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February again…

Feb18

But don’t worry, it’s not spring yet! More snow in the forecast on Tuesday and through the week it sounds like. I’m okay with that. We have gotten quite a bit of precip this winter but are still not caught up with the last dozen or more years of drought. Garden started to thaw a bit this week with the highs in the upper 40’s but there’s still plenty of time for that , too.

I’ve done little yarn things this winter, knitted myself a scrap vest. This is all the scraps and snippets saved from projects over the last decade, probably. Tied together in an overhand knot. Will that hold? Ask me in a few years of wearing it!

And played with a few weaving techniques, that’s about it. Just did this one yesterday. From a photo posted on the pin loom facebook group.

Randy is planning our trip to Utah next month to take part in the Great Basin Fiber Arts Fair, Friday April 28 and Saturday April 29
The Legacy Event Center – Farmington, Utah. I’ll be teaching a basic class on the 4 inch Multi loom, we’ll make a little needle book to learn plain weave and a texture pattern or two. The other class is the dishcloth class on the 10.5″ Quit Weaver Square. We’ll start with plain weave and see how far we get. The class schedule hasn’t been posted yet but should be soon–keep checking!

We’ll be at the Black Sheep Gathering, June 23, 24, & 25 and the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival,  October 14 & 15. Both in Albany, OR. I think we’ll also be at Lambtown in Dixon, CA, Oct 7 & 8. We’re also looking at Fiber Fusion Northwest in Monroe, Washington.  June 4 & 5. Maybe. Sounds like a lot, beginning to feel like a lot as well. I think I’m getting old as these affairs are a lot more stressful than they used to be. I suppose it’s good for me. At least that’s what Himself keeps telling! lol

Did I mention that we can almost see the lake again? Yes, indeed, it has been coming up rapidly this winter. Authorities warn us not to expect it to fill this spring, tho, Partly it appears, because they have other uses for the water up here. I don’t mind sharing but it would be nice if we had some lake. Our local businesses mostly rely on that body of water to draw the tourists that they rely on to stay in business. We’ve lost a few already who weren’t able to tough it out. That’s rough on us all.

Way in the back, that thin line of blue is the lake. The rock piles (a remnant of the mining days) show the river wending its way to join that pool. This is the view across the Lake(bottom) from Trinity Center where we had tp go last month to get internet and cell service from the Verizon tower there.

And my little Fox friend is still coming for dinner each evening. He doesn’t get much, I want him to still hunt but while the snow was still frozen on the ground hunting was difficult and I wanted to keep him around. He’s my best mouser!

I guess that’s all for now. I hope it’s not too Winter where ever you are. Spring isn’t far and we can all be outdoors grubbing in the dirt again!

 

Carrots & Radishes

 

More Clothing…

Dec15

Weavers have asked for more so here’s another. This was the first pull over that worked really well. It was back in the Olden Days, when I was spinning my own yarn. This was the first whole Jacob fleece I bought and spun up. I used the colors as they came. I’m not sure what became of it, I wasn’t able to find it this morning to take new photo so this is kind of fuzzy. I used the 7″ Quilt Weaver square, we were only making two sizes of looms back them the 7 & the 12″. You can see that the sleeves are a bit odd. If I make this one again I’ll use the sewing machine and modify the sleeve where I drew the red line on the chart. I was scared of cut and sew back then, too, I guess! But it’s a easy one to make and you can use any nice yarn. You can also use cut and sew to modify the neckline if you wanted a different one.

Making clothing

Dec5

The subject of making clothing has come up in pin loon chatting recently. I posted a couple of the tops I’ve made in the past so thought I’d put them here, too. They are easy loom-shaped garments so can be made to fit just about any size. I used the 6″ Multi looms for both of these. My figure changed and the drape between the alpaca and the wool is also much different. I’d like to try one of these in a nice sock yarn, too, but that hasn’t happened so far. I added a  knitted ribbing to the waist of the orange wool one which gave a better fit and the brown alpaca has a 2×6 slide stitch woven waist band. (and the hearts have come off since)

This type of garment fits a little better on a slimmer figure for the most part. The drape of your yarn also makes a difference. The alpaca drapes beautifully while this wool made a bit stiffer fabric.

Fringe

Jul2
The pillow in the new issue of the Little Looms magazine is really about the fringe. You know how to weave squares already. But I thought I’d post a couple more things that the fringe can be used for. The first project I submitted was for a doily, I rather like this one.
 
 The center is a 6″ Multi square using some super wash wool I bought at a fiber fair a long time ago. The fringe is a sport weight wool of unknown brand, The corners we finished with little 1″ squares using a little loom we made with scrap. I think I’ll post the how to photo’s here. I wanted to make it a ‘page’ but I can’t get that to work. It said make a gallery so I tried it. Here’s a couple other project using a fringe. A pin cushion sized pillow, an easy Barbie blouse, a cowgirl outfit for a larger doll. a bag for your cell phone or whatever. I think this could make some really cute toddler outfits, too. More later.                

Another oldie.

Apr6

I finished this one in 2014. It’s a collection of my handspun yarns.  Woven on several looms, mostly, if I remember, the 7″ and the 3 1/2″ squares. Randy made the wood buttons.  The button holes are just an unstitched space between the little squares on the front band. I like 3/4 sleeves but these were probably a little wide and the bottom edges. It works okay, tho.

Just been going though older projects, posting to my 3 “social media” places, here, Ravelry, and the facebook pin loom group. I’m working on a new everyday sweater but thinking of reworking that idea. I’ve been weaving either 12″ or 10.5″ squares, can’t remember just now. Needless to say that last one woven was a couple months back! But someone posted about shape weaving the other day which reminded me of the shape woven I’ve done in the past. I still have the cardboard looms and am thinking I might just employ that method on this sweater. I seem to get a better fit with less blocks than the cut and sew method. I’m too big to get a good fit with the totally block woven things. The one above is cut and sew. This one is the shape woven. The yoke and the arm skye as well as the back yoke were shape woven. And a much better fit than the others I’ve done, I think. The sleeves as shown were cut and sew but both made from the same pattern. Well, I’ll have to think about this some more. I have a little time between now and my next deadline, I hope!

New Years Day 2022… Good wishes for the future!

Jan1

I hope you all were able to welcome the new year in the way you most enjoy! And stayed safe!

Randy and I celebrated as old people tend to do!

Today I finally got my new patchwork top out and got a photo. I don’t know if I mentioned but the yoke turned out to be too short, so I added another row of squares and I think it’s much better. Not my most flattering color but I like the way I did this neckline.

Pretty slow in Trinity this time of year. We had a lot of snow a week or so ago and it’s still here along with an impressive display of icicles along the roof line. We hit our winter low this morning at 14 degrees f.  The Wizards say we are in for more snow on Sunday and Monday and then they think it’s going to warm up and rain at our elevation. That’ll be a nice mess! Well, we are still in a drought so not all bad. This last snow was pretty dry stuff. Which is nice when you have to shovel it but doesn’t add much to the water tables.

Well, l Himself has mentioned a couple times that there is a cake mix and a can of frosting in the pantry, so I guess I’ll go make him a cake.  Hope your new years day is going well and that it continues to be well throughout the year! If we all do our best to stay positive and friendly and safe I’m sure the world will be able to recover.

Be kind, be positive, be safe! And do lots of weaving!

Merry Christmas, Happy new Year, and also happy anything else you celebrate this time of year!

Dec23

I don’t have to  be “Dreaming of a white Christmas” this year. It’s already white and the Weather Wizards tell us we’re going to have Nice nice new snow on Christmas day and it looks like, the whole week after! Delightful, since we have no travel plans this year. Staying home by the fire! But my poor Tennessee Red cedar doesn’t seem to like Trinity winters. It broke away from it’s support. I think it may need a cage until it can grow a thicker trunk.

 

We’ve been working like crazy in the shop this month. I did not plan well. Those of you who’ve had to wait for your looms know this. I really didnt’ expect the new fine sett to be quite so popular! But I think we have just about got it done. The last one goes out tomorrow, then no more until after the holiday. And of course, in the middle of this rush, the Loom maker got sick and then with the snow storm the power was out for three days! One of the special woods that was ordered decided it didnt’ want to play. Randy had to make those looms 3 times before he got one to do what it was supposed to do. You would not think a lovely board could be so troublesome!

I finished up the last weaving projects for Little looms Magazine and actually did a little knitting making my mini dolls new Christmas outfits during our evening movie. I was asked why the green theme. I had to admit convenience, it was handy! lol

And I did actually finish the patchwork shirt in the previous post. after I fulled it became apparent that the yoke was too short. While I was looking for the yarn to weave more squares, I lucked out and found just the right number of already woven squares in that yarn! I promise to get a photo wearing it, one of these days when there is a little light for pictures.

But meantime…………………

     

 

Once a UFO

Dec6

Now it’s nearly done. Just has to have a trip though the washer. After that I’ll decide if the bottom of the yoke needs stitching down. I think I pinned this in place before the Big Evacuation and it’s just been out of sight out of mind since. It’s kind of long on me, too, so I may have to re-hem it. I like these shirts. I got them on sale at WalMart in Yreka a few years ago. There’s a green one and a red one left. They’re well made men’s shirts so have sleeves of a decent length. I prefer those without the band but liked this color in spite of that. The yoke is sock yarn on the 4 & 2 inch Multi Looms. I just place the assembled yoke over the shirt, pin in place, sew it down with the machine and cut away the parts I don’t want. I left the shirt fabric under this one to gvie it a bit of heft.

 

 

We’re supposed to have rain today sometimes and snow next weekend. Good time for shop work except…! He’s gotten a case of food poisoning somewhere and has had to spend most of the last two days… well, you know where. But he has gotten some stuff done in the shop. If you have an order in, please be patient, we’ll get them done as soon as we can.

Trying to stay warm these December days! Hope your December is going well!

The 20th Anniversary Fine Sett Quilt Weaver Looms!

Nov23

These new looms are for weaving with your finer yarns:  Lace, Fingering, some of the finer sock weights. You’ll love the beautiful light smooth fabrics you can weave as well as the exciting textures that can work on this close weave. They come in the same lovely woods that your favorite regular Quilt Weavers or you can mix and match. Both the 7 inch and the 31/2inch sets are available as singles or sets.

Check them out now!*