Baby Wash Cloths

Isn't this cute? These are the first of a set of wash cloths to go with the woven blankets. The pattern is Baby Genius Burp Cloth from Mason Dixon Knitting Book I got mine at the library but I'm thinking I will need a copy for my library, there are a few really nice projects in it that I would like to make.
I ran out of the colorful yarn and need to get more, I also ran out of yarn as I was warping my loom for the blanket, it seems that this was the theme this weekend, start, create, run out of material, stop, pickup something else and start again, it was very erratic and I so don't like to work that way but, since it was pouring out due to Tropical Storm Fay, I decided that it could wait until the weekly shopping trip.

I'VE BEEN BUSY ... REALLY I HAVE

I got these, yes they are sock yarn and DPN's my hubster wants sock so I broke down and am going to attempt to knit plain socks for size 12 skies (um feet). Then I got this, which is a tinker toy swift, why cause I needed one and saw this post and thought WOW how cool and I don't need to spend that much $$. So with the detailed instructions from Jen's blog I built my swift. Neat uh? Oh the thing at the bottom of the pic is a toilet tissue cardboard center with packing tape wrapped around it.

So when you combine the tinker toys with toilet paper roll and you do it correctly you get this a center pull ball of yarn that is fab-u-lous!!And just in case you guys thought I was slacking I made these they are Tawashi - Japanese for washcloth ( Meg am I right?) although I looked it up in Wiki and it was very different cause maybe I can't trust the people on Raverly, hehe just kidding I love you guys! Tawashi Town is a Raverly group and someone posted that in Japan, tawashi's are made of antibacterial acrylic yarn and you don't need soap to clean with them, I'm not going to try it cause mine are cotton and I as a rule use a sponge, but that's what was posted and I thought I'd share it with you all. The pattern was in Japanese with diagrams which I was thankful for. It's crochet and I haven't done in eons, so I needed practice and some help (thanks mom). This was challenging but oh so cute.

I don't know if I'm going to incorporate them into a hand towels for my SIL but I really like them they fit in the palm of your hand. Yet another decision to be made.

Do I take this or that??

I planned a trip to visit the Mouse House "Disney" for my hubby's b-day, for Labor day weekend the man just loves to go to the "Happiest Place on Earth" and since it's only a four hour drive, I can't complain. I wanted a cruise but our passports are not in and we kinda need those cause not being let back in is scary, and God only knows that Cuba is not an option.

As a fiber person, you know I must take along some knitting, if I could fit the RH in the car I'd take that too, but since we are going in his Corvette, it doesn't fit, I hardly fit but that's another story.

I find it amusing that other people worry about what clothes to pack and me; I worry about which project needs undivided attention for an 8 hour car trip, but I know in my heart that I'm not the only one as I have read countless blogs on this very topic.

So should I take the entrelac ghan which is languishing because it's too hot to have it sitting on my lap or

the Ruana which has befallen the same fate.

Should I start on the baby wash cloths that will go with the woven baby blankies for babies that are due in December, or the tunic which is frustrating me to no ends and finally the Incan Tunic that has but the collar started, ah all of life's decisions should be this complicated.

New Knitting Bag

I wove this fabric in January 2008, it was a sampler for the 12.5 DPI heddle I'd gotten.
Being my mother's daughter I didn't get rid of it and put it in "my magic closet" ( I'm really starting to act like my mom ;0D) for when I thought I might use it in some project or other.

Yesterday, I had the day off due to Tropical Storm Fay(which was a wind blower and soaker but thank God not damaging) I was so excited to not have anything planned other than my fiber per suits. YIPPEEEE!!! I'd been shopping for a knitting bag, nothing too big or small with just the right pockets for my things. I've seen some really nice and $$$$ bags, but really I would rather spend the moola on more yarn especially weaving yarn since I need to get going on the Christmas list. I decided that I could experiment with this piece of sample fabric and see what I could come up with.

If I can toot my own horn, I was quite smitten and a bit smug when I finished, although it posed a challenge I think it was worth the effort. So tonight at knit group I'll have a new bag to show off. ;0)

Textural Woven Eye Candy

I was looking through the new Crate & Barrel catalog and found some very interesting textural and woven items. The first is a really beautiful table runner which can easily be made on an RH and is currently at the top of my to do list for Christmas Presents I thought the colors on this one were very complimentary. The rug is made of felted wool strips, an that was something I have not seen. In this set I loved the texture of the rugs, although I don't think I can do rag rugs on my loom, I like the colors and structures of these.

Then there are these pillows, WOW!! talk about a pop of color, very entertaining to the eye. I checked my weaving files and notes and I have something close to this warp in the Mary Atwater booklet for the inkle loom. Yet another item that can be achieve on my RH and on the to do list.

It's not that I don't get enough inspiration from all the weaving blogs, and believe me there are a bunch that I absolutely love, but few can be accomplished on my loom, so when I do find pictures of recognizable weave structures I can accomplish I get kinda giddy so bare with me.

Lacy Loveliness

I bought this beautiful linen blend yarn with the intentions of knitting this, February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne, which I totally loved when I saw it, but then I scheduled vacation for DH's birthday weekend and found that I needed a shrug to go with a dress that I have for DH's birthday dinner it's a fancy shmancy place with jackets required for men, but I digress. The dress is really pretty but has no sleeves, last time I wore it I had a shawl, and it became a drag to wear the entire evening, so I decided a shrug was in order and this yarn perfectly matches the dress, hum what a coinkydink. (earth tones; they just haunt me, hehe) I decided on a pattern for the shrug "Simple Lace Shrug" by Lisa Sisk, thank you Ravelry for all the freebie patterns and tips what a great community, if you don't belong sign up as quickly as your clicker can take you there! So I cast on and improvised as I went along, I wanted my shrug longer in the back and in the arms and so I adjusted accordingly. So far this is the results of my knitting.

I like this pattern this is the first time I knit anything lacy and I like the effect, but now I also understand why anyone who knits lace loves the pointy needles, I need to get my Harmony set from Knit Picks if I plan to be knitting lace, ah, just another reason to buy more fiber related goodies.

Really!? Can you pay cash?

Considering I have some really nice knitting that I have been working on to show you all but blogger doesn't want to upload pics, yet again today I thought I'd have a fire sale. Any takers??

My blog is worth $9,032.64.
How much is your blog worth?

Woven Failure, Lessons Learned

I just noticed that I haven't posted anything for weeks, shame on me but in my defense I have been sucked into the massive underworld called Ravelry, WOW is that community huge and lots of fun by the way.


My weaving update, well I've been working on the light weight shawl after many difficulties and weaving mistakes I couldn't bear to weave two picks every ten minutes to then find mistakes and unweave 4 picks below that. The warp was not cooperating and was not lifting and lowering under any tension, I was aggravated beyond words and after two days and no progress I cut the warp off my loom.


This pic is of the loom warped with the second cotton which was Aunt Lydias 3, the weave was tighter but the warp of gassed cotton was not lifting.



This is a pic of the gassed cotton warp and weft, before washing and drying,totally unstable.




This final pic is of the top portion of gassed warp/weft and the bottom of gassed warp/ #3 weft. I have to say that after the wash the instabilities was significantly less noticeable, and in the bottom portion it was gone. I have about 4' of fabric that I plan to sew in to a project bag as to not waste the yarn and keep the sample useful.On another note,I have been informed that there are two more babies on the way, both girls so the next warp and weft will be for simple yet satisfying baby blankies. I need a break from the mind blogging stuff for a while, and to think Christmas is just around the corner and not one thing has been finished, not knitted or woven. AH - such is the life of a fiber artist if I can call myself that these days.