Not Nice Knot!

 Well King Cole, that knot in the skein of "Riot DK"  is not at all subtle!

I'm in the middle of knitting a long, narrow, shaped scarf of my own design. It features a long slow colour shift that should work well with the design. SO aggravating to come upon this ugly knot in the skein. 

It's annoying enough to find a knot hidden in the depths of a ball of yarn, but it adds another whole dimension of exasperation when you find it in a slow colour shift yarn and the manufacturer made NO attempt whatsoever to maintain the continuity of the colour shift.

A New (To Me) Loom

Not too long ago I was fortunate enough to pick up a used Leclerc Dorothy loom for a good price. Unfortunately It was missing its reed, which is a costly and absolutely necessary piece. I was lucky that the local guild had a used reed on hand that they were willing to sell to me at a fraction of its cost if purchased new.

My next improvement to the loom was to change out the notoriously noisy side lever system of the Dorothy to a wooden lever system with texsolve cords. The loom is not just way quieter, it is also much easier and less fatiguing to use.

Then, at the next guild meeting, Betty, a fellow guild member, had a lovely 6 yard warp for sale. I had been looking for an appropriate project for the new little loom so I snapped it up. This is the first of 3 scarves that can be woven on the warp. Thanks Betty!

Lost in Time

I finished my "Lost in Time" shawl.

Free pattern by Johanna Lindahl of Mijo Crochet. 

I used "Riot" by King Cole in the "Fab 414" colourway.

I enjoyed crocheting this shawl. It was fun. With all the back post double crochets, front post double crochets, and popcorn stitches it was a bit challenging too! I found I really had to watch what I was doing at the beginning and ending of some of the rows. Even still I ended up having to rip back a few times when stitch counts were not correct. 

Everyone's advice with this shawl pattern seems to be "Count stitches --- OFTEN". And it's true. Nothing wrong with the pattern, it's very well written. It's just a little difficult on those row ends to see exactly what you are supposed to be doing.

Squirrel!

Squirrel! This project takes its name from the calendar picture I used as colour inspiration. 

The photo was a birthday gift given to me by my nine year old granddaughter.

I'm very pleased with the way this Nobius Cowl turned out. "Nobius" is a name given by a Saori Weaving forum member to a mobius cowl that has no twist and therefor doesn't have the classic mobius shape. I prefer mine without the twist since they look about the same when worn but are easier to fold and store flat. 

My home is decorated in the colours present in the cowl, but they aren't colours I wear, so once the year end guild luncheon with it's "photo inspiration challenge" is over I'll be selling it. I sell them for $75 - $80 Canadian, usually at the Chilliwack Christmas Craft Market in November. 

Back at the Loom

After a long hiatus my Creative Muse has finally led me back to the loom.

My weaving room was a mess so I had been avoiding going in there even though a deadline for a guild year end challenge to "use a photo as inspiration for a project" was getting closer. I could have spent hours looking for just the right traditionally "pretty" photo for the challenge, but in an effort to tidy my weaving space I came across this calendar picture given to me by my youngest granddaughter for my last birthday. Spontaneously I thought, "Sure, why not?", and selected it as my inspiration photo for the guild challenge.

That was yesterday. That evening I chose yarns from my stash using colours from the photo to guide my selection and then wound a warp. Today I got the warp sleyed and threaded and then beamed and tensioned on the loom.

This afternoon I wove the entire length for a mobius scarf. Even I was surprised at how fast that went!

I'm not yet finished the weaving. There is still the "catch and turn" to do. That's an interesting little maneuver where the  beginning of the warp is freed, the warp is caught under the apron rod and  retensioned, and then all those beginning warp ends are woven into the end as weft. Tricky, but turns out great. I'll be doing that tomorrow.

Once the project is cut from the loom it still must be "wet set" (washed and pressed), and all the little end tails trimmed, inclusions tacked down, and fringe twisted. I'll be back in a few days to show you the finished scarf. Although the soft greys, beiges, cream and soft gold look lovely together they are not "my" colours at all so it will eventually be for sale. 

Boldly Out There

I debated for a bit on whether or not to present this new sewing project on my blog, fearing derision and possible rejection. I realize that with its bold colour and print and it's simple shaping it's rather "out there", non-mainstream, and likely not to everyone's taste. But you know what? I love it!

It was originally intended to only be a "wearable muslin", which is a garment sewn in inexpensive fabric mainly to test and fit a pattern, but wearable if it turns out well. I didn't expect to love it as much as I do. But with its comfortable forgiving fit, large useful pockets, bold colour and cheerful print, I love wearing it! It's fun. It's different. It's me.

I've always liked bold colour and unusual, non-mainstream styles, but it is only as I've gotten older that I've been brave enough to wear it. I think it comes with no longer caring so much what other people think. I'm more interested in being myself than I am in fitting in.

Sewn using the "Frankie" dress pattern by BmannbyBridget. I shortened it to tunic length and changed the neckline a bit. The fabric was upcycled from a thrift store purchase of a 100% cotton sheet with a large floral border print. The accompanying scarf was made by cutting down a rayon sarong I rarely wore.

If you have something positive or insightful to say I'd love to hear it, and welcome your comments. If only negatives come to mind? Well you know what your momma always said, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all". I am only human after all, and a sensitive one at that, and criticism stings for a long, long time.

July was HOT

With the highs always at least 18°C and usually in the 30°C and over range, July was a very HOT month here in Chilliwack, BC. We even had a couple of days where we reached my hottest available colour, "garnet", which represents the 33 - 35°C range (91.4° - 95°F). 

Happy Canada Day, 2018!

The first 6 months of the year are all rolled up,

And they've been good ones. 

(This is the first six months of my "Year In Temperatures" scarf.) 

March in April

Now that April is well underway I am finally getting around to posting a picture of the March section of the "My Year in Temperatures" scarf.

With March bringing warmer temperatures than we saw in February the scarf got a little more colourful! The "tomato" red is the warmest weather we've had so far this year. That was March 12, with a high temperature of 18°C (64°F). We saw 7 days with lows of 0°C (32°F). Those lows are represented by the dark blue green dots (Knitpicks Palette in "Rainforest"). The black garter stitch ridges divide March from February and April. 

Dwindling Macaw

January in this area saw temperatures that remained predominantly in the grass to macaw range. Errm -- I mean in the 3 to 8 degrees celsius range, (37 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit).

I've been keeping up with the knitting of the "My Year In Temperatures" scarf by knitting 6 rows every second day. That's 3 rows to represent the high temperature for each day. The speckles in the scarf represent each day's low temperature. 

If you look very carefully you might spot a row where you would assume I forgot the speckles. I didn't. In my colour line up each colour spans 3 degrees. That particular day the high temperature and the low temperature were within 3 degrees of each other so they were both represented by the same colour.

I've been going through an awful lot of the colour "macaw", which is a problem because it was the one colour that I did not start off with a full ball of. I'll have to order more. Soon.

A Surprise Ending

That there is another "warp as weft" cowl/scarf is no big surprise,

I enjoy weaving them and they are a good use for little bits of this and that in the yarn stash.

But when I wound the warp for this cowl I intended to weave a hat from the same warp. That is not how this warp ended. Although this warp made a pretty cowl with a light, spring like look, it just didn't seem right for the intended hat. I also had more than enough for just a hat.

When I cut the remaining length into three pieces and sewed them side by side they made a piece exactly the right size and shape to become upholstery fabric for my loom bench.

I backed the handwoven fabric with heavy fusible interfacing and padded the seat with 1" foam layered with a little extra in the middle.

It makes a super comfy and very inviting place to weave. 

Draculaura Would Love It

This recently completed cowl and hat set reminds me of the colours worn by Monster High's Draculaura. I shall refrain from naming it that though since I don't want to invite licencing related law suits.

I had been babysitting my 7 year old granddaughter one day and after a lengthy session of "Monster High", where I was assigned the Draculaura doll, I had had enough and just needed a quiet evening weaving. As a child I happily played Barbie's for hours on end. My tolerance as an adult is considerably less.  

As supper cooked I wound a warp. In the early evening I got the warp threaded and sleyed and then later transferred to the loom and beamed, tied on, and tensioned. 

It wasn't until I had woven a few inches that I suddenly realized what the warp was reminding me of!

Draculaura of course! Her default outfit is raspberry pink and black. D'oh! 

Despite my initial aversion I carried on, and I must say I am very pleased with the result.

The hat and cowl are listed separately at my Etsy shop, Wovenflame.

Night Magic

All done.

Fringe beaded and trimmed. Project washed and pressed --- and named. Naming the scarves is a requirement for the guild show. I dub this one "Night Magic" because of the way the colours shimmer against the black threads.

And now off to warp the loom again! A new idea is demanding to be brought to life.

And a Woven One

Yesterday I mentioned that I would be submitting a knitted, handspun, lace scarf in the guild's show at City Hall, and that there might be a woven one as well. I've made quite a bit of progress on the knitted one, but have found that the weaving is going much faster.

Late on Sunday I took this handspun, a hodge podge of assorted fibres and colours which had been plyed with a fine black weavers' wool,

--- and used it mixed 2/1 with a fine black boucle for the warp,

I wove away, as compulsively as I usually do with such things,

--- and by late Tuesday evening I had it completely woven, cut off the loom, a few skips repaired, and some experimental fringe alternatives pondered. The scarf is in a finishing bath now and will be pressed, have its fringes sprinkled lightly with beads and trimmed evenly, to be ready for its debut here tomorrow.

Two Button Scarf

Some of the Classic Elite Yarns - Desert, that I won in Carrie's blog contest is now being knit up. This is the Two Button Scarf and it will likely use up half of the three balls. I have another plan for the remaining yarn.

The Two Button Scarf is an interactive pattern available FREE through the Knitting Software website. You can use any yarn, any gauge you like. You just do a gauge swatch in the pattern stitch, type the information into the fields provided, click "calculate" and then print out your custom pattern. You can use the pattern over and over again adding new gauge data whenever.

And a Scarf Too!

My second attempt at a scarf was successful!



Like the cardigan, the table runner, and the little purse, this too was made with the "tsunami of wool" I received in September of 2006.

And I still have more.
~

Warping in the Dark

Rather late yesterday, as the sun faded from the sky, I decided I needed to put another warp on my rigid heddle loom. My last warping episode was hampered by confined spaces and an improvised "peg" that fell over mid warp. Although it wasn't disastrous, it was annoying. So I set out looking for an alternative.

My seeking led me outside to my husband's make-shift workbench. It has an old door as a work surface --- which just happens to be the right length for a scarf warp. Add a peg to one end, clamp the loom to the other, and warping is accomplished in a wink.



Which is a good thing because it was getting rather dark. (The camera flash lit up the first picture.) My supervisor, Shelby the Wonder Dog, had to turn on her laser vision and my husband set up a trouble light for me.



After the warp was wound onto the back beam I took everything inside and finished threading the heddle indoors --- where the light was better.

.

Winning Scarf

Last September I knit three scarves out of my own handspun llama laceweight. The first was "Branching Out", done exactly as the pattern was originally written.



The second and third ones I knit using my own modification to the pattern. I then overdyed one with black, which resulted in a rich chocolate brown colour. That one became a Christmas gift for my mother-in-law.



The other I dyed with scarlet and it became a pretty brick red colour. I gave it away last night at a scarf exchange at the year end dinner for the Chilliwack Spinners and Weavers Guild. After the exchange the scarves were put on display and we had a chance to vote for our favorite in two categories: Knit or Crocheted, and Woven. Mine gathered the most votes in the knit or crocheted category and ---



--- I won this pretty begonia!