Tag Archives: weaving

FO: Weaving Color Sampler

Get a load of my first rigid heddle weaving project!



I am taking the rigid heddle weaving class from the Potwin Fiber Artisans this month. I don’t think I could have taken a better class anywhere. Linda is a wealth of weaving knowledge. While I think most people would consider this a bit ambitious for a first project (four shuttles at once for a few inches!), I can’t tell you how useful it is. I can plan future projects by picking out any square of this sampler. Though I a currently weaving on a borrowed PFA loom, I can tell you when I get my own, the first thing I am going to make is a hounds-tooth scarf.



I am in love with the hounds-tooth.

And I am smitten with my first project. It’s riddled with little mistakes like most first projects, but because Linda set the assignment, I have more direction and confidence in my own weaving. Plus, pretty.



In My Fiber World, Sun Mar 18th Version

I grabbed all the pictures I’ve taken in the past few weeks, so here’s a version of what’s going on with me, based on the pictures I have. I know I just updated y’all yesterday, but today’s post has lots of pictures!

In the “knitting while traveling” series, first off is how to knit on a plane when you have a pattern:

Then there’s my answer to “how do I block a scarf in a hotel room”?

Unfortunately it’s a bit too pointy for my tastes, and I do want to re-block it:

Exactly a month ago, on Saturday, February 18th, I finished a Flower Scarf. What’s special about this scarf is that this started out as one ounce of white cashmere roving. I spun it, dyed it (with food coloring) and knit the scarf.

Here is a close-up that shows the color a little better (although it’s a bit washed out):

I acquired a loom while I was in California 2 weeks ago, and I have finished my first piece – the warp is a simple black cotton for weaving, and the weft is Noro Silk Garden sock yarn. This has not yet been blocked:

And I jumped right in and started another project – the warp is mercerized cotton and the weft is Jil Eaton CottonTail:

Here’s a more detailed shot:

I have continued to work on my niece’s Color Me Pretty sweater. I have just gotten to the point where I slip the sleeve stitches off and start working on only the body. This is the magical part of a raglan for me, as it’s when the piece actually starts looking like a sweater:

The yarn is a dark purple solid color, I’m not sure why the photo shows a gradient-type color.

Yesterday was a day full of shopping, and I picked up a seam ripper to finish getting all the cashmere I could out of the thrift store sweater I started on last week. I got the rest of the sweater pulled out and Navajo-plied it. It’s resting on the bobbin now, but I did have a full bobbin from Wednesday, which I took off, measured, bathed, and put up to dry. It dried this morning, and it’s close to 600 yards of what looks like a sock-weight yarn (I haven’t measured WPI yet, but it’s 3.75 ounces, or 109 grams):

I have been spinning more of the Hello Yarn BFL/silk that I talked about yesterday. I also took pictures of the fiber – here’s the fiber as a bump:

I think the colors show better as a braid, though:

I’ve spun up almost half (2 ounces). I’m thinking I might do a 2×2 cable with this yarn, but I’m not 100% sure. I will have to sample. I worry that the colors will muddy, but I think as a cable it will be more heathered. I’ve just split the yarn lengthwise into 4 parts, so there’s no fancy fractal spinning going on or anything, but I’m sure I didn’t divide it exactly equally.

Slow Start on Saturday

Saturday morning is usually when I deep clean the apartment. Truth be told, there isn’t that much to do today. Instead of a morning of cleaning, I have an hour or so of small projects. In one sense, this is good because it means the apartment is all ready pretty clean. On the other hand, it is easier to say, “Oh, I don’t really need to scrub the shower this week. Let’s work on fibery projects instead.” And that my friends, is a slippery slope that leads to an apartment full of grime and yarn. And I don’t like grimy yarn, so soon I will give in a start the mopping floors.

Just to procrastinate a little bit longer, I’ll show what I did yesterday. It’s interesting because I worked on it so much, I didn’t do any knitting! I know. That hasn’t happened for awhile.

I warped and wove most of my second inkle loom project. This time I am using my own wool, the left over charcoal cascade 220 from the linen stitch scarf and some orange elann peruvian highland wool I had laying around. I think it’s coming out nicely, but it’s obvious (to me at least) that this is still a beginner’s project. I find that even when it comes to weaving, I prefer working with wool over acrylics. This wool forms a much softer fabric. It’s not as bulky as the acrylic was and it seems like it will be just as durable (and possibly easier to sew). I am making the longest project I can make again, for optimum practice weaving. I am not finding the wool to be too sticky on the heddles, and it’s going really quickly. I am already thinking about what my next project will be.

Next to my loom, I have a pile of cotton yarn in pretty colors.

Because I decided it would be fun to make some useful things for the shop, and because it looks like (though I do not yet have official confrimation) I am going to have my own booth at the Farmer’s Market this year! (Which means I am going to have to start doing my cleaning on a different day.) The cotton is just the tip of the iceberg really, but I have a lot of preparations to do, so I better go mop the floor so I can get started planning for this new adventure.

Keeping Busy

Still working away.  The yard got a good layer of mulch last week.  It's amazing how hiring someone else to do a job like that relieves a girls back!  Met with the realtor and the sign should appear this week....

Had a nice weekend in Fredericksburg.  It was the monthly First Friday Art Open House, so spent Friday and Friday evening working on my latest weaving project (wool, to be felted into a nice heavy wrap) and talking.  There was ALOT of talking and visiting.






Came home today (Monday) and hit the studio.  I've got alot of work to accomplish in the next month or two.  A special project for a friend in Vermont (more on that later as it transpires!) as well as stock for Fall.



I'm reading a great book by Kate Morton, "The Distant Hours".  Think that will be the evening for me!

The "new" loom has been used (finally)

edge in focus

Remember the loom I got all the way back in October, mentioned in this post?

harnesses down

Well, I finally used it.

yarn (3)

And the same person who traded the loom to me spins gorgeous yarns, so I thought, "What better way to christen the loom than with some of her beautiful handspun?"

all the pertinent info

oh these colors!

oatmeal

back view

looms are amazing

weaving

Off the loom, and ready for some reshaping.

just off the loom

Done.

washed, dried, and hanging

colors

These pictures do not do it justice, believe me. The scarf is absolutely beautiful in real life, and I have been wearing it constantly, even around the house.

love

Currently on the loom is a Christmas present scarf, and I have two more lined up after that. I am really, really, in love with weaving.

Everything

clary sage harvest

I feel like I haven't had much to say lately. Not too many fast-moving projects happening means not a lot to share. I have so much going on right now and not a lot to show for it, but I do have a few things for now.

Knitting is still happening a lot it seems.

tiny sweater progress

wee sweater

The plants are still blooming and even pushing new growth in many cases...

rosebuds

more of linda's roses

I finally cut back the clary sage and decided to infuse it in the rest of the rice bran oil I had in my soap room.

clean, dry jars

washed and drying

dropped, settling, and stirred in, respectively :)

infusing

It has been sitting in the window sill and getting shaken several times a day and it is almost ready to strain already!

But perhaps one of the most exciting crafty things lately was a swap I did with one of my Ravelry friends.

My little Ashford "Knitter's Loom" for her four harness vintage Rasmussen table loom.

harnesses down

Rasmussen Looms

nice lookin' reed, eh?

so many strings!!!

love the teeth on this

the knitting corner, now with larger loom

For storage, it sits on that cedar chest there in my knitting nook (that I never really knit in...) but when I want to use it, I'll be setting it up on the dining room table like everything else I'm sure. :)

The big let down is that I haven't attempted to warp it yet. Too many other things happening right now to devote the time to it, but one of these evenings or weekends I will have some time and I cannot wait to get my hands on it!

Yarny Things

Biscuit Blanket

It seems to be a week of few words for me on here. Enjoy it while you can... ;) We are gearing up for a certain biggest big boy's fifth birthday party this weekend, so there is much to be done to prepare for that. So for now, some quiet, happy yarny pictures.

Knit Picks organic cotton

slightly more Biscuit Blanket

wrap progress

half a wrap

citron - take two

citron, aka omelette-tron

knitting, coffee and tomatoes

knitting

weaving

weaving

weaving

I’m still here!

I've been ignoring my blog of late. When I turn on my computer my home page stares at me accusingly. But here are some pictures and an update!

I had my first whole sale order!!  Jo at Miller Farms purchased a large quantity of my "farm ware" for her shop.  I'm thrilled.  Their farm is a wonderful place.  They raise beef cattle, provide seasonal pick your own, a produce and flower stand and a sweet farm gift shop.

I've been weaving again.




I have been preparing for My One Big Show this year. Fall Fiber Festival held in Orange VA. I have gone to the festival for years as a shopper (and BOY can I shop when it comes to all the gorgeous colored fiber....) but this year fiber sales will be down because I will be working at my own booth!  I have no idea what to expect but I will have an abundance of pots.  So we will see.



This past weekend I attended a spinning retreat at Graves Mountain Lodge as a vendor. 



It was a last minute decision since I was concerned about my stock for FFF.  It turned out to be a good decision, I had a few sales that made it worth my while (and still leaving plenty of stock for FFF) and it was a good dry run for set up and credit card logistics. SQUARE is my friend. Even with no cell service up there in the mountains we did have access to WiFi in the lodge so it worked perfectly.



Tell me what you think of my new banner....I couldn't hang it up here but the plan is to hang it high.


The next several weeks are VERY busy.  Lots of concerts (this week is Ray LaMontagne with Brandi Carlisle opening on Thursday night and Head and the Heart on Saturday night).  Sunday Greg and I will drive to Berryville to check out the Shenandoah Fiber Festival.  I have never been and am hearing great things about this event.  So plan to apply for 2012.  Fall Fiber Festival is the weekend of October 1&2, the next weekend I will be a vendor in Frederickburg at the Let's Stitch event at LibertyTown Arts Workshop.  And THEN two weeks later is the Juniper Moon Fall Shearing!

In the midst of all my preparations, visits from friends and great music we are also preparing for some big changes.

Greg has a new job starting in October so we will be moving BACK to Fredericksburg!  After only a year here in Charlottesville.

I will definitely miss this city.  LOVE being in the mountains and the ease of getting out of town and driving through the countryside, the music, the art, the FOOD.  But Greg is terribly excited and this will be a fantastic change for him.  And shoot (BECAUSE of how supportive Greg is)  I can pot anywhere. :)

I won't be leaving Charlottesville until after the house sells.  We won't list it till Spring and in the meantime I have my studio here at the house.

So if you know anyone looking for a place in C'ville in a convenient location with a home studio.....


More blessings . . .

Life has truly taught me to never expect smooth roads and always expect the unexpected.  Sometimes it's hard, though, to acknowledge and accept, and to remember, that God has a plan for us.  Yesterday was an awakening for me.

My sweet son-in-law hurried late yesterday afternoon from Fort Worth to go with me to retrieve my treasure--the weaving loom, so generously gifted by C.C. Young Retirement Home.  I had reserved a Uhaul with a drop ramp to make it easier to use a dolly to load and unload the loom.  At the last minute, I asked Steven if he thought it might be better to go look at the loom and develop a plan first--then we could go back Thursday or Saturday and pick it up.  He agreed, but was concerned about the length of time--I assured him that the building and the loom were safe until spring, when the building was to be demolished.  This is what Susan, at C.C.Young, and Hinke, with Dallas Weaving Guild, had both told me.  So I felt comfortable with this plan.  And Steven had never seen the loom--I wanted him to be comfortable with the "job."

You can imagine my surprise when Security opened the door for me at about 4:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon to find the room empty--literally empty.  Every ounce of yarn, every piece of equipment, every pin and measuring tape, every scissor, and my precious loom were gone. 

I was heartsick, disappointed, sad . . . devastated.  Everything was gone.  I had built up such anticipation and excitement for my new venture.  I really was devastated.  I came home and closed my drapes, turned off the telephone, and went to bed.  I was just disgusted and disappointed that someone could come in and crumble my plans up so menacingly. 

Enter insomnia. 

I'm probably not very different from others--when I awaken in the middle of the night in the dark and quiet, I think about stuff--I pray, I plan, I dream.  Last night was no exception.   And in the midst of my nighttime lamentations, a soft, knowing hand reached out and gently shook me.  But it was enough to get my attention.  In my disappointment, I'd forgotten the most important lesson of all--that God has a plan for me.  Sometimes it's the same as mine; but more often than not it isn't.  The secret is keeping my eye on the prize.  Earthly things can tempt us so.  We can forget so easily that this time here is only transitory.  And forget that putting too much stock in the doings of this world isn't always the good or smart thing to do. 

So . . . weaving isn't in God's plan for me today.  Maybe another day--but not today.  And maybe not tomorrow, or any other day for that matter.  But God has a plan for me and I'm joyful and thankful for it.  God knows something I don't--and his plan is better.  So, again, I'm blessed.  I'm happy, even have a feeling of excitement, knowing that God's plan is playing itself out through me.  So blessed!!!

Today I'm working on my "stuff" for the fantastic craft fair that will take place at Jacob's Reward Farm:


Please, please come and support all these fantastic artists.  I make great project bags, plain but fantastic soap, and other fun stuff.  And this group is totally, totally talented--we're talking non-amateurish totally professional stuff my friend!  Take an hour or so out of your Saturday that day to check it out.  There will be lots of food, entertainment, demonstrations . . . just a really cool day.  AND, maybe the best part, is that you can get a bunch of your Christmas shopping done.  Whew . . . wouldn't that be cool????  Have a huge dent done by Halloween??  Love it!!!

Keep the faith, sisters.  Sometimes it isn't easy to see the blessings, but I promise they're there.  God really does have a plan.

xoxo