Meanderings of a Mermaid

 The latest addition to the weaving studio is the Leclerc Artisat floor loom. It has a weaving width of 36 inches and will take the place of the Schacht Mighty Wolf. The latter is packed and will be heading up to camp to live in the studio there. Both of these looms are the same size and have the same number of shafts. The Mighty Wolf has convenient wheels that pop down when the loom is folded up, making it easy to move around. The Artisat, shown above, is made of lovely maple and is quite a sturdy loom. I couldn't wait to get a project going, just to test her out. This loom also folds up nicely to reveal more space in the guest bedroom.  This advancing twill pattern is a four shaft design. Although the Artisat has eight shafts, right now I only have heddles for four. This is a mercerized cotton warp and rayon slub weft. The pattern is a little subtle because of the variegated or dappled nature of the yarn, but I think this is an interesting effect. I am not sure what...

Tika lived to be 15 years, seven months and a week. What a good life he had full of adventure and healthy living.  Rest in Peace Tika

It's too bad the show got so busy and I couldn't pull out my camera later on. I was surrounded by a lush jungle of gorgeous plants: all ready to planted out at some lucky person's ranch. You should've been there, since it felt so fresh and healthy! Anyways, this shot shows my modest little table, covered in knit and woven items, as I set up for a sale. I have not done this before and know that there is a limit to the amount of $ one can earn in the country before tax laws kick in. The vase in the centre, (handmade out of birchbark and sweetgrass), is holding several simple spindles that I made to sell inexpensively. Here is a close up of one of the 5$ spindles. They are all a bit different. Due to the very lightweight woods used, the prototype needed more weight in order to spin for some time. So I dove into my Bin of All Things Thrift Store, and found ribbon with beads already sewn on. These beads not only sparkle and spin prettily, but make a lovely, soft cl...

 So when I first got the Mighty Wolf loom with its eight shafts, I wove a long piece of cloth just to get the hang of it. I was using up all manner of yarn I had lying around. With the pattern draft and spacing I had selected, the very thickest cotton yarns turned out the best. So today I cut up the one long fabric into different pieces. I made a couple of tote bags. This first one I am calling Mocha Mint. I wove the outer fabric. The lining is linen I had left over from making drapes. The handles are made from the curtain tie backs and the striped strap I added to the handle is from a thrift store pile of ribbons and bands.  You might not be able to see it on the blue bands, but on one the woven pattern is Xs and on the other one it is Os. One is the reverse side of the other. So I called this tote, Xs and Os. And this is a little knitted piece I just finished. I had a little bit of green wool, and came across a pattern I quite liked. I just knit until I ran out of t...

 How's this for a cool little gadget? I bought it recently for a few dollars to have as a decoration. It is from an old ribbon weaving loom. The wooden box or base was mounted vertically on the front of a giant loom, with the thread feeding out the hole in the top of the handle. The base of the shuttle is notched and a cog wheel adjusts the angle of the shuttle on the base. As I hold the smooth, worn handle, I wonder about how many miles of ribbon were woven.  I have been remiss at photographing completed projects (as all my friends are informing me) so I am going to try to catch up. But as you all know I would rather be crafting.... Above is a piece that came off the loom last night. Blue cotton warp, with alternating bright green and sage green weft segments. It is a balanced twill pattern. I had two crossed threads at the start and one warp thread broke midway into the weaving. Both are easy fixes. Detail of the twill above. The warp is running left-right. Thi...

 Learning new stuff is just the best thing! I am keeping my mind and my fingers nimble. So it was about time I tried to make a boucle yarn on my spinning wheels. The starting point I used are mohair locks after they have been dyed. You can see the locks of hair are very shiny and are packed together quite well. With a flicker, which is just like a dog brush, I brushed each lock to open it up. You can see how things look a little more fluffy. This gives the opportunity to remove any last bits of straw and decide what colour to spin next. On my Lendrum wheel I spun a medium twist single. With the grey yarn shown in following photos, I tried for a loose twist. As of today I have spun three bobbins full of a slick mohair single (this gold-pink-brown; a natural grey shown below; and a gold-orange-green).  The boucle burn happens in the second step, which is the first plying step (ply S twist). A thin but strong core thread is plied along with this mohair single. I am f...

Hello Folks, It's wintertime, even in Texas and sometimes it means we are indoors more than usual. I have been doing some weaving lessons from a book on the small Medico loom. Yesterday I was trying my hand at tapestry weaving. I still have some issues with tension, but the main part of the instructions I am getting! My days have also been occupied with painting the family room with the same colour scheme as the adjacent dining room . In this photo the floor only has one coat of "parsley". Once varnished it will look very spiffy!  A recent visit to some yarn stores means I have new things to play with. This fuzzy yarn (cotton based actually) was begging to be paired with this shiny ribbon yarn. I am designing on the fly, as is pretty common with me. The mermaid is contemplating a stole or wrap with this lightweight pairing. I can't help but think of some sedimentary rock layers when I knit on this.  I like the idea of knitting several strips (very portable and ...