Nerikomi

I have been making a few nerikomi bowls, using red iron oxide to stain porcelain which was then inlaid into white porcelain. Quite a labor intensive process, but hugely satisfying. I also like the fact that you don’t have to worry about decoration; once you have made the shape they are already fully ‘dressed’.

Great site for all things yarn related

It is winter, and as a Norwegian it is in my genes to start knitting as soon as the temperature drops below 10 deg C. We have a long tradition for producing yarns and patterns, and today I thought I'd give a shout-out to a Norwegian company who has a lovely, and very democratic, webpage: Drops Design. They have thousands of free patterns online, translated into a total of 12 languages, which are frequently updated with new models. The pictures below are from this winters collection. They cover a range of techniques, like knitting, crocheting and felting, from the very simple to the impossibly difficult. In addition to patterns you can also find great tutorials, advice on how to mount and care for your work, pattern help etc. etc. So if you love working with fibre, go check this out!

Printing in clay

One of the things I really really love about clay is how well it takes imprints. It will show off every thread and perfect little stitch when pressing fabric into it.

Sure, sometimes it can drive you absolutely bonkers if you are tryingt to keep things 'clean' and untouched, but most of the time I find it adds character to a piece, rather than ruining it.

Sometimes I discover small surprices. Here I didn't notice my own fingerprints in the fired piece until I looked at the close-up pictures. Something to keep in mind if I ever plan on committing a clay-related crime.... :)