New projects

I have three going just now, but the lace has been put at the bottom of the list and will be there probably though September. Can’t decode on a pattern that will work for what I have in mind.

bows ft

The Shawl In A Ball yarn on the 4” is still a WIP but only getting occasional attention this week.

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But I have moved my planned project up to top of the list and it is getting woven a lot faster than I thought it would be. I’d like to get it done before OFFF if I can. And just as a little added interest, to myself if no one else, I am timing it. The Tiny diamonds are taking me 7 minutes each, the 7” take 20 minutes and I wove the 14” in 55 minutes. So I have this far: 35×7+ 4hr 9min. 10×20=3hr. 33min. Plus 1×55+55min. So I have 9 hours and 62 minutes of weaving time in this so far, if my math is correct. As this weaving is done while listening to the Giants baseball games and there is one of those most days/evenings, I might get this woven in about 7-8 more hours or 2 1/2 games.

progress

Go Giants!

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What’s our bug?

Do you know? I can’t seem to find out who these are but they have been coming each spring for as long as I can remember. Do you know? While we’re at it, do you recognize the plant? Very popular with these guys, the bumble bees, and butterflies, too.

black wings1  black wings 2  Black wings 3

Okay, here it is for better or worse.

Here it is in pictures.

pattern a cb d e f

This one on the right above requires a bit of explanation. I thought I’d try cutting first and stitching later. Bad idea Even trying to be oh so careful it ended up ruffled. I did mange to fix it but did the other side correctly and you can see the difference. Now you’ve had that lesson with no pain of your own! lol

g

I started Crocheting around the sleeve and  after a couple inches decided that that was not good so ripped and found some bias tape which I stitched on instead to make nice neat hems.

Then I found this lace collar among my ‘stuff’. I soaked it into the left-over morning coffee. What do you think? keep or lose? By the way, the color difference is just lighting.

h   i

Sometimes it just doesn’t work.

Got the Tumbling Block version of the Diamond top woven and assembled at last, after much ripping and re doing—don’t ask!— and find that it just doesn’t work. The shoulders are too sloped and the whole neckline is just too wide. I dug out a sewing pattern and as soon as I get over my disappointment and frustration it looks like this one is going to be a cut and sew project. I am not going to waste this good yarn. So check back now and then. Meantime, the only way I have come up with to enlarge the diamond top is by using the 3.5″ squares to make a side gusset.

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Hope you are having better luck with your projects! Here is one I got from a new weaver in Idaho who was making it work! Jane’s first project!

Jane from Moscow, ID

Happy Weaving!

Some stuff.

I am going to post the basic instructions for the Diamond Top here. If you want a pdf you must email me and I’ll send it along. It has been very popular but you must keep in mind that this is not a one size fits all. This one was made to fit Madelyn, who is quite thin. I am working on the sizing problem and will post as I came up with options. meantime if you make adjustments to fit yourself I do hope you will share them here for the rest of us.

top layout vertical

Above is a chart of the Diamond Top. Assemble rows vertically first then horizontally. This makes the least seams and also helps the diamonds line up nicely. The dotted lines on the front are the shoulders. Assemble front and back, fold on dotted line, and stitch in place. It works, however strange it may seem here. Then sew up the side seams

I worked a row of single crochet and then a row of reverse single crochet (crab stitch) around the neckline to stabilize it a bit. If you find it needs this and you don’t crochet (you really should learn, it’s very useful) you can sew on a bit of lace or trim for the same purpose.

The measurements are of my top for Madelyn. Yours may vary with your weaving style and the yarn you use.

One more thing, in case any of you need looms, I have posted a few misc discounted looms for sale on Ravelry Looms To Go sale thread, The detail are there.

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Home again!

Here we are, back where we started from and happy to see it. We had a great trip but coming home is always good, too. My own bed! Well, the bed in the 5th wheel is also mine, I guess, but I like this one better! I have a limited amount of pictures on my camera. There are more on the tablet if I can figure out how to get them here I’ll post more. Meantime, here’s what I have of our trip so far.

We stayed at a campground on the Salmon river in Idaho, outside of Riggins. This old one lane bridge is being replaced. We did not take the trailer over it, just drove down to explore. In fact, we didn’t stay in the campground just in the parking lot in front, as the camp was closed due to a fire that they had there just a month after we stayed there last year.

salmon river bridge 2salmon river bridge

 

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Here is the view from our trailer park at the outskirts of Moscow, Id. It is a pea field. some were just starting to bloom. I have no idea what kind of peas there were but there were thousands of acres of them and also of many kinds of grain.

moscow pea patch

This is our booth in the 1912 highschool building in Moscow. It is a community hall now days and the new hi is just up the street. That’s where the classes were held. We met many weavers and maybe converted a few more! A very nice, well organized event. Thank you, Shelly of The Yarn Underground who sponsored it and did a great deal of the work involved.

moscow show booth

This is Linda Echenrode of All things Fiber in St. Maries, Id who also had a booth. Linda carries our looms in her shop and she showed me the poncho she is working on using many sizes of Multi looms. My photo does not show much of the incredible pattern work and detail in Linda’s weaving. It is beautiful! If you are anywhere near there be sure to stop in at her shop and ask to see it!

 

Linda's poncho 1Linda's poncho

 

And if you have not seen these windmill ‘farms’ you are missing a sight. I know some people think they are a blight but I think they are beautiful! I did not get a good photo as there was no good place to stop when they were in view. There are fields of them in several states but this was Washington. Rolling hills with grain fields and these atop.

windmillwindmill 2

Here we are now on the Mt. McKinley pass looking at the Sisters. We camped nearby and nearly froze! I did get Himself down to around 5000′ before he stopped so the morning temp was just barely below freezing! lol Very beautiful. Large lava flows in places.

Sisters

There are falls on the McKinley River. Thick moss and the roar is deafening. It’s a beautiful river. This is the upper fall.

McKinsie Falls 1

Geese 1

These geese were standing on rock just below the lower fall.Geese 2

 

 

And here they are from below, looking up at their back sides.

Geese 3

 

Here you  can see how close they were to the fall and the fury and all the mist. I guess it’s a goose thing. ??

This is the lower fall.

McKinsie Falls 2

 

 

That’s it for today. Here’s a little ‘hitchhiker’ I picked up at a Goodwill in Bend, Oregon while we were waiting to get a new fridge installed in the 5th wheel. :-0 !

homeward bound

xo Hazel

Another one for Madelyn!

My just finished project is a dress for Madelyn. I think this one fits under the description of Boho that I googled this morning. I used the 10 1/2” QW square for the top as it has wider spacing and worked better for this slightly fuzzy mohair. The skirt is woven on the 12” Multi Loom. I worked a border for the bottom row of the skirt but the rest of the dress is plain weave. There is elastic hand stitched at the waist and the top is tied with a ribbon. That could have had elastic as well, but I haven’t done that yet. It could also use the ribbon for some little spaghetti type straps if they were wanted. The construction is as simple as it can be– all squares- two rows for the top and two for the skirt. Madelyn is quite thin but you can re-size simply by adding more squares.

Skirt square woven on the 12″ Multi.

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Stitching the skirt panels together using a mattress stitch.

skirt

The dress laid out flat is pretty much a tube. I folded down a casing at the top for the ribbon.

Dress Flat 2

And here it is on her. It looks a lot like some of the summer styles I saw for young people on my last shopping expedition. It would not take long to make for your teen or twenty something. Or yourself if this is your style! Easy to re-size, as I mentioned.

Side 1  Side 2