Tag Archive | looms

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

 

Lazy Summer Log Cabin Picnic Blanket

Apr24

I made a video showing how to weave the log cabin. I demonstrated it on the Tiny Weaver square as it’s the one that I can get in the whole view, but it starts exactly the same on the bigger looms, there are just more repeats on those. I also did not notice that the orientation would be slantwise to the camera but I think it is still pretty plain. I will try to remember that in the future.

So now we see if my new internet is fast enough to load this little video.

 

Spring Little Looms is out….

Apr11

I haven’t gotten my “hard copy” yet but did get to take a look at the digital one. I’ve gotten a few emails about the pattern. People seem to like it. Those, at least, who love larger projects, as this blanket it pretty big. But you can, of course, make it any size you like. It’s easy to make smaller. Or bigger should you lean that way!

The neat thing about this one is that with care it is machine washable and not only can be varied in size but also in usage. It will fit a twin bed, It covers the top of my Queen bed so may fit a double and could easily be made a big wider to fit the queen better. You can use any colors that fit your scheme and actually, it would work with other fibers, too. If you wanted a winter blanket, you could use your hand spun or favorite commercial wool. A nice acrylic might make a good dorm blanket that could just be tossed in the washer at need.

I am adding  a chart there that Little Looms did not publish. I found it a help and maybe some of you will also.

 

This is the 2nd largest project I’ve woven on the pin looms and actually did not find it that difficult & it really didn’t take long to make. Well worth the time I think! You have lots of choices with this one. But whatever you decide, I’d love to see what you weave!

Photo from Little looms

Another oldie.

Apr6

I finished this one in 2014. It’s a collection of my handspun yarns.  Woven on several looms, mostly, if I remember, the 7″ and the 3 1/2″ squares. Randy made the wood buttons.  The button holes are just an unstitched space between the little squares on the front band. I like 3/4 sleeves but these were probably a little wide and the bottom edges. It works okay, tho.

Just been going though older projects, posting to my 3 “social media” places, here, Ravelry, and the facebook pin loom group. I’m working on a new everyday sweater but thinking of reworking that idea. I’ve been weaving either 12″ or 10.5″ squares, can’t remember just now. Needless to say that last one woven was a couple months back! But someone posted about shape weaving the other day which reminded me of the shape woven I’ve done in the past. I still have the cardboard looms and am thinking I might just employ that method on this sweater. I seem to get a better fit with less blocks than the cut and sew method. I’m too big to get a good fit with the totally block woven things. The one above is cut and sew. This one is the shape woven. The yoke and the arm skye as well as the back yoke were shape woven. And a much better fit than the others I’ve done, I think. The sleeves as shown were cut and sew but both made from the same pattern. Well, I’ll have to think about this some more. I have a little time between now and my next deadline, I hope!

March Madness off to a maddening start!

Mar5

Got  up to no phone and no internet! But here at 1 pm we’re back connected to the world. for now anyway!

Here’s the starting pattern. No picture yet, I don’t want to spoil the surprise! Just hope it doesn’t surprise me, too!

Random Squares.

©Hazel Spencer 2-2022

 

Loom orientated diagonally, like a diamond. The pin furthest from you will be Top, the one closest is Bottom. This pattern is woven over under just as is usual with diagonal continuous weaving. I am sharing the technique of making the patte4rn but not giving weaving lessons.

Center row:

  1. Light yarn, slip knot on top corner nail, tail brought out between bottom nail and the on just to the right of it..
  2. Dark yarn Long slip knot over light yarn to nail on each side of top and bottom center.
  3. Light yarn over dark and around.
  4. Dark yarn
  5. dark yarn:  Note how the pattern seems to have changed direction. You may not be able to see this yet, but keep weaving.
  6. Light
  7. Dark
  8. Light
  9. Dark
  10. Light
  11. Dark
  12. Dark
  13. Light
  14. Dark
  15. Light
  16. Dark
  17. Dark
  18. Repeat rows 6-17 or as often as the number of nails on your loom allows. Your square will end with a single row.

You may not be able to see the pattern well, it may look sketchy. The best way to tell is to look at the weaving almost horizontally. But the next step is to take if off the loom. Stretch it side to side and smooth it out to relax and lightly full the yarns. Now you’ll see the pattern! Let us see what you have woven!

If you have already woven the first pattern as posted here (which is now corrected) you may end up with something like this, which is interesting but not what it was supposed to look like.  Just enjoy and try the new one.

March Madness 2022

Feb27

Ready for a little March Madness?!

A Weave Along for a little fun for the mostly muddy month of March. Yes, here in Northern California we finally got a little rain, almost enough to make some mud and I thought it worth celebrating!  This WAL will need a square loom and two yarns, a light and a dark. Try Black & White if you have it but I am encouraging you to use stash as this is a learning process more than a project. I am using some of that “stainless steel” acrylic yarn that I inherited from my Mom who used to crochet endless colorful striped afghans. The kind kids make card table tends with, that get draped over couches to collect the dog and cat hair, get dragged to the park and the beach and then get tossed in the washer and dryer and just never die! Yeah, it’s not something you’d want to knit a body hugging camisole from but it’s great for rough usage. However, the yarn is your choice, all you really need it the light and the dark and a yarn suitable for your loom.

The loom! Square. I’m going to be using the 10.5″ square, just because that’s the one I started on, but I’ve tested it on the 4″ Multi and the 7″ Quilt Weaver to be sure it works there, too. So a loom at least 4″ square, and upward.  We’ll be weaving continuous, diagonally. Your first square will need pretty much equal amounts of each color, so pick your loom and divide how much it takes to weave a square on that size loom by 2. We’ll be weaving with a hook.  If you’re going to be using the 3pin Multi, or weavette kind of loom you might want your needle for that last row, not needed but handy.

Not going to show you yet, the first square we’ll weave together. The next one you get to be the designer! But I’ll tell you it’s easy, stress free, fun, and has lots of potential. I’ve been having fun with it and DH is more enthusiastic about this one than he ever has been. I hope you are going to enjoy it, too!

More Dreary January

Jan23

Well, I guess that’s unfair. It’s a bright sunny day but still- half melted snow and mud and dead looking landscape… Yeah, dreary.

But warm in here by the stove. I’ve been trying to work out texture patterns for the Quilt Weavers. Worked on this one on the 7 inch Fine set. Should have started smaller. Needless to say it didn’t occur to me that I ought to do some math first, never a thing that springs to my mind! lol  And it didn’t work out in the center as it was meant to, naturally. And I also discovered that I didn’t pay close enough attention to the edges and one side wasn’t properly woven. So I’m trying again but with a smaller sized loom. I’ve done this on the Regular sett so I know it works. I thought this would be good for the 7″ because it results in a looser weave so a bit easier when you approach the center.

I took some pics during the weaving. Don’t copy my rows but you get the idea. It’s the slide stitch if you want to give it a try and if you get it to work out properly let me know!

Wrong! I took out the instructions I posted yester day as they were wrong. I rewove and think it have ti right this time but I’ll have to weave and write at the same time to get it down- so more waiting! Sorry!

  

Okay, That’s enough for this time. When I get it to work out I’ll post that and the photo. But now I have to go work in the shop.

Hope you are having a lovely Sunday afternoon!

Once a UFO

Dec6

Now it’s nearly done. Just has to have a trip though the washer. After that I’ll decide if the bottom of the yoke needs stitching down. I think I pinned this in place before the Big Evacuation and it’s just been out of sight out of mind since. It’s kind of long on me, too, so I may have to re-hem it. I like these shirts. I got them on sale at WalMart in Yreka a few years ago. There’s a green one and a red one left. They’re well made men’s shirts so have sleeves of a decent length. I prefer those without the band but liked this color in spite of that. The yoke is sock yarn on the 4 & 2 inch Multi Looms. I just place the assembled yoke over the shirt, pin in place, sew it down with the machine and cut away the parts I don’t want. I left the shirt fabric under this one to gvie it a bit of heft.

 

 

We’re supposed to have rain today sometimes and snow next weekend. Good time for shop work except…! He’s gotten a case of food poisoning somewhere and has had to spend most of the last two days… well, you know where. But he has gotten some stuff done in the shop. If you have an order in, please be patient, we’ll get them done as soon as we can.

Trying to stay warm these December days! Hope your December is going well!