Pine needle basket for Steve.

January 20, 2012

I spaced my stitches too close together on this one about half way through it.  Took longer than it should have to finish it as a result.  It is nice and firm for sure, but it seems a little busy to look at for my own liking.  But here it is...

Please note that my posts are somehow out of order.  You are seeing the finished product before the 'process' posts.  Instead of rearranging my entire blog I have just left it as is.  Please forgive any confusion.

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.

Red, white and blue for 'Captain America' !

January 6, 2012

New backstrap piece.  This one is a plain weave, 4 ft. long piece with 90 ends.  It will be made into either a belt for my 7 yr. old friend 'Monster' or maybe a pouch he can hang from his belt!  I haven't quite decided yet!

I put it on the backstrap knowing it would be 'easy peasy' and not hurt my shoulder to work on it.  Wider piece are still difficult.  So far so good.  If you look closely at the lower left hand corner, you can see that Wiggles little foot, she still keeps a sharp eye on my weaving skills. 

Simple, but striking non the less.

Edit:  So I am going for a little pouch that hangs on his belt.  Here is a few pics of it pinned together.

Remember this is just roughing it and theorizing.

Here you can see at the top I have created a 'loop' to slide his  belt through.

I called his mother and got some belt measurements...I certainly hope it works.  Wish me luck.

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2012

Happy new year!  I hope this one is better than the last.

Here is a little update on my socks.  For some reason I don't seem to be able to concentrate on any one project of late.  These have been on the needles for a while, but I find that some projects bother my shoulder more than others and by spacing out several different mediums I have less pain.

Sock number one is done to just past the heel...I still have to do the second heel, but I thought you might like to see it anyway.  I am using the Lucy Neatby "Cool Socks Warm Feet" book.  This heel is the short row garter stitch with wraps.  I absolutely love this heel as it is very cusiony. (sp).  My heels bother me when I have to stand for long so this is a good thing.  Also with the purl bumps on the outside the stitches aren't as noticeable on the bottom of the foot.  I have at times even made the entire foot with the purl bumps on the outside of the foot.

I strictly use double pointed needle's, 5, 4 per sock and one working needle.  This means two sets of needles, and no second sock syndrome.  LOL

I am very pleased that I still remember how to knit socks!  These will be mine all mine, and they FIT!

Finally finished!  Today is January 3, 2012.  They have been done for a week or so, turned out a little too long for my foot and will be gifted to my friend Dana for house socks/slipper.s

Creative mojo definitely broken...except for the pine needle coiling!

December 13, 2011

I am so bored, nothing creative is working AT ALL!!!!

UPDATE:  Well some of it is working...sort of...the socks are coming along nicely, except I am bored with them.  I have one heel turned and now for the next one.  I promise to post pictures soon.

The shoulder injury gets a little less painful each day, Thank goodness, but the weaving still hurts me and sooooooo...I have picked up my pine needle basket weaving again!  This I can do sitting in my recliner with very little physical pain.

I went to Jacksonville to spend a day or so with my friend Max and took my newly started basket with me.  I weaseled her into taking me to look for pine needles too.  We actually found some fallen branches and so the gathering was actually pretty easy.  ALOT easier than picking them up one at a time from the ground for sure.

Then as we sat amiably, she beading and me coiling my pine needles, I wondered aloud who would like a basket made of green stitches.  Of course she said "I would" and it began.

She bought a couple of my baskets in the past, and I didn't realize that she liked them that much.  hmmmmm!!! So in the course of the conversation we decided on a centerpiece, maybe like a fruit bowl.  It would have an 8" base and it went from there.

So I have taken a few pictures for you. 

It starts of with pine branch slice and myrtle green #10 mercerized cotton crochet thread (I already had it on hand).  Later I will be adding in some Royal blue.  Here is a peek.

First de-capped pine needles.  These are shorter pine needles than the ones I used to get in GA.  But they work o.k.  These are ready to go.  I am using them dry as they didn't need to bend overly far to accommodate the pine limb slice, my friend Buzzy did the slices and the holes for me.

Here you get to see the entire set up.  One container for the pine needles themselves...this is because there are times when they have to be damp.  The other is for things like my needles, thread, scissors and such. 

A little tip for any of you who are going to do pine needle basket coiling.  As you stitch, you have to tug the stitches nice and firmly tight, or you will have a soft/sloppy basket.  In doing so you hands tend to get sore, sometimes the thread will cut you, and of course the needles do poke you at times.  Both can be quite painful. 

I discovered when I did coiling the last time that gloves can be very difficult to work in, so the hunt was on.  I couldn't find anything that worked like I wanted it to and let me still feel what I was doing.  So I improvised, I got a pair of 'Playtex' cleaning gloves and cut off the long arm part, and the tips of the fingers. WALA!  Perfect!  I can feel what I am doing, the gloves don't slip (I actually found them in size small for my LEETLE hands) they protect beautifully, they are reasonably priced, and easily found.  Can't beat that right!  I don't have pictures for this post, but will have some up for you of the glove very soon.

I am not sure if you remember, but I actually made the pin cushion also.  It is steel wool covered with burlap and placed in an old cheese tin.  Large and tough and stable!

Here I am at almost 8" and I am started off with double strands of thread, one blue and one green.  I found that I kept popping/breaking the single stranded green.  #10 is a little to fine I guess, even though I have used it successfully in the past.  I do run it along an old piece of vanilla scented candle wax to help with this.  I also have some nylon and hemp to try for the next basket. 

I have used #3 also and I definitely like it better than the #10.  If I am going to work so hard to make nice neat evenly spaced stitches I want them to show a little more than these do. ;-}

And here you can see I have started the side walls...you may even be able to see the royal blue in with the green.

It is now 8 1/2 in. wide and 1 1/2 in. tall.

So this is what I am up to for now folks.  Stay tuned, as the basket progresses I will post pics, and I will definitely be finishing the socks.  Especially since the first one fits so well. 

Maybe a little 'Sock Knitting'

December 2, 2011

I decided to see if maybe I could pick up my sock knitting again.

Unfortunately this has never come easily for me, and it also hurts my hands.  Not to mention I have mostly weaving yarns, not knitting yarns.

However, recently, a Ravelry buddy sent me some cotton and merino wool blend very fine yarn and I thought I would give it a shot again.

I decided to do my usual toe up socks on double pointed needles.  I am using a traditional toe and will use some sort of short row heel.  I am making my socks opposites of each other.  The toe, heel, and upper trim o the cuff on each sock will the opposite color of the other.

I am using size 2 (American) needles on 56 stitches.  I double stranded the yarns as I don't like teeny tiny forever knitting.  This also means if I miss a thread the other one keeps the socks integrity  and I am less likely to find out I dropped a stitch later on...again knitting doesn't come easily to me.  

This pair will probably be just plain old stockinette till I get back into the groove of it.  

Here is what I have so far.  The proverbial knitting basket.  Notice the little weaving in the bottom, this was done years ago on my tapestry loom.  It is my own hand scoured, hand dyed with kool aide, hand spun and hand woven piece!  One of my very favorites that I kept for myself.

See how the colors are opposites!

Already lots of frogging and re-knitting, but since I can rest my arm on the recliner arm rest, it doesn't hurt me as bad as the weaving.  So far so good.  Let's just hope they fit!

I may have to do some pine needle basket weaving also.

Experimental bell pull

November 30, 2011

I decided to see if I could weave with my separated shoulder.  SO I warped up a thin band and although it cost me dearly in pain, I have created a little bell pull.  It is cute for what it is and I gifted it for a Thanksgiving present.

It say's "HO HO HO", but it is tiny and I am not sure if you can see it at all.

Several things came out of this one...first it is definitely too painful on my shoulder to weave...the doctor said it would bother me for 2 or 3 months...WTH?

So for now I need to find another artistic outlet.  I am soooo bored, and even more broke than usual as I couldn't work for 3 weeks.  Maybe my creativity is just broken.

Please understand I get a little better each day and I am back at work.  Impossible to work with a sling on though, and so the pain is ridiculous after my shift.  So I am not sure just what I will be doing.  Stayed tuned folks, changes coming, same bat time, same bat channel!

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!

Happy Turkey Day!

Crack of dawn on Thanksgiving day.

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY Turkey Day to one and all!

May your day be filled with all that you are Thankful for.

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.

Car accident

On Monday night I was in a car that was t boned on my side.  I am unable to post for a while.  Please stay tuned.

Crochet

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Planning an day outdoors today.  Going to meet a new friend and go motorcycle riding.  We have been having some great weather here of late, should be loads of fun.  We will be heading to Fernandina Beach by way of the scenic route.  Maybe even go across the Mayport ferry in Jacksonville.

Crochet blanket is about all that is being worked on at this point. I am still deciding on what to do for my first project on the Inkle.  Might be shoelaces so that I can get the hang of the loom.  But keep in mind that I also have some hand spun yarns that need to be used.  My Fall wool and tons of cotton.  Still gotta ply both though...

No new loom yet...

It is Saturday, November 5, 2011

After the long research (months) and research, I am about to pop waiting for the new inkle loom.  It was supposed to get here yesterday (Friday) and I thought I would bust waiting for it.  

I haven't done anything creative, other than a couple of hours to finish off the skull piece, in weeks.  I am bored and frustrated by the whole thing.

Soooooo, I did get out a crochet hook and start a small blanket of acrylic for a Christmas present.  I don't love doing crochet, but at least it does keep my hands busy.  I also owe this one to one of my relatives.  The year I did blankets for everyone, she got short changed.  I ran out of yarn for hers and it is being saved in her hope chest for when she has a baby.  I still owe her one to snuggle in when watching tube and such.  

So now I will go and crochet while having my morning cup of jo.  I will post pics as soon as there is some progress on the blanket, and also when my new loom gets here.

Change in plans...

October 31, 2011

Having had to move for the second time in 3 months, I am now back to square one on how to tie up my backstrap loom.  I am in a smaller room than ever and I simply can't find a spot that works.  The frustration of this is at an all time high!

There is no room for my usual table (if you recall I found it trash picking and it worked perfect), and I don't think the walls in a mobile home will take the pulling very well.  I am made to feel much more welcome here, but I often find my weaving a meditative solitary endeavor.  In other words, even though I could weave in the living room, there is a HUGE big screen, 2 adults and a 6 yr. old alot of the time in the same room.

In thinking about this dilemma ever since I first started to do backstrap weaving, I am find it a total PITA each time I have to move.  I am finding that for my purposes this loom is anything but portable...or maybe to clarify, it is portable in that it is easily moved and transported, but not portable as to finding a place to tie up.  Maybe if I were in another country where folks sit outside alot more, a tree would be very handy!  But here in Florida in the southern United States, between the mosquitoes, flies and humidity, as I have a choice, I prefer to weave indoors.  Thus the dilemma.

So I have been researching Inkle looms for quite some time now.  For many reasons.  Direct warping being one of them, no need for a warp board.  Easier! and less gear is a good thing.  Longer warps, most have somewhere around 6 to 9 feet capacity...if not more.  A 9 ft. warp on a backstrap is beyond my current skill set or need.  Along with the fact that 9 feet of the same weaving is boring after a point.  I love that it will allow me to use the same techniques I am currently using on my backstrap also.

For a long time the 4 1/2" width seemed narrow, but I have come to the conclusion that this is about my maximum width anyway, my comfort zone as it were.  Especially since I am no longer afraid (Thanks Dana) of my sewing machine, and of course still have access to the large Wave my friend owns any time I want to use it (or can find space for it). 

SOOOOOO...my friend's, yesterday I ordered an inkle loom.  It is made by Northwest looms.  It holds 9 1/2 ft. of warp and has a weaving width maximum of 5 1/2 in.  It also has two sides, one that comes off for warping and then is placed back onto the loom to keep the pegs from bending or becoming loose from the tension on the warp while weaving.  I already have a hook on the wall to hang it when not in use.

I can either use it on a table, or I have even seen folks rest the far end on the floor while weaving.  No extra pieces of furniture taking up valuable floor space and no need for a fixed object that won't move while weaving.  No need to scoot my chair up or the table closer while weaving either.  Much more user friendly in my current circumstance.

If you have never visited Northwest looms...please do.  I talked to Mr. Tony in person yesterday and found him to be a lovely gentleman.  I am excited to get started!

I got these pictures off of the Northwest site.  My loom will be Oak, which is what I think this one is made of also.

Here is a shot of it with the side off...Another point to notice is that the tension peg has a large wing-nut on both sides of the loom.  I am sure this will make for an easier time using the tension peg.    Can't wait!

More yarn spinning than usual.

November 2, 2011

I have been doing a little more spindle spinning than my usual, as it requires nothing in the way of brain power or valuable floor space.  On a positive note I did bring a bit of spinning fiber with me through both of my moves in the last 3 mnths.  (Did I mention moving sucks?) 

So I have been working on some commercially prepared white cotton roving, and also on my Fall (that's my name for it) wool roving.  The colors are sooooooo rich and I am even thinking that it may turn out to be sock yarn...maybe. 

Here are a few shots.

I still have a bit, quite a bit actually, of the Fall roving.  I have one ball all nice and plied and one ball of singles.  Lots more spinning before I can do any more plying of the wool.

But this is the end of the white cotton roving.  It will be plied next.  I have been spinning for weeks and weeks on both of these!

I was trying to catch the brilliant colors in the sunlight, still working on the best location for pictures.