Loose ends

February 21, 2015 / one2travelfar / Leave a comment

Instead of packing, I’ve been preparing yarn, weaving, finishing Loki’s cat collar and doing my daughter’s taxes. If that’s not enough, yesterday, I tried to add some of Tim’s music to my antiquated ipod classic with my old, dinosaur of a computer from 2005, an iBook, which has 3 gb of free space.

It crashed resoundingly. Itunes couldn’t find any music on my ipod and itunes couldn’t (wouldn’t) even connect to the internet to restore (wipe it completely and start from scratch) it. I was stuck. So instead of doing what I really needed to do, I spent 6 hours learning about hidden files and firmware. I found out what “generation” iPod I had, the great grandpappy, found and downloaded the operating system, got it onto the iPod and was back in business, albeit with an empty iPod. But…I had all my music backed up on an external hard drive that only my ancient computer could read. 80 GB iPod and 3 GB computer is not a match made in heaven. But I got the job done and listened to music on an adorable AYL speaker.

It’s a long flight to Australia. I need music and now I have it, and some of Tim’s as well. Now I’ve been a happy Apple stockholder for some time but don’t think I should be forced into updating and upgrading to go along with planned obsolescence.

Over the course of the week, I wound 2 balls of cobweb yarn totaling more than two miles! I plan to make a 2 mile long shawl over the next 3 months. 2 miles of yarn for a 2 yard shawl. Should keep me occupied.

I cut 6 towels off my loom today (I don’t have time or patience for the seventh (and I’ll return to a warped loom) and will finish them tonight to be distributed at my will.

At my daughter’s insistence, I added a breakaway feature to Loki’s collar. He’ll be so happy. Tim reminds me he’s never seen a cat hanging by its collar.

Sorry for the blurry photos, I may start using a real camera again. Iff to finish some towels, clean the refrigerator, all sorts if Friday night fun.

All the stockings were hung

December 26, 2014 / one2travelfar / Leave a comment

On an old halyard line and tied to our loft railing. And it worked. The line was lowered to loot the stockings then raised again out of our way. I may store the stockings on the line so they are ready for next year.

We celebrated early, so everyone could be together, and had a blast. Early, meant I had to finish projects by mid-December, and as a true procrastinator, things were down to the wire. I spent some late nights at the loom.

I finished weaving 6 towels (one for me) and never took pictures of them finished. Mine was a sampler and has all the different weave patterns. It’s also a little dirty because it is in use.

I made pin cushions for my quilting buddies with woven fabric I had saved.

The cloth is stretched over a little embroidery hoop, stuffed then glued on a base.

I ended up making three pairs of (to be) felted clogs.

We have a variation on a white elephant exchange with my hand made goodies. I wrap 8 hand made items and then people open and either keep or exchange them. The sock loop rugs were a hit.

I crocheted a fox hat/cowl and made a little panda hat but never photographed it.

Somewhere along the way, I got a Passap single bed knitting machine and now all is lost. I can’t even knit a hat!

Pre-winter winter

December 14, 2014 / one2travelfar / 2 Comments

It’s not officially Winter yet but we got almost two feet of snow so I’ll call that winter. I cut my trail in the woods next door. I love the first ski of the season when I have to knock the snow off the trees to get them to rise back to the sky and make room for me. Now I can just ski in my tracks in the trail I broke.

Yesterday we skied a part of the Jackrabbit trail, which is a 24 mile trail in the backcountry. I took two face plants but since it was in 2 feet of snow, it was like falling on a pillow. And I managed to get up. The we had lunch at a lovely lodge, Cascade Ski center. The fire was huge, the snow was high and the oatmeal stout was on tap.

Now it’s back to work. I have a warp for towels on the loom.

Why not? There’s still time until Christmas.

Busy, busy

November 18, 2014 / one2travelfar / 1 Comment

When the cat’s away, the mouse will play!

Tim’s off hiking in the Grand Canyon and I’ve been tackling mounds of projects. My woven cloak is finished and shipped. I kept dark fur for the collar. I wove straps, with the hope of including a wolf and falcon, but the pattern didn’t turn out as expected. Ah well.

But they are still pretty. I sewed 2 D-rings for the closure and they snug up well.

Several baby gifts left the premises. I made another back zip sweater and a couple of hats for the older siblings.

These blankets went off to swaddle a new set of twins.

I marbleized the wall behind the wood stove because it was all marked up. It was a fun process and I felt very creative.

I’m pretty happy with it. I’ll see what the man of the house thinks.

Best of all, I know my hiking spouse is safe because he is traveling with a SPOT, which is like a personal EPIRB. I received a message Saturday night that he was fine and linked to a map which showed me where he was.

Better tidy up before he gets home.

Memory warp

November 10, 2014 / one2travelfar / Leave a comment

It’s been a while since I have used cards for weaving. I want to weave the cloak’s straps with a personal message, and add wolves and falcons. So far two bands done and no finished product. It takes time to get the routine back.

The first strap hit the trash due to too many twisted threads. The second is OK but a little short so I am going to make it into a belt instead.

Third time is a charm – I hope. There was little tangling at the beginning but I am remembering the technique. Let the games begin. My first wolf sigil is elongated so I’ve decided to incorporate several as an evolution (mostly in me figuring out how the picture translates to tablet weaving). There will be wolves, falcons and words. We’ll see…

The cloak has some design issues but what else is new. I love using my woven product as fabric. I’ve touched every thread multiple times. After I took it off the loom, I tried my best at waulking, to mildly felt it.

I stabilized where I wanted to cut with a zig zag stitch.

Then hand stitched the selvedges together. It ‘s long enough but not quite wide enough.

I used my freecycle serger to cut and stabilize the edges and it worked like a charm. I felted the larger pieces and already made a new needle holder. The rest will get tucked in my winter boots for an added layer of warmth.

I am not sure about my choice of fur for the neck but I found some lambswool that may look better. The dark may look too fake but the lambs wool is really a cover for my acupuncture table. I would miss it. Either one will provide a nice soft cover over the wool at the neck.

Two wrongs make a right?

November 4, 2014 / one2travelfar / Leave a comment

Just maybe. I am weaving material to make a cloak for a couple who plan a medieval style wedding. How medieval? They were dismayed when they learned falcons and wolves couldn’t partake in the ceremony. But a broad sword, made by the groom for his bride, will be featured.

So a cloak. I figure it can continue its life as a throw to keep them warm in their castle. I sampled a few patterns on my new-to-me table loom.

What a dream. No loom waste, a little finicky to thread, as I try to get used to Texsolv heddles, but so fast to test several patterns and treadling. I chose a broken twill pattern woven in wool I had acquired from a local weaver’s destash.

I calculated my yardage for the long warp based upon the sett (spacing) I used on the table loom. My plan was to use a warp five yards long and have it 32″ wide in the loom. Well, despite weighing my yarn on a postal scale and estimating I had enough for my planned warp, I didn’t, and only had enough for a 20″ wide fabric because 1) I miscalculated; and 2) used different spacing on my floor loom – oops. But… I think I also measured a longer warp than planned so may have more than five yards, which should all work out in the end.

I’ve finished weaving three yards and hopefully more than two to go.

The shirt off my back

August 16, 2014 / one2travelfar / Leave a comment

We needed a kitchen rug to absorb my spills and cushion our feet. I had already cut the the top logos off about 9 of my old tee shirts with the plan of sewing a tee shirt quilt.

Then a pattern for a tee shirt rug arrived in my mailbox in the latest Handwoven Magazine. The math and sampling were already done – by someone else!

Yesterday I warped my loom with 3/2 cotton and cut the tee shirts into 1/2 inch rounds. I looped the rounds together to make a “yarn”, two layers thick.

In a couple of hours this morning, I wove my new rug. Now onto that quilt.

Details: 332 ends at 12 epi
2.5 yard warp, plain weave
1/2 inch tee shirt loops
27″X 45″ on the loom

Take it outside

June 3, 2014 / one2travelfar / 2 Comments

As the weather turns nicer, I try to move my activities outside. I seem to weave a few rope mats every summer. We need to replace a few rugs at home and I made a frame that lets me weave a Turk’s Head mat. I did one with climbing rope and the other with manila.

Woven rope mats made on a frame 5 nails on top and bottom and 4 on sides

My braided rug is coming along S L O W L Y. I’ve been told it looks better in person than in photos. It’s a good project to work on when sitting and chatting. Mindless handiwork.

It’s a nice thick rug and if I ever finish it, will be great in the cabin.

I finally have a project back on the floor loom. A couple of bright, pastel baby blankets. One down, one to go.

Notice the lamb’s wool on the bench? I found it at IKEA and it’s making me a happy weaver.

Lastly, I played with some fancy ribbon yarn and made a few necklaces. My darling daughter and I saw these at a craft shop in West Virginia and I was confident I could recreate them. I have a little jeweler’s kit and had fun playing with the wire. There’s a fairly good chance the wearer won’t get stabbed in the neck from the clasp and its attachment.

Of course, knitting is always portable and I plan to bring some on a camping trip we’re taking tomorrow. I’m making a laceweight, cropped mohair cardigan to wear to my dear son’s wedding this fall.

That’s a wrap.

How to get spring fresh laundry in winter

February 10, 2014 / one2travelfar / 1 Comment

I found the perfect solution to fresh smelling laundry. Remove any and all dead rodents from the dryer vent! Voila! Spring fresh again. It was a nasty task but I meant to see what was rattling in the vent for a while. And I found it. Along the way, I found the perfect use for duct tape: repair the duct. My dryer vent hose was unraveling at the dryer, hopefully not because a mouse was trying to claw its way out. Oh the horror! Like a flash, the idea of duct tape, which I use for everything else, came to mind. Worked like a dream.

On a lighter note, I’m weaving a set of overshot placemats in linen and cotton. I had some linen on the shelves and boldly moved forward, despite reading the difficulty of working with linen in low humidity. My loom is near the wood stove. I’m learning to love the warping process and do it mindfully. Less snarls and hassles and misthreading. Previously, I tried to rush through so I could get to weaving, which forced me to become adept at repairing errors. Now I take my time, understanding that the loom prep will take several days. Then it’s off to weaving.

I’m a big fan of hats. My whole body stays warmer when I wear a hat. But some hats are just wrong. This is one of them.

Making lemonade

January 6, 2014 / one2travelfar / Leave a comment

Thinking of what to do with that truncated blanket. I thought about a sleeping bag but don’t think it’s PC any more.

Instead, I may make a “sleep sack”. Sort of like a sleeping bag and a jumper combined. I guess that way the material is guaranteed to stay away from the face. I’m thinking of something like this but in wool. I have some blue wool material and thinsulate for the upper body and could attach it to the blanket bottom. We’ll see.

I got my vintage Viking sewing machine today and almost burnt the house down. Not really but the pedal definitely overheated and the machine was revving like a race car. It looks like part of a ceramic (I hope) resistor(?) broke off and heat was being dissipated. I fixed it with some electrical tape and it’s back to normal. Just a reminder to watch these vintage electrical items. I never leave them plugged in when I am not using them. I’ll also treat the pedal very gingerly.

I also learned that just because I can quilt, doesn’t mean I can sew. I made the simplest and cutest baby sundress today, reversible with snaps! But I had to cut it out twice, because although I lined up with the fabric grain correctly, the little pattern was upside down. Not something you really think about when quilting
.

I flipped everything around to get the flowers right side up, but still made the little bloomers upside down.

Since I anticipate making lots of baby items I the upcoming years, I invested in a snap installer. Easy peasy and it allowed the little sundress to be completely reversible.

I cut apart the rainbow blankets and tied fringe for the larger one. Looks like it’s time to hit the loom again.

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Island and North Country Life

With fiber, felines and fotos

weaving

Loose ends

All the stockings were hung

Pre-winter winter

Busy, busy

Memory warp

Two wrongs make a right?

The shirt off my back

Take it outside

How to get spring fresh laundry in winter

Making lemonade

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