My first weave is finished

Yesterday I cut my first weave out of the loom.  Scary and exciting!  The results are 4 placemats in 4 different weave patterns, a tablerunner for my kitchen counter and 4 dish rags.

Woven linen placemats in different weaves

From right to left: chevron twill weave, a 3 treadle weave called "rackelväv" in swedish, a diagonal twill and a simple linen weave.

Tablerunne, four different place mats and dish cloths

Linen table runner

Now what?  I don't know... blankets with my homespun Gotland wool? Rag rugs for the kitchen?

Time will tell!

A gifted shawl

I have a friend at work who graciously gave me a loom. Yes, a complete weaving loom!

As a (very small) token of my appreciation i knitted a shawlette for her.  I used the lace weight mixed wool singles spun a couple months ago. If you're interested in how the wool was spun, check out this post.

Mixed wool hand spun singles

Mixed wool hand spun singles

The pattern is Mono's Darling, darling, stay with me shawlette (the pattern is free, just log in).  A beautiful quick knit, perfect for a gift.  I added small glass beads to the last two lace rows of the pattern because... well, because I just have to change everything!

Lace shawl

Lace shawlette

For help on how to knit with beads check out this article in Knitter's review.  I used a very small crochet hook to pull the yarn through the eye of the bead.  It was a bother because the beads are tiny, but I am happy with the results.

And I do believe my friend is genuinly happy with her gift.

New adventures

I've thrown myself into a completely new adventure.  A friend has given me a loom.  Now the truth of the matter is that I have never, ever, done any weaving of any kind.

The loom came in pieces.  Small pieces.

Since I am sucker for a new project, I got the thing put together with the help of a book and a very logically-minded husband.  It took me the better part of a week (well, I did work, and eat and sleep) but I've finally got her up and going!

Linen towels in the loom

Linen towels in the loom

It's a linen 16/2 warp and weft in a simple linen weave.  The plan is to make 5 towels in different patterns starting with the linen weave and continuing with different types of twill.

Flax

I've been having an adventure with a new spindle and flax fibers. The flax is probably from the beginning of the 1900's

Flax

My supersweet husband made this spindle for me, the "legs" are detachable to change the weight of the spindle.

Spindle

Spindle

It took awhile to figure out how to spin the flax, it acts very differently to wool.  With a lot of help from Knitty, and especially the towel trick I've stardet to get the hang of it!  This is the evenings results.

Spinning flax

Stitchmarkers

Spent an hour the other night making stitchmarkers with beads and cord.

They are very simple to make:

Carefully melt the end of the cord with a lighter, quickly form the end of the cord to a tapered end with wet fingers.
Place all the beads for one stitch marker on the cord:  ----oOooOo--------------

Make a knot on one end:  ----oOooOo----------&  
melt the end of the cord after the knot to a small ball of nylon.

Cut  the cord to the lenght you want, remember that the middle knot and the end knot will "eat" some of the cord length.

Make a knot on the other end:   &-------oOooOo----------&
melt the end like you did with the first knot.

Now divide the beads to two sides:   &oOo--------------------oOo&

Fold the cord in half and make a knot for the loop:

More spinning!

I've been feeling sorry for myself for not having the time to spend on quilting, spinning and knitting.  But apparently I do have som time.  I am having results...

Mixed wool singles

Mixed wool homespun singles

Mixed race wool: Swedish fine wool/rya
57 grams

232 meters

Carded and spun in the grease with lots and lots of lanoline

Spun on ratio 1:5,5 on my Ashford Traveller with a short backdraw

Lightly felted.

UFO recussitation

My daughter reminded me of a sweater I had promised her last year... It's always embarassing to admit that a promised gift has turned into a UFO!

(= UnFinished Object)

So I got it out again and have recussitated it , it seems to be alive and breathing at least for the moment.

Tone on tone sweater in shadow knitting

The pattern comes from "Shadow Knitting" by Vivian Hoxbro and uses a really neat technique.  Working with knitted and purled stitches you make a pattern that only shows when looking at it from the side.  So, vertical stripes turn into horizontal stripes depending on your advantage point.

Please excuse the poor picture quality, but I wanted you to see how it works!

Gotland wool

I went to a small wool fair a couple weeks ago.  I found a basket of this wool and could not resist them..

Gotland wool locks

I tried to spin them combed, but they were sooo slippery!  I manages a couple feet, then my patience gave in.. So I carded them and spun them fairly loosely, plied them 3 fold and this is what I got:

Gotland locks and singles

Gotland 3-ply yarn

Gotland wool yarn

More brainless socks

I'm sorry it's been so long.  Time is just not on my side right now!  With work, school and family there is just not time to sew, spin or knit...

But, I have finished a pair of socks

Brainless socks

The pattern is from Ravelry and is called Brainless.  The yarn is handspun rya wool.  Handcarded and spun woolen.

Spinning spring birch

I bought a couple batts of mixed wool from limmo, she called them birches in the spring (or something similar) which is exactly what comes to mind with these colors!

I got to practice my long draw.  At times it worked great... but with a mixed wool bat the changes in texture was... challenging!

What they will become when they grow up?  I have no idea, they haven't told me yet!

More wool!

I've been splurging on wool, wool and more wool!

First I got more of the swedish rya wool I was spinning earlier, spun woolen it turns out fairly course but nice for socks.  Spun worsted it's shiny and smooth, I've got a 50 gr skien that is going to become a beaded shawl.

Rya yarn

From the same breeder I got some mixed breed (rya and swedish fine wool) wool that is sooo very soft, 10 cm long fibers, and absolutely full of grease...  I spun a small amount in the grease with very good results, easily spun, very soft.  Unfortunately all that grease really messes up my wheel... I have washed a couple locks, we'll see how that spins up.

Mixedbreed rya/fine wool

Then I found some GORGEOUS Gotland wool.  I just couldn't resist it..

Gotland wool

Gotland wool locks

See what I mean?  Impossible to resist.

Spinning merino

Just wanted you to see my next project.

The wool is from Limmo design.
Spun straight from the top and 3 plied.
Very soft, and kuddly, I can't walk past it without feeling it!

Actually quilting!

I don't know why I've been spending so much time spinning and knitting lately... I walk past my sewing room and sigh... wishing for time in there...

Finally I've got myself a couple hours with my beautiful sewing machine, and I had a great time!  I've been working on a BOM from Florida Cabin Fever and it's been hanging on my design wall.

Now I've got most of the top finished, working on the pieced border.  The pictures are not great, but I think you get the idea?

There are more borders coming, hopefully I will able to show you the finished quilt soon!

A cowl for coming winter

I found this wonderful merino yarn and just could not resist it!  Check it out:  link  I ended up making a cowl!

The pattern is very simple, I found it on Intrepid Fiber Wizard's website.  I did change it a little and used a full 100 gr skein of yarn which made the cowl long enough to become headgear as well.  The springiness of the yarn makes a very elastic fabric, which is great for this project.

Wonderful yarn.
Great pattern.
Simple knitting.
Quick project.

Can it get better?

A skein of lace yarn

The lace yarn is now plied and washed.  It is 185 meters and 50 grams of swedish rya wool, combed and spun worsted.

I have no idea what is to become of it... yet.  It might get dyed, it might "grow" beads.

Spinning lace

I've been exploring my spinning, wih the help of a book I bought the other day.  The book is Spinning wool, beyond the basics by Anne Field.

The book is... dry, fact filled, somehow boring, and completely enthralling.  It takes you through the physiology of sheeps wool, the anatomy of a spinning wheel and makes you want to spin the perfect yarn for your wool.

I am by no means making the perfect yarn for my wool.  But I am spinning a controlled lace.  The wool is a swedish rya, staple length about 15 cm, combed and spun on my Ashford Traveller.  I'm spinning it with 23 twists to 2 inches, and plan to make a equalized 2 ply.

Which ever way you turn it, this is fun!

Ullared progress

The Ullared sweater is slowly coming along, I'm slowly making my way to the armpit where I will be adding a arm gusset.  More on this later.

You want to see?

In the red

I've been spinning some red wool locks I had in my stash.  The first time I spun this wool I carded it, and it resulted in theese mittens.

Here is a picture of the yarn.  Not ugly, but somehow... bland.

I like them, but the colors didn't really pop like they do in the locks..

So, this time I combed the locks (with a dog comb from the pet shop..) and spun it with short patches of each color.  I haven't knitted anything out of it yet, but I like the results better.

I know, the white doesn't show in the locks, that's because  the dye didn't completely saturate the locks and the middle parts are undyed.

Memorial

Today my heart and my thoughts go out to everyone affected by terrorism around the world.

Steeks... (or the Ullared sweater part 3)

I'm knitting and knitting om my Ullared sweater, realizing that I am getting closer to the point of no return, when I reach the beginning of the armhole and have to decide to start knitting back and forth or continue in the round and make a steek.

Steeking is a technique used to be able to knit a entire sweater in the round, and when done cut (yes, cut!  EEEK!  Ahaa!  that's why it's called a steek - the knitter screams EEK!  when thinking about it..) the knitting to fit sleeves in and shape the neck.

Knitting a steek is a new challenge for me, I haven't quite gotten there yet but I'm researching it, and here is a great instruction for steeking.