Side Note

I know. I'm still weaving but this past week I had some interruptions so I spent most of my time doing finish work once the warps are off the loom. That means I serged the pieces apart, repaired anything that needed it, washed the pieces and hung them up to dry. Then cut, serged, assembled, added buttons, then brought them up to do all the finish work of hand sewing and crocheting. Takes a lot longer than weaving the fabric! 

So I thought I'd show you my back deck.

The miniature hostas are blooming. I bought them last year and they seem to be happy.

We winter this hibiscus in our little greenhouse.

Stanley's had a sale recently so I got more caladiums. The fine green plants in the pot behind them are an annual that either wintered through or more likely reseeded itself. Love the tiny yellow flowers.

It's hard to see but that's a bench behind the impatience. I have the impatience in a huge pot this year.

Impatience were on sale, too. Other than the funky fern in front, the ferns wintered in our greenhouse and are perking up nicely.  

Recently we got a new garden system. It's from Greenstalk. We found it online and ordered it. Then found it's from here in Knoxville so we picked it up from the business.

I know, we're way late with planting but it's an experiment this year.

I had started basil, cilantro and tomatoes from seed earlier so added some more from Stanley's once we got the 5 level stand. You water it from the top and it has a neat way of filtering down.

This week will be more weaving so there should be more color pictures soon. 

We've still got the kittens in our bedroom and I go up often to check on them. Our room is really big so they have plenty of room to run everywhere! I'm writing this while sitting on our bed and they're both curled up nearby. Belle comes during the night for a little loving but I'm usually awake anyway so she must sense that. They came with a big crate to keep them in if workmen came, etc. Inside there's a little house and above it a shelf with a nice soft bedding. Often in the mornings they are both in there sleeping. Belle's in the little fabric house(cave) and Meg is on the shelf above. I'll try to get pictures next time. With them being such a dark color, it's hard to photo them! But they are so cute.

Until next week, keep weaving!

Carol

Finally an Empty Loom!

Last week I had stopped weaving the 4th t-shirt rug because I wasn't sure I liked the color for the hem that I had chosen.

I pulled out several colors I had on hand and stepped back and took a picture.  I can somehow see color combinations more clearly in a picture, and it confirmed my new color choice.

I chose the last one on the right,  and while it doesn't match either the copper or the brown in the rug , it is somehow a combination of the two.  Once that choice was made I quickly wove the rest of this rug.

It is always fun to see the newest rug coming around to cover the last one.
















I could tell that I only had enough warp left to do one more rug, so I went across the hall and started pulling out colors.  I wanted use white as a contrast again, and I had fun choosing a new combination of colors.

I neglected to get a picture of this combination  in strips or on the loom, but I have one of the finished rug you will get to see further down.

I cut the rugs off and laid them out to rest before I cut them apart to hem.

Rug #1 was a striped pattern that I found in a swedish weaving book for rag rugs.   I liked it well enough but I feel that t-shirt weft doesn't look the same as regular rag weft, and I started thinking of a new way to combine my t-shirts.

Blues, Browns and Gray as the contrast color was my first combination.  I love how it looked on the loom, but I was surprised at the almost clasped weft effect that showed up once the rug was off the loom.

Then I decided to do some bright colors, red, turquoise, yellow, orange and black with white as the contrast.  Again, I really like the clasped weft effect.

Peacocks at the Museum were on my mind when I chose the colors for this rug, three browns and 2 blues.

For the 5th and final rug I went with white as the contrast color, then 2 blues, 2 reds, and a green.  I really wanted to use an orange in this one, but in the end the green won.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this warp in the Hollywood pattern in black / white and I plan to do another one very soon, though I think I will be looking for a wider loom, 28 inches is as wide as Carl Jr, (the small Cambridge rug loom) will do and I know that I would really like to use at least 30 inches in the future.

I will now turn my attention to the 8 harness loom that is ready to have it's warp threaded in the rose path pattern, more on that next week.

Until then, Happy Crafting, Tina

A Little Visit

 Today was a picture perfect day for a visit to the Museum of Appalachia.  They were expecting two groups--summer day camps.  Each group had between 80-100 kids.
  Before they arrived, I walked around a wee bit to just enjoy the scenery.  The kitchen garden is doing great!

  Of course, they do get a little help from the resident peacocks and peafowls.  They were very busy this morning getting rid of those pesky insects!  When the buses arrived with the students, they sent up their usual, unique cry to let everyone know there were visitors.

  If you stay on the path past the garden, you'll come to the Irwin's Chapel Log Church.  This structure was built around 1840.  The log pulpit and benches are from the original church.

  They have services in the church during Homecoming in October.

 

A little further on up the path is the Big Tater Valley Schoolhouse.  Tater Valley runs through Union County into Grainger County.  (My parents had a farm on Tater Valley!) 


  Both of these buildings have pot-bellied stoves to provide heat during cold weather.

They were busy setting up for a wedding over at the Hacker Martin Gristmill.  It seemed like all morning watching the chairs move into place!

  And, back in the Loom House, another placemat was taking shape!  I find this colorway to be very soothing and restful.  And, the kids that visited had some great questions.

  This was a great way to spend my morning.

Take a little time to enjoy the simple things.

Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

p.s........Shhhhhhhh!

Here's a sneak peek at the practice warp (on the reel, not the loom!!!)

Just Another Tuesday?

****Just a note:  after a wild & wooly summer storm yesterday afternoon, I was left without power until after midnight.  I apologize that this post is late!!!!

  As you might remember from last week, Pat had hemmed the rugs that came off the loom the week before.  Since we're in need of placemats for the Shop, she looked in the box of leftover cones, and pulled these lovely colors for her new warp.  Folks....this is an 18 yard warp!!!!!




It just so happens that Margi brought a whole bunch of colorful tablecloths that we could use as weft.  After Margi got the hems cut off, Charlotte joined the different ones together on one edge.  Next week we'll have the rag cutter out to cut the strips for Pat's placemats.  Don't you just love it when a plan comes together!!!!  Who knew????









  On the other side of the table, Polly had the serger going.  It really helps to stabilize the edges before you hem!  Irene, also, was working on finishing some handwovens.  That's Joan in the background....we didn't scare her off!  She's hard at work on her first warp.





  Sharon finished up the 7th placemat of this colorway, and started on number eight.  That's more for the Shop!!!
  Betsy was on the last rug of this warp, which she will use to make a tote bag.



After lunch, it was ready to be cut off the loom.




The last one was woven by Sharon.  She was trying out the clasp weave technique.  I didn't write it down:  were there 4 or 5 rugs on that warp????

  Tina finished threading the towel warp (remember...this was the warp without a cross and was a bit of a tangle!)  She worked out a monk's belt threading for the border.  With this lovely warp, there are so many possibilities for colors to use for the monk's belt.




Linda is right there beside Tina, and she's on #7 or #8 placemat of this batch...she's not sure!!!  That's more for the Shop!  (By the way, her shirt says:  Weavers Are Warped.)







  Ms. Ila is sporting the latest in weaving fashion:  compression gloves!  Actually, with all the felting that she did over the last few weeks, her hands were feeling rather tender.  She reports that these gloves really help.






  Carl will be vying with Pat for the rag cutter next week.  He brought a whole bag of joined blue jean legs that are ready to be cut into strips.  That will be another rug on that barn loom!

After ragging me for chatting while I wound my bobbins, I snapped this shot of Marie winding her pirns for her napkins!  She really loves her end feed shuttle!

And, keeping an eye on all of this is our fearless leader, Carol.  I'm not real sure what Margi is paying her for, though..............
 

  Bonnie brought some of the bounty from her garden to share with the Tuesday Weavers.  They have an abundance of zucchini and little yellow squash right now!  Thank you, Bonnie!
  Next week will be our Potluck lunch.....stay tuned for lots of great food!!!!
Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

Some Weaving Done

This is a busy time of year, but I got a couple of bamboo vest warps woven recently.

I like the color changes, depending on the yarn used for the weft.

The warp was a combination of blues and greens. It was a cool,cheerful, almost  beachy combination.

Using just blues in the weft.

Just greens for weft. This one is very cool colored, springlike.

Blues and greens for weft.

Of course I painted the wefts at the same time as that warp so I knew what colors I would have, sort of. It's still exciting to see it develop in front of you as you weave.

The other warp was mostly blues.

I had painted a weft that was three blues with one red. It makes a nice fabric that's blue but with some red to break it up.

All blues. Just imagine wearing this vest with jeans. You could go almost anywhere in that!

There's a new warp on the loom. It's navy with some indigo colors in there to brighten it up. I'll be weaving it with a navy that's not too dark. I'm looking forward to seeing it develop as I throw the shuttle today.

The kittens are settling in nicely and showing more of their personalities. They think the sink in the bathroom is the most exciting thing in the world. I haven't shown them how to drink from there yet. Molly used to love to drink from the faucet and I'd run it slowly so that she could lick the water into her mouth. I think I'll wait a few years before I teach Belle and Meg how to do that! Fighting for the sink is so funny!!

Until next week, keep weaving! Carol

Same As the First

I have had a busy week as so many others have, but I was able to make some progress on 2 projects.  The first project is the second Jacobs fleece that I got from Betsy's friend a couple of years ago.  I had them washed right away, but one thing and another kept me from combing them.  I finished the other fleece last week and so this week I concentrated on this one.  This fleece I call #1 because it is a softer and less messy than # 2.

You cans see just how beautiful it is.  It was a little bit sticky with residual lanolin, so I resorted to sprinkling it liberally with talcum powder to soak up the sticky, and it worked remarkable well, though it did slow the process down a bit.

I am almost done with this fleece, and I really only have a couple more of my personal fleeces left to do both of which are dark brown, but softer than soft!   One is Cormo/Jacobs cross and the other is Cormo/ Romney cross.

(The Museum fleeces?  I am tempted to send them out to be made into roving!)





I also got a chance to weave on the new t-shirt rug, though I did not finish it.  I stopped here because, while I love how the colors are tracking, I am not sure I am in love with the color I chose for the hem.  Perhaps black would have been better?  I don't know and I would love some input on this.

That is about it on the creative side, not even much knitting going on this week, which is unusual.  But I am not worried about it, everything in it's season, and all that.

Until next time, Happy Crafting, Tina

Ticking Off My List

YES....the placemats are woven and off the loom!!!

And, yes....I changed my mind and put hems in the last two rather than fringes!  I really love this little huck variation pattern, and I plan on doing another run of them using the heavier kitchen cotton for warp.  The next run will use all my Fiesta Ware colors, though!!!!

  This means that I'm ready to start practicing for the big smack down in July.  I've got to get up close and personal with my wool stash selection and see if I have anything to use for practice.  I think I have only done one weaving project with wool, so there's a little learning curve here!  (This will go on my new to-do list.)

  I got all my watering done this morning.  We had loads of rain during the weekend, but, it has been dry the last few days.  My hay bales are not doing too well, but this little herb garden is going gang busters!
  This was my old fire pit.  The bottom had rusted out, but I lined it using landscaping fabric.  I mixed some of Tina's good "soil" with the potting mix, and everyone seems very happy.


 









  And, here's another container project (kitty litter bucket) that is doing very well.  I do love cherry tomatoes.
  I found some fresh okra and green beans to fix for supper tonight (the green beans are already on the stove!)  I'm ready for those lovely summer meals!

Oh, yes.....and there's another summer thing I'm ready for!

Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

p.s.   And then I'll get back to my list.