Woven Baby Blanket

I started a baby blanket for a co-worker, the colors are pink, blue, mint and yellow for the weft and white for the warp. This little blankie gave me a run for my money, I warped the loom and started weaving and on the 10th pass I saw that the end warps were so tight that I could roll the fabric into the front beam. Problems, you guessed it, loads of them, since this is only my second project did I freak, you betcha. I undid the weaving, unrolled the warp not once, nor twice but a whopping four yes, four times. Every time I re rolled I got the same problem so finally I saw what was going on. I put pattern paper in between the warp to separate the yarn and keep it straight. Well I was not being careful with the end warps and they were wrapping around the beam instead of on top of the paper along with the other warps. So I finally fix the issue and started weaving, what a relief that was, since I'm a baby weaver, little issue like that are stressful. I know your laughing, but I sure wasn't at the time, I thought I was going to trash the whole project and I wasn't looking forward to re-warping the loom after spending two nights the first time. Definitely warping is a process, I need to learn to enjoy.

WEAVING

I took my new Ashford home Friday, and assembled it, only took 20 mins,(I didn't realize how large the loom was until it was put together) I then warped it which took another 40 mins and started to weave, I finished this scarf in about two hours. I used the project suggestion that came with the loom, but I didn't want to use the novelty yarn as suggested so I used for the warp Caron Simply Soft in Heather Grey and for the weft Red Hart in Sea Blue, which formed some great looking stripes. I wove the scarf in two hours, I thought it would take longer, but the weaving was easy and rythmic, just wonderful. This scarf will be a gift for Elizabeth, who's studing in Maryland, I'm sure she'll love the colors. I can fully appreciate why weavers, love this craft, I can't wait to start something else, hehehe.

Now I need to learn what the DPI stands for, how not to squish the right side to keep my weaving ends even, how to cut the fabric, so I can sew it instead of fringing, and how the heck to do a twisted fringe, cause no matter what I did, the stuff wouldn't twist. I have some research and reading to do today on these subjects, hopefully I can find what I need online.

The only thing I wish I would have ordered was the stand for the loom, it's definately needed, I used my dining room table and sat the loom on my lap as the instructions suggested that was okay until I noticed this morning I have a bruise so, I have to order the stand as soon as I save some more $$.

NEW ASHFORD LOOM

I got my new Ashford 32" RH loom, ****super happy dance**** ;oD. I love it, now I have to put it together, yikes, but it looks simple enough (famous last words before I screw up) haha.

Na I'm pretty much mechanically inclined, love to build furniture and if I can knit, loom and weave, tools do not faze me as long as they are small ones LOL. Hopefully I can build it, warp it and get my butt in gear before the weekend is out. So what should I make first, you know 32" is a lot of loom space, especially since I've been doodling around with that baby Brio, I got a whopping 5" of width on a scarf I'm weaving , thank God it's for a little girl and it's a fashion scarf so thin and long is the way to go on that one.

So what should me first project be, any suggestions??

WEAVING, SCARF SWAP

The pic on the left is my weaving sample with peaches and cream cotton yarn on the Brio loom, the finished fabric is 5" wide, which is good for a scarf, I'm going to visit friends in SC in November and I think I will weave the little girl there a scarf. It went pretty quickly and I enjoyed making my sample. I ordered an Ashford RH 32" loom, which I'm excited about. I hope I made the right choice, I guess I'll see when it show up and I get to looming on it. The pic on the right is for my scarf swap partner Jennifer in Alaska. I make the scarf on my FGKB and it's coming out soft and warm and just wonderful. I snuck in some eyelash yarn for whimsy. Once it's finished and received I will post the scarf in it's entirety, mean while I don't want to spoil the surprise.

I also started a needle knitting ghan in the beach yarn that I was going to use for my sweater and wound up frogging it , so the yarn has been re-purposed, which I love to do. I'm trying to convince myself that I need to knit, weave and loom with my current stash. I know I've said this before but really, I have to try, so I have challenge myself that I will not buy any new yarn after Sept 1, 2007 through December 1, 2007 and see how I do with using up what I currently own.

That should be fun!! hehehe.

NEW TABLE LOOM

I started weaving on the kid's loom I got and I have to tell you, I'm hooked ridiculous you say, can I possibly be interested in anything else in the fiber world? I don't know, but I must control the impluses, the little voices, and the drowning bank account. hehe. Here are some pics, for those of you who have real looms and have experience I know this is boring, but I'm just starting and I'm excited. I will be ordering either a Krominski or an Ashfored 32" Rigid Heddle loom, still undecided but it will be soon.

JEAN VEST COMPLETED

Here's the famous Jean Vest with Sweater arms project, my second needle knitting project completed, am I happy? You betcha!! I emblished the pockets with a simple crochet chain (yeah I crochet under protest every once in a blue moon) and sewed it on. It looks really cute and I like the cable detail on the arms. I did find that I didn't increase properly for the arms, but once I sewed it together you can't really tell. Now I have to wash the garment and lay it flat to dry as per the instructions on the yarn label.

In other excited news I have started the scarf for the September Scarf Swap you can take a peek here Septswap-07 (I finally learned to link hehe)

I've frogged this scarf about 4 times, I didn't like the guage the first, the stitch the second, the novelty yarn third, so needless to say, I'm being picky. Funny since I'm sending it to the other end of the country for someone else, I'm second guessing my workmanship, funny huh?? But trust me I'll get it together and Jennifer in Alaska is going to get one sweet scarf.

I also got a kid's table loom a Brio weaving loom, not much on instructions but it's a good starter at least I think it will be to start learning to weave. I think I want to do some placemats in some cotton yarn and see how they go if it's something I think I will enjoy then I'll save up and get the Ashford Ridged Heddle loom I've been oogling.

Shopping Bag

This is my bounty for one night of shopping I first went to the Rag Shop, which is going out of business. The factory mill ends were $ 3.50 for four skein of unknown yarn and weight, the Bates circular needles are silvalume 5mm $ 2.90 the Bates circular 10 mm $ 3.99 , the stitch holders smaller were .90 and larger $1.25, the Knit Check $ 1.50, stitch markers .49 each. At Michael's I had coupons for 40% off, there I bought the Clover Bamboo circulars 6.5mm and the best chunky yarn with my scarf swap partner in mind, I also have some novelty eyelash yarn with the same colors and that going to make a great scarf . All in all I think I did really good with the shopping spree, and I now have more needle knitting supplies to keep going with the learning process.