Second Sean Scully Blanket

After some thought, I've decided to turn this pile of granny squares into this:

The basic construction will be garter stitch log cabin.

First I'm going to knit the center panel in random stripes of black, white, yellow, orange, green, and aqua blue. Basically, unraveling the squares as I knit. ETA: The more I look at this sketch, the more I think I'll make the multicolor stripes thicker. But we'll see when I actually get around to knitting this.

Once I run out of the yellow, orange, green, and aqua, I'll bind off and pick up with white down the side to knit out the white and turquoise blue stripes. If I have enough white or if the dimensions aren't right, I'll pick up on the other side of the multicolor panel and knit out the white and black stripes. Then crochet on a black border to bind it all.

My main inspiration was these 2 Sean Scully paintings. Below is "Heart of Darkness" 1982, oil on canvas, now at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Below is "2.24.82" 1982, oil on paper, in the collection of the artist.
I love his works because they're just stripes which calls to mind quilts, but he combines them in ways that are unusual and strongly graphic. He paints in a way where you can see the brush strokes.

And that fact that he paints stripes makes it very easy to convert into knitting.

Other inspirations include the knitted Block-striped Afghan by Sarah Dallas, and any number of asymetrical stripy folk quilts, such as the quilters of Gee's Bend.

This will have to wait as I'm still working on the Noro Log Cabin. I'm on the last stripe, then will half-double crochet on a black border.

Sean Scully Malabrigo afghan -- Done!

Begun on Feb 15, 2009, finished May 16, 2009. I'm counting it as taking exactly 3 months, considering that Feb only has 28 days.

It's about 57 inches wide by 49 inches tall, before blocking.

As you can tell from the name, it's made with Malabrigo, held double, and inspired by the art of Sean Scully.

I love it.

eta: The inspiration came from a bunch of Malabrigo yarn that I had. One each in the orange, yellow, and purple. Two different blues in different amounts, and a lot of the two different greens. I started with making mitered squares but didn't like the way they looked.

Then I came across a book about Sean Scully's art and loved the stripyness of his work. I posted about the specific pieces in this post.

I did end up having to buy a few extra skeins of the greens to make that big field of green. I didn't really want to do that, when the goal was to use up the Malabrigo...but why am I complaining about shopping for more of my favorite yarn? I used other yarns too, mostly Cascade 220 and one Manos del Uruguay in purple, when I ran out of the Malabrigo.

Husband and I snuggled under it as we sat out on the balcony in the cool spring night, and I'm happy to say that it's as soft and warm as I hoped.

Now for the challenging part: washing it.

eta May 19: I washed it by soaking it with Soak in a big plastic bin in the tub. After 15 minutes, tipped over the bin and let the water out. Stepped on the blanket to squish out some of the water, then pushed it back into the bin. Took it to the washer and put it on the drain and spin cycle. Lastly, laid out a bunch of towels on the guest bed and let it airdry for a few days.

Ears ringing

I watched 2 episodes of Dollhouse on line with the headphones on and now my eardrums are throbbing. The audio on the little netbook aren't great. And the airconditioning units on the roof of the building across the street are so loud, I need headphones in order to hear.

Anyway, now I've watched the last 4 episodes of Dollhouse so far and really hope it gets renewed. I want to find out:

1. what happens with Alpha, because I heart Alan Tudyk, mainly because he played Wash on Firefly and anyone married to kick-ass Zoe has to be worth something. Plus, I love the funny and Wash (and Simon in his straight-laced understated way) brought the funny.

2. what happens with Sierra and Victor. Even as dolls, they have some feelings for each other and I want to see what happens with them. Because I'm all about the love.

3. what happens with DeWitt. She's the boss and holds everyone at arm's length. But she also programmed Victor as "Roger" to have some love and relationship in her life. Then she realizes that wasn't a great idea and so shelves "Roger." What's the consequences of that? Again, I'm all about the love. I also just read the recap for the episode "Echoes" on Television Without Pity and really want to see what she's like when under the influence.

4. what happens to the other dolls, esp Whiskey and November, who's now been freed?

5. what's the stories behind Boyd, Topher, Ivy and the other staff that they work at the Dollhouse?

As I watched, I worked on the Sean Scully Malabrigo afghan.

I have a ball of "Butter" Malabrigo and yellow Lamb's Pride Superwash in "Lemon Ice" and a ball of Malabrigo in "Tiger Lily" that I'll stripe along the right edge. When those are done, then all the Malabrigo will be done and the afghan will be done.

Yay! because it's getting a bit warm to have a huge lapfull of wool.

Notes about other Firefly alum:

I know this was the season finale for Castle with Nathan Fillion, another Firefly alum, but I had to turn it off half way through. I really want to support NF, but just can't watch a whole episode.

Also, I've put season one of Chuck on Netflix (did I mention that already in a previous post?) but may move it up the queue.

Finished the Green

The green part of the green is done on the Sean Scully Malabrigo afghan. The Firefly and Torchwood DVDs really help me rock through all the miles of garter stitch and I'm loving it.

Next up: sewing on the purple and grey strip along the bottom and then knit on a blue and pink striped section to the left there. The pink's not varigated but if I make them narrow stripes, I don't think it'll matter.

This will be the softest lap blanket ever.

Stripes!

Jane Brocket's post the other day about the stripy house reminded me to post an update on the Sean Scully Malabrigo blanket.

The New Yorker Magazine with Michelle Obama on the cover included for scale. And color.

I'm making up the pattern as I go a long and are using these Sean Scully pictures as inspiration:

Sean Scully blanket update

I am loving the garter stitch, Malabrigo fest. The yarn is so soft! I'm really enjoying the green section. It's one strand of Saphire Green (the light green) and one of Verdes (the dark and light green varigated). Loving the marled look that results. This is what it looks like now, with the pieces roughly placed where they will be in the end.

These and the one up top are the Sean Scully pictures that inspired this blanket. Sorry about the blurry pics, but you get the idea.

I knitted the orange/yellow/white and purple/grey pieces separately. Then threaded onto a cable needle the orange/yellow/white and cable-cast on more in blue (one strand Malabrigo Buscando Azul and one some blue Cascade 220 left over from Husband's blanket). Then I knit back in the green. When the vertical green sections separated by thin blue stripes are done, I'll sew on the purple/grey piece. Not sure if I'll try to match up the stripes or not. I'm pretty much winging it.

Sean Scully Malabrigo Afghan

I gave in. This weekend, I cast on for my Sean Scully Malabrigo Afghan. Details on my Ravelry page.

I've posted about Sean Scully before here (scroll down) just about a year ago. And I'll be using the Malabrigo yarns shown in that same post too.

The afghan is based on "10.2.93" and have started the vertical piece in a combo of yellow, white, and orange. I ran out of the yellow yarn (Pollen) and had to go get some more. Picked up a skein of Pearl while I was at it, for a purple strip that I'm going to add too.

Mmmmm. Malabrigo. Can't resist.

Ah, Spring, time for wool

It's pretty much spring here in Atlanta. The Bradford pear trees are abloom in white and we've turned off the heat and opened the windows. Yesterday I even changed out of jeans and sweater into a cotton dress.

And the grass needs mowing. Guess what I'll be doing today? Even now, I can hear a neighbor mowing.

Because it's warming up, I have some pictures of wool knitting:

Here's a progress picture of the top-down, raglan cardigan,

Which will be the the Long Coat with Chevron Lace from Fitted Knits.

My portable knitting, a shawl using wool and mohair. Simple stockingnette stitch on big needles. Great for watching hockey games (keeps your lap warm) or listening to lectures.

Also, pictures of the mitered squares of Malabrigo, inspired by Hazy Corners quilt by Kaffe Fassett and Liza Prior Lucy.

I had not planned on making a clown quilt!

In February, when at the High Museum of Art, I picked up a book, a retrospective of works by Sean Scully, titled "Sean Scully: Twenty Years, 1976 to 1995." I will repurpose my Malabrigo to make an afghan inspired by his works such as:

"Enough" 1981 oil on canvas. I could totally use all those Malabrigo colors, along with some black and white, without it looking so clownish. The actual knitting construction will take some figuring out. I'm going to start with the Log Cabin instructions from Mason-Dixon Knitting for the center block of blue/black and yellow/grey. The red/white and orange/black will have to be knit separately then sewn on. The tan/black, not sure. I could modify it to make the orange/black longer to end on the left flush with the center blocks, and make the tan/black easier to make. The orange/tan at the top would be picked up along the top of the other pieces and knit on."Ukbar" 1993-94, oil on canvas:
I particularly like this one, "10.2.93" 1993 watercolor on paper. I'm thinking of doing this slightly reversing the colors. That is, instead of having the black and white horizontal stripes, doing it in some combo of yellow, white, and orange. And making the yellow and black vertical stripes in blues, white (?), and purple, given that I have so much of the purple and blue Malabrigo. Then add a strip of green and black (?) horizontal stripes along the bottom, or maybe along the left edge, to echo the central block. I don't know, but I feel really drawn to this piece.

"White Robe" 1990 oil on canvas. Another example of interesting construction
"2.24.82" 1982 oil on paper. Such simplicity."Heart of Darkness" 1982 oil on canvas. I like how the black and white stripes and the red and black stripes don't quite line up, creating a bit of tension.
The book is full of inspiration.