Call of the wild

I have been yardening every darn day this past week, so not much fibering going on. If it would just rain more, I might get something done that didn't involve plants or dirt or mowing. Maybe this week?

Another time suck was the program I organized for the local spinning guild. That happened Tuesday. We had five stations: inkle weaving, rigid heddle weaving, harness weaving, pin weaving, and tapestry weaving. (I led the latter.) The members were divided into five groups and they rotated through the stations, spending about 15 minutes at each one. I wish I could have listened in on the other presenters, but I was busy, of course. All in all, I think it went well. Maybe some of the spinning guild members will also become weaving guild members.

Knitting: I tried knitting i-cord handles for one of the felted bags, but it didn't go well. Now I am leaning toward weaving inkle bands instead, and ordered some Omega Sinfonia yarn, a couple of spools from the Woolery, a couple from Annie's Craft Store. (Neither had all the colors I wanted in stock.)
Spinning: I finished the second bobbin of the Three Moons fiber - ready to ply.

I've been itching to knit a sweater, but I don't know which one other than I want a cardigan. So I check books out of the local library, looking for the defninitive pattern. This book is intriguing on several levels:

Besides the color work pullovers, there was a pattern for this cardigan. I have SO MUCH natural dyed yarn I could use this way.

Some of the patterns included instructions on how to dye the yarn. This one uses madder for the shades of orange, with some yarn dyed in the first and second exhaust baths. Very clever.

And that is about all that happened this week. My brother is coming to visit for a couple of days, but after that, my calender looks (relatively) clear. Projects await!

Lost and found

As I neared the end of the latest L-Bag, I pondered whether there was enough yarn to make an i-cord handle. In my mind's eye, I could see the one I knit for the previous L-Bag, so I figured I could weigh it to see how much yarn would be needed. Thinking the handle was inside the L-Bag, I started a search. And I searched and searched and searched, finally finding it in a plastic bin of inkle bands. But no handle. I looked through my blog, to search for references about the handle, but the only one I found is where I decided NOT to knit a handle. Very puzzling.

While searching, I found a second bag that I had forgotten about, even though it is in my Ravelry project list. It's made from Noro, the pieces woven on a triangle loom and stitched together. *That* one has a woven handle. I felted both the new L-Bag and the Noro one and its handle at the same time in the washing machine, and they came out great.

Drying upside down

Now they need to be lined. There is a sewist in the local fiber group who lines them; she provides the material and will add pockets and zippers, but she won't insert the grommets or provide handles. So I'm debating on lining them myself, at least the triangle bag. I'll ponder that while I decide about handles. And steel my nerves to insert grommets.

Knitting: The L-Bag is knitted and felted. I started a cowl, using 'Jailhouse Rock' yarn I had spun a while back, but I hated how it looked, as the color runs were too short. Also, after an inch or so, I realized it was twisted, so I frogged it. Then I knit up a swatch, to test different stitches. My conclusion is I need to knit something smaller, to take advantage of the short color runs.

Cake of 'Jailhouse Rock'

Before frogging

Garter, stockinette, seed, mistake rib, 2x2 ribbing

Spinning: Finished one bobbin of the fiber from Three Moons, started the second; planning to do the fractal thing.

I attended a spin-in yesterday afternoon, at the Little Shop of Spinning. There was a lot going on this weekend, so not too many of us there. And yet, a good time was had by all.

I didn't want to go, but I'm glad I did

My SO has covid (again), so I have not been out and about like I usually am with him. When the Fifth Saturday Spin-in at Teasel Hill Angoras came around this weekend, I decided to go, then decided not to go, then decided I would go for part of the day. I drove there after lunch, taking the scenic route. I wasn't sure who would be there, and I didn't know some of them, but we all connected over fiber. It was great to just sit and spin and let the conversation flow.

Even though I crochet, spin, weave, and dye fiber, my favorite activity is knitting. It's a good thing I like it because it is S-L-O-W - I'm not a fast knitter. Last Sunday, lacking the drive for much of anything else, I spent the day knitting, something I have not been able to do for quite a while because of my shoulders. But despite all that knitting, and more during the week, I am still not done with the L-Bag. I am on the bottom, though, so maybe today? For sure, if it rains. (The yardening is pulling me away from fiber.)

While not knitting, I attempted chain plying, using some superwash fingering. That went quite well, although the result was super kinky when it came off the niddy noddy. A wet finish and a bit of weight hung from the skeins while drying fixed that.

Then I tried chain plying some Shetland. Ugh. It went much slower, due to the sticky nature of the wool. I think fiber content will be a consideration when selecting what to chain ply.

Knitting: Almost done with the neverending L-Bag.
Spinning: Chain plying; wet finished the two-ply silk/tencel/merino blend; started spinning the fiber I purchased at Three Moons.
Weaving: I wove diamonds!


Today I plan to rearrange the den a bit, to help me with the Peruvian diamond weaving. I need a place for the magazine with the pattern, the book that reminds me how to do leno, and my laptop where I view and re-view the instructional video. This is definitely a challenging project!

Friends don't let friends weave boucle

I had heard this adage before, but the video I watched on weaving Peruvian diamonds involved boucle. After rewatching the vid, I realized the weaver was using *silk* boucle, not mohair like mine. Mohair boucle is *sticky* to the nth degree. I kept telling myself that once I got going, things would get easier, but they didn't. Another issue was that the space between the heddle and the back beam of the SampleIt does not leave enough room for manipulating two pickup sticks. So I switched to the larger rigid heddle loom, using a ribbon yarn in place of the boucle.

I haven't made any diamonds yet on this piece because I keep having other problems before I even get that far. I *really* want to make this work, as this is the weaving guild's diamond jubilee, and we are tasked with weaving something with diamonds by the June meeting. Fingers crossed that the Peruvian diamonds work out.

Knitting: Nearing the end of the body of the L-bag.
Spinning: Finished spinning a second bobbin of silk/merino/tencel blend yarn, which I want to chain ply. Wound the two-ply silk/merino/tencel blend off its bobbin; it's not very balanced.
Weaving: Abandoned the Peruvian diamonds on the SampleIt, and restarted them on the 24" rigid heddle. Warped the frame loom and started weaving a flag motif tapestry, a la Jasper James.

A fiber friend suggested that I learn chain plying by practicing with commercial yarn instead of my precious handspun. I think this is an excellent idea and plan to give it a go later this afternoon. I'll keep you posted.

Busy fiber week

This has been one busy fiber week. Per usual, times like these get me really excited to weave and spin and knit, but then time constraints hit. Still, I do what I can when I can.

First off, my SO and I met up with my son in Chesterton, IN, for lunch, then a stroll around the downtown arts district. What drew me first to this day trip was the Duneland Weavers Guild exhibit at the Chesterton Art Center. The items displayed were not only weaving, but knitting, crochet, spinning, etc. and you could touch, try on, and purchase items. I came away with some "art yarn".

Then we wandered down the street to Three Moons Fiberworks. It was easy to spot because of all the LOOMS.

The looms are not for sale but for classes and for use by individuals (for a reasonable fee). I was taken with this frame loom because at one point, I was trying to figure out how to build such a thing. This one may end up on my wish list.

Of course, there was lots of fiber for sale, and this roving found its way home with me. I'm curious if it will spin into a self-striping yarn.

That was Thursday. On Saturday, I attended a workshop by our weaving guild on harness loom weaving. A dozen or so looms were available for those of us new to harness looms to warp and weave on. What a great opportunity! And an exhausting day! It was difficult to not get excited about yet another way to weave, but I'm not sure I am ready to warp 24 ends per inch on my own, let alone figure out tie ups, etc.

Ashford table loom

Spreading the warp

Walking loom

Twill

Rosepath

M's and W's

I didn't care for the walking loom, found it too confusing for a beginner, but I can see how it would appeal to an experienced weaver. Many of us liked the Dorset floor loom on which we wove rosepath, but of course they are no longer made. All the looms folded up for easy transportation. It's really tempting, but despite their footprint being less than I expected, I just don't know where I would put one, let alone find time to weave on one. But they sure do open a whole new world of possibilities.

Knitting: While coming back from Chesterton, we found ourselves stuck in traffic for a while due to an accident. Ever prepared, I whipped out the L-Bag and worked on that. I'm on the sixth color and its about 10" long.
Spinning: STILL working on the silk/merino/tencel blend.
Weaving: I warped up the SampleIt for a new project: a table runner with Peruvian diamonds. At 15 epi, it's a bit hard on my eyes, but my Ottlite has a magnifier, thank goodness.

As if all this activity weren't enough, the spinning guild met on Tuesday. The program was about mending handknit items. I learned some new tips and tricks and hope to show you some mended socks one of these days.

Toe-up socks in Holly, MI

Are these xmas socks or VD socks? While I was knitting them at the February spinning guild meeting, someone asked me if they were Valentine socks. Given the name of the colorway, I think not. But they could be used for either.

Pattern: Short-row Toe and Heel Basic Socks, by Wendy D. Johnson
Yarn: Simply Socks Yarn Company Poste Yarn Striping, colorway 'Holly, MI'; toes, heels, cuffs (probably) in SSYC Simply Sock in 'Natural'
Needles: US1
Modifications: None

One of my pet peeves is patterns that direct the knitter to "bind off loosely". Sometimes you just can't get that bind off loose enough without producing ripples. Leslie Ann Bestor's book Cast On Bind Off contains many ways to "bind off loosely". My favorite one for socks is Jeni's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off. Basically, you introduce an extra stitch between each stitch on the needle, using yarn overs or reverse yarn overs. Works like a charm!

Potholder and a bucket list

In preparation for a program I am leading on weaving for the spinning guild, I dug out a potholder loom I purchased many eons ago, when my granddaughter was young enough to maybe be interested in using it (she wasn't) and made a potholder. Unlike plastic potholder looms, this one is made of wood and cotter pins; the latter help keep the yarn loops in place while you weave. I purchased this one from Homestead Weaving Studio when we were in that neck of the woods.

I don't care much for the loops that came with the kit (they are left over from sock manufacturing), but I did manage to make a potholder, in hounds tooth, using a pattern "wizard" from Harrisville Designs that may be found here. Too bad I didn't check for floats before taking the potholder off the loom.

I see Harrisville sells potholder looms and loops as well, if you are interested.

Knitting: I finished the socks; separate post to follow. The L-Bag is on its fourth color.
Spinning: Still working on the silk/merino/tencel blend.
Weaving: Played with potholder weaving (as described above). And I applied Minwax to the Freedom roller parts and the double heddle kit.

The owner of Tabby Tree Weaver led a workshop for our weaving guild a while back. While I did not take the workshop, I did attend her talk the night before. One thing she said that has stuck with me is, now that she had retired from her "day job", she planned to tackle her bucket list of weaving.

I'm retired. Here is my fiber bucket list. (Subject to change.)

Dyeing:

• With mushrooms
• With lichens
• Precipitate natural dye from the dye bath

Weaving:

• Double weave
• Weave with two heddles

Spinning:

• Chain-ply
• Core spinning

Projects:

• Weave rugs from tee shirts
• Weave rugs with all the rug yarn I have
• Weave rugs from "rags"
• Weave with "plarn" (yarn made from plastic bags)

Do you have a fiber bucket list? I'd love to hear about it.

Plain weave scarf, or the scarf that grew

I didn't take notes when I warped the loom for this scarf, but I'm pretty sure I was aiming for something five or maybe even six feet long. Instead, it turned out to be seven feet long, although it seems longer, maybe because of the fringe. My theory is I am so used to weaving with cotton warp that I cranked the loom too tight and stretched out the yarn. The fabric feels stiff, but some fiber friends assured me it was okay.

Pattern: none
Weave structure: plain weave
Loom: Ashford rigid heddle 24"
Warp: Cascade 220 Heathers, in colorway 9408 'Truffle Heather'
Weft: Cascade 220 Heathers, in colorway 9408 'Truffle Heather'
EPI/PPI: 7.5/7.5 stretched to 12
Ends: 50
Finished size: 5.5" x 84" (without fringe)

This project was my first post-surgery one, and I was delighted to be able to weave for an hour straight with no pain. The selvages were a bit ragged at first, but I quickly found my groove (for the most part) after a couple of inches.

I used Amy D. McKnight's hybrid warping method and Sara Goldberg's tying on method, both of which I recommend. I don't think I ever had such an even warp in my brief career as a weaver.

I can't keep up

There are so many things I want to do that I sometimes think it would be helpful if we had another lockdown. Then I could just stay home and do fiber.

So I haven't finished, let alone installed, the Freedom Roller I mentioned last time. I haven't installed the double-heddle kit, let alone warped the rigid heddle with two heddles yet. I haven't finished the socks, primarily because I hate purling. I haven't blogged about the scarf. Where does the time go?

Knitting: I have about 10 rounds to go on the socks before binding off. The L-Bag is on its third (out of 13) colors.
Spinning: I finished spinning the Polish merino - and bought some more of the roving. I plied the silk/merino/tencel blend singles because I was out of bobbins; I liked the singles better (which I neglected to photograph), so I plan to chain ply the second braid (which I started spinning).

Despite the (slightly) warmer temperatures, I have this urge to knit a sweater. I checked these two books out of our local library, to see if any of the patterns called my name. Several are intrigueing, but. I barely wore any of my sweaters last winter, so maybe I should hit pause on this idea. For now.


One thing I did accomplish is have my SO help me sort through some of the natural dyed skeins I have, combining some for future projects. Each skein is about 25g, so three should make a cowl or hat; the 6-skein group should be enough for a scarf. I don't have any patterns picked out yet.

I just finished a book called Unraveling, by Peggy Orenstein. The author found herself just short of age 60, facing an empty nest and a father with dementia, during the pandemic, and, oh, by the way, the part of California she lives in is burning. A lifelong knitter, she decides to do the sheep-to-sweater thing, to maintain her sanity. So she learns to shear a sheep, scour the fleece, spin the wool into yarn, dye the yarn with natural dyes, and finally knits a sweater that is too bulky and warm for northern California. Along the way, she explores topics like fast fashion and aging and such. This is not a how-to book, but it is an eye-opener. And entertaining to read.

Rigid heddle weavers don't need no stinkin' harness looms

I have been debating whether to get a harness loom. One reason is, I'd like to weave projects wider than the 24" that my largest rigid heddle loom allows. Also, I'd like to be able to do some fancier weaving, like twill. Then there is all that rug yarn and old sheets and tee-shirts that I have accumulated, with the intent of weaving rugs.

BUT. Instead of another loom, what I decided to get are some accoutrements for my rigid heddle. One item is the Freedom Roller, which will allow me to maintain a shed while weaving thicker items like rugs. Also, a second heddle kit (and more heddles) will allow me to double weave (double the width of the weaving). Being able to use a second heddle will also convert the rigid heddle loom, which is basically a two-harness loom, to a four-harness one (with a little trickery). These items are on their way, so we'll see just how well my expectations are met.

Knitting: I have barely started the cuffs on the socks, so of course I started a new knitting project, another L-Bag, in Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, left over from a knitted vest and a woven lap robe.

Spinning: Still working on the Polish merino; lovely to spin.
Weaving: The scarf came off the loom and is finished, twisted fringe and all; separate post to follow.

Do you follow anyone on IG? One artist I have added to my short list is Kaci Smith. Among other things, she makes branch weavings, which is just what it sounds like: weaving across the fork of a branch. Very intriguing!

Doing my bit

I have been a member of both the weaving guild and the spinning guild long enough now that I am targeted to serve as an officer on one or the other each year. So far, I have fended them off with repeat joint replacement surgeries. Now I find myself doing behind-the-scenes stuff for each, like organizing workshops, that I have a response prepared for when I am asked again: Aren't I doing enough already?!? I hope it works.

Knitting: Still working on the socks; I'm almost up to the cuff. I like knitting socks, but am so glad when I finish a pair.
Spinning: I still haven't plied the silk/merino/tencel blend singles, as I may want to chain ply them; the problem is I don't really know how to chain ply. So I started spinning some of that Polish merino I purchased, and have blended some of the colors together - using my drum carder clamped to the drafting table - so handy!

Weaving: I finished joining the two blanket panels; if I were to do it again, I'd use larger needles, as the knitting pulls the weaving in a bit. The scarf on the rigid heddle loom is progressing; today I wove for an hour straight.

In the past few weeks I have felt like my energy is finally back to 100% post-surgery. It takes me about three months to fully recover. Now I am finding there aren't enough hours in the day, to do everything I want to. The older one gets, the more grateful one becomes for each healthy day.

What did we do before the Internet? And YouTube? And fiber friends?

One of the things I *hate* about weaving is warping. My back aches from bending over the loom, I have trouble getting an even tension across the warp, and invariably the yarn leaps off the warping peg just when I am almost done. Then there is the winding onto the back beam, the threading through the holes of the heddle, and the tying onto the front beam. And if one doesn't do a decent job warping, the weaving does not go well.

Enter two weavers and their wonderful methods for tackling warping. A fiber friend turned me onto Amy D. McKnight and her videos about hybrid warping. Instead of a warping peg, she uses a warping board, to direct warp her rigid heddles looms. Little Looms highlighted a video by Sara Goldenberg that describes a fool-proof method for tying on. Between the two of them, warping a scarf on my 24-inch Ashford was a relative breeze.

But first. The drafting table that my SO helped set up in the studio came in handy for weaving prep. I was able to attach the swift and ball winder on one side of the table and clamp down the loom and warping board on the other side. Very handy. The table is higher than any of my other tables, which made warping a bit easier on my back.

For my first project after surgery I chose a simple, plain weave scarf, which uses a 2.5' warp length. A length of nylon cord helped me determine the path the warp should take through the warping board.

Then one just follows the path while warping. Easy peasy! Amy includes in her 3-part hybrid warping videos her method for winding onto the back beam without needing another pair of hands. An added bonus is her method provides an even tension across the warp.

In Sara's video, she explains how she uses rubber bands to hold the rigid heddle and front beam steady while tying on. And she has a special method for tying on that allows one to maintain that even tension from winding on.

So, I'm weaving again! This is a rather narrow project (could have used the SampleIt, but it still has a project on it), so I am curious as to how well these techniques will "scale up" for something like cotton towels. Instead of dreading it, I am looking forward to trying it out.

Knitting: Still inching up the legs of the socks. I knit a bit everyday, usually in the morning while digesting breakfast.
Spinning: I finished spinning one of the silk/merino/tencel braids, will ply it today (probably). There is another braid, but I am going to wait until I knit up the first batch, to see if I want to try something different.
Weaving: See above. Plus I (finally) managed to knit the two blanket panels together; now I just need to add a knitted border to two sides.

This weekend was the Jay County Fiber Arts Festival, but I chose not to go this year. I looked up classes at other upcoming fiber festivals and just can't get excited about any of them. And we all know I don't need any more fiber. But I reserve the right to change my mind.

Spin-in inspiration

Yesterday some fiber friends and I attended the monthly spin-in at Little Shop of Spinning. Last month, I purchased some fiber, which I started spinning yesterday. I think it will become cowls as it is so-o-o soft. And pretty.

The yarn is in shades of gray, not blue

Last month I saw some Polish merino I wanted to purchase, but decided to wait, and if the fiber was still there the next time I visited the shop, I would purchase some. Well, it was still there, so I bought an ounce of each of four colors that look like they will go together well.

Names are, from upper left and clockwise, warm beige, pumpkin spice, bronze, and coral

A handknit hat at the shop drew much admiration from us, so Phia dug out the pattern. It's from a book called Hip Knit Hats, by Cathy Carron, and there happened to be a copy at my local library branch, so I picked it up on the way home.

I don't usually read pattern books, but these patterns were so unique, I had to see what the author had to say. I'm glad I did because I ran across this unofficial chart of how to combine yarns to make other sizes of yarn:

This chart will be useful when putting together yarns for anything, but especially for the patterns in this book. The two I like the best are:


Since my usual fiber project recipients have said, No more dishcloths or blankets!, they may have the opportunity to pick out some hats in the future.

Knitting: I"m practicing project monogamy and sticking with the socks as I march up the leg, although I have a list of what to knit next.
Spinning: The mystery fiber is off the wheel; I just need to label it and decide what it will become. As noted above, I have started spinning the silk/merino blend with tencel.
Weaving: I have been trying to knit together the two panels of the random blanket, but I keep screwing up. Third (or fourth) time is the charm, though, right?

One of my fiber friends mentioned Modern Daily Knitting. Only today did I realize she meant what was previously known as Mason Dixon Knitting. I used to follow them and may have to start again. So many patterns, so little time!