Tag Archive | tri loom

The other end of May… already!

Summer time has hit here, even tho it’s still May. 89 degrees today! Well, I am actually enjoying the warm. Made a potato salad and we’ve been having breakfast and dinner on the deck. Nice! Supposed to cool down a bit this weekend so I will plant out the tomatoes and peppers then. did not want to get them burnt right off!

Another week and we head out for the Big Sky Festival in Hamilton Montana. Am I ready? Yeah, sure! lol But I will be. Sis will be coming down to house sit.

The Blue thing is on hold for a bit. I can only deal with that yarn for so long. It feels good, it’s beautiful , it’s a PITA to weave with. So I wove a bag, you may have seen it on Rav already, I am pleased with it and it’s gotten some nice compliments. The nicest of course, is from those who order the looms and the pattern to make one themselves! I call it Tamale Pie since that’s what the colors remind me of.

And things are blooming like crazy in this heat in spite of all the snow still on the mt tops. Coffee Creek it up and running, but staying where it ought. I thought my tree peony was dead but looks like not!

I know you are all out getting dirt under your nails in the garden and those who don’t enjoy dirt are probably planning big weekend parties. Either way I hope you have a fun and safe holiday!

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!

http://www.trinityalpsrealty.com/pre_search_trinity_center/results-125246p/detail-12R177534

A couple of things of possible interest…

Apr22

Anyone within Reach of Hamilton Montana & the Big sky Fiber Festival who is interested in pin loom weaving might want to take a look at my class there in June. Here’s a link. We’ll be talking about making clothing with your loom!

Today I made some for a little doll. I wanted to weave Ida Bean for Addy. I think she came out rather cute! I mostly used the 2″ Multi loom and worsted weight wool yarn from stash. Here skirt used the 2″x 6″ but 3 two inch could do the same. Ball game comes on in a few minutes so will get back to weaving 6″ for the next Project!

Hope some of you can join me in Montana!

Done at last!

Apr6

The sleeves are longer and looser than I had in mind but all in all I am pretty pleased with this one! Already planning the next one! Raining and gloomy today but managed an indoor picture that isn’t too bad, except for the old bag I had modeling it! Wish I had known about this when I was young enough to wear some of the things I would have liked to make! Well, I can make them for Madelyn I guess! For those of you doing this, I think this yarn would look good sewn like this and sleeveless if you can wear it without. The colors and the texture of the assembly method give it all the decoration it needs. I ended up sewing a facing of commercial fabric for the neckline, keeping it simple.

Okay, on the job again!

Apr5

My order From JoAnn’s with the fabric stabilizer arrived. I never saw anything that said how wide it was so only ordered 2 yards thinking it was probably was wide as the iron on interfacing of many ears ago, but it wasn’t so I just applied it to the top yoke part where I needed to cut. I think that’ll be fine and it really really helped with the cut and sew part! I wasn’t really sure what I was doing to it my all peel off eventually but it seems fine now.

I ran a top stitch around the neckline when i had it sewn together just to make sure noting starts raveling. and then I basted the thing together and tried it on. It may be a little wide across the chest, it’s hard to really fit something to yourself, but it’s not tight, even in the sleeve. I won’t post everything here but if you have any questions let me know and I’ll see if I can answer them. I zigzaged all the seams. One thing I discovered about my sewing, maybe it’s from making doll clothes, but I tend to run my seams too narrow, had to redo a couple.

So now I have to figure out how to finished the neckline. I usually knit or crochet an edging but with the stabilizer that will be difficult. It could be worked separately and sewn on and I am considering that. Or I might come up with a facing for it. But huge steps have been taken today!

But my helper has gone over the Rainbow bridge this week. I’m going to miss him.

Still weaving…

Mar24

Yes, I added on but found that this method of assembly really does take up a lot. It was barely enough but I decided to add a little more ease, just in case. Once cut you are committed and I can take up easier than let out on this project! So It will be another day before I cut.

Meantime the boobie prize for the Bunko was a hit last night. It ended in a 4 way tie for most losses so they rolled off. The winner seemed happy with her prize. I wove the napkin on the 14″ square and crocheted the edging to make it a bit fancier. The yarn is some nice acrylic in bright colors. I added a loaf of frosted cinnamon raisin bread. It was supposed to go into a bamboo bread basket but the basket proved too small for my husky loaf. Ah well..

And today it’s snowing. Again…

Long projects

Mar7

It truly looks like I am never going to be rich and famous as a blogger. I think those people have to be a little consistent about posting and I obviously am not. Ah well… I hope my 3 fans do enjoy it when I remember! lol I suppose it still counts if two of those are relatives?

But on to the topic of the day. The long in the making Shawl In A Ball project. Quite frankly I, like a lot of others, find assembling all these little squares at bit tedious on big projects so I remembered a male weaver who went to his sewing machine. I rather liked both the idea and the results so!

Remember all those little bags of squares? Got them all into strips in one morning. I think I have just about enough for the bodice of my top. Now I’ve gotten out my 12 inch square and am going to experiment with it for the sleeves. Once I think I have it all figured out it will be back to the machine. I guess I should show you how I’m doing it. I think you can see here. Back to back wrong sides together . This is going to make the total area smaller since it is using about 1/4″ on each side a s seam allowance but it goes ever so much faster and I like the texture it gives to this project. This is really not burlap which, I admit, it does resemble in this close-up. but I think you can see what I am doing.

Oh yeah, I had a helper, an inspector, on the job. He came down periodically to make sure I was staying on the job. This is Robin, he lives in the studio, mostly in his “tree” where he can watch to doings inside and out.

Well, I’m off to weave some 12″ squares. I’ll try to be a better blogger and post some progress a bit more often.

Happy Weaving!

What’s new?

Jan30

Not much here, I’m afraid. Going on as usual, spending the winter catching up on book work and restocking looms. And shoveling snow, but thank goodness for Himself! He handles that part because we have lots of it!

But I have been weaving a few 4″ squares along for the Shawl in a Ball project. The bag was getting into such a mess that I decided to do a little Organizing. Yes, really! This consisted of putting together an estimate of squares rows, trying to blend the colors and bagging each row separately. It looks better now and hopefully will encourage me to start sewing up the rows again. I have started. Oh yes, I also cut out a more permanent pattern with a long sleeve. This top isn’t going to have a full long sleeve but the plan is for 3/4 if I can stretch the yarn that far. Well, likely I’m going to have to buy another skein, anyway. That will make 4. I need to make shorter tails. I have been using them in the sewing up but some are way too long.

Anyway, here’s my version of organization. It doesn’t looks like many all neatly bagged up but there are 7-9 in each bag.

Oh yes, I did make another set of the soup bowl mugs. Got this skein of Red Heart acrylic in Team Colors and it is scratchy as heck so finally gave up the scarf idea and wove a couple mug rugs using the 3 1/2″ Tumbling Block. There’s enough left to supply the whole team with them! lol

Yes, and I did indulge in a little doll clothes knitting during the 4 day power outage. It’s fair isle and I find that is not my talent. It looks okay on your far away view but you would have no trouble finding the errors if you saw it for Real. I could not keep an even tension for the life of me. So anyway, I’ll go back to weaving my dolls clothing!

Another SweetHeart project!

Dec13

Kiwiquilter posted some of her mug rugs on Ravelry the other day and showed one on a saucer, waiting for the teacup and A Light Came On! I use paper napkins under my soup bowls but why not woven mats?! I had a pile of swatch squares so I stitched 4 together to try for size. Not a bad fit but not what I wanted. The 6″ square might be closer but then I saw some posts on the Facebook Pin Loom group using the Sweetheart and another Light Came On! My soup ‘mugs’ have an apple design and the heart looks a little appley… with a little help. So here’s what I can up with and I am quite pleased with it and intend to make more.

First the square one. Keep in mind that it uses misc. swatches just for size and is not a design. This size would work, I could even fold in the tips of the corners if I wanted it more sort of round.

But I like this one better. The leaves are knitted and I crocheted a little stem. I know this is a short post, but I have more SweetHearts to weave!

It was suggested that I put the worm in his mat so here’s His & Hers!

Hazel Rose

My Life in the Country