| I have been knitting as long as I can remember. The rhythm, the feel of the yarn through my fingers, the challenge of the craft, the communion with past and present knitters, each forges connection with the earth and the divine. It is my spiritual practice. |
| In November 2014, recently
retired and facing a cold dark winter with little color and even less heat,
I needed a challenge. A challenge where I could accomplish something
tangible every day. A fun challenge that would keep me from watching
too much football and too many old movies. A challenge that would
fit the season.
Hats! Hats are fun and quick to knit. I would knit thirty hats in thirty days! My ground rules: * Starting on November
15, 2014, knit a total of 30 hats through December 14, 2014. I
don’t need to knit a hat every day but I do need to knit 30 hats in 30
days. Thirty days later I had thirty hats. All different and all my own original designs. Most of them are knit with Blackberry Ridge wool or Schoolhouse Press un-spun Icelandic wool. I prefer to knit with wool for its natural earthy properties. In designing, I drew on favorite motifs from folk traditions or let the yarn dictate the texture. I was surprised that not only did the designs keep coming but each design beget more designs and ideas were growing exponentially by the end of the project. |
| A
book, with all the hat patterns, is forthcoming from Cooperative Press!
www.cooperativepress.com
When not working on the book, or knitting, I’m busy blogging about knitting. My current focus is “stash reduction” where I comment on organizing the yarn stash, quick stash reduction projects and tips for avoiding the pitfalls of yarn acquisition. I’m in the planning stages for more knitting/fiber related tours and retreats through my company Wool Forward and am beginning to self-publish my own designs. You can learn more about the tours, my knitting and my designs by following my blog https://woolforward.files.wordpress.com and following Wool Forward on facebook, instagram and twitter. |
| Ruth Knight Sybers Knitter's Treat Monticello, WI 53570 www.209main.com - Textiles - current and past exhibits at The Dining Room at 209 Main knitterstreat@wekz.net - to join e-mail list for announcements of new exhibits at The Dining Room at 209 Main knitterstreat@wekz.net
- to order patterns, books, Vivian Hoxbro kits, yarn, etc.
|
|
David Braunschweig who assists in "hanging" each exhibit. |
Photos by Lori Manning
Copyright © 2016.
Past Displays:
RUG HOOKING with
ELLIE BECK
Jennifer Angelo
- Nuno Scarves
JANE GROGAN -
WEAVING ON FRAME LOOMS
BLACKBERRY RIDGE
WOOLEN MILL - Anne and Mark Bosch
Elizabeth Tuttle's Fulled
Wool Compositions
Valentina Devine
RAE ERDAHL'S COLLECTION
OF ETHNIC HATS, DOLLS, AND GARMENTS
WEAVINGS BY
TUESDAY FRIENDS: FRAN POTTER AND HER STUDENTS
CHALLENGE QUILT
Ethnic Socks - Rae Erdahl
Why I Quilt - Barbara Hartman
Kelly Marshall - Custom HandWovens -
Functional art pieces
Knitting Designs by Meg Swansen
Mary Alice Hart
- digital photos become quilts
Mary Ann Fitzgerald:
Chinese Baby Carriers
VALENTINA DEVINE DESIGNS
PRESENTED AGAIN
Jane M. Miller -
East Side Bags
Looping - featuring Donna
Kallner and Sue Koleczek
TEN YEARS OF KNITTING WORKSHOPS
IN MONTICELLO, WI
Green County Barn Quilts and the Courthaus
Quilt Guild
RareWear - Fiber Artist Laurie Boyer
Mary Kay McDermott
The Story of the Textiles
from Guatemala
NANCY L. DAVIS & JOANNE SCHILLING
- TEXTILE ARTISTS
MARY JO SCANDIN - Fiber and
contemporary painting
FULLING AND FELTING
Nostalgia - Apron Collection
by Jean Adler
TEN YEARS OF TEXTILE
EXHIBITS - Ruth Knight Sybers
SILVER THREADS -- Lee Ann Kleeman
Point of View: thread-work by Beth
Blahut
Latvian Textiles
HANDKERCHIEFS
Hooked Rugs by Ellie Beck
ELIZABETH ZIMMERMANN
JOYCE MARQUESS CAREY
AESOP'S FABLES
First Knitting Invitational
Weaving and the Structo
Loom
Valentina Devine Creates
JAPANESE TEXTILES
-- OLD AND NEW
Wearable Art
Moving Weft
Men Who Knit
Quilts by the Thursday Friends
WEAVING WITH SEWING
THREAD
HISTORIC MONTICELLO
WOOLEN MILL
Katherine Pence Inspired
by Everything
WHY DO I SPIN?
THE EARLY KNITTED WORKS OF JOYCE
WILLIAMS
EMBROIDERY
- the late Ellen Scheidler
QUILTS OF MONTICELLO
23 HATS BY ESTHER
AND OLGA
FROM GRANDMA'S
TRUNK
JEAN NORDLUND
- Ewe Hues
NAVAJO RUGS
Weavings - Fran Potter
KNITTED LACE
SOCKS
FIRST SHOW:
Knitting - Ruth Sybers, Wall hanging - Kathy
LaBeil