I am currently working on a weaving sample for a class. This is woven with Juniper Moon Farm Zooey a linen and cotton blend yarn. It has a real nice feel to it. In this end of the sample I am using the same yarn for warp and weft. There is leno lace and Spanish lace. I have some blue Hemapathy yarn that I will use for weft when I sample at the other end to see what difference it makes in how much the lace shows up. I think it can be a real nice table runner or if made wider, a placemat. It might even be nice for a summery scarf if I beat a little lighter to have more of a warp dominant fabric.
Cotton Club
I have ordered a nice variety of colors in 8/2 cotton for weaving towels. I don’t have any specific structure in mind yet. A good twill is always nice, but there were some bumberet towels recently in Handwoven magazine that I really like. Bumberet is a new structure for me and I love playing with colors. I can put a real variety of color in the warp, and weave with one color, changing for each towel. One shuttle weave make that part go much faster. I really need to make sure I don’t get carried away with too many colors in one warp though.
I will have to sit and play with the drafting software and will try to post some of my planning process as I go. Hopefully I can get some woven and up for sale soon.
That reminds me I need to hem up the last towels I wove in cotton and linen and get them up for sale too. I just need to find a place to set up the sewing machine and leave it out for a couple of days.
Summer School
I have 2 private lesson students starting this week. I love teaching new weavers. One has prior experience on a rigid heddle loom which is a great way to get started. She has since purchased a used 4 shaft Macomber Loom that needed some TLC and has since restored it to nice condition. I met with her a few weeks ago to evaluate what she had, give her some advice on continuing the restoration, helped her put the brake pieces on properly and give her a list of things to buy or make that she needed before getting started. We met again this morning to start winding the warp for her first project which I call a get to know your loom project. They can be hand towels or placemats.
Tomorrow evening I am meeting with an art student at DAAP who wants to learn about weaving. I will start her on a rigid heddle loom and a beginner scarf. After one or two projects, I will rent her my 4 shaft Dorothy table loom and a few items to begin 4 shaft weaving. She doesn’t own any equipment yet. We plan on meeting twice a week through the month of July.
I am really excited about it. If things continue this well, I may have to get another small table loom or floor loom for students.
Dyeing to Knit Socks
Here is a little photo essay. I had a ball of the merino/bamboo blend sock yarn in cream that I wanted to dye and knit up for a teacher gift. I used a sprinkle dye method with dry Kool-Aid and bottles of food coloring. You need a bit of acid provided by vinegar and heat provided by microwaving during the process to set the colors. Since the dyes are food, they are safe in your everyday pans.
Skein up the yarn and tie around it in different places to keep the tangling down.
Soak the skein in warm water for a while in a microwave safe dish.
Pour off most of the water and add a glug of vinegar. Swish it around.
Start with the lighter colors and sprinkle them on dry (Kool-Aid) or drip them (food color).
Let the colors saturate the skein for a while move it gently around to expose undyed areas and add more sprinkles. Microwave in bursts of 1-2 minutes between colors.
After coloring to your satisfaction (be careful not to overdo it the first time). Give it a final trip on the microwave carousel to fully set all the dyes for another 1-2 minutes.
Let cool a bit, then rinse fully in lukewarm water.
Hang the skein to let it dry.
Twist it up and keep or sell.
Wind it into a ball when you are ready to use it.
I then put it on my CSM bobbin to knit it from.
Finished socks are ready to give or sell.
Treading the Boards
These are the socks I have knit so far this week. A pair for Katie on the left, and the other two pairs are up for grabs for $19 a pair. If you are interested and in town, send me a note in the contact form. They are a woman’s size 8-9. If you like the purple ones on the left, I can get more of that yarn in a couple of days.