Latest projects

Here are the towels that just came off the loom that I finished hemming yesterday, a total of 13 towels off that warp using a 6/2 cotton.

These are the mug rugs (coasters) that have been on the other loom forever - finally decided they've got to be woven off so got that started the other day, will hopefully get back to it within the next few days.

And here's an example of the felted soaps I've been working on. The soap lathers up through the wool felt and acts as a washcloth. They continue to felt for a bit, after the soap is used up a slit can be cut in the felt and it can be stuffed with lavendar or such to make a sachet.

So, this is just a bit of what I've been up to. Need to put the fiber on hold for a couple days so I can get gifts wrapped that need to be shipped back east.

Happy Turkey Day

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

We have tons of turkeys on the property, and most choose to scratch and make a mess out in my small flower bed area when they've got 5 acres to play on. I tell them to watch out or they'll end up in the oven.......they must know it's a hollow threat since neither one of us would be willing to kill and then butcher a turkey.  Our turkey is in the oven and came from the grocery store - it's being basted every 30 minutes with wine & butter, it's Martha Stewart's Turkey 101 recipe and is the best we've ever made.

I haven't had time to post any pictures of what I'm up to fiber wise in a bit, I have been busy though. Some of what I'm working on can't be posted since they're holiday gifts. I did finish weaving the towel warp, stack is waiting to be hemmed. I decided to weave off a long warp for mug rugs that's been on the small loom longer than I want to even think about - they just didn't interest me. I will get a picture of those up on the blog soon - an 8H twill pattern.

December 5th is Pacifica's 11th Annual Winter Fine Arts & Crafts Festival in Williams, OR. I'm busy finishing up items for my booth. Mostly what I showcase and sell the most of are my woven scarves & shawls but I also have knitted and felted items, felted soaps, jewelry, shibori silk scarves, spinning/felting fibers for sale. It's really a wonderful festival - in addition to art booths there is food, this year wine tasting, different musical entertainment each hour and free kids activities. Even if I didn't sell a thing it would be a fun day.

Picture taking......

I spent some time Sunday taking pictures of recently woven items - this is something I struggle with all the time. Here's an example of one of the scarves, although not perfect I like the composition of this picture.

Warping and bruised knees.........

Yesterday I started on a new towel project. I had thought a 12 yard warp would be good so I started winding on the warping board. I got one thread done and thought - whoa, what am I doing, I'm going to kill my back - this is why I have a warping reel. So, I took that one length off the warping board and moved to the reel where I decided to put on 14 yards. Here's where the bruised knees come in - it took me a few times before I remembered to keep my knees out of the way of those big dowels as the reel spun around. This morning I have bruises on the inside of both knees - lesson forgotten and relearned. Using the reel does make for easier on the back warping - I sit on the loom bench for the small loom right in front of the reel - no bending over at all. This is a Gilmore reel - works great and was reasonably priced when I bought it around 6 years ago. So, in the end I got the warp wound on the back beam and heddles threaded - next step is sleying the reed which probably won't happen until tomorrow as today is my spinning group get together.

the second scarf........

Here's the second scarf on that painted warp. I used a black rayon novelty yarn that has black sparkles in it - too bad they don't show in photographs. It's one of those big cones of yarn I picked up years ago from an estate sale and have used it often, the cone is on the small side now, I'll be very sad once it's gone. Scarves are both washed now and hanging to dry.

I spent some time figuring out a towel warp that will go on the loom next but first I need to finish up some UFO's sitting in piles in the studio starting with twisting fringe on the 3 chenille shawls, first one almost finished this afternoon. I also have some felted items that need needlefelting embellishments.........and then there is more photography work which is always a struggle.

Saturday is another weaving guild meeting (other guild met this past Tuesday) where we'll be having a silent auction to benefit the scholarship fund. Tomorrow I need to find the perfect item to contribute to the cause. This event last fall was a huge event, very fun fundraiser.

Perfect day for weaving....rain...........

This is what went on the loom today - a warp I painted (dyed) in Henry's Attic Sarafina. The first scarf on the warp I'm using a forest green 8/2 tencel for the weft. I finished this one but am undecided what weft I'll use for the second warp so I called it a day at the loom. I wish I could tell you what the weave structure is but I forgot - bad me. I know I found it in one of my pattern books, it's a very simple 4H weave but I forgot to write it down when I planned this warp a couple weeks ago. Eventually I'll have to go back and find it so I know what it is but that's not happening today.

Three Shawls almost finished

Ok, so now that I've got these 3 pictures up here I see there's really not much difference in the photographs, there is in person, but not much here. I finally got back to the shawl warp yesterday.......spent Tuesday with my spinning group and a day trip to the coast on Wednesday. Above is one version of the rayon chenille shawl using another rayon chenille for the weft only it's one with tiny little dots of color. This is actually the third shawl which is not quite finished. I love the look of those tiny dots of color - I picked up a huge cone of this chenille years ago and haven't found any again, it's very fun. Usually variegated chenilles have repeats anywhere from 4" -12". As weaving this one I was thinking maybe it shouldn't become a shawl for sale but fabric for a vest for me.......in reality I probably wouldn't want stripes this wide for a vest - maybe I'll have to put on another warp at some point for a vest and use the same tiny dots chenille as weft.For this shawl I used a black rayon/cotton for the weft - it's hard to see it in this picture but it makes for a very nice effect.

This shawl I used a variegated purple rayon novelty yarn with tiny loops as the weft.

I woke up in a panic this morning realizing that the Pacifica Winter Arts Festival, where I'll have a booth on December 5th, is only 4 weeks away. I have plenty to fill the booth but there are a number of items I would still like to finish up by then.........not so sure they'll all get done.

New chenille warp.........

This is the rayon chenille warp I started winding yesterday and got on the loom today - have started weaving the first shawl. For the first one I'm using a novelty rayon in shades of purple, very subtle colors, very small slubs, I've used this type of fiber before with chenille and love the results. I'm not sure what I'll use for weft for the 2nd two shawls - definitely a black weft for one of them but I'm undecided on if it will be black chenille or a pretty black rayon I have.......will decide when I get to each of them.

Thought I'd show the pair of socks I'm currently working on - there always has to be at least one pair of socks in the works for taking with me to work on. These are called slouch socks - I love this pattern. The yarn is from one of my hand-dyed sock blocks - you can see it in my Sept. 21st post - it's the sock block on the right in the picture. Usually I'd knit both socks at the same time directly from the sock block but this time I decided to wind the yarn into separate balls. Both socks are in process, the other I haven't started the heel on yet.