Transitions

It seems this is the weekend for transitions.

The forecast this morning is saying our weather will transition from sunny and mild to snowy and cold by tomorrow.  Later at the grocery store, I'll get to see everyone clean out the TP and bread isle....I just need cat food!!!

  Cece doesn't like it when the supply gets low!  She doesn't just help with fringe twisting....she also has to help with putting heddles on the bar.  We lack one more harness, and we'll be ready to put a warp on Lil Smokey.

I'm teaching a class at the Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival in March. (Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival)
  We always have a straw loom booth at the festival, and so many people have expressed an interest in weaving.  We were asked if we could come up with a weaving class, and Tina and I put our heads together and came up with two classes.  We'll have the two Wolf Pups and two table looms set up to do mug rugs with an Amish flavor.   The warps will be black, and the participant can choose their weft colors for each mug rug they weave.  I'm threading the M and W pattern on the looms, and each loom will have a different treadling pattern.
  Tina is teaching an Inkle Loom class in the afternoon.  The participants will learn how to thread the pattern and weave a band on the loom.  It should be a fun day!!!

  I made time this week to weave a little on John...I was feeling so guilty that the looms were being ignored with all the activity that's been going on.
  I'm using up some of the plain loopers with some colored ones.  I think this will work nicely in my bathroom!
  I may weave a corduroy rug with the remaining warp on the loom.  I have a long piece that I've had for awhile that needs to be used up, and the colors will work with the warp.
OK....let's brave the grocery store with everyone in town!
Happy Weaving!
LouAnn 

Halfway

I have had no weaving time at all this last week.  It is all good and necessary stuff, but it takes me away.  I have been able to finish one of my January socks however, I have knit and reknit parts of this sock way too many times.  First the leg had to be redone in 2x2 rib, because I did not like the looseness of stockinette.  Then I had to do and redo the heel several times because I was using a different heel than I usually do. I also had to take it out and do about 10 rows of stockinette between the leg and the heel to get it to fit right.

Then as I continued down the foot I thought that I would only have to do 4 repeats of the pattern, and maybe add a few plain rows before I started the toe decreases.  I thought that because the leg of this sock is really long!  But, alas,  I kept having to take the toe out and add more plain rows, until I finally decided that I should just do another couple of pattern repeats and see where that got me.  Of course, It landed me just where I needed to be to start the toe decreases.

tomato heel

Then I somehow got the stitches shifted 3 stitches over when I started the toe, and it was all crooked!  Once again I carefully took out the stitches and found the right place to start.  

foot detail

Last night, I got it right all the way, and this morning early I tried it on once again to make sure.  Then I closed the toe and steam blocked it for these pics.  I think the second sock will go much smoother, now that I have the kinks worked out.

I hope to be back at the loom next week, you just never know these days!

Until next time, Happy Weaving, Tina

A Truly Boring Post

 It was a long week at work, but a few exciting things happened.  The Tennessee Truffle guy came and Joseph chose $1000 worth of truffles.  See those black nobby things on the scale?  Yes, friends!  That's $1000 worth of TN Truffles!  As Joseph would say, "Woooooo!"

 And Florida strawberries are in!  Now it's my turn to say Wooooo!  I am so very tired of pears, apples and nuts!  I made a big batch of strawberry jam to put in a dessert.  Ah, the smell!  So delicious!

I wove a little this week on the lace curtains, but not so you'd notice.  1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4.  Over and over and over again.  Nice to have something boring to weave, but really, really boring.  As is the placemat warp at the Center, all tabby, all white warp.  Sounds like I'm complaining, and, okay, there was a little whining going on yesterday!  I long for one of the new weavers to finish their table loom projects and jump on B to finish it up!
  LouAnn has some crazy idea about me and the 60 inch 12 shaft making a Lee's Surrender, full size, and I'm actually planning it while I cut and throw white strips across the warp on B.  It sounds like fun, in a terrifying way!

  I've written before about my poor sister's sad lack of a sweater made with yarn she bought eons ago, even mentioned how she had secretly learned to knit, picked up the first version of the sweater and started knitting two years ago.  Well, that version was completely frogged last summer.  I found out Liz was coming to visit at the end of January, so a week before she got here, I found a pattern and started knitting.  I've always been in awe of Stephanie Pearl McPhee's amazing knitting speed, making a pair of socks a month, along with a sweater, baby blankets and hats.  So I thought I'd see how fast I could make a sweater.  Three weeks is the answer.  Here it is, drying on the rack, sleeves below on the lower shelf.  I still have to sew it together, including scary steeks for the sleeve openings, but the knitting is done, except the collar. It looks HUGE, but she likes big sweaters, so fingers crossed she likes this one.
  And now I'm inspired to knit more, working on Faux Isle socks and an old Chanel-like sweater jacket.  Hope to have photos next week, but doubtful of their finishing by then!
Weave on, friends!
Maggie

What A LOVEly Day!!!

 
  It was a typical February day outside (cold & gray) but inside the Center, it is always warm and welcoming!

  Lanny and Bonnie were deep in conversation over Bonnie's choice of wool colors for her project at home.  LOVE those colors on the card!!!!

   Pat was back with us today, and she jumped in on several projects that were going on.  First of all, she helped Ms. Beatrice with her warp on the table loom. 
  She also shared the LOVE of weaving with Ms. Beatrice's grandson....straw weaving is a great way to start!
  Ms. Ila is threading her lace scarves on the Pup.

  Maggie came all decked out in her outfit for this special day!  Her heart vest was knit a few years back, but you'll recognize her bamboo scarf from her blog post.  Maggie also made her blouse and jacket....don't you just LOVE it?????

   Andy is making great progress on her shawl warp.  She's threading and tying on....it won't be long now!  Those shawls will be LOVEly!

  You can get a sneak peek at Bonnie's towels over on her loom!

  Carl is making swift progress on the rugs on the barn loom.  I wish you could see the rug as it goes on the cloth beam....I'll try to get a shot of it next week for the blog.  I am in LOVE with that fabric with that warp!!!!  Wonder if there's enough to do a whole rug?????

  Ann was hoping I would get a good picture of her today....she won't even look at the camera!  But, that old loom is a LOVE to weave on!

  Welcome to the new Center Intern, Kaylee.  See that LOVEly mess in her lap????  That's the strips that Pat cut last week for place mats, and it got into a big ole tangle!  Kaylee is working hard to wind it into a ball so that it will be easier to wind on the shuttle.  (I sure hope we didn't scare her away!!!)

  But, it wasn't all work for Kaylee....she got a quick weaving lesson from Maggie, and got to throw the shuttle on the placemats.  Oh, that's what you do with those strips of fabric!!!!

  She'll LOVE weaving!!!

Notice the aisle ?  You can actually walk through there now!!!!  Pat went through several of the boxes of fabric, and sorted them into plastic tubs for the Annex.

  Ann and I made several trips out to the Annex to put the tubs on the new shelves that Allen has finished!

  Please note the bottom tub:  this is fabric for Maggie's amazing shag rugs.  (Actually, it's polyester!)  But, Maggie swears they make LOVEly shag rugs.  And, she promises to give us all lessons!!!!

Have a LOVEly evening, and,
Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

Windfall!

Last Thursday I flew back up to Canada to visit my Mom and sister. It's been fun! I'll be here a couple of weeks. When you pay over $800 for a ticket.........a month in advance........you have to make it pay! I did bring a few projects to work on and hope to help my sister with some of hers.

My sister doesn't weave but she has gotten into sewing quilts and we tend to egg each other on with ideas, etc. Plus, in Moose Jaw there are 2 nice quilt shops. One of them is owned by a couple of ladies who have now published 2 quilt books. I got their latest Friday, Urban Country Quilts. My sister has a couple of ideas from it already and I think I may try to sort of copy one of them as well. 

My sister has a friend who owns a long arm quilting machine. She quilted the 3 quilts I made last year for me.  The friend is in the process of moving to a different, smaller house. She decided that a bunch of denim she had collected didn't really fit into what she was doing now. So, did my sister want it? She already has a good bit that she will cut into blocks, back with flannel and sew into quilts. You know, the kind where the seams are all showing on top and clipped to fringe nicely? She didn't need these jeans.  

 I do. I have some denim at home but not a ton and they do make such wonderful rugs! So yesterday afternoon we picked them up from her place and brought them to my sister's home. Guess what I did later last night?

I'm about half done just cutting them apart, putting all the seams, etc into a garbage bag to dispose of. Not much waste there. I'm flying so can't take them home now. My sister is kind enough to store them for me til summer when I drive up.  Then I'll add them to mine, cut them into strips to sew together and weave them into rugs.

It's nice to be here with family again. Really, something to treasure. Mom's frail but still continuing to email me every day. Today is her dialysis day again. Hopefully she will have a good day. It can be tough on her, especially just before they take her off the machine. People on dialysis are real troopers. You don't even think about it, sure, dialysis, no problem. It's not quite that way. You can get serious cramps in your legs, hands, etc. esp near the end of the process each time. Is it because they are taking off too much? Who knows, just have to deal with it. And Mom does, admirably. She is my hero!
Until next week, stay warm and weave on!!
Carol

Where-O-Where?

Sing along with me:  "Where-o-where has the winter gone?"
  Uh-oh!  It's back again!  Just when you think that winter has completely skipped you, here it comes!  It sure had the flowers fooled!  My daffodils have been blooming since the last week of January. 

  And the crocus have popped up all over the yard.

  They are calling for a "light dusting" of snow today.  So far, that's all I've had here on the ridge.  And the temps are supposed to be dropping all day.  Guess I'll stay inside where it's warm.

  And, here's one reason I need to stay inside!!!  You might notice that this loom is missing something.....the harnesses!

  After cleaning this little gem up last summer, I still needed to put the heddles on the bar......and one thing led to another.....and Christmas came....and I had to put things away for the holidays.  But, I'm thinking about the class in Townsend next month, and I thought I'd get this loom ready to go.  But....where are the harness frames??????


  I looked for those babies most of the week.....how can they hide????  Nothing else in the house looks like THAT!!!!

  But, if you get down low, and behind a loom bench, and in a corner....you can hide really well!!!!

  This will be my project for today!  (Along with laundry!)

And, this is why I can resist the lure of the other loom from Maggie's post.......I have lonely loom syndrome.  They look so sad....so neglected.  I hear their siren's call, but real life has been in the way, lately.  Soon, my little babies..........

  If you missed Karen-In-The-Woods post yesterday....you'll want to take a look!!!

  While I was at the store, I picked up an angel food cake mix, and followed Karen's directions for making a snack cake.
  My only suggestion is that you use a large mug to bake it in the microwave!!!!  (And, put a paper towel under the mug--just in case!)
  YUM!   (Thank you, Karen!)

  This was a gift from a dear friend, and it is finally blooming!  The Friday before Christmas, a little box was left at my door.  A bulb that promised a wondrous sight if I could be patient.  This is my reward....with more blooms to follow!

Enjoy your weekend (and give those looms some TLC!)

LouAnn

Why I am Sampling

To me "Sample" is not a dirty word.  I have begun to work on the long white cotton warps that I bought last year from a mountain weavers estate.  I did not plan these warps, I did not wind them, and I am not familiar with 12/3 cotton, I don't know what the best sett in the reed will be for this particular project.  I have gone up  from 12 epi, which I used with the waffle weave, to 15 epi, since I only have a 15 dent reed for this loom, and at 15 epi this project is 26 inches, which will fit my little loom.

Sampling is the only way I am going to find out if the sett is correct. I finished winding this warp back onto the loom on Wednesday.  I tied it on and was amazed that I did not have a threading error! I took some navy 8/2 cotton, which is a little thicker than the warp and began to sample.

First, I must say that it is nice to see something besides white!  Second, I love this pattern!  It is the Friendship Twill in the Davison book.

On closer examination, I notice that the table element which is supposed to be a square, isn't a square.   I think that first, I will try doubling the weft to see if that helps.  Then, I will cut it off and wash half of it to see how the hand of the cloth is, and the final dimensions after finishing.  Only then I will know if I will have to change the sett to square it up or if  it will be fine just as it is.

I may have to go up to 20 epi to get the cloth I want.  That would make it 19.6 in the reed, still very doable for hand towels, though a little narrow for breadcloths.

Here is a close up of the table element.

Lunch time!

Until next time, Happy Weaving, Tina