Tag Archive | dishcloth

Dish Towel on the new 14″ x 28″ loom.

Mar22

This is  our new Dish towel loom that weavers have been asking for. Several are making gift sets to give or sell. I used some peaches and Cream, called Ocean Stripes. This 100% cotton yarn is a bit lighter weight than the Lily Sugar and Cream I usually use but I only had plain colors of that on hand and wanted something more varied. I worked a single crochet around the edges because I thought it might help to stabilized the diagonal drape of this rectangle.  It has quite a bit of draw up before the fulling was done & I think no matter what, the diagonal is going to effect the final size/shape. I did not use this towel gently. It was hot wash, cold rinse, and full cycle in the dryer since I figured that would be the way my normal kitchen laundry would be done.

     

It works fine as towel in the kitchen. It feels quite soft and is as absorbent as the dish cloths made on larger looms and fulled the same way.

It was challenging for me to weave as it is a larger loom than I generally like to work with and I ended up weaving it much too tightly. I used one of my painting easels to hold the loom and set it on a dining chair so I could weave from my chair. I tired it on the dining table but it was too high there for me to reach well whether seated or standing. It took me three days to weave, not an average! I just worked at in by fits and starts as the saying goes. But all in all I am pleased with it.

 

February again…

Feb18

But don’t worry, it’s not spring yet! More snow in the forecast on Tuesday and through the week it sounds like. I’m okay with that. We have gotten quite a bit of precip this winter but are still not caught up with the last dozen or more years of drought. Garden started to thaw a bit this week with the highs in the upper 40’s but there’s still plenty of time for that , too.

I’ve done little yarn things this winter, knitted myself a scrap vest. This is all the scraps and snippets saved from projects over the last decade, probably. Tied together in an overhand knot. Will that hold? Ask me in a few years of wearing it!

And played with a few weaving techniques, that’s about it. Just did this one yesterday. From a photo posted on the pin loom facebook group.

Randy is planning our trip to Utah next month to take part in the Great Basin Fiber Arts Fair, Friday April 28 and Saturday April 29
The Legacy Event Center – Farmington, Utah. I’ll be teaching a basic class on the 4 inch Multi loom, we’ll make a little needle book to learn plain weave and a texture pattern or two. The other class is the dishcloth class on the 10.5″ Quit Weaver Square. We’ll start with plain weave and see how far we get. The class schedule hasn’t been posted yet but should be soon–keep checking!

We’ll be at the Black Sheep Gathering, June 23, 24, & 25 and the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival,  October 14 & 15. Both in Albany, OR. I think we’ll also be at Lambtown in Dixon, CA, Oct 7 & 8. We’re also looking at Fiber Fusion Northwest in Monroe, Washington.  June 4 & 5. Maybe. Sounds like a lot, beginning to feel like a lot as well. I think I’m getting old as these affairs are a lot more stressful than they used to be. I suppose it’s good for me. At least that’s what Himself keeps telling! lol

Did I mention that we can almost see the lake again? Yes, indeed, it has been coming up rapidly this winter. Authorities warn us not to expect it to fill this spring, tho, Partly it appears, because they have other uses for the water up here. I don’t mind sharing but it would be nice if we had some lake. Our local businesses mostly rely on that body of water to draw the tourists that they rely on to stay in business. We’ve lost a few already who weren’t able to tough it out. That’s rough on us all.

Way in the back, that thin line of blue is the lake. The rock piles (a remnant of the mining days) show the river wending its way to join that pool. This is the view across the Lake(bottom) from Trinity Center where we had tp go last month to get internet and cell service from the Verizon tower there.

And my little Fox friend is still coming for dinner each evening. He doesn’t get much, I want him to still hunt but while the snow was still frozen on the ground hunting was difficult and I wanted to keep him around. He’s my best mouser!

I guess that’s all for now. I hope it’s not too Winter where ever you are. Spring isn’t far and we can all be outdoors grubbing in the dirt again!

 

Carrots & Radishes

 

Sept-Trying again..

Sep28

Maybe  the internet and I will get along better today. You think?! Doc says, Yes I did break my finger. He gave me a new splint and congratulated Randy on his. He also said I’ll need to wear this thing for a month!! Trying to make apple sauce today. I can halve them with the cutting board and big knife but coring realty puts a strain on that finger so Himself will have to take over that slot for the time.  But I’ve got the first pot cooking. The Squeezo wall take care of the clean cores.

I spent most of yesterday in town what with Doctor, Chores for Himself, and my own list. Traffic was horrible, with fire hold-ups still north of town and Weaverville’s first traffic light being installed on the other end of town. Took forever to get from place to place so I didn’t get anything done on the shirt yoke.

But we got a lovely cool wet rain! It was so relaxing that I didn’t mind sitting at two road work stops on the way to and from town, just relaxing with the cool and wet and dim landscape. It was great. And hopefully did some damage to the remaining fires as well.

I’ve made and modified the pot holder. Have two more made and one test woven. It’s a light commercial “worsted” woven on the 5″ Quilt Weaver Square. So a test for both yarn and loom size. The dark on on the left is the first one I made using the 7″ and it was a little too long. I rewashed it to felt it a bit tighter and then cut it off shorter. The red one and the one on the skillet handle are both handspun felted max. You can see the pot with the apples there on the left, too.

But now I think it’s time for some lunch and by then the apples may be ready for the next step. Hope your day is moving along smoothly!

Weaving a Pot holder

Sep4

Okay, finally here’s some weaving content! When packing up the kitchen in case of evacuation I used all my potholders as packing material between breakables. Clever, huh? Yes, but I still have to cook meantime! The too thin commercial pot holder that was left  is cute but I may as well use my barehand and burn scars are not cute! I I dug out some yarns and the 3.5×7″ Quilt Weaver rectangle and wove a few. Two are Brown Sheep’s Lamb’s Pride 80% wool, 20% mohair and a skein of my own handspun, unlabeled, of course. That’s how I know it’s mine. Rosy, my spinning sister, labels hers with fiber type and yardage. Anyway, I wove two of each yarn and felted them in the washer with some bath mats. Not a good choice by the way as they incorporated  a nice bit of white fuzz onto my blocks. But as I am not after pretty with this project I didn’t let that stop me, just something to keep in mind!

So now I see that the Brown Sheep felted up nice and tight, the hand spun less so but still good. I decided that the Brown Sheep were going to be a little too small for my project and that both were still a little thinner than I wanted for a pot holder. So I sewed the smaller ones to the larger to make my holder a double thickness. Then I used a blanket stitch to sew the two pads together.

Those of you who use the original non-stick (cast iron) skillets know how hot that handle can get but I think I’ve fixed that now! I’ll tell you after breakfast tomorrow!

It’s not pretty or cute but it looks like doing what I need. It ought to be pretty fire proof too, so hopefully I won’t set the kitchen on fire! However, I think I’ll make another and make it just a bit shorter. And maybe this time I’ll go for cute as well as safety!

 

Black Sheep Gathering!

Jun28

We’re heading off pretty soon for Albany, Oregon and the Black Sheep Gathering. We’ll have the booth all weekend, of course and I’ll have beginning Pin loom weaving class Sunday afternoon, if you know anyone in the area who wants to learn. After that we head to Viola, Idaho and the Grazing hills Fiber Arts Festival. This is a new show and the ladies have worked very hard to make this a good one. I’ve offered two classes there. The same beginning pin loom class and also weaving a dishcloth on the 10.5″ Quilt Weaver square. Check them out.

Black Sheep

Grazing Hills

 

Another project.

Apr29

 

Been meaning to make another one of these for some time now. Gabi’s WAL got me inspired.  The only towel in my stash was one I got for xmas from my $store shopping MIL a couple years ago. I just happen to have some kitchen cotton in the green-ish colors of the wreath. So here it is. I worked a slip stitch up from the outside bottom of each tri to kind of reinforce the edges for the tie string to hang from.  The ends are sewn into the hems  where I stitched the tris to the towel. The towel is cut about 2/3 of the towel and cut edge zig zagged, then gathered this time. I fitted it to the edge of the tri and pinned closely and sewed it down, on the back side first, then the same on the front side. Then stitched another row about a half inch above that to encase the raw edge of the towel. This one has not been washed yet so you may see some ends that will be clipped later.

This is a photo of the first one I made before I chained on the tie strings. It is no longer photogenic! lol But it’s been very handy and is still working despite it’s less than stellar condition. This one was pleated rather than gathered. You can do the dame thing with the towels you weave, too. But this is a quick  project. They make nice gifts as well.

I’m still working on the idea for an apron.

New years resolutions?

Feb18

Well, maybe.  I cleaned up my Love Seat yesterday. That’s where all my projects and yarn- UFO’s, WIPs, new yarns etc end up. I just have too many projects started and many of them are never going to be done so I decided to seriously prioritize.
I decided on two projects. First, a fast one with a new yarn. It’s called Bernat Maker Home Dec & says it’s 72% cotton & 28% nylon. I wanted to try it for a dishcloth. I wove the ends in and then secured them by sewing the ends in with sewing thread. I’ll let you know of it makes a decent dish cloth or not. The skein comes with a crocheted blanket pattern. The yarn “tube” is about the size of a #4 knitting needle, quite elastic. It’s a knitted tube with a tiny bit of stuffing.

The second and long term project is a new sweater. My orange one is getting pretty ratty looking and I have been swatching for a new one lately and finally decided to use the bag of alpaca I bought on sale a few years ago. It’s Blue Sky 100% baby Alpaca in a sport weight. I have 5 skeins each of these three colors and several balls of two greens and a charcoal that may end up being the trim if I run out too soon. It is going to be many colored but I think it may end up looking a bit tweedy once it is woven and assembled. But in any case, I need a sweater and I want to use stash so it’s going to be what it is. I am using the 12″ Quilt Weaver square for the sweater, the same one I used for the old orange one. That one I did many years ago before I tried cut & sew so the sleeves in it were knitted. This one is going to be all woven so I am planning 24 squares, hence long term. I figure about 1 hour per square and I doubt I’ll be able to manage one a day, practically speaking. All of us have Other Lives which interfere with our weaving. sigh…;-)

     

UFO

Aug6

Picking up an abandoned project. It’s 4 colors of Lopi. Can’t remember where it came from, a swap, maybe? Anyway, I think it was supposed to be a vest and that is what it is going to be now. Haven’t had a new vest in awhile.  It was lovely out on the deck this morning so I will weave and sip until the sun makes it over the firs.

May!

May2

He put the screen door up today so winter if Officially over! it’s been a lovely warm week, Two days now since we’ve had a fire.

Mom in law is coming for a week so I have to do spit & polish this week getting ready so not much progress for the weaving. Started my Ravelry WAL yesterday but for once, I did Plan Ahead so that it should run without too much work on my part. If you want to join in, it’s dolls, of course. American Girl Doll Knitters on Ravelry. Here’s Ellie & Kirsten goofing off in a pre-photo shoot wearing the new pattern. One of them. There’s more! For the 18″ & the 6″.

And I cooked the last turkey and have it made into MRI’s. Also canned beans this week. Boy! ain’t I been busy! lol Just wanted to check in. I get the loom out when the ball game comes on so still working at it, just less time  now.

Hope you are all getting your gardens in and the spring cleaning out of the way s0 you can get back to weaving, too!

 

More of the same…

Apr25

Still weaving the blue squares for the next top and working on things to share with the weavers in my proposed workshops this summer.  I need a production crew! lol I have so may ideas that will never get anywhere as there is just not enough time to weave them all. Well, you know what I mean, I’m pretty sure we all have that same problem, if problem it be. I’m trying to sketch them out as I dream them up but am fallen behind in that, too.

But meantime I am about to try the layout again on this one. I think I likely still have squares to weave but must be making a little progress. We have ball games most every night now and that’s my weaving time. The Giants even won last night! Beat LA! Yeah! lol

This stuff is a little difficult to weave because of the little loops in the yarn. I get the needle threaded though them instead of over and under. I did find a fatter needle that barely fits between the pins but it has a wider blunt end and so does not pick up the loops as easily. That helps it go a little faster.

And  you know it is gardening season again. Randy picked up pea seed in town yesterday and if it does not rain again (what’s chances!) I hope to get the first ones planted tomorrow. I got the bed ready last week. My fall planted cabbages are growing now, too. I am told that they won’t make heads but will just bolt as soon as it gets warm. I hope not, that was the idea of planting them late last fall, to give them a early start this spring. I have only grown them once, this past spring so am not very experienced  with their druthers.

The peaches bloomed in the rain so am not over confident about my peach crop this year. The apples are just starting leaves, so they may have a chance. It’s almost time for rhubarb but we can find no sign of Randy’s asparagus. I’m thinking of digging up the peonies and iris and planting tomatoes in that bed. I might make an iris border but the peonies are a waste of space. They make pretty flowers for a short time which all have weak stems and fall over. I like flowers who can take care of themselves. The iris, gloriosa daisies, pansies, marigold, and zinnias, day lilies. bee balm.. there’s lots of them I have one peony  in a wine barrel that does fine. It can stay. Well, that’s a lot of work so it may not happen anyway.

But hey! If you are hunting for the perfect place to spend your summer vacation I have just the one for you! Check this one out!

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