A pause - sort of

The first half of the month is very busy for me, with fiber meetings and fiber meet-ups of one sort or another. The second half is usually calmer, but stuff keeps cropping up. I don't suffer from FOMO, but....

And yet I am contemplating starting a rigid heddle weaving study group. Thinking there might be three or four interested parties, I was surprised to have about eight would-be weavers interested... and I haven't even asked at the weaving guild meeting yet. I'm glad the interest is there, though. (This is part of my agenda to get more members for the weaving guild.)

It also would be easier if I did not belong to a couple of non-local guilds. Yesterday I attended a two-hour meeting (remotely) about transitioning from using commercial yarn to handspun for weaving. It was very interesting, informative, and inspiritng. The chitchat was running into a third hour, though, so I bailed.

Knitting: I forgot to mention before that I finished the headband several weeks ago. The Melt the ICE hat is done as well. I made a lot of progress on the anklets during that online meeting.

Spinning: Finished chain-plying the last of the merino/alpaca fiber and skeined it. I forgot to mention that I started spinning the Polish merino about a month ago - I can't keep up.
Weaving: Working on the houndstooth towels; the tension is really messed up, so it is slow going.

I decided to put my new spindle with the supported spindle and its spinning dish, for safekeeping. But I can't find the latter. I have a set of drawers with each drawer dedicated to a different fiber activity, so I put the spindle in the spinning drawer. I hope I remember that it is there come March, and I hope I can find the missing supported spindle by then as well, as the March spinning guild meeting is about spindling. It is hell getting old.

Setting boundaries

I did not attend the quilt guild sale last week. After checking out an e-book on quilting and a quilt magazine from the local library and perusing them, I decided my interest in quilting is minimal, in the area of maybe making some placemats and that is about it. No need to purchase anything, so no trip to the sale.

Some of my fiber friends have become "craftivists" (as in "activists") and hosted a knit-along for the Melt the ICE hat. I contemplated attending, but decided my presence was not necessary. My time and energy has its limits.

Which is what I had to remind myself when I learned that a local yarn store is selling its business. Once upon a time (like 20 years ago), I contemplated starting a yarn cafe and/or online yarn business (inspired by Simply Socks). That didn't happen, obviously, but yesterday I contemplated selling my house to purchase the local yarn store... until I reminded myself that I am on the downward slope of my life. I need to cut back, not add more.

I have a few regrets in my life, but one can't do everything.

Knitting: I started a Melt the ICE hat, plus knit a bit on the anklets.

The tapestry techniques program went well at the weaving guild meeting this past week. Today's spin-in was fun, per usual. The program for the March meeting of the spinning guild is about spindling, so I purchased a spindle.

The dumb thing is I used to have several spindles, but gave them away. Now, when I see someone spindling, I wish I could too. I'm easily swayed when it comes to fiber.

McDonald Dishcloths

I dyed some cotton yarn with the leftovers from the tie-dye program I presented at the spinning guild. The colors remind me of the corporate colors for McDonald's, hence the name. I am in no way encouraging anyone to actually eat there.

Pattern: none
Yarn: Peaches & Creme Original Solids, hand-dyed
Needles: US7

For the diagonal one, I cast on three stitches, knit a row, then K1, YO, K to last stitch, YO, K1, turn and knit back. When the stitch count reached 47, I knit two rows, then begain the decreases: K2tog, YO, K2tog, K to last 4 stitches, K2tog, YO, K2tog, turn and knit back. When back to three stitches left, bind off.

For the second one, I cast on 32 stitches (long tail), knit back and forth until I was almost out of yarn (which happened to coincide with where the dishcloth formed a square), then bound off.

My kids claim they need no more dishcloths, but I still like to have a couple on hand, just in case.

It's a bit much

Saturday I (remotely) attended a Guild Development Retreat hosted by the Handweavers Guild of America (which is about more than weaving). Four sessions on various topics, plus chat rooms. I picked up a LOT of ideas for building both of the guilds I belong to.

Today I led the latest fiber gathering which now has a name: the Fort Wayne Fiber Arts Club. The other organizer could not be there, so it fell on me. Fortunately, I had help: some spinning guild members demonstrated prepping fiber using flickers, combs, cards, and a blending board, plus spindling. We also listened to a mini-lecture about historical undergarments.

Tuesday evening the local quilt guild is having a sale, which I feel compelled to attend. And on Wednesday I am one of the program presenters at the weaving guild. Then there is a spin-in next Saturday and the spinning guild meeting next week. Whew!

Knitting: Progress on the anklets, mostly achieved during one of the retreat sessions that didn't really apply to my guilds. Purchased the pattern for the Melt the Ice hat (available on Ravelry).
Spinning: Chain-plying the merino-alpaca yarn, which keeps breaking.
Weaving: Some progress on the houndstooth towels.

I was going to write a post about dyeing with Indian hemp, but the results were so disappointing, plus my notes kind of petered out after a while. The yarn is some mystery handspun singles, so the type of wool may have contributed to this failure. I plan to overdye it this summer, with something, *anything*.

One of my other hobbies is pottery, which has fallen by the wayside. And you can see why.

Thrifting

My granddaughter wanted to go "thrifting" today. We hit up the three thrift stores closest to my house. She found a couple of tops. I found a "new" sewing machine.

Finding a manual for it is another thing. Hopefully, Singer's customer support will be able to help me.

I also found a mug I could not resist.

Knitting: A while back I knit a dishcloth from some yarn I dyed with the dye left over from the tie-dye program at the spinning guild; I finished a second one from the same skein, so now I consider that project finished. Some knitting occurred on the second pair of anklets.
Spinning: Some of the merino/alpaca is three-plied; I plan to chainply the rest.
Weaving: The 24" Ashford rigid heddle loom is warped with red and black 8/4 cotton warp, for a pair of houndstooth dish towels. I continue to prep for the next weaving guild program - tapestry techniques.

Speaking of dyeing, I recently learned of the Maiwa School of Textiles which offers some online classes, one of which is titled "The Natural Dye Workshop". Yes, I have taken some natural dye workshops from local teachers, but this is at a different level. The price of the class itself is reasonable, but the (optional) supply kit is a bit expensive. I'm tempted, but don't have the time right now. Maybe this summer?

A successful meetup

I am the "outreach coordinator" for the weaving guild and have been acting like one for the spinning guild. Hence all our demonstrating in public to raise the awareness of both guilds. This seems to have helped the spinning guild - there were 30 people present at our last meeting - but the weaving guild? Not so much. It seems to be withering away.

So I decided to try something different, form a fiber arts group at a local gallery called Artlink. This happened to coincide with another person's desire to do the same thing, so we have been working on it together. Today was our first meeting.

There were 18 of us, representing all kinds of hand working skills - knitting, crochet, embroidery, sewing, quilting, weaving, etc. I wore my weaving guild tee shirt even though I brought only knitting to work on as I anticipated being busy with organizing things. Only one other guild member showed up, which I found disappointing, but the group is great, all ages, all interested in learning new things. The topic at our next meeting will be spinning, so I'll bring my wheel and wear my spinning guild tee shirt and try to convince some other spinners to show up.

Knitting: Started a second pair of anklets, from the same yarn.
Weaving: Preparing for the next weaving guild meeting where another member and I will teach some tapestry techniques.

Refreshing my tapestry skills

Yesterday I also participated in a Zoom session out of the Austin guild I belong to, on natural dyeing. I have done a fair bit of that myself but am always interested in learning more... and I did pick up some tips and ideas. For example, I have a LOT of gray handspun which I now plan to overdye with marigold or goldenrod this summer.

I'm still recovering from my cold, but almost there. I'm also becoming a bit resentful that I am involved in lots of fiber activities without having time to DO much fiber work myself. Hopefully, that will change as winter is the perfect time to hunker down with some wool.

That was the week that wasn't

This past week I have been suffering from the ugliest cold I have had in years. Covid test negative, no body aches, all in my sinuses, so definitely a cold. After a while, I can't tell if I feel worse from the cold symptoms or from the cold meds.

Barbara Walker, a giant in the knitting community, passed away last month. The Yarn Harlot wrote a lovely tribute in IG, but darned if I can figure out how to link to it (the December 26, 2025 post). So here is the text in its entirety. (Sorry, Steph!)

"In 2008 I called Barbara G. Walker and I asked her if she would come and teach for me at the first Sock Summit. I didn’t know her, but I had all her books (knitting and not) and it felt like calling Paul McCartney and asking if he’d want to hang out and jam. It took a conversation, but she agreed and I had the privilege of getting to know her and knitters, she was wonderful. Humble, impossibly clever, irrepressibly funny and wonderfully ingenious. She knit me this little fish and I’ve had it on my corkboard forever - a very Barbara knit. Even if you never knew her, I guarantee she touched your life, even if you never read one of her books, even if you don’t own one of her stitch dictionaries, even if you’ve never heard of her- there are two reasons that make her legend. Barbara was responsible for the first charted patterns coming into North America, and gentle knitters - one lovely day in the 70s, Barbara Walker invented the SSK -something you do everyday on your needles sprang from the sparkling mind of this person. Barbara died this past Sunday and we should all hoist a glass in her honour. Barbara Walker, hero to knitters everywhere whether they know it or not."

Knitting: All I accomplished this past week was finishing the anklets and working on the headband I started oh, so long ago.

My SO has several pairs of handmade socks with holes in them. Not worn areas, but out-and-out holes. I can't figure out how he did this. Since I recently purchased some books on creative mending, I am going to take a stab at fixing them.

I checked the entries for the holey socks on Ravelry, and they were all made with sock yarn, not something delicate and prone to wear and tear. The stockinette areas should be relatively simply, the ribbed areas not so simple, but the baby cables? Not so sure I can duplicate that. We shall see!