, order my first choice colors, & make my own set.

>>I suggest viewing these photos larger to see the textures of the papers. just click on them.<<

10 comments:

  1. Very cool! I can't wait to see the whole string of them lit up.

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  2. oooh! those are going to be so cool. I can't wait to see the whole string of them!

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  3. i gotta admit, i was a bit skeptical about the idea of knitted lanterns til i saw yours! that habu linen looks so cool knitted up. will check back to see what they look like lit up...i bet they'll be awesome.

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  4. I REALLY wanted to make those lanterns and I can't wait to see how they look on the lights when you finish all of them. I have a fear that mine won't look anything like what's in the book.

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  5. whoa. That is crazy! I can't wait to see the finished product! And damn, i need to come and visit your yarn shop! Ours are so boring here!

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  6. I love the lanterns! Knitting is not just for teddy bear sweaters anymore! I live in a town of 2000 with the nearest yarn store an hours drive away...I have yarn store envy! And when I lived in Oakland I didn't knit. On line yarn is good, but it's such a tactile thing, I'll just keep up with what's cool here. Thanks!

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  7. wow those are super cute! amazing..... i love when people knit with not-yarn.

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  8. I am in love with the lanterns!

    At first glance I thought they were wire...how is the paper to work with? I have really wanted to try it, but I've been afraid it would be too scratchy.

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  9. oooo...so purty!
    can lil men come to the show and tell..?
    naw...i think i am going to need to hire a bebsitter!!!!

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  10. very nice to see people working with paper :D

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