Weaving - largest project I've attempted!

I'm designing, and weaving some fabric that will cover acoustic panels.  I guess I should really say that I'm altering a M's and O's kitchen towel pattern from Handwoven magazine - widening the design and using boucle threads, that wouldn't usually be used for this type of weave (because my husband likes the texture).  So far, I've woven a test piece that is large enough to cover one of the smaller panels.
After washing, the fabric feels wonderful, but the fabric blends into it too much, even though the colors work.  Weaving with thread colors is almost like mixing paint colors, with the weaving pattern letting more or less of the different thread colors show.  So far, we like the pattern, but the colors need to have more contrast with the wall.  

To save some time, I made the first warp a half yard longer than I needed, so that I would be able to tie the next warp onto it.  You can see the remainder of the first warp threads tied loosely in front of the reed, and the next test warp hanging in front of the loom, ready to be tied on.  This time I'm using one of the original colors, and the rest are lighter or darker than I used in the first sample.

Making Progress

Sorry I've been away from my blog for a while.  I've been working, and taking some pictures, but very behind in posting....  I'm trying to make up for it with this l-o-n-g post, containing quite a few pictures:-)

I've made progress one the purplish mitts, even though I only work on them while waiting or on road trips:

I've begun working on the Oatmeal Cardigan from Spin-Off Magazine (I think it's in the Winter 2009 issue), although I'm using Cascade 220, instead of handspun.  I did spin for the sweater, but chose the wrong kind of wool, and it's not as soft as I wanted to knit the sweater with, so will be repurposed into something else (eventually).  I've started twice, two different sizes, same size needles, and am still pondering whether to knit the smaller one (my preference right now), since the other is huge on my arm, or to try again on smaller needles (I'll probably continue on the smaller one).

Last year, I diligently collected the patterns and instructions for the Snowbound BOM from Bunny Hill Designs and tried to start, but life got in the way and I had to set it aside.  So..... I'm diligently working on it whenever I have time to just sit and work while watching TV, and I'm making good progress, with many blocks appliquéd, more in progress, and others prepped and ready to work on.  Let's start with my portable appliqué basket containing the prepped blocks:

Here are the blocks - so far:

Madrona

My Madrona quilt is now hanging in the Madrona Digital showroom!

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.

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!

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.....