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On The Road Again…
Here we go again. First to Booneville and then to Canby for OFFF. I haven’t got any new projects to show you unless you want to see my pints of green beans and the black berry and peach jam. It’s the tag end of summer so you know the garden is priority. But I have a neighbor taking care of it for these next two weeks. She’ll get the beans for awhile. The squash bushes are slowing down finally! lol But I have a couple new things to show at the fairs so do come look if you can make it.
We’re all on edge here these days about the fire danger. The woods are a tinder box so I hope everyone is being extra cautious. It takes very little to set one off and they go wild once started as I am sure you are all seeing in the news. It makes me a little nervous to leave just now. Not that there is much anyone can do once a fire gets going except pray for rain. There is rain in the forecast for tomorrow but it doesn’t sounds like it will be a drought ending storm. However, any will be welcomed.
Hoping to see you at the fairs!
Busy Fall
Yeah, it’s that time of year again. We’ve been in the shop a lot this summer and I think we’re ready for September. The days are getting shorter and the nights — and days— are cooler. Kids back in school, summer trips a memory, time to get into the yarn bins and get out your looms again. I have got a couple new things to show, among then two patchwork shirts that will be for sale. I have more patches but only got two finished. And it’s wool show season again!
And meantime, in case you have missed it, we are having fun on Ravelry’s Looms To Go playing with pulled thread designs on our Mutli looms. Weavers are finding lots of interesting patterns and sharing.
And for those fellow doll enthusiasts there’s also a thread weaving for them currently!
We’ll be heading to Arcata to the Natural Fibers Fair this coming weekend. Next is the California Wool and Fiber show and then as always, Oregon Fiber Festival! We’ve going to be on the road for most of the month. And this week we have a treat– my brother and wife are here visiting. That’s always fun. They are starting a two month long journey in their new RV. Going cross country to visit family on both sides.
So… We hope to see as many of you as can make it to the shows.
Happy Weaving!
Hazel
WOO-HOO!
CORN! This is the first of my Alaskan Corn, guaranteed to grow in short season country. My first ever ears of corn, even if they are a bit “bite sized”! I’m delighted!
Off these 3′ tall stalks.
Our Summer Trip
We’re home again. Two weeks on the road is at least a week too much! lol We had a great time and met lots of people and made some new weavers and increased the stash for some others. Here’s one weaver who brought her project to BSG to share. Love that! Also the one from last year at OFFF. Pat Cane does some extra by weaving in strands of the opposite colors to blend her triangles very cleverly together. Isn’t it lovely?! I love seeing the projects you all weave!
I made a new doll dress with squares I wove demoing the looms here at the show, too. And met another Dolly weaver who bought my pattern book. Nanette has promised to share when she gets something made for her Granddaughter! Here’s mine.
But besides the two shows, Big Sky Fiber Festival in Hamilton. Montana and Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene, Oregon, we visited the country along the way. I have so many pictures I could not possibly share them all but here’s a few. What a beautiful country we live in!
On our way up we stopped at an alkali lake in Eastern Oregon. A “rain” storm and a sunset.
Then we picnicked on top of the world in Montana.
On the way back we camped in a great park on a lake near Sandpoint, Idaho.
And I almost got a photo of the paddle wheeler on the Columbia Gorge coming home, on the border of Oregon and Washington. We were in Oregon, looking back at Washington across the way. I took this out the truck window across the railroad tracks.
We had a great trip but, as always are glad to be home. the garden has gone wild with summer coming on so will have some catching up to do there and are working hard to get orders shipped out as well. Randy has looms to make and contractor jobs to do as well. But we’re home now until September…
Hope your summer is filled with fun and not too hot!
Spring
It’s the 8th of May and the roses are in full bloom. Definitely an early spring. A little cool this week and windy but still getting a lot of gardening done. My Alaskan corn is up and growing. this is going to be an interesting experiment. It is a small corn designed to grow in adverse conditions. I think the weather this year qualifies for that! But I thought that if it is successful in Alaska it ought to produce a couple ears down here. X your fingers!
Meantime,. I have not made any progress on the demo vest. I am thinking I may just give up and do the cut and sew. At least I’d have a vest I could wear. I don’t suppose everything has to be a big challenge, some thing can just be easy, huh? And I got out my bag of squares which I think are wool or silk or…? I’
ve forgotten, only that they are not likely to be machine washable. I am putting a couple things though the gentle cycle this morning and am adding one each of these blocks just to determine what will happen. If they dont’ entirely ruin, I will go from there. I am thinking another vest. This one ought to be lighter weight, tho, more fit for cool summer mornings and evenings.
Meantime back to spring… the rhubarb is also ready! I’m not a fan of strawberries with it but I made it half and half with a couple sweet apples and it is just yummy! Tamed the Rhubarb a bit and gave the apples a little jazz. We’ve made big holes in two pies so far and I have the makin’s for a 3rd! I think I’ll wait until next week with that one as sis is planning a trip down.
On a role!
I was hunting something in Le Shed and found a box of demo shapes woven at fiber fairs and am putting them to work. Got out a sewing pattern for a vest and started putting shapes together. Not exactly free form but at least random. It will be another colorful bit of clothing. Got both fronts mostly together and will start on the back this afternoon. Goes pretty fast since the weaving has already been done, just a matter of laying it out. I think this time I’ll just crochet in whatever little missing bits I might need.
But first I have some shop work to take care of as someone is waiting for their looms. Go get out your UFO’s and start putting something together!
My Boy…
I could not remember for sure how old Robin is but today I found a picture of him as a kitten. It was dated 11-2000. He looks to be about half grown so it looks like my … did I say boy? My old man is 15 years old.
Then:
Now
He still plays and he still prowls the yard but he spends a lot of time sleeping in the sun on the deck or snugged on the bed.
More cardigan progress
I finished weaving the tris for the sleeve yesterday and as I had the sewing machine set up for something else, I decided to take advantage of this cool morning to put it to use again.
The woven blocks for the sweater, pin the pattern carefully over. I guess I didn’t get the photo, but next sew at the edges. Use lots of pins and give you fabric support. You want it to lay flat so it doesn’t distort. Remember this one is bias woven.
Once you have sewn all around in a contrasting color (it’s not going to show) carefully cut just outside the stitching.
Pin closely! The more the better, especially on any bias squares that have not been stay stitched. The sleeve did okay, but sewing up the sides needed lots of pins. Again, support your fabric so it does not stretch or distort. In fact, if this is your first project of this type, it may be a good idea to baste all of these seams and try the garment on, to be sure things are as they should be before committing it to the machine which is Much harder to undo.
And here it is with the sleeves in.
What’s left is the front button bands and the cuffs. However… Being the mature figger that I am, it is a little snug around the… er… hem. So I think I may have to add a bit in a A-line sort of way, to the front placket first. Have not quite thought that out yet, so still more waiting before I have a finished item. Still, making progress by leaps and bounds!
Do any of you have projects to show me? I’d love to feel I’m not all alone here!
Meantime, a little fun project!
The windsock I made in April of 2008 has finally did what the plastic bag makers told us they would. It’s on it’s way back to it’s component parts. I tried to save it, but it was falling to bits as I worked . Then my eye fell on the basket of yarn snippets and scraps. The birds have never shown any interest is using this lovely nesting material so….
You can see that there were all sorts of bits in the basket, lace to bulky, wool, acrylic, mohair, cotton… I picked randomly and decided on the spot if it was long enough. It’s mostly pieces from about 4″ to several yards in one case. And I decided that the knots were a design element so pulled them all to the right side.
But the knot-less side looks good, too. The green is a square I wove for the one that just ‘died’. If you have a stash of fairly young bags they do make light and fluttery wind socks. Mine lasted 7 years. I have no idea how long the yarn one is going to last. They all get exposed to all sorts of weather.
And here it is out on the maple with the remaining plastic bag one. I still have a small ball of this knotted yarn so there might be more coming. After the cardigan is finished, of course!
Hazel Rose 