100% That Cowl

I needed a small, portable knitting project, but not socks. This cowl was the perfect solution as it is stockinette bordered by 2x2 ribbing. Very simple.

Pattern: 100% That Cowl, by Kris Rossi
Yarn: Colinette Cadenza in 'Tapis' colorway
Needles: US5 for body, larger needles for cast on and bind off
Modifications: I didn't follow the pattern regarding colors, as the only DK yarn I had was this hand-dyed one

I was a bit surprised that the yarn bled when I gave the cowl a bath.

The merino yarn is very soft, so no itchiness when worn next to the skin. The cowl is nice and stretchy, too, easy to pull on and take off.

I have enough of this yarn to make another cowl, albeit a bit shorter, so I plan to cast on again when I need another easy, portable knitting project.

I spun and spun and spun some more

Yesterday morning I worked my shift at the Salomon Farm Fiber Fest, for the spinning guild. I can't recall the last time I attended this fiber fest, so it felt a bit new to me, plus I think it was downsized? Anyway, I arrived early enough to help set up, then parked my butt in a very uncomfortable folding chair, and spun and spun and spun.

Natural dyeing display

Besides me and my wheel, there were several volunteers showing kids how to hand card fleece and spin it into yarn using a spindle. Since it was a Friday, the clientele was mostly home school kids of all ages, and their parents, although there were a few adults without children as well.

Sheep breeds and flax info

I didn't have a spiel prepared, but after a while I developed a patter about what I was doing. I also answered random questions about the displays. In the future I think it would be helpful to have a volunteer to "man" the displays, to answer questions and point out exactly what they are looking at (like the live silk worms).

We lost the F's somewhere along the way

At lunchtime, I quit for the day, but then had to visit the other displays. The weaving guild was there, as well as quilters, a flax demonstrator, a goose quill demonstrator, a knitting guild with various knitting machines, etc. Many of the demonstrators are involved in multiple guilds, which explains why it is so hard to find volunteers to work the festival. And it also explained why I was still there two hours later, because I had to talk to everybody.

Silk display, including live worms

Besides the demonstration area, there were vendors. I took a quick tour but managed to get out of there without buying any fiber. In fact, I got rid of two of the fleeces in the garage, as someone needs dirty fleeces to test some machinery that will turn waste wool into something for gardening? I didn't catch exactly what the purpose was, but was happy to provide some raw material for the effort. Those fleeces were free and have been weighing on my mind. I felt I should process them or have them processed, but the one free fleece I did clean and card turned out to be of poor quality. I didn't want to spend a lot of time and/or money on something that might be a disappointment. I still have a Jacob fleece to play with; I purchased it locally and trust the provider.

Knitting: I finished the cowl; separate post to follow. The Habitation throw is out of time-out; apparently, I just can't count.
Spinning: See above.
Weaving: I started warping the Ashford 24" rigid heddle for some waffle weave towels.

A common weaving problem is measuring one's work as one goes along; dressmaker measuring tapes are usually too short. One solution is to make one's own paper tapes, which I did last week. It was a bit tedious, but now I have a collection of tapes that are over 12 feet long.

I used some kraft paper that came as padding in a package, not realizing that there were perforations every 8 or 9 inches. So besides all the measuring and marking and cutting, there was Scotch taping as well. In the future, if I need to repeat this task, I'll buy some kraft paper.

A success

Sometimes I think the more experienced weavers at guild look down on my efforts (with good reason but still rude). So I was pleasantly surprised at the interest generated by the sari yarn runner that I brought for show-and-tell this past week. It's not often I get to impress those ladies. (And for the record, the sari yarn *is* silk, not polyester. I think I got it from Darn Good Yarn.)

Knitting: The Habitation throw is still in time-out. The cowl is nearly done, though.
Spinning: My wheel is set up and I started spinning some Shetland roving.

Weaving: The hemming on the sage towels looked so bad I ripped it out so I could do it by hand. I'm learning that one should weave the hems with a lighter yarn to reduce bulk. I will definitely do this in the future.

The presentation at the last weaving guild meeting was how to dye with "mud". It wasn't really mud but minerals derived from soil. Bengala dyes have been used historically to paint temples and shrines. It protects against termites and UV rays, so the colors don't fade in the sun. Unfortunately, it is rather expensive.

We played with it a bit, dyeing some handwoven fabric and yarns. The colors are subtle if the dyes are diluted with water, but used directly they are quite intense. I started by dipping my piece of cloth into different colors, to create subtle striping, then went overboard using the dyes directly. I also dyed a hank of what I think is hemp.


This is the simplest method I've come across for dyeing fabric and yarn, as it requires no heat, not much mixing, no special equipment. And it is very safe to use.

Little Looms

For a while now, I have purchased each issue of Little Looms from either B&N or Little Shop of Spinning. I finally decided to subscribe and the first issue I received has a "been there, done that" feel, articles on topics I am already familiar with. Not that I can't learn something new from Tommye Scanlin (author of Tapestry Design Basics and Beyond) or Myra Wood (author of Crazyshot) - lord knows I don't know everything there is to know about anything - but I was expecting something more unknown to me.

Even though I have quite a few issues (of the magazine - we won't go into the personal ones here), I think I have never actually made any of the projects with the exception of some xmas ornaments we fiddled with at weaving guild. I'd like to change that, so I spent some time yesterday perusing old issues, focusing on projects where I did not need to buy any fiber. (My cynical self thinks some of the projects are simply methods for flogging yarn, especially the ones calling for five or even eight different colors.) Before warping a loom, though, I need to sample some color combinations.

Knitting: The Habitation throw is in a time-out, as I made another booboo and the stitch count is off AGAIN. Meanwhile, I returned to the DK cowl, deciding the colors look better once I knit beyond the initial ribbing.

Spinning: No, I didn't actually do any spinning this week. However, I did volunteer to demonstrate spinning at the next Salomon Farm Fiber Arts Celebration. Time to dust off the Ashford Joy and pick out some fiber.
Weaving: I *finally* hemmed the sage towels. Too bad my sewing skills are not better. Maybe I should actually sew something simple, like a caftan out of muslin, just to get more practice.

My driveway now sports a basketball hoop, as my granddaughter is interested in the sport and her driveway is not conducive to such activity. Back in the day (WAY back), I went to a high school that did not have team sports for girls, but I played intramural basketball and was rather good at it, if I do say so myself. Imagine my shock when I discovered I can't throw the ball hard enough to reach the rim, let alone make a basket. Fortunately, the hoop can be lowered, so I've been practicing to strengthen my shoulders so I can play "Horse" with my granddaughter this summer. The things we do for those we love.

Sari yarn runner

It's too bad I did not take a photo of this sari yarn runner or at least measure it before putting it through the washer (on gentle) and dryer. It used to be as wide as the coffee table it rests on, and hung over both ends. In the midst of this project, I did work up a little swatch and washed it, to see what the sari yarn would do. I didn't pay attention to the cotton warp which is used as both warp and weft; the swatch went from about 5"x5" to 4"x4".

Cotton warp shrunk a bit

Pattern: Derived from the Rewoven Fabric Bag, from the book Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom, by Syne Mitchell
Weave structure: Plain weave
Loom: Ashford 24" rigid heddle
Warp: Maysville 8/4 cotton warp in black
Weft: Maysville 8/4 cotton warp in black, Darn Good Yarn sari yarn in 'Multi Color'
EPI/PPI: 7.5/7.5
Ends: 144
Finished size: 42"x16"

In situ

The pattern is for a bag, which matched my original intention. Then it became a runner for the coffee table in front of the TV couch. The cotton warp used as weft alternates with the fabric and locks the it into place for a very sturdy result.

Weaving with sari yarn is, well, challenging. The so-called yarn consists of strips of sari cloth that are sewn together to create a skein of fabric. There are a lot of loose threads that I trimmed as I went along. A temple helped keep the selvages in line.

In real life

This is one of those projects that came off the loom a while back, but sat and sat, waiting to be hemmed. Consequenlty, I lost the project notes, so I'm a bit hazy about the above details. But rest assured, the runner exists and it is finished.

Finishitis

We have a JoAnn store here, but I hate to shop there, mainly because of the s-l-o-w checkout. I don't shop much at Walmart, but they have a sewing and craft section and self-checkout. So that is where I went to purchase some thread. I have the finishistis bug and am determined to complete my outstanding weaving projects, if only so I can clear off the dining room table. I will post about them separately.

Knitting: *Finally* moving forward again with the Habitation throw. While I'm knitting, I find myself thinking, On my *next* Habitation throw.... But seriously, I think this is the last one, no matter how much sock yarn I still have.
Weaving: I hemmed the top of a sampler of leno and Brooks bouquet techniques. I also hemmed the sari yarn table runner. Next up are the sage hand towels and leno curtains.

I came across this magazine at Barnes & Noble. It almost makes me want to take up felting. It's from Australia, so it has quite the international vibe.

Why we swatch

While working on the sage towels, it occurred to me that sage and gray would look good together. I worked up a little sample on a mini loom and they do NOT play well. They are too close in tone.

I also played around with a red, gray, and black combo. I like how they look together as a warp, but am flummoxed about the weft. I'm thinking a repp weave, which is warp-faced, but I don't know how to do that except on my inkle loom. Research is needed.


Knitting: I did more tinking than knitting on the Habitation throw this past week; I keep messing up the decreases. I started a cowl using a DK yarn, but I may frog that because I don't like how the colors are pooling.
Weaving: The sage towels are off the loom! Initially, they were different lengths, but after washing and drying, they almost match. While I was working on finishing steps, I also washed and dried the sari yarn runner and the leno curtains. The latter are very different in length, not sure how best to correct that in a way that is not too noticable. Now I need to do some hemming on all these items.

At spinning guild, the program was learning how to make Dorset buttons. For some reason, Dorset buttons are hot right now. They are a bit addicting, but I don't think they would hold up well if used as actual buttons on a sweater or something. They add a nice touch to hats and such, though.

We were supposed to spin the yarn for this project, at 14 WPI, but I used some fingering. I haven't felt the urge to spin lately, maybe because I have SO MUCH handspun yarn just waiting for a project.

Minimum daily requirement

Tommye Scanlin says "Weave every da*n day." And I try to do just that, at least a little bit, on all my active projects. My downfall is actually *finishing* the projects after they are off the loom or needles. So while I weave at least two inches on the guest towels each day, I fear the hemming will take a bit of motivation. At least the Habitation throw doesn't need any extra treatment once the knitting is done.

This past week's weaving guild program was on tartans. It was advertised as tartans and plaids, but the plaid part was more of a not-tartan part. I'm a Hamilton, and the Hamilton clan has a tartan in red, navy, and white, but I doubt I will ever weave a sample because, except where each color crosses itself, the weaving is in 2x2 twill, a bear to do on a rigid heddle loom. I might work up a tiny example on my Swatchmaker if I am feeling particularly adventuresome or masochistic. (Photo from Clan.com.)

Knitting: I made a booboo on the Habitation throw this past week, so progress was slow while I recovered from that.
Weaving: I am halfway done with the second guest towel on the 24" loom.

My SO and I went to an actual movie theater last night, to see "Drive my Car". (Excellent film, by the way. but l-o-n-g.) Cinema Center is our local "art theater". Before the pandemic, they began actively targeting a younger crowd, so we let our membership lapse. I wasn't sure who would be in the audience last night, but it was the usual gray-haired seniors, socially distanced in pairs, so I felt safe enough to go maskless. There is an article in the NYTimes headlined as "I didn't want to go, but I'm glad I did." That seems to be my new motto.

Trying (this and that) week

Overshot is kicking my butt. I tried it on the SampleIt loom (which was already warped), but the warp is spaced too tightly (10 epi). So I shifted to the pocket loom (8 epi), but am still struggling. I must be doing something wrong because I can't seem to keep the warp covered, plus I think the result is supposed to be reversible, and mine isn't.

I have also been playing around with that super jumbo yarn I purchased at the Jay County Fiber Fest. I tried knitting it, but it requires larger knitting needles than I have. I tried braiding it, just for fun, but two of the colorways are too close in tone. Then I created a swatch on my Swatchmaker. So now I'm thinking wall hanging, woven on a frame loom. Maybe.


There are so many ideas for tapestry tumbling around in my head that I decided to purchase some stuff that will help me actually implement them. On the left, cotton seine twine in beige and black (I already have some in natural), on the right tapestry bobbins. All this came from the Yarn Barn in Kansas. They are the only place I usually buy from that offers the cotton seine twine in colors.


All of the above was happening in my so-called studio, a spare bedroom that tends to get junked up very easily. I rearranged things a couple of weeks ago, but found myself trying to do too much on too small a table. So I broke down and purchased what my SO calls a "potluck table", one of those folding tables that are used for backyard picnics and such. Now I have a little elbow room.

(The suitcases under the table hold family photos that need to be sorted and distributed. Not sure how I became the keeper of family memorabilia, but it happened.)

Knitting: Yes, I am on the decreasing half of the Habitation throw. Even though each row is still over 250 stitches, I find myself working on it a bit more because I want to hurry up and be done with it.
Weaving: I finished one of the plain weave guest towels that is on the 24" Ashford rigid heddle loom. I'm using a temple, so the selvages look better than usual.

And so it goes.

Indoor fun

When the weather is as crummy as it has been lately, I'm glad I have an assortment of indoor hobbies to protect me from cabin fever. My SO and I have also been visiting local art galleries while we can, before the next surge. One gallery displayed a piece made with "digital weaving". I'm guessing that involves a Jacquard loom?

Dyeing: I decided to use up the rest of the dye samples from the one-pot rainbow dyeing workshop, in a rather haphazard way. Not perfect results, but fun to do. Acid dyes are so much easier to work with than natural dyes.

Knitting: I know I have commented on how close I am getting to starting the decrease rows on the Habitation throw. Now I can announce that the very next row will actually be a decrease row. Huzzah!
Weaving: I finished weaving the leno curtains, freeing up the 24" Ashford rigid heddle loom. So I immediately rewarped it for some guest towels for the guest bathroom. It's completely plain weave, a relief after all that leno.

I purchased a weaving book called CrazyShot, by Myra Wood. It describes how to weave overshot on a rigid heddle loom. That will probably be the next sample I make on my SampleIt loom. Never stop learning.

One-pot rainbow dye workshop

Before setting my alarm clock the night before, I double checked the starting time for the one-pot rainbow dye workshop at the Jay County Fiber Fest. However, I neglected to check the list of things to bring. I remembered the $50 materials fee, but forgot to bring a pot, optional gloves, or an apron. I was not the only one in this predicament, and fortunately the instructor had a few extra pots, one of the other participants brought extra gloves, and I managed to keep the dye off my clothes. Whew!

Christinia Drennen Coghill is certified in the Redding Method of dyeing. She provided us with a handout of what the Redding Method entails, but for the purpose of the class, we just needed to do what she told us.

We each worked on an individual burner with a selection of powdered dyes and fiber. There was roving, clean raw wool, and unclean raw wool. Christina wasn't sure about the breeds, but she had us add the different fibers in a certain order. I don't think it mattered much as I doubt I would dye such an eclectic bunch of samples at one time.

The dyes were Pro Chemical & Dye WashFast Acid dyes, in yellow, green, red, orange, blue.


One trick to this method is to not have too much water; otherwise, the dyes will migrate too far and you'll wind up with one muddy color. Another trick is to use a metal chopstick to keep the simmering water from bubbling too much in the center; otherwise, you'll end up with felt.

I've been to dyeing workshops where we add a "glug" of vinegar to the water to help set the colors, but this is the first one where we also added a "glug" of shampoo. The idea here is that you can clean and dye the fiber at the same time. It seemed to work just fine, but the fiber wasn't all that dirty to begin with.


Once the water and fiber reached an almost-too-hot-to-touch temperature, we added the colors in pie-shaped proportions, using wood or metal chopsticks. The technique is to add the powdered dye near the center but not at the center, then feather it toward the outside edge, being careful not to get each color too close to its neighbor. The order was important: yellow first, then blue, then red, then orange, then green. The red and blue are really dynamic and will take over the pot if you are not careful.

Once you are satisfied with your pie wedges, you work the colors toward the center and toward the edges, so that there is no white showing. Below, Christina's pot is on the left, another participant's is on the right, and my messy attempt at being "artistic" and "experimental" is in the center.


At this point, we turned off the burners and went shopping and ate lunch while the pots cooled. Once we could handle the fiber, another glug of shampoo was added and we repeatedly rinsed and spun the results, using salad spinners. And that was it. At home, I rinsed my fiber again before spreading it out to dry under a ceiling fan.

My initial impression was that I used too much water and not enough dye, as the colors looked more pastel than saturated. I ran the fiber through a drum carder, and it looks like green and orange dominate. I'm not too thrilled with this outcome as it reminds me of Kook Aid.

Since I still had some dye left over, I decided to repeat the process with yarn. Using Cascade 220 blanks, I soaked the yarn, heated it up, and added wedges of dye. (And it just occurred to me that I forgot the glug of vinegar.)

While I think the ratio of water to fiber was better this time, I didn't use enough dye to really saturate the yarn.


So I tried it again with better results.

And then I stopped because how much rainbow fiber does one need? Some day I will spin the fiber from the workshop and depending on the results, I may overdye it.

So what did I learn? Acid dyeing is really, really easy compared to dyeing with natural materials, and the colors can be more vibrant and less experimental. Roving and raw fiber are tricky to work with, so I think I will stick to dyeing yarn. And I don't really like the idea of cleaning the fiber and dyeing it at the same time, but that's just me.

Spring is sprung

My little cold went away and then seemed to return. I took an at-home Covid test to make sure it was not *that* (negative). Then it occurred to me that what was probably causing the sneezing and sniffling was tree pollen. I am pro-tree, but I suffer a bit for it.

Knitting: Still plugging away on the Habitation throw. I think I am going to start the decrease rows soon.
Weaving: I'm done with the leno pattern repeats on the curtains. All that is left is about 5" of plain weave for the pocket.

No progress on the SampleIt sample this week, nor the pocket loom sample. Instead, I tried to make the spare bedroom studio more welcoming. Some boxes were relocated and some tables shifted, so it is better now. The 24" rigid heddle loom is still in the den, where a certain feline thinks it is a cat hammock.