In lower Meherabad, India, there is a blue car in the middle of a field. It used to carry Meher Baba. Now, it’s resting.
This picture was on my ‘to knit’ list for many years. I am happy I finally did it, and it always pleases my heart with it child-like quality.
Rendering of lovely Irises on a gift bag. Been keeping the bag for 10 years for this purpose…
* Apologies for any hideous advertisement that may be added below – I’m really sorry!
‘Some of my best friends’ is a new series of trees at Meher Spiritual Center. All the trees there are gorgeous and intriguing, but these are trees that I don’t just see on passing, but actively look for.
Some of them – like some of my best friends, have died.
The knittings are not accurate to reality, and mostly were knit without a chart. They are based on drawings, and the feelings I got from these trees.
This first one I call ‘The Greeter’. It stands right at the gate, small and humble, with a little heart shape cavity.
Somehow it reminded me of the row of little white hearts on the floor between Baba and Mehera’s tomb, so I added the colorful hearts at the base.
The tree at the cross road, with a little mushroom at it’s base:
This small long leaf pine tree died in the last storm:
The golden tree, on the way from the gateway to the main parking lot, is not there anymore. It was beautiful, and right by the roadside. It’s leaves were golden, probably because it was dead for a while, but very beautiful.
I knitted it twice. This is a big curtain/baby blanket size:
and a very small version, about 10×10″:
The “Dancing Trees” are on the way to the beach, by Gator Lake, and I am always enchanted by them:
* Apologies for any hideous advertisement that may be added below – I’m really sorry!
The area of Gator Lake is magical, even a bit spooky: the light is always special, no matter what time a day, the trees – magnificent. The photo above is far from doing it justice.
The knitted picture is a re-knitting of a pattern I did years ago, called ‘Fuzzy Trees’. The pattern is a bit involved, but made easier by knitting sideways (so the trees are just stripes). I tried to start with extreme colored shadows, and moving to very similar shades of light & dark on the ground, but could not resist making the tree still bold in color.
Hope you like it…
I can not resist Water Lilies. I am totally infatuated with them. When my husband and I go to Brookgreen gardens, he can have the camera for forever – until we get to the Lily pond. There, the camera is all mine. They are spectacular.
This chart however is based on Water Lilies at Long Lake, Meher Spiritual Center, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
If it seems complicated – it isn’t. Most people who tested it finished their picture in 4 days (unless they started unraveling – big no-no!), and immediately started another one.
Here is my last version of it, with embroidery to enhance the Lilies:
Knit level: knit in st.st with mixture of carrying yarn & using it locally (stranding & intarsia).
Pattern includes: chart, knitting-aid notes, how to fix mistakes, and how to mount/hang the picture. (embroidery instructions are not included – get creative and show me what YOU can do!).
Pattern is available in my Etsy shop: LittleBabas
and on Ravelry: PictureKnitting
October, one of my favorite months, got me doing 2 mini exhibits:
The exhibit in Little River library:
and an exhibit at Myrtle Beach mall, till end of November:
Above: The woods, Meher Spiritual Center.
Below: Light/The ancient one, and Meher Baba’s signature, Damadi, and hand gesture:
Below : (the painting is not mine but part of an ongoing exhibit) The Invisible knitted portraits of Meher Baba, in yellow and peach:
Same piece, 4 ways to hang it.
Same yarn used for all the background, and same yarn for the images and their reflections.
Reflection #2 below, is knit with same yarn for images & reflection, but 2 different yarns for the background:
Reflection #1 has lighter colors on the top, and darker shades of these colors at the bottom:
Though it’s hard to see, these are 2 sides of the same knitting. The one on the left is finished and used here as a curtain, the one on the right was taken earlier, before finishing and weaving-in the tails. It’s a picture I knitted years ago, and now testing it for a pattern.
The pattern started from paper cuts images (top right), and then I made their reflection (top left). The picture can be held 4 ways: The 2 above + their up-side down.
I used to think this pattern is very easy, and was going to include it in the book (Color & Picture Knitting). At that point though I realized it was tricky and was not sure I even knew how to redo it. And that’s what I think now, it is both very easy & complex at the same time.
To knit it, start upside down (knitting upward) in st.st. To do the reflection, move to reverse st. So now reading the rows knit=reading the chart from left to right (I think…) and vise versa, and knitting the images upward. Knitting it is easier than talking about it because the colors helps keeping it right (only of course I was working on B&W chart).
Below, the original picture:
Baba of Rahuri Cabin
July-August 2015
In Rahuri cabin there is a beautiful painting of Baba, done by Rano Gayly to Baba’s specifications:
1. The image was to be of Baba sitting, dressed in a sadra.
2. The painting was to be done on a piece of plywood which was already painted with a painting Baba did not like.
Rano said the value of the painting is in how it was used by Baba: He brought it a few times to old Mandali Hall at lower Meherabad, and before the New life He had the men mandali say prayers of different religions before it and He bowed down to Himself in it.
I loved going to Rahuri cabin and once, just as I was leaving, Baba asked me to knit this picture for Him, and I made a promise.
The picture is 20×27″, knitted in weaving style.
Husband did the drawing,
I did the knitting,
and he did some embroidery on the white cat.
It’s fun when we work together like that.
Pattern is available here.
Picture Knitting 
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