Ideas Generate More Ideas

First the hand report–looks like it might just be tendonitis.  I know how to treat that.  I usually leave out the Rest part though.  Thanks for your good wishes and inquiries.

Rereading the last post about activities for kids this summer, I realized that there were some things in there for us knitters and crafters.  Let me draw your attention to two things.

First the color wheel activity.  Years ago at the Colorado Knitting Camp, Judy Ditmore of Interlacements came to help teach us colorwork skills.  Judy was a well-known weaver who had begun a yarn dyeing business so she had really worked the idea of seeing color.  She brought suitcases full of balls and cones of yarn.  Much of it appeared to be leftovers from her own projects.  The first thing we did was get in the floor and arrange all that yarn into a giant colorwheel.

When I came back to Charlotte that year, I pulled out my own stash and repeated the activity.  I was stunned to see that I, who owned a ton of yarn, had significant holes in my color wheel.  Not one single skein of yellow or gold or anything near it.  And I knew that yellow was one of those colors that make others pop and look great.  A row of yellow in a fair isle pattern is almost invisible, but makes your purples vibrant.   And do I ever have a load of purples!!

Take the time to try this for yourself.  I know you THINK you know what colors you have, but when you get them all out and together, you notice that you don’t just have red, but orange-red and a blue red, and does this fuschia go with the reds or the purples??  You’ll have fun, learn something, and probably rediscover a neat yarn you had forgotten.

Second was this picture from Microsoft Office files.

We knitters associate spider webs with lace.  The thinnest lace yarns are even called Spider Web.  Look at this picture again and at how uneven the “lace” is.  Yet it is still delicate and beautiful.  I wonder if Myra Wood who wrote Crazy Lace saw something like this and was inspired.

In Australia, in my creative tsunami, I crocheted some laceweight yarn into what I called a Walkabout scarf.  I just did whatever without counting or thinking and occasionally looked at it and somehow made it a bit straighter.  I still love that scarf, but most of all, I loved that I carried the project all over Brisbane with me and did public lace knitting.  Without a chart or a pattern.  Just made it up.

After Debbie Carlsen told me about Myra Wood’s book, I got a copy through interlibrary loan and then played with knitting random lace patterning.  This was really fun.  It was easier to keep the edges straight by just trying to wind up with the same number of stitches on every row.  In other words, any time I did a yarnover to put in a hole, I made certain that I did a k2tog somewhere on the row, but not necessarily beside the YO.

Not blocked, just pinned out

Again it was fun, easy to carry around for KIP time, and once blocked, looked like it had been planned all along.  I really encourage you to give this a try.  It makes great summer knitting because it is so light weight.  And since artists are always saying they take their inspiration from nature, well, if irregular patterns are okay with spiders, why not with me?

Oh, put that lace weight on a size 6 or so needle.  If you want lace, then stay away from tiny needles.  At least for this activity.

More later–

Categories: color, freeform, lace, Personal thoughts | 2 Comments

Summer’s Coming–Kids, too.

Summer for some of us means more time with our grandchildren.  This is a far more exciting time for us that for their mothers.  We plan “activities.”  Once in a while, these activities turn out to be more fun for us “artsy-craftsy” types, resulting in [horror!]  a new hobby.

I have been scouring the net looking for things to do with Zachary (10) and Evan (6.5) that do not call for TV, computers, or hours on a hot ballfield.  My standards are very exacting, so I have had to create a few of my own and I thought I’d share them with you.

The teacher who still lives in my head wants these to be learning experiences, but she is wise enough to know that part has to be sneaked in to avoid the “Oh, Nana, school is out!” effect.  I also want them to know how to make things.  It’s good for their souls and it raises their self-esteem.

Just in case you need them, here are my sneaky ideas.

1.  Take a city bus somewhere.  Plan it on the bus schedule map.  Get together the proper change for the fare.  Public transportation relies on the public use for success.  This activity usually requires waiting and walking–good skills to practice and a chance for good talk.

2.  Visit a busy area of town and take a digital pictures.  Use the pictures to create a story book or a collage.  I would just print them on regular paper and cut and paste.  Use some on foam board and prop the collage against a wall for display.  (Small motor skills and conversati0n.)

3.  Take the camera to the Yarn Shop :) .  While you shop, he/she/they can take pictures of every possible color they can find.  (Award a prize for 25 different shades.)  Later–print, cut, paste into a color wheel.  (I know this is terribly sneaky, but that, too, is a lesson.)

4.  Build fairy houses* in your backyard.  Use sticks, stones, rocks, old flower pots–clean out the storage areas.  If you are clutter free (sigh), pick up some $1.00 birdhouses at Michaels to use.  Use fabric scraps for banners or curtains or flags.  Be sure to take pictures–or draw pictures.   *Will also work as space outpost, dinosaur lands, theme parks for squirrels.

5.  Cut fabric into 3 inch squares and sew together by hand.  (Teach them to baste.)  Iron flat.  Use fabric markers or Sharpies to decorate with favorite words.  (spelling, vocabulary)  Hang it somewhere.

6.  Use ugly yarn (I know you have some somewhere) and string it all over your yard–around trees, porch posts, furniture, shovels stuck in the ground–and make gigantic spider webs.  Pull it tight so it will be strong.  Attach stuff to it with clothespins or paperclips, e.g., pictures of bugs, fabric scrap flags, mobiles made of straws (an excuse to eat at McDonalds), paint chips from the paint store.  Watch what the weather does to it.  When it gets gross, just cut it down.     Reuse this at Halloween.  Bernat makes a glow in the dark yarn.

7.  Buy some chicken wire–cheap at Home Depot.  Tack or staple it to yor fence or between trees.  Weave  <g> stuff into it.  Fabric strips, rag pieces, ribbon, plastic bags, vines–if it bends even a little, it will weave.  It’s a work of art, so name it.

8.  Twisted cord.  The directions are long, but worth it.

Get some more yarn from the stash.  Stand at least 10 feet from a tree and hold one end while your child runs from you to the tree, around the tree, and back again—many times.  (You stand still while he/she runs!  I’m a genius!)  Then you cut the yarn you are holding in half and send the child to the tree to hold the yarn where it goes around the tree.

Unwrap the yarn from the tree and have your child slip a sturdy stick into the fold.  Knot your ends of the yarn.  Time to twist the yarn.

You hold the knot and continue to stand still.  Singing is allowed here.  The child, the one who did all the running, does all the twisting.  Twist until it gets really hard to twist.  Grab the halfway point and holding everything taut, allow the child to give you the stick and take that halfway point.  He/she lets go of the yarn and it will twist around itself making a sturdy cord.  (Magic and laughter here.)

—Yeah, I know it is a lot of work just for a cord, but if you used  colorful yarn, it might be pretty—AND–you aren’t the one who is tired.

Next visit you can hang something with it or turn it into a bag strap.

Sometimes naps follow this.

9.  Holidays in July.  Start your gift giving lists now.  Use a roll of paper–the back of old gift wrap is a great choice.  List the names of everyone you might ever give a gift to.  Scour catalogs and magazines to find pictures of gifts they would like and glue those beside the names.  Be sure to include your own names.

If you run out of room for the pictures, punch holes beside the names and tie on extra sheets of paper.  (Problem solving)  Can’t find the right picture.  Draw it.  Or write the words.  No wrong actions with this project.  Send it home to store in a special closet.

10.  Teach them to knit, crochet or weave a scarf. (If you don’t do something this obvious, they will suspect the other projects weren’t just for fun.  When you don’t urge them to continue working, they will really trust you on the others.  Even the really smart ones.)  Use needles, hooks, looms, cardboard looms.  When they get bored—and they probably will–glue the incomplete piece to some posterboard and frame it.  It might be very important later on.

I can’t be the only sneaky one in this group.  Please send me any of your ideas or great links you have discovered.  It is going to be a long, hot summer in the Carolinas.  Besides, crafts are a life-long comfort.

More later–

Categories: family, Personal thoughts | Tags: | 8 Comments

Camp Is Coming Up

Greece, 2004–Sally at Lunch. Steve is behind her.

Every year I go to Colorado to knitting camp.  This year we have Sally Melville coming to teach.  She is a superb teacher and terribly clever.  No matter what the class, she always has amazing tips and tricks to share.  Our homework letter explains it all.  I thought I’d share it in case you have any questions I might could ask in class.  That way I am sure to be smarter when I come home.

Some of you will realize that I actually teach some of these topics.  No matter how much you already know, a good teacher will give you something new.  Besides, any camp or retreat is an opportunity to learn from everyone there.  I’m taking my new spindle to show to Jay; Gay will have knitted at least 10 new sweaters for me to steal the tricks from; Linda will have gone to some exotic locale and have textile souvenirs to share.  It isn’t only about the knitting—but everything is really about knitting if you think about it.

Here’s the homework letter–

Sally Melville’s classes for camp in Ft. Collins
July 11 – 15, 2012

These are the descriptions of each of the classes that we will have with Sally.

THE SET-IN SLEEVE (2hrs) – Thursday
The set-in sleeve is our most pleasing shape to wear – when it fits. But too often it does not, with shoulders too wide and upper sleeves too generous. In addition, even when the final result fits, the sewing is a struggle. Not anymore! This class explains how to measure, draft, knit, and assemble a simple and beautifully fitted set-in sleeve. You will be amazed at how easy it can be!

SUPPLIES TO BRING: tape measure, calculator is optional

KNIT TO FLATTER AND FIT (3hrs)
A knitter who spends the time and energy to make her own clothes should be rewarded with a result that makes her happy and proud. It should fit, it should flatter, and there should be no mystery as to how this happened. But sadly, and too often, this is not the result. Why? Because the knitter chooses the wrong pattern, OR chooses the right pattern but follows the directions without questioning them, OR makes the right garment but wears it with the wrong thing.

There are a few simple rules to follow for successful knitting: start with styles that flatter, knit with appropriate decisions for a personalized fit, and then wear it with something that makes it look wonderful! This workshop covers all these decisions and puts the power for successful results into your competent hands Yay!

HOMEWORK: It is essential that this exercise be completed. You will be disappointed if you don’t do this! And please read this carefully, including the NOTE at the bottom.

1. Dress in something close fitting. (We need to see your real silhouette. You may wear only lingerie, or you may add a bodysuit, a leotard, or tights. But do wear supportive lingerie.)
2. Standing straight, with arms slightly away from your side and feet together, have someone take a straight-on full body (head-to-toe) photo of you. (Have the photo fill the screen as much as possible.)
3. Print the photo onto plain paper, enlarging it to 8 – 10” tall.
4. Trace your outline only with a heavy black pen: We don’t need your photo anymore, only your outline. Bring your outline to class.

SUPPLIES TO BRING: A couple of pages each of 2 different colors of light-weight (20 lb. or lighter but NOT tracing paper) plus scissors, measuring tape, pencil, eraser.

Note: Common homework and supplies errors are the following: arms too far from sides, feet not together, head not included, paper too heavy or too light (tracing paper does not work), photo brought instead of just silhouette, silhouette not outlined or not outlined heavily enough.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS (5hrs)
No matter how advanced and accomplished we are, there are habits or holes in our knitting repertoire. Perhaps we rely upon the same cast-on, the same increase, the same decrease; perhaps we are confounded by selvedge stitches, or by picking-up-and-knitting around a round neck; or perhaps we knit without the awareness that we have choices.

This workshop explores and explains the many techniques we should all have in our repertoire. We’ll talk about which are best suited to each situation and why, and we’ll practice them all with lots of hands-on experience.

SUPPLIES TO BRING: more yarn, tapestry needle, crochet hook
HOMEWORK: Use plain yarn: worsted weight works best.

1. Cast on 24 stitches, work in stockinette (working selvedge stitches in stockinette also) until the piece measures 3” in length. DO EXACTLY AS WRITTEN: Do not slip stitches and do not work short rows. (You are shaping a round neck, in case you wonder.) At the beginning of the next RS row, bind off 6 stitches. At the beginning of the RS row, bind off 3 stitches. At the beginning of the next RS row, bind off 2 stitches. At the beginning of the next 3 RS rows, bind off 1 stitch. Work 8 rows even, then bind off.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR YARN COLLECTION (5hrs)
This workshop shows knitters how to use, manage, and replenish a yarn collection. Participants will learn ways to use up bits of this and that plus those 4-6 balls of something heretofore unusable. They will also learn that they may now buy one ball of anything that appeals to them knowing they will use it well. The elegance of the resulting fabrics, plus the fact that they took nothing like odd-ball knitting, comes as a very exciting discovery to participants in this workshop.

Students will explore the problems inherent in using multiple yarns and colors: which ones go together, which stitch patterns will accommodate different weights and colors best, how to arrange a yarn collection to make the most of it, plus much more.

SUPPLIES TO BRING: various yarns (weights and colors)
HOMEWORK: With any yarn and appropriate needles, cast on 15 stitches and work 2 rows stockinette, leaving work ready to work a RS (knit) row.

Wish you all could go with me.  More later–

Categories: Personal thoughts | Tags: , , | 3 Comments

Dye Your Hair White

I’m not sure who this sign is warning, but I have my opinion.

I know I’ve given you much unasked for advice, but dye your hair white is the best.  I spent a long weekend in Boston, a city its inhabitants do not think is friendly, and everyone in town wanted to give me their seat on the T or help me find where I was going.  A bus driver refused to let me use my Charlie Card and pay full price.  I just gave him the Sr. Citizen $.60 and saved $1.40.  At Meadhall, a restaurant with 140 beers on draught, mixed up my order and insisted on giving me my lunch for free.  Actually what I ordered wasn’t really on the menu, but the waitress insisted she could get it for me.  Do it before you leave town.  Or buy a wig.

My favorite building at MIT, designed by Frank Geary

Boston was wonderful.  I was included in Kate’s graduation activities from a special class at the Sloan Management Center at MIT.  Met some amazingly smart and interesting people, toured the campus with an enthusiastic physicist, ate great food overlooking the Charles River and that was just the end of the day.  Walked and took the T to BU and Dick Blick’s Art Supply Store near Fenway Park, hallowed ground.  Stalked books at the MIT coop.  Ate lunch among MIT students–I do love students even after 30 years in public schools.

This sign is in all the bathroom stalls at the Sloan Center at MIT. Technology is wonderful.

The MIT students were in the news recently for their latest prank, as only budding engineers can prank.  (Steve was at Ga. Tech, so I know.)  Check out this YouTube video.  They turned a building into a game of Tetris.

A wonderful book about introverts. Me!!!!!

Kate and I shopped a little, read a little, talked a lot, ate good food, drank good wine and beer, and loved on her Chessy Brody.

The stalwart Brody who guards Kate’s home.

That is my kind of trip.  Someday I’ll go to Boston Common and other sites, but for now, just seeing a dear friend is excitement enough.  I always learn so much from her.

Some pictures to show what I’ve been up to.  Also I start teaching at Charlotte Yarn again a week from Sunday.  Check the Classes page on this blog.

Only 28 inches left before the first armhole.

Decorated a sketch book with Sakura Souffle pens which write on black. Love them.

Hands are worse.  Testing on them soon.  Have best Doc.

More later–

Categories: Personal thoughts | Tags: , | 4 Comments

Hand update

Called my favorite hand specialist whom I’ve known since she was a teen.  She’s a knitter, too.  Anyway, I will see her Tuesday and then we’ll see.

Meantime–

Testing Tapes

spray watercolour background

tangle in process

Love this.

Categories: mixed media art, Personal thoughts | 1 Comment

Whirling Dervish Coming to Charlotte

Pictures courtesy of Malcolm.

More later–

Categories: spinning | Tags: | 4 Comments

Fusing some petals

Sitting at the mall waiting on Janie, who is always late, and I am always early, so I bring plenty of toys to play with. I ran into Sandy from Charlotte Yarn and emailed her a link to Franklin Habit’s article in the newTwist Collective, ” Ten Knitters You Meet in Hell.” If you haven’t read it, click here. Then saw Chris and her husband. Didn’t know the Starbucks at Cotswold was such a happening place.

I’m excited. I finished my iPad purse this morning. Designed it “seat of the pants” as usual, so it has a few forced places, but that is just me.

I added some flower petals to create a flower to cover the one little place on the flap that I didn’t like. I just fused some pieces of batik together and drew the petal kind of freehand with the machine. I even used some Zentangle patterns for the vein areas. I did this with black thread and blind dumb luck led me to pairing some dark with lights. These are reversible so I can have some options in placing them now and in the future. The leaves were done a while ago when I first received Alissa Burke’s book/CD Sew Wild. She is the source for this technique and for the courage to try it. Messy is okay!

Found the button in my deep stash. Remember what I always say in class: if you don’t like it, sew a button over it!

The pocket in the flap doesn’t work at all. I may try to handsew a zipper in it. Maybe.

About the rayon Habu yarn I plan to use for Olgajazzy’s Infinite Loop. I knit a swatch, soaked it for more than two hours as recommended (out shopping) and I love the feel of the yarn. It has body but is soft. Still it is a bit of a challenge to knit. Worth it.

More later–

Categories: designing, quilting, techniques | Tags: | 3 Comments

My new baby–iPad 3

New iPad aka iPad 3

This came just as I got home from the Frolic.  I had an original iPad so this was a nice step up. The picture quality is amazing.  As usual they offered to engrave it–an antitheft hope- so I took them up on it.

Now I need to make it some clothes.  The whole thing feels fragile without some kind of padding and those who know me well know I clang and bang a lot.  So to the fabric shelf—-

Batik I painted and stamped

I found this piece, backed it and machine quilted it in a sort of stipple pattern.  Machine quilting is very hard to do well.  It requires many hours of practice.  My theory is I can practice for a year or so and then make something, or I can just make something and accept my skill level.  I am the accepting type.  Besides, who really looks that closely?

Keeping the batik theme I decided to piece a flap.  I remember my grandmother doing crazy quilt blocks on squares of newspaper.  How hard could it be?  I cut a piece of nonwoven interfacing and began.   It’s harder than it looks.  I don’t remember her having trouble hiding raw edges.  Must be something I don’t remember about it.  I just turned under edges when I needed to and when finished, zigzagged them on the machine with pretty thread.

Underside of bag.

I added batik panels on each end of my main fabric to lengthen the bag and tried to put a pocket in the underside of the flap.  The flap technique was an afterthought so the skill level there is shaky but I’m okay with it.

I wanted to add some pop to the top back of the bag.  I found a piece of some stamping practice that uses the same acrylic paints as the main fabric.  I put it atop some real bright batiks and then atop the back panel.  I left the edges raw; batik doesn’t really ravel much.  Check out my quilting–the Alissa Burke messy technique.  It was fun to do and the variegated thread looks pretty good there.

Top and flap

I rather like the effect.  I bought some rectangles to use to hold the strap and some all cotton webbing in a hot pink to make the strap.  Definitely want it to go over my head and carry it on my shoulder.  I think I may add some batik patches to the strap.  Too much hot pink won’t work.

I’ll put up a pic when it is finished.  It’s been a satisfying project.  It will serve the purpose of protecting the iPad and it has my personality.  I did it little bits at a time as I jumped from knitting to spinning to lettering to art journaling to whatever.  Perfect ADD technique.

If you sew, grab some fabric and paint on it.  Stamp on it.  Use a magic marker on it and then make a little bag to carry something.  Don’t plan it, just do it.  See what you get.  If you hate it, send it to me.  I’ll love it.

More later–

Categories: designing, mixed media art, sewing | Tags: , | 1 Comment

Shopping the Frolic

What I bought—

From Silver Threads & Golden Needles in Franklin, NC. Amy and Virginia are two of the owners who were at the Frolic (Amy even took a class from me.) and they were so nice and helpful. I bought Habu from them. I’m not sure anyone in Charlotte stocks Habu. Please tell me if I am wrong about this. I still have a little money to spend.  The merino/stainless on the right will join an all silk(left) and a silk/stainless (center) I bought at a Stitches a few years ago. Probably a couple of scarves will come out of the blending.

This Rayon yarn which is smaller than most of my lace weight is slated to be an Infinite Loop by Olga Buraya-Kefelian. You will want to check out this pattern on ravelry and on YouTube. There are so many ways it can be worn. Takes 2 skeins of yarn at $25 each, over 1100 yards per skein, knit on a size THREE needle. in stockinette. Sounds insane, but what a classic investment piece. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Swatched on size 5 and size 3.

Oh, the yarn feels like scratchy paper to start with. Softens as you knit. Blocking directions say to soak it in lukewarm water for TWO hours and then block width wise. That alone is enough to suck me in. Want to join me? I’m sure Silver Threads will ship to you.

Then I bought the 2013 Frolic color way from Sarah of Copper Corgi. It is amazing. So subtle. She has truly captured the early April mountain sky. A couple of over achievers (Jan and Anne) spun up a bunch and shared it before the Frolic was over. I intend to spin mine and knit something so devastatingly beautiful that I can beat Cindy in next year’s contest. I so wish I had a picture of her shawl that won this year. Incredible.

Finally I bought from Ann Potter whom I adore. I picked out some stuff and left it behind her booth to await payment. She even added some extra mohair locks to one kit “just for me.” When I returned to pay for it, Renate had retrieved it from my unmarked pile and paid for it. I called foul, but Renate just smiled and said I could come over and look at it whenever I wanted. Well, Smarty Pants, I showed her. I bought a new incredibly bizarre batt andtwo braids of a lovely pink and grey colorway.

Thus is the spirit at the Frolic. Actually, we had so much fun that Jan is planning a low key event for fall and the next Frolic is already set for March 22-24, 2013. Same location and I sincerely hope, the same caterer. If you want to find out more, click on the Carolina Fiber Frolic in the top corner of the blog and tell Jan to add you to her mailing list. You won’t be sorry.

More later–

Categories: Personal thoughts, yarn | Tags: , | 5 Comments

Frolic in the Mountains

Condos below our unit

This weekend the Carolina Fiber Frolic held its first event in the NC Mountains. Now, if you thought we would miss being in Charleston, you were WRONG. The weather was lovely; we didn’t mind a little rain. The accommodations were magnificent. The people were superb. The community center in Sapphire was perfect for classes and vendors and hanging out on the porch. And I don’t even have an adjective to describe the food that Natalie, the caterer served us. You must come next year.

Famous Charlotte Road Trippers

The only photos I took were at dinner on Saturday night. I know that is bad blogger behavior, but I was so busy doing great stuff. My classes were so much fun, at least for me. Then I took a class on Supported Spindles from fleeglesblog@blogspot.com. Susan has just released a book on this topic—THE book on this topic. The e-version is really cool. You can buy it on a flash drive; it is too big for a CD.

She was given or bought a lot of Tibetan, Russian, Bulgarian, or whatever spindles to use or try as she wrote her book. She brought them all with her. After we worked with the “student” spindles, she allowed us to try all of them to help us decide what type we might want to eventually buy. Even as beginner as we were, we could really tell some differences. That was so special of her.

Famous Charlotte Hikers

We had a show and tell fashion show on Saturday night after we ate the largest crab cakes I’ve ever seen. Solid crab, too. I was the moderator because I have the loudest voice. I was really nervous about that, but all I really had to do was call out names and say something nice, because this group just took questions and told stories about the work themselves. Much more entertaining, and it shows how at ease fiber people are with each other after a day or two of hanging out.

Famous Charlotte Spinners

We did have two special presentations after lunch. The first day, Judi Jetson from Asheville told about a volunteer group she works with that is rapidly growing. This group is to fiber processing what the Slow Food Movement is to agriculture. They are trying to put local people who are in all phases of fiber processing, from farm animal to retail distribution, in touch with each other. Their area is a 100 mile circumference of Asheville. Local dyers might want to buy from a local processor, but didn’t know they exist. Same with us artist/crafters—shop local. Save gasoline, provide local jobs. Good luck to Judi and her colleagues.

Suzy Hokanson from Savannah did a presentation on her research visit with the Bauhaus association in Germany. I love the art of the 20’s and 30’s from Germany, and some of my favorite artists were Bauhaus members. Suzy who is a weaver among about 100 other artistic things, talked about the weaving program from there. It was amazing to hear about these people who were considered subversives by Hitler’s government and how their work still impacts the art world today. I’ll bet you have something in your home that was inspired by the Bauhaus movement. Suzy also taught some classes and showed us some of her gorgeous creations.

Jan Smiley, the creator and instigator of the Carolina Fiber Frolic, will post a wonderful tale of the weekend. Her husband and son took lots of pictures. I’ll link you to that as soon as it’s up.

Famous Charlottean Fiber Artist

Granny’s girl will also post on her blog I’m sure.

My family joined me for the weekend and they worked really hard while there.

Steve describes this as reading.

Prof. Quick swears he's working on a class.

I’ll show you what I bought and talk about the great vendors next time.

More later–

Categories: Personal thoughts | Tags: | Leave a comment
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