Tag Archive | Quilt Weaver

Raining fish and frogs!

Oct21

Well, not really. Used to do that once in awhile when I lived in Florida years ago, but never seen it here. But we are all delighted to see it raining hard enough that the Fire Service people are considering the fires to be OUT!  

I finished my Antimacassar yesterday but was not able to load it here and it kept timing out. So I’ll try again! I added a 14″ triangle to the top to hang over the back of the chair to keep it in place and still let the whole picture show. I’m not really very happy with the additional stuff on the top left but not unhappy enough to rip it out and do over. Worked a SC in white around the edge just to finish it off neatly. Now I just have to find a shiny black button to give him an eye. Sister insists that he needs one in spite of the fact that it’s probably not going to show.

So I hope you are all making some headway, maybe even starting to assemble? Hope to hear some progress reports!

Remember, this weeks prize is a 4″ Multi triangle loom! The dusty one in the photo is mine, you’ll get a new un-dusty one!

Row two is the most complicated bit and that is really not that hard once you look at how it’s put together. It’s just overlapping triangles!

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!

 

I think September is the start of Fall…?

Sep1

At least I hope so. The Weather Wizards have been speculating on La Nina, telling us we may get a colder and wetter winter this year. What a wonderful thing that would be. I’m afraid to believe it, tho because if they are wrong it is going to be just too disappointing! Anyone who has been watching the goings on out in the US west know we are drying up and burning up. Here in Coffee Creek we are under Evacuation Warning and the fire is creeping closer. We have the trailer parked in the driveway and are loading what we want to save. Have you ever had to make decisions on what you want and what you have room for? Then you know what it’s like around here these days. Not only that but we don’t know we are going to have to leave so meantime we have to go about our lives. There  are still looms to make, the garden to tend and veggies to can, he has unfinished jobs… It’s hard to pack what we need to take if we have to leave when meantime we have to live here and need those things for that! If you can figure that out!

Space station photo. I tried to mark the fires for those in the area. Not guaranteed, tho.

Here’s a picture of the fires on Aug 2 from the space station. That was before the Haypress fire (ours) got over the hill and down into Coffee Creek drainage. Since that time it’s been creeping down toward us. The canyon is filled with smoke from it and from the rest of the fires in N CA. But the fire people tell us that’s a good thing as it keeps the fires down, less oxygen for them. Also for us! But I don’t think we’re going to be able to count on La Nina to arrive in time to save us so we’re just going to have to count on the fire crews and our own resources. And your good thoughts or prayers!

But meantime…

Bread and Butter pickles from the basket of cukes.

Looking up at a Tall sunflower!

Meantime since I was disturbing the dust I decided to run all these dust collectors through the dishwasher. My, they are shiny!

He mulched the potatoes with straw and now we have a crop of wheat! I can make potato bread! ;-D

Himself thinks these old games are worth a lot of money to game collectors, but I think those guys want unopened new “old”
games and mine have a lot of miles on them! I played and so did every kid that came around. It was fun but I expect I’d get Zelda slaughtered these days. If I could figure out how to hook it up to the modern TV. But it just goes to show what you can find when you start digging out dusty corners. I didn’t find my wedding rings, tho. 😦

Is it history?

Weaving content is still missing for the same reason. But there will be projects in a couple of Little Looms magazines next year so is that something to look forward too?! I hope!

Meantime get out your dancing shoes and give us a rain dance or two!

The neighbor brought her kids over for lunch.

 

 

Happy St. Pat’s day!

Mar9

Here we are in March again! St. Valentines day is gone and Easter is coming. It was spring yesterday and today started with winter white! St Pat’s day is right in the middle. I started weaving this little project awhile back but time got by me and now it’s nearly here, But this one is a quick one so go ahead and start!

Have a happy March!

Shamrocks 

© HazelRoseSpencer 2021

Small HazelRose SweetHeart Loom

100% wool worsted weight yarn, green.

Weaving needle

Notes:

You can weave this with man-made fibers but it will be bigger as it will not felt. You’ll need a washing machine to felt this. These are useful as well as decorative. They work as a doily under a tea cup or soup bowl or as a mug rug to protect your furniture from drips. They are quick to make and make nice little hostess gifts as well.

Felted they will measure about 5″ or 12.5cm across.

 Instructions:

Weave four hearts.

Weave in tails leaving about a half inch of yarn hanging out. Once these are felted you can clip these ends. This helps make sure nothing comes undone.

Sew two hearts together on one side. Twice.

 4.Sew the two sets together.

Crochet a double chain* to make a stem.  Connecting it just off the underside edge, weave in ends.

Felt. I put these in a small laundry bag and washed them in hot water with a couple bath towels. Smooth them out when washed and lay the flat to dry. I did not put them in the drier. When they were dry I steamed them flat and trimmed the ends. These are sort of felted to the back so you would not have to clip them but I think it helps them lay flat.

 

 Crocheted double chain:

Pull loop though to the back, chain 2.

   

Insert hook into stitch on the left and pull a loop up. Chain though both loops on hook. Repeat until your chain is as long as you want it. Fasten off and weave ends into chain to hide.

To use as mug rug, using a good fabric glue & glue the Shamrocks to a piece of non-skid backing. Cover the top with a bit of saran or foil and place a moderate weight, like a book, on it and let it set for at least several hours. Cut around the non-skid, making the backing just a little smaller than the wool so that it does not show from the front. Check your glue label for washing instructions. The saran is to keep any glue from accidently getting on your weight.

February again. 2021

Feb6

We did have some winter, 30″ of snow almost two weeks ago and bits and inches later which mostly melted off as fast as they fell. We still have 10 or so inches of that first one left on the ground.

I send in my seed order early as the companies are advising us to. And plants which I had set the ship Date at the end of March. Got my onion plants the day after the snow storm. What the heck? Not shoveling out the garden so I can plant onions in February! Lady at the seed company apologized, said their shipper thought we lived in south California. Isn’t that was zip codes are for? But she ordered more to be shipped early April and promised to hold the rest until then also. Hope so. The garden this year will be almost as big but different. Cutting back on tomatoes for one thing.

We go to town today to get or virus vaccinations. We’re luck to live in an area where there is not much of this plague so are comparatively safe. We do wear our masks and maintain social distancing. We go to the Grocery and the gas station and the hardware store, that’s about it. If we need anything else, there’s Amazon. I can use stash yarn for the nest 20 years and not run out so am good there, too! lol

I have been weaving on the large SweetHeart loom. The plan is a cowl using Crochet to joining and fill out a bit tho I have yet to discover if this will work. Maybe this way.

  

 

 

Summertime…

Jul4

The livin’ may not be easy for everyone, but up here in the boonies it’s not too bad. The garden is thriving. I picked peas this morning. There is something so satisfying about shelling peas. The one chore I actually look forward to.

  Shelling peas.

Big bowl full

The zucchini are in full stride too, of course! Tomatoes growing, beans- bush, climbing, and lima- blooming. I’ll be sweating away in the kitchen with the canner soon. Not a chore I really look forward to, but the results are satisfactory.

I am weaving, too, a couple projects I intend to offer to magazines so won’t show those yet. But I was doing some stuff with Log cabin that turned out pretty well. They’ll make nice coasters or, well, about anything else you might want to make!

  Diagonal weaving on the weave-it loom. Plain and log cabin.

Same thing in Green. This one done of the Multi 4″ square.

Still hoping to make it up to Sis’s this year, but will be a couple months yet, it seems. I’m getting a new knee middle of this month and then there’ll be some visits to the Torturer to learn how to use it, but I hope to get though that part quickly. I go in the 13th to get my lecture from the surgeon on being too heavy, but I have actually been losing. We’ve been walking up the hill every morning. Made it to the top again with only one stop to pant , this morning!

So I hope you all have a sense-able 4th of July weekend. I want you to all stay safe! Both heath-wise and fire-wise. There’s been a lot of air traffic around here this morning that I am hoping is just precautionary. We can save our fireworks for New Years when there is snow on the ground. They look even prettier then anyway!

Meantime…Happy Birthday USA-I hope you are around for another one!

Whopee!

Apr7

The new Little Looms magazine just came out and I’m in it! They wanted my little Onsie, woven on the 4″ square Multi loom. This is only my 2nd time being Published. A few years ago Handwoven had one of my doll dresses in it. I  think I’ve caught the Bug! lol I’ve got a list of subjects and dates for projects and am busy planning!

But here’s the Onsie.

If you have a new baby coming, child, grandchild, friend, you might like this one. It’d make a great shower gift, too! (Link above to magazine, or check your local book store-if you can do so safely.) I used the 4″ triangle, too, but I think you could use the square and just fold it. However, we would be happy to sell you a 4″ triangle, they are very handy! The theme was Animal, Vegetable, Mineral. Mine is named after a flower so in the Veg category. This magazine only comes out once a year but I’ve already submitted & had accepted my project for next year.

Hey! Remember… You knew me when!

 

 

Looks like we’re staying home for Easter.

Mar23

I was thinking about that and remembered I had woven some bunnies in days of yore so headed out to Le Shed to see what I could find. The lavender bunny was the first one I made and that back in the first year we were making looms. Back when I was doing a newsletter. I’m not sure where that went, just kind of faded, I guess. But this 20 year old bunny is still hanging in, looking a bit worn but still identifiable! He’s pretty simple so I think you  can probably figure out how I did it by this little sketch.

This sad little guy came sometime later. He does have real rabbit ears tho drooping like they are here they look more like bear ears in this photo. The back view shows them and how I gave him a tail. It’s just a cotton ball sewn on. He’s also made with two triangles but I just tied off his ears and gathered his neck a bit. The rest was playing with some needle sculpting. Wasn’t very good at it but he does sit up and shows a bit of legs and arms. His nose is a big French knot, and I gave him glued on goggle eyes.

The third bunny is the newest one, only a few years old. I used some fuzzy yarn for him and a square and a triangle. As it happens, I did write this one up! It’s a downloadable pdf file. Hope you enjoy this one!

Bunnies

 

A WAL/DAL

Jun10

It’s finished. I’m writing all this up with pictures and will save as a pdf and post of the web site, probably. I’ll let you know. Madelyn is thinner so the shorts are a bit blousey on here but you an see that it would also make a nice skirt. I’ll try to find a live model for them.

It starts here …

That’s weave along or design along. I’m calling it Keep Your Pants On! I’ve been getting suggestions to do a WAL to make pants. It’s going to be Along, too, as I will be weaving with you! I hope a few of you will be interested in the project. We’ll start with a pair of shorts and some kiddy pants for those of you who want to start small and have a small one to wear them. I’m going to be posting to the Pin Weaving Support Group on Facebook. and to the Ravelry Small Looms group so you can join in & share in any or all of these places.

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Here’s one of the kids pants projects  as a start. A pair of shorts for a toddler boy.

So here’s what I have so far. I tried several yarns on both the Quilt Weaver and the Multi loom and didn’t find anything I liked. I was thinking cotton but the cottons I ave are either too small to make a nice fabric with the Quilt Weavers or too heavy to make it on the Multi Looms. sock yarns were a little too light for my liking on the multi as well. and I wanted a yarn that would not stretch to leave holes once they are on the moving body. I finally ran across this box I got from Lion Brands 10 for $10 sale.  Had no idea what to do with it when I bought it but it was a ‘deal’! It weaves up very nice on the 7″ Quilt Weaver square. A snug weave without making a stiff fabric.  It’s Lion’s Pride Woolspun, 80% acrylic, 20% wool. A Bulky Woolease.

And then I went thought my box of adult patterns and found a pants pattern that I think will work. I folded up the legs and pinned the front and back together. I don’t seem to have one of those ‘one size fits all’ kind so am making my own this way. You’ll need to be sure to measure your hips, usually at or just below your belly button. That will give you the widest measurement. You’ll probably want to add an inch or two of ease for sitting, too.

Here’s my layout for one side. This is 18 seven inch squares. None of my squares are stitched together just yet but I think this is going to work.  I will sew these together  and then stitch and cut to get the crop correct. Did I mention that you are going to need a sewing machine to do it this way? I have a layout that does it differently  but I think this will make a better fit. I’ll share the other way of doing it as well, tho, if you want to try it. It’s basically the same way  that the kids pants are done but with a larger insert for the crotch.

This is Charlies, Pants, done with the 3.5″ Tiny Weaver Square. You could use your 4″ multi but be sure to check the measurements. Add squares top or side to get your fit. This would be for a child. your going to need many more squares for yourself, no matter what size you are and if you are using the 4″ make your crotch insert with the 6″.

Okay this is the basic idea. Decide on your loom. Start asking questions! Start swatching yarns and look for a pattern if you want to do it my way.

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Measuring the skirt and play suit results in a rather small size for both, reminding us again that you do need to measure yourself.

The skirt was made to fit my mannequin, Madelyn. A very slim model. The skirt, made with the 6″ Multi loom, measure 26″ at the waist and 36″ at the hip. The skirt was three rows of 7 six inch squares and I took darts at the waist. It was also lined.

The Play suit, a version of a Weave-it  project was even smaller, measuring 26 at the waist and 36 at the hip. This way of doing it has no darts but is tiered as in chart. And you’ll see in the chart that the squares are Not square, This was to show that they are eased in to fit the previous row. It does not look gathered if done carefully.

Take your measurements, from waist to hem and also around your waist and hips. From there you will be able to determine how many squares you need to fit yourself.  The crotch square is recommended to be larger, you can try the 4″ or the 6″ & decide which you think works best. Also you might want to make that one a double to give it a little extra strength. The waist band is knitted k2, p2 ribbing. If you do not knit you can crochet it, if you don’t do neither you can just weave an extra row of 4 in squares , sew together in a waist length row,  fold them lengthwise and stitch it on as a band.

Now as I have had questions about how to assemble this crotch, I’ve changed my mind about how I’m doing it and will do it the flat way. My square measure 6″. So laying them out with 3 squares will give me a 36″ waist. But if you have a 36″ waist, you are not likely to also have 36″ hips.  Well, men might but women aren’t likely to. If I manage to ease in one more square it will give me 48″ hips.  That also makes the leg opening 24″ which may be a little loose for shorts. All these things have to be adjusted by your size and your taste. This is where the design comes in! And do remember!!! You are not weaving squares… you are weaving Fabric! You can treat it like any other coarsely woven fabric. You’ll need to sue some kind of stay, whether iron on backing or just sewing a stay stitch, before you cut. I am going to start assembling these shorts today and will take photos of inserting the crotch gusset.

Next Day:

I’m not really happy with the way this is going. The project, that is. This yarn makes some nice sturdy, yet soft fabric but trying to ease in an extra 6 inches isn’t going smoothly. I’m going to go ahead with it, bit I think I won’t weave in ends just yet in case I have to frog it later. A lighter fabric wouldn’t be a problem, I think, so don’t be discouraged by my comments. I’ll post another comment & a photo once I get the next tier on.

I guess it could be cute. We’ll see. I have not yet added the 3rd tier, which I’ll try to get done today.