Tag Archive | blanket

Not what I started but…

Aug7

I think it worked out okay, tho a more simple garment. I know poncho’s haven’t really been in style since Martha Stewart got out of jail but I’ve never had one and thought it might really work as well as a shrug for those coolish times of the day when you don’t really want a sweater. For one thing, sleeves are difficult in the shop. The sleeves either catch on the nails or sweep them off the work table, then I have to get out my handy dandy magnet on a handle and get them up off the floor. And same thing just sitting and weaving, they get hung up on everything. Not sure this garment will work any better but I’m going to try it. After trying it on again, I think I might end up adding a couple more rows to the neckline to raise it a bit, but I might wait until cooler weather to decide if I need that. I fitted a 12″ triangle at the back neck to raise the back a bit.  I just about had a heat stroke wearing this for Himself to take the photo. lol What with the smoke from the fire and the thunder storms, the heat and humidity are trapped at ground level here and it gets pretty uncomfortable. But here’s what I came up with. I’ve had some suggestions for the shrug and I have more Jiffy so it is still a possibility. But next on my to-do is tending to the peach crop!

front2back 2

Okay, scratch that.

Aug3

Added 8-3   Shrug is not working. Wanted to warn you here so you can rethink if you are following my examples. :-0      Not sure if it’s the plan or just my size. Plan rather simplistic, I agree. But it seemed like a good idea. Too short in back and too tight under the arms. tho the sleeves were plenty big.  I could probably  weave more squares and then cut and sew but I think I’ll just try something else this time. Stayed tuned!

But I do have a couple things to show you, meantime. This 14″ square was proving a little unhandy as a lap loom the other evening and I remembered I had this table easel over in my painting stuff so went and fetched it out. It works pretty good for this. My middle sister made one for me that sits on the edge of the table that would also work but I’m not sure where that one is at this point. But you might want to consider something like this if you’re having the same problem. I have it set on a dining chair to put it to the right height for me to work on from my chair.

DSC02345

The other thing is joining. You can do a russian join, which is what I have been doing, or if you have wool, the ‘spit’ join. But I just sewed the yarn into the new piece without the russian loop and it holds really well in both wool and acrylic. It may make a bit thinner lump that the previous type join. You could probably thin it by cutting plies before you stretch the join out, but I haven’t tried it yet. Sew the yarn into next strand, pull the last end flat (after you take the needle off) then work the first end flat. If you have a little lump at the beginning you can work that out with a needle and trim it.

join

Okay, I’m going to weave another 14″ twill square and think about what this is going to become since it’s not, after all, going to be a shrug.

 

pattern for Ducks Quilt.

May29

If you are interested in making this Ducks Quilt here is the layout I used. I sewed my blocks together with the over hand stitch.  I added the row of yellow blocks using the blue to crochet these onto the top and bottom to make the square quilt a bit more rectangular. After sewing the 9 yellow blocks together, I did a row of single crochet on the bottom edge of that strip and another row of single crochet on the top edge of the assembled blanket. Then I worked a slip stitched to connect the two rows. Repeat at the bottom of the blanket. Then I worked a border of two rounds of single crochet in blue and yellow. You all know you can email me at any time if you have any questions about this project or about the looms. I’d love to see your projects, too!

I forgot to add that the yarn I used was some very nice Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton, called Multi Cotton. It suggested hand washing but I put it in the machine for a short gentle wash. I also put it in the drier until just barely damp and dried it the rest of the way laid out flat. It did fine.

Lay out for duck quilt