Look at What I Got in the Mail!

I love an exchange, especially when everyone stays in until the end :-) I posted more pictures and descriptions of the SOS exchange if you want to look a little more closely.

I've spent the last three days spinning and knitting. I did finish weaving the purple silk for the back of my warp painted vest, but didn't feel like putting up the sewing machine and starting to put it together. Oh, yeah, I still have to dye the cotton for the lining - guess I better get to that.

The autumn handspun sweater is finished and blocked. I need buttons though. They'll need to really blend in - I think anything other than a neutral button will be too busy.

Back to school tomorrow - hope this cold I've been fighting has gotten the message!

Happy Thanksgiving to All

The holiday begins! As soon as my nephew wakes up I'll be carting 4-5 boxes of fiber stuff down to the storage/guest room. I'm cutting him a break since he drove all the way from Northwestern yesterday. Most of it is stuff from the living room and dining room that was meant to go downstairs anyway, but with school and my class it was sort of dawdling :-)

I got up early and watched the first LOTR while working on the autumn handspun sweater. I've seen it before, but I wanted to watch it right before I watch Two Towers. Josh brough Bowling for Columbine home for me too, so I don't think I'll have any problem finishing the last sleeve tonight.

Enjoy your day.

I Finished Something!

Okay, pat me on the back. I actually finished Sarah's tote last week but forgot to post a picture. I'll give it to her on Thursday.

Here's the third shade for the sweater I'm designing. I've already carded the silver gray green and the nugget gold. I'm debating whether I should dye the rest khaki - these are all Cushing's Perfection dyes - or keep it natural. It's going to be a cardigan, knit in the round, with a patterned yoke and some patterning above the wrists too. I have equal amounts and enough of all 4 that any one could be the main color. Haven't decided that yet either!

Mmmmm, my husband is baking pies. Pumpkin and apple are finished. Now to chop up everything for the stuffing and cook the yams. We're going to roast the two turkeys tomorrow. It's just too crazy to try and carve and make the gravy on the spot when you're having close to 40 for dinner. I've got two of the big roaster ovens and a couple of crock pots and everything will be done before the guests arrive. I think the stress factor will be lowered substantially!

Almost a Match?

What do you think? The vest material is on top. I think it looks a little darker, but it's been washed so the fabric is a little denser and the pattern is pinned to the other side. I think (I hope) that when the vest is lined the back will blend in nicely with the two fronts. I'm going to dye muslin with Sabracon violet to use as the lining.

Felt good to weave again - the first time since school started - but cutting back perennials yesterday did a job on my elbow and shoulder :-(

Threading

The morning sun that I was trying to block with my new curtains was welcome this morning as I threaded the loom with my dyed raw silk. The sun felt so good on my back and came over my shoulder at just the right angle to illuminate the heddles. Such a simple task feels so refreshing after the week I had at school.

I got about 2/3 done before the hunger pains got to me. I should be able to finish up in another hour. It's already in the mid-50s --when I finish I'm heading outside for some much-needed garden cleanup.

They're Up!

I rinsed out the fabric last night and got the curtains made and put up today. I'm not sure if I like the lighter spots. I'll keep it up a bit, but I may overdye with another color. There's a another one to the right of the tv stand, it's the standard high basement window. I love the view out my window but early in the morning the sun shines right over the loom and into my eyes. Now I can go down there on weekend mornings with my coffee and weave - uh, as soon as I warp it, that is! But it won't be long - I dyed the raw silk warp and it's dry already, but I have a big project for my hypermedia class so I don't know if I'll get it warped tomorrow or not.


I found this warp chain in with the stuff I got when I bought my loom. Most of what she gave me was linen and wool, I'm not sure how I overlooked this. I can't tell what it is, but I think perle cotton. It's pretty thick, maybe 5/2 or even 3/2, it's 22wpi. There's about 80 ends and I haven't unchained it, but I'm thinking 2.5 - 3 yds. So, what can I do with it?

It's Amazing

what you can accomplish when you don't have to be at school until noon (parent/teacher conferences from 12:00-7:30) and the high winds rip off your gutter and slam it against your house all night! By 5:00 I knew there wasn't going to be anymore sleep. That's when I usually get up anyway, but I stayed up late last night dyeing the material for the curtains and knitting - thinking that I could sleep a little later.

So far I've wound the warp for the back of my silk vest. I painted the warp at Claudia's last summer, but didn't wind it long enough (doh!). Luckily I used straight Sabraset colors, violet, golden yellow, and magenta, so I don't have to worry about intricate mixing. I'm just going to use violet for the back.

I also finished the third pass of carding for the silver-gray-green Finn. I need one more color and then decide whether I want to dye the main color or keep it white.

Last night I started the sleeve for one of my longtime UFO's. See My Wall of Shame on my old blog. I'm about 2/3 through this sleeve and hope to have both finished by the end of conferences. It will be my first handspun sweater and the first finished project from that sorry list.

Slow Progress

Despite the low profile I have been making some progress on my fiber projects. School is consuming most of my time, but whenever I can I head to the basement, card a little and listen to a book. I just finished Life of Pi. What a great story. I was hooked right from the start. Now to figure out what to listen to next. I have six more books I've downloaded but haven't had time to listen to yet.

I also finished up my fish and got them sent out for the ST Fish Exchange. Got my mini-skeins labeled and sent out too. Can't wait to see what everyone else sent it. Why do I always worry that mine won't measure up? Gotta build up that self-esteem!

Josh came by today and we were able to get the the big chair moved out of the basement. Hopefully tomorrow I can get the the studio cleaned up and warp my loom. It's been a long time since I've woven. I guess since school started. I wanted to dye some muslin for curtains for the studio, but I realized I didn't have any soda ash. I'm going to see if the pool supply store has any. Paula Burch had something on her website about getting it there. I want it now and if I can skip the shipping charges from Pro Chem so much the better!

My husband is visiting his brother in Alabama for a few days. Laura is working part time at the bank again and she babysits overnight. (hope she's not taking on too much, but her second year of law school seems to be less hectic for her) That means I've had the house to myself for the last two nights. It's been really weird. I haven't been alone, at home, for 28 years (to the day actually - since Dan turned 28 today)

I finished the Fibertrends tote for Sarah. I made it a little longer than it called for and it was a good thing, because it seemed to shrink much more in length than width. I did give it a few good vertical pulls, like the directions said. I also was surprised at the fuzziness of the BS Naturespun. I usually use Lambs Pride and the mohair gives quite a halo, but I didn't expect it with this yarn. You can barely see the novelty yarn around the top couple of inches. I think she'll like it though. No pictures - left my camera at school.