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What is Duo Fiberworks?

Duo Fiberworks is a partnership between twin sisters Laura and Katie. We feel that art is a natural and persistent part of our lives and hope to share the inspiration,energy and outcomes of our creative process.

Hedgehog Lane

Knit and felt natural toys. See Katie's designs at her shop- Hedgehog Lane. She designs simple-to-knit patterns with step-by-step felting and assembly directions. 

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Monday
08Feb2010

Suitcase Storage

DateMonday, February 8, 2010 at 09:31AM

As I work to unpack and organize our studio, I've been using suitcases to store craft supplies. Laura just gave me some of her vintage suitcases, so I have more to fill up. I have a stack by our desk:

The extra-deep one holds all the completed knitting projects I've designed. The suitcase is full- I am going to have to start a new suitcase for for 2010.

I also have suitcases on the kinda funky built-in shelves in the studio. I didn't want the shelves to all be open storage as I knew they would not stay tidy for long. My pared-down nonfiction book collection is on the top of the shelves. 

A couple of these suitcases are still empty- which is great because I have a lot more stuff to unpack. One of them holds several works in progress and their associated supplies. Can you tell I'm still really trying to figure out how to knit shoes? 

Sometimes it feels overwhelming to unpack and organize, but it is so nice to have a place for everything, it's worth it. 

AuthorKatie | CommentPost a Comment |
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Sunday
07Feb2010

Easy bread, more time for knitting

DateSunday, February 7, 2010 at 03:37PM

I just checked out Jim Lahey's "My Bread" from the library and I am going to have to buy it. Lahey came up with the no-knead, long ferment bread-making style that was made insanely popular via Mark Bittman's blog. "My Bread uses the same technique and I don't think there is one recipe in the cookbook that I don't want to try. I made the "Stecca" the other day. My sister Abby gave me the perch! salt cellar for Christmas. 

The Stecca turned out great and I look forward to trying more recipes from the book before I have to return it. 

AuthorKatie | Comment3 Comments |
Friday
29Jan2010

Yogurt Cozy tutorial

DateFriday, January 29, 2010 at 08:48PM

So I just started making my own yogurt. I followed Madhur Jaffrey's recipe in Madhur Jaffrey's World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking, one of my favorite cookbooks. See here for a really great, detailed tutorial about making your own yogurt. The tutorial is very in-depth though,  I am kinda glad I didn't read that before I tried to make yogurt for the first time, because I would have been intimidated. Really, it's not difficult at all.

Madhur just has you heat a quart of milk to boiling, cool it to about 110 degrees, add it to 2 tablespoons of yogurt and let everything sit, carefully bundled, for 8 hours. I have a plethora of felted wool sweaters and they seemed the perfect material to insulate the culturing milk. I designed this cozy to fit around a wide-mouth quart jar and it's worked very well. I think it looks like a cozy shawl-collared jacket for my yogurt.

Want to make one too? Great. Here is what you will need:

Supplies

  • One thick felted wool sweater, at least 17" wide at the bottom
  • Leather cord or leather remnant, or ribbon
  • 3 buttons
  • Thread that matches the buttons and the leather cord
  • Wide mouth quart Mason jar

Materials

  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Needle

1. Cut your sweater: my piece is 17" wide and 15.5" tall. It's a big tube- I left it like that and didn't finish the raw edge. This sweater was really good and felted. If yours looks like it might ravel, you could blanket stitch around the raw edge.

2. I wanted to use leather for the button loops, so I cut about 1/8" wide section in a spiral around a leather remnant to make a long piece of leather. You could use rawhide lacing or a piece of ribbon.

3. Then cut 3 pieces about 8" long and loop them together and knot. 

4. Pick out three buttons. Please don't get distracted looking through vintage buttons and waste 20 minutes like I did.

5. Using thread that matches the buttons, sew the buttons on your sweater piece- on the front the buttons go on the left bottom corner- they are about 1" in from the edge and 1" and 3" up from the bottom. On the flip side, add a button about .5" in from the edge and 7.5" up from the bottom.

6. Using thread that matches the loops, add the loops to the front- 3" in from the right side edge and 1" and 3" up from the bottom. On the back, 1.5" from the edge and 7.5" up from the bottom. 

7. Snug the jacket over the mason jar, fold down the collar and make some yogurt. Yum.

AuthorKatie | Comment1 Comment |
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Friday
29Jan2010

recent acquisition

DateFriday, January 29, 2010 at 04:07PM

I casually collect lab ware and vintage science supplies, and my Mom recently scooped up this box of test tubes with corks for me while thrifting:

Some one else must have used them to store craft supplies-a few have glitter and sequins in them. Their diameter made me think of a battered wooden block with holes drilled into it that has long been part of my found objects um, collection. (OK, this is making it sound like I have tons of collections, but I really don’t…)

What do you know it holds the new tubes perfectly! This pleases me way too much.


AuthorLaura | Comment2 Comments |
Thursday
28Jan2010

Knitting Lesson Gift

DateThursday, January 28, 2010 at 09:43AM

A friend of our family, Anna, just turned 9 this week. She is a girl after my own heart as she is up for all kinds of projects- beading, sewing, and finger knitting. She is interested in knitting so for her birthday gift, I made a quick little certificate and bundled up some wool and cool vintage needles. To fancy up the certificate, I used an old chocolate candy wrapper for the seal and added a yarn tassel. 

I think she was pleased with it and it will be fun to knit together. 

AuthorKatie | Comment1 Comment |
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