It's Update Monday!

Though I don't have any pictures, as everything still looks the same (except the sweater :-/)

Weaving:
I of course did more on the log cabin bag (FUN!), but from your perspective it would look exactly the same so I didn't take another picture. I did discover a couple of inadvertent floats - one I 'unwove' enough to fix, but the other was far enough back that I just left it. I think I need to rig a cloth underneath the loom so when I'm looking at the cloth I can see faults easier - I'm just not getting enough contrast when looking down the on the cloth.

I've run out of warp on the Bonhop project, but didn't get around to do the hemstitching yet so it's still on the loom. It also looks pretty much the same as you saw it last time. That Bonhop sure is fun to weave on! (I have a thing for small looms.)

I ran across the dishcloths that I had taken off the Flip a while back, and tried to fix the hems so I can stitch them. I meant to stitch them right away when I took them off the loom, but of course didn't so the last (or first) pic of the hems were getting messy. I was able to beat them back into place a bit with a flat popsicle, and then 'painted' the edge with diluted glue. I haven't tried to move them yet, so I don't know if I diluted the glue too much, but hopefully it will hold until I get them stitched on the sewing machine.

Knitting:
I've had to frog the sideways sweater - luckily I hadn't gotten very far, but I've made an error and I can't figure what I've done wrong so I'm starting over. :-(


Spinning:
I haven't touched the wheels all week. I just couldn't face doing more gray stuff, and the dogs have been too rambunctious to get the Polonaise out (they keep running into it).


I hope to get more accomplished this week (fingers crossed)!

This is so cool...

Log cabin pattern on the Flip:


It's hard to see the pattern when looking down on it, so I wasn't sure how it was turning out, but if you look at it from the side:

The pattern really pops (in real life, anyway). I'm using 8/4 carpet warp, with a 12.5 dent heddle.


And that's all I have to report. I've done some spinning, but it's the same old Brown Sheep wool in silvery-gray that I've been spinning for the past hundred years. :-/

I did eye the Bonhop loom a couple of times yesterday, and was going to start planning sampler strips on the Harp, but I was too intrigued with this log cabin pattern. :-) Maybe today....

Surprise!

I actually have weaving content this week! :-)

I've started warping the Flip for a log cabin bag that I'm making up as I go along (everyone say it along with me: "YIKES!"):

I'm trying out a warp tensioner (the blue thing) that I made from a picture I saw somewhere on the internet. It consists of two slats of wood, covered with fabric (I used some fleece), with bolts & wingnuts on the end to press them together. So far, I think it works ok, but would've worked better if I had 'combed' the warp threads first, as they were a little tangled (not sure how that happened!). Also, though I drilled a hole in the middle for another screw, I didn't have another one handy and one of the boards is a bit warped, so it didn't work quite as well as it could have. I'll use a third screw next time, and clamp these two boards together (with the raddles as well, for extra stiffness) during storage to 'unwarp' the one and to make sure they don't warp in the future. Also, I'll let it sit up against the heddle next time, as I had to clamp it where it was since it kept trying to 'roll' up on its side due to the shape of the loom sides.

I'll definitely try the tensioner again again though - it's more convenient than the different methods I've tried so far. And I'm not nervous about leaving the warp untied for awhile, since the tensioner is holding onto the threads quite firmly - I won't have to do the entire warping job in one day anymore.

And that's an Ashford heddle on my 15" Flip - it's just a little sloppy in the heddle blocks, but as you can see it sits in them just fine.


The Bonhop warped:


It's kind of a quick-and-dirty warping job, as I just want to see how this loom works. So far, it's a lot of fun!

And weaving goes a whole lot faster than that cardboard loom!

I've about doubled the amount on the loom since this last picture was taken, and I didn't work on it very long. The Bonhop does have drawbacks but it sure is easy to use. To open the shed, just press down on one of the plastic heddles. For a different shed, press down on the other heddle. The shed is a bit narrow, but it's big enough. Unfortunately the 'beater' has a bit of a bow in the middle, as it is plastic or nylon, making it tough to use just the beater for an even fell line, but it works if you keep an eye on what you're doing. I'll be keeping this little cutie!

We have pictures!

Items I mentioned in my post earlier today:

Spinning:
The Spindolyn with the unknown blue stuff (I think it's something like moor or marsh sheep?), showing the variegation I'm trying to preserve:
And a close-up, showing that I am, so far, somewhat successful, though the yarn isn't very even due to the felting/stickiness of the locks:

It would spin much easier (and make a nicer-feeling yarn) if I combed or carded it first, but then you lose all of the variegation (I've tried it - most of that cop is some of this that I had combed). I guess this stuff will be a bit of an experiment for me.

Here is the tencel blend that I'm spinning on the Polonaise:

It really is that shiny! It's a merino/tencel blend, by Gypsy Girl Creations, color is "Blue Hawaii". Very pretty, Gypsy Girl!

I'm not as successful in preserving the variegation in this fiber - the green is really predominating. But the spinning is more even! I could try 'breaking' the roving at the color changes, but the color runs are a bit short - at least before drafting. Perhaps I'll try that next time I work on it.

Hmm... I just noticed when proof-reading this post that the colorways of these two projects are quite similar - that had completely escaped my notice, probably because the Gypsy is so shiny. I guess I'm in my blue-green phase!


Weaving:
The Bonhop loom I mentioned. I haven't tried this loom out yet, and I think the cardboard-loom project is just the thing to test it:

I'll be looking at the owner's manual tonight. I'm not sure if this would qualify as a rigid heddle loom or not - it doesn't have the usual type of heddle of either sort.


And here's my buddy, keeping a close eye on me in case I sneak out the secret door that he seems to think exists in every room of my parents' home (sigh).

He also has no qualms about making himself feel at home. :-)

That's all for tonight! Though I didn't get the spinning done that I had planned for tonight, I hope to make up for it tomorrow night. And figure out the Bonhop loom. And knit a row or two on the sweater. And....

It's No-Pictures Tuesday!

Because I was too lazy yesterday to take pictures. I visited the family this weekend and took a couple of projects along. I didn't get a lot done, and unfortunately I forgot to take the cardboard loom project like I meant to. As much as I'm not enjoying that project, I ought to just take it off the cardboard loom and maybe transfer it to the Bonhop loom - then it might actually get done.


Loom-knitting:

I'm about halfway through the foot of the sock even though I barely worked on it. I ought to have it finished this week if I remember to (and actually) do a few rows every night.


Spinning:

I did a few hours spinning on the Brown Sheep roving yesterday, though it looks like I didn't make much of a dent in it. I also pre-drafted the rest of the roving in my basket (unfortunately, there is still at least that much more in another basket - I'm never going to get this done!). The spinning is going quite well, even though the wheel is rocking like crazy since its repair.

I also started a new roving on the Polonaise - it's a tencel blend from The Fold. It's more challenging than the Brown Sheep, so I didn't spin very long on it, and it's also very compacted so I need to open up the roving before continuing.

While on my trip I took some of the blue locks of 'whatever' with me and started spinning them on the Spindolyn. This is going to be a slow project no matter what I use to spin it on, so the Spindolyn is a good choice. The challenge with these locks is that they are bit felted from the dyeing process, and are very variegated. Since I want to keep them that way, I can't card them, so I'm trying flicking the ends (though I can't always tell tips from cut ends - it's that bad) to get started. So far it seems to be working.


Hopefully I will get around to taking pictures tonight, but don't hold your breath!