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.

A bit of this and that..........

 We spent the past 4 days on the coast. I did get the loom warped up over there for lots of mug rugs out of 3/2 perle cotton. Quick to weave, as a matter of fact it takes longer to hemstitch both ends than to weave the mug rug. I'll finish up this warp next time over. I'm loving this argyle look pattern - I might have to weave some towels using this draft in the not too distant future.

I posted a leather bound journal I made in a class last summer but I forgot to post any pictures of journals that I made for gifts this fall. Here's one of them. I used an antler button as a closure. I played with watercolors on the inside front & back cover sheets to go with whatever color leather I used for the journal.  I still have a way too big of stash of leather I picked up in the fall at Oregon Leather in Eugene so there will be many more journals made this year. At some point I'd love to try making a journal out of handwoven fabric but will have to do much thinking on how to finish the raw edges...........

Back to making pancakes

Sunday and Monday I took some time to spend at the sewing machine sewing and turning the circles for the pancake quilt. I was really worried I'd get totally bored with making 77 pancakes but it was fun.

Today I quilted a 'X' in the center of each pancake. Then I went to the only floor space big enough to lay them out so I could make sure no two fabrics were next to each other on the front and the backs of the pancakes. First I got them laid out looking at the coral side to make sure no two were next to each other, then I turned them over to the teal side and had to start making swaps to avoid two next to each other. After I finished that I made a pile for each row and pinned a post it note on it with the row number. Next up will be sewing all the pancakes together.......not sure when it will all get done as I've got other things in the works but it will be the near future.  I just noticed in the photo that I've got one pancake turned upside down with the teal showing on top - need to go fix that now........

Did you wear your pink hat today?

Did you march today?  I did and am so glad I did. I wore my pink hat that makes little cat ears when put on......although I still object to the name of the hat even though I get where it's coming from. What a wonderful experience today was. I was overwhelmed at how many marchers there were in our sparsely populated area of SW Oregon. I can't imagine how many more there would have been had the weather been nicer and had it been more promoted in our area. It was held in Ashland, a small touristy college town - I'm still wondering where everyone parked, we got there early to find parking. I tried to get photos but I am just too short - this was the one time in my life I saw the need for a selfie stick to raise my phone up high above the crowd.

There were all types of people, all colors and nationalities (which is big for an area that's not very diverse), college kids, moms with strollers, lots of husbands marching with their wives, gays, undocumented Mexicans (according to their banner), and lots and lots of folks in the 60-80 age group. There were lots of dogs wearing pink ribbons on their collars........yes, I am a dog lover and noticed the dogs.

The signs carried were creative, some very serious, some very funny. Many signs focused on women's rights, many focused on the rights of all. Everyone was positive. So, this is a start, how do we keep the momentum going? I'll be writing my congressmen and senator......on a regular basis. We need to keep reminding them that they need to do what's best for all of us Americans, not just for the few, not just to spite the other party........we need to remind them to protect our rights, all our rights as this new administration moves forward.  

I'm hoping I find out when I see the news later today that the crowds elsewhere in our country and the world were just as peaceful today as those here. I'm proud to have taken part in this historic event.........the first of it's magnitude since Vietnam.

And perhaps you don't agree with the march, that's ok, we're all different. I just hope we can all agree that we want the best for ALL of those residing in our country.

Pancake Quilt

Today I started cutting out circles for the pancake afghan quilt - that's a lot of circles, 77 in the teal colors, 77 in the coral colors and 77 in thin batting. While listening to more of Voyager (audio book, third in the Outlander series) I started pinning a teal, coral and batting together getting them ready to sew. This will be a lot of circles to sew and turn and then assemble into the afghan. It was time to stop for the day when disc #11 of 32 ended.........time to move on to knitting or hemming towels in front of the fire.

Handwoven towels

This is the start of handwoven towels on the loom from the other day. Towels are all woven, washed and dried now awaiting hemming.  More cones are being auditioned for another towel warp but before those get woven I'll move on to cutting circles, sewing and quilting the pancake (circle) afghan quilt for a graduation present. Knitting and spinning always happening in the evenings.

Snow report - we are in to day 18 of the snow - finally this morning there is noticeable melting from higher temps overnight combined with pouring rains......and it continues to rain. Have loved the snow but will be happy to see it gone, it's hung around way too long.

Sunday I started listening to the audio book Voyager, the 3rd book in the Outlander series, while working in the studio, it's a long term commitment and I'm loving it - already up to disc 8. Can't wait for the new season of Outlander this spring, it will cover this book.

Stash Sale - Yarn

New updates in my fiber etsy shop with a yarn stash sale - they can be found in the stash sale section of my shop. See the details there or on the other stuff for sale page of this blog.

Etsy Shop Update

Two new scarves for sale in my etsy shop - handwoven in a manifold twill pattern

Both hand-dyed rayon flake - this one with a light teal tencel weft....

....this one woven with a royal blue tencel weft

Etsy shop update

New embroidered towels added to my etsy shop.

Check out the shop section titled embroidered towels to purchase them and others.

Snow day sewing

I love this cutting mat turn table I bought a couple years ago - it makes cutting circles with the rotary cutter a breeze since I can rotate it.

Here's the quilted bee table runner I made today. This was another test. When I made the dragonfly table runner the other day I was following the instructions for a baby blanket so it should have been nice and cuddly...but it was really stiff, great for a table runner but not for a quilt. So I asked Luann for hints and she told me not to use the iron-on interfacing and to just cut the circle of batting like the fabric circles rather than cutting it into a square. Now it's a great feel for a quilt to cuddle up under. Next sewing on the agenda will be to start the circle quilted afghan........but before that I'll get a warp on the loom.

The snow stopped around mid-day.........and started up again around 2:30, been snowing really hard, big big flakes since then. Even lost tv because the satellite dish filled up with snow. I'm still loving being snowbound but I will have to start getting more creative with meals in another couple days if I can't get to the store.

Uncle

I cry uncle - enough is enough - yesterday we had tons of rain but it only melted a bit of the snow. We are expecting floods but.......

......it's snowing again this morning.....it's supposed to be raining at our elevation. Not sure if you can see those gigantic flakes in this photo. Those tire tracks are from Sam's truck when he's slid down to the road to get the mail, they now have 3" of solid ice in them and we still have a foot of snow on the ground.

This is what Bailey does when he thinks I'm not watching - he was outside my sewing room window (sorry for the screen that dulls the pic)......boy, this snow feels just as good to roll around in as the sand on the beach feels......

.....oh yeah.....this is great........

......love to bury my nose in the snow......

......and Mom wonders why I come in the house all wet........

.....did I just hear a squirrel?.............

Since today is another snow day I'll be spending my time taking photos of scarves and towels for my etsy shop and then doing some sewing. I've got a couple more audio books to listen to so I'll start one of those while working in the studio. This past week I've listened to 3 audio books and read one book in addition to weaving, knitting, spinning, embroidering and sewing........I have to admit being snowed in has its benefits............