Seabreeze Spinners

I’m a distributor for Louet, Schacht, and SpinOlution.  Here are photos of my wheels which represent some of the wheels that I distribute.  Go to my Seabreeze Spinners Catalog on Etsy (use this URL: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6085711) to browse and purchase your own.

Email me with the description of the wheel and the accessories you want and I’ll provide an exact quote including shipping and insurance. Wheels are shipped directly from the craftsmen who make them.

To sweeten the deal, for every wheel that is sold through my etsy site, I’ll send the buyer a bag of Louet Northernlights.  Northernlights is the space dyed fiber featured in my articles on “faux space dyed yarn“.  The buyer need only tell me the colors they favor and I’ll select a space dyed roving to send along to them.

MACH 1 SPINNING WHEEL & LAZY KATE:

See the article on the Mach 1 Spinning Wheel that identifies the various features.

SCHACHT MATCHLESS SPINNING WHEEL:

SCHACHT BOBBIN & LADYBUG SPINNING WHEEL:

The Schacht Matchless Wheel and the Ladybug have the same flyer.  The bobbins and whorls are interchangeable.  Both wheels are masterfully crafted.  The Matchless is a beautifully crafted masterpiece of wood working.  While it is a large wheel, it does have a cart to make it easier to transport.  The Ladybug is smaller and lighter and more portable.  The Ladybug has an available kate that can be added to mount extra bobbins on board.  Both wheels accomodate the same WooLee Winder which is available from TheWooleeWinder.com

Please visit my Etsy site for wheels, accessories and spun yarn.

Thank you for visiting SeabreezeSpinners.com

Fiber Space met today.  Some photos of various projects.  Beading, quilting, knitting M. J. working on a blue prayer shawl and me on Lacy (knitting my border collie).  Elizabeth is practicing spinning “long draw woolen yarn”.

Thank you again for visiting http://Seabreezespinners.com/
Tropical Twister

It’s growing … slowly.

The Mach 1 Spinning Wheel from SpinOlution has a huge bobbin.  Here’s an idea to use when using a BIG bobbin with rare (expensive) fiber or when you only want small amounts. 

FIrst I used the plastic cover from a nut can.  I cut off the rim and then cut the lid to match the size of the bobbin end.  Then I cut a line across the radius and a small circle the size of the inside rod of the bobbin.

To demonstrate the technique, I spun dark Blue Faced Leicester on one half of the bobbin.  I then spun light Blue Faced Leicester on the same bobbin.

I then plyed the two yarns from one bobbin onto a second bobbin.

Tropical Twister

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This scarf was woven from a warp which reflects a riot of color and texture.  I went through my stash and there are few repeats in this warp.  (For larger photos just click on photos below.)

 
Here’s a tip for cutting scarf fringe.  (Note that the fringe had first been tied in overhand knots close to the weaving.)  I use a cutting board and a rotary cutter.  I’ve both cut fringe before the fabric was fulled and after.  Probably better after fulled and dryed but as I say, I’ve done it both ways.

 
Tropical Twister

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Just before leaving the office yesterday to get home to wind safe the yard, I received a delivery of lace yarn from Moorehouse Farm Merino http://morehousefarm.com/   Last week, I had found the most amazing yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MMarioKKnits/ which inspired me to start my first lace project. As we watched into the night to see where Hurricane Fay was likely to make landfall, I started my Moonlit (the irony of the colorway name was not lost on me) Queen Anne’s Lace Shawl.   [On the MMarioKKnits yahoo group site they have absolutely beautiful photos of shawls.  They have patterns and help available as well.  (I would have posted a photo of a completed shawl but want to honor copy rights but do go to the group ... you will be delighted and amazed !)]

The storm looks like it is going to miss us.  It made landfall at Naples (below us) and is expected to cross the state and return to the Gulf north of Tampa (above us).  It appears that for Florida, it won’t amount to much more than a tropical storm, the unpleasant cost of living in paradise.  Our prayers are with those who may be affected by the errant tornado and for those on the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coasts who may be impacted by Fay once she re-emerges in the gulf and gets up steam once again.  For me, it will be a day to catch up on my housekeeping and to get to a little spinning and knitting.

I will keep you posted as to how the project goes.  Thank you for visiting http://Seabreezespinners.com/

Tropical Twister

UPDATE Tuesday afternoon:

I transfered shawl to small circular needles I use for socks.  Notice the two stitch markers.  The orange knitting marker opens and closes and I encircled the first column of stitches.  That way, I can keep track of where each round starts.  The purple ring which I transfer from needle to needle marks the end of each round.  It makes it a lot easier to knit rounds without having to keeping checking for the end.  (I do count at the end of rows to make sure I haven’t dropped a stich and I check off rows on the pattern.  It slows things down, but I hope it will reduce the amount of froggin’ I may need to do.  Froggin’ I’ve learned is leaping back to where the pattern is correct after discovering an error.) The purple ring works great but, it can fall off or get confused with “yarn overs”.

We’re under a hurricane watch.  Hurricane Fay is expected to arrive in our area Tuesday afternoon.  Tomorrow we’ll be busy preparing, covering windows and such.  Although I expect to have the day off Tuesday, we may not have power.  This may be my last blog entry for a bit.  Hopefully, we’ll just get a bit of wind and rain, and I’ll get in a bit of spinning.  Thank you to all who have visited my blog.  We’ll be back up weather and power permitting as soon as possible.

Tropical Twister

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We’re lost in FIBER SPACE, join us.  A group of fiber enthusiasts meet the last Saturday of every month in the Fellowship Hall of Palma Sola Presbyterian Church in Bradenton, Florida.  There is no fee and all are welcome.  We have the space from 9 AM to noon, but we invite everyone to come when they can and stay as long as they can within those hours.

We spin, weave, knit, sew, bead, crochet, surface decorate, and all combinations of the same.   Everyone brings their own projects and supplies.  (We don’t store anything at the church.)  It’s great fun to share our projects with each other and to tap the wisdom of our own experts who are willing to help those of us struggling to acquire new skills.

Our next meeting in August 23, 200 (we moved it forward to avoid Labor Day weekend).  Contact me if you’d like more information.

I’ve had a number of inquires as to the pattern for this shawl.  It’s simple to knit.  No pattern required for this garter stich shawl.

Pick a circular needle to suit the yarn weight.   The basic shawl pattern:

1:  Cast on one stitch.

2:  Knit into the front and into the back of the stitch. (2 stitches)

3:  Knit into the front and into the back of the first stitch, K1. (3 stitches)

4:  Knit into the front and into the back of the first stitch in the row and then knit across for the next three rows. (7 stitches)

5:  Knit 3, Yarn Over, and knit to the end of the row.

6:  Continue with shawl by repeating (#5) every row until desired length (perhaps about 32 inches).

7:  Cast off along the neck edge, the longest leg of the triangle.

For the variations in the shawl pictured above.  I began the shawl per the “pattern” above.  I used the handspun plyed with commercial space dyed yarn.  After some time, the pattern seemed very plain.  So, I switched to the handspun plyed on hand spun.  I knitted a couple of rows.  For the lace row, the row with the holes, I did as follows.  I knit three and then did the yarn over as I had in every row.  But then, I alternated (knit two together) and (yarn over) across the row.  The next row I returned to the established pattern (#5).  I knit several rows, did another lace row, and did another couple of rows before returning to the home spun plyed with space dyed yarn.  I worked the shawl pattern as before until the shawl was nearly done.  I again switched to the homespun plyed on homespun and knit two rows in the established pattern (#5).  I then knit two rows and alternated with lace rows until four lace rows were completed and ending with two rows knit in established pattern (#5).  I finished with several rows of homespun plyed with space dyed yarn.  I know the explanation is a bit vague but I didn’t count and I didn’t record what I did.  Trust your self and do what pleases your eye.

This is an easy shawl to knit.  It’s the same “pattern” I used for the white thick and thin yarn pictured with the tri-loom shawls.

I’ve been asked by visitors to the site what I planned to do with the beaded Koala yarn.  I’ve decided to weave a scarf on my rigid heddle loom.  In fact, my friend Gail is planning to bring over her loom tomorrow and we’re going to weave together.

I plan to use the Koala beaded yarn as the primary yarn.  It will provide the weft.  I picked through my stash and found several warp yarns I liked.  (You want to select at least 5 different yarns.  Because the warp will be so dark, I selected several yarns for the weft to lift the color.)  I wrapped the yarn around a 3X5 index card.  I then could preview how the colors looked with each other and how they blended with the warp.  When I settled on the yarns for the project, I balled the yarns from their skeins.  Tonight I’ll warp the loom and tomorrow we’ll weave…more to come

Friday, August 15, 2008 UPDATE

The loom is warped.

Suggestions for warp:

If you mark the slots before you warp, it will help you center warp.  Notice masking tape with arrows marking center and edge.

Choose a color close to weft yarn color for the edges of the warp, both right and left.  That way, any inconsistences in the woven edge won’t be so noticeable.

Always use a touch of orange in the warp.

Always use a bit of glitter yarn in the warp.

I took the scarf off the loom, knotted fringe, and fulled the completed scarf.  I cut three strands of warf at a time and tied a knot close to the fabric to finish the scarf.  I then soaked the finished scarf in cold water and agitated lightly.   I then hung the scarf to dry, gently separating the tassels.  The finished scarf is below.

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Please visit again.  Tropical Twister