Rag Rug Questions

This first rag rug is going to be quite the learning experience. I know now that I shouldn't use the serger for seaming strips. You can see by the yellow arrows that the serged seams pop right through the warp. I'm going to have to take the seams out and sew on the diagonal with the regular machine. I like the way the strips show right side sometimes and wrong side, but I don't have a weight on my beater and I think it's not beating in enough. I'm only getting 3 ppi with 1.5" strips. Any suggestions?

As for school - working out helped with some of my tension, but I'm not looking forward to tomorrow. Wish me luck!

What Did You Do at School Today?

Here's what was going on at my school.

I'm going to the gym to work off some of my frustrations.

I am the Queen

of multi-tasking! I popped Galileo's Battle for the Heavens in the vcr, put a pen and tablet on the table next to the loom, and began sleying for my first rag rug. I'm using two pieces of cotton that I bought for $1.00/yd. at JoMar. I seamed them lengthwise into a long tube then folded and cut to within 2" of the fold with my rotary cutter. After that I just cut diagonally to join each strip to the next one. Voilá yards and yards of rag strips. The strips change about every 41" and the rug is 25" in the reed. I'm looking forward to seeing how it patterns. I'm sleying 12 epi (48 brown, 12 tan, 6 white, 12 tan). AND, by the time I finished sleying, the video was almost finished and I had a list of times and events so I can edit it for my World Cultures class.

Remember how excited I was about painting the basement and making my studio down there? It's become a dumping ground! (and just so you know, the pool table has been cleaned off several times in the last year and NO ONE has played pool on it) I should clean up the mess, but considering today was a free day I was determined to not spend it cleaning this. Then again, if it really bothered me, I could have cleaned it up rather than merrily taking pictures!

Inspiration

Look at these beautiful quilts! Sarah posted the link on the DyersLIST, so I think it would be appropriate to share. I especially like the Autumn Borealis - where she painted a fat quarter, cut it up and pieced it back together. That would be a good way technique to use with those square yard pieces I dyed this summer.

What to Choose?

I'm still pondering over my choices for classes at Creative Strands this year. The only thing I'm sure of is that I want to take the Soumak class and the Fleece and Pile Rugs class with Tom Knisely. I wonder if I have to put a 2nd and 3rd choice if I get the registration form there on the first day?

Here's what I'm thinking for the 12 hour preconference workshop:
Painting with Fabric Strips - Nadine Sanders
Cottage Garden Vest - Sharon Costello
Choose the Bright Colors - Carol Lee
Although I might not actually wear the vest, I would like to take the felting class. The weaving sounds interesting, but if Kate and Carolyn both take it, then we can share handouts and techniques. We'll have workshop looms there so we'll be able to see what we've done in the classes. I haven't done any natural dyeing, so Carol Lee's class looks good too. I may have to roll dice to see what I put down for my first choice.

My choices for individual classes are:
Friday PM
Spinning Sock Yarn - Merike Saarniit
Charm Bracelet - Peggy Wright
N�inding - Amann (Rudy was in our spinning guild before he moved to Maine)
I can always use some help with my spinning, but if I don't take the class I won't have to bring my wheel (except I'd like to have it at the room anyway). I know next to nothing about beading, although I have the start of a bead stash. N�inding sounds interesting - a new technique.

Sat AM
Soumak - Tom Knisely from The Mannings

Sat PM/Sun AM
Fleece & Pile Rugs - Tom Knisely

Any advice? I'm giving myself to Thursday to decide, then it goes in the mail.

All I'm Doing Right Now

Damn! Another sinus headache. I suppose that means I should be seeing an ENT specialist. Along with that, I think I need to go back to the orthodontist for an adjustment to my retainer. Part of the headaches are coming from my jaw and it seems like I can still grind my teeth. I'm not really a regular doctor visit person, but I might as well schedule all the other stuff I've been putting off. This could take a while (just to make all the appointments)!

When I could focus my eyes on something I started this. I found the yarn while looking for something else. It's Brunswick Impressions. It's the coordinating yarn for that fuzzy mohair hat. It's the center lace pattern from the Little Dimun. I wanted to do something different, but I kept coming back to this pattern, so that's what I'll do.



I'm hosting my spinning group today. I don't have much energy, but luckily we're a very casual group. Give us a place to spin and some food and we're satisfied! After that I've got to fill out my registration form for Creative Strands. Now you can't feel too bad when you've got that to look forward to!

The More Tedious Tasks

I've was moaning about sewing the mohair sweater together this morning. Finally, after making coffee and sitting down to do it, I realized that this 2 hours was only a small fraction of the time it took to knit it. What was I complaining about? Now that it's finished I'll always have this sweater - no more work. Then I read Carolyn's entry. Strikes a familiar chord!