I haven’t quite decided how to knit the way-in-the-background trees, but since that may take me another day or two, here are the other bits and pieces I have knitted for the Garden of Design workshop sample.
When I set out to copy a photo, as in this project, I try to understand how the picture is divided into background, middle ground, and foreground. The knitted background interprets color areas of the picture. Though it is the back drop for other design elements, it also represents areas of the photo that are in the back, middle, and foregrounds. It’s a flat, 3-D puzzle.
The wide pink strips are called Heart Edging, which I found in Rosemary Worth’s 301 Knitting Hints and Tips for the Ultimate Sweater Machine (formerly known as the Bond). I will divide the strips into smaller pieces and use them to construct the flowers in the foreground.
The narrow coral strip is Tuck Stitch trim from the same book. This size might work well for the flowers in the middle of the photo. The greenish strip is plain, unblocked stockinette stitch of several shades of green. It will turn into clumps of greenery.
I love to use buttons whenever possible. Usually I choose a lot more than I use. The brownish buttons at bottom right might represent a dark area in the photo, but already I have my doubts about this. They are too distracting. The pink buttons may do well as flowers; the dark greens might be good as background trees. They look so different, photographed in the bright sunlight, than they did in the house.
My favorite way to use buttons is to hide them in plain sight. There are two handmade buttons in this picture that won’t be obvious at first glance.
Let’s see if I can be more timely with the next installment! Check back here in a couple of days to see the flowers and greenery stitched into place.