Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Some Projects

that I think I'll like, don't always turn out that way, sometimes they even need to be ripped out and made into a different project.  


This book and yarn were purchased when I was out shopping with my sister-in-law.  She's making the same sweater, in the same yarn, just a different color, and although I haven't seen it since she had about this much done, she's probably got the back and at least one side of the front finished by now, if not more!  

Mine, well mine has been ripped out, as I never fell in love with the texture of the fabric - it looked great in the picture, but seemed too spiky and I wanted soft!  I'd been trying to spin yarn for a sweater that is in one of the Spin-Off magazine issues, and have started the sleeve, but think it's too large, and can't measure the gauge until I knit a bit more.  I do love this sweater pattern, but may change the ribbing if I have to try a different size, and will share a picture as soon as I take one:-)

More Baskets

I've found some baskets that I hadn't gotten around to posting, and thought you might like to see them (and I have another, huge basket almost finished, but will save it for another post).  This first basket was supposed to have curls of thin ash wood strips, but I wove the basket so tight, I couldn't manage to squeeze a strip into the weave (then again, maybe there's a tip I'm missing, because I'm learning from patterns and books, instead of in a class).  It is already full of my weaving books.


Oops... This long basket was supposed to be a bit deeper, however, I cut the stakes shorter than I should have, and didn't notice until I had woven most of the way up the sides and wished they were longer (you know, re-reading the instructions last, instead of measure twice / cut once).  It's still a cute basket with a Williamsburg handle and will work for small projects, or just to sit on a shelf.   [The peachy colored stakes were dyed with leftover dye in my dye bucket after dyeing reed for a previous project.]



When you order online, you don't always get what you're expecting.  I "thought" I had ordered space-dyed reed in these colors, but what arrived was a bundle of different colored strips in the colorway.  I had been wanting to make a twill market basket with space-dyed reed, and decided it might look ok, if I randomly used the reed that I received.  The stakes were cut from one size larger reed than the weavers, and I'm glad I didn't run out (it was close, as some of the reed was too short or rough to use), and I think I ended up with a decent, usable basket, and of course, I learned another lesson, which was to use the same stake spacing in both directions.  Two of the basket sides had the stakes so close that I didn't have enough space to use reed to lash the rim with, so I modified a waxed linen stitch that I found in one of my basket weaving books.


Friday, January 14, 2011

Tissue Paper Poppies

No, I don't have a picture here, but wanted to let you know that another blogger made theTissue Paper Poppies pattern from my book, Flower Show Quilts, and posted it on her blog.  You can see it here!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

New Mitts

The mitts I've been wearing are getting a bit pilled, and don't go with all my clothes, so on the last road trip I decided to start on a couple new pairs.  This first one is fun to knit!  I'm using a multi-colored sock yarn and making a pattern called Mitt Envy.  Since I like to use two double-pointed knitting needles for small, round projects, like socks and mitts, I use one of the extra dangling needles as a cable needle.  That way I don't have my cable needle falling on the floor of the car, or worse, getting lost between, or under the seats:-)


The second pair are called, Etesian Fingerless Mitts, and they have this nice texture created by making cables that aren't lined up as you normally would.  This pair are more tiring to work on, partially because of the color, and partially because I chose to use cotton / linen yarn, which doesn't really stretch.  (I'm hoping they will last a long time, without pilling.) I do love the pattern, and will probably make another pair in a more stretchy yarn, sometime.....


Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Bread Basket

Made from a kit that I purchased a while ago, it took less than a day to make this basket, and now I can use it to serve my bread, or rolls, or anything else that fits:-)


Sunday, January 09, 2011

Knit Cowl

Last weekend, I was looking for a quick project to make with a skein of my handspun yarn.  I chose the Kombu pattern, hoping it would go far enough to make the hood, and even though there wasn't enough for that, it made a beautiful cowl!



Saturday, January 08, 2011

Late Christmas Presents - still in progress

Yep, I am still working to finish a couple Christmas gifts.  The lighter scarf is for my dad, and the darker one is for my husband.  Hopefully, I"ll have time to sit down and twist the fringe so I can give them to them.   I decided to make one pass in each shed instead of two, to make the weaving go faster, as I was already running so late with these. For anyone interested, the pattern is called "Large Herringbone Twill" and is from the book, Sixty Scarves for 60 Years.


Baking Bread

Ahhhhh, the scent of home made bread, and just like the Little Red Hen, I ground my own wheat (the whole grain part, anyway)! I can't say I grew the wheat, and I did have the help of kitchen appliances like the grinder and a new mixer, but must say it smelled so good when I took it out of the oven, it was hard for us not to cut into it right away:-)