Closed coiling on Pine Needle basket.

January 23, 2011

I have decided to make myself a basket for my Pine needle coiling tools.  It will be on the large side, made with both FL and GA pine needles.  I have a very nice Pine slice for the center and I am experimenting with various threads.  

I am going to attempt to make holes along the top rim for sliding my scissors, pliers and such into.  I am thinking of making a small pin cushion and mounting it onto the basket somehow also.  This basket will be larger than my previous creations and I think it should have a lid/top and handle.  

So far I have tried polished hemp in deep dark brown, hated it, drags too much to make traditional stitches no matter what I slick it up with.  I have tried paraffin, soy wax and even thread heaven, NOTHING MAKES IT WORKABLE.  :-(  I did accomplish some wrapping with it, but I have no desire to try to work with it again  with Pine needle work, so this would be the only spot of it...not much for help for the design factor, so I will probably redo this basket start...again...already done it several times.  I also discovered that the wrapping, since it completely covers the 'core'(i.e. pine needles) takes much more time than the already time consuming stitching....bummer.  I also like being able to see the pine needles...so I switched to the v stitch in my faithful #10 double threaded Russett (while I love the color I am a bit tired of it since I have been using it so much, bummer again).  Then I went back to the coiling in #3 Copper Mist. 

My thoughts were, dark brown, medium brown, light brown.  Not looking like it did in my head and I can't make up my mind if I even like it.  Notice that the anchor stitch of the copper mist wrapping, goes down into the Russet...don't like that at all.

I am posting a picture, but it may vanish after today.  I put it aside for a couple of days and I don't like it any better today than I did when I put it down.

Feb 16, 2012 update!


Took this apart and re-worked the entire thing.  It turned out beautiful, but I have gifted it to my baby sister and not only did I forget to take pictures, I forgot to sign the back :-( !  But she loved it and I have started another.

Beautiful first day of Spring!

March 20, 2011

Went to the Calico Arts and Crafts show here in Moultrie, GA today.  It was fun to be outdoors...but I do wish there had been a bit more 'Art' than craft.  I did have fun looking around.

I had started a new warp for a backstrap for a friend of mine.  I met her on Ravelry and she ordered a backstrap loom from Guatemala but it didn't come with the 'backstrap'.  She has been very generous from day one (same lady who sent me the silk) so I though I would pay it forward.

She said she loves orange so I choose some hemp I had in a nice rusty orange.  Mistake #1.  Then I paired it with a bright sunshine yellow unmercerized cotton.  Mistake #2.  Minute one it was a hassle.  I also chose to use the orange for weft....Mistake #3.  Not only could I not un-weave as it was too grabby...especially as weft,  but I had tension issues due to the grabbiness also.  After fighting with it for 2 days, I cut that stupid 4 ft. warp off of the loom.  Ahhhhhhhh....instant stress relief.  It is too bad though, I think the design would have been kewl.  

Not sure what I will do for her now...have to rethink this project.