National Park hat

Our guild challenge this year is to create something fiber related based on a National Park postcard we received.  I got Isle Royale which is a Michigan island in Lake Superior.  I do have a weaving project planned and started winding the warp this afternoon.  Since I was gifted this book recently I decided I'd also knit the hat inspired by the park.  I like it.  I don't wear hats often but there are some incredible hats in this book so I will be making more for myself, my hubby and gifts. I used worsted wool that's came from the stash destined for hats for charity - I had the perfect colors. 

Sorry the picture is sideways - I took it using both orientations with my phone and both were turned. There's no rhyme or reason to why sometimes it works, sometimes not. I take several pix. 

 

Was current warp...........

This was the current warp on the loom but cut it off 30 minutes ago and am already washing it. This is another warp for my secret project.   It's a two block twill, sett at 30 epi, 10/2 perle cotton.  I love the bright jewel tones in the warp set off by the black weft. 

If you read my post of January 19th you know I had a problem with some 20/2 black perle cotton breaking left and right. Well, look at what was happening with this 10/2 perle cotton as I wind a bobbin. All this fiber dust comes off on my hand, on the bobbin winder and around the cone on the floor - you can see where I moved the cone to show what was happening.  This cone is from a different company and I had used at least 2/3 of it on another project with no issue. Each time I wound a bobbin I'd have a handful of black fluff.  It also breaks easily but since it is weft it wasn't an issue.  If this fabric would be heavily washed, worn, used a lot I wouldn't have used it but this project is just for show and it will be fine.  
 

Yet another warp......

It's good to have a weaving goal for the year with my secret project - it has gotten me back to doing what I love.  Once I stopped selling my handwovens my motivation went down........plus I was doing other crafts.  This warp went on the AVL yesterday. I just wove a few inches to make sure all was ok.  This is an original 32H draft based on Iranian tilework from centuries ago.  I designed it for a guild challenge where we picked a country's name out of a bag and had to weave something inspired by that country - I pulled Iran.  That was around 7 years ago, give or take.  I may weave today although I have a few other things to work on too so may not make it to the loom.

Thinking of guild challenges, our challenge for this year was pulling a National Park postcard from a pile of envelopes containing them. I pulled Isle Royale which is a Michigan island in Lake Superior very close to Canada. I had never heard of it.  A fellow guild member told me about author Nevada Barr who wrote a series of mystery books that take place in National Parks, the main character is a female park ranger.  The second book in the series took place on Isle Royale.  I have now read 3 books in the series, they're light and quick reads and I'm enjoying learning about more National Parks.....will soon get the next in the series from the library.  I have an idea for my challenge piece but am waiting for one supply I need - will share my plan when I get it on the loom. I decided in addition to a woven piece I'll also knit the hat out of the book Knitting the National Parks - I'm ready to start that any day now.  BTW - that book is a beautiful knitting book, love the hat patterns for each park. 

Onward with the day..........

 

More for the secret project......

More weaving done for the secret gift project.  This is a draft designed by Ivy DeHart - forgive me for forgetting if I got it from the Complex Weavers book, their website or handweaving.net.  I got it a number of years ago and didn't write down the source of the wif file.  The design was originally horizontal but for my previous scarf projects I wanted it vertical so turned the draft.  Once I turned it, it was 20H. This is woven in 10/2 perle cotton.  I originally wanted to use a seafoam for the weft which would have been perfect for a scarf or such but I needed a little more contrast so went with a light blue denim color. This morning it is awaiting washing.  

Yesterday was not without snafu's at the AVL when I started weaving.  Springs at the bottom of the harnesses sprung off a couple times, cable came undone from the top hooks and jumped out of the guide a couple times.  Very frustrating but eventually all was well, not sure what the problem was...........and then when I started to weave again I was getting a shed so small the shuttle wouldn't fit through.  I did what often needs to be done with techie things, turned everything off and on, more than once but eventually the shed was back to normal - phew.  The rest of the time weaving was uneventful. 

Next warp planned for the AVL.  It's an original design of mine. I may wind it today........or may get sidetracked and work on something else...........

Plaid......

I designed a plaid which will be part of my secret holiday gift project. Finished weaving today, will wash it tomorrow.  I used 10/2 perle cotton for warp and weft. 

More hats being knit on the Addi machine in-between other projects and chores. 

 

A pile of hats

My goal this week was to get the first bag of hats delivered for those that could use them, those who are living in tents and cars in our community.  Finding out where to deliver was a bit difficult but then I read in a city email update where 2 shelters were opening tomorrow since the temp will be 32 or lower.  I called UCAN (United Community Action Network) and they were thrilled with the prospect of getting hats so I delivered them to their office this afternoon.  After getting home I knit 3 more beanie style hats and will continue to knit more fitting them in-between other activities with hopes I'll have another bag full soon.  I put tags on them with sizing, yarn content and a note saying they're reversible, often with different colors on the other side. There's another organization opening a shelter, it's doctor's and nurses who go out to help the homeless, but all I've found out so far is there's a facebook page and I'm one of the minority who is not on facebook so I can't message them. I'll be working on finding out how to get in touch with them.

I also knit a hat for a friend who had stopped by - she picked out these colors - she'll get it next time I see her. I like this color combo too. 

Knitting progress............

I finished the 2nd hot water bottle cover that will be a gift. Very cute. I love mine so I hope the recipient loves using this one.  (once again pix are sideways for what reason I don't know as they aren't sideways on my computer)

 I finally finished a pair of black socks, with specks, that I had set aside while working on holiday gifts. I love having handknit black socks but this is the last time I knit black ones, way too hard to see. I can cross these black socks off my to-do list.  In the bottom corner is another pair of socks in progress, always need to have some on the needles to work on when I have down time waiting somewhere. 

Overshot......

Take two on my lost Friday.  Saturday I spent a good part of the day winding this warp of 20/2 perle cotton in navy to replace the black warp that kept breaking.  It's hard to see but the 10/2 perle cotton pattern weft is a brilliant lime green, no sun today so I couldn't get the color right.  Once this is off the loom and washed the design will be square.  Hoping to finish weaving today.........

(in case anyone is interested this pattern is Queen's Delight out of the monograph - Miniature Patterns for Handweaving by Josephine Estes)

A lost day......

Today turned into a lost day. Right after taking this photo of my 20/2 perle cotton black warp sett at 30 epi it was off the loom and in the trash can.  While winding the warp this morning it broke twice but I didn't think of it as a problem since it caught on a peg on the warping board that pulled it taut and broke it.  I wound it on the back beam with no problem. Threaded heddles.  But once I started sleying the reed it was shredding right and left. If my sley hook didn't break it the reed did. Of course I was almost done sleying and ready to tie on at this point. The cotton was so weak I knew it would be a problem tying on and would never hold up to weaving. I'm now rethinking the project - maybe using a navy blue 20/2 that is very strong.  I have lots of 10/2 but very little 20/2 to choose from.  This has happened several times over the years with black cottons, all thicker cottons but hasn't been an issue in probably 10 years.  Oh well...........another day, another warp...........  

 

thinking spring tulips

 I started weaving some spring tulips even though tulip time is 3-4 months away.  These are for a long term project yet to be written about. 20/2 perle cotton warp and ground weft, 10/2 perle cotton pattern, sett is 30 epi. 

Today we have torrential rains which is better than the ice to the north and snow to the east. I'll be staying in to weave and knit while listening to audio book 8 of the outlander series. I had wanted to go to the weaving guild meeting but it's probably 50 minute drive, much of it on the highway with crazy drivers, especially semi's, in this rain I'd rather not be on the road with them.  As a friend on the coast would say it's raining pitchforks and shovels. 

The good and the bad.......

The good - I'm ahead of the game - today I put together a total of 30 cards that will be birthday cards for this coming year.  I wove the fabric last spring on a scarf warp that I intentionally put extra warp on for cards. It has sequins in little double weave pockets. This is a sampling of some of the cards.  I probably should have taken a close up picture of one of the cards - at this point I'm just happy the pic turned right side up once loaded to blogger. I've gotten low on envelopes to fit this size so will have to make a stop at Staples next time out.  

The bad - I hadn't put this on my to-do list even though it was something I've wanted to do for months. Now I don't get the pleasure of crossing it out.  Does it still count if I write it on the list now and then cross it off???

Another finished project in the new year.......

Upside down photo this time - makes no sense when taking photos with my phone as to how they'll upload to blogger, definitely not consistent.  Anyhow finished up a hot water bottle cover for a February birthday. A friend gave me one for my back issues and I love it - the water stays hot all evening. The pattern, Hot Water Bottle Cozy, is by Churchmouse. I'm going to start the snowflake design this evening for a March birthday. 

I continue to go through some stash/books to see if they need to go live elsewhere so they get used.  I have a container of novelty yarns that would be great to mix in as accents in knitting or weaving projects that will need new homes, still keeping some for myself.  Today I'm going to look over my knitting books, some of which I bought but will probably never knit any of the patterns. 

Sheesh - just noticed in the picture I have a mistake, a white stitch where it should be purple. Thinking it will stay that way. I could try doing a duplicate stitch overtop the white stitch but then that might even draw more attention to it.  Oh well.........

 

Working on that to-do list........

This year I'm hoping to make a dent in the creative to-do list that carries over from year to year.  First I sat down and updated the list which means more projects added to it. Last night I was able to cross a project off the list that's been sitting for years, so many years I can't even guess how long. I bought the pattern, Union Square Floor Tote, fabric, jute webbing, soft & stable foam and other materials to make two of these. One was made as a gift but then the bag with the supplies for mine sat under the sewing room desk for years. I worked on it the past few days minus one day when we were without power for many hours. Now I remember why I never got to mine - with two layers of the foam it's very hard to maneuver under the sewing machine. It's also big which makes it hard to machine sew. But I persevered and have a finished tote to sit in the living room with my many current knitting projects in it. The background color of the outside is actually a bit more colorful - a soft seafoam teal.  The inside is the same fabric with a brown background. And yes, those are sheep all over it. I love it. I will never make another one. 

Today's chore was organizing my knitting supplies as they were spread all out over the house instead of where they should be. I thought I was done and then found another basket full.  Now they're all organized. Two dilapidated knitting totes are off to the trash, all combined into a third one. I also went through my felted knitting books to share with others. I kept one. I will never make all those projects so best the books move on to someone that will use them. This freed up space on one shelf for more quilting books...........ah, there's always an upside to cleaning out. 

Other than the knitting projects I have going I'll have to go look over that very long to-do list to see what I'm in the mood to work on next.

I wish you all a Happy New Year - I wish you peace, good health, no chaos or crisis and lots of time to be creative at what you love doing..............
 

Post holiday

First off, sorry a couple pix are sideways - makes no sense, can't seem to correct it when it loads to blogger. Take the pic with phone held the same way but some come out different and no amount of editing on the computer reflects once they upload to blogger. 

I'm sorry I neglected to take photos of many of the gifts I made this year but that's life.  So below is one of them and a few other pix. 

I decided to make an inkling this year since I had an idea. This is #27 in the series started back in the 90's. Some years I have ideas, some years I don't, some years I've made a set that go together, some years just one.....or none.  This year's inkling is a Yellowstone Ranch cowboy (Yellowstone series starring Kevin Costner) The body is inkle woven and stuffed. What looks like feet is really a horse shoe he's sitting on top of. Part of the fun making these is searching for 'accessories' from all different sources.  I already have an idea for next year.....if I can pull it off. 

Yesterday I knit another hat on the Addi machine out of Cascade 220 worsted wool.  It's reversible. Here is one side of it........

...here's the other side. I thought I'd be doing good if I could knock out one a day fitting it in-between other activities - may not always happen but I'll work towards it.

And here are our holiday cards. Handwoven as they often are although I have been known to make quilted, crocheted or paper crafted cards. 

Finally, this is for Judy from Fundamentally Fiber, if you happen to read my blog. The photo of your current roving being spun on a turkish spindle is incredible - the colors are incredible and the photo is beautiful - I think you could put together a great calendar with your fiber photos. Anyhow, since you don't have comments enabled I'm writing here to say I love seeing what you're up to in your fiber life. 

 

New toy.......

Friend Yolanda 'enabled' me to buy a new toy - the Addi Express King knitting machine.   It is limited with what it can knit having only 46 stitches but it will knit tubes and although I haven't tried it yet, it will knit flat too.  I have a ton, I mean a whole lot, of worsted weight wool that I'd like to use to knit hats for charity but if I were going to handknit them I might only get a few done each year.  So, the Addi was a perfect solution - I haven't officially timed myself but I'm guess it takes between 30-45 minutes to knit a hat......will time it next hat. 

Here is it with some Red Heart pink yarn that I bought to learn on. I watched many You Tubes for instruction as learning from the minimal directions would be difficult......at least difficult for me. There are tons of You Tube videos on the Addi and many different project ideas. 

This is my first hat. It is double thick which means it could be reversible, different colors on each side. Learning the tension to put on the yarn coming through my hand takes a while - this hat is a little too tight for an adult but would fit a child just fine. I had enough of the big skein of pink yarn to make a second hat so I lessened the tension in my hand and it turned out perfect. 

Sorry, this is upside-down for what reason I don't know.  Next up I wanted to try the Cascade 220 wool yarn that I have shelves of. Sam requested a hat so I told him I wasn't in the mood to wind skeins into balls right then so I'd use some leftovers that were already wound. I was worried this would turn out too small as I needed to learn how much tension for this yarn but it's perfect. At first I was having troubled with dropped stitches and what is called tucked stitches - I learned how to fix them except a couple times the ladders on dropped or tucked stitches were crossed so I to take the hat out.  My friend told me to use a dryer sheet in my hand and let the yarn run over it, I also held my hand a little lower than the guide - perfect, no issues. I know I saw a video where it showed how to make a jogless change of color - need to go back and find that. Sam loves his new hat, being 2 layers it will be extra warm.  I made this hat a little shorter too which is perfect. The inside of the hat is a lighter green with the black. I can't wait to mix and match all the fun colors of yarn I have for some colorful hats. 

In addition to being able to knit many hats for charity I will be able to knit flat pieces. I've been wanting to knit my own flat pieces for dyeing. In the past I've bought some or had a friend make me some on her flatbed knitting machine. When I get to doing that I'll be learning how small the yarn can be on this machine. 

At the moment the two downsides to buying this new toy is that I have many, many skeins of wool to sit and wind into balls and then where do I make room to store it.......it does have a nice 'hat box' for storage but there needs to be shelf space for it. Oh, another downside - I need to not go too far the rabbit hole at the moment as I have other things to do too.............

 

Sunrise in November

Beautiful sunrise this morning..........

Playing with fiber on turkey day......

We're having a very laid back turkey day which suits me just fine. It's harder this year with no family here locally but we're doing fine. I'm playing with fiber and Sam is watching the Commanders, formerly Redskins, our team as we both grew up in DC/MD. I am making a small turkey dinner but got much of it done yesterday, will finish up in a bit and put a spatchcocked turkey breast in the oven which shouldn't take long to roast. 

 

I've got more socks on the needles - this is sock number two of this pair. Kind of weird color combinations but I like them. 

Over a week ago I wound a warp and got it wound on the back beam. Yesterday I threaded heddles, sleyed the reed and got it tied on. Today I started weaving. It's a networked twill with an advancing twill treadling. The left side looks like there's a problem in this pic but there isn't, it's just the way the light is shining in on that side.  After this warp I may go back to a quilt project just barely started way back in March. 

I hope you all are having a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

Festive table runner

 I got this warp on the loom yesterday and almost have it woven off. It's basketweave and twill in 5/2 perle cotton. It was inspired by this fun melamine platter and a matching chip/dip tray I found this summer. They along with the runner will be a fun gift for friends that moved to AZ last year. I just love how festive and cheery it is. I put on enough warp for 2 long runners, not sure if the other will be a gift or if we'll use it ourselves.  I've really been enjoying weaving in fun colors lately, it's nice not to always be thinking about what will sell best, I love weaving what tickles me these days..........

.....that blasted table runner warp.............

 Here is one of the table runners woven from that blasted summer & winter project I posted about two weeks ago. It's still not quite square but that would have taken reworking the entire project, as in changing sett and I really didn't want it wider. I'm happy with the end result even if it's not what it should have been. I guess I really should have ironed it before it's pic but at this point I'm happy to get another post on the blog. I'm going to make an effort to do it more often............

Towels..........

 Towels off the loom this morning, washed and hemmed. They're a 2 block twill weave structure. I started out with sea glass green for weft and woven 2 towels. Then I decided to weave the rest all different colors. I can mix and match them if I want to give away a set of 2. I did take photos of them all on the loom but never got around to posting them so a finished pic is what shows up here. I've noticed lately I've been drawn to using cheery bright colors - guess that's what I need in my life right now. 

I've got another gift project planned - a couple table runners to match some melamine platters.  It's hard not to put on long warps like I did when selling my weaving but I'm starting to get used to it.  The table runner project wouldn't really work for many others because of the bright colors so no use putting on a long warp. 

Tonight will be spent hand hemming a few table mats off another table runner warp.  I need to lay out one of the table runners on the table and get a pic of it to post.