Archives

WAL!

Nov30

December 1 starts the WAL for a square a day to make into something for Christmas. It’s being hosted on Ravelry, Looms To Go. And also on the Facebook pin looms group.

I hope you will all join us. I’m starting the day with the Elf Shoe. It’s one 4″ square or a Tiny Weaver square to make the tree ornament. You can make one with your larger looms and have a table decoration. Fixing a little bouquet of fir branches or holly. Here’s a picture of that.

 

There will be more, not just mine, but anyone can join in and share their ideas. Lets have fun and make this a great WAL! You will not have to weave one a day, of course, you can join in and share at any time & I hope you will!

 

Autumn once again.

Nov11

Well, the old saw is true… time does fly when you’re having fun. Sometimes, even when you’re not. I have mostly been having fun this fall but winter is coming before I am ready, I think.  It’s be a beautiful autumn, tho. The colors have been outstanding, the temperatures mild, chilly but not really cold. We’re had frost enough to kill my tomato plants but I have  geraniums on the deck still blooming. But the flowers are out-shown by the trees this time!

    

There’s more, of course, but I am sure you have many beautiful scenes in your own yard. It’s also end of garden season with the last of the tomatoes and peppers and I dug my small potato crop and apples! A fantastic year for apples and the bear is too late this year, we got there first for a change!

  

The new canning pantry is pretty much full now! We’re doing some work in the bathroom and he moved the water heater which made room for this little cupboard in the washroom. Project unfinished as you can see but it’s going to be really nice here once it is. I’ll have new closed cupboards for storage here and in the bathroom. While on the subject of canning, I also pickled some beets and made applesauce and also canned and froze some sliced apples, just in case.

 

But have I been weaving, you ask? Well, no, actually, until the last couple days. Gabi from Texas is starting a WAL on Looms To Go. Two fo them actually, if you think yo might be interested, one is to make ornament using, she suggested one 4″ square , I’m thinking 2 might work better.But easy and a good use for left-over stash. She’s going to offer suggestions with her Turtle looms, I’;m sure and I’ll dive in with the 4″ square. She’s suggesting one a day, but I’m easier with one a week, but of course yu can do as many as you want and share them with us all. Ideas always welcomed! More the Merrier!

The 2nd WAL is to make a temperature blanket. This is a longer and a bit more complicated. Something I have had in the back of my mind for sometimes, but it does require stash diving and planning! I don’t know if I’ll be able to get started on this just yet. It’s going to be dull for awhile, anyway as our temps have been running mid 40’s for a couple weeks now… A solid color blanket! Maybe the 2″ square would be the choice for this blanket.

Anyway, I do hope you’ll find time to join us for one of these WAL’s.

And accept my apologies for letting this blog go unloved for so long! I hope you are staying warm and dry and keeping your looms polished!

Garden salad

Sep11

 

Not much in the fridge just now so took the clippers and my basket out and found salad makings in the garden. These will go with the tomatoes green peppers and beans I picked this morning. There’s some lovely red jalapeño peppers out there, too but I am told that bush is the really hot ones. The mild ones are not red yet. I’m not sure what I am going to do with these but they will not be in tonight’s salad in any case! But I found kale, nasturtium leaves and flowers, celery leaves, lemon balm, rosemary, & thyme. The little blue flowers are also eatable but darned if I can remember the name of that prickly plant. I have some napa cabbage in the fridge to fill it out. Himself will get Tuna with his and I might make some cheese toast & lemon aide. Doesn’t that sound like a nice dinner for a hot evening?

Jalapeño peppers.  The mild ones on the left and the hot ones to right, under a gauze of spider web!

And the butterflies are really enjoying the zinnias!

Eclipsing in Trinity

Aug21

Himself and I had our “Eclipse party” out on the deck this morning. It was pretty cool, actually. I bought the proper glasses at Lowes, I think it was, and am glad I did. Even tho he laughed at me at the time, he used his, too. We got to 88.something % here in Trinity Co in north Calif. That left just a sliver. I could not really tell the difference in the light from a partly cloudy or smokey day, but I could really feel the temperature drop. It did not get cold, its August after all, but it did get noticeably cooler. I managed to get a couple pictures to focus. I know there’s going to be a zillion better ones around but I just kind of wanted my own. It got much thinner than this but I could not get another one to focus.

UFO

Aug6

Picking up an abandoned project. It’s 4 colors of Lopi. Can’t remember where it came from, a swap, maybe? Anyway, I think it was supposed to be a vest and that is what it is going to be now. Haven’t had a new vest in awhile.  It was lovely out on the deck this morning so I will weave and sip until the sun makes it over the firs.

Fair Season again.

Jun3

First it’s Big Sky and then the Black Sheep Gathering. I think we’re ready! I have all my ‘stuff’ for teaching packed in the trailer but I don’t have any idea if I have anyone signed up!

But meantime I am working of several projects, as usual. My hat was a pretty big hit so I am reweaving it to be able to write up the pattern. I have also been looking at hat wire, hoping to find ready-made rings but so far it looks like they have to be made to fit. I haven’t decided if I want to take that on. I am thinking maybe a kit with yarn , pattern, and wire. But on the other hand the design as it stand now takes 5 different looms so I’m pretty sure some of the interest will be modified by that number. I may try my hand at redesigning it to use less. If you haven’t seen it on Ravelry or facebook, here it is.

And the class, if it happens, is a workshop discussing how to make clothing with your loom. I emphasize the singular Loom as you really can use whatever loom you have.  We all know that Hazel Rose Looms are the best choice of course, but if you have one of the inferior  ones , they will also work. We’ll also do some weaving along with a different methods of joining. I am planning to learn as much as I teach.

Anyway, if you need to try us this month we may be slow to respond, internet on the road being sketchy at times. Please be patient, we’ll be home between fairs. And if you can get to Big Sky or Black Sheep Gathering I hope you’ll come by and see us!

What’s new?

Jan30

Not much here, I’m afraid. Going on as usual, spending the winter catching up on book work and restocking looms. And shoveling snow, but thank goodness for Himself! He handles that part because we have lots of it!

But I have been weaving a few 4″ squares along for the Shawl in a Ball project. The bag was getting into such a mess that I decided to do a little Organizing. Yes, really! This consisted of putting together an estimate of squares rows, trying to blend the colors and bagging each row separately. It looks better now and hopefully will encourage me to start sewing up the rows again. I have started. Oh yes, I also cut out a more permanent pattern with a long sleeve. This top isn’t going to have a full long sleeve but the plan is for 3/4 if I can stretch the yarn that far. Well, likely I’m going to have to buy another skein, anyway. That will make 4.  I need to make shorter tails. I have been using them in the sewing up but some are way too long.

Anyway, here’s my version of organization. It doesn’t looks like many all neatly bagged up but there are 7-9 in each bag.

organization

Oh yes, I did make another set of the soup bowl mugs. Got this skein of Red Heart acrylic in Team Colors and it is scratchy as heck so finally gave up the scarf idea and wove a couple mug rugs using the 3 1/2″ Tumbling Block. There’s enough left to supply the whole team with them! lol

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Yes, and I did indulge in a little doll clothes knitting during the 4 day power outage. It’s fair isle and I find that is not my talent. It looks okay on your far away view but you would have no trouble finding the errors if you saw it for Real. I could not keep an even tension for the life of me. So anyway, I’ll go back to weaving my dolls clothing!
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January

Jan3

Looking a lot like winter here! I’m staying in and weaving. Making new “mug rugs” for my soup bowls. I really like those. I used acrylic, which don’t stain easily and and wash up quickly in the kitchen sink. Still working on the Shall in a ball  blouse, too. It’s taking a lot of 4″ squares.

Andway, Hope your new year is starting off well and you are staying warm!

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