Books, inkles and Lots of Fun!!

The books my boys ordered came in yesterday, these are the Mom's day gift's from my kids, Card Weaving, Learning to Weave (I can finally return the borrowed book to the library) and Woven Treasures. I'm so excited, I've been reading the Card Weaving book and am planning to warp it on the RH, I saw a youtube video that was done this way and it seemed possible and easier than my small inkle. I've also convinced the plastic department manager at work that he needs to make me some cards out of 1/16" plastic, we have a router machine that can accomplish 30 perfect cards in 2 mins flat much easier and longer lasting that the deck I cut up. I will owe him a knitted cap this is what we bartered for, frankly I think I got the better end of the deal ;) . In Woven Treasures there's a book cover that my son has requested for his Bible, that will take top priority over the card weaving but it's all in the works because I plan to make a strips for the book cover to mark pages with.
I also need to think about a wedding gift for our friends they're getting married in August which gives me some time, but I'm a bit stumped on what to create for them, they have been previously married and have a house full of everything, I thought about a nice gift card to a restaurant but also wanted to hand make something for them to mark their special day, any suggestions? knitting although that's a close call or woven, give me some ideas please. With all that is going on creatively, Meg over at Megweaves emailed the deadline for Pics2Picks, aaaaacccckkkkkk, June 5 OMG... really... already!!! I have one more project I wanted to accomplish for the exhibition so I have to get my behind in gear and git-her-done (is that the way he says it?). That one will be a surprise so I can't show any pics until the big reveal.

But.... I can show you pics of my new inkle weaving based on the fabric swatch I chose. This is my own design and I like the colors and pattern, I may never be able to repeat the pattern but I like it, actually on second thought, I could if I wrote it down, I guess I need to start an inkle loom journal to match all the other weaving and knitting journals (yet another project, whew all this should take me well into the end of this year).

New Book and Some Knitting

Since I can't show you any of the current weaving, because it's for SSVE I'll show you the next best thing.

The new Textures and Patterns for the Rigid Heddle Loom, by Betty L. Davenport it's an update to her earlier textures RH weaving book!!!! I'm so excited!!! ( I literally did a happy dance at the mailbox yesterday, yes my neighbors think I'm nuts, but I don't care) I receive my book for review and from my brief look at the pages, I'm really impressed, there is a ton of information and some really impressive weave structures, I didn't know I could achieve with my RH, I've already started drooling over a Twill Band Runner at the end of the book that is calling (ah - screaming) my name.

I've been putting off sampling from the various books that I own, but I'm resolved that the project for the summer will be samples of the weave structures I find the most interesting . I have a feeling that this book will be invaluable to me. There's a lot of lace and hand mani's that I can't wait to try. I may even start a WAL (weave-a -long) on the RH loom group and get some members motivated to join me.

But before I start I need some help from my more experienced weaving buds; What should I use for sampling? (please remember that I'm allergic to animal fibres).

Should I have color or basic white/ecru?

Your answers will guide my next yarn purchase,(as if I need a push for towards buying yarn, LOL) thanks in advance!

On the knitting front I've been busy with the entrelac stash buster afghan, I've gone from warm to cool colors and intend to keep the sequence going. On my trip to Naples, Fl with hubby and mom, she express such interest in this afghan, little does she know it's hers. The project is starting to get weighty, I can work on three or four rows (which is about two hours) and then quit because my hands get sore, I've never had this happen and it's a surprise, I usually don't have any problems with my hands but then again, as my co workers tell me, the older you get the more stuff hurts, at 42 I'm the baby in the office so everyone, has little purls of wisdom in that department. Really I just think it weighs too much for me to carry it with my non-knitting fingers for a long period of time, but don't tell them that, they don't need to know hehehe..

And for my last shot of the day; this is the beginning of the sweater from the pattern in Knit Simple which was in this post I've been challenged by this one also, but the pattern is written for easy following by newbie knitters, which I appreciate. The only thing I'm confused about are the increases, they are in the front for the allowance of the sleeves, but not on the back?! Since it's my first top down and in the round knit I guess I have to just wait, knit and see.

STUDIO & RUG WEAVING

I finally got my frame for my loom, I put it together last night and was so excited I couldn't wait to weave. I also received a new heddle 12.5 DPI and wow those eyes are tiny and the spacing even smaller, but I tried my hook last night and it went through just fine, so the crochet yarn in my stash is starting to itch. A funny thing happened when I got my boxes at work, I of course opened them immediately (like a kid at Christmas) as I pulled out the heddle one of my co-workers was in my office and she looked at it, scratched her head and said "What the heck?", I laughed and said to her "I see a potential wrap, a beautiful baby blanket, a soft and wonderful table cloth, maybe even a blanket." her response "All I see is a replacement for the blinds in the front office, and that's why your the creative one." So I had to explain what and how to use it, now since she's pregnant, guess what I'm going to make for her? hehe such fun stuff.

On the home front, I took our vacant room and now I have a small studio it's only 10' x 12' but it's great, my own little piece of valuable real estate within my house. LOL I kept the furniture that was in the room and have total use of the drawers for my knitting boards, knitting looms, my knitting needles and most of all, my yarn. I still have two bins in the garage that I need to sift through and relocate into the room.

Now for what's actually on my loom, that is a rug that I'm trying to weave, although I don't know if it will be heavy enough to lay on the floor, but I figure I'll finish, wash it and see, I could use it under my loom if it doesn't work for the original intention which is a bath mat.

For the warp I'm using Red Hart in Royal Blue, Caron Simply Soft in Lime and Electric blue (these were left over from the bright scarf I wove) and for weft Red Hart Super Bulky in Ocean. I love the colors and the super bulky is huge yarn, I love it I loved it from the first time I set eyes on it, but could never get it to work with my knitting loom so here we are at the weaving loom. I warped my loom on every other heddle eye which gave me a good space between the yarns so I'd have room to beat the weft in, I was advised on the yahoo groups that the weft needed to be really tight, I may need to start using my tri-loom comb for this one. Since I spaced the warp the way I did, this will be a weft facing fabric, I am learning my terms and following instructions with my Hands on Rigid Heddle Weaving book (this is so much fun).

I also found out that there is another Betty Davenport Book; Textures and Patterns for Rigid Heddle, which I can't find anywhere because, of course it's out of print. I need to find someone who has moved on to more elaborate weaving and would part with this book, sounds like a mission, but I'm patient and quite entertained with what I'm doing now. By the way if anyone out there has this book and wants to sell it, drop me an email.