Leigh's Fiber Journal

A Quick Sock Update

2012-01-27T10:40:00.002-05:00

The Checquerboard socks are slow in the making

Just checking in with a report that not much is going on fiber-wise except slow progress on the Checquerboard socks. I reached a snag when I was ready to start on the 2nd sock. It seems I left myself no notes or details about the first one, not even what size I was knitting. So. I had to recalculate and hope for the best. It appears that I've become more relaxed since moving to the homestead, which means my tension is looser! I'll finish up the cuffs when I see how much yarn I have left (a nice thing about toe-up socks). And no, I don't care if the colors in the check stripes match. :)

A Quick Sock Update © 27 January 2012
by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Found: Abandoned Sock Project

2011-11-14T08:23:00.001-05:00

I know this won't take the prize for the longest running UFO, but I think 2 & 1/2 plus years at least gets a nod.

Chequerboard sock found after being packed away for awhile

This is the first in a pair of Lucy Neatby's Chequerboard Socks. I started on the project back in April 2009, knitted diligently until May, and then set it aside because I didn't like the way the first sock fit across the instep. That was shortly after we moved to our homestead, and we've been so busy since then, that I didn't think much more about them until they were forgotten.

I found the project recently when I was cleaning out a box of odds and ends, and I recalled that I was going to correct the fit. I tried it on to see what the problem was, fortunately having had the sense to transfer the stitches to a length of yarn when I pulled the needles out. After slipping it on, I decided the fit wasn't so bad after all! Project resumed.

Found: Abandoned Sock Project © 15 November 2011
by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Hemming Dishtowels

2011-11-06T07:05:00.000-05:00

I'm keeping my hat in the crafting ring by hemming the Summer & Winter dishtowels I wove in ....... 2007! I posted about them here, "Summer & Winter - 1st Dishtowels", and here "Summer & Winter - 2nd Dishtowels". They've been sitting in my trunk of handwovens all this time, just waiting for me to do something with them. Now that we're working on my kitchen remodel, I've discovered that they are a prefect match for my new kitchen colors!

New kitchen cabinet & handwoven dishtowels, yet to be hemmed

I wrote a post on this blog a long time ago, about machine hemming dishtowels (How Do You Hem Your Handwovens? along with a reader comment motivated follow-up, Hemming Handwoven Fabrics). These however, must be hand hemmed because my sewing machine has a broken bobbin case, and I haven't done any sewing lately to motivate me to replace it. Even so, I find handwork relaxing after a long day of gardening or working on the kitchen. :)

Hemming Dishtowels © 6 November 2011
by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Baby Sweater

2011-10-24T09:13:00.000-05:00

I have been a very bad fiber blogger. But, I have finally completed something!

This is for my first grandchild, who is now 6 months old. Details on this post. I admit I wasn't in a terribly big hurry to get it done. The pattern was a 6 to 12 month size, and the weather timing hopefully works out so that it will fit.

What's next? Well, maybe some rag rugs. We've begun our kitchen remodel and I already have the dishtowels (here and here). What I'll need is upholstery fabric for the chairs and rag rugs for the floors.

How soon will I get to it? Who knows, my studio is currently stuffed with boxes full of kitchen stuff. Ah, the joys of remodeling.

Baby Sweater © 24 October 2011 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

More Baby Knitting

2011-03-31T14:27:00.003-05:00

Once Dan's socks were finished, I wanted to knit a baby cardigan to match the hat I gave my DIL for Christmas. I wanted to use the same self-striping yarn with a solid, and found just the pattern in Debbie Bliss Celtic Knits.

This is the from the Arygle Twinset on page 62, but I'm using the self-striping yarn instead of doing the stranded argyle knitting. It's a little quicker and will match the hat! Well, it won't match perfectly because the self stripes weren't intended to be worked over this many stitches.

The only problem with my idea was trying to match a solid color to the multi-color yarn. I looked for something in the same line by the same manufacturer, but nothing matched! Neither pink nor blue, and I didn't want to go with white. I settled on another brand of blue, same size, but a better color match.

I've got about a month before my granddaughter makes her debut, but this is knitting up quickly. It will be too large, and I can only hope that she'll hit this size at a time when she can use a sweater!

I'd love to do some baby weaving too, but with our house in a constant state of remodel/repair, my yarns and supplies are still packed away and spread out over several rooms. It's frustrating, but it's the way things are.

BTW, I have baby goats on the way too, but I'm not doing any knitting for them. :)

More Baby Knitting © 31 March 2011
by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Socks & More

2011-03-16T17:29:00.004-05:00

Hello! Hello! Anybody still out there? Probably not after all these months. Still, I've just finished DH's socks and wanted to show them off, mistakes and all.

And mistakes there are many, but he's happy with them and I'm happy they're done. The pattern is the "Classy Slip-Up" socks from Betsy Lee McCarthy's Knit Socks! 15 Cool Patterns For Toasty Feet. I first posted about these socks almost a year ago. One reason they've taken so long, is because I took some time out to knit this for my daughter-in-law...

That's right, I'm going to be a first time grandmother next month! The pattern came on the yarn label, such a cute little hat. I'm not much on pink, but it would seem that every baby girl ought to receive at least one pink thing. :)

I have a few other things to show off as well, though not the work of my own hands. The first, is Rascal's memorial prayer flag, woven by Theresa.

Rascal was a much loved and faithful companion, so this flag is very special to me. Thank you Theresa!

One other thing to show you...

A name drafted scarf, woven for me by Ellen Turpening. The warp was threaded in our Guild name, Western North Carolina Fiber/Handweavers Guild, for our annual retreat last year. She had some warp leftover, and treadled, "Thank you Leigh Tate for being our president." It was given to me at our November 2010 meeting, when I turned the reins over to our incoming president. I can't tell you how surprised and honored I felt. Thank you Ellen!

Three months is a long time in between posts. I'm still on the fringes of my fiber world, so I can't guarantee how much better I'll do in the future. Still, there are seasons in our lives, and this is one love I will always come back to.

Socks & More © 16 March 2011 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Blue Ridge Fiber Show Winners

2010-12-06T22:26:00.002-05:00

Photos of the 2010 Blue Ridge Fiber Show winners are up! You can see them here.

I have some other things I want to show you. I just need to put my camera to work so I can!

Mystery Fiber Revealed

2010-10-31T12:48:00.002-05:00

There were a lot of really good guesses to my "guess the mystery fiber" question. Nobody got it, but I have to confess that I wouldn't have either. The source of the fiber is ....

This is Baby, one of my goats. She is a Boer/Nubian cross. Boers are raised as meat goats, while Nubians are dairy. Spinners know that goat fiber comes from angoras, pygoras (angora/pygmy cross), or cashmere goats. But a goat like Baby???

Here's what I discovered about Baby.

Click to biggify

Earlier this month she started growing a down coat. Neither of my pure blooded Nubians are growing one, so I'm guessing this is the Boer genes in her. This was the mystery fiber, which I hand plucked, just a little bit because I was so curious about it. She didn't have it when I first got her last May, so I'm guessing she'll shed it sometime in the spring. I will have to try to comb it out then and spin it. I'm very curious about what kind of yarn it will make!

Thanks for guessing!

Mystery Fiber Revealed © 31 October 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Mystery Fiber

2010-10-28T08:20:00.004-05:00

Can you identify this mystery fiber?

HINT: It's not from any breed of sheep.

Give up? The answer is here.

Mystery Fiber © 28 October 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

I've Actually Finished Something

2010-10-14T07:02:00.002-05:00

Can you believe it? I've actually finished something. Is anyone going to faint from the shear amazement of it all?

This is a knitted afghan for the Linus Project, a failed stash reduction attempt, but a nice way to keep my finger in the creative pie. I started it last March, set it aside during the hot summer months, and was motivated to get it done before our October Guild meeting. Project Linus is my Guild's community service project, and is dear to the heart of several members.

It is knit in garter stitch, from side to side, changing colors rather randomly. This enabled me to just leave the ends dangling at the ends of the rows, and later come back and use them as part of the fringe.

I later found out that Project Linus really doesn't care for fringe as a finished edge, so I cut the fringes really short, in hopes it would be okay. If I'd had to otherwise finish the edge, it still wouldn't be done!

Hopefully things will settle down around here this winter and I'll have more time for knitting and weaving. Thanks to everyone who visits in spite of my sorry blog content. It's part of what keeps me going.

I've Actually Finished Something photos and text are © 14 October 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal.

Blue Ridge Fiber Show 2010

2010-10-08T07:40:00.002-05:00

The official opening of the Blue Ridge Fiber Show was last Tuesday. I was on hand, with my camera, and wanted to share a few shots with you.

The show is being held in the Gallery of the Educational Center at the North Carolina Arboretum.

There was a really good turn out for this event.

With about 170 entries, I wasn't able to get photos of it all, nor take very good notes about the shots I did get.

Photos of the individual pieces as well as the prize winners, will be posted on the BRFS website in the near future.

The pieces were fantastic, as you can see. The show was hung by a member of the Arboretum staff and Western North Carolina Fibers/Handweavers Guild members.

The educational component of the show features spinning by one of the Guild's study groups, The Blue Ridge Spinners.

Spinners always attract interested folks.

The other thing being featured, is weaving demonstrations on an old barn loom.

This loom has been fully repaired and restored by the gentleman on the right, weaver and WNCF/HG member Mikkel Hansen.

A few more shots of the entries.

Some of the prize winners. I wasn't able to get individual shots of these, unfortunately.

I did get photos of entries by fellow bloggers though. The ones I knew about at least! The book in the back left of this display is by Alice Schlein.

This is the back of the book (best shot I could get). It's actually a collaborative piece between Alice and Barbara Walker combining Jacquard weaving with ply-split braiding and book binding. It won Honorable Mention in one of the professional categories.

Another Jacquard entry by Alice, entitled "Hosta Mutabilis."

Another winner was by blogger Tien Chiu, (middle).

It's entitled "Eternal Love Wedding Ensemble." She won second place in the amateur constructed clothing division.

Blogger Sandra Rude entered two Jacquard pieces. The first is shown above and as an individual shot below.

"Oak at Sunrise"

Sandra's second entry, "Sunflower" ...

There was also an opening reception, for which my photos didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped.

The show runs through the end of November. If you are in the western Carolina or eastern Tennessee area, plan to stop by!

Blue Ridge Fiber Show 2010, text and photos, © October 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Behind the Scenes: BRFS Judging

2010-09-29T12:35:00.003-05:00

We're in the final countdown to the opening of the Blue Ridge Fiber Show! The Western North Carolina Fibers/Handweavers Guild BRFS committee has worked hard for two years to make this happen. As Guild president, I had the opportunity to preview the entries and get a behind the scenes peek at judging.

The 2011 show is being held at the North Carolina Arboretum. It will hang in the gallery of their Education Center from October 2 through November 28. This venue offers participants a much wider audience than in the past and we are delighted with this partnership with the Arboretum. Judging for the show took place in the Education Center library.

This year we have three outstanding judges: (from left) Tina Feir for handspinning; Lisa Klakulak for felting, and Daryl Lancaster for weaving.

They collaborated on quite a few awards, and it was so interesting to hear their discussions on several of the pieces.

Judging for handspinning and felting reflects the first expansion of the Show since its conception. Prior to 2011, it was known as the Blue Ridge Handweaving Show, and focused solely on weaving. This year the name was changed to the Blue Ridge Fiber Show, reflecting the commitment to include a broader range of fiber arts.

WNCF/HG members from the Guild's Fiber Show committee, were on hand to help as needed. Volunteers for judging included BRFS committee chair Amy Putansu, Charlene St. John, Jean McGrew, Betty Blackerby, Vicki Henson, and Susan Vezina.

The prize winning pieces were then taken to be photographed by Larry Crabtree. Guild members on hand to help with photography were Nancy Crabtree, Mary Nichols, Eileen Hallman, Sharon Horne, Lynda Feldman, and Bonnie Kelly.

If you're going to be in the Asheville area on Tuesday, October 5, do come to the show's opening reception. It will be held from 2 to 5 at the Education Center. That particular Tuesday is the Arboretum's free day, so it would be a great day to visit the many gardens there as well. I will be there, so please come introduce yourself. I'd love to meet some of my readers!

If you can't make it for the opening, do come by another day. The Guild will be holding weaving, spinning, and felting demonstrations at the Arboretum for the duration of the show.

If you can't visit at all, the Blue Ridge Fiber Show website will have photos and more information soon.

If you entered something, let me know and I'll be sure to get a photo or two of your piece(s) at the opening reception. I'll be happy to email them to you and post them on my blog as well.

Behind the Scenes: BRFS Judging © September 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Guild Retreat

2010-09-11T22:12:00.004-05:00

The Western North Carolina Fibers/Handweavers Guild had its annual guild retreat today. The turnout wasn't large, but that only seemed to make the event all the more cozy and intimate.

It was a rainy, gloomy day,

but that didn't dampen anyones spirits for kool aide dyeing.

Did you know that the different drink mix brands create different hues? For example, a green mix in four different brands will give you four different kinds of green.

Two looms were set up for working on baby blankets for Project Linus.

The spinning circle offered a time to visit and chat.

That's my Kromski Minstrel in the lower left corner. I actually made some progress on my pol-paca! I can't believe I first blogged about it almost two years ago. Most of the yarn I've already spun is still packed away from our move.

Teena joined the circle while working on heddle making.

Walt brought his work with him, one of his custom benches with woven seat. You can see another one here.

The other fun thing we did was to weave our name draft.

Several looms were threaded in an overshot name draft with our Guild's name, Western North Carolina Fibers/Handweavers Guild.

We learned how to draft our own names for the treadling.

I was familiar with the concept, but had never actually woven a name draft before. Each letter of the alphabet is assigned a shaft number. We learned how to add shaft numbers in between duplicates. For example, with my first name (above top), the L, I, G, and H are all assigned to shaft 2. By adding shaft number 3 between adjacent 2s, I had a weavable draft.

Neighboring shaft numbers were circled in pairs, and the pairs counted to determine the treadling sequence. Since it is overshot, tabbies were thrown in between each pattern weft. My treadling, without the tabbies, was:

1 - 2, x 2 (shafts 1 and 2 lifted twice)
2 - 3, x 4
1 - 2, x 1
1 - 4, x 1
3 - 4, x 1
2 - 3, x 4
3 - 4, x 5
1 - 4, x 3
reverse (I did add one shot of 1 - 2 here, to avoid the 1 - 4 being treadled 6 times).

Here's my name treadled forward and reverse on the Guild name threading. As you can see, I chose a space dyed yarn.

Here's a close-up. It's been almost a year and a half since I've woven anything. When I sat down at the loom I wondered if I'd even remember how! But it was as though I'd never taken a break.

We really had a lot of fun.

Guild Retreat © September 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

A Little Sample Of Llama

2010-09-03T06:32:00.008-05:00

I have finally managed to get a little sample of llama fiber from Charlie. I say "finally managed," because I learned very quickly that llamas don't particularly like to be caught and handled. Since I wrote an update about Charlie on my homestead blog, I also wanted to show you his fleece. I figured my sadly neglected fiber blog would be the best place to do that.

His color is not a true black, but rather a very dark chocolate brown. The tips are lighter brown from sunbleaching. Here's a close-up of his shoulder area (with flash, making the color a bit reddish)....

And hip. The bump in the upper right is his tail...

Off the llama....

I managed to get a couple of staples from his shoulder. While they measures three to six inches in length, this isn't an accurate assessment of a full year's growth. He's only seven months old, and has had one shearing, albeit a poodle type blanket cut. Nor did I cut this close to the skin, but left enough on him so he wouldn't look like he had a patch of missing wool.

Because Charlie's so young, his fleece is wonderfully soft. He was sold to me as a "woolly" llama, and I have since learned that there are several types of llamas, based on their wool.

Tapada llamas are the woolly llamas. Their fleece in medium to long, dense, and can be silky, crimpy, and wavy. They are considered single coated and should have less than 1% guard hair. They need shearing once a year.

Lanuda llamas, are another woolly type, but these grow wool all the way down their legs. I didn't know enough to ask the breeder about the wool types, but based on how his fleece is growing out, I'm guessing Charlie is one of these. He had his first shearing before I bought him, so I don't' know what he'll look like with his fleece completely grown out. Llamas are shorn once a year, and that will be a job for next spring.

Curaca are medium wooled llamas, with guard hair content averaging 3 to 15%. Unlike tapadas and lanudas, which must be shorn, cucacas shed somewhat. Because of that they are often shorn every two to three years. Their wool grows below their knees like lanadas.

Ccara llamas are the classics. They have fairly short, double coats, the guards accounting for at least 15% of the fleece. Because of the guard hairs, they don't pick up a lot of debris (which Charlie is always full of). Of course the downy undercoat is what a spinner wants. A ccara's is semi-crimpy and evidently fairly easy to harvest, as only the inner coat sheds. Removing it is a matter of grooming it out. No shearing or clipping required.

Before I got Charlie and began researching this, I didn't have a clue. I had never spun llama before, but now I understand why spinners have such different experiences with it.

Here's a scan on the left. I don't know how well you can tell, but I'm assuming that the straight fibers are guards. The rest of it has an undefined crimp of about 10 or 11 per inch. His wool will get coarser as he gets older, but how much remains to be seen.

It contains no grease, but is dusty and loaded with VM. This is because llamas like to roll in the dirt, in the grass, in the weeds, in the brambles, whatever.

It kills me to see Charlie loaded with VM and at first, I wanted to comb him out every day. Llamas however, don't like being petted or brushed and combed. I quickly figured out that if I messed with his fleece every time I caught him, he would soon be very difficult to catch. So we've been working on trust, and that means respecting his "no touch" rule. I should mention that this rule appears to apply to humans only. It's okay if a chicken perches on him, of if a goats plops down right beside him. It's just not okay for a human to touch him.

I haven't had a chance to spin it yet, but when I do, I plan to card it and spin woolen. I'm sure though, that I'll do a lot of experimenting with it. I'm very curious as to how the yarn will turn out. Hopefully I'll have a chance to do that soon.

To see photos of Charlie and read what I'm learning about llamas, visit my homestead blog, here.

A Little Sample Of Llama © September 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal.

BRFS Entry Deadline Extended

2010-08-10T20:42:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to let you all know that the entry deadline for the Blue Ridge Fiber Show has been extended to August 20th. This is due date for the entry form, not the item. For more details, check out their website.

Have I Mentioned My New Fiber Source?

2010-08-06T22:08:00.001-05:00

Those of you who visit my homestead blog probably already know about Charlie.

He's a "woolly" llama and is the newest addition to our homestead.

He's just a little guy, 6 months old, who is to serve as guard llama for the goats (and chickens apparently), and a fiber source for me. He's already been sheared this year, which is just as well, because we have our hands full just getting him used to us.

For a few more photos, click here. :)

Have I Mentioned My New Fiber Source? © August 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal.

Blue Ridge Fiber Show

2010-07-12T14:34:00.003-05:00

It's not too late to enter!

The entry deadline is ~~August 13th~~, [UPDATE: new entry deadline is August 20th.] This year's venue promises to be the best ever. For more information, visit The Blue Ridge Fiber Show website.

Stash Reduction Afghan Progress & More Socks

2010-04-16T14:05:00.009-05:00

Progress on my stash reduction afghan for Project Linus is coming along slow but steady. I never did get that orange yarn, though I would have loved to add orange to this. I just got too far along and gave up on it.

It's at the point though, where it is too big and bulky (and hot) to take with me when I go places. For that, I wanted my usually "go" knitting, socks!

I told DH I'd make this next pair for him. I handed him Knit Socks! 15 Cool Patterns For Toasty Feet , told him to pick a pattern, and to pick a color. Well, he ended up liking the exact pattern I had just finished for myself (pic of my finished socks here), the "Classy Slip-Up" socks.

And what color did he want? Blue and red. Oh dear. For one thing I had just finished knitting a pair of these and wasn't terribly interested in knitting the same pattern so soon. The other thing is that the pattern doesn't exactly lend itself to two color knitting. What to do.

When I pointed the color problem out, DH said, well, he liked the stripy effect of another pattern in the book, the "Checkered Textures" sock.

Not an accurate scan of the colors, but you get the idea. You can see the full, original photo on page 97 of Betsy Lee McCarthy's book.

The challenge then was how to combine the two sock patterns. I really had to think about this for awhile. My solution is nowhere near the stripy effect of the "Checkered Textures" socks, but he's happy with it, and that's what counts.

The cuffs, heels, and toes will be knitted in blue, the rest of it alternates the blue and red yarns. The blue row is always the slipped stitch row. Since it is the red yarn in the previous row that is slipped, the result is red stripes. The yarns are from KnitPicks.

As with my other projects, these will probably take awhile. But as long as DH can see some progress on them from time to time, he's happy.

Stash Reduction Afghan Progress & More Socks photos & text are © 16 April 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal.

Related Posts:
Fireside Sock Knitting
Stash Reduction Fail

Stash Reduction Fail

2010-03-19T11:49:00.001-05:00

My intentions are good. After all, I have bags and boxes of acrylic yarns that I really need to get rid of. True, I could give them away, but on the other hand, I find acrylic yarns come in handy for my Guild's community service project, Project Linus. Volunteers donate handmade blankets for children in crisis. The stories of the lives these blankets touch are wonderful. And since one of the requirements is that the blankets must be machine wash and dryable, acrylic yarns fit the bill.

In the past I've woven these. In fact the first project off my Glimakra, was a blanket for Project Linus. (Details here.) Last year I dug around in my boxes of finished objects and donated not one, but two more. Currently, because my loom is still unavailable, I thought I would take all the leftover acrylic yarns and knit a blanket.

The stash reduction stripe idea came from Janet (Janet's Thread), who routinely uses this technique to reduce her yarn stash. My problem was, that as I chose colorful yarns (a sure kid pleaser) and started knitting, I kept thinking, "It needs turquoise" and "It needs orange." Rather than just using what I already have, I had to run to the store to look for more yarn. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), there wasn't any orange, but I did find turquoise.

The result is that I'm having fun with more colors, but I've failed at reducing my stash by much. At this rate, I'll never be finished with my acrylic yarns.

Stash Reduction Fail photo and text are © 13 March 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal.

Fireside Socks Done!

2010-03-13T16:54:00.005-05:00

These won't win an award for speed knitting, but they're done! White is pretty plain and unexciting, plus it doesn't photograph all that well, but I've wanted some handknit white socks, so here they are.

"Fireside" isn't the name of the pattern, just the name I gave to the project, since these were started while enjoying the fire of our woodstove. They are actually the "Classy Slip Up Socks" from Knit Socks! 15 Cool Patterns For Toasty Feet by Betsy Lee McCarthy. You can read about that here.

What's next? Well, I still can't get to my loom, but if I can find my circular knitting needles, I may start on a blanket. I may be slow, but it's nice to have something creative to do.

Fireside Socks Done! photo and text are © 13 March 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal.

Related Posts:
Fireside Sock Knitting

"Catzee's Cloth" Made the Complex Weavers Journal

2010-03-07T08:36:00.017-05:00

If you can get your hands on a copy of the February 2010 Complex Weavers Journal, turn to page 13. On the bottom half of the page, featured as one of the participants of the 2009 Tied Weaves Study Group, there I am. Or rather, there's the Summer-and-Winter fabric I wove...

...inspired by my tortoiseshell cat, Catzee. The write up includes a black and white photo of a sample and the draft.

You can see color photos and read more of the details of the project on my following posts:

Inspired By Catzee - Where the idea came from and how I developed the draft from a barcode of Catzee's name
Catzee's Cloth - on loom progress and a close-up
An Unexpected Wrinkle - How I came to name it "Tortie Trails" and the problem I had with wet finishing it.

Of course it's an honor to be "published," even if it's only as a contributing member of a study group. But this sample is special to me because of Catzee.

She disappeared at the end of last August. In spite of turning the world upside down to find her, we never did, nor have a clue as to what happened. I have grieved over her more than I ever have any other cat. I still have to catch myself, and not allow the sadness to overwhelm me again, by focusing on happier thoughts.

Anyway, I just wanted to share this with you. I learned a lot by participating in the study group, and plan to do another someday, whenever we finally get settled and establish a routine on the homestead. Even though this blog isn't very active, I still appreciate every one of you who visits, especially those of you who are regulars and visit my homestead blog too! Thank you!

"Catzee's Cloth" Made the Complex Weavers Journal photos and text are © 7 March 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal.

Sock Progress & A Thrift Store Find

2010-03-02T14:21:00.002-05:00

By Leigh

Fireside sock progress?

Slow, but getting there.

Thrift store find?

This neat woven bag.

I'm not sure what the fiber content is, nor if it was handwoven. But it was only 50 cents so how could I resist?

Posted 3 March 2010 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com by Leigh

Related Posts:
Fireside Sock Knitting
1st Fireside Sock Done

Got Sheeps?

2010-02-21T09:34:00.004-05:00

By Leigh

I do!

Tina (A Blip on the Radar) did a very sweet thing this year and sent out Valentine's gifts, of which Rascal and I were lucky recipients! We got quite a few goodies, but this is the one I absolutely had to share with you, sheep soaps. Aren't they neat? They are definitely "do not use" soaps and deserve special display in my bathroom.

Thank you Tina!

I Won!

2010-02-05T10:08:00.005-05:00

By Leigh

I won this totally cool t-shirt from Basically Benita. She had a give-away and I was one of two lucky winners! She and her husband Scott have been developing a line of t-shirts, and this design is one of their first.

That's not all! They have two more designs here and here.

Benita and Scott will be opening up a webstore soon, with these and more. Keep an eye on her blog for details.

Thank you Benita! I will wear it with pride.

Posted 5 February 2010 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

1st Fireside Sock Done

2010-01-02T08:56:00.001-05:00

By Leigh

I finished the first of the Fireside Socks during the Penn State game yesterday...

(I always have trouble photographing white, but you get the idea.)

As you can see, I've also just begun the cuff of its mate. Not sure if the second will progress as quickly as the first, but it might.

In weaving news, I have good news and bad news to report. The good news is that the dining and living room floors should hopefully be done this month, which will mean being able to get furniture, boxes, etc., out of the spare room and my studio. That means the loom will be accessible again.

The bad news is that my studio has no heat. I can open up the French doors during the day to let heat in, or I can spend time in there comfortably if the sun is shining and warms the room up. However, I shut the doors again at sundown because of all the windows in the room. There's quite a bit of heat loss so it keeps the house warmer to simply shut that room off for the night. January and February are our coldest months of the year, but perhaps we'll have plenty of sunny days to enjoy.

I hope your new year is off to a good start. Ours promises to be a very busy but productive one.

Posted 2 January 2010 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related posts:
Fireside Sock Knitting
1st Fireside Sock Heel

1st Fireside Sock Heel

2009-12-26T22:08:00.003-05:00

By Leigh

Done.

Posted 26 December 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related posts:
Fireside Sock Knitting
Fireside Sock Progress

Small Bags For Small Gifts

2009-12-19T16:37:00.003-05:00

By Leigh

I've always given handcrafted gifts to family members for their birthdays and Christmas. This year, thanks to the homestead, I haven't been able to make the knitted, woven, embroidered, or sewn gifts I usually do. Instead, I decided to give some of fig jam, muscadine jelly, and canned figs I made this summer from our harvest bounty.

Even so, it didn't seem like enough. I wanted a personal, finishing touch that would make it even more special. The answer? Some little bags made from handwoven samples.

These were made from the waffle weave sampler I wove in July 2008 (all those samples come in good for something :) Not only was it the right size, but it's also in Christmas colors!

The sampler was 7.5 inches wide and quite long. I cut 20 inch lengths for the bags. I purchased cording for the bag ties.

I folded them over one inch at each end. Then I seamed the sides, with the selvedges on the outside of the bag. The selvedges made a nice finished side to the bag with no turning and no bottom corners to neaten.

I only sewed the side seams up to where I sewed the fold. Unfortunately the photo showing this didn't turn out.

I think they made a perfect wrapping for my gifts. Plus, once the goodies are gone, recipients will have the bag forever.

Posted 19 December 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
Sock Knitting Bag

Fireside Sock Progress

2009-12-13T20:44:00.004-05:00

By Leigh

First Fireside Sock heel flap done.

Posted 13 December 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related posts:
Fireside Sock Knitting
1st Fireside Sock Heel

I Have Pirns!

2009-12-08T14:56:00.007-05:00

By Leigh

These are for my bargain shuttle. They were passed on to me by Barb, after they were passed on to her. I feel equipped!

Now, I freely confess that it will be awhile before I get to try my new shuttle. I'm still cutting rags for the rag rug I'm planning for the bedroom, and that will be the first project on my loom once I can get back to weaving. But I will definitely be learning to use it in the not so distant future.

So, a heartfelt thanks to Barb, and also to everyone who left me helpful and encouraging comments about my new shuttle. All are very much appreciated.

Posted 23 November 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
My $6.93 Shuttle

Fireside Sock Knitting

2009-11-29T09:49:00.002-05:00

By Leigh

Theresa recently cleaned out her library and I was the happy recipient of Knit Socks! 15 Cool Patterns For Toasty Feet by Betsy Lee McCarthy. I love wearing handknit socks, I love knitting them, and I love collecting sock pattern books.

Obviously I am happy to add this to my own library and of course I set about trying to decide which pattern to knit first. My initial idea was to use one of the patterns with these yarns ...

... from this post, I'm A Sucker For Sock Yarn.

I found a pattern I liked and knitted a swatch. Unfortunately my gauge was too large but I don't have any sock needles smaller than US2's. Well, I do, but they are bamboo which I've broken because, well, I'm not sure why except that I knit with a lot of tension in my hands as well as my gauge! Ordinarily I would just recalculate the pattern but I don't feel like going through the mental gymnastics for that at this point. I decided to save that pattern and those yarns until I can get some double pointed 1's. Instead, I looked for a pattern with the gauge I'd knitted and this is the one I ended up with....

Fortunately this pattern was also on my "must knit" list. The stitch pattern was easy to memorize and it is very pleasant and relaxing to knit by the fire at the end of the day.

If feels good to be knitting again.

Posted 29 November 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
I'm A Sucker For Sock Yarn

My $6.93 Shuttle

2009-11-23T13:41:00.006-05:00

By Leigh

I was browsing a thrift shop this morning and found this...

Of course I bought it! (Click pic for a little bigger). It cost me a total of $6.93 including tax and is in excellent shape. I know absolutely zilch about end-feed shuttles, so I need your help! Did I just buy a pretty ornament for my studio? Or can I actually weave with it? It has no identifying markings, but stamped on the bottom are these: SH (or 5H) 852 on one side, and M 3394-37 on the other. It's 16.5 inches long. I'm assuming it's an industrial shuttle (???)

Help?

Posted 23 November 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Shams And Rags

2009-11-12T08:16:00.004-05:00

By Leigh

I finished my quilted pillow shams!

They aren't perfect, but I think they look well enough with the comforter.

I've also been cutting rag strips for the matching rag rug.

If you recall, this is going to be a summer & winter polychrome rag rug. This means that I will use a S & W threading, but will throw two different colored pattern shots between tabby shots. The whole thing is straightforward enough that I don't need to make a full drawdown for it. The threading will be a 2-block (4-shaft) summer and winter.

My sett will be 16 epi, and I want the squares to be the same size as those in the shams, 4 inches. That means each square will have 64 ends. With a threading unit of 4 ends, each block will be 16 units. I haven't calculated the width yet, probably four feet, for which I would need about 12 blocks and 768 ends. Length needs to be about 6 feet, which will probably require miles of rags!

Treadling will alternate two colors per block, following the same sequence as my pillow shams:

Pattern shot - blue
Pattern shot - green
Tabby a
Pattern shot - blue
Pattern shot - green
Tabby b
Repeat for four inches

Pattern shot - green
Pattern shot - brown
Tabby a
Pattern shot - green
Pattern shot - brown
Tabby b
Repeat for four inches

Pattern shot - brown
Pattern shot - blue
Tabby a
Pattern shot - brown
Pattern shot - blue
Tabby b
Repeat for four inches

Repeat

Rag cutting is rather slow going, I admit, but I can't get to my loom anyway, until we get the dining room floor down (which is next on the indoor project list). I started out measuring the width of the rags, but quickly abandoned that in preference to the eyeball method. It's faster and it will be close enough!

To be continued ........ one of these days.

Posted 12 November 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
A Little Quilting
Summer & Winter: Polychrome Rug 1
Summer & Winter: Polychrome Rug 2

Sheep To Shawl

2009-10-25T07:08:00.003-05:00

By Leigh

For the past several years my guild has been doing a Sheep To Shawl at SAFF (Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair) at the WNC Ag Center in Asheville, NC. This year I was able to participate.

We had a great location and gorgeous autumn weather. Since this is a local event, most of our active guild members were volunteering in other aspects of the Fiber Fair, but we had four spinners and a weaver to demonstrate the process.

We started with a donated, washed Border Leicester Fleece. Charlene, who coordinated the event, did the drum carding.

A lot of folks were interested in the entire process. This is Barbara, demonstrating spinning and answering questions.

Rats, but if someone didn't volunteer to take my picture too. Note that I'm wearing my Fiber Forum socks.

Teena demonstrated on her electric spinner.

Ellen did the weaving.

The warp was a combination of 2-ply handspun and commercial wool yarn. There was a little alpaca thrown in as well. The singles we spun that day were used for the weft. The plan for the shawl is to raffle it with proceeds going toward the Blue Ridge Fiber Show.

In the afternoon, we had a shearing demonstration. This is Elspeth, a rescue sheep. She is a registered Shetland, who other than not having been sheared for at least two years, was healthy.

Paula, who owns Shetlands, did the shearing. She used a shearing stand and started at the tail.

As she sheared her way to the front, Elspeth's fleece was rolled up toward her head.

The fleece was in amazingly good condition, with very little cotting or felting. Other than a break indicating the next year's growth, it was lovely. [UPDATE 10/30: I just found out that Elspeth's fleece weighed 11 pounds.]

Elspeth got a massage after her ordeal. She wasn't too happy about being there, but calmed down considerably as the shearing progressed.

And the rest of the Fiber Fair?

It was bigger, better, and busier than ever, with more vendors, more classes, and more folks coming to look, buy, learn, and see.

My haul?

Just this, a 20.5 inch Schacht rag shuttle for the rag rug I plan to weave for our bedroom.

I didn't stay till the end because I had a pretty good drive home. It just felt good to get my wheel out and spin again. Hopefully this winter I can resume spinning as a daily activity. By the fire. Sounds good, doesn't it?

Posted 25 October 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

A Little Quilting

2009-10-14T17:44:00.001-05:00

By Leigh

What better thing to do on a drizzly, damp, chilly, dark day than sit by a cozy fire ...

... and do a little sewing.

Thanks to our fireplace project, everything around here has been dusty and disorganized. With the new hardwood dining room floor to be put in next, the forecast is for more of the same, especially when we get to sanding it. So, weaving projects like living room draperies, and even sock knitting (I discovered that I can't find my needles) are on hold at the moment.

Still, I have to do something, which turned out to be an inspiration to make some pillow shams to match a comforter...

... which matches the green walls of our bedroom.

Initially, I had rag rugs in mind, so when I thought about sewing some pillow shams, I thought about making something that I could coordinate with a rag rug. I chose a very simple block pattern...
... and used a progressive color sequence which I can reproduce as a polychrome rag rug.

Quilting was my introduction to the world of fabric and textiles. Though it's been a long time since I've pieced any tops or done any quilting, I still very much appreciate the art.

At first I thought I'd do the quilting by hand. I used to have both a quilting frame and a quilting hoop, but I believe these were left behind along the way. I believe I still have some large embroidery hoops somewhere, but I'm really not sure where at the moment. So, I'm doing something I've never done before...

... quilting by machine. I appreciate how quickly it's going though and this is meant to be a simple project after all.

I'm not really following a pattern, but I did find instructions to sew mitered corners, here. There's lots of other good stuff there too.

Posted 14 October 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

It Worked!

2009-10-01T20:32:00.001-05:00

By Leigh

Remember these?

These are the red warp M's & O's dishtowels I wove awhile back. A way while back. I gave one away, and put the other four in my trunk of handwovens.

It wasn't until after I had problems with another red warp for a waffle weave sampler, that I became concerned about these. The red in that warp bled, (that post here). When I looked at my M's & O's dishtowels later I thought, "Oh gosh, I'll bet these will bleed too."

Actually, I got some good ideas in the comments to that waffle weave post, about various dye grabbing products, though I admit that I didn't try any of them. That is, not until I asked my new DIL about the colors for her kitchen and she mentioned red. I immediately thought of those M's & O's dishtowels and her upcoming birthday. Before I would give them away as a gift, however, I knew I needed to do something about any potential bleeding.

Well, I remembered your suggestions and bought this...

I popped one sheet into the wash with the dishtowels and....

.... it worked!

I will still tell DDIL to not wash these with anything they don't want to risk turning pink (definitely not my son's favorite color.)

Paula Burch has some really good information on bleeding dyes - here. Evidently the culprit is the direct dyes used by commercial dyers. Unfortunately I have a lot of commercially dyed weaving yarns, so this is something I'll have to keep in mind in the future. At least I have found help for it.

Posted 1 October 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

I'm A Sucker For Sock Yarn

2009-09-23T00:11:00.001-05:00

By Leigh

Especially the odds and ends I find in clearance bins. Consequently I couldn't pass up these ...

No, they aren't the same colorway, similar but not the same. Still, these are colors I like, so I bought them both.

Having odd balls of sock yarn isn't a problem for me however. In fact, I have a growing collection of them...

I really need a small project that I can pick up and set down easily. Something light and easy to take with me.

I'm thinking about this as a possible combo for socks...

Whatever happened to my Lucy Neatby Chequerboard Socks? Well, they are on a long term hold at the moment. They need to be fixed and that would require more brain power than I have to spare these days.

Until I get back to those however, these will keep my sock needles from getting rusty.

Posted 20 September 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
At Last, Actual Fiber Content :)

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

2009-09-20T06:44:00.000-05:00

By Leigh

In my case, the tunnel is house renovation, and the light is finally catching a glimpse of what it will be like to have a huge project in the living room done, tearing down the old fireplace and putting in a new hearth and chimney for a wood burning stove. This has not just meant spending most of our time on this, but it has also meant an upheaval of our living quarters. Because deconstruction and working with bricks and mortar is such as dusty, dirty job, we've moved all of the living room furniture to other parts of the house. We've been sporting that "just moved in" look for months now!

The tearing down phase seemed the quickest. The rebuilding part is going much more slowly. Still, we're finally getting to a point where I can visualize having our living room back. And with that, I'm starting to think about weaving for it.

What I'm currently contemplating, is weaving drapery fabric. I've never attempted anything like that before, but when we first bought the place, I immediately started to think about all the things I could weave for it: kitchen, bath, and table linens, rugs, curtains, drapes, throws, upholstery fabric, etc. Although I haven't yet given much thought to design and weave structure, I have been contemplating color.

Here are the colors I have to work with...

The colors are roughly accurate on your computer monitor.

Plus, I've been collecting paint chips for wall color ........

~~image fail of paint chips~~

......... well, never mind the paint chips. They would neither photograph nor scan anywhere near their actual color. Suffice it to say that they are coordinating pale to light neutrals for my walls. I also have one burgundy chair and my furniture is a medium/dark cherry.

I'm inspired enough with this that I would like to dig through my stash and pull out various colors of yarns to compare with my sofa, rug, cushions, and chair. Unfortunately, my stash is another matter, because I can't find all my yarns! Thanks to the current state of chaos in our home due to our project, some yarns are in my studio hidden behind piles of boxes, others are still packed away ............. somewhere.

Though we still have a long way to go on any number of house projects (especially kitchen and bathrooms), weaving is something to contemplate as cooler weather approaches. As much as I've loved being out of doors this summer, I am also looking forward to spending time indoors this winter, cozy with that new wood burning stove, and fibernating.

Posted 20 September 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Coming Soon, To A Spinning Wheel Near You

2009-09-16T11:14:00.009-05:00

By Leigh

Did anybody else know that this Saturday is World Wide Spin In Public Day? If so then consider this a confession about how infrequently I get to go blog visiting anymore. Anyway, I found the button and link over at Janet's blog and thought I'd at least help spread the word.

Lately I can barely find my spinning wheels and fiber let alone use them. Why? Well, putting in a new hearth for our wood heatstove has meant putting all the living room furniture in the dining room and my studio. Not to mention the dust! September 26th though, is our annual Guild retreat and I'm really looking forward to that.

Posted 16 September 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Call For Entries

2009-09-05T06:24:00.005-05:00

Proudly presented by my own guild, the
Western North Carolina Fiber/Handweavers Guild.

Posted 5 September 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

August Guild Meeting

2009-08-30T13:53:00.000-05:00

By Leigh

I don't usually talk much about my weaver's guild meetings, but I absolutely have to tell you about yesterday's. (OK, lately I haven't been talking much about fiber arts at all, but if you've been following my other blog and know about the fireplace, then you'll understand that my studio is full of living room furniture and boxes at the moment!)

We always start with a business meeting, followed by Show-&-Tell and then a program. For many, Show-&-Tell is a big favorite. It gives everyone a chance to share what they've been doing and it is always inspirational.

For some reason, there were a lot of double weave projects shown. I've been thinking a lot about double weave lately, having taken a class on it a long time ago. It just seems to be drawing me to a self-study this winter.

Then Bobbie Kelsten showed us her double weave pick-up pieces; Hamsa Houseblessing wallhangings which she had recently completed. Bobbie's work is gorgeous, and she sells it at the North Carolina Arboretum gift shop. She was also recently juried into the Southern Highlands Craft Guild.

Anyway, I was absolutely drooling over those pieces and thinking how much I really wanted one. Then she said, "...and I want to give one of these to Leigh for her studio, for everything she has done for the Guild." I couldn't believe my ears!

You can click on the above image to enlarge, but here is a detail shot too....

It's approximately 6.5 by 17 inches, including fringe.

And here is the blessing that comes with it......

Bobbie, thank you! It will always have a place of honor in my studio. I feel very blessed indeed.

Posted 30 August 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Beaded Fringe Scarf

2009-07-21T19:43:00.015-05:00

By Leigh

Ta-dah! I've actually finished something! My summer & winter beaded fringe scarf....

To relax after working hard all day, DH and I have resumed a long time habit - he reads aloud while I do handwork. He just finished reading Little Britches by Ralph Moody to me, and I just finished my scarf.

I've already written quite a bit about this scarf. You can find the project details here, and details about the fringe, here.

Posted 21 July 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
Differential Shrinkage Fail
Beaded Fringing

An Award & A Natural Dyer's Website

2009-07-17T14:47:00.009-05:00

By Leigh

I've been such a bad fiber blogger that I should be ashamed to accept this award. It's from Minikat and Sharon, (both of whom deserved it better than I). The award description says,

"This award was designed by Ces for her friend Bella. Ces wrote:- I designed this award to celebrate art in the blogs and to honour the value of friendship, sisterhood, sharing and caring. It is to be awarded to the gifted, accomplished, eloquent and talented blogger, whose friendship and influence inspire us to do our best. That I named it after Bella Sinclair is because she epitomises all of these things."

What an honor! I will have to give some thought before passing it on.

So why am I such a bad fiber blogger these days? Long time readers probably have a hunch (and correctly so) that it has something to do with our having bought an old house of five acres of land, and all the work we're having to do. Not only does it need a lot of work, but I'm also recording everything. Our current project is taking down the chimney and fireplace. I'm taking photos as we go along and hope to start posting those on my other blog sometime next week.

As you can imagine, this is an exceptionally dusty and dirty job. To prepare, we moved everything out of the living room, which means that all the living room furniture is stuffed into the dining room and my studio. Fortunately, my living room has a door in every entry way, so we can close it off and keep the rest of the house clean.

Anyway, no fiber activity is getting done currently, but that won't last forever. Hopefully this winter things will settle down and I can get back to weaving, etc at least by then if not sooner.

I did find a website I want to pass on to you however. It's Dyer's Pot, a wonderfully extensive index of over 300 natural dye plant categories including a list of common names under each category. Also included are the parts of plant used and colors that can be achieved. I discovered this site because Bettina mentioned to me that I can dye with nandina, of which I have a few bushes!

So thank you to MiniKat, and thank you to Bettina! I will add a link to Dyer's Pot in my link list. Look for it on the dyeing link page.

Posted 17 July 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Beaded Fringing

2009-07-03T00:05:00.000-05:00

By Leigh

I confess. I haven't done anything with those socks. The suggestions and tips you all gave me were extremely helpful, but the fact of the matter is that correcting them will require too much thinking. I'm simply too busy to do much thinking these days.

However, thanks to some very cool fringing instructions over at Lynette's blog, I have this to show......

You may or may not recall that this is the cotton and rayon, summer & winter scarf I wove in an unsuccessful attempt at differential shrinkage. I still liked it however, especially the reversibility.

This is the first time I've tried working with beads like this. The method is easy but I confess thought that it is slow going because I am twisting the fringe by hand. Someday I'll get a fringe twister, but probably not any time soon. Even so, it's a relaxing activity in the evenings, doesn't require too much energy or brain power, and I'm liking the results. I don't usually wear scarves, but this one I think I actually will.

Posted 3 July 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
At Last, Actual Fiber Content :)
One Thing Leads To Another
Differential Shrinkage Fail
Slo-Mo Fringe Twisting

Thank You!

2009-06-30T09:11:00.004-05:00

By Leigh

........ to Charlotte, for this lovely award......

The wonderful thing about the internet is that friendship can truly be sent around the world.

In turn, I would like to pass it on to Susan, Mim, Bonnie, Deepend, and Jane.

Posted 30 June 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Unveiling My Studio Set-Up

2009-06-26T10:37:00.000-05:00

By Leigh

This is actually a duplicate post. I published almost the exact same thing on my homesteading blog because it's appropriate for both blogs, though for different reasons. That part of my life is certainly demanding most of my attention these days, but I am still a weaver and fiber person at heart.

After a lot of thought and some trial & error, I've finally settled on a set-up for my studio. This was formerly the "sun room," claimed as my studio on first sight.

The room is long and narrow, about 9.5 by 20 feet, and this presented some challenges. My loom takes up roughly 6 by 5.5 feet worth of floor space, so where to put it took some deliberation. I finally decided to start with it near the living room entrance, as the width of the double French doors afford a little room there.

Part of the problem is having enough floor space to walk around all sides of the loom. With this set-up I have 18 inches of space in back of the loom, and 20 inches on the left side. I'm going to work with this awhile, and if it's not adequate I'll make adjustments.

The long tube on the floor behind the loom is a reed holder. It was handy previously, but it's in the way now. I'll have to come up with another way to store my reeds.

To the right of the loom I left the floor open, and used a book shelf to define both studio and office space for myself without blocking the windows.

All of my spinning, dyeing, knitting, crochet, sewing, and design books are on those shelves, along with a few weaving books and a box or two of equipment. Behind the bookshelf .....

.... is just enough space for my desk and computer (currently both in DH's addition.)

This will be my "office" area.

That's not a permanent home for my warping board, just a handy place to keep it. Eventually the closet will be replaced with more shelves.

My Sterilite stackable drawers (full of weaving yarns) are in front of the door which goes out to the screened in front porch. Though I like the idea of being able to use this door, I really don't need it. In the corner between the closet and my stackables is my tri-loom and raddle.

These shelves were left in the house. I was able to get a lot of my yarns out of boxes and stashed here. I really like being able to have at least some of my yarns visually handy.

The other little shelf unit contains most of my weaving books and is handy for my bobbin winder. Hopefully the space between this shelf and the loom will be adequate for entering and exiting the rest of the room.

The rest of my stash: weaving yarns, handspun yarns, commercial knitting yarns, and all my fleeces and other spinning fibers, (as well as my sewing machine, serger, and dye equipment) are in the spare room.

Being a "try it and see" sort of person, I figured that the only way to know how well this Hopefully I'll have something to show you on that front soon.

Posted 26 June 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
My New Studio
The State of My Studio
Studio Progress

Good News For The Blue Ridge Handweaving Show

2009-06-11T22:28:00.002-05:00

By Leigh

One of the perks of being a guild president is getting an early inside scoop for certain fiber happenings. If you receive any of the major fiber magazines, then you have likely heard of the Blue Ridge Handweaving Show. I know some of you have entered it in the past, because I've seen your work. You may or may not know that was started by and continues to be supported by my guild.

There have been some exciting developments for the show that I can't help but want to share with you all.

One thing is the location. For the past several years we have been tucked away in the little gallery of the Asheville School. But starting in 2010, the BRHS will have a new home at the North Carolina Arboretum. This means more exposure to the public, a larger gallery to display in, and tons more visitors. It's an exciting step for us.

The second thing is that the show is expanding. In the past it's been strictly a weaving show, but starting next year, it will become the Blue Ridge Fiber Show. The first two categories to be added will be spinning and felting. Again, an exciting step forward.

The committee is enthusiastically at work on all of this. So keep an eye out for the ads. And consider entering next year.

Posted 11 June 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
Call For Entries

Studio Progress

2009-06-04T09:25:00.010-05:00

By Leigh

I have no progress to report on the socks, even though I got some very helpful suggestions to my problem. However, I made some headway in setting up my studio.

I decided that the first order of business would be to assemble my loom. Since it is large and the room is narrow, it's placement will determine where I put everything else.

When I was packing, I thought I was being very clever to set the loom handbook and set-up video aside, so as not to pack them away and be unable to find them when I needed them. Unfortunately, with all the moving mess, I don't have a clue as to where they are. *sigh*

Posted 4 June 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
The Move
My New Studio
The State of My Studio
Unveiling My Studio Set-Up

At Last, Actual Fiber Content :)

2009-05-28T06:11:00.008-05:00

By Leigh

Remember these socks?

These are my Lucy Neatby Chequerboard Socks. This is the project I didn't pack away during moving, so that I would have at least some fiber in my hands to help me keep my sanity in the midst of the chaos of boxes everywhere and not being able to find anything.

I've enjoyed working on these socks, and they've been interesting because the short row garter stitch toe and heel are new for me. I didn't think I would care for them at first, but they match the thickness of the stranded knitting for the chequerboard body of the socks, and so work quite well.

But I've run into a problem. Not because of the pattern, but because of my foot.

The checks are stretched so tight before and after the heel, so as to pull them all out of shape. I'm not happy with how this looks and am not sure what to do about it.

The pattern calls for sizing the sock based on the ankle measurement. I admit I didn't do this because I have skinny ankles. I used the ball of my foot instead, and as you can see, the sock fits fine there. But the ball of my foot has a much smaller circumference than before and after my heel, hence the pulling.

What to do! The only thing I can think of is to somehow increase checks, but am not sure how to do that without distorting the checkerboard pattern. The logical place is at the bottom of the socks. Still, I'm stumped! Suggestions???

Posted 31 May 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
Socks: One Pair Done & Another Begun
Fiber Forum Weekend

One Lovely Award From Alison

2009-05-28T06:02:00.001-05:00

By Leigh

In the middle of my moving frenzy, Alison gifted me with this lovely (literally) award.

The Rules Of This Award:

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 5 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Herbaholic's Herbarium - This may be cheating somewhat, because this is the person who awarded Alison the award in the first place, but her blog is new to me and I love it! Now that I have someplace to plant it, an herb garden is definitely on my "to do" list.

Camp Runamuck - Theresa's blog is fairly new for me too. I believe she found me first, but I've enjoyed her blog ever since. We have quite a few things in common, which makes reading it all the more interesting.

Life Looms Large - I'm not sure how long I've been visiting Sue's blog. It's very heavy on inspirational weaving content, with a few other interesting things thrown in for good measure.

Woodyarn - I know Margreet through the Online Guild, but didn't know she had a blog until just recently. Primarily she is a weaver, but dabbles in other fiber activities as well.

A History of Colour - I know Debbie from the Online Guild as well. (Actually, that's how I know Alison too :) Debbie is not only a natural dyer, but she is an historical dyer as well. Her blog is fairly new, but already very informative.

Well, I don't have much reading time lately, but I still like to follow a good blog. :)

Posted 28 May 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

The State of My Studio

2009-05-25T00:01:00.004-05:00

By Leigh

The move went well. It wore us out but everything is here. Now for the unpacking. *sigh* Below is the current state of my new studio after the move. (For the "before" shot, click here.)

This is all my yarns, fibers, fleeces, books, magazines, dyes, and equipment. The loom is in pieces off to the left of the photo. Now I've got to find homes for it all!

Posted 25 May 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
My New Studio
The Move
Unveiling My Studio Set-Up

The Move

2009-05-22T00:09:00.002-05:00

By Leigh

I'll be offline for at least a couple of days while we finish our move. There's still a lot of work to do, but at least the house is at a point where we can start living there. I've taken Rascal and Catzee out there there three times now. They seem to be feeling more comfortable about the house, so hopefully it won't be too traumatic for them. Or for us!

I haven't been able to blog visit lately, so I appreciate those of you who still visit me and leave comments. You all have been a great encouragement to me and I love you for it!

Posted 22 May 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
A Life Detour......

My New Studio

2009-05-13T07:08:00.007-05:00

By Leigh

This is actually a duplicate post. However, it is very on topic for this blog and besides, several of you have asked about it! This room was one of the things I loved when I first saw the house. It is a sun room, but I immediately envisioned it as my weaving and fiber studio.

There is a set of French doors off of the living room.

These lead to a sun room, which will become my studio.

After thoroughly cleaning the kitchen, I decided to tackle this room next. I figured that this way, I could move a little of my stash and equipment with each trip to the house.

Here is a 360 degree look at this room. The windows on the immediate left look toward the back of the house.

One thing you can see in the above photo is the beadboard ceiling. The walls however, are smooth.

The circle on the wall in the corner is a stove pipe flue cover, leading to a chimney outside the corner of this room. Obviously a wood or coal burning stove once stood in this corner. I say coal, because one of the outbuildings has a room with coal all over the floor.

As you can see, there are lots of windows and lots of natural light, making this the perfect choice for my weaving studio!

The front windows look out at the front yard and across the street.

There is a closet in the corner. The other door leads out onto the screened in front porch. This is the only solid wall I have in this room.

The wood floors are in fair shape, and will be much improved with sanding and refinishing.

This closet was added as an afterthought to this room. Possibly to make it a third bedroom. For my purposes, I think I would prefer shelving here. The interior of the closet offers a peek into what the room was like before it was painted.

The baseboards were originally unpainted. The closet floor is darker than the rest of the room. Possibly it was stained or painted at one time and had been sanded after the closet was added(???)

When I removed the switch plate to wash the walls, I discovered the original wood of the wall, which had been painted twice; once a darker green, and later a lighter green. These same colors were used in several other rooms as well.

The double-hung windows are likely original to the house.....

These operate with weights and pulleys; you can see the pulley rope on this one seems to be in fairly good condition. The ropes on some of the other windows are broken, and some of the windows are painted shut.

This room presents several challenges for me. The first is that there isn't much wall space, and I have a lot of stash, books, and equipment! DH says I could put shelving in front of the windows, but I am loathe to block any of that light.

Because of those windows however, and the orientation of the house (of which the front faces west), this room gets a lot of late afternoon sun. This in turn heats the room up considerably. While this will be welcome during winter months, it has the potential to be unbearable during the summer. I have this problem at our apartment, but I couldn't do anything about it! Now I can and I plan to plant a deciduous shade tree in the front yard this fall!

The last challenge is the size of the room. It measures 9' 3.5" by 19'11". It is the width I am concerned about, because of the size of my loom. My Glimakra Standard measures about six feet in width, so obviously the "getting around" room will be somewhat restricted. Depth-wise, my loom is about five and a half feet, not counting the bench. Even so, this is the perfect room for my studio!

Posted 13 May 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
A Life Detour......
Unveiling My Studio Set-Up

An Award From Charlotte

2009-05-10T07:53:00.003-05:00

By Leigh

Charlotte, (bless her heart) was kind enough to encourage me in my new endeavor, and award me with this! It is most appreciated as we continue to work hard to make our new old house "move-inable." I'm blogging about that on my other blog, though updates will be slow in coming. :)

Posted 10 May 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

A Life Detour ....

2009-05-04T06:15:00.004-05:00

By Leigh

......which is ...... we bought a house!
......which means ....... there will be little or no fiber activity in my life for at least a month or two.

For the curious, pix and more info here.

Posted 4 May 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
A New Beginning
My New Studio

Differential Shrinkage Fail

2009-04-30T00:20:00.002-05:00

By Leigh

Remember Catzee's Cloth? (If not, click here.)

Remember how surprised I was when I wet finished the fabric and the yarns shrank at different rates, so that the fabric sort of bubbled? (If not, click here.)

Remember how I didn't like it but decided to try and do it on purpose for another project? (If not, click here.)

Remember how I researched rayon and cotton yarns and read that they don't shrink at the same rate and so thought they would be a good choice for an experiment in differential shrinkage? (If not, click here which, BTW, is the same post as the above.)

Well, I did it and the results are in.

Before wet finishing .....

After wet finishing .....

Both yarns shrank the same! My experiment was a flop.

Project Particulars:

Weave structure - summer & winter
Treadling - "O's" (see Summer & Winter: Treadling)
Yarns -

Warp & tabby weft - 10/2 unmercerized cotton
Pattern weft - 8/2 rayon

Sett - 16 epi
Picks Per Inch - 16 tabby & 16 pattern
# ends - 244
Reed - 8 dents per inch
Sley - 2 per dent
Wet finishing - cold water wash and hot machine dry
Measurements before washing - 53 x 8.75 inches
Measurements after washing - 48 x 7.75 inches

So much for that experiment.

At the moment this is just a scarf sized sample. Even though it's a little heavy for a summer scarf, I may go ahead and twist the fringes to finish it off. Might as well make the best of it. :) [UPDATE 3 July 2009 - Click here to see what I did.]

Posted 30 April 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
An Unexpected Wrinkle
One Thing Leads to Another
Beaded Fringing

Measuring Handspun

2009-04-27T00:03:00.000-05:00

By Leigh

Once I have an idea of how much handspun I need for a particular project, I can measure whether I have enough on hand, or if I need to spin more. There are a several ways to do this.

One way is to use a McMorrin Yarn Balance, a handy gadget which calculates the length of a yarn based on its weight. Laritza at Yorksett Arts & Crafts wrote an excellent tutorial on that, which you can read here.

Niddy noddies (or swifts, for that matter) can be used to measure yarn as it's wound off the bobbin. The trick here it to know the how many inches it takes for the yarn to make a complete path around the device. This measurement is multiplied by the number of times the yarn is wound around it. This gives a rough estimate, because the yarn piles up on the arms of the niddy noddy. I don't use this method because I prefer to wash my freshly skeined yarn before measuring it. Why? Because there can be some "shrinkage," especially with wool, when the fibers resume their natural crimp pattern after being stretched out on the bobbin and niddy noddy

I calculate the yardage of my handspun with a yardstick and some simple math.

Click for a tad bigger

The skein in this photo measures 20 inches. Of course, the skein is actually a loop, or circle of yarn, so what I really want here is the measurement of the yarn all the way around. To find that, I double the measurement, and get 40 inches.

Next I count the strands of yarn in the skein.

For this skein there are 96.

I multiply these two numbers to get the approximate inches in the skein,

40 inches x 96 = 3840 inches

I divide that number by 36 to get the yards. In this case, 106.66 yards. If I need to round any numbers, I always round down, to give myself a safe minimum amount of yarn.

I do this with each skein and total up the yardage. If my spinning were more consistant, I could probably just use an average for each skein, but it isn't, so I don't.

So far, I have spun a little over 728 yards of 2-ply pol-paca yarn, so I'm close to a fifth of the way to the yards of handspun I need for the Turkish coat. Even so, I could use some of this to start sampling on the loom, as I need to finalize the weave structure and pattern, as well as sett and shrinkage from wet finishing. Since I have plenty of both Polwarth and Alpaca, I can sample to my heart's content.

Obviously this method can be used for knitting and crochet projects as well. You may recall the complex calculations that went into trying to figure out if I had enough various colors of yarn for my Shetland Sampler Cardigan. This post describes how I calculated that, and this post describes how I calculated for the cuffs and bands.

This is not a project I'm in a hurry on, so progress may be slow. At the moment, I'm just happy to be spinning for it. So for now, I'll spin on.

Posted 27 April 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
Spinning For Weaving, Knitting, Crochet, Etc. An Introduction
Calculating Handspun For Weaving
What I Learned From My Swatch - calculating for stranded knitting
Dissecting My Shetland Swatch - calculating for bands & cuffs

Calculating Handspun For Weaving

2009-04-22T00:43:00.001-05:00

By Leigh

I decided I would start this series the way I ordinarily would, by looking what I will need for the final product. In the next post, I will show you how I measure my handspun.

If you are a weaver, then you are already familiar with how to measure warp and weft for your projects. If you don't weave, then all of this may be quite foreign to you. My goal is to explain this so that non-weavers can get the gist of what goes into the process. I will try not to get too technical, but I may get long winded!

I've already mentioned that I have my eye on the Folkwear Turkish Coat pattern for the pol-paca I've been spinning. The obvious question is, how much yarn will I need to spin for this coat? As with any sewing project, the first thing I need to know how much fabric is required. Below is the information I found on the back of the package:

Click on above for a better look-see.

I have a 59 inch width loom, but only the first two measurements are possible for me. Why? Because of several factors that aren't apparent at first glance. Besides planning for finished fabric length and width, I also need to allow for loom waste, take-up, draw in, and shrinkage.

Loom waste - the part of the warp that is tied to the front and back of the loom and doesn't get woven. This can be anywhere from 18 to 36 inches depending upon one's loom.

Take-up - the result of the over and under path of the yarn as it is woven. Usually 10% is added to the project length to allow for this.

Draw-in - the pulling in of the selvedges during weaving. Usually 1 to 2 inches is allowed for this.

Shrinkage - From wet finishing (washing and drying) the fabric after it's off the loom. While this varies with the type of yarn, typically 10% is added. However, if the weaver is unsure, it is imperative that a sample is woven, washed, and dried!

Consider too, that the fabric is stretched tightly on the loom during weaving Simply cutting it off the loom causes it to relax and "shrink" somewhat. All these things must be accounted for when planning how much yarn will be needed for any project.

Let's say I plan to go with the second measurement, for a width of 45 inches, and length of 3 and 7/8 yards. I need to consider several things in order to plan the amount of yarn I will need. The formula I need to use looks like this:

Desired finished project length
+ fringe or hem (none here as it is yardage for sewing)
+ take-up (about 10%)
+ shrinkage (another 10%)
+ loom waste (I allow 24")
= total warp length.

I usually calculate in inches, and then convert to yards for measuring. Without boring you with all the math, I can tell you that to weave 3 and 7/8 yards of fabric, I will need a warp length of a tad over five yards. I will round this up to a minimum of 5.5 yards for the project.

What about weft? The formula for that is:

Desired finished width
+ draw-in (10%)
+ shrinkage (I'm allowing 2")
= total warp width

Taking all that into account, I need to plan on a width of about 52 inches on the loom, to end up with 45 inch wide fabric. If I wanted to weave the 54 inch fabric mentioned on the pattern, I would need to plan on a 62 inch width on the loom. With my loom only accommodating a 59 inch width, you can see why this isn't a possibility for me.

However, this doesn't tell me how many warp threads I'm going to need in order to put a 52 inch width of warp on my loom. For that, I need to decide how many threads per inch I want my fabric to be. Here are a few more terms to help explain that:

EPI - Ends Per Inch, i.e. threads per inch

Sett (noun), Set (verb) - referring to ends per inch.

Obviously, the more ends per inch, the thicker and heavier the fabric will be.

Calculating sett is a science in itself. I often use charts, such as these. Or methods such as these or this. But for this example, I'm going to rely on experience, and choose a sett of 8 epi. This is based on my working similar size acrylic knitting yarns for twill afghans. I will weave a sample before actually warping for the pol-paca cloth, and this will let me know if adjustments need to be made. If the sample is too thick or too heavy for a coat, I will try a lower sett. If it isn't thick enough, I will increase the sett.

Armed with that number (8 epi), I can figure out how many warp ends I will need.

52 inch width on loom
x 8 epi
= 416 ends

Multiply this by the 5.5 yard length I need to warp, and I come up with a total of 2288 yards of handspun required for the warp.

And for the weft? First, a few more terms:

Pick - term for individual weft threads

Shot - same as pick

PPI - Picks Per Inch

If I plan to make a "balanced" cloth, i.e. with as many weft picks per inch as warp ends per inch, then I will use 8 (the EPI), to multiply by the number of inches in 3 and 7/8 yards.

52 inch width on loom
x 8 PPI
x 140 inches in 3 and 7/8 yards
= 58,240 inches, which rounds up to 1618 yards needed for the weft

Assuming I've calculated correctly then, I will need approximately 3906 yards of handspun yarn to weave the fabric for this coat. Plus a little more for the sampling.

So, how much handspun do I have so far? We'll look at that next time.

Posted 23 April 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
Spinning For Weaving, Knitting, Crochet, Etc. An Introduction
Calculating Sett
Another Way to Calculate Sett

My Weekend: "Cotton & the Charkha"

2009-04-20T08:40:00.003-05:00

By Leigh

Fiber Forum was fantastic. It was the first time I'd ever been to an actual fiber conference, and as you can imagine I enjoyed every minute of it. Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos, so you'll have to put up with a pretty much pictureless description of my weekend.

Mostly I want to share about the class I took; "Cotton & the Charkha" with Eileen Hallman. If you've ever taken a class with her, then you know what a great teacher she is. We had time for about four class sessions, so we covered a lot of territory and I learned a lot. For example:

Did you know that:

There are approximately 35 species of cotton in the world
Only four of these are cultivated commercially
Most non-cultivated cottons are not white
Many of these produce very little lint
All cottons do not spin the same
The only difference between cotton and hibiscus is gossypol
The natural colors of cotton are pH sensitive
A single cotton fiber is made up of only one cell

Charkha spinning wasn't as difficult as I thought. My biggest concern was that I would have difficulty drafting with my left hand. I'm a right-handed spinner, but the spindle on a charkha is on the left. Thanks to Eileen's teaching method however, left-handed long draw was a pretty easy transition for me. We used book charkhas, and this is what we learned to do:

Set up the charkha for spinning
Spin singles
How to use the charkha's skein winder
How to Navajo ply and
Make a center pull ball directly off of the charkha spindle

I can show you the fruit of my labors....

That's my cute little mini-center-pull ball on the bottom. We also got to spin a variety of cottons, from the 31 samples in the notebook we received in class. Below are the ones I chose to try.

You can click on this one to biggify a bit. Of course, these are freshly spun and the twist is not set, but it did give me an opportunity to feel how differently they spun.

Eileen does a lot of weaving with her handspun cotton, mostly as weft from singles. Working with Bluster Bay, she has developed a clever boat shuttle that holds charkha spindles for weaving without winding! Very nifty.

As you can well imagine, a book charkha has been added to the top of my wish list, especially considering my cotton stash enhancement last year. And if I forget what I learned by then, I can get Eileen's DVD. Fortunately, she's a member of my guild, so anything I might need will be handy to get indeed!

Posted 20 April 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
Fiber Forum 2009
Southeast Fiber Forum
Fiber Forum Weekend

Fiber Forum Weekend

2009-04-16T12:17:00.007-05:00

By Leigh

This week has absolutely flown by. Except for a little knitting and weaving, I've been very busy with non-fiber activities. I didn't even finish the next post in my "spinning for" series, and missed my 3rd blogiversary. Now Fiber Forum weekend is upon us and I have to pack for that. However, I can show you the project I'm packing to take along, the Lucy Neatby Chequerboard Socks...

If you will be at Fiber Forum this weekend, I would love to meet you. I'll be easy to find as I'll be giving a welcome Friday evening on behalf of the WNCFH/G. Do come tell me hi.

Posted 16 April 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
Fiber Forum 2009
Southeast Fiber Forum
My Weekend: "Cotton & the Charkha"

Spinning For Weaving, Knitting, Crochet, Etc. An Introduction

2009-04-13T09:13:00.001-05:00

By Leigh

I haven't had a spinning update in awhile because there really isn't anything new to report. I'm still working on my Pol-paca blend for weaving. Last update on that here. I have about five or six more skeins, but basically it's just more of the same.

Cyndy made a comment on that last spinning post however, that got me to thinking. She said,

I am making my own head spin wondering how you tabulate how many yards of yarn to spin for the number of yards in the fabric...

In turn, I'm going to tell you a story, and then show you how I measure and calculate handspun for projects. I will do that over a couple of posts, so let's just say that this one is the introduction.

I had an experience when I first started spinning that has left me a tad paranoid ever since. I created my first 2-ply handspun (pictured on left) from two pounds of Brown Sheep mill end roving (aka "beast" roving.) My yarn was quite bulky and I was very pleased with it. Being the project person that I am, I decided I wanted to make a sweater with it. I chose the "Stone Circles" pattern from Sylvia Cosh's Crochet Sweater Book, and spent many happy hours working on it.

Imagine my dismay when I ran out of yarn before I finished the sweater. But, being a rather determined sort, I recalculated and tried some modifications. No luck. Next I tried a different pattern. Same results so I tried again.

Now, my husband will be the first one to tell you that if anyone can fit ten pounds of potatoes into a five pound bag, I can. Even so, I could not make that yarn stretch enough to get a sweater out of it.

In the end, I chose a crochet vest pattern; one I found on a Lion Brand skein wrapper from a project long before I learned to spin. I added a reverse stitch crochet for the edging, and omitted the pockets. I've been happy with that vest ever since, and don't regret that it didn't become a sweater. I love to wear it over a denim jacket when the weather turns extra chilly.

All's well that ends well, but I learned something valuable from that experience: that I need to calculate project needs before I ever get started. I admit that I'm still always a little nervous about this. With careful measuring and calculating, I usually end up with yarn leftover.

So how much pol-paca yarn will I need to weave a coat? I'll start figuring that out next time.

Posted 13 April 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Post:
Calculating Handspun For Weaving

Socks: One Pair Done & Another Begun

2009-04-09T00:32:00.002-05:00

By Leigh

And just in time too. I need them for next weekend.

Project Particulars:
Sock Pattern - SpinCraft Toe Up Socks
Yarns - Silja (solid color) and Regia Self-Striping Sock Yarns
Stripe Pattern - Alternate yarns to create a unique stripe pattern
Gauge - 8 stitches/inch and 11 rows/inch
Needles - US 2 DPNs

I've got the summer sock knitting bug (already), so here are the ones I'm working on next...

This is Lucy Neatby's Chequerboard Socks pattern from Cool Socks Warm Feet. It's a pattern I've had my eye on for quite some time. Now seems to be the time to knit it. I've just gotten started on the first garter stitch short row toe. More photos soon.

Posted 10 April 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
Next In Knitting
Fiber Forum Weekend

One Thing Leads To Another

2009-04-07T00:44:00.001-05:00

By Leigh

My samples for the Complex Weavers Tied Weaves Study Group Sample Exchange are ready to go.

Each one is attached to a weaving record sheet which includes the draft on the back, plus a write-up of how I developed the idea. Because my barcode name draft was too large to print out, I included only part of that, but added a complete profile draft. I called my draft "Tortie Trails," in honor of its source of inspiration.

Initially, I planned to move on to something else entirely after I mailed the samples. However, this image .....

.... got me thinking along other lines. I didn't intend for the sample to shrink like that, but the unexpected result made me wonder if I could do it on purpose.

This sample is a 10/2 unmercerized cotton for warp and tabby weft, and an 8/2 rayon for pattern weft. I read that rayon tends to shrink more than cotton, so hopefully this will give me a similar effect to Catzee's cloth. This one is more in the proportions of a scarf, so if it works, I can wear it!

As with many of my sources of inspiration, one idea leads to another. The result of this is that my weaving experience seems more like a journey than a classroom experience. But it's hard not to follow the evolution of ideas. In fact, I doubt I could do it any other way.

Posted 7 April 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
An Unexpected Wrinkle
Poll Results & Test Press

Red Is To Dye For

2009-04-04T00:04:00.000-05:00

By Leigh

The Online Guild's April workshop is called "Roots, Woods and Bugs." We are going to be exploring natural dyeing to obtain the color red. We are going to be working specifically with...

Madder

(the roots)

Brazilwood

(the wood)

Cochineal

(the bugs)

and Lac. I have the first three, but the last was added to the workshop via an interesting OLG discussion last month. I will have to get some of that. The workshop is being led by Debra Bamford, who is amazingly knowledgeable about natural dyes, and especially their historical uses.

I had problems finding Brazilwood. Earth Guild was out for a couple of months, as were a couple of online shops I frequent. One said they needed to find a new supplier. I finally found some from The Woolery. I had hoped to obtain it sooner, as one experiment for the workshop is that or how color strength is effected by the soaking time of Brazilwood. I can still do that; I just won't have results to show at the end of April. Of course, that's the beauty of doing workshops with the OLG, everything is done from the comfort of our own homes, so we can set our own schedule!

April promises to be a very busy month for me anyway, especially with the WNCF/HG. Not only is Fiber Forum this month, but also committee meetings for the same, the kick-off meeting for 2010's Blue Ridge Handweaving Show, and our first guild meeting at the Folk Art Center and all the arrangements that entails. However, it should be a fun month too.

Now, off to read the first set of recipes for cochineal. Results soon.

Posted 4 April 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
Natural Dyeing?

Sock Progress & An Award

2009-04-01T00:53:00.002-05:00

By Leigh

First, progress on my latest socks .....

Second, an award from both Minikat and Sharon.

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!”

To think about what that actually means makes this award quite an honor. In turn, I would like to pass it on to Renee, Jackie, Bonnie, Bettina, Dorothy, Sue, Peg, and Susan.

Posted 1 April 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
Next In Knitting
Socks: One Pair Done & Another Begun

Poll Results & Test Press

2009-03-29T13:11:00.002-05:00

By Leigh

As of this afternoon, here are the results for the Catzee's Cloth poll:

I love it! Leave it as is - 43 votes (57%)
Yuk! Iron it quick! - 33 votes (43%)

I've always assumed that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but most of us will agree that an unexpected outcome can throw any of us for a loop. Because of this, I was also interested in your comments on this.

One consideration is planned usage. Though it looks like a scarf, I wove it for cutting up into exchange samples. Consequently all the weft ends are hanging out of the selvedges rather than being woven in (I changed weft color with every treadling block.) I need a total of twenty samples for the exchange, but it won't take all of it. While I was weaving away, I thought about using leftovers for a vest.

I like this pattern.....

Maybe version B with a black velvet collar?

With that end in mind, I decided to go ahead and press a section of the bumpy cloth to see what could be done with it. Here's how that turned out .....

It smoothed out nicely. Bettina did make a good point in the comments however, that it will likely want to bubble up again after washing. I don't figure that samples will be washed, and my vests are more likely to get dry cleaned, so that may not be a problem.

Lynette brought up another good point, that of visual competition between the shrinkage texture and the color pattern. For this sample, the focal point is the tabby-like stripes against a tortoiseshell-like background. (See Inspired By Catzee.) The bubbles and dimples from the differential shrinkage should probably be a design feature on its own.

So I've come up with a plan. I'm going to press out Catzee's Cloth, and then experiment with differential shrinkage on a scarf. I will still weave it in summer and winter, just in simpler colors.

The interesting thing about all this is that I never expected to take this direction in my weaving. But thanks to this happy accident and all your encouraging comments, it's a step I'm going to take nonetheless.

Posted 29 March 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
Inspired By Catzee
An Unexpected Wrinkle
One Thing Leads To Another

An Unexpected Wrinkle

2009-03-26T00:04:00.008-05:00

By Leigh

My Catzee inspired fabric is off the loom.

I think it looks pretty neat and am happy with it. I'm going to call it "Tortie Trails."

However, after machine washing and drying, it did this.....

This is the result of mixing the type and fiber content of my yarns. I used both mercerized and unmercerized cottons, and rayon. As a design element, this is referred to as "differential shrinkage," where the different yarns shrink at different rates as a result of wet finishing.

My problem is that differential shrinkage is not really my "thing." I find traditional methods and effects personally more appealing.

What to do. What to do. This is supposed to be for my Complex Weavers Tied Weaves study group. So tell me ....
Posted 26 March 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

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One Thing Leads To Another
"Catzee's Cloth" Made the Complex Weavers Journal

Spring Cleaning: Find #4

2009-03-24T00:30:00.002-05:00

By Leigh

I was cleaning out my spice cabinet the other day and look what I found...

A can of turmeric! It is commonly used as a culinary spice in Far East cuisine. According to this article in Wikipedia, it is also used as a food additive for coloring foods and protecting them from sunlight, as a dietary supplement for digestion, as an antiseptic in Ayurvedic medicine, as an experimental cancer treatment in clinical studies in Western medicine, in cosmetics, as an ingredient in radiator stop-leak sealant mixtures, in gardening to deter ants, and as a dye.

It's been eons since I shopped at a Kroger. The last I remember was when I lived in Houston, some 18 to 20 years ago. The fact that this tin is still full after all those years, gives you some idea of the kind of cooking I do (or don't do.) But that's okay, because since that time I've become a fiberist and am going to use this for some natural dyeing. Hopefully time has not effected it's potential as that regard, but that is something I intend to find out. More on that soon.

Posted 24 March 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
Spring Cleaning: Find #1 - madder roots
Spring Cleaning: Find #2 - my heirloom coverlet
Spring Cleaning: Find #3 - prints for my wall

Next In Knitting

2009-03-21T00:04:00.002-05:00

By Leigh

Red sock yarn to match red turtleneck

Plus variegated blue sock yarn to match denim shirt

Equals coordinated outfit to wear to Fiber Forum!

Posted 21 March 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

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Socks: One Pair Done & Another Begun
Fiber Forum 2009
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Shetland Sampler Cardigan Complete!

2009-03-18T00:26:00.001-05:00

By Leigh

I'm delighted to announce that at long last it's done!

I had hoped to get out of modeling it myself as requested, but unfortunately, Sue suggested a tripod, which unfortunately I have.

It's the best fitting sweater I've ever made for myself.

Project Particulars:

Fiber - Shetland, both American and British, from both fleece and roving. I had a total of 20 samples to work with and I have several people to thank for this:

Cathy, who donated a lot of fleece, both locally obtained and from Riverbend Farm.
Tina, who donated some of her own.
Sharon, who did the same.
Mim, from whom I got a sample via Sharon!

Yarn - 2-ply handspun measuring 16- 18 WPI. Photos of all 20 can be seen at this page of my Fiber Gallery. If you click the links under the photos, they will take you to blog posts with photos of the raw fleece and spinning details for most.

Sweater Pattern - Measurements were copied from my Rare Breed Sweater, with an adjustment made for the neckline. Though technically not true Fair Isle knitting, I did use a Fair Isle Stitch Pattern.

Stitch Design - From Anne Field's "Dyepot Fairisle Sweater," The Ashford Book of Spinning, pages 98 - 99. This required calculating yarn amounts for the color rows, details on how I did that here.

Knitting Details -

Gauge - 6 stitches/inch and 8 rows/inch
Technique - stranded knitting in the round
Needle size - US 2 circular for sweater body and sleeves, US 0 for K2P2 ribbing

Techniques Used -

I started the spinning for this project in June 2007. Swatching started in January 2008. I took my time and did not do any knitting during the heat of summer. I also set it aside at times to ponder various things I needed to figure out or calculate. Does it seem like it took that long? I can't tell. I lose track of time with a project like this. But I've learned a lot and I'm very happy with the outcome.

Posted 18 March 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
See "Techniques Used," above

Two More Awards & Guild News

2009-03-16T00:04:00.004-05:00

By Leigh

I had hoped to show you my completed Shetland Sampler Cardigan today, but I'm still trying to get someone else to take a photo. Not easy with kids no longer living at home and a husband on the road. I may end up doing it myself after all.

However, I've been honored with two awards, and I can share that with you. The first one is from MiniKat.

Don't you just love the idea of a Sisterhood Award? I am supposed to pass this on, but you will have to forgive me if I postpone that task. Reasons in a minute.

The second is from Weaverannie, MiniKat, and Charlotte:

As a fiber artist and as a blogger, I always hope to be thought of as creative, so this is an encouragement. Again, I will schedule passing it on to sometime in the future.

Why you ask? Well, shortly after I was elected president of Western North Carolina Fiber/Handweavers Guild, we had a budget crisis in the form a humongous rent increase. We were not given advance warning, and to make matters worse, it happened during our winter break when there are no regular meetings and no regular communication among guild members. Consequently the past four months have been something of a scramble to get that information out to the membership, research alternatives, figure out what to do about our library, get all that information out to the guild, and prepare for a vote on the issue.

Last Saturday, we voted on a new location to meet. The overwhelming majority was to move to the Folk Art Center in Asheville, NC. The FAC is already home to the Southern Highlands Craft Guild, to which many of our own guild members also belong. The mission and goals of the FAC is very similar to our own, and the atmosphere and ambiance is inspiring. If you've ever visited there, then you know what I mean. Happily, the FAC had already agreed to house our library, so meeting there makes it much more accessible to all our members.

The next step is to work out all the details of changing locations and all that implies. This will keep me busy for quite some time; fortunately I work with an excellent group of folks, so this will be exciting work rather than drudgery.

All these doings are also the reason why my kitty blogs are shamefully out of date. I am getting some weaving and spinning done though, and I'm thinking about my next knitting project. Socks perhaps?

Posted 16 March 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Post:
Two Awards

Catzee's Cloth

2009-03-13T00:13:00.002-05:00

By Leigh

OK. I admit it. This is a rush job of a post, but if I don't do one now it will be days before I can get to it!

I just wanted to share that my Catzee barcode weaving is underway.

It is a 6-block summer & winter draft and overall I am happy with it. As inspired by my tortie Catzee, it has a somewhat tortoiseshell plaid look with random tabby-like stripes. Here's a close up ......

I used half of the draft for the threading, and the other half for the treadling. I have three colors in the warp, which rotate through the threading blocks. I am using the same three for the tabby weft, changing colors with each block. The lightest color is a slightly slubby rayon and I'm not sure if I like the effect, but oh well. What I do like is the subtle color blending that can be achieved by changing tabby colors. The black pattern weft is only slightly different in size (a 7/2 as opposed to the rest being 8/2s).

Now, off I go! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Posted 13 March 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

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An Unexpected Wrinkle
"Catzee's Cloth" Made the Complex Weavers Journal

Two Awards

2009-03-11T00:28:00.003-05:00

By Leigh

I've been honored with two awards, and both from MiniKat.

The rules for the first one are:
1. I must list my five addictions
2. I must pass this on to 5 fabulous blogs

Rule number one is pretty easy, rule number two will be harder.

My five favorite "addictions" are (not necessarily in this order):
1. Yarn
2. Fabric
3. Cats
4. Bunny rabbits
5. Chocolate

These are things I can't pass by without wanting. Fortunately (for DH) we have a small apartment so there isn't any more room for more of these!

I know it may seem odd that I am drawn to yarn because I am a spinner. But yarn includes weaving yarns, which I don't spin. So any yarn department or catalog always fascinates me. Fabrics too, though less so now that I am weaving. Yet I can never pass by a remnant basket without rummaging through it.

My five choices to pass it on to are (also in no particular order):
Desert Peach Farm
Catena Expressions
Janet's Thread
Centerweave
Fun With Fiber

Award the second, includes Rascal and Catzee (whose blogs have been shamefully neglected). So I will let them share the honor of passing that one on. Soon.

Posted 11 March 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

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SSC: Finishing Touches

2009-03-08T00:07:00.002-05:00

By Leigh

Two things remain to be done before I can wear my Shetland Sampler Cardigan:

1. Sewing on the buttons.

2. Finishing the raw edges left after sewing and cutting the steeks.

You can see all the cut yarn ends on the left when I fold back the front band. Apparently there are several ways to deal with these cut edges. In her Essential Techniques for Serious Knitters Peg Arnoldussen described knit-in facings to cover them. When I read that part of her booklet however, I didn't really comprehend what she was saying until now (sort of an "Oh! So that's what she meant" moment.)

Another option would be to handsew a ribbon facing over the raw edges, but I was concerned that these wouldn't have the give that the knitting does. The edges can be covered with crochet, but I wasn't certain how to do this. Finally I opted for the method Alice Starmore describes in The Celtic Collection. This involves a cross-stitching over the raw edges.

The raw edges have been trimmed and I'm tacking them down with cross-stitch. It's not easy to get a self-explanatory photo of, but hopefully you get the gist of what I'm doing.

OK. I'll finish these little things up and then get a photo of the finished garment!

Posted 8 March 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

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Inspired By Catzee

2009-03-05T00:30:00.005-05:00

By Leigh

Way back when I first started playing with barcodes as stripe patterns, my first barcode was "Catzee", the name of one of my cats.

At first it was simply a word for an experimental barcode. But when I considered her lovely tortoiseshell coloring .....

...... the wheels started to turn.

Considering my recent self-revelation about designing and weaving summer & winter, I decided to use that barcode for my next S&W project. I also considered that even though the draft I had in mind (similar to my Fibonacci S&W) was easy to do out of my head, this would be a good way to begin learning DB-Weave weaving software.

Using the entire barcode resulted in a pretty wide draft, of which the screenshot below shows only shows part. You can click on the drafts to enlarge them (they're pretty big).

With the Fibonacci drafts, I only had four shafts to work with (and no weaving software). Now I have eight, so the patterns can be much more complex. Interestingly, the draft hints at Catzee's vague ginger tabby stripes.

Adding color to the draft made it much more interesting.....

Of course, I don't have these colors to work with, but it gave me the gist of what it might look like.

These are my actual yarn choices .....

They are the closest Catzee-like colors I could find in my stash. The golds and cream will be the warp and tabby weft. The black will be the pattern weft. I would love to be able to use the black chenille for this, but will sample first. The second black cone of cotton is on stand-by.

And of course, since this piece is inspired by Catzee, she reserves full rights to snoopervise the entire project.

Posted 5 March 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

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An Unexpected Wrinkle - what happened after washing
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Summer & Winter: A Basic Definition

SSC Sleeves & Cuffs

2009-03-02T00:11:00.003-05:00

By Leigh

Now that the front and neck bands are done, progress on my Shetland Sampler Cardigan has picked up.

The Siamese sleeves have been completed for awhile now. I sewed and cut them the same way I did the other checkerboard steeks.

I really liked the Siamese sleeve technique and will definitely do it again. I sewed the sleeve seams by hand with some extra Shetland yarn.

I was delighted (and relieved) that they fit the armholes perfectly.

Overall, I am very happy with the fit. The only problem was that the sleeves were a little too long. And this is before the cuffs are added.

The solution was simple however. Since I used the COWYAK technique for casting on, I simply adjusted where I picked up the stitches to start knitting the cuff. I used a circular needle to do this....

Then I pulled out the stitches in the row above the needle. If you look closely at the photo below, you can see the plastic part of the circular needle, with my stitches safely on it.

I used it much like a safety line.

To knit the cuff, I had to transfer the stitches to double pointed needles. It is in the same K2P2 as the rest of the ribbing.

So. One cuff down. One to go.

Posted 2 March 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

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Spring Cleaning: Find #3

2009-02-27T06:18:00.002-05:00

By Leigh

If you read Thrums, then you've probably seen Susan's blog posts about some of the beautiful and inspiring things she has in her home and studio. The interior decorator in me is always interested in things like this, and in reading them I was reminded of something I had packed away.

When we moved back to the Carolinas from Florida, a lot of stuff stayed in boxes. The idea was that apartment dwelling would be temporary, so why bother to unpack everything. That has turned out to be longer than we expected, so a number of things I love remain out of sight. After moving everything out of storage, it only made sense to go through boxes and repack them as needed. Inside one of those boxes I found these...

Click on either photo to enlarge.

These are framed plates from Godey's Lady's Book, given to me by the same grandmother who gave me the coverlet. Godey's Lady's Book was a popular publication in the 19th century, so obviously these were saved by my great-grandmother. I'm not entirely certain which issue these came from as there is no date on them. The caption reads Le Bon Ton. There is a signature on one, Heloise Leloin. I assume this is the artist.

Eventually they will find their way onto my walls, but in the meantime, they are being repacked, with the hope that they won't remain that way for too terribly much longer.

A few issues of Godey's Lady's Book can be viewed online; just click right here.

Posted 27 Feb. 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

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SSC: Bands Done At Last!

2009-02-24T13:31:00.001-05:00

By Leigh

At long last I can report progress on my Shetland Sampler Cardigan. The front and neck bands are finally finished!

The neck band was a breeze, but the front bands were a booger-bear to knit. Each side had to be done twice. I started with the button side, and used the same circular needle I used for the bottom ribbing, a size US0. This is two sizes smaller than I used for the body of the sweater.

I was careful to check both my stitch and row gauges, so that I could adjust the number of stitches I needed to pick up along each front edge. This is where I ran into my first problem. According to my calculations, I needed to pick up two stitches for every three rows, which I did. After knitting for awhile, something didn't seem right, so I transferred the stitches onto a string. Sure enough, the band was tight and pulled the entire front edge of the sweater into one big pucker. The second time, I picked up one stitch per row, which seemed to work perfectly with the K2P2 rib I'm using. That was re-knit #1.

Re-knit number #2 was the buttonhole side. When I bought the buttons, I arbitrarily figured on five, so I bought six buttons, in order to have one extra. However, once the buttonholes were in, I realized that the distance between buttons was too great. I should have planned on at least seven. Unfortunately, I bought the buttons out of state! So I pulled the five buttonholes out and put in six the second time.

I used Nancy Wiseman's revised one row buttonhole (pages 114 - 117 in her The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques.) I was going to say that they turned out fair to middlin', but the one in the photo on the left appears to be almost of invisible, so maybe they aren't too bad after all.

Next is attaching the sleeves and knitting the cuffs. I'm delighted to think that I'll be finished and able to wear it before winter is gone.

Posted 24 Feb. 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

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The Shuttle-Craft Book of American Hand-Weaving

2009-02-21T00:03:00.006-05:00

By Leigh

Now here is a very odd thing.

A couple of years ago I purchased a hardbound copy of The Shuttle-Craft Book of American Hand-Weaving by Mary Meigs Atwater at a silent auction fund raiser. I refer to this book frequently, so I am familiar with it's text, drafts, and photographs.

At my guild meeting last weekend, there were some used books for sale, among them a paperback copy of The Shuttle-Craft Book of American Hand-Weaving. Being a wordy title with a different cover, I had to stop and think if this was the same book by Mary Meigs Atwater that I already had, or if it was another. I flipped through the pages, but it didn't look familiar, so I bought it.

When I got home, I went to my bookshelves to see what my other Atwater book was. I was surprised to see that it had the exact same title. A quick look at the title page revealed that both were published by The Macmillian Company and both carried an 1928 copyright date. However, they were reprintings from different years.

Feeling quite silly for purchasing a second copy of the same book, I was nonetheless puzzled as to why I hadn't recognized this. I started to compare them chapter by chapter. The two books were organized differently, but the first couple of chapters were identical. However, after that, they are not the same book!

My hardcover 1944 version, contains such chapters as:

"The Practice of Hand-Weaving - Spinning"
"Dyeing"
"Dressing the Loom"
"Rug Weaving"
"The Weaving of a Coverlet"
"Finishing Hand-Woven Fabrics"
"The Linen Weaves"
"Counterpanes"

The paperback 1951 version has none of those, but does have chapters such as:

"Beginner's Problems"
"Design of the Fabric"
"Choice of Pattern and Color"
"Setting up the Loom"
"Adjustments, Knots, the Tie-Up"

As well as a more chapters on individual weaves:

"The Plain Weave"
"The Twill Weave"
"The Four Harness Overshot Weave"
"Leno"
"Pick-Up Weaving"

Even chapters with the same title such as, "The Summer and Winter Weave" do not have identical content! Most of the photos are the same, but the newer version has a few more drafts.

The moral of the story? Don't judge a book by it's cover, or rather by it's title. I realize that newer editions of books are often updated, but this re-write seems to be more extensive than just an update.

So, I didn't exactly purchase a duplicate after all. As Ma Ingalls would say, "All's well that ends well." And I have a brand new book!

Posted 21 Feb. 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

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Pol-paca Progress

2009-02-18T05:32:00.005-05:00

By Leigh

I haven't written about spinning lately. That's because I'm still on the same project, my Polwarth / alpaca blend for a weaving project (probably somewhere in the distant future.)

Spinning a whole fleece doesn't make for a lot of interesting posts, like it did when I was spinning all those different samples of Shetland. Plus, I'm dividing my sit down time with knitting on the Shetland Sampler Cardi, so progress may seem slow. I do have five (almost six) nice, fat skeins done though. Here are four of them:

Since this will be for weaving, I decided to use two different alpaca fleeces, each for about half of the total skeins. You can't tell from the photo, but the one skein on the left is from a different alpaca than the three on the right. When compared side by side, the two are not identical in color. My idea was to use one for the warp and one for the weft. There doesn't seem to be much visual difference in the yarn color however, so I doubt it will matter in the end.

As I spin, I design in my head. I've also been looking around for sewing patterns. This is the one I'm leaning toward at the moment...

This is a Folkwear pattern. As you can see from the line drawings on the left, the pattern pieces would be perfect for handwoven fabric, especially if I decide to weave and piece it in a variety of twill patterns for example. Of course as I sit and spin, I can't help but make changes as per Random Thing #9. For example, I think I might prefer it a little shorter, like a long jacket.

I haven't signed on the dotted line yet for my pattern choice, so this may change. I'd like to decide soon, however. Then I will know how many yard of fabric I will need, so I can calculate how many yards of yarn to spin. Decisions about a weaving draft will be much later.

Now, back to spinning.

Posted 18 Feb. 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

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Speaking of Historical Weaving...

2009-02-16T08:01:00.005-05:00

By Leigh

We've been having an interesting discussion on historical coverlets, but here is something of else of interest, especially for you Civil War buffs.

This first link is a video - Lost Art of Weaving Spanish Moss

The second is to the article itself, as published in the St. Petersburg Times - She Spins Spanish Moss Into Beautiful Blankets

I lived in Florida for about six months in 2005. If only I'd known!

Posted 16 Feb. 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

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Southeast Fiber Forum

2009-02-15T13:49:00.004-05:00

By Leigh

I got my registration confirmation for Fiber Forum. This will be my first ever fiber conference, so I am really looking forward to it. I am signed up for Eileen Hallman's Cotton and Charka Workshop. I've wanted to take this workshop for a number of years, and finally have my chance. I figured the timing was especially good considering how much cotton spinning I've been doing and plan to continue doing.

There are a number of fantastic weaving workshops being offered as well. However, I don't have a small, portable loom, so my choices are narrowed.

Fiber Forum is scheduled for April 17-19 at Lake Junaluska, NC. Are any of you planning on going?

Posted 15 Feb. 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

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Loom Doodling With The Pine Trees

2009-02-12T00:32:00.002-05:00

By Leigh

Before I removed the warp from my Pine Tree Table Runner, I wanted to weave a few mug rug size samples of an idea I've had on my mind.

Do you remember my first warp painted project? I took a break from my summer & winter explorations for that, and the entire time I was weaving I was wondering about combining the two. These little samples did that.

The fun part was making up the treadling as I went along. In fact, I wish I had put on a little longer sample warp. That warp BTW....

....wasn't actually painted. It was dip-dyed last summer when I was first working with Procion MX dyes. They were part of my experiments with PMX exhaust, and they suited these samples. I used a solid turquoise tabby weft for the first three, and then switched to the dip-dyed yarn for a tabby weft for the last one (bottom left).

I learned several things from these.

Firstly I was reminded how different S&W can look with a heavier, softer pattern weft. I have tended to use pattern wefts just a little heavier than the tabby. This one was a soft, 3/2 cotton which covered the warp (8/2 cotton at 16 epi.). This brought definition to the pine trees. Good to remember for weaving picture patterns like this.

Secondly, I learned that as much fun as it was to weave those pine trees, shapes are not what I enjoy about S&W. These can be accomplished in other ways; in fact I've moved double weave closer to the top of my "to-do" list.

What I have loved about S&W is what a weaver can do with color. Remember these (click here) dishtowels? They held hours of fascination for me. Not because they are geometric shapes (modern is not my style of art), but because of the blending of the colors.

So. I set out to explore one thing and learned something else. I love it when things like that happen and now I'm all the more ready to get started on my next project. What will it be? Stay tuned ..........

Posted 12 Feb. 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

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Spring Cleaning: Find #2

2009-02-09T00:04:00.005-05:00

By Leigh

I have found something that has been on my mind ever since Jane's post about the Pikes Peak Weavers Guild coverlet project. I knew it was packed away somewhere. When I commenced my spring cleaning project, I decided to find it and get it out. And here it is, my very own family heirloom antique coverlet.

This coverlet resided on the single bed in my grandmother's sewing room for as long as I could remember. Eventually it was passed on to me, I think because I was the only one of nine grandchildren who had an interest in textiles.

A close-up......

(Click on photo to enlarge)

I am uncertain of the pattern. The center motif (pictured on the right) looks like a variation of Thousand Flowers (see the "Orange Blossoms" draft in Marguerite Porter Davison's A Handweaver's Pattern Book, page 114).

The warp is a very fine, inconsistent, white single. The same is used for the tabby weft. The heavier pattern weft is obviously wool. Upon a close examination, it appears to be handspun, hand dyed singles. Here's a shot of that from the side .....

Those first photos may look pretty good, but in reality, it is very worn and dirty, not to mention having a few flaws.

(You can click on either of these two photos to enlarge a bit. )

The length is 96 inches. The width is 77 inches. Like most coverlets of its time, it is actually two loom width panels sewn together. You can see this coverlet's seam quite clearly as the pattern on the two panels is quite mismatched.

This, and a few other clues such as this rather careless hem ......

.... and a blatant treadling error ....

.....make me wonder. Was it was a young weaver's very first coverlet? Or was the need for blankets so pressing that the weaver rushed to complete it without care? I'll probably never know.

It may not have been a show piece, but it evidently got a lot of use. It has numerous worn spots, and quite a few not too neat repairs ...

In fact, the needle and thread (lower right) were left in it from before when I received it.

Also this.....

Blood stains? All of this just makes me more curious as to it's story!

Who wove it and when? To that I do have a clue.

"Woven by W. A. Paine's Great Grandmother.
Oral Paine Wilson's great, great grandmother. "

Oral Paine Wilson was my paternal grandmother and this tag is in her handwriting. W. A. (Winslow Austin) Paine was her father. I've done some genealogical research, and so have some clues.

Winslow A. Paine was born in Wellfleet, Massachusetts in 1871. I have been able to find information on his grandparents (all from Massachusetts) and one set of great-grandparents: Nathan Young Paine (1794 - 1879, Wellfleet, Mass) and Dorcas Cole Lombard (1798 - 1885, Truro, Mass). Wellfleet and Truro are villages on the Cape Cod peninsula.

[UPDATE 2/10/09 - Thanks to the Cape Cod History and Genealogy website, I have been able to fill in a lot of blanks. My great-grandfather's other great-grandmothers were Betsey Hopkins Dyer (1793 - 1863), Huldah Holbrook Jerrolds (1800 - 1850),and Rebecca Wiley Cole, ( 1799-1883), all of Wellfleet, Mass.]

I don't know which ones were weavers, but at least from this information I can guesstimate that the coverlet was woven in the early to mid-1800s, most probably in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.

My coverlet may not look like much, but it is a treasure to me. It is so worn I'm not sure how well it could be cleaned, nor whom I would trust to do it. For the time being it will just remain as it is.

Posted 9 Feb. 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

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Speaking of Historical Weaving...