I've Got An "Inkle"ing

I think it's official. My fiber arts obsession is completely out of control. Or at least my obsession with weaving. A few weeks ago I decided that I wanted needed an inkle loom. What is an inkle loom you ask? It is a rather simple device for weaving warp face bands of fabric. Great for making belts, sashes, leashes, straps, trim and so many other things. You can even sew bands together. So I hopped right on over to my favorite website for weaving supplies, The Woolery, and ordered up an inkle loom and some dyes. (Had to get to $100 for the free shipping somehow!) I had to wait an extra week as the loom and some of the dyes were out of stock. This gave me a chance to work on my patience. Ha! I did manage to survive the wait and it finally arrived. By then I was in the midst of some projects that I had to finish up so it sat rather lonely and forlorn on my 4-season porch until this past weekend. I warped it up in just over an hour and have been weaving a simple band on it. I LOVE it a thousand times over! And what makes it so great is that I can use it for inkle weaving AND card/tablet weaving AND it can be used as a makeshift warping board when there is no project on it. How could I pass up such a useful tool?

I know you all want to see it in action so here it is . . .

All warped and the weaving started

See how green the grass is? Gotta love 80's in March!

Beautiful warp (size 10 crochet cotton)

String heddles

Woven band in progress

I also got a warp ready for my Cricket loom. I was fairly productive this weekend.

Fiber Arts Friday: I'm So Very Confused

I think Mother Nature has lost her mind!! I keep checking the calendar and it says March. I've verified it with several sources. Everyone says it is March. Then I step outside my door and . . . the weather tells me it's June. I'm so confused!! The last couple of days here in The Great Frozen North (Michigan), it has hit 80 degrees F. That is totally insane for March! Yes, March is typically a bit warmer. But warmer by Michigan standards is in the 40's or 50's. Those temps call for spring jackets and even short sleeves. We're wearing shorts, SHORTS, in the middle of March! I don't even want to think about June, July and August. It's going to be hell (which is in Michigan by the way, don't believe me? Click here.)

Now that I've got that out, let's focus on fiber arts, shall we? I have been a busy little beaver lately. I am moving right along on my woven scarf. I got to weave on it for a good chunk of time Wednesday night at the knitting shop. I received a lot of compliments on it so I'm really excited to get it finished and listed on etsy. Plain weave can be so soothing and zen. I really need to get more done on my dish towels, but I'm more geared up to get my etsy store stocked up. I can't remember what the warp yarn is, but the weft is this really soft rayon/silk blend that is really textured. It has thick and thin areas and it makes for a beautiful weave. Quite organic. I may have enough of this yarn to do a second one. I'm eager to get this done though as I have some lovely ribbon yarn that I want to try weaving with. If I could only make time stand still so I could get stuff done. LOL!

I am still working on my newest pattern. I haven't been able to knit a lot lately due to pain in my wrist. Too much typing and mousing at work. I knit for short bursts but have to take frequent breaks. This is why I'm glad I have several fiber arts that I enjoy. Though Sir Lancelot thinks I'm totally off my rocker. I say, fiber arts keep me from going off my rocker.

Now for my most exciting news (we'll I think it's exciting) . . . I will be learning how to weave on 4 and 8 harness looms this summer!! I have signed up for the weaving class at our local art institute. It starts in June and I couldn't be more excited! I think that learning how to weave on these looms and how to read a draft will greatly improve my rigid heddle weaving. Plus someday I aspire to own a small floor loom. In fact, this is the one I would like to have. A Mighty Wolf loom by Schacht. It folds up to a depth of 18" which would be very helpful in my small house. Ah . . . dreams!

Don't forget to head on over to the Wonder Why Alpaca Farm to see what other fiber artists have been up to lately. Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Whoever Thought Up Daylight Savings Time Should Be Shot

Seriously! I'm now getting up an hour earlier than normal. I lost a precious hour of my weekend. And I'm now going to be tired for at least a week while my body adjusts. I'd really like to redeem my saved daylight and go back to normal time now. Please???

Despite losing an hour this weekend, I do feel that I had a fairly productive one. I have started work on a new knitting pattern. I've had some ideas floating around my little pea-brain for awhile now. I finally buckled down and started swatching and scratching notes. Hopefully it will be ready in April.

I also warped my Cricket for a new scarf. I failed to take a picture, but it is lovely in pastel colors. Perfect for spring! I've woven quite a bit on it so far but kept putting it down to work on other things. I was easily distracted this weekend.

I started taking pictures of my handspun to be posted up for sale on Etsy. I need to do some cleanup on the photos, figure out exact yardage and get all the information together for the Etsy postings. I'm really hoping to have some up by next week.

I also worked up some new business cards. (Told you I was productive this weekend!) I just have to put the finishing touches on them and get them printed. I'm really excited about them and love the new look!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot! I played around with the Microsoft Live Movie Maker software last night. I downloaded this software so I can try to make some tutorial videos to be posted here on the website. Many of my students have expressed an extreme interest in this as they learn a technique in class but when they go to do it again they don't always remember exactly how to do it. I have a long list of techniques that I want to video and post. It's going to take me some time to get through it all, but I will be posting videos as I complete them. No waiting for them all to be finished!

So, it looks like I have my work cut out for me in the upcoming months. Too bad this day job still gets in the way. But things are looking up. Sir Lancelot and I will be out of debt come June 1 and then we need to get our emergency fund built up and retirement savings started. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and it's getting brighter every day!

"The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon,

but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher."

~ Thomas Henry Huxley

So Many Fibery Ideas . . . So Little Time

I know I've said this before, but my "regular" job sure does get in the way of my fibery pursuits. I have so many ideas rolling around in my brain right now and I really want to get started on some of them, but my 9-5 job keeps me from that. Don't get me wrong . . . I am very happy to have a job with steady income especially in this crazy economy. I just really want to make a go with this fiber arts thing and I feel like I don't have enough time in the day. I get home at night and a lot of times I'm just too tired. I end up playing around on my computer instead of weaving, designing, knitting, spinning or crocheting. I need to start making the time. I really want to try to get something going so that I can quit this 9-5 job.

Madelinetosh Sock in Steam Age

So, this weekend I did manage to do some knitting. I've been working on the Simple Things Cowl by Mary-Heather Cougar. It has been a nice mindless knit. I finally finished the straight stockinette section which was starting to get a bit boring. But just as I thought I couldn't knit another row of stockinette, the garter ridge eyelet section started and things got just a tad more interesting. At least it wasn't the same old, same old anymore. I've only got about 20 more rows to go and it will be done. I am knitting it with Madelinetosh sock yarn in the Steam Age colorway. I'm really loving it! I forgot to take pictures this weekend so I have nothing to show. Bummer, I know! But here is a picture showing the colorway. Does that suffice? I thought not. Sorry!

And now my mind is back to all the many ideas I have floating around in there. I have several new pattern ideas that I need to get working on. Again, so many ideas and so little time. I need to jot things down as they come to me so I don't forget them. Another hazard of getting older. LOL! So I'm off to start making a list and figure out how to get organized so I have time to accomplish some stuff. In the meantime, happy knitting, weaving, spinning or whatever fiber art trips your fancy!

Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave . . .

I sincerely hope that I have not caused anyone to faint or have a heart attack by updating my blog. I know I have been absent for over a month now and you all probably thought I dropped off the face of the earth. I am still here and have some updates to share with you.

Wrap on the loom

Off the loom

Weaving has been the focus of my fiber arts pursuits recently. I believe it was back in October or November last year that I warped my Cricket loom for a wrap. I used a mix of commercially spun yarns and my own handspun in both the warp and weft. I worked on it off and on and I finally finished the weaving this past weekend. It has been removed from the loom and is awaiting me to take care of the yarn ends, twist the fringe and give it a bath. I snapped a quick picture last night so I could share it. I will take a better photo after it is truly finished. As always, click the photo to view a larger version.

Boat shuttle

I also have put my 4 yd warp on my Ashford 32" loom and started weaving some dish towels. (Click here to read the story of how I managed to make a 4 yd warp.) I also recently purchased a boat shuttle and have been using it to weave these towels. I LOVE IT!!  It makes the weaving go so much faster than stick shuttles. I will still use my stick shuttles, but if I can use the boat shuttle, it is definitely my tool of choice. I haven't been working on the towels as much as I'd like to, but I have made good progress on the first one.

Dish towel

This is a kit I purchased at the Michigan Fiber Festival this past August. I am loving how they are turning out. Now that I have my wrap off the Cricket, maybe I will spend more time working on my towels.

But then again, I am easily distracted and the entire reason I hurried up to get the wrap off the Cricket is so that I could try my hand at card weaving (aka tablet weaving). Sigh . . . I'm hopeless! You thread the warp through holes in cards and the cards make your weaving shed. You then turn the cards according to the pattern to make warp faced (all the patterning comes from the warp threads and the weft is not seen) straps. These woven straps can be used for many things including, purse straps, belts, leashes, trim, bookmarks, lanyards, or stitched together to make wider fabric. I warped up some cards and am using my Cricket to tension the warp. I got started weaving a bit last night and had a blast. I will be adding some card weaving resources to my weaving tab. I swear I'm sick with Fiber Fever! LOL!

Cricket tensioning the warp for card weaving

Close up of the warp faced band

Crazy DIY Project . . . The Red-Headed Stepchild of Perceived Necessity

I am the daughter of a carpenter. I grew up around power tools and lots of lumber. I love the smell of freshly cut lumber! It always makes me think of home. I hung around my Dad's workshop and watched him cut wood and make wonderful things with it. My brother and I had our own workbench with a few tools, some nails and screws, and access to a pile of scrap wood to do with what we wanted. You would think that some of those carpentry skills would have rubbed off on me. (I like to think that they did but I could be extremely delusional.)

I mentioned that one of my Christmas gifts from Santa was the book/DVD combo, Spin Art. After watching the video, I decided that I needed a lazy kate that I could sit on the floor and would hold my bobbins vertical. Now I have a perfectly good lazy kate that holds 3 bobbins albeit horizontally. Why I thought that I absolutely NEEDED this kind of lazy kate escapes the rational part of my mind. (I think this part gets smaller every year.) So I started the great internet search to find what I was looking for. I did find several kates that met my criteria but they were soooooooo expensive. The crazy side of my brain took over at this point and told me that all I needed was a few materials and I could make what I wanted for so much less.

Off to the hardware store I went. All I know is that I wanted a board and some metal rod. Sir Lancelot was so patient with me as I tried to explain to him what I was looking for. He actually found the metal rod for me. Check one item off the list at $2.50. Now for the board. I found a really nice stud (too bad he wouldn't come home with me . . . oh wait . . .wrong kind of stud), 2x4 and 96" long for about $2.46. Purchases made I headed home and started the cutting.

I need to figure out how to convince Sir Lancelot that I need a circular saw. I had to cut my stud by hand using my miter box and good old fashioned hand saw. Took FOREVER (well not really but it sure seemed that way)! I also cut two triangular pieces to attach to the bottom of my kate so that it sits at an angle. I sanded all the wood, drilled holes in the stud, cut the metal rod (not an easy task) and pounded the rods into the holes in the stud. I glued and screwed the little feet to the bottom and there it was. My new lazy kate. A bit primitive but it works! Not bad for around $5.

Yeah, I know the foot on the right is crooked but it works.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Did I scare you? I'm sorry. I know I've been absent from this blog for quite awhile now and my yelling probably startled you. I'm not going to make any excuses for my absence, but I am going to say that I am glad the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is OVER. I'm waiting for the Christmas Fairy to show up and take down all my decorations and store them for me. She's really late this year and I'm going to have to dock her pay.

Well 2012 has come in like a lion here in the Midwest. It has gotten rather cold and blustery out there. Snow has been falling for the last hour or so and has started to accumulate. They are predicting several inches (could be close to a foot) of snow by the time all is said and done. If it wasn't so windy, it would be rather pretty with the snow falling.

Core spun yarn - click for larger photo

I still have been crafting up a storm. Santa dropped off an early present for me and I just couldn't bear to wrap it and put it under the tree. He delivered a copy of the new book Spin Art by Jacey Boggs,  which also comes with a DVD. I immediately popped in the DVD and watched it all the way through. I have begun trying my hand at some core spinning and have been surprised at how quickly I seemed to get the hang of it. I still need practice but it gets easier every time I sit down and spin. 

Basic mitten using
 Brown Sheep Chunky

My knitting needles have been moving fast and furious as well. I knit up a pair of socks for my Dad. I neglected to get a photo of them but they turned out great. It was my first attempt at doing 2 socks at once using the magic loop method. I must say that I was able to manage the 2 balls of yarn without creating much of a mess or getting utterly frustrated. I have also been working on a new pair of mittens for Sir Lancelot. The first one is done and I need to get the second one going. These will be for when he snow blows and since the snow is flying, I need to get knitting.

Close up of sweater back

I have also started a sweater for myself. It's a Ribbed Kimono (Ravelry link) with Garter Stitch Border by Plymouth yarn. It's a very soothing pattern. All the "work" is done on the wrong side of the fabric and the right side is just the knit stitch. Very zen.

I missed having Christmas with my nephews this year. I still haven't met the youngest one. We got to Skype with them on Christmas morning. My parents were at my home and we all got to watch them open their gifts. I am so glad that my SIL posted some pictures from Christmas on her facebook page. They just keep getting cuter all the time!

B & J, Christmas 2011

I have some yarn that I spun that I will be listing in my etsy shop hopefully in the next few days. I need to get some pictures taken. If that Christmas Fairy ever shows up I could get some stuff done. LOL! So keep your eyes open for that. And if you are in the area, the class list for Stitching Memories will be up on the website soon. I will be listing my classes here as well. If you're local, I hope to see you in one of my classes this year.

That about wraps things up for now. I want to wish everyone a very healthy and prosperous New Year!!

Cosmo is hoping the Christmas Fairy does not show up