Thursday, February 21, 2013
Almost that time again!
The anticipation of attending our THIRD spinning retreat with Judith MacKenzie is building fast. And once again I've had some requests for Roddie's and my spreadsheet that we use to make sure we don't forget anything. This list is by no means 100% complete, and we don't always pack everything on it, but it is a great place to start. Doing a week-long fiber retreat requires a LOT of "stuff". So here's a link if you'd like to check it out.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Hill Country Spinning Retreat 2012
Well, it didn't start off very well but it was still a great week spent spinning and dyeing with friends. Who would have thought when I signed up last year, that I would have made so many wonderful friends? It was such a shot in the dark. I couldn't believe that I was sending such a big check to someone I didn't even know just because they said they were organizing a retreat with Judith MacKenzie. Now I can't imagine spring without this retreat!
This year's topic, "Three Bags Full". We explored so many different fleeces, their characteristics, fiber prep, optimal spinning technique. Unfortunately, I was sick the first three days, so there are not many photos. A special thank you to my DH who shared his abominable cold with me. Thankfully, he also shared his dr. friend who called me in antibiotics and cough pearls in San Antonio! I managed to make it through the week and had a wonderful time! You can get the photo experience here on my Flickr photos. I've managed to organize a notebook with all the fleece samples and hopefully will have those spun soon. But like last year, the dyeing was tremendous fun! This time we dyed with cocheneal and indigo. I made a cool indigo tie dye yarn that will be turned into a pair of socks. My cochineal (red/pink) yarn is going into a beaded shawl. Just have to decide on what color beads to use. Like last year, I was so inspired that it's hard to know just where to start! I really need more free time!
As a sneak peak, here are a few of the week's highlights!
Me, Judith, and Roddie
Our group photo in front of the yarn tree
My indigo and cochineal yarns
Me spinning Teeswater curls
The yarn tree
It's just barely over and I can hardly wait for next year!
This year's topic, "Three Bags Full". We explored so many different fleeces, their characteristics, fiber prep, optimal spinning technique. Unfortunately, I was sick the first three days, so there are not many photos. A special thank you to my DH who shared his abominable cold with me. Thankfully, he also shared his dr. friend who called me in antibiotics and cough pearls in San Antonio! I managed to make it through the week and had a wonderful time! You can get the photo experience here on my Flickr photos. I've managed to organize a notebook with all the fleece samples and hopefully will have those spun soon. But like last year, the dyeing was tremendous fun! This time we dyed with cocheneal and indigo. I made a cool indigo tie dye yarn that will be turned into a pair of socks. My cochineal (red/pink) yarn is going into a beaded shawl. Just have to decide on what color beads to use. Like last year, I was so inspired that it's hard to know just where to start! I really need more free time!
As a sneak peak, here are a few of the week's highlights!
Me, Judith, and Roddie
Our group photo in front of the yarn tree
My indigo and cochineal yarns
Me spinning Teeswater curls
The yarn tree
It's just barely over and I can hardly wait for next year!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Hill Country Spinning Retreat 2012
It's only a week until the 2nd Annual Hill Country Spinning Retreat 2012. Spinning goddess Judith MacKenzie will again be returning to explode our minds with all things fiber. Last year the focus was on color and we cooked up some delicious rovings and yarns.
This year our topic is fleece. And knowing Judith, it will be everything from sheep fleece to angora bunny to musk ox down! We've all been spinning like mad women all year, inspired by all the techniques we learned last May. It's going to be really fun to see everyone's "show and tell". More than likely there won't be any updates until I get back since we'll be outside of Hunt, which only has wifi at the registration office, and cell service under a particular tree near the office. Except for one meal a day, we'll be at the guest lodge on the river.
Stay tuned!
This year our topic is fleece. And knowing Judith, it will be everything from sheep fleece to angora bunny to musk ox down! We've all been spinning like mad women all year, inspired by all the techniques we learned last May. It's going to be really fun to see everyone's "show and tell". More than likely there won't be any updates until I get back since we'll be outside of Hunt, which only has wifi at the registration office, and cell service under a particular tree near the office. Except for one meal a day, we'll be at the guest lodge on the river.
Stay tuned!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Bluebonnet Tartan Dishtowels - Finished!!
I know I should have been posting on this all along, but what can I say? 2011 was a crazy year! So in order to start 2012 off on a better footing, I'll catch you up on the infamous Texas Bluebonnet Tartan Dishtowels. After spending about 40 hours just getting the warp on the loom, I let it sit a little while to gather up the courage to start weaving. I was terrified to think that the actual weaving might be just as torturous as the warping had been! I knew that there would be tension problems, just not how bad they might be. So finally one weekend I started weaving and it actually went along fairly smoothly. After the first towel I started to get loose spots in the warp, so I used some soft pieces of foam to take up the slack.
That went along ok but by the time I had finished the third towel, I knew that they would have to be cut off and the warp re-tentioned. Since I needed at least 3 for Christmas gifts, that worked out ok. At some point in my quest for weaving books, I had bought "Warping All By Yourself" by Cay Garrett. So I cut the finished towels off ala Peggy Osterkamp, unwound the warp off the back beam, and my grandson Riley put the warp spacers in as I wound it back on. My last three towels have been fairly uneventful, except for the fact that the warp is still just a little loose just inside the selveges. Nothing that my little foam wedges can't take care of.
And here's a photo of one of the finished towels:
Overall I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, except for the fact that the tartan pattern isn't square/balanced. In retrospect, I should have just changed the number of picks in the big squares. I think if I had been doing this in wool that I would have been able to beat it in a little more evenly. But that is just one of the MANY lessons I've learned on this project. And if you happen to be one of the lucky people who receive one of the five I'm giving away, there are not going to be any more down the line! This is a one-time project!
That went along ok but by the time I had finished the third towel, I knew that they would have to be cut off and the warp re-tentioned. Since I needed at least 3 for Christmas gifts, that worked out ok. At some point in my quest for weaving books, I had bought "Warping All By Yourself" by Cay Garrett. So I cut the finished towels off ala Peggy Osterkamp, unwound the warp off the back beam, and my grandson Riley put the warp spacers in as I wound it back on. My last three towels have been fairly uneventful, except for the fact that the warp is still just a little loose just inside the selveges. Nothing that my little foam wedges can't take care of.
And here's a photo of one of the finished towels:
Overall I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, except for the fact that the tartan pattern isn't square/balanced. In retrospect, I should have just changed the number of picks in the big squares. I think if I had been doing this in wool that I would have been able to beat it in a little more evenly. But that is just one of the MANY lessons I've learned on this project. And if you happen to be one of the lucky people who receive one of the five I'm giving away, there are not going to be any more down the line! This is a one-time project!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
The warp from h*ll
I was oh so excited to finally have the thread to start weaving the dishtowels for our Bluebonnet Tartan project. Stephanie from WC Mercantile ordered it for us from Halcyon Yarns. The thread is a beautiful 10/2 mercerized cotton. After 5 hours winding it on the warping mill and here's the mound of chained warp.
Unfortunately, I had to finish weaving the towels for the exchange before I could get started. But last Saturday, I met Loretta at the shop and got started. OMG! Who would have thought that anything so beautiful could be such a trial! I spent 4 hours getting the threads separated in the raddle and we started trying to wind on. It was a huge tangled mess!! In despair, I finally just left my loom at the shop with about 2 yards wound on so I could finish this week. Initially we thought that it was just that the thread was really sticky, so I came armed with a can of Static Guard ready to do battle. Alas, that was not the problem and I was once again crushed in defeat. After another 5 hours, I probably had 3 yards on the loom. Apparently when winding the thread onto the warping mill, we were letting it come off the top of a cone on the floor which was adding twist to the thread. Once the warp was no longer under tension on the mill, it began to twist on itself and that was what was causing all the problems. You can see it pretty clearly here.
So now, I'm having to go inch by inch and separate all the threads individually to let some of the active twist run out. What a pain! The worst part of it all is that I know better than to pull yarn off the top of a cone. After spending about 10 hours today, I've got it pretty much under control and only have a little more than 2 yards left to wind on.
I thought hobbies were supposed to be relaxing!
Unfortunately, I had to finish weaving the towels for the exchange before I could get started. But last Saturday, I met Loretta at the shop and got started. OMG! Who would have thought that anything so beautiful could be such a trial! I spent 4 hours getting the threads separated in the raddle and we started trying to wind on. It was a huge tangled mess!! In despair, I finally just left my loom at the shop with about 2 yards wound on so I could finish this week. Initially we thought that it was just that the thread was really sticky, so I came armed with a can of Static Guard ready to do battle. Alas, that was not the problem and I was once again crushed in defeat. After another 5 hours, I probably had 3 yards on the loom. Apparently when winding the thread onto the warping mill, we were letting it come off the top of a cone on the floor which was adding twist to the thread. Once the warp was no longer under tension on the mill, it began to twist on itself and that was what was causing all the problems. You can see it pretty clearly here.
So now, I'm having to go inch by inch and separate all the threads individually to let some of the active twist run out. What a pain! The worst part of it all is that I know better than to pull yarn off the top of a cone. After spending about 10 hours today, I've got it pretty much under control and only have a little more than 2 yards left to wind on.
I thought hobbies were supposed to be relaxing!
Warped Weavers Dishtowel Exchange 2011
While waiting to get started on the Bluebonnet Tartan project, I joined a dishtowel exchange on Ravelry. Since I had just finished a set, it was a simple matter to adapt the pattern to get the right size for the exchange. I used the same colors in 8/2 unmercerized cotton, but arranged them in a different order. I'm sending in four towels, one plaid (photo), one with white weft, one with yellow weft, one with blue weft. I still need to get them hemmed and will post final pictures soon.
01/16/12 ETA photo of the finished towels.
This was definitely something I would do again sometime. I got four very nice towels back. And contrary to popular belief, I actually use my handwoven towels. They are super absorbent and really wear well.
01/16/12 ETA photo of the finished towels.
This was definitely something I would do again sometime. I got four very nice towels back. And contrary to popular belief, I actually use my handwoven towels. They are super absorbent and really wear well.
Catch Up Time!
Holy cow it's been a long time since I added anything here! Looks like I was last getting ready to weave my first dishtowels. Needless to say, they've been finished for a while, and the project was relatively successful. They came out nice, but I under estimated the amount of shrinkage, so they're a little on the small side. I've signed up for a dishtowel exchange on Ravelry in the Warped Weavers group and will be able to save myself a little work and just tweek this pattern a bit to get them the right size.
One of the things I learned was that a straight twill (towels middle and right) tends to bias once it's off the loom. In this photo, it's pretty noticable in the plaid towel. The herringbone pattern (towel on left) alternates the direction of the twill and comes out straight. However, a gentle tug as they come out of the dryer makes everything better.
One of the things I learned was that a straight twill (towels middle and right) tends to bias once it's off the loom. In this photo, it's pretty noticable in the plaid towel. The herringbone pattern (towel on left) alternates the direction of the twill and comes out straight. However, a gentle tug as they come out of the dryer makes everything better.
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