This week, let's try...

Knitting!

I started to feel some pain in my injured wrist by the time I got the ribbing done on the first of a pair of wristwarmers:


but I hope that with being careful, I can get these done in a week or two. The pattern is "Evangeline" which is currently available on Ravelry, and I'll be doing the short version. I'm using Cascade's Lana d'Oro Indian Summer (#1087) - what a beautiful yarn! As usual, the color isn't quite right on the picture - it's more brown, but definitely has reddish highlights in it. I visited the new local LYS Friday and this jumped off the shelf into my arms (along with a few other skeins, but we won't talk about those :-/).

Weaving:
I did a little weaving on the Bonhop loom as well, but again, it looks the same so no picture. I did get "Textures and Patterns on a Rigid Heddle Loom" ordered (FINALLY!), so I'm looking forward to getting that and comparing it to my older version. I also need to check my weaving-yarn stash to see what I have - that might be a good project for this afternoon.

Spinning:
Though I did do a bit of spinning at Spin Club this past week, I think it doesn't agree with my injured wrist - it has been painful ever since. I'm going to start using a timer when knitting or spinning, and see if that will make a difference with my wrist - I sure am tired of having to baby it!

We now interrupt our regularly-scheduled broadcast...

for crochet!

I've wanted a teapot cozy for quite awhile, and last night I decided it was past time to make one. I wanted one fast, since I've been making more tea at home lately (current fave - Rooibus Cocomint), which meant crocheting it. And I can only reach my tetsubin pots which get really hot on the outside. Since DH has been drinking a bit of it too, I've been using my larger (~ 3+ cup) pot.


I couldn't find my skein of Lion Brand's Fisherman wool anywhere (sigh!) but I did run across leftovers of a bulky wool yarn that I had made mittens from quite awhile ago (the label is lost, so I have no idea what it is at this point). I found a crochet hook and got to work, basically using the pot as my pattern and checking the fit as I worked, since I couldn't find a pattern online that worked with the type of pot I have and crochet and bulky yarn. This is what I ended up with using single crochet stitches, and I slipped-stitch around the edge of the lid:


My cozy covers the bottom of the pot, and the lid cozy is separate from the rest of the cozy so I can open the pot without removing the cozy entirely.



I made a flap to cover the area between the spout and the lid, instead of a slit, and added a button to hold it closed. It fits really really tightly, so I have to remember to put it on first since I won't be able to get it on otherwise. Now I need to test it to see if it keeps the water hotter longer.

I thought I might have enough yarn left over to make another one for my very first teapot, another (smaller) tetsubin:


but after seeing how much yarn just the lid cozy took, there was no way. I might use another cozy pattern for that one (wasn't there a new tea cozy pattern book published relatively recently?). Or take a snip of the yarn to the LYS and see if she still stocks it.

The inspiration for my cozy was Lollipop Knits' Tea Cosy pattern - CUTE! I do intend to make one from her pattern for my Brown Betty-type pots when I pick up more wool yarn (or get some handspun plyed large enough for chunky).

My small teapot collection (sorry for the dust - the duster can't reach them either!)

I also hope to make a Rosy Cosy one of these days - also incredibly cute! If my rose- and tea-loving mother used the teapot I left at their house I'd get right on it, but I seem to be the only one that uses it (and I need to measure it - I don't remember the size though it's another Brown Betty-type).


Weaving:
I've done more weaving on the mp3 player bag as well, but it looks the same so no pictures. I did a little spinning during the presidential debate Wednesday - I'm not sure if it was the spinning or the yoga I did earlier (or the debate!) but something not good for my sore hand/wrist - OUCH. :-( Since Spin Club is this week, I'll be bringing my Bonhop project too, just in case it was the spinning and not the yoga. :-/

I'm beginning the project-planning for the RHs - I need to make a list of yarns I need, check the stash, and then hopefully order what I need in one fell swoop. Though I haven't decided on smaller two looms' projects yet - maybe I'll decide on them today. :-D

Not much to report again...

I washed the log cabin runner (and tried covering up my weaving error, but I'm not sure that's going to work), and did a little weaving on the mp3 bag. I also made some progress in picking out projects for all of the RHs.

I've run across a shirt I would like to weave and have finished by April, but I'm not sure I can do it that quickly - it's not plain weave and IIRC it involves using a pickup stick, which I haven't done in ages. :-/ Plus I would probably need to buy some yarn for the project (the horror!!).

I also washed 3 skeins of plyed yarn - I finally feel like I'm making progress on spinning the gray stuff!


A couple of interesting things to report - Schacht has a new small rigid heddle loom available: The Cricket. I will be getting a look at one tomorrow; however, if it really is of plywood as it appears to be, I'm disinclined to pay that much even though I've been wanting a smaller RH that is more 'easy to use' than my Mattel. I've been meaning to build a small one, but it's one of those 'tuits' - I'll get around tuit someday. :-/


Also, Interweave Press has a new RH book coming out in November:

Weaving Made Easy that I have on pre-order at Amazon.com. I wish it were here now, as at least on the previews it looks pretty interesting!

It looks like a good Fall for rigid-heddlers! :-D

Weaving!

I finally trimmed the fringe for the log cabin runner:


though I obviously have not washed or pressed it. :-/ Also, I tied a "Woven Phillipine Edge" (source: "Interweave's Compendium of Finishing Techniques"):

(Sadly my picture-taking skills don't seem to be improving)

I really like this braided-look, and it isn't nearly as difficult as it may sound. The only problem I had was using such dark yarn made it hard for me to see where I was in the process, after interruptions.


I also warped up the Bonhop for an mp3 player + doodads pouch. I'm using acrylic yarn for the first time, plus I tried lashing on (as best as I could on this loom) on the cloth beam. I used Leigh's Fiber Journal's instructions for a starting point. This loom isn't conducive to adding an apron rod, so I tied the lashing onto the plastic 'comb' that is screwed onto the beam.


Not perfect, but I think it would be easier on a larger loom. The weaving is challenging, since this a heavy worsted - it's a little tight in the heddles and especially the beater. And this acrylic (and I can't remember what brand it is) is definitely stretchy. But the loom is still fun, and I was able to warp it up fast and not aggravate my sore hand messing with it. :-)


And yes, my hand is still sore - more specifically the heel on the thumb side. Gripping is uncomfortable to downright painful, depending, so still no spinning or knitting. I should be using this time to come up with more RH weaving projects but I've been mighty lazy lately. I really need to get to it though, as I'm doing a demo on ALL of my RHs next Spring. I'm going to do a rug on the Hearthside RH rug loom, and I also need projects for the 24" Harp, the 15" Flip, and the 11" Mattel - that's a lot of projects! LOL