Archives

Summer morning

Jul29

Yeah, it’s my breakfast. Our local organic gardener got a new puppy. A 10 month old 95 lb. Pyrenees. Very playfull and untrained when they got him. Bosco rammed playfully into the side of Tami’s knee and so she is now wearing a brace for at least 6 weeks. I’ve been helping out by picking raspberries for her. Which leads back to my breakfast. 🙂  I’m also working on a project with the looms… it’s a secret! This loom is one of Randy’s Art looms. I snagged it before he could sell it to somebody! Walnut and maple with brass pins. Cool.

It’s been pretty warm days here but last night got rather chilly, had to get up and find an afghan to supplement the one blanket we’ve had on the bed. Had some thunder in the distance a couple days ago but no rain and as far as I can gather, no fires.

Randy will be home this evening and once we get the drip system set up for the tomatoes and the loom orders caught up we’re heading for the coast for a couple days with Justin before he has to head home again.  Haven’t been over in awhile and next summer he plans to go to Alaska so we won’t see the ocean then, either.

But I hope you hare having a summer with hot, but not too hot, days and cool nights! And have some raspberries for your Cheerios!

Another project finished!

Jul11

I finished my baby blanket, woven on the 6″ Multi square loom. I used Paton’s Cotton top (from stash & discontinued) and Knit Picks Crayon cotton to assemble it. The finished size is 38″ square, which I’m told is a good size for a receiving blanket. I was hoping for crib sized but found I was short on a couple of the colors. This took a bit over a month to make, I did not work on it every day but stuck to my resolve not to start another project until I finished this one. I tried out a few fancy edgings but in the end just worked three rounds of sc and a row of picots. What I did not want was any lacy holes for little fingers and toes to get caught in. I think it’s pretty without them.

I am quite happy with the finished blanket. It’s for a young neighbor having her first child. I ran it though the gentle cycle of the washing machine yesterday, I had to be sure it was machine washable. I have to admit I was a bit nervous about this.  picturing it coming out with gaping holes so that I’d have to rush off to town to buy her a gift before the shower! It came out just fine and tho it did not shrink, it fluffed and is really soft and ‘huggable’. I am delighted and hope she will be as well. (The picture enlarges if you click it.)

Nearly July

Jun29

July is almost  upon us and summer is just getting started. Well, by the calendar, that’s correct, but it usually starts in fact a few weeks earlier.  It has gotten warm finally.  Well.. hot actually but I’m not tired of it yet! lol  The deck is going up slowly as time allows and we’re getting looms made. Justin, our oldest grandson is here to lend a hand for the summer & we’re enjoying his visit as well.

I was sorting though some stuff and found these. They came with some loom things I was given by a widowed neighbor. His wife had been a weaver and there were some nice shuttles as well as a bobbin winder which I was extremely happy to see.  but I haven’t a clue what these things are. They seem to have been made with standard doctor sized tongue depressors.  If you know, would you tell me please?

Happy Birthday, Hazel Rose!

Jun18

Hazel Rose is celebrating her first birthday! She and her parents live in Oregon and Hazel came by to visit with us at OFFF last October. We wanted to help celcbrate her 1st birthday so sent along this little doll woven on the looms, of course. She seems to like it so we are happy, too.  Thanks Mom for sharing the pictires!

Progress

Jun16

Check below.. I found my flower!

I think I have nearly enough blocks to start assembling this blanket. I’d like it to be Crib sized or nearly so but need to research how big that is. I have ordered the white yarn for assembling but it has not arrived yet, should be here any time. It’s coming from KnitPicks, their Crayon, which should match this discontinued Paton’s Cotton Top. I hope.

It’s been cool enough in the evenings that we’ve just been staying indoors listening to the Giant’s games on XM, so I am getting more weaving time. I pretty much have the garden, such as it is, in and waiting for some warm growing weather. We had two optimistic days in the 80’s and now it’s back in the lower 60’s. 😦

But I am also getting things straightened around so our grandson has a place to stay. He’s arriving next week to spend some of the summer helping Randy build our new shop.  But as there has been a snag in those plans it looks like he’ll get to help build the new deck first & anything else that needs doing.

Hope your summer is both warm and going smoothly!

knittin’

Apr8

I’ve been wanting to try my hand with these 0000 knitting needles and found that Sis had some in her stash so I borrowed them and got out some lace weight yarn, found a pattern and started knitting. Frogged my first effort as I could not keep track of the pattern, it being very small. Frankly, I couldn’t see it! lol  Old eyes, dark yarn, and really small stitches do not make for good knitting partners. But this one is a k2p2 rib and so far I have managed to find all the dropped stitches. I have about 1 1/2″ done so far and at least 3-4 more to go. If I don’t poop out entirely it’s going to take most of the summer to finish this! Thank goodness I have the looms to go to when my eyes start x-ing! lol 

I am working on the baby dresses and I think they are coming along well. I just wish I had a baby to try them on. One problem that came to me in the night will have to be adjusted. The first little dress I made  is a slip-over and if I recall (my baby being nearly 42 years old) that is a difficult type of garment to get on a baby or even a toddler, so I am going to have to modify this dress to make it button up.  I did order more yarn so I can make another one. I also bought some boy yarn . Now I just have to come up with a cute boy idea.  🙂

Happy Easter

Apr4

Sis bought me an Easter basket for my birthday and it is in full bloom now. The first such thing I’ve had in years. Very pretty!

It’s good to have something cheerful around today as it is dark and cold  and sleeting and snowing… No sunrise this morning!

But I understand that the east is having lovely weather for Easter after their wicked winter! Congratulations to you guys!

The loom maker took yesterday off so we’ll be back in the shop today. It is warmer and drier than outdoors, anyway! lol I understand that the interstate is one again having blizzard conditions. Happy to be home in our warm shop!

Hope you are somewhere warm and dry, but if you share our weather, it is at least a good day for yarn. 🙂

Working hard

Mar27

Here is Randy hard at work making your looms. We both spent the day in the shop. And the sun was shining outside! Oh well, there’ll be more sunshine.

Now I have dinner in the oven and maybe I can use the looms a bit this evening! lol

But we are taking a day off this coming week. Because… TaDa! it’s my birthday! Yes indeed, the infamous April 1st.  And we are going north and having a Ritzy dinner with my sister and her husband and then spending the night in a Bed & Breakfast, a thing I have never done and wanted to try once, at least. One of these years I’m going to take a train ride… another one of those things on my Bucket List. 😀  It may be a boring list but we each have our own version, after all!

Hope you have daffodils blooming. too!

Handwoven’s Not Just Socks contest loser.

Mar23

This is the sock yarn project that was a finalist but did not win. It is one of the dresses I wove for the Hand-Woven magazine sock yarn contest. It is Tofutsies sock yarn and the trim is crocheted with Wildfoote. I knitted a ribbing on the sleeves.
This dress was woven on the 2”, 4”, & the 6” Multi square looms, weaving diagonal. I did two others from a different brand of yarn. 

The good news is that  one of the winners did win using our Hazel Rose Looms. For me that is almost as good as winning myself! Congratulations Zann!

Be sure to keep a look out for the magazine in your bookstore. Not sure when the winners will be published but it should not be long!

Still trying to be spring.

Mar15

As  you see, the snow is gone again. We’ll probably have more showers but for now its lovely, blue sky, and warm.  Got up to 71 today.  It’s back into the 30’s tonight, tho, so not quite spring yet.

Here’s Randy out fixing the sprinkler he broke last fall by dropping a dead alder right on it! Good shot had he been aiming for it. but he’s good at plumbing, too and it’s all fixed for when that time comes again.

Had to take my car into Weaver to the body shop to get the fender and tail light replaced from when that pine tree backed into me.  We also picked up the nail order and some groceries.

I have a bunch of looms to ship tomorrow but we took the day off. First time we’ve spent a day out of the loom shop in two weeks. We needed that,  I did get a little done on my weaving project this evening but have not been getting much time to use them, too busy making them! 🙂  Hope you are enjoying yours, too.