Seabreeze Spinners

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When I purchased the Norge Mongold Spindle, the seller packed it in space dyed roving. The roving was felted and wasn’t useable in its shipped state. I carded the felted dyed roving and then blended in tencil to create a soft, icy roving. I split the roving in half lengethways and then spun each half. I then carefully plied the resulting singles so that the resulting yarn slowly transitions from very subtle pink to vivid hot pink. I skeined the yarn, washed it and hung it to dry with weight. I then used a ball winder to create center pull yarn balls, being careful through out that skeins and balls were wound in sequence. I put a paper label in the center of each final ball with the sequence number so that as I knit, the yarn transitioned properly.

I wanted a pattern that would emphasize the changing yarn colors, a simple pattern that would compliment the texture of home-spun. I used the same pattern I had used for the Cheingora shawl

This is a lovely top down pattern that starts with 3 cast-on stitches and creates a chevron pattern for interest. (Instead of size 11, because this was finer yarn, I used size 9 needles.)

While searching the “net” this morning, after I had started the shawl I discovered a similar pattern by Janice Farrell Pea (CLICK HERE TO GO TO PATTERN)
I guess as they say, there is nothing new on the planet.

Aside from complimenting the home-spun and focusing attention on the transitioning colors, its a breeze to knit. I can sit and watch tv and not really have to think about my knitting. Because I can’t remember which side I’m on, the pattern side or the knit side, I used a safety pin on the face of the shawl to remind me which is the pattern side and to mark the center “k” pattern stitch. I put the pin through two stitches so it wouldn’t poke through on the back and confuse me. I move the pin up ever so often (5-6 inches) so it stays close to the active knitting.

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My bandloom just got back from the “loom hospital” where it had to have minor “surgery”. Gave it a trial run over the weekend. All is good and I’m a happy woman.

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Quoting from a fellow fiber blogger:

“You can use Google to translate the page into English (or another language). If you go to the Google search page, on the right hand side of the box you type search words in, you can click on “language tools”. OR google for “Anneliese” and “Bandweben” and click the “translate this page” option that is give to the right of the search result.

This site is great eye candy, but even better translated, I have learnt a lot from Anneliese’s web pages, and I’ve mail ordered her books from Handweaver’s Studio, so eagerly waiting for them to arrive.”

I tried it; IT WORKS! For a translated version of the German site:

CLICK HERE

And for a translated version of a Swedish site CLICK HERE.

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Eye Candy … go to: CLICK HERE Once you get to the site, click on the blue words to see photos.

Despite German ancestors, I speak no German. (Of course, can’t speak Gaelic despite the Stewart, McMurray lineage either.) But the photos are worth the visit.

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Attended the annual Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair in Asheville NC October 23. It was amazing! Knitting, spinning, felting, chrochet … the colors and textures … made my heart “pitty-pat”. I discovered (and had to bring one home) the most amazing spindle, a Trindle. The craftsman who created the spin-forever-spindles is a Georgia science teacher who came up with a “better mouse trap”, that is spindle. I purchased mine from booth representing a yarn shop, The Whole Nine Yarns from Woodstock GA. I later visited the shop on my way back down to Florida. They have some spinning but Knitters will really love it and need to stop. They have hand crafted buttons and purse handles, the perfect finish for a special project. They also boast a warm “classroom” which begs you to sit and knit awhile you forget the busy-ness of the day and the staff are super helpful. I came away with the neatest little “repair hook”, looks like a finely crafted chrochet hook from Lantern Moon nestled in its own little sleeve.

P.S. on the show. This was only the arena; there were more displays and booths in a huge barn that accomodatd the overflow. What great fun!

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This is the second rag rug from the same warp. First I tied on the old warp which I had tied off on the fabric beam side of the beater, then wove the rug.

The first rug:

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The following is how I create a floating warp picked pattern on box/tape loom with double hole riggid heddle paddle. The double hole rigid heddle “paddle” was purchased from Finnsheep.

First I used a warping board to warp the loom ( 1 ). I used a flat bowl ( 2 ) to hold the cotton yarn to keep the balls from rolling all over the deck while I created the warp on the warping board ( 3 ). I had originally planned to use off white natural for the pattern warp. I didn’t have enough so used one stand of yellow and one of natural. Notice each color is tied off separately ( 4 ). The pattern warp needs to be heavier yarn. Traditionally weavers used linen for the background and a wool yarn for the pattern. My background thread and pattern threads are cotton and about the same weight so I doubled the pattern stands, treating the double strands as I would have a single stand of heavier yarn.

The warped loom looks like this:

Notice that the 13 pattern strands fill the upper holes and slots. While the background fills the lower holes and slots. Notice that manipulating the “paddle” the background threads separated to create the lower shed. Use a “stick” to separate out the light colored pattern threads ( 1 ) and then use another stick to mark the lower shed ( 4 ). “Pick” only the upper pattern threads ( 3 ). The tricky part is to pick up the upper background threads while dropping the unused pattern threads. Before the shuttle is passed through there should be an upper layer with all the slot background threads or on alternate passes the hole background threads and only those pattern threads that have been “picked” to float on the top for that particular pattern row.

The checker board pattern is simply a tabby using all threads ( 2 ). The second pattern celtic looking braid is the picked pattern ( 3 ). The picked pattern is from a pattern by Eve The Just There are six (6) repeating pattern rows. Notice the loop on the left ( 4 ). After I send the thread shuttle across the warp, I leave a small loop. After I have changed the heddle position, I tap the weft to compact the warp, I tug on the thread gently to remove the loop.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also enjoy other articles on this blog about box loom tapes.

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Fiber Space gathered yet one more time. Due to scheduling conflicts next month and then the holidays, we’ve decided to postpone meeting again until January. We were blessed with two new visitors this month. We welcome all comers and if you’re in the West Florida area, please join us. Tropical Twister

(For larger images, click on photo which will bring you to comment page with small images; then double click on image you would like to enlarge.)

To my delight, I’ve started my first project on Julia, the little red loom from Glimakra, a hand painted warp rayon scarf, blues and greens with black stripes. I played around with a twill but the black weft became too dominating and took away from the look of the painted warp so I’m weaving the entire scarf in a simple tabby. The light weft is temporary…scrap woven to even the warp which will be discarded and the exposed warp will become the scarf fringe. You’ll notice the shuttle, it is a Schacht Spindle Company end shuttle. I LOVE IT! It’s small and advances evenly making it easy to maintain tension. And, I really like the overhead beater on the Julia. It can be moved forward and back (no screws or bolts anchoring it to the loom) which allows you to weave more area before advancing the warp. Nice!

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Cracker Country at the Florida State Fair Grounds in Tampa is an outdoor Florida living history museum. Early Florida cowboys urged cattle to move with cracking whips, thus the cowboys who used whips to drive cattle became known as “crackers”. Since then, native Floridians have been known as “crackers”.

Today was my first day as a “docent”/volunteer. I brought the mystery wheel as it likely dates from the 1850′s. The leather part that connects to footman to the treadle snaped and I discovered that I’d left my “repair kit” , leather shoelaces and such, in the mountains. I switched over to the Norwegian Box Loom and worked on my red & white tape.

I was on the porch with Lacy and with my new friend, Penny a spinner and weaver. The sponge I used to moisten my fingers and to dampen the flax, is from Tarpon Springs, the Greek community which had a thriving sponge business at the turn of the century. (It’s on the ledge to my left.) Penny was using a drop spindle to spin cotton. (The wheel she had planned to use was missing bobbins…boy were we a pair. LOL)

We also had a blacksmith, bee keeper, and rope maker.

It took five of us to make rope and a lot of twisting.

Other craftswomen included a chair caner:

And Karol & Ruth of “Pine Needle Perfections”. Their pine needle creations are amazing. I’m already planning to take a class with them. The basket detail is sliced walnut shells (absolutely beautiful…looks like the finest of carving)

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