Tag Archive | yarn

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

 

More Clothing…

Dec15

Weavers have asked for more so here’s another. This was the first pull over that worked really well. It was back in the Olden Days, when I was spinning my own yarn. This was the first whole Jacob fleece I bought and spun up. I used the colors as they came. I’m not sure what became of it, I wasn’t able to find it this morning to take new photo so this is kind of fuzzy. I used the 7″ Quilt Weaver square, we were only making two sizes of looms back them the 7 & the 12″. You can see that the sleeves are a bit odd. If I make this one again I’ll use the sewing machine and modify the sleeve where I drew the red line on the chart. I was scared of cut and sew back then, too, I guess! But it’s a easy one to make and you can use any nice yarn. You can also use cut and sew to modify the neckline if you wanted a different one.

Making clothing

Dec5

The subject of making clothing has come up in pin loon chatting recently. I posted a couple of the tops I’ve made in the past so thought I’d put them here, too. They are easy loom-shaped garments so can be made to fit just about any size. I used the 6″ Multi looms for both of these. My figure changed and the drape between the alpaca and the wool is also much different. I’d like to try one of these in a nice sock yarn, too, but that hasn’t happened so far. I added a  knitted ribbing to the waist of the orange wool one which gave a better fit and the brown alpaca has a 2×6 slide stitch woven waist band. (and the hearts have come off since)

This type of garment fits a little better on a slimmer figure for the most part. The drape of your yarn also makes a difference. The alpaca drapes beautifully while this wool made a bit stiffer fabric.

Fringe

Jul2
The pillow in the new issue of the Little Looms magazine is really about the fringe. You know how to weave squares already. But I thought I’d post a couple more things that the fringe can be used for. The first project I submitted was for a doily, I rather like this one.
 
 The center is a 6″ Multi square using some super wash wool I bought at a fiber fair a long time ago. The fringe is a sport weight wool of unknown brand, The corners we finished with little 1″ squares using a little loom we made with scrap. I think I’ll post the how to photo’s here. I wanted to make it a ‘page’ but I can’t get that to work. It said make a gallery so I tried it. Here’s a couple other project using a fringe. A pin cushion sized pillow, an easy Barbie blouse, a cowgirl outfit for a larger doll. a bag for your cell phone or whatever. I think this could make some really cute toddler outfits, too. More later.                

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.

 

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!

Nearly the end of February.

Feb25

Well, the year is already morning along toward another hot dry summer. the Weather Wizards promised us “rain likely” a few days ago! Now is just a chance of showers. Sadistic people.  Still, they’ve been wrong before, it may still give us a little downpour. Wouldn’t that be great!!

Meantime, I’ve ordered my seeds in case we get to have a garden this summer. Sure hope so as it begins to sound like there could be some shortages, California, or maybe it’s the feds, have told the central valley farmers that they get NO WATER this year. That’s going to put a serious dent in available produce. I think the numbers were something like 25% of the US produce is from that area. We have have to put up shade cloth to keep the garden from frying but we do need to have it.

Been trying my hand at overshot Weaving on the little looms. It’s an interesting process! I haven’t gotten it to work well on the QW’s but I did a couple simple designs on the Multi square. i did a little crochet and turned the two into a wrist cuff. I’ve downloaded a few more patterns from Floor looms that I want to try.

Meantime I’m working on projects for magazines and for a book I am hoping to interest someone into publishing without too much cost- none at all preferably- to me.  Its all for the Quilt Weaver looms. They haven’t had anything new in awhile. But I’m not showing it here, just in case. It’s going to be fun, tho so keep track of your looms, you’ll want to give it a try when I get it ready.

Himself has gone to cut firewood. Says he wants to have nest winter’s firewood in before this summer sets in. Understandable. One of his clients has given him permission to cut fire killed trees on her property. He can drive to it so it’s pretty easy as firewood cutting goes.

And before he left he told me there are 16 looms out in the shop for me to sand. so I guess I’d better get at it. Just wanted to let you guys know that I have not abandoned this blog again. Just finding it hard to find something to talk about! Hope your winter is rounding out a bit more interesting.

Bye for now!

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!

Another January

Jan16

I didn’t check to see when I last posted. I know it’s be awhile. Not a heck of a lot to post about in January. We had our snow at Christmas, and since then it’s been mostly sunny and cold. Pretty much 24 every morning for the last couple weeks. A bit after 2 pm it reaches the high for the day, lately brushing 40 degrees, it was 41 today before it starts dropping again. Days are getting longer but since we have a late, bright moon, the day seems to start about 3 am! A bit longer than I’d like.  I manage to sleep until about 4 am then nap for another hour. Makes the days seem longer, anyway.

I have been doing a bit of weaving, playing with stitch designs and textures. Did this one today. I think I’ve figured it out enough that I can chart it and maybe get a good one. This one will get frogged so I can reuse the yarn. I have to figure out how to center the design and how many will fit and also do something about the edges. Simple, right! lol I’ve been working on single color pattern for the new Fine Sett looms as well. And making a chart that lists the yarn amount needed for each of the looms. I guess I didn’t realize how many different looms we make when you count size and shape and type!

As for the rest of the day… I seem to be busy all day but I really can’t say at what. Strange how that works. The days just fill with little things , nothing memorable but seem necessary at the time. Well, I mean the dishes have to be washed, the laundry also, dinner has to be planned ahead of time, It’s not like we could afford to eat out every night even if we wanted to and had a restaurant closer than 40 miles from us. Then there’s always work in the shop making the looms and packing up the orders and getting them shipped off to waiting weavers. And of course, the Infamous Internet. Yes, emails to answer, posts to read & someone is sure to send a link to a funny or interesting You Tube, just a quick glance you tell yourself. It’s amazing how fast an hours gets by!

I did knit myself a pair of bed socks. They fit well and stay on all night or until I kick them off.  Those were knitted during the evening movie, mostly. We take turns picking one of our many DMVs or video tapes and swap off between reading evenings. Pretty lively around here of a winter evening!

But I mostly just wanted to let you know, anyone who may still be interested in my “Life in the Country”, that I have been worrying over not posting or more specifically, over not seeming to have anything of interest to post about. I hope you are enjoying your January and hoping it’s a comfortable one. That you aren’t in the big snow blizzard back east and sitting in the dark with no power. Tho if you are you are not readying this! duh.

With that brilliant observation I’ll bid you all a good night!

Sweet Dreams!