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.......

Funny sheep

I recently joined the local group of the American Sewing Guild. I had thought about it several times over the years when they came to my studio twice for a presentation about weaving. I held back on joining because I had no idea how I'd fit one more monthly meeting into my schedule. I still don't know how I'll fit it in but have decided I'll just do and attend when I can. I'm hoping it will get me sewing more as I really enjoy it, and eventually sewing with my handwovens which I've only done a small amount of over the years.....and of course learning new things with all the programs and classes available in the region.  There is something called community sew within the organization - I'm not sure exactly how it all works but one project my local group is working on is quilts for babies/toddlers/kids for county visiting nurses to bring as gifts to at risk homes. Yesterday I found this great sheep fabric in my stash so stitched up a quilt to donate - it was fun but this super simple quilt took longer than I thought it would.....will have to think on how to speed up this sewing. I have another fun sheep/farm fabric waiting to be sewn into another quilt.  I've found that I do need to learn about my walking foot, which I've never used. Then I'll move on to sewing up some organizers for gifts that we learned how to make this past Tuesday - when I get one finished I'll post a picture. Anyhow, good organization, lots of learning opportunities and community sewing on top of it.........and a nice group of folks.

Seafoam Chenille Scarves

We spent a long weekend on the coast - mixture of pouring rain and beautiful sun and blue skies. Typical Oregon weather - it was wonderful. I hadn't planned on putting a warp on the loom over there but ended up putting this chenille scarf warp on - two colors of seafoam/teal. I got a bit of weaving done in-between other things we were doing. Last month I took over a load of chenille and decided the focus for the beach cottage loom for a while would be chenille scarves.

Busy week coming up which means no time to weave here at home - might be pretty grumpy in a few days..........

Crimp Cloth

This past weekend my weaving guild brought in Dianne Totten for a workshop in Crimp cloth. It was great. Dianne's a great teacher and wonderful person - I totally enjoyed learning from her. I'm so excited with the possibilities. I've only touched the surface as I had a 8H point twill and extended twill on my loom - so many samples woven but more could be....but then there are so many other weave structures that can be used. My loom was warped for weft crimp but then there's another whole side to this - warp crimp. How I wish I could set aside everything else I have to do and play with putting on many samples warps. If you ever have the opportunity to take this workshop from Dianne don't hesitate, but if that option isn't available to you she has two different videos out there, one on weaving crimp cloth, the other on sewing with that crimp cloth. They can be found on the Interweave Press website. I own the weaving one and am thinking I need to buy the sewing one.

I wove a total of 11 samples but honestly don't feel like taking photos of all to post here. So, here's one of the samples before and after crimping. My warp is 8/2 tencel, my weft is polyester sewing thread woven in a clasped weft technique. Most of my samples were woven using Orlon for the weft but I did a few with sewing thread and they turned out incredible, so lightweight.....not that the others were heavy but these were so yummy feeling.  The weft needed to be something that would hold the crimp when steamed, for warp crimp the warp needs to be a fiber that will hold the crimp. (details in Dianne's video). The white threads are my pull threads - I pulled it tight (sorry forgot to take a picture of that) like in shibori and tied it securely in preparation for steaming. It's hard to see above but there's a pattern to those pull threads to create columns.......I wove many samples with different patterns to the pull threads, the diamonds were pretty neat looking.

And here it is after steaming and after washing. See that incredible crimp?  It's permanent as long as I don't take an iron to it to flatten it out. You can see on the left that's where I had it threaded to an extended point twill, on the right it was just a point twill.

I found a picture of one of the samples pulled ready for the steamer, it's not the same sample as above but it shows what it looks like when the pull threads are pulled tightly. In this sample my ground cloth is a twill ratio tie-up - you can just see a bit of it above the crimping. My crimp threads are in a diamond design.....which you can't see. My weft was black orlon for this sample.

I'm so excited to try some scarves with ruffled trims. I wove a few samples with extra length for ruffles where I can experiment with hemming techniques. So, there will be some crimp scarves showing up on the blog but first I have a list of other weaving with deadlines........would love to just set those aside and jump into crimp cloth but I can't. I'd love to make a couple vests too. So many fun projects..........so little time!

Giveaway Winner!!

The winner of the sheep ornament kit is Thistle Rose Weaving.  Martha I hope you have fun making these.
This giveaway wasn't as popular as the last one, maybe no one is thinking ornaments with the holidays not far behind us. 

Auditioning wefts....

I got the AVL warped with one of my painted/dyed tencel warps. There's enough for 2 scarves here. I'm auditioning wefts at the moment....sometimes I find it easier to decide by looking at a photo. So, I think I'm going to use the first color, a maroon which is closest to the knots where I tied on and then maybe a purple, maybe - second from the top of the page.......but I like the contrast of the black weft too. I'll probably change my mind on all of it by the time I walk back downstairs........

Two new shawls & stash sale yarn update

I finally got the shawls recently woven finished up - they needed to be washed and have the fringes twisted. These are woven in an undulating twill pattern in rayon, rayon slub, bamboo, rayon cotton novelty and rayon seed novelty yarn. These make me think beach wedding or beach/cruise vacation.

There are shades of taupe, peach, off white and pale mint green in the warp.  In this one I used a white novelty rayon for the weft. This shawl is so light and lovely, almost fly away......

.....this one I used a heavier weft in a peach rayon seed yarn - it's a heavier shawl but still perfect for cool summer nights.  Both are available in my etsy shop in the Shawls - Handwoven section of the shop.

There's an update to the Stuff for Sale section of this blog - more destashing of yarns. Details can be found in the Stash Sale Section of my other Etsy Shop.

Giveaway

I've got another giveaway. This one is for a kit called Holiday Flock.  It's a knit sheep ornament kit. It doesn't say anywhere how many ornaments it makes but there are 4 bells so I'm making a guess that it makes 4 sheep ornaments.........don't hold me to that though since I don't know for sure.

So, if you're interested and live in the US or Canada please leave a comment to this post. I'll pick a name next Wednesday the 15th using the random generator site.  If there's a way to contact the winner next week I'll do that in addition to posting the name here on the blog, if there isn't a way to contact the winner please be sure to check back to see if you've won.

Crimp weave workshop

I'm very excited to have a guild sponsored workshop coming up with Diane Totten on crimp weave. This is not a collapse weave created by using different fibers or overspun fibers. This workshop is based on woven shibori and using polyester/orlon/orlec for the warp or weft, pull up the shibori threads, then steam which sets in the 'crinkles'. Monday I got my table loom warped for it. I decided to put a few stripes in it, some solid areas and some thin stripes of variegated - I want to be able to see different variations  of colorplay all in one warp. My warp is 8/2 tencel, my weft will be orlon, the shibori pull threads a bonded nylon. I'll post pictures of my samples in a couple weeks.

In April there's another guild sponsored workshop - this one on supplementary warp with Deb Essen.

Shawl warp

I finally got back to the shawl warp today. Finished the first shawl and am part way through the second. For the second one I used a different rayon novelty seed yarn. I 'think' I'll like these once off the loom and washed......they're very beachy which I do like.

Giveaway Winner

And the winner of the color gamp kit giveaway is Terry - 'travelinterry'.  Terry please email me your complete name and mailing address and I'll get that kit on it's way to you. Congrats!!  cindiesam at yahoo dot com

I'll be having another giveaway kit coming up soon only it will be a small knitting kit.  So check back to see what it is.

More stash yarns for sale

I've got more stash yarn for sale at bargain basement prices.  They can be found on this blog on my 'Other Stuff for Sale' page or in my Etsy shop in the Stash Sale section of my shop.  There are complete descriptions in my etsy shop of on the other stuff for sale page of this blog. There will be more to come when I have time to photograph them. I will try to keep the Other Stuff for Sale page updated as things sell.

Now to work on the dreaded taxes.......yet another bit of administrivia that seems to rule my life.

New shawl warp on the loom

Finally a new warp on the loom for summer shawls. It's an undulating twill in cotton, rayon and bamboo. Next one up will probably have a peach weft. But I won't get to it for a bit, still trying to get photos taken of stash yarn to sell and also need to do our taxes now that I have all personal and business pulled together........will be glad to get that done, I do not like tax season, too much administrivia for my blood.........

Stash Sale Yarns

In my continuing effort to lessen my stash here are some yarns for sale. I'm trying to be realistic about what I will and won't eventually knit, crochet or weave in my lifetime. I have a table full of yarn awaiting photos........and if they sit too long I'll have second thoughts and put things back on the shelf. These yarns need to be used rather than just sit on my shelf.  These can be found in the 'Other Things for Sale' tab of this blog or in my fiber Etsy Shop in the 'Stash Sale' section.  More to come when I have time to do the photography work.

Blog Giveaway

In my continued effort to find homes for things I'm not using I'm selling many but will occasionally have a giveway on this blog. 

This is Colour Gamp Kit by Laura Fry is a giveway. It looks to be a 3 yard warp for making two pastel color gamps, one in plain weave, one in twill........or whatever you'd like to weave. Maybe you'd rather weave a towel, or a table runner, or breadcloths. It's a wound and tied warp along with paper bobbins in the same colors to be used as weft - the instructions say there is enough weft so that each color can be woven square (yes, it includes Laura's instructions). Laura offered these kits many years ago and I did weave this one, the colors of the spectrum one and the naturals one. This particular kit I bought for a friend but she never wove it and then stopped weaving, she gave it back to me a few years ago but I've never felt the need to weave a second one so I'll pass it on to one of you blog readers. 

Just comment on this post if you're interested. Next Monday, the 27th I'll use random.com to pick a winner. Be sure there's a way for me to get a hold of you or check back on this blog later Monday to see if you're a winner.  Due to postage costs this giveaway is only good within the US & Canada.

New scarves in the shop

The two recently woven scarves are finished and up for sale in my etsy shop. They turned out great although, once again, I was having trouble capturing the colors.  And why does my white background get a pink tint sometimes??? I took these pix within minutes of each other, same lighting.  They can be found in the 'scarves' section of my shop........or by scrolling through everything else on the main page to find them.

Back to the sticky warp

Today I was able to get back to the rayon flake scarf warp. This is the second scarf on the warp, I'm using an olive tencel for the weft. Weaving is done, washing and twisting fringe up next.

I just updated my 'Other Stuff for Sale' page on the blog with a couple knitting items - the Carmen Bananas Knitting kit from Knit Picks and a Noni Just Pockets pattern and 19 zippers to knit and felt little bags. I'm really trying to clean out my studio and be realistic about what I'll actually get to in my lifetime. When I determine something needs a new home it will show up here on the blog and/or in my etsy shop. I'm not on a all out cleaning out binge, when I come across something I re-access if it will actually get used here or not. Both of these are also listed in my fiber etsy shop and be bought there or by contacting me directly.

Sticky warp

Yesterday I spent the afternoon planning out painted warps - now they're each sitting in a bag with their drafts ready to weave at a moment's notice. 

This is the first up - it's a rayon flake warp. Each time I dye rayon flake warps I tell myself don't do it, the flake areas love to stick to each other after the dyeing/rinsing process making it very slow to wind on the back beam. This time I'm going to try and remember that when it comes time to dye more warps.....someone knock me on the side of my head if I say I'm winding a rayon flake warp to paint/dye.  So, this first scarf I'm using a forest green for the weft, I thought the next scarf would be a wine weft but now I'm thinking a dark chartreuse. I did sample at the beginning of the warp.....but often change my mind after I start weaving. This is a simple 4H broken twill.

Fresh off the wheel..........and on.........

I finally got the 12 Days of Christmas handspun plied - I used a silvery/lavender rayon thread for plying. I haven't counted up how many yards I spun, it's lace weight. I don't know yet if I'll knit or weave with it, I don't know if I'll change up color orders as I get to knitting or weaving. Lots to think about.......so it will sit on the shelf marinating for a bit while I decide what I want to use it for. If you didn't see the spinning check out posts daily starting on December 25th when I opened one little package to spin each day from the Inglenook Fibers 12 Days of Christmas offering for this past holiday season.

And here's what's up next on the wheel, I started spinning yesterday, I've got around 1 1/2 pounds. I'm planning on plying it on itself ending up with around fingering weight yarn. This is merino/tencel, some of my hand-dyed from a few years ago that I stashed. I'm in love with these colors.

I don't watch much news these days - it's too depressing but I can't totally escape what's going on. I will do what I can by writing my senators and congressmen and support organizations that are/will be in need. I'm so embarrassed for our country, our current president continues to say and do embarrassing things. I won't go on because I'd never stop........but when are those republicans going to get some balls and stand up to him and do what's right for our country and people???

Pancake afghan finished

 I finished the pancake, or commonly called cathedral windows, afghan quilt today. It's a graduation gift for this spring. I still have a label to stitch on the back but don't have all graduation details yet so that will come later. It doesn't look this orange in person - I have trouble with photos that have coral colors in them, just can't capture the true color......but then I know little about photography.

Here's a picture showing the back side turned up. I love this pattern - make the pancakes/circles, stitch them together and it's all quilted and done. It was a bit unruly at the sewing machine as it grew in size but totally doable for an afghan size.  I'm going to make myself one using gingko fabrics from my stash but that will sit on the back burner for a while as I want/need to get back to the looms.