Circular Weaving

I've been working for the past week or so on a very large circular weaving.

It's 35.5" in diameter, woven on a brass ring from what must have been a huge chandelier.

I really like most of it, but I'm having doubts about the outer edges. I don't really care for the natural coloured roving towards the rim, but the space is awkward to fill and it is all I had. A darker beige would have been better I think.

I liked the weaving more at an earlier stage, shown below.

Or perhaps even before that, when it was less busy looking and was more about the texture.



But leaving so much of the warp showing also seemed wrong?

More Sewing Than Blogging

There has been sewing, 

--- just not a whole lot of blogging about it.

A while back I discovered the "York Pinafore" by Helen's Closet. I used some upcycled, off white, light canvas curtain fabric for a test of the pattern.

--- and liked the pattern so much I went on to make three more in rapid succession. 

The style ticks a lot of boxes for me. It's comfortable, it has handy big pockets, it's not clingy, and by varying what is worn under it it can span all four seasons.

Seven Months Early

It's either seven months early or many years late. I finally finished the Bucilla applique kit, "Cookies and Candy Wreath".

Although it's ready in plenty of time for Christmas 2020, I actually purchased the kit on sale many, many years ago and didn't work on it until I came across it when I was cleaning and organizing my weaving room and decided --

--- that it was now or never! I would either get it made or give it away.

I chose to make it and I'm glad I did. It's quite cute and it was fun to make.

Sugarless But Sweet

These cookies won't cause me to gain any weight. 

The cupcakes are sweet but calorie free too.



A couple of handfuls of sugar free candy ---

And a few candy canes to add to the collection.

And then I was hit with the very vague direction to "fasten to the wreath as shown in the photo". No how to at all. I'll be back tomorrow with the finished wreath to show you how that came out. 

Welcoming a Wee Neighbour

We had a wee neighbour arrive a week or so ago, two and a half weeks before she was due.

It's time for me to deliver the little sweater set I made in anticipation of her arrival, though there is no fear of her growing out of the set before I have a chance to give the gift. 

It's a 12 month size, but it will likely be even longer than that before it fits.

The patterns are "Gingersnap Cardigan", and "Sweet and Simple Baby Hat" and I knit them in "Universal Yarn Uptown Worsted".

101 Sheep

Having missed out on 2 big fibre related events, and more cancellations coming in yet because of the mandated social distancing, I decided to buy an online course to learn "Turned Krokbragd on an Inkle". I'm very pleased with the course. I was not only guided step by step through the setting up and weaving of an interesting technique, but I also picked up several tips that will be helpful weaving any sort of bands.

I'm pleased about that, since I've been on a bit of a band weaving kick lately. Here's some of the regular, plain weave bands I've woven lately. These were all woven on the wee "Ukulele" I purchased from Windhaven Fiber and Tools. Windhaven makes such great Inkle looms and tools that they have a hard time keeping up to demand! They are well worth the wait.

I had to drag out an older, clunkier Ashford inkle to learn the Turned Krokbragd on though. There isn't enough room up front on mini Inkles to work around the supplemental heddles that must be used for the technique. 

The sheep band, done in "Rainbow" brand 8/4 cotton, is about 1" in width and I finished with 101 sheep. Not sure what I'll use this band for. It was just for practice. The narrower, 15mm bands I'm weaving on my Windhaven Ukulele will be used to make bracelet attachments that will hold my medic alert information.