Getting ready

May18

We’ll be leaving for Nampa, Idaho on Friday so are busy getting thing organized. If you pardon my using that word in is loosest sense! Well, Himself is Organized. I’m just hoping for the best, organization not being one of my strongest traits. But I am making lists.

Meantime, I have had interest in the Baby Wolf but no one so far has claimed it. We will not load it up unless someone asks us to bring it along.

And we’re getting the garden in while it is rainy and a little cooler, giving things a good start. I’m trying some Alaskan corn this year. We never get a good corn crop as it just is not warm enough here but this one claims it likes it a bit cooler. It seems to be doing well so far! X your fingers for it!

Corn

And the roses are as lush and beautiful as ever! My deck looks like there’s been a wedding with all the petals there!

If you get a chance to come to Fiber Train in Nampa, I do hope you’ll come by and see us. This is our first year there with the looms and we are looking forward to visiting this historical city.

Baby Wolf Loom for Sale

May8

The baby has gone to a new home where I hope everyone will be happy and useful!

I am having to admit I am never going to have time to use this loom again. Himself claimed he wanted to learn, but he also did not get to it in the last year so it’s going to have to find a new home. I have used it for several projects and it did a fine job and was fun to weave on. I bought it without accessories but will include these things with the loom. I bought all this (pictured) extra so you will be getting a deal. If you have any doubts, price them yourself. Also, if you are in need of them, I have learning to weave books I can send along.

We are quite a bit out of the way for most people so I am listing the shows we will be visiting this summer. If you are interested in the loom you can contact us and we will deliver it to any of these places, hopefully one will be handy for you.

Nampa, ID in May

Hamilton, MT & Eugene, OR in June

Arcata & Boonville, CA and Canby, OR in Sept. We are occasionally in Medford OR throughout the year also.

Okay, the loom: If you are interested I will try to find space to get the loom open and take more pictures.

Four Harness Baby Wolf (New sells for $1799 -2300) I want $1000 for everything but am willing to deal.

Brand new never been used lease sticks and raddle. I paid $120 for the raddle.

Boat shuttles, stick shuttles, some extra heddles, lots of bobbins. Boat shuttles run around $40 depending on size and brand. Sticks around $10 each. Mine are used but not very much. Lots of bobbins.

Several years worth of HandWoven magazine if you want them. Plenty of projects to keep you busy for years.

Spring

May8

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.

Disappointment…!

Apr25

The vest was looking good! Unfortunately it turned out that I hadn’t checked the pattern, just assumed that because it was in with mine that it fit me. I don’t often have things turn out too big but this time is was waaay too big. I am trying to downsize it but it’s not going well so far. Sis suggested I finished it as is and sell it to someone of more ample proportions than me, but I wanted it myself! boohoo! Well, we’ll see. I may yet be able to make it work.

On a role!

Apr20

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!

Done

Apr13

The Neon shirt is finished. I sewed the patched together and then pinned and sewed them to the shirt. Like a big applique. Then I cut out the neckline and hemmed it. Is this a kind of vest look? Maybe if it was longer, but in any case I wanted the neckline just a tince higher than the patches would be. It’s been washed and held up well.

Next project.

Apr11

Got this Tee at a fair last year, forgot which. Did not work with the yarn I had in mind so am now using this neon Simply Soft acrylic to weave on the Tiny Weaver square. It’ll be another yoke for a top. Has to be machine washable for me. I think it’s going to work. I wove the blocks and am now working a single crochet around each one. I think I will then just sew them together with an overhand stitch. Not exactly camo, huh?! Much as i enjoyed the natural covers of my last project, I thought it was time for something Bright!

It’s Done!

Apr6

Almost. A few details and fulling/blocking to go. The details are, as you can see in the photos of me standing on the deck smirking in the rain, the sleeves. They were too short to please me so I added another row of blocks which, of course, makes them too long. Now I have to decide if it’s going to be fold under cuffs or cut and knit ribbing. I’m leaning toward the folded cuffs as being the easiest but the ribbed cuffs would give a nice fit at the wrist. I sewed on the wooden checked buttons but will take them off to full it, just in case. All that has to wait for the weather to clear as it will have to dry out on the deck and at the moment it is raining and snowing alternatively. But here it is in it’s raw state. also a close up for the button band. It’s seed stitch along the front and k1p1 ribbing at the back of the neck. I had to do it by halves as my circ was a bit short.

And a couple earlier views. You can see the shortish sleeves but also that this one hangs correctly. I think the yoke has a lot to do with that. It fits much better at the shoulders than my last one.

More cardigan progress

Mar29

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!

Mar28

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

My Life in the Country

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