Spinning Gold and Indigo

Picked up these beauties at the local thrift store.  Linen and rayon, according to the core.  Seems very strong, and will make a good warp on the loom someday.  There are 3 or 4 more of the neutral.  Reminds me of senne twine, but not as course.    Thanks to Karla S. for spotting this little stash at St Vinny's.

Caught the morning light on the basket for the photo.

The first one is the hardest ...

Last weekend, I worked all afternoon on stitching and stabilizing the applique flowers for the Morningstar Quilt.  From picking appropriate thread colors, to choosing a path around the objects, to 

The week before, I fused all the flower applique pieces to some black interfacing, and then cut around all the edges.  This helped to stabilize the pieces before I stitched the edges down.  Prior to that, they were glued (with a common school glue glue stick, like kids use) and fragile.

After some trial and error, I discovered that the tangarine / orange thread looked the nicest on the reds and purples  golds and oranges in the flowers.

I also learned that I needed to sew off the ends of the flower points.   If I tried to stop and pivot at those points, the point pulled up through the foot, and got crumbled up.  If I sewed off the edge, it stayed flat.  I was using the free-motion foot, but perhaps I could have chosen the foot with only a hole for the needle to pass through?

The non-stick oven sheet was very helpful for allowing the piece to slide around under the needle, and not get hung up in the uneven sewing table,

I also got one of the triangle pieces worked up, with all the vines and flowers glued / fused in place.   I cut some steam-a-seam into strips and pieced it around all those curves for the vines.     I still need to stitch it down.  Still thinking about what to use for stabilizer?  I want this to puff up a little like Trapunto, so maybe a piece of batting?  Or perhaps I should save that for the quilting stage?  Only 3 more triangles and 4 larger square corner pieces to go ...

There are so many things you need to know to make a quilt like this -- things that are not explained in the pattern.  Good thing I've been quilting for the last 15 years, and learned a lot of techniques through the years.  It all helps!

All that work -- and somewhere along the way, one of the smaller flowers got lost.  Can't find it anywhere --  Do I make a new one, and backtrack to do the threadwork again, or do I just wait it out, and see if it re-appears?

All that work today, and it feel like I didn't really get anything done.  I was sewing all afternoon, but don't feel like I have anything to show for it.  That's how I've felt the whole time working on these applique pieces.  This is the bottleneck stage of the project.  The putsy stuff.

Fascination with Circular Knitting Machines

Since last summer, I've been fascinated with circular knitting machines -- the mechanical kind. The really nice ones (and even the vintage / antique ones) are unbelievably expensive at around $1800 - $2000. Whoah! You can buy a lot of socks for that price!

Why am I so fascinated?  Look at how fast you can knit a pair of socks ...

Watch this 8-1/2 Minute Sock video, and you'll catch the bug, too.  Just the thought ob being able to knit an entire sock in just 8 minutes is incredible!




Here's another one - Sock Knitting Machine Demonstration -- easy enough for a kid to do for a school project!




Really interesting lecture, and it truly did feel like a college lecture ...  She starts off with a book review of The Enchantress of Numbers, historical fiction about Ada Lovelace, daughter of Lord Byron.  She is considered one of the mothers of modern computing and programming.  I just love hearing about women's history like this ...  Women who made a way when there was no way for them.

Fascinating history of these little machines, and their evolution.  Interesting to hear why there are so few of them out there today -- Turns out is has to do with WWI (There were lots of them as women were asked to make socks for soldiers in WWI to help prevent trench foot.  They were still popular during The Great Depression as a way for women to make a little extra money.  By the time WWII came around, many of them were being recalled for the metal.  They were melted down for the war effort.

Finally, she talks Jamie Mayfield of the Erlbacher Knitting Machine Company, where they make these little beauties to order.  Yes, they are still available, but very expensive ($1800 a pop).  


Yay for Yarn's You Tube playlist for using the Addi Circular Knitting Machine



I watched one of her videos and thought "Yes, I could do this."  They look good, and they look quick.  She's a good teacher, and explains things very well.   And the price of an Addi circular knitting machine is much more affordable than the classic old timey ones.  More like$100 vs. $2000!

I'm hoping to get one of these little Addi Express Professional Knitting Machines  for Christmas this year.  We'll see ...  My husband was just as fascinated watching the old-timey mechanical knitting machines work.  It is mesmerizing, and so cool to have a whole row done in 5 seconds.

Gramma Pickles used to have knitting machines, on which she would make sweaters for all of us.  I still have a few of her sweaters.   I made sure to put one of her sweaters on display at her funeral last fall--One that she was often photographed wearing.    ;-)

"She's Doing It, Mr Noodle!" - Loom Knitting

When I was a kid and in 4-H, or learning with Gramma Pickles, I never did learn to knit.  Never got past the stage of unreasonably tight stitches, and finally gave it up in favor of crocheting and other pursuits.  Now that I've got this stash of yarn that I've spun myself over the years, I want to use it -- simple things like hats, fingerless mitts, or maybe even socks.  But a lot of the crochet patterns for fingerless mitts and socks look "funny," and so I've decided to finally bite the bullet and learn how to knit ...

Last year, I purchased access to a beginning knitting class at Craftsy, but never made the time to watch the video classes.  Still can't quite get over the hump of fear about using knitting needles and failing again--even after all these years and the gazillion other things I can do instead.

Enter the knitting loom.  It's called a loom, so right away I'm pretty sure I can work with it!  Last year, I bought a couple of these cheap looms to get started.  Only a minor investment if it doesn't work out.




This morning, I watched this video, and followed along -- except I did not do the color changes.  Pretty simple really.  And I am absolutely amazed at how nice my loom knit mitt is shaping up!  I was bracing myself for ugly, loose and gaping stitches, or too tight ...  But no!  It looks professionally done -- so far!    And for a first try, I am amazed at how well this is turning out.    I'll post pictures of the finished product.


Here's a look down the center of the hole, as the fabric grows down into the hole.    This is actually the right side up when using the knitting loom.  The pegs should be up.

I am using the following :

Boye - Small Round Loom with 24 pegs
Yarn : Yarn Bee Andes Alpaca Pearl (80% acrylic and 20% alpaca)

None More Black : Dyed Woolen Yarns

I got together with my friend Lynda last week to help her warp her big loom for making rugs.  While I was there, we also dyed a couple skeins of carpet warp wool with her jet black Jacquard acid dye.  She's got the "real" acid dyes and I knew we'd get consistent results with her powder.

The photo above is a cake of the Jacquard jet black yarn dyed with Lynda (on the left) and the Wilton's (broken) Black (right) that I dyed in the crock pot a few weeks ago.



It just doesn't seem right to call both of these black, but that's what I was going for.  I'll definitely do more of the "broken" black with Wilton's cake dye, as I do like the effect. 

If you've ever seen mocumentary film Spinal Tap, you'll recognize the title quote "None more black," where the band was looking at their new album cover - completely black, devoid of any color whatsoever.  "How much more black could it be?  The answer is 'None more black.'"   

Fit to be Tied : Tying the Winter Roses Quilt

Winter Roses Quilt - Finished October 2018

Tied with a wool batt.

At Quilt Camp, back in October, I had the space to work on a project like this.  I can spread out on 2 large banquet tables to work, and don't have to worry about picking everything up for the sake of meals.  And there's no dog hair (an important factor when you live with a big, black Newfie!)

[NO PHOTO -- Sorry, I was so intent on doing the task, that I forgot to take a picture.  This photo is from a quilt I tied a few years ago at a different Quilt Camp.  The process is the same, though it shows a thick poly batt.]

Here I have the Sandwich layered and ready for stitching.

         Top Layer : Quilt Top - Right Side Down
         Middle Layer : Backing - Right Side Up
         Bottom Layer : Puffy Wool Batting (from my friend Karla Seaver).

Pin all the edges, and sew with a 1/2-inch seam.  Leave about 20 inches open for turning.
You may need some safety pins in the middle to keep it all together as you work.
Trim the batting and backing to size BEFORE turning right side out.

Turn.

Top stitch a faux binding at about 1-1/2 to 2 inches from the edge.   It's kind of like a French seam.  This helps to keep the batting out at the edges of the quilt as you use it.

I decided to add a few more stitched border rows, before I start to work on actually tying the quilt.
This step secures the batting at the edges of the quilt, otherwise, it has a tendency to pull in, leaving you with some parts of the quilt with no batting layer, just fabric.

You can also clearly see the faux binding here. 

I use wool yarn in a matching color.  I don't want the ties to be the focus here.

 Tying is done, you can see the puffiness as it is laid out on our bed.  

[Sorry for the bad winter light.]

Here are a few of the blocks close up ...

A quilt is never truly done until I've added the label, the very last step.

Weaving Again ... 2 Blue & Green Scarves

Blue and Green Scarves in Rayon

One weekend to warp the loom, and by the next, I can be weaving again.  I'm so happy with the Tom Kniesley videos that have moved me to independence at the loom--especially at the warping stage!  

This is a kit from The Yarn Barn of Kansas. 2 blue and green scarves each 72 inches long in a rayon slub yarn.  It goes pretty fast, even at 16 picks per inch.  This is a shot of the cloth as it's winding onto the cloth beam in front, under the weaving surface. 

I discovered a simple little hack to manage the measuring tape ribbon that keeps track of how long a cloth I've woven.  A simple safety pin keeps the ribbon contained and tamed, yet easily allows for rolling out the next needed bit.

No Hassle Rayon Slub Scarves 

(Photo from Yarn Barn of Kansas--That's where I bought the kit last year.

Breaking Black : Dyeing Wool Yarn Black in the Crock Pot

I didn't mean to do it.  I was hoping for a nice pure black, but I managed to break it ...

One of the things I've been wanting to try is dying wool yarn with Wilton's cake/icing (food) dye in the crock pot.  I got several cones of taupe / neutral-colored carpet warp a while back, and wanted to dye some of it black--if possible.  [I know my friend Lynda has REAL (light fast and color fast) permanent acid dye meant for this, but still I wanted to give the food coloring method a try.]

There are ways to "break" the dye -- that is, break the dye into it's component colors.  For black, that appears to be green and red and maybe some blue.   I was hoping for a pure black, and I might have gotten it if I'd have kept adding black dye in the proper proportions.

It sort of worked ...  It's an interesting dye job, though not quite what I expected.  The black dye is made up of green and red. 

 Here is the wool yarn BEFORE I dyed it.  You can see the taupe-y / camel color.  I said earlier this was an experiment.  I wanted to see how this wool would take the color.

Here is that skein soaking in a bucket of water with some vinegar in it.  This helps it take in the color more evenly in the dye bath. Here is is weighted down with a rock to keep it submerged.

I have an old crock pot that I keep in the dye kitchen in the basement for non-food purposes like soap-making and dye jobs.  I discovered the skeins I had run were all about 329 grams (or so).  Too big for the old round crock pot.   St Vincent de Paul to the rescue!  They had an old crock pot for $4 -- one of those larger oblong shapes with a simple dial for warm - low - high (not digital).   It was a better fit for my bulky skein.

Proportions :
One website / blog I consulted advised 1/2 teaspoon Wilton's dye to 100 grams of wool yarn.  That seemed about right ...  I kept adding more dye in hopes of getting better coverage / take-up.  I must have added more dye in 1/2-tsp increments 3 times -- and could have kept going until the jar was emptied out. 

It might have worked a little better, too, if I had worked with smaller skeins.  Even the larger crock pot was "tight" for this over-sized skein at 329 grams.

Of course the dye and vinegar solution is dark / saturated when you pour it in.  You know it's complete when the water/solution (it still has some vinegar in it) in the dye bath is completely clear. -- That means the dye bath is exhausted.  That means the yarn has taken up the color.  You can keep adding more dye until it stays in the water.  I let the last batch cool down and soak overnight.  By morning, the water / solution was completely clear,

I do like what I got, and will likely do more experimenting with other colors and "breaking" them.

 

I look forward to "breaking" more of the Wilton food coloring/cake dyes.  I think it might be best to put these in the serendipity dying category.  Be happy with what you get, though it may be tough to predict.

Here are a couple more tutorials on dying yarn in the crock pot : 

Hot Pour Method by Teryn J.

Love Knitting's How to Dye Wool Yarn with Wilton's Food Coloring

The Next Project : Swing Type Wool Picker

I just bought the plans to build this swing-type wool picker from Debbie at Willow Dell Fibers.

I know-- It looks like a medieval torture device, but -- if you do it right, no blood will be shed.  It's used for one of the earlier stages of processing wool for spinning.  This would be the stage BEFORE carding.   After you wash raw wool, the fibers can sort of stick together.   This tool can help OPEN the fibers, dislodge hay and vegetable matter, making it easier to do the carding in the next step.

This is something DH is willing to make for me.  I can do the drilling and work with the nails.    He'll do the rest--safety features included.  These are usually simple projects where he can flex his woodworking and engineering muscles after working his computer programming day job.   It's just so satisfying to be able to make these fiber tools for minimal cost.    And it's something we can do together.  ;-)

The Patrick Green version sells for over $600--and I know it will be good and solid, and last a lifetime.  I also think we can DIY with scrap wood.  I also saw this model which gave me that idea :

There are other models and designs that use a box method with a sliding top, but it seems to me that would be very inefficient.  Too much friction.   I'd much rather have gravity work in my favor -- hence my preference for the swing model above.



Here's how it works (Pat Green example)This one is also useful for some of the extra tools and equipment that would be useful :



Here's another video of how it works:



It's fun to see the open fiber fly off the back end.  Also good to see and hear the safety precautions, too. 

Orange is for October : Little Things

I needed a new Kindle cover, as my old one was getting tired and shabby.  I still love that Klimt-inspired fabric, but it was time to retire it ...  No button this time, as it kept getting caught on things in my bag.  Though I have to say, that pretty little button was durable through the years. 

So instead, I worked up the Kindle cover above with the last of that orange and green fabric.  Makes me smile!

And this ... more orange and black!

Second, I added some color to the cuffs of a pair of jeans.

At Quilt Camp, one of the ladies, was wearing jeans leg cuffs embellished with embroidery.  I could have done that with the fancy stitches on my sewing machine -- when I got around to it. 
 
Instead, I spotted a roll of trim at St. Vinny's for $1.  Yes!  I thought : I have an easy way to add color to my jeans!  And cheaper than the gorgeous trim at La Droguerie in Toulouse, France.

[I know -- You young people don't like my baggy jeans, but hey-- You don't get to say what clothes I feel comfortable in.   And frankly, I like to see you cringe and squirm at the sight of it.  ;-)  That's the beauty of getting older--Not caring what other people think.  I hope you grow into that joy some day sooner than later.  It makes life so much easier! ]

And just because it's so orange, I am hearkening back to this image that I worked up in 2014 of a wonderful old walnut tree in my neighborhood (no longer here) and a Citrasolved National Geographic background. 

 Don't forget this Harvest Moon, also from 2014, though the branches of that same walnut tree.

New Spinning Wheel : Schacht-Reeves Saxony Wheel in Cherry

The new spinning wheel is here!  It's a beauty!  

I think I'll call her Claire. 

This video was very helpful in getting things all set up.

I started with that new creamy alpaca.  But it was like I was a brand new and learning to spin again.  It's always that way getting to know a new piece of equipment.

I was having trouble with the double drive-band staying in the grooves of the big wheel  It must not have been lined up properly.  Finally, I gave up on that, and just doubled it up, with both strands on the whorl, and went with the Scotch tension on the bobbin instead.  I got that to work better, but I could feel a lot of extra drag with that method --  It was harder to treadle, too --  I was almost considering up-grading to the double treadle as the other foot would pick up where the wheel gets slow and wants to go backwards. I never had that trouble with the Louet S90.    Felt like I was fighting it--which tells me it needed some more adjustments.

Then I tried some black alpaca and sheep's wool mix that had been beautifully carded.  It was light and airy, very easy to work with, and things got to much easier.

My husband did the math, and figured out which whorl I should be using that would be roughly equivalent to the one I usually use on the Louet -- which is the middle one.    For the Schacht, it's the larger whorl with the biggest setting.   Things were getting even easier to work!

Then I got brave and decided to try the double drive band again.  It worked so much easier this time.  Much less drag, and the treadling was also easier.  Still not sure I understand how to adjust the tension properly, but I'll figure it out.

So far I have about 1/2-a bobbin full already. Some really bad yarn, and some pretty decent yarn on top.

I think we have a good understanding of each other now.  I think she'll be very happy here.  ;-)

Fiber basket  -- currently filled with a mix of black alpaca and black sheep's wool carded into a large-ish cloud-like batt.  Very soft and easy to spin on the new wheel.    Silk scarf from St. Vinny's.  They didn't have much for baskets lately, so I picked up the basket at Hobby Lobby in a pinch.  I'll be on the lookout for a better one -- like the one my mom has.  Maybe she'll give me that one for Christmas?  [Hint Hint.]

Tiny Tools Basket
A little welcome gift for the new wheel.  I made one of these little fabric boxes from 2 12-inch squares of fabric quilted with a layer of batting.  Instructions are here.http://crafty.house/easy-fabric-box/     We made them one time at Quilt Camp at Silver Birch Ranch.  The Louet has one, too.  Perfect for a small bottle of oil, big ol' coconut button diz, threading hook, and any other little sundries that might be needed.