11/19/2015

TADA!!!

August 1, 2014

I've been doing a little weaving. I even built myself a new loom. I'm doing warp face weaving in the traditional backstrap fashion, except for the fact that I have lashed it to a frame that I built myself.  It helps me with my tension and keeps me from having a backache. 

As it turns out I don't like being physically strapped into the loom. I guess I have to get up and down too often. 

Here are some photos for you to check out…

Most of my yarns are in a truck packed away in a storage unit,  I didn't really have room for them in the RV if I wasn't using them. 

So this happens to be the yard that I just happen to have on hand. I also wanted to give a try at some weaving that wasn't as bright and colorful as some of the traditional backstrap weavings. I wanted to do almost like a brocade where it's just like green on green or silver on silver the way this piece is, I kind a like the effect and I'm going to do more of this.

Hear you say that I have folded it into one of the little pouches I like to make.

And in this one I thought you might just want to get a better look…

And then I switched over to bright bright bright colors.

The color is called fiesta it's a very very orangey red. It really pops against the white I have plenty of it to I intend to do something else with it later.

I won't be at the farmers market tomorrow,I'm babysitting for a friend of mine in Jacksonville. But you keep your eyes peeled I fully intend to continue trying to figure out things to add to my stall aside from just the Pineneedle baskets. Wish me luck and keep your eyes peeled I'll be back...

Finally! Weaving!!!!

 February 22, 2012

I finally finished my piece that has been on the loom bars since before the car accident in November.  And I have also warped up a piece for dbl wft dbl wf (embedded double weave).

Here is the simple warp float piece from November.  I just had no inspiration at all and wanted to see if I could manage to weave with the injury to the shoulder.  However, I do love simple warp floats and the colors here just pop against one another.  I did do something new and leave the stripes inside the motif, and warp floats galore on the outside.  Just simple diamond's but good practice.  All in all I am pleased.

 It will be made into an envelope bag.  Here I did a test run of the folding.

The dbl wv is in bright white and charcoal gray...so far I have only done my signature heart as I have two commissions for pine needle baskets I had to get a start on.  No pics of those in the other thread as they will be as close to the first one that the lady saw as possible.  Boring, but money is money, I am glad for the work at all.

As for this weaving, I have 19 pattern threads (after creating border's that hide the weft well) and am trying to decide on whether to do something of my own in motif or maybe some Bedouin motif's from Laverne's charts.

Yesterday I got a wonderful couple of phone calls from Georgia.  I sent my socks that were a little too big for me to my friend Dana, you remember the two tone blue and teal ones done not long ago, and I sent her fella Steve a Pine needle basket.  Both were well appreciated and I feel good to have been able to do something nice for my friend's.

All in all a good day!


 

Purple and blue, brown and yellow!

January 15, 2012

Just a shot of a couple of more pieces that were done over the course of my healing (in December).  The yellow and brown one was done on the pvc pipe loom, and I forgot to take pics while in the process.  Here is a shot of the loom with the bell pull piece on it, in case you haven't seen it.

It is rather labor intensive, in that I make a backstrap warp, mount it onto the loom bars and then wrap them around this frame and lash them together.  If you look closely you can see the wooden loom bars up near the top (I am almost done with this piece in this pic).  You can also see the threaded rods inserted into the pvc side bars for tensioning.  Works great! Rotating the warp when I can no longer find enough space to weave is a bit of a pain, but since this shot I have worked on that problem also.

But as usual, I digress.

Here is the brown and yellow piece I did on the same loom.  The yellow is called Maize and it is #3 mercerized cotton crochet thread, and the brown is #10 in Russet.  I love these colors together.

I see a day of sewing in the near future!

This one was done on the backstrap and gave me fits.  I had a really hard time winding warp with a bum shoulder.  It will probably just be a table runner.  Too wide for an envelope pouch, but might work as just a tri fold ....we'll see when I break out the sewing machine.

Bell pull

November 30, 2011

I got my shelf that my x made me forever ago up in my room, along with the boat shuttle candle sticks Ms. Carol gave me forever ago.  I love it!  All things woven, including my pine needle baskets!  The one with the buttons is my first ever weaving.  It used to be framed, but the frame died so I used leave it laying around so I can look at it.

On to the current piece...red and green for the Facebook Color Challenge group project.  A new color challenge is posted every two weeks, when I decided to try and see if my arm would let me weave again, it was a red and green challenge.  So I got out all of my scraps of red and green and this is what I came up with.  It is warp face double weave and waaayyyyyyy too narrow.  But I needed something easy and mindless.  I am thinking it may turn into a bell pull when it grows up.  Maybe.  

Oh yeah, and I gave Max's son his skull band and it now resides happily around the neck of his favorite stuffed animal.  Makes me proud, he sleeps with that silly dog every night of his little life.  But I digress.

I decided to try some lettering on this piece as it is kind of narrow for motif.  I used the Bedouin star for a Christmas star and then did one of my little 'wingin it designs' of a Christmas tree.  The letter is "Ho Ho Ho" of course.  Short and sweet.  Here is what I have so far.

It is only 15 warps wide total...small.  Maybe a little over a half an inch.  The bells I bought are a little large...not sure what I will do with it in the end.  

Stay tuned.

Northwest Inkle Looms

November 22, 2011

Today is the first day of starting up my blog again after my car accident and short hiatus.  I will be posting on Wednesday's only for a little while, with maybe a few scattered in between as I feel the need.

To start with, I think you all know that I have recently been forced to move for the second time in 3 mnths.  It really sucked, but I am no pretty much getting settled in...again.  However, per usual, I was having an extremely difficult time figuring out where to hook up my backstrap.  The room I am in is extremely small this time and this was making me very sure my trash picked weaving table wasn't going to fit.

So I decided to try out an Inkle loom and see if this would eliminate this problem from here on out.  I went on line and did some research.  I decided I wanted a full size loom, not an inklette.  I also decided I wanted one with two sides, one of which would be removable for warping.  This research lead me to a site for the Northwest Loom company in Wyoming.  Beautiful handcrafted looms very reasonably priced.  So I went ahead and ordered one.

There was a little confusion on delivery, since I was new to the neighborhood, through no particular person's fault, but it came to me the day after I got into the car accident.  It is/was a beautiful piece with a free belt shuttle as well.  Oak is my favorite wood and it was crafted beautifully. 

I have been in a sling, but did manage to warp it up with my roommate's help for a set of shoe string's for her.  Home Depot orange, ecru and gold (I still have to get aglets for the ends).  Very narrow, plain weave.  The loom was about 34" long though, making it necessary to have a table at the far end to rest it on.  I had thought I would rest it on the floor at the other end from me, thus no need for another table.  I have seen others do Inkle weaving this way, but for me it was a uncomfortable, and it had nothing to do with the car accident, it just felt awkward.

So in rearranging the furniture in my room for the 15th time I finally hit on an arrangement that allowed my weaving table to come into the room.  OMG, what a homecoming.  It was like slipping on my favorite slouch clothes when I sat up to that backstrap loom.  I knew in that moment that Inkle weaving was not for me.  No matter how lovely the loom.  So it has been returned to Wyoming with my most sincere regrets to Mr. Tony.

I put on a practice warp for the backstrap, a little red and green piece for the Facebook Color Challenge group and started up  (more about the actual weaving soon).  Now to get rid of the bulky and ugly tool box.  There is a drawer in my trash picked table...so I brainstormed and came up with what I now call a "Weaving Station".  I laid a handwoven piece in the bottom of the drawer and placed all of my necessary tools in the drawer.  Everything from a mirror for double weave, to my notebook.  Then I took a Russell Stover candy tin my friend Max gave me and put the tools necessary for the actual weaving, pulled my computer chair u next to the recliner as a table, and placed the tin there.  PERFECT!

First we see the tin with the immediately needed tools ready at the hand next to me.  They are sitting on the computer chair which of course has wheels and I can position anyplace needed with one hand.

Here you can see the drawer with my other tools in it.  You can also see the backstrap loom, it is behind the c clamps.

Love this!  I need to trash pick more often.  My roommate and I are even thinking about painting the table with acrylic pain, maybe a woods scene.

And here you can see it being used! 

So for now I am set up again...until another (God forbid) move.  Can't weave for more than a few minutes at this point, because of my shoulder.  The car was t boned on my door.  So the right arm (I was a passenger) is very sore, we removed the staples on Saturday the 20, boy am I glad those things are out.  But I still have alot of pain due to the separation in the shoulder, but hopefully I will be o.k. in the long run.  

Stay tuned friends and I will be letting you know how this little Christmas band turns out.  

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I am sooooooo bored!

November 21, 2011

WOW!  It is the week of Thanksgiving already...how did that happen?  Seems it was Easter only yesterday.

And so I thought I would try to get back into the swing of things after the Thanksgiving festivities are over.  

I intend to start my blog back up again, full time, the week after Thanksgiving.  I am going to start out posting on Wednesday's only.  Please keep in mind that the car accident is still effecting me in that my shoulder that is separated won't let me weave for very long at one time.  Actually, even typing is difficult/painful, and I am sure you know how much I love being in a sling (couldn't have been my left arm right?  Had to be the right!).  

Soooooo...I have been taking photo's on the current piece, along with some updates on my weaving station and the new surroundings since I moved; in preparation of starting the blog back up again.  It has been a very difficult time, I haven't even been able to work for two weeks.  Bored out of my skull at this point.  I think Wiggles and Lacy are going to have 'mommy withdrawals' when my schedule kicks back in.  LOL

So for those of you who are still with me,  Thanks so much for all of the well wishes and caring conversations.   Keep watching, because the first post will be on Wednesday, November 30th.  As soon as I can I will pick it back up to the Monday, Wednesday and Friday postings.  But for now I think this is a good way to go, slow and easy. 

I sincerely hope that ALL of you are going to have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and eat tons of turkey!  Eat, drink and be merry my friends, because that is what I am going to do and that is what this holiday is for.  Being with friends and loved ones, breaking bread and giving Thanks for all that we DO have and not dwelling on what we don't.

More completed projects!

September 7, 2011

Finished up Alissa's pencil pouch and Aye's purple peace sign envelope pouch.  I like them both.  I certainly hope they do!

The purple doesn't photograph well for some reason.  You just can see the bottom of the peace signs in this picture.

I hope some day I get better at figuring out how to get the motif's where they are ALL right side up and positioned where they are not folded.  Each time I get a little closer.

 Here we have the pencil pouch.  This is the side I am calling the front.

It opens with a drawstring and the sides fold down part of the way so she can reach anything small she wants to put in it.

Pencil bag for Alissa!

August 29, 2011

My current project.  Just kind of wingin' it.  

My friend Alissa, a full time college student, full time Home Depot employee and mother, asked for a pencil pouch.  Of course we all know I don't need a reason to weave, but it is soooooo nice to have one.  LOL

So I had her pick the colors from my stash that she wanted and I must say that I love them together.  The warp is 36" and 146 warps wide.  Used #10, so it is only about 2 1/2" wide.  

Practicing on the different techniques, the silly scroll in 'warp floats galore' took me most of the day...I should have done a few more piece's with the technique a few months ago.  It's like learning it all over again.

This is what I have so far.  No particular design factors in mind, I just want it to be unusual and interesting for her to look at.  Maybe even to catch the eyes of some of her fellow student friends, and my old buddies at Home Depot.

At this point I think it will be my usual envelope pouch, just long and narrow instead of the more square version.  I will definitely be getting out the sewing machine soon.  I also need to put together the little purple peace sign bag for my friend Aye!

Completed project!

August 25, 2011

I completed my copper/espresso/bridal white current project.  It is 4 3/8 in. wide, 17 1/2 in. woven web and 19 1/2 in. with fringe.  It is also, a pleasant surprise, reversible.  It is done on the backstrap, in simple warp float technique.  Although I wish I had had enough of this yarn to make it larger, I think it will make a lovely holiday gift as a table topper.

I need a new camera, or to at least go outside to take the pictures.  These just don't do it justice.  I call this side the front.

This is the backside.

I love the spots on the back!

I really hope that you can see the copper peeking through!  It is a mystery yarn, maybe even silk.  It looks hand spun and just shimmers like crazy in the sunshine.  I will try to get a better picture!

New project, Double weft double weave.

August 16, Tuesday

This piece is a bit of an experiment.  I am using #3 mercerized cotton for the outside plain weave portion, and #10 for the center double weave area.  I want to see if this will make the ledge between where the two meet less acute.  

This means that I am doing double wv in the dreaded fine yarn... :-{ which we all know isn't my favorite thing.  But I happen to have alot of #10 and I need to just get over it.  There is a sort of variegated #10 on one side that I have been hording since Christmas.  I am hoping to get an interesting effect.

Here is the 30 in. warp laid out on my bed being secured to the warp beams.

Just a close up of the colors.

This is the side I am looking at as I weave.

Here is the backside.

I haven't really decided if I want to do pick up designs yet...maybe I will just let the variegated yarn speak for itself...

New pebble weave warp!

August 11, 2011

This warp did not come easily!  Not only did I have threading problems and have to manually re-pick the sheds, but I ran out of heddles, twice.  So TWICE I had to stop and make more.  Basically it took me all day just to do the heddles. 

As this is only my second pebble weave project, I am still happy with just the pebbles.  No designs yet.  I like it so far.  I forgot to take pictures of the other side, but will do so soon.  It is a reversible weave.  The other side is light pink with dark pebbles, opposite of what you see here.  This is a perle yarn, and as a result has lots of shimmer.  Difficult to take good pictures, so I hope you can see it reasonably well.  I will work on better pictures.

You also get to see a picture of how I am tying up in the new digs.

Unfortunately the very end corners of the window sill (there are 3 huge windows) are the only ones deep enough for a C-clamp to catch and hold.  So I am using only one fixed point, another learning curve to be sure as it wants to wobble a bit.  The red piece that you see is a piece of rubber to protect my friend's window sill, the clamp is also red so a little difficult to see.

Pipe loom project!

August 10, 2011

Through no fault of switching this warp from a backstrap loom to a pipe loom, I had a lot of problems with this it.  Threading sequence issues mostly.

It seems the warp was a little wonky tension wise also.  I find this to be problematic, especially on a frame/pipe loom.  In other words, one side of the loom is slightly longer than the other.  This means that to get even tension all the across the warp, you must crank one side of the loom up higher/tighter than the other.  This creates an angle in the top bar, which makes the warp try to slide to the side that is lowest, simply by gravity.  If you tighten it up enough to prevent most of this, it is too tight to warp face weave comfortably.  If it loosened to the point of comfort, on side of the warp is baggy and troublesome.  It is alot easier to have floats and missed threads in a very loose warp.  Lots of room for errors in general.  Plus it will look different from one side to the other side.

So here are pictures of what I could salvage from the project, be assured that I am back on my backstrap.  Working diligently on getting a workable system going again.  Pictures will be coming soon.

As you can see they are small and I sacrificed alot of the warp by starting over three times and trying to work out the 'kinks'.  This is the front side.

If you look closely you will see the back side of the one to the far left.  The green is double stranded with two shades of green, the white is single.  Notice how it made the white threads pull to an angle, kind of like little v's to make the design on the back.  Interesting.  I kind of like it.

These pieces have no particular destination at the moment, they are just in my box of things that will probably be gifted out, maybe even at Christmas.

Conversion from backstrap to pipe loom.

August 7, 2011

Previous set up in my new home with the backstrap loom.  Notice how I have to brace the chair with my feet to keep it from coming into my lap.  Painful on my hips to sit with my legs straight out after a couple of hours weaving.  Probably because I have to keep pressure on the chair to keep it from coming over into my lap.

So I went to storage and got out my Archie Brenan Pipe loom.  Laid the backstrap on the bed (it was already totally set up and secure), slid out the loom bars.  Slid in the pipe loom between the warp layers (this is a rotatable circular warp).  Then extended the loom to the correct tension with the nuts you see on the threaded side rods.  Easy peasy.  No more hyper extended legs, and alot less hip pain. 

Now I simply lay the far end against a table in much the same fashion alot of folks use their rigid heddle looms.

The two Home Depot sticks are my lease sticks and have been pushed to the back side of the warp.  They are usually just to the backside behind the top beam as stoppers on this circular warp.  Unfortunately I had a few issues with this warp and moved them further down so that I could organize the threads.  All of the problem areas are to the bottom of these sticks and will be fringe at the end of the weaving.  It was the only way I could keep from trashing this warp of very fine threads.  My heart is definitely not in this one.

New project!

August 5, 2011

New project for the Facebook Color Challenge group.  KraftyMax started these challenges.  Not a contest, no pressure.  Just creative people doing what we do.

Every 2 wks. new colors are chosen and each person gets to post their project on the group page.  

This one is green and white.

The warp is right at 90 threads per shed = 180 threads and it is a 68 in. long circular warp.  No idea's yet for design factors.

But first...Wiggles seems to be paying quite close attention to this one.  

Gotta love the Yoda ears!

The warp.

Boy do I miss my dresser for tying up to.  This set up makes my hips hurt.  I have to keep pressure on the back of the chair to keep it from pulling into my lap.

 

 

And here you have my mark!