Monday, February 24th
posted 6:30 PM
I've been pretty quiet about the new wheel, mainly because I was feeling rather deflated. I wasn't very successful using double drive. I took it to my spinning group yesterday and set it up for Scotch tension. Finally! Here's my first bobbin. I need a little more practice before I'm ready to spin for a project though. It's not entirely consistent, but I was able to spin much finer than I could with my Louet. I have a corriedale fleece that I bought at MDSW from The Clearing, probably about 4 years ago, that I'd like to make an aran cardigan with. I want to spin a three ply, but I don't want it too bulky. When I went to the stash spinning class at Countrywool Claudia gave us these sample worksheets. I'm not a technical spinner in any sense of the word, but I think it will be a good way to learn about my wheel and find the best yarn for this fleece. Don't feel bad for the Louet - it's set up for spinning the Beast - I'm halfway through the 3 pound bag.
The first baby blanket is finished. Started weaving variation #5 last night. Jeff emailed a picture of our future nephew, the government said they would only be able to adopt one child. They can visit one hour a day until the adoption goes through, but by the third day he lit up when Jeff and Cheryl walked into the room. I can't wait to see him, but it will be a couple more weeks until the adoption goes through and they all come home.
Saturday, February 22nd
posted 8:30 PM
I finished threading the baby blanket last night and got started weaving today. I already have about 35" done, but I've got to stop for the evening. Throwing that shuttle across the full width of the loom is really tiring. I tried using the Bluster Bay shuttle, but as fast as that is, it doesn't seem to have enough weight to take it all the way across the warp. I'm using my new 15" Schacht, with the 6" bobbins, and that seems to work well. I'm planning on weaving a length of 52". Here's a close up of the weaving. It's not nearly as loose as it looks here, but it is loose. I'm expecting it to shrink quite a bit after I wash it in hot water.
Does anyone else have this problem? I keep getting the weft caught on the rods. I tried checking each time, but that really slows me down. Sometimes it just creates a loop like in the picture, but other times, if it's caught while I'm throwing the shuttle, it catches and I have to unweave a row or two to even the tension. Now that the rods are rolled in on the cloth beam, the problem is gone. I'm not bothering working in the ends on this blanket since I'll be binding it. Since I'm expecting it to shrink so much, I think I'll zigzag around the four edges, wash it, then add the binding to prevent any puckering.
It's been pouring for the last 24 hours and we have flood warnings. The fog is very heavy too. But true to the prediction, no snow - since we are now the proud owners of a snow blower!
Thursday, February 20th
posted 6:07 PM
First day back to school after the snow storm. The kids were all worried about when they are going to get out this summer, will graduation be pushed back yet again. I've got good news for them. We finally bought a snowblower, so you know we won't have any more snow for a couple of years, at least! DH flew out to Des Moines today and is driving a truck back with my BIL. My sister has been here for two weeks training for her new job. There wasn't a snowblower to be had in the Philadelphia area, but he got one for 25% off in Des Moines. So he's loading it on the truck and bringing it back. No more waiting in vain for the "plow guy".
Threading is 3/4 done on the baby blankets, but I don't think I'll get it finished tonight. Too much grading and class prep to do. I hope to begin weaving Saturday.
Monday, February 17th
posted 6:53 PM
Snow day - again! School is called off for tomorrow due to the massive amounts of snow we got in the last two days. Here's the pics of my last two weaving projects.
My brother's blanket is ready to deliver. The Encore was a lot easier to work with than I thought, but it was a lot more expensive since I had to buy 10 skeins. All of the other blankets I've made came from the stash. They probably cost the same, but it was money already spent.
My niece's scarf is complete. Again, this was acrylic - didn't think she'd take care of wool. I'm really happy with the selvedges, except for where the color changes took place. Any thoughts on what I'm doing wrong? This was such a quick item to weave, I know why so many people like weaving them. It's a great way to sample different structures.
Back to winding my warp.
posted 12:00 PM
Thank you for all of your kind tags and notes about Skids. It still hits me pretty hard, but I'm healing. He would have loved this snow, at least up until the last year or so when getting around became such a chore for him. The snow is still coming down, although the reports now say that the major portion of this storm will be coming to an end soon. Unofficially, we have about 21" on our property. We shoveled the area around the door last night so that I could refill the bird feeders but as you can see from my family room door it piled up overnight! Here's the view from my office window and one of the deck.
I finished my brother's blanket and my niece's scarf. I'll take pictures
this afternoon and post them. I'm going to wind the warp for the baby blankets
this afternoon. Thanks for all of the suggestions. I think I'm going with
the Forrest Crook's Blanket Weave from Davison's book, p. 58. I have a lt
blue 6/2 cotton for the warp and the weft for one blanket will be lilac 8/2
cotton and the other a seafoam green 6/2. I'm going to do one in variation
#7 and I haven't decided on the other one yet.
Wednesday, February 12th
posted 7:00 PM
A tearful goodbye to a loving pet. Skids was really failing the last couple of months. He lost over 30 pounds and had trouble getting and staying upright. The last week he just stopped eating and I know it was time to stop his suffering, but it still hurts so much. He brought much joy to our family for almost fourteen years and we are going to miss him.
Monday, February 10th
posted 6:09 PM
The wheel is here!! Unfortunately by the time I got home from school my stuffed head and cold had worked its way into my lungs. Coughing sure saps your energy. I took it out and checked it over - it's beautiful. I didn't attach the treadle yet, and the way I'm feeling right now, I'd better not try to put it on. I bought some gorgeous merino/tussah silk blend roving to try christen it, but it will have to wait.
I took the blanket for my brother off the loom yesterday, but I don't think I'll be weaving any ends in or twisting fringe until tomorrow. My eyes are focused on my three day weekend coming up.
Thanks for all the good advice on the baby blankets. I do have some natural chenille and lots of Conshohocken Softball. I also have some cones of the Peaches and Creme (is that the same as Sugar 'n Creme?) I'm hoping to wind the warp for Kori's scarf and plan the blankets this week.
Friday, February 7th
posted 9:09 PM
Boring. I can't believe I've made three basically identical doubleweave blankets. It seemed like a good idea at the time! I am halfway finished the third - my brother's blanket, but I'm really pushing myself now. With any luck I'll have this off the loom tomorrow.
Next up is the scarf for my niece Kori. I didn't even know what a Burberry scarf was when she first asked me to make her one. Of course, now I see them (and purses, etc) all over the place. I think half the girls at school got something Burberry for Christmas.
Any ideas for baby blankets? My nephew and his wife leave next week for Kazakhstan. They want to adopt two children, but the agency said that the country is going to start limiting adoptions to one child at a time. They hurried the paperwork through, so hopefully they will get there before the limitation starts. They don't know what sex or what age, but I'd like to start soon so I can have them finished by the time they get back (should take 4-6 weeks) I'm certainly tired of plaids; maybe huck or honeycomb? I'll probably use one warp for the two blankets to speed them up too.
Wheel Update: UPS tracking has the wheel less than one hour away. Wonder if I can just go pick it up rather than waiting until Monday?
posted at 8:50 AM
I'm enjoying this day at home. I can sit at the loom and look out at the
birds at the
feeders and the snow still coming down at a fast clip. Of course, nothing
like the amounts Linda has been
accumulating!
The Encore blanket is moving along quickly. Here is a picture of my progress, along with my new 15" shuttle. It holds a 6" bobbin and an incredible amount of yarn, but I didn't consider that it would also be heavier. All in all, the advantages of fewer bobbin changes outweighs (pardon the pun) the disadvantages, especially when using an acrylic so I can't spit splice. Here's a closeup.
posted at 5:20 AM
Snow Day! I can't get back to sleep (thinking snoring spouse) so after a BIG cup of coffee I'll be at the loom. I'll take pictures of the new blanket and post them later this morning.
Wednesday, February 5th
posted at 10:00 PM
The wheel has left Colorado! Linda gave me the good news yesterday that my wheel is in transit. Delivery is scheduled for Monday (the 10th). I was hoping it would be here in time for the three day weekend, so even if it's a day or two late, I'll have it to play with.
No classes today, we had conferences from 12:00 - 7:30. The whole staff was seated alphabetically and the parents were able to pick up the report card and then walk around and conference with the teachers. I have 130 students and 21 parents showed up. Boring to say the least, but at least I got the cable cast-on and the first row done for the Litla Dimun from Folk Shawls. I remembered to check the errata pages first, good thing, since that's the first one one there.
Monday, February 3rd
posted at 11:00 PM
Have you ever taken 74 high school students on a trip? We're going to Philadelphia
for a 
Chinese
New Year's luncheon - that is if I'm sane enough to get on the bus with them!
I know we'll have a good time, but organizing it is driving me crazy. Of course,
Phillie is nothing like the New York trip. For that one I begin hyperventilating
about three days before the trip and don't calm down until we are back in
the parking lot and everyone is accounted for. I'd give up that trip in a
heartbeat, but it's the one the kids love the most. Oh well, summer's coming
and I sent my registration into Creative
Strands, so that will be my carrot on a stick.
I started weaving the Encore doubleweave blanket for my brother. It's going well and it feels surprisingly good. It was a little harder to thread as it didn't have the body of the wools I usually use, but the weaving is going a lot better.
I guess I better start planning some baby blankets. My nephew and his wife got the call yesterday that they can start their trip to Kazakhstan to pick up TWO children! Keep them in your thoughts as they make the trip.
Sunday, February 2nd
posted at 3:30 PM
The glories of nature abound, but I'm a little sad to think that I won't be seeing the fish I've raised for the last 2 years anymore.
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| These pictures were taken last April, when they started waking up and coming to the surface again. | |
Those of you on ST have heard this before, but on Friday I came home from school and my son told me he was washing dishes and something caught his eye out the window. Dan looked up and saw a bird flying up and away from our small pond. I said "what did it look like?" He said it was "this big" (imagine 6' son holding his arms wide open) sort of bluish, "it looked like the kind of bird that would scoop up a fish!" After I stopped laughing I started to wonder if it really did take one of my fish. The response to my note on ST was that the bird was probably a heron. I showed Dan the pictures and he agreed that's what he saw. The pond is small, only about 8' by 10' and he said the wingspan was almost as wide as the pond as it began to take off. I had been using a small heater to keep the ice clear and on Friday it was above freezing. I guess the heron figured I was just making it easier on him. There were 5 big fish and a baby. I'm hoping the baby (only about 1.5" in the fall) made it through the feeding frenzy. I didn't have any problems last year, but then the rivers weren't icing over like they are this year. I guess the herons were forced to look for crazy homeowners defrosting their ponds.
Saturday, February 1st
posted at 11:45 PM
Ahhhh - Creative Strands - I've given myself one more day to pour over the courses and make up my mind. I love taking fiber classes. I just received a mailing from The Philadelphia Handweavers Guild. They run a variety of classes. Unfortunately some of them are during the week, but there's a one day class on Saturday April 12th on Designing for Doubleweave.