Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Echo weave

I finally got back to the loom and started weaving on the echo weave scarf warp. It's very hard to see, especially when I'm looking at it straight on while weaving..........and much attention needs to be paid to the treadling sequence. I don't know if I'll like the hand of these scarves, it's a very close sett, not as many ppi and I'm even doing less than I've seen in other echo weave projects using 8/2 tencel. I feel like these may not be as drapey as I like to weave my scarves but maybe I'll be surprised.




Monday, April 24, 2017

Making progress.......

I'm making progress on the shawl, coming down the home stretch. It will look much nicer when blocked and all the holes show up, especially along the bottom few inches.....intentional holes, not mistake holes. If I were not following 'the rules' of spinning each packet of this 12 Days of Christmas fiber I may have rearranged the colors but this is how they came, so that's how I spun them.

I've been having hand problems the past several months so I'll have to let it rest a day before knitting again.....or weaving. I guess overuse is catching up with me............

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Take two

Well, yesterday while sitting and watching Frankie & Grace with a friend I pulled out the 12 Days of Christmas shawlette that I had knit on size 6 needles. By yesterday evening I had gotten almost to the point of where I was yesterday morning. I decided to be brave an go with size 8 needles figuring size 7 wouldn't make that much difference. I'm so happy with it now, so glad I started over. Size 6 needles was perfect for the size of yarn if I wanted something like a sweater, but for something drapey like a shawl it wouldn't work. When this is blocked it will be lightweight and the holes will show. I'm on color 3 of 12 at this point. It's looks darker in this photo but that's only because of the lighting - it really looks closer to the first photo colorwise.  Now I can't wait to get more time to knit on it..........

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

What to do???

Decisions, decisions.........oh, what to do. Remember starting on December 25th I started spinning the Inglenook Fibers 12 Days of Christmas fiber?  Then I finished it up by plying it with rayon embroidery thread? Well, I loved the look of the resulting handspun but it was laceweight and I started many a shawl only to rip them out, I just didn't like the look and was kicking myself for not originally spinning fingering weight yarn. So, last week I Navajo plied it - a risk since I'd be putting more twist in it but it worked out ok. I started the Pretty Basic Shawl pattern the other evening. Now the issue. I'm using size 6 needles but am now wondering if I should have used size 7 or even 8. It's not a big deal to rip it out because it knits quickly. I tried stretching it out to see how it might look after blocking and still can't decide.........decisions, decisions............ 

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

A view from the back..............

A view from the back of the looms - warping in process on two looms
Tencel echo weave warp - many ends alternating purple and teal in the lease sticks.......I did get the heddles threaded on this warp....this was one of those drafts I really had to pay attention to while threading........still need to sley the reed. I haven't woven echo weave before so this is a test to see if I like the feel and drapiness of it for a scarf or if it feels to heavy......I know I like the look of the weave structure.

Tencel warp in the raddle, going through the lease sticks awaiting threading of the heddles and sleying of the reed - these will be scarves using my original Iranian Tilework draft. This color is really fuchsia, for some reason came out looking more burgundy in the photo.


Friday, April 14, 2017

A bit of weaving

A bit of weaving happened today........finally. Two baby blankets woven, one to go. This is tough weaving for me - the reach is a bit more than my arms are comfortable with so I can't weave too long. Can't wait to get these off the loom but tomorrow is supposed to be lovely outside so may have to work in the yard instead.

 Recently woven scarves finally photographed and listed in my etsy shop. Above hand-dyed tencel in a twill weave structure.


Chartreuse rayon chenille with a few stripes of novelty yarn in purple, teal and blue. I like this one so much I'm keeping one for myself..........chartreuse is one of my favorite colors if not my all time fav.

Another rayon chenille scarf in two shades of seafoam green. Fibonacci striping in the warp. Half the weft is the lighter shade of seafoam, half is the darker shade. The colors are very close so it's a subtle difference.

Not really the time of year to be listing chenille scarves for sale but that's what I'm weaving on the loom at the beach cottage right now so I might as well put them in the shop.

Comedy of Errors

Yesterday I decided it was time to get a baby blanket warp on the loom, one for a gift, others for sale. Photo shows heddles being threaded, I did finish this and get the reed sleyed so today I'm ready to start weaving on this circus colored warp. 

So, I get almost to the end of threading heddles and I'm short 15 on the left side of harness #3 - argh. This never happens to me but I messed up when sliding heddles to the left side for threading, I didn't count correctly......my brain must have been out to lunch when I counted. So, I had to pull heddles off the right side and put them on the left side - not a fun job. Oh, but this wasn't all - I had made mistakes on all 4 harnesses. I had enough for threading but then there was a huge amount of extra heddles on the right side of the other three harnesses. I could have left this except that I'm weaving almost the full width of the loom so I had to take the extras off as they interfere with the warp..........of course means they'll eventually have to go back on.

I guess we all have to have a big slice of humble pie once in a while. It's probably been 30 years since I made a mistake like this..........



Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Back at the sewing machine............

Today I put together another baby/toddler quilt to be donated. I also had this fabric in my stash.........good use for it rather than sitting in the cupboard for another 10 years. It's hard to tell but those are little sheep on the farm in the small panels. I love the bright red backing and binding I used.

After making the quilt today I made a few of these caddies. I learned how to make them last week at the American Sewing Guild meeting, many thanks to Kathy K for leading us in this project. The quilted cover with pockets sits over top one of those $1 plastic standing picture frames. There are pockets on the front for sewing tools, pens/pencils, scissors and one pocket on the back that can hold a notepad or whatever. Today I made this one and two others, all gifts. I'm already making a list of others to make these for as gifts this next holiday season.



Tuesday, April 4, 2017

More chenille.........

I wove off the other chenille scarf warp on the beach cottage loom and put this citron chenille warp on. I love, love, love this color........added some fun novelty yarn in one section, would have added more but this was all I had left of that ball. It was a valued ball having used it several times in other projects but now it's gone and most probably not available any longer. Hmm, I might have to keep one of these scarves for myself.

And Bailey was doing what he does best while on the coast - when not walking the beach he's planted on the couch with his Buster........and Buster is looking worse all the time and is a bit smelly now. I might throw him in the washer and see how he comes out. If he doesn't make it that's ok, I have a brand new back up Buster hidden away.......