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Saturday, January 17, 2015

Weekend Wrap Up

This week was a mix of work and play although at some points the "play" was more like "work".


I'd gifted myself the yarn to make the American Snowflake scarf for my birthday (August).  It's been sitting patiently and politely on top of the Baby Mac loom all fall (and half the winter). 


I was excited to finally get caught up enough to get started.  The yarn was a beautiful merino/silk blend.   I wove a small sample, liked what I saw, the pattern is stunning...what could go wrong. By the way, this photo shows the "cross" I thought for sure I'd shown in a previous warp winding post, but now I can't find it.  This is how you keep all the threads straight as you start threading up your loom. More on that later.


The yarn was a bit "sticky" (probably from the silk) and "stretchy" (probably from the wool), I was using a less than straightforward sleying pattern and all the threads were doubled up already to better match the thickness I needed (due to my yarn substitution) and I had a little trouble getting my warp on straight, but in the end I felt like it was one of my better winding jobs.  It was...mostly.


There was much tea, kept nicely warm sitting on the stove :-).


Speaking of mugs, Tim and I are working on the "mug shot" mug design.  I think I've found a good way to get them printed and I've tried designs with four or five full mug shots, but it wasn't as colorful as I wanted.  I think the idea of using lots of smaller pictures is cute, but I've got to figure out how to handle Baaxter and Maisie peeking over their ID signs on the original shots.  It will come together.  I just need another week :-).


After a couple false starts and re-adjustments, weaving was finally underway.


I love to watch cloth start to build up.


It is very pretty and I should stop being so crabby about not liking the yarn (turns out I really am a coarse wool girl ;-).


The fringe is twisted by hooking a group of threads onto the two clips, using the cranking bottom to twist each side separately, tie them together at the bottom and let them loose and the energy stored from the individual twists spins the two together.

Okay, enough of all this.  Pictures of the finished scarf to come on Wednesday.


A little more Hershey spinning.


This is how I handle stopping in mid-spin.  You can use a clothespin or something and anchor the yarn to your wheel, but I frequently can't keep track of that so I just wrap the loose end once or twice around one of the guide hooks and let it hang.  


Next up on the needles, a Christmas present from my parents.  Hopefully it won't take until my birthday...  It's a Peerie Flooers hat from Kate Davies Designs.  Her patterns are fabulous and fun and I'm excited to use the Jamieson and Smith yarn that is so popular.  While the kit yarn is far from scratchy, it definitely feels more like I think cozy, squishy wool should feel.  

Okay, that's the last mean thing I'm going to say about that beautiful scarf ;-).

How was your week?



27 comments:

Leslie said...

Love the mug on the stove. And the scarf is gorgeous. The white on white pattern is subtle and beautiful. If I could find such a thing to buy, I probably would. Luck you to be able to make one.

Michaele said...

Beautiful photos! Can't wait to see your mug shots and I am in awe of what a loom (and an artist) can do! That must be so rewarding!

Lori Skoog said...

YOU ARE SO TALENTED! The mug shots are going to be something. Hey to Saint Tim.

Unknown said...

I think the scarf is amazingly beautiful. I am, however, in shock that you have a basket full of such colorful yarn in your woolhouse.

Dicky Bird said...

The scarf is amazing!

Tyche's Minder said...

Merino silk is gorgeous and that scarf is beautiful. Just wow.

I can already see that your weekend wrap-ups are going to be challenging for US -- too many things to comment on at once. ;)

Those mugs are going to be super fun. It looks like you're designing it so that multiple sheep wrap around on a single mug? So I would only have to buy a single mug (or two?) to get the complete set of sheep? Hmmm, good deal for ME. But, you know, devoted fan of more than one sheep that I am, I might buy more than one mug if each only had one sheep on it and I wanted a good collection -- you know for when all my other sheep friends visit and I need to serve hot chocolate and cookies. Good deal for YOU, if you see what I mean. Hmmm. Art or economics?

Anyway, I need to move a little faster this Sunday morning if I'm going to get my own weekend wrap-up done. Thanks for all the inspiration!

Christine said...

I love the scarf! I have been saving the wool I had spun from Sophia with something like that in mind. I just need to finish 100 other projects so I can get started. (I don't understand how you can get such beautiful selvages when you don't weave that often. lol)

thecrazysheeplady said...

I was just the "machine". Someone else did the design...which I then altered...and gave myself a few fits ;-).

thecrazysheeplady said...

I'm willing to do that for Kate Davies Designs :-D.

thecrazysheeplady said...

Well, and it was so randomly written that it's hard to follow, even for me!

Would love to offer several different mugs, but I have to order a minimum of 72 up front, so I'll have to wait and see. I have enough sheep to do at least two with lots of sheeps...as long as I don't go broke :-D.

thecrazysheeplady said...

I'm slow and I fiddle with my selvages...even though I know I shouldn't ;-).

I'm gonna tell Mom! said...

3 things:
1. I have the Peerie Flooers pattern in my stash. I just need to find the wool for it. I am with you. I much prefer a scratchier "real" wool. The Jamiesons is wonderful.
2. Your weaving is beautiful. I need to get braver and branch out. This is an inspiration,
3. I have the rough half of a velcro sticky circle stuck onto my spinning wheel to attach the wool when I stop spinning. Works perfectly.
Warm Thoughts!
kim

I need orange said...

What a gorgeous scarf!!!! (That fringe-twisty thing is genius!)

Can't wait to see the completed mug design. I agree about "more littler pics." :-)

thecrazysheeplady said...
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thecrazysheeplady said...
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thecrazysheeplady said...

Okay, let me try this one more time. Maybe need to re-think the brain training part ;-).

Can't wait to cast on - maybe this afternoon!
Weaving is way less complicated than it looks and is good brain training :-).
That's a great idea - the velcro piece.

thecrazysheeplady said...

It really is!

Michelle said...

You are so talented :)

Tagati said...

Amazing snowflake design. I'm more fond of texture than colour (although I do have the Peerie Flooers kit in my stash (as well as several other Kate Davies kits!), so really love the scarf.

BTW, where did you purchase the fringe twister?

Mahalo.

Susan said...

LOVE that scarf pattern. MUST NOT be tempted :) Someone once told me I shouldn't be handling the floating selvedges and I almost came off my weaving bench.......so you go right ahead!! Interesting twister, I use a hair braider thingy from Amazon. would HATE to use it on real hair...ouch...but works fine for my Chenille fringes. Oh yes, I'll buy sheep mugs.....gotta have Maisie :) at the very least and then there is Baaxter Black and, and, and......oh my. And of course I have that Peerie Flooers pattern and um, how many others? It is a fave though. enjoy making it.

Michelle said...

Echoing the scarf pattern love! And you really are a coarse wool snob, aren't you? ;-) Glad there are lots of breeds of sheep, enough to keep all us snobs happy.

Far Side of Fifty said...

Oh I love that scarf too..how could you not? Looms are fascinating but I am certain I would mess it up. That hat should be really pretty hope no sheep suck on it! :)

fjord girl said...

Swoon that scarf is perfection so very pretty. Boy you are multi talented. Love the mug shots so cute!

karen said...

I love that mug!!! the scarf is so pretty and so white :) I have never used a loom before looks like fun.

Unknown said...

That is a very pretty scarf. Lots of neat texture to it. Love Hershey. My favorite hue of brown.

thecrazysheeplady said...

I don't remember, but any good fiber shop should have them. I think that's a Leclerc, but sounds like a beauty supply place might have a hair twister that would work too. Yikes!

Anonymous said...

There is so much eye candy in this post!!! That scarf!!! My goodness, it is just gorgeous! Love, love. Your sheep tea mug is too adorable for words. How is there texture on the side of a mug?! The spinning is fascinating to me. Just beautiful. *hugs* :)

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