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.

FROGGING, KNIT SLEEVES, YARN SHOPPING

FROGGED!!! I had to frog my sleeve WHAAAAAAA!! I did about 10 inches and then decided that I didn't like it and it was toooooooo wide. Since I'm a extreme novice needle knitter, I started the sleeve from the shoulder down decreasing as I went along, well that did work, so now I've started from the cuff up, it seems to be going alot better with the increasing for my forearm. I'll see how it goes along, although I need to run to get some more of this yarn, I didn't know how much I would need and 3 skiens is not going to cut it. Yeah yarn shopping again, speaking of which, the Rag Shop chain of hobby stores is going out of business here the stores are closing up really fast. I have a store close by that is buried in a shopping center and no one even knows it's there. I was in there last week and bought some circular needles size 10mm for my chunky yarn, some stitch holders for cables and stitch markers, I saw a ton of yarn and really fell in love with a soft chunky ivory color acrylic blend, but there was no price on any of the skiens, since I was with DH and he has a total dislike of craft stores I rushed out and didn't ask, but tonight my son and DH are going out and I'm going shopping. Gotta love dad & son night (hehehehe)

RUANA UPDATE

Finally Finished!! I finished my 1st panel for the Ruana am I happy oh YES!! The following is a small pictorial of my progress, during this one, I had to move my tri loom to my office lunch room because of the sale of the house. So the background has changed some. We're planning to go to North Carolina, Thanksgiving week and would like to have the ruana finished to wear it. I put it on Sexy Susan, my model to see how it looked. I love the drape and the feel of the fabric, this one is really soft, unlike the red and white shawl that was very stiff. I haven't washed yet as I still need to make the other panel, but I don't think it will stiffen after washing either.

AFTERNOON WALKS (POST IS PHOTO HEAVY)

The Lake


















Ibis

Mama Duck and Ducklings Oak with Spanish Moss

Staghorn

Poinciana Flowers & Tree

Fuzzy Bush



Every afternoon or at least every other afternoon, I try to walk around the lake that is close to my home. There's an asphalt path around it and it's community property so that everyone can enjoy. I took some pics of some trees, plants and wildlife (if they can be called that) that live around the lake. The orange blooming tree is a poinciana tree (native), I took a close up of the flower which I think is really beautiful, and tropical. The bush with the red fuzzy things I don't really know what it's called but I thought it was neat, then there's the giant stag horn on the ficus tree, the oak tree (not indigenous) with the wonderful Spanish moss also not native. The mama duck and ducklings, and the white birds with long beaks are white ibis, they stick their long beaks int the water's shore and eat the bugs and small fish, they're neat to watch for a while. Then there's the shot of the lake with the backyards that face it, the lake is about 1 mile around and I walk 3 to 4 laps not much but in 98 degrees its a task, I enjoy it better in the winter when is 60-70 degrees or lower.

Now for some Knitting News:

I have been (gulp) needle knitting for four days actually evenings and I really am liking it, will I give up my looms na, but I can see some potential wandering hehe. The pics are of the jean vest, I consider, I got for a steal and the sleeve I'm knitting for it. the last pic is of my sleeve stretched out for you to see the detail of which there's a mistake I need to correct. Once I get past my elbow I'll need to learn to decrease and then I'll need a rib stitch for the cuff.

Knitting Updates

Not too long ago someone (and I forget who, I'm sorry if you read my blog please let me know it's you) posted on the boardknitter group a project that consisted of a jean vest with knitted arms, I thought the idea was great. A few weekends ago on one of my outlet mall shopping trips I picked up a jean vest from JC Penney's for only $7.99 and I of course was already planning on the sleeves. Yesterday I went to Michael's and got this really yummy yarn from Patons it's 75% acrylic with the rest in wool this is what I got //www.patonsyarns.com/product.php?LGC=shetlandchunkytweeds I love it I held it in my hands for 20 mins or so to see if I would have an allergic reaction, and I didn't so I bought 3 skeins and I also bought circular knitting needles. Yes I am going to try to knit the sleeves with the needles instead of the knitting board. I started last night and it's going well, I'm using my Creative Knitting Mag for stitch instructions and Mary Thomas's knitting book for the cables I'm doing. It hasn't been as complicated as I had experienced in the past, maybe the board knitting has helped me understand how needle knitting works, I'm actually excited to see how it goes. Since there are some items I'd like to make and the board it not adequate for them. I also finished the doggie sweater for Sasha, she wasn't happy (hates to have clothes on but shivers to death in the cold) that was an easy knit and I used my FG knitting board and some Red Hart baby yarn in pastels and I knitted a baby hat to go with the baby blanket. I think I've been pretty productive this weekend althought I think I need to pace myself would want this to become an addiction. That's an understatement LOL. ;0)

Baby Blanket Finished

I finished the baby blanket I was working on, I think it turn out well. I did the rib and alternate rib stitch (at least this is what I think it's called) honestly these stitch names. To me the stitch was K2P2 for four rows then switch P2K2 wrapping the board in ewraps. I'm writing the pattern with the stitch description and will post it this week.

Ruana

Since my last post on the ruana, I thought I would finish that weekend, well that didn't happen. Instead we met with the realtor and started moving some things that the realtor thought were "too personal to show at open house" that meant most of my craft items. Since my looms, yarns, and fiber fun stuff is "too personal" I move all of it including lots of boxes, family pictures to my office, we have more room than we have office personnel to fill it and my boss was nice enough to let me have an office to put up my storage. I had one of the guys put up my loom in the lunch room and now instead of knitting on my board, I'm weaving on my loom. At my current pace I "will" be done with the first panel by Friday and hopefully taken off the loom by Monday or Tuesday, I get 45 mins of uninterrupted weaving time which is bliss, apart from the various questions from my co-workers although I have fun explaining what I'm doing and what I'm creating.

Pattern Section

I've reworked the pattern section and added a few more patterns. Please note that I didn't seperate the KK patterns from the board patterns so take a look before you print and make sure you have the right loom, board etc. to accomplish the pattern. If anyone needs any help with any of these please drop me an e-mail and I'll be happy to explain.

SUMMER PURSES

I've updated the pattern section with these two new items the summer purse and the woven bottom summer bag. The summer purse was done on my fine gauge knitting board and the woven bottom was done on the the green KK. I hope you all enjoy the patterns and the purses.

NEW CAMERA, BABY BLANKET UPDATE

I got a new camera a Canon Power Shot A560 and am learning to use it. I was a photography minor in college, you think I could pick up a digital camera and take great pics NOT, these things have gotten complicated, I long for my Nikon SLR 35mm. whaaaa!! I bought the camera right before the kids' graduations, read enough to set it up and take some pics, not all the pics I would have taken with the 35mm because there is always a delay with a digital that I don't have with a film camera, so I missed a few pics I would have liked to have, but I'll get better ( I hope).

The next pics are an update to the baby blanket I've been working on. I have the first panel completed and I started on the new panel. I took a close up, somewhat blurry, I guess I need to play with the ISO, the other pics were on auto.

I also ordered and got the little flower loom and the double sided corder from Knifty Knitters **happy dance** now I can make baby booties to go with the burp bib, hat and blanket. OMG, I need to really start concentrating on these since the baby is due late August.

The last Graduate and Translations

As promised here's a pic of my youngest at graduation!! That's it we're done, and off to college they go whew!!! I'm so proud of them.

I have had some personal email's on translating my patterns, instructions from the yahoo group, to which, I have agreed to allow translations in any language the end user needs. I have also been asked if the translations can be used in groups like yahoo in other countries, that too is fine with me. I just ask that everyone refer back to the blog as it's original source and because I update often. Please enjoy the patterns, blog and groups after all this is the reason most of the blogs and groups exist to help, teach and share.

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WEEKEND GETAWAY & GRADUATION

We took a 3 hour drive down to Key West, FL on Saturday, Memorial Day weekend. It was so much fun, we rented scooters, had a dip in the ocean and ate Key Lime Pie from the Blond Giraffe Key Lime Factory as Rachel Ray would say "yumo".

Beautiful beach and white sand.

From left to right our friend, hubby and me. (gosh I need to loose #'s) you don't realize how you've spread until someone takes a picture. hehehehehe.

On the right is a two seater scooter it has two wheels in the front, one in the front and it drives with handle bars. Loads of fun!!

This is the southern most point in the USA only 90 miles to Cuba, my birth country. There is a line at this point that is at least 20 mins. long to take this one shot, if your Cuban is totally worth it, cause it's the closest you'll ever get to your parent's homeland.

In other news my daughter graduated from High School on Tuesday, although the school district picked a historical site, they must not have realized that it was under construction on the exterior and everyone's pictures would have fencing, scaffolding etc.. but, she was so happy and mom was emotional. Amazing how 18 yrs fly by before you realize the kids are growing up. On Friday my son will graduate and then we're done with the high school portion of their education, geez, I guess my paycheck and the two of them will go to college soon. 8o( **my wallet is wimpering** That's gonna put a kibosh on fiber art spending for a while, I guess I will need to stock up over the summer. LOL

Hubby gave me a graduation present that totally floored me, he said it was for being his kid's mom, and help him raise them, we've had his kids since we married in 95, they were only five and four at the time. He gave me a 1.75 tcw diamond bridal set WOW!!! I took a photo but it was really blurry so I couldn't show everyone, of course I loved it haven't taken it off since I received it.

The Happy Graduate!!