Still at it.

Apr11

Beautiful day today. Peas not up yet but I see one tomato peeping though. These heirloom Oxhearts are going to be a little late since I managed to kill my first little ones, but I like them enough to try.

But I finished weaving and have it about half assembled. Not sure how much I’ll get done this weekend since I’m going to have to be in the shop but I’ll work on it when I can. It’s coming along. Hope you are getting some done on your project.

But meantime, Randy bought these lovely glass solar mushrooms for my birthday. The weather is finely nice enough for me to put them out to try. So pretty! They come with pegs for sticking them in the ground but that’s not going to happen. I’m going to have him make a base for them so they can sit on the deck, safely and prettily. He got them at Lowes, if you like them, too. They are quite bright.

A bit of a remodel

Apr10

Things are changing. It was supposed to look like this:

And then it looked more like this:

And now I’ve rearranged it again.

I’m pretty sure I have enough yarn to do it this way since it looks like I have to stick to what I have. It’ll be shorter so not a tunic but I think it’ll be long enough and if not I may use the scarlet or the cream and work a border. These things evolve. That’s one of the lessons, I guess. It could evolve yet again as I am not sure this one is going to work, either. I could get by without the ‘sleeves’ but I am really trying not to. I need 5 more squares, if I can squeeze it out of these last 1 3/4 skeins. Hang on, I’m getting there!

Yet another excuse…

Apr9

I am making progress here but slowly. Shop work and you know it’s gardening season, too, so other things are calling but I am getting it assembled. I’ve given up on finding more of this yarn so it looks like it may have to be sleeveless after all. I guess I can live with that. 4-9

And the other squares I was weaving have run into a hitch. But as I have not yet decided what I want them to be , I guess it’s not an urgent problem, huh? The difficulties of life just keep coming, don’t they?! Ah well, it would be nice if this was the worse we had to deal with, wouldn’t it? I’ll try to show you a bit more progress tomorrow.

Meantime, I hope your projects are moving along! Wishing you warm and sunny!

Still at it. I am starting the assembly but…

Apr2

Meantime, the hall closet has reached critical so I had to undertake that task today. I’ve sorted a lot of it for goodwill but there are some things I just can’t see going there. One is this collection of crocheted doilies. My grandmother, & mother’s work mostly, and some of mine. I kept the ones I just can’t bear to part with but there are more and they will never be used again here and my kids don’t want these things, they really don’t mean anything to them. I was wondering if any of you might do lace crafts and could use them. I have seen everything from Hostess aprons, vests, and blouses, to lamp shades made using vintage doilies. I am never going to have the time to use them myself and I would love them to go to someone who could appreciate the work that has gone into them and give them new life. They could, of course, be used as doilies but I know not many modern homes use those anymore. Still, if you would like this bunch of handmade lace, I would be happy to send it to you, just let me know soon.

The doilies are gone to a new happy home!

Ready to assemble… maybe…

Mar31

I have all the squares woven for the tunic but…! I am still trying to figure a way to add sleeves. I really like it all brown but I also really need sleeves. I had intended to beg for yarn but I don’t want to wait. It’s hell when you can’t get everything you want Right Now! Still fretting over what to do but it is good to go, if I decided to do it. Robin has been a good boy today, too, staying on his kitty blanket and off my project.

It’s still trying to snow. Temp has been slowing dropping all day. It’s (nearly) April fur heaven’s sake!

Recounting

Mar28

Decided to lay it out and see how it was coming. Took some new measurements, too. I didn’t flunk out of math in high school but my Pop, who was a surveyor back in the Olden Days before calculators and computers, had been known to wonder how he managed to sire such math dunderheads! lol

Okay, but I don’t think my initial guesstimate was too far off. I scooted the cat over and laid them out on the bed. Laid the pattern out over them and came up with a couple modifications. Not entirely happy with it yet, but I still have more squares to weave so time to mull it over.

I think I may yet rearrange the upper bodice. I’ll have to see how it fits once I get most of it assembled. One thing I have learned during this design it myself era is never weave ends in until you are Absolutely Sure it’s right. It is really difficult to find ends if you have to frog once you’re done a proper job of weaving them in!

Okay– back to weaving while it’s still raining and too wet for gardening.

Still weaving…

Mar27

But meantime I thought I’d chat a bit about ideas. I have a picture file on my computer under Weaving Clothing called Ideas. When I see a picture of a garment- sewn, knitted, whatever- that I think I could possibly make with the looms, I save it in this file. Of course, there are many more ideas than I’ll ever have time to make so I thought I’d share a few “Inspired by” here to give you an idea.

Here’s a couple for you with the big shawl looms. I’m pretty sure this first dress could be done but it’s a bit difficult to sketch here. I’m going to have to get out the paper towels and work in the round for this one. But I’d love it if some of you put your minds to it and came up with a plan! The second one, the shawl with sleeves, or whatever that might be called, is easier. I have thought about making that one for my daughter who likes drapey things. Trouble is, as always, the time to do it. The sleeves could be knitted in, of course, but also woven with the smaller squares or triangles. I made some prelim sketches just to keep the idea in my head. You never know…

And there are lots for the smaller looms. This one would be pretty easy. If it’s your project, I have to thank you for the inspiration, I don’t remember where I saw it. It was Multi woven, the 4″ I believe, but if you have a big dog it could also be done with the 6 inch or one of the Quilt Weaver squares.

If you’re looking forward to summer and have the ‘figger’ for it, here’s a pretty simple top for hot weather. Your teen could wear this. The woven blocks should be a fairly tight and modest fabric but would still be lighter and more comfortable than this crocheted version probably would be. Something like a soft cotton or one of the bamboo, silky yarns might be good.

Just something to think about while I am weaving for this tunic. Make your own file, & teach yourself to think in squares and triangles while looking at clothing. Get out your stash of already woven squares and spread them out and get inspired!

SweetHeart

Mar26

A weaver in Oregon sent me these little SweetHearts she made using our loom. She felted them and then added a beaded edging to them. I forgot to ask what yarn Kathy used, but I’m guessing it was a fine yarn as the hearts are light and thin, delicate and so pretty! She says she gave some a pin back to make wearable valentines. Great idea!

The Stack is growing…

Mar25

I’m getting there.

coming along

I decided to add a bit of an edging pattern to the tunic bottom. Just a little two repeat pattern:

1. Weave Plain

2. Under 1, then slip the needle across between the layers of warp and go under the last one.

3. Weave plain.

4. Repeat row 2 and them weave the rest of the block plain.

Day started out raining, now it’s just cold and gloomy so I think I’ll build a fire and sit and weave today.

Patchwork experiment.

Mar24

Okay, here it is. It took some finigeling but I think I got it. It’s still a bit too wide at the shoulders, but then the original shirt also was. I ended up making darts in the back of the shoulders which helped some. I like it much better than the original shirt, in any case. Had to add a row on 2″ squares out of the bag at the neckline as it was a bit to low for the high cut sports bra which is my favorite. But I think they are kinda cute, anyway. So here’s the next steps. Mine- & you can see where to avoid this many with a little planning on yours!

Pinned the patchwork to the shirt at sleeve seam and shoulder. Then top-sewed it down. >>> Then took out the shoulders because they were too wide. Sewed the dart in the back and the re-pinned and top sewed it again, easing the blocks. I also pinned and top sewed the bottom of the patchwork.

Then I cut out the section of the shirt under this leaving a half inch of “seam allowance” in case I needed it. You never know. I hope you can tell that this is inside-out here.

And now it’s done. I am pleased with it, all in all. Used up a bunch of squares out of the misc bag and have a colorful shirt to wear this summer just by remodeling one I already had and didn’t wear. Meanwhile, I am still weaving for the tunic. But there are more blocks in the misc bag, too….

Just wanted to add a note here. I tossed this one in the washer with the regular laundry and it came out just fine. May have fulled a tiny bit but no shrinkage or distortion, not unraveling. Did just fine, which pleases me no end!

Hazel Rose

My Life in the Country