Monday, August 01, 2011
They Walk Among Us Continues. Meet Bizzie Lizzie
On Ravelry, this prolific knitter/crocheter is known for the sheer abundance of brave, innovative, totally 'out there' creations that seem to fly off her hooks and needles. Does she ever sleep? Does her imagination ever rest? We hope not. Here's Liz in her own words:
I started knitting in primary school and like others, used patterns to knit for my family and myself for many years until my daughters reached their teens. After a break of many years, I went back to knitting in 2008, and in 2009 I went on a refresher crochet course (having only dabbled in this a very long time ago). Here I bought a book by Prudence Mapstone .....and this is what set me off on my journey of exploration! About this time I joined ravelry and was soon being impressed by other designers.
In November 2009, I joined Jane’s group and have been following the KALs with great interest. Seeing how Jane and the other members of the group have combined colours and worked with different yarns and textures has been an influence in many of my projects….. one of the most recent KALs has not only inspired a tunic, but also another 5 further creations!
I have no training in art/craft apart from a Dress and Design course in my last year at school. 20 years ago I made a series of patchwork quilts and experimented with various forms of embroidery.
I love shape, colour and texture and draw inspiration from what is around me. LIZ
LIZ: I learned to make scrumbles (joining small pieces of knitting and crochet) from one of Prudence Mapstone’s books and later I was inspired by Fridakahlo’s designs. I had dabbled a little with mixing the two back in 1994 but never developed it.
JANE: All right Liz, I ask everyone this: do you wear your creations?
LIZ: I certainly do, although I was a bit self-conscious at first! Now I just wear them every time I go to concerts, galleries etc, and in the summer when I can’t wear the warmer garments, I can use my bags.
JANE: Does your enthusiasm ever wane and do you think it will last indefinitely?
LIZ: Well, I continually have ideas in my head, and as I work on each project, the next one is getting worked out. I would like to experiment with other techniques so I see no end in the foreseeable future, despite DH saying “Is that the last one then?”.
Posted by Jane on
08/01 at 11:28 AM
Dear Jane, Thank you for bring Liz to the attention of those of us who have not previously seen her work! Liz, The love, fun, and unencumbered spirit that you bring to your craft shines through in your creations. They are an inspiration to my whimsical nature. I am struck by your comment about having traded large-scale, complex projects for those that you can complete in a shorter period of time. There is some wisdom in that - it allows one to explore many more design options, try new techniques, develop new skills, and enchant that many more recipients of the end products. Thank you for provoking my thinking about my future knitting projects.
By Linda at Circular Needles on 2011 08 07
Great interview, Lizzie... your work really inspires me!
By faithwelsh on 2011 08 12
i love scrumbling too, and these are just gorgeous!
By Judy Edmonds on 2011 08 02