March 2023 s&Z
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This month we introduce nesting diamonds, a common feature in Coptic sprang pieces (from Egypt, dated to the 4th-8th centuries). We also introduce another “awkward” stitch, this time for inserting a Z stitch into a row of S.
Motif A has an inner diamond in Z outlined by a diamond in S, on a background of Z. Motif B opens the diamond one step farther. The inner diamond is in S, outlined by diamonds in Z and S. Invitation 1: Create a long warp of 30 inches/75 cm or more. Use either circular warp, false circular warp, or a long frame. Repeat Motif A &/or D one after the other on this warp to practice opening and closing the diamonds. The resulting strip of cloth can be used as a headband or a strap https://www.sprangart.com/headbands.html Invitation 2: Once you are comfortable with opening the diamonds, start with an awkward stitch in the middle of a wider warp. Open the diamond as far as in Motif B, and when you get to six S stitches in the middle, insert a Z awkward stitch in the middle and continue opening the pattern. Continue with opening, or for an added challenge, try decreasing the size of the diamond. Play with this and be gentle with yourself if it doesn’t go as planned. “Errors” produce interesting new patterns. See Sharon’s blog for her experiments and new resulting patterns. https://www.sprangart.com/musings/new-designs-from-mistakes |
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For this month's motif you will need to know how to work a Z-leaning stitch on a background of S-leaning stitches. The video at the right shows you how.
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A note about instructions and charts:
The instructions include a photo of the completed motif, the written shorthand pattern, and a chart with Carol’s notation.
The charts include a possibly higher-resolution version of the chart with Carol’s notation, and a shorthand chart which shows only the S and Z stitches. The shorthand chart is recommended for those who are comfortable with the transitions from S to Z and do not need to know which stitches are on the back threads and which are on the front threads.
The instructions include a photo of the completed motif, the written shorthand pattern, and a chart with Carol’s notation.
The charts include a possibly higher-resolution version of the chart with Carol’s notation, and a shorthand chart which shows only the S and Z stitches. The shorthand chart is recommended for those who are comfortable with the transitions from S to Z and do not need to know which stitches are on the back threads and which are on the front threads.
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Motif A
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Motif B
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