Getting Some Weaving Done

I managed to get 3 pieces in the show and 1 display piece.  I put in my Evenstar shawl, which looked pretty good on the mannequin that I bought,  my Birthday Towel, the "WOW" towels that I wove for my siblings and I wove a new sock yarn scarf from a great yarn, North Pole, in Victorian Christmas colors.  

That scarf is #55 on the list of 100 projects, I had bought the yarn when I first got interested in manipulating the self-striping sock yarns.  This one turned out to be a bit of a mess to start with.  The color stripes were 5 yards long for the solids, and 10 yards long for the patterned color.  I decided to try the "spaghetti" method of cutting the warp.  I pulled the color length out of the skein and cut it when it changed to the new color.  I put the thread through the reed where it needed to be to give my stripes, then pulled another length out.  When all the lengths were threaded through the reed, there was a pile of "spaghetti" on the floor.  I threaded the heddles and then started to straighten the warp.

 

  Since the scarf was so narrow (only about 5 inches) and the warp was only 5 yards long, it was not that bad and the scarf was wound on the warp beam in about an hour.  It wove up great and the finished scarf looked good in the show.  I decided, when I looked at it in the show, that I am going to get some gold beads to add to the fringe.  (There is a gold metallic in the yarn and I will just pick up on that.)

My display piece is 30 scarves that I have made over the years and I titled the piece "How Many Scarves Does One Person Need."  That piece contained painted silk, nuno felt in wool and silk, bobbin lace, knitted, woven, hand-spun, beaded, mom's tartan and every other scarf you can think of!  I had been thinking about displaying a group of scarves for a long time,,,I have done so many, and I am always doing another one to test a possibility, to check out a structure or try out a yarn.


I finally got on the overshot piece, for the Ravely group, on the loom and I am very disappointed in  it.  This is a little piece that I have had on the back burner for a long time.  (It is #59 on my list of 100 projects to finish.)  I have pulled it out from time to time and worked my way through the design, then put it away and each time I pull it out I have to rethink the whole thing again.

I originally decided to do some handwoven accessories for one of my bobbin lace pillows.  I decided on turned overshot, just because I had not done much of it.  I picked out some 10/2 and 3/2 pearl cotton to match the pillow and started designing.  I wove a band to go around the pillow then started the design process for the fabric for a pin cushion.  I want to do the traditional "strawberry" shaped pincushion, and a 6 inch square of fabric will do.  I could also make a storage rod like I made for my traveling pillow (that one has inkle woven trim and accessories).
Such a small piece of fabric and so much time designing, redesigning and thinking about it.  I decided to have the ground fabric three colors of 10/2 (flaxon, lavender, & purple), the pattern warp is 3/2 forest green. 
The green turned out to be slightly too small of an amount, so I just dropped a couple of threads on each side of the warp (selvages!).  Then I designed the stripe (plaid?) sequence to coordinate with the overshot pattern.  It seems that I didn't count correctly because the right side where I started threading the heddles matches, but on the left side the color sequence is off from the pattern sequence.  I looked at it for a couple of days and decided to just keep weaving, I am cutting this piece up, sewing it into a pincushion, and then just sticking pins in it...so, it will do.

Here is the full width

Left side motif

Right side motif

You can see on the picture that the lavender fits in the pattern on the right side and on the left side the flax color is encroaching on the square.  Oh well,...that is the way it goes some times and considering that it has taken me several years to get this on the loom, I am just going to get it finished and sewn up for the pillow.


I have managed to finish several more pieces that are on the 100 projects list.

 I decided to put the house projects on the list, because they are taking up storage space also, and the first one I finished was hanging the mirror up in the fount entry.  I have wanted a mirror here for a long time, then when we cleared and orgainized my sister's workspace, she decided to let go of several mirrors that she had collected.  One just fit the bill of what I wanted there.  It weighted 30 pounds and I got it hung up.  I really like it.  

I also managed to finish sewing three basket liners that have been taking up space on the floor in the studio.  Several years ago, I sewed a couple of liners for large plastic buckets.  You know with pockets and such to store your materials, and the ability to carry them to where you want to work.  There were three left that never got finished and here they are.

 The first two are just for sewing tools, the top one for my DD so she can carry around her tools when she is working in various rooms.  The second is for me to hold the tools that I use at the sewing machine (I already finished one a couple of years ago for carrying around my hand work tools when I watch TV).  The last bucket is quite large and I originally planned it for garden tools when I am working outside in the flower and herb gardens.  I wanted to get some new garden tools to match the basket...I know I am crazy, but that is how it goes.  Maybe if I have fun tools, I will work more on the outside and keep it looking better this year!