Niddy noddy

mad about waffles!

2011-01-20T09:05:00.003Z

I'm just loving waffle weave at the moment.

I rediscovered some samples I'd done years ago, and decided to experiment again.

The first result was some waffle weave scarves - one has sold via made4aid, one is on sale now in the made4aid shop.

The next experiment was in felting the waffle-weave. This is such fun!

Following some sampling on the loom and in the washing machine, these are my first two experiments:

These are prototypes, really, and there are a couple of things I think I can improve on - but I'm pretty pleased with them, they are good enough to sell (I hope) and they will be available soon in the made4aid Etsy shop.

And today, I'll be warping a loom to make some more...

blog confusion

2010-10-24T09:14:00.004+01:00

um, well I've just discovered that the post I thought I'd put up here yesterday, was in fact posted to my other blog....

so if you want to see the final form of the bag pictured below - plus a couple of other projects - click here!

AND - made4aid is now on Etsy - click the button on the sidebar!

latest.....

2010-10-03T16:43:00.003+01:00

..... bag.

Just getting back into my textiles groove, winters are good for knitting, weaving class is re-starting and my loom upstairs is empty.

If only there were more time.

But in a satisfying "one I made earlier" sort of way, I picked up a bag I'd almost finished knitting in the Spring - added a few finishing touches, and bunged it in the washing machine today to felt.

Its drying now, with some jigsaw puzzles and books inside to help fix the shape.

Here are some more glimpses:

This will be finished, lined with vintage fabric and on sale soon in the new made4aid Etsy shop - which I hope will be open within the next couple of weeks.

felted

2010-02-13T13:44:00.002Z

Just a quick picture of the bag in the previous post, unfinished and before felting.

This is it felted and finished

up for sale on made4aid tomorrow pm.

I have been buying some books of patterns for hand-knit and felted bags, so looking forward to experimenting with new shapes.

And also have finally got this piece off my loom upstairs!
Its been years in the weaving.

It needs a bit of finishing, and then I'll try and get some pics up here....

in progress

2010-01-03T12:53:00.002Z

I recently found a group on flickr for photos of knitting in progress, which seemed like an interesting idea.

Hence this picture. The colours aren't quite right / true to the yarns, but not too far off.
This will be another felted bag for made4aid, like this one - so, I'll post another photo when its felted and shrunk and finished.

This is knitted with between 4 and 8 strands at a time, mixing a variety of yarns and bits and pieces. There are some bits here of handspun, from years ago when I first learned to spin - and some thrifted, leftover bits etc.... Really satisfying to use up such remnants and fun to mix colours by combining different yarns.

The handles are knitted first, then linked with extra casting on to form the top of the bag, and then knitted on circular needles (which I always use anyway) down to the bottom edge, and then the base is knitted and stitched to the edges.

Theres also a post with a bit more about knitting and felting bags here, with a link to the webpage where I found the pattern for this bag, its one of my favourite patterns so far.

I shall post again shortly, I hope, with a progress report on the next stage with this bag.

peg bag

2009-12-05T16:07:00.003Z

I've been crocheting with plastic bags again - annoying my family by making noisey rustling noises whilst watching TV.

This is a replacement peg bag for a friend - the one I made him a few years ago has worn out.

One day maybe there will be no more plastic bags, which will be a good thing - but in the meantime, I love making these.

I tried to be a bit neater this time, and looked up some instructions an' all. I was quite pleased with my square base

but from thereon up - pretty wonky!

Still, I don't suppose straightness and neatness matter too much, for a peg bag..

The the best method I've come across for cutting the bags into strips is here - and this lady's work is proof that plastic bag crochet doesn't have to be either untidy or wonky - look at her sea creatures. Her work is just amazing.

Also, this method of cutting up bags is less rustley than other methods I've tried. Though my family might tell you otherwise.

If you like crochet and haven't had a go at crocheting with plastic bags - do try! really. Its so much fun. It leads to aquisitive eyeing up of other peoples' plastic bags whilst shopping - but really, its worth the risk.

felt making

2009-09-19T11:33:00.002+01:00

There is a great felt-making tutorial over on Jasmine's blog.

And this is the latest hand-knitted and washing machine-felted (the easy way) bag which I'm selling on made4aid.

And finally - I am so neglecting this blog that i'm not sure anyone looks at it any more.... let me know if thats not the case?

knitted felted bags

2009-08-06T07:07:00.000+01:00

One of the projects I've been working on lately is knitted felted bags, which I've been making for made4aid.

These are so satisfying to make! and especially as I'm using up bits and pieces of yarn which I've been hoarding for years and years... plus the odd find from a charity shop or car boot fair, plus some recycled yarn, reclaimed from other things.

So, here are some ideas and guidelines based on what I've done.

The first thing to say is that I've found making bags like this to be a very very forgiving process. I've been knitting with a few strands of yarn combined - which helps with using up leftovers, and mixing colours that match. But using yarns of different weights and thicknesses doesn't seem to matter. Different kinds of wool felt differently, but this also doesn't seem to matter. Unevenness in yarn or knitting evens out in the felting process. The saying that "it will all come out all right in the wash" is most definately true for this process!

The bags before felting look unshapely and baggy - but the felting process transforms them. And if they come out of the machine looking rather lopsided (they almost certainly will), this doesn't matter as they can be shaped while they dry. So you don't need to be an expert or experienced knitter to try this, or a beautifully consistent and even knitter. But, if you don't like unpredictability or if you want to be sure of the size of the bag you will end up with, this might not be a project for you.

So, the first thing I do is choose which yarns and colours to work with. You do need to use all-wool yarns. One of the bags I made had a little yarn which was obviously mixed fibres, and it only partly felted. The resulting effect was quite nice, but I'd be cautious about using wool you are not sure of, especially for starters. But if you're not sure, knit a square, bung it in the washing machine, and see what it does! Some other animal fibres - eg. alpaca - also felt very well.

I am combining anything from 3 to 8 strands of wool together while I knit, as I have some cones of quite fine wool to use up. But the number of strands can vary, I don't necessarily use the same throughout.

I'd suggest that you start with this bag pattern, which was the first one I used and which gave me a good start, though I used 5.5 mm needles as I couldn't find my 6.5mm ones... And I made the colour stripes wider than the pattern suggests.

If you are new to felting, there is a useful piece about felting in the washing machine here for front-loading machines, and here for top-loading. Its certainly worth experimenting a bit first, knitting little squares and putting them through the wash - as much for reassurance as anything - so that you can see what happens and get some idea of how much it will shrink.

If your bag doesn't shrink enough first time, I'd suggest you put it through a second wash at the same temperature - it will shrink still further - though going to a higher temperature will have a more dramatic effect. My advice would be to start with cooler washes - you can always put the bag through twice to felt it more. But once tightly felted and shrunk on a hot wash, there isn't too much you can do about stretching it to make it much larger again.

In the UK we have front-loading washing machines, so can't keep checking on how far the knitting has felted. But whether or not you want to keep checking depends how definate an idea you have of the result you want. My bags tend to be left rather to chance...

I also leave the bags in the machine through a short spin cycle and I think this possibly makes it easier to start shaping them right away, which is more difficult when they are very wet.

I tried this first bag carefully in a 30' wash, which wasn't enough. Then 40', then 60'. In the end it went through at 90' to get the result I wanted. But I have found since then that 60' is usually about right.

Shaping the bags while they dry makes a huge difference to the end result. I have used cake tins, books, jigsaw puzzle boxes.... anything the right dimensions. Some I have left hanging up, where I want the handles to stretch to be a a little longer.
Felt is very tough and its okay to really force in a box or tin which doesn't seem to quite fit.... the wool will give a little bit, and drying fairly tightly stretched gives the bag a nicely defined shape.

This grey stripey bag was about 15 by 17" before felting, and about 12 by 12 afterwards.

The only other change I made to this pattern was to add a little internal felt pocket afterwards, using a square of wool I'd knitted and felted as a test, plus 2 vintage fabric pockets.

This next bag was knitted to the same pattern, but with an intarsia type of colour pattern (stranding colours across the back) and using 6.5mm needles as the pattern says.

On this bag I experimented with knitting pockets as part of the bag before felting - picking up stitches from the bag along where I wanted the bottom of the pocket to be, knitting a square or rectangle straight up and then attaching the sides of the knitted pocket to the bag. This bag has one little mobile phone pocket on the outside, and 2 internal pockets. The blanket stitch around the external pocket was because I thought the join looked a bit bumpy and lumpy - I have since then got better at stitching the pockets on so that the join is more invisible after felting.

Before felting I tack some pieces of cotton fabric inside the pockets to stop them felting closed for ever.

These first two bags were sold on Joyce's Bags for Darfur blog - which was the inspiration for made4aid.

Same pattern, 3rd bag, 6.5mm needles - this one was 14.5 inches by 16 inches before felting, handles 33.5 inches.
After felting it was 10.25 inches by 11.75, and the handles were 30". On this one I just did external pockets in knitting, and then lined with fabric including internal pockets.

I put this one recklessly into a 90' wash and it did felt a bit smaller than I'd wanted. But I'm really pleased with the result, its a nice size and shape (though I am now routinely starting with 40 or 60' washes though, just in case....).

The second knitting pattern I tried was this one. This looks really too large and shapeless once knitted being done on 9mm needles - but once again, it came out transformed.

I wanted a gusset in this bag, so allowed an extra 3 inches or so on the total length you knit, to allow for the base of the bag. Then after knitting the main body of the bag, I worked out where the base would be - 1.5 inches either side of the midway point. Picking up stitches along this bit of the bag I then knitted up a long enough strip on each side to reach the top edge and then sewed them into place.

This bag was felted at 90' - I forgot to measure it before washing, but after washing it is 18.5 inches wide, 11 inches deep with handles nearly 30".

And here is another, same pattern with the added gusset, and knitted felted pockets. This came out really nicely textured because of the way the intarsia stranding had felted, and this was the first item sold on made4aid.

The 3rd pattern I tried was adapted from this textiles book - the base is knitted first, then you simply pick up stitches around the edge of the base and then knit up in stocking stitch until the bag is tall enough (about 15 inches), do a few rows of garter stitch for a slightly thicker top edge. Add handles, and pick up some stitches in the middle of one edge to knit a little button tab.

This is also a nice easy pattern which would be good for beginners to this process.

This is knitted on 9mm needles. The pattern suggests using a double strand of 8-ply / double knitting wool though I have used my usual combination of bits and pieces.

The base was 45 stitches, and 34 rows in garter stitch and stitches are picked up around the base - 45 stitches on each of the long ends, and about 15 (one every other row) on the short ends. I took the handles from the second pattern I've linked to above but you could instead use the handle instructions from the first pattern.

Before washing the bag was 22 inches measured across flat, the base was 18.25 inches by 6 inches, the bag was 15 inches deep from the base to the top edge and the handles were 44 inches long.

Here is the bag before felting :

with the handles, button tab and the external pocket.

and here it is after felting, which was done in a 60' wash
- it is drying now as I write this, with some jigsaw puzzles and books inside it to keep it nicely shaped.

And after felting the dimensions are: 14.5 inches wide, plus 4 inches on the sides/gusset; 11 inches deep; the base is 14.5 inches by 4.5 and the handles are 36 inches.

3 of these bags have already been sold to raise money for aid to refugees in Darfur - the others shown here, and more which are in process, will also be auctioned in the autumn/winter, so keep watching if you want to buy one... and if you're a knitter - have a go. These are so much fun to make.

SHAMELESS PROMOTION (but it is for charity....)

2009-06-13T11:09:00.001+01:00

made4aid

is launching now!

made4aid is a new charity project I've been working on with some friends, and we're launching now. Yes, right now! This is evidence of the power and reality of blogging because the inspiration for this project was a blog-friend (who I hope to meet in person one day), Joyce, who I met on Blunderview, when my mother was dying and her brother was dying, both from cancer. I think we both found some strength and comfort and solidarity in each other's blogs - certainly I did over at Joyce's, plus wisdom and warmth and lots of humour. Another friend met through blogging has done various web things too complicated for me, and has set up the made4aid blog and will be helping to run it. The inspiration for made4aid comes from Joyce's project which you will find over here, which raises money for the World Food Programme's work in Darfur by selling Joyce's fabulous hand-made vintage-fabric bags.

made4aid will be starting its own on-line auctions to raise money for charity

- on MONDAY June 15th

via the made4aid blog.

We have some great hand-made art and craft items which were made, found and given or mailed to us by a range of people.

We will be selling via the made4aid blog - please look over there from Monday 15th - I hope you'll see something you might like to bid on. We are planning to post an item every other day. Or thereabouts. We will be selling till we run out of items - but then, we are hoping to receive donations of more items to sell to keep the project going, and hopefully growing.

We will be sending money raised to the World Food programme in Darfur, in the first instance - if the project finds its feet and has legs, as they say, we would support other causes in the future.

There are all sorts of ways you could contribute if you are willing and able to help, whether or not you are arty or crafty yourself - telling other people, giving, buying, giving us a mention and link on your blog ....

Anything hand-made and postable and good quality/condition can be donated, whether or not you made it yourself (a few exceptions... here are more ideas of what could be given and what we would rather not be sent).

Plus we will accept and sell materials for artist and crafters to use. And vintage hand-made items... The website has details of how and where to mail donations - and hopefully any other information which might be needed.

This is an entirely non-profit-making voluntary organisation, all money will go to charity and aid. And yes! we will also accept cash donations. Cash donations would go to charity, but also en route would help us raise the funds we need to open a made4aid Charity Aid Foundation account and then, in the future, hopefully to register as a charity.

if you lovely bloggers are willing to help promote made4aid, we will be very grateful.

Please pass the word along to any one you know, any individuals and groups who might like to donate and/or buy things.

If you are willing to plug us on your blog or website, that would be fab. The made4aid website has a flier which can be downloaded, and the made4aid blog will soon have html for a button which you could cut and paste onto your blog or website.

If you have feedback on the project, on the website or blog - especially anything which is unclear - please email us. There is contact information on the website.

And.... I'd best not go on about this any longer.

Its very exciting!

It seems to us like a good idea but, fingers crossed - we will have to wait and see.

Note on pictures: the photos here illustrate the kinds of things we hope to be selling, not particular items for sale - though we do have some items made by artists whose work is shown here. There are details of the sources of these images on the website.

weaving bags

2009-06-07T22:35:00.000+01:00

I am going to post instructions for weaving bags like the ones pictured in the previous post, as promised. I've been sat down with my notes and a set of instructions and diagrams which I have used before and adapted and I started typing and it all seemed very long-winded. So I've decided the best way to give you instructions is to weave another myself, take photos, and post those.

So... there will be a little further delay, sorry.

But in the meantime, this link has a great method for cutting plastic bags into strips for weaving, crochet etc.....

Her sea creatures and other creations on flickr are just fabulous.

And here are some other bags I have woven from rags. These were made on a custom-built wooden bag frame but they could also have been woven on a box.

plastic bag bags

2009-05-10T17:36:00.003+01:00

These are bags I made a few years ago - kind of itching to do some more, but the time goes SO QUICKLY.

They are woven from plastic bags cut into strips (I once promised to post suggestions for the best way to cut the bags into strips, will try and fulfil that promise soon).
The warp is a multicoloured man-made yarn of some kind - good colour, though it was a bit slippery.

Woven on a box - wrapping the yarn around the box creates the warp threads, and then the plastic "yarn" is just woven through as weft, I did it using an upholstery needle.

If anyone reads this and would like more instructions on weaving on a box, please leave a comment and I'll try to find the instructions I used and scan and post them here.

Once the weaving was done, I ironed the boxes on a moderate heat, with greaseproof paper between the iron and the plastic - it melts and fuses the plastic, gives a nice effect. The diamond shape on at least one of these bags was where I left a bit un-ironed.
The handles are cord, wrapped around with plastic.

Et voila! I don't know how well these wear - I've given a few away, and the one I kept is used for knitting/sewing storage at the moment.

They are really fun to make.

hanging up/out

2009-04-26T09:18:00.000+01:00

These are the latest bags I've knitted and felted in the machine - hanging up to dry with boxes/books to keep them in shape.

I'm pleased with these, though the felting process is still rather random - keeps it exciting though!

These are for the made4aid project.

And, in the background, you can see the washing machine - its a lovely sunny day, I must go and hang out sheets to dry as well!

Braid bag

2009-04-25T10:05:00.004+01:00

This is a bag I made some years ago

(don't want to check how many, danger of finding out its at least twice as long as I might imagine...).

I was doing a City & Guilds course in weaving and design, a fantastic course at a local college - and this project was to demonstrate particular weaving skills and to develop a working design and produce a finished product based on an art-board on the theme of Water.

The bag is made of a number of narrow, flat inkle braids [about an inch wide] - made on a loom like this, but much smaller - and the braids were then sewed together vertically.

A lot of my work is given away but this is one item I've kept and enjoyed using myself.

catching up

2009-04-23T18:54:00.000+01:00

I've just been looking over all my previous posts.

All of them.

Since I began this blog in May 2006.

It didn't take long.

I've been so intermittent and inconsistent with posting here - 3 years, and not an awful lot of posts.

So, I'm going to try and catch up a bit by doing some posts on things I've made in the past, which I haven't blogged.

I have put photos of some of these on flickr. But there are things I made before I began using a digital camera - so, I have scanning plans too.

The first item in my catch-up retrospective is this baby shawl, which I knitted while pregnant 15 years ago.

It is a traditional pattern from the Shetland islands, off the far coast of Scotland, and the source of fairaisle patterns and a multitude of other wonderful textile skills and traditions.

I loved knitting this - I enjoy stitch patterns and knitting in the round. Trying to remember how the pattern went, I think the middle was knitted straight in moss stitch and then the rest was knitted around the edge on circular needles.

The pattern and yarn came from here and the shawl is now safely stashed away for future generations (what a funny thought, future generations).

2nd knitted felted bag

2009-02-22T11:40:00.003Z

This was the same pattern as the previous. I used larger needles - and oh it didn't half look saggy and baggy before washing!

And then after a 90' wash, it was quite nice..... but I decided that I wanted it a bit more felted and solid. Another wash at 60' did the job nicely - felting in the machine seems to be a pretty forgiving process, and stretching and pressing the bag on a cake tin helped to square it up and get rid of a couple of bumps and bulges.

Having not thought about pockets when I knitted the previous bag, I gave more thought to this one and picked up and knitted some woollen pockets - one on the outside phone/MP3 size, two on the inside. I tacked some cotton inside the pockets before felting, so that they didn't fuse onto the bag itself.

They worked pretty well, though I do also like the combination of fabric pockets with wool bags.

This bag, the previous, and 2 very different woven bags are on their way to Joyce, and will hopefully be auctioned on her Darfur blog at some stage - keep a look out!

knitted felted bag

2009-02-05T09:55:00.000Z

l

This is my first completed knitted and felted bag - its a great pattern, from here
and I've been able to start using up some huge cones of fine but rather boring wool. Combined and knitted at least 3 or 4 strands together makes them much more interesting.

This felted well - the stitches are just about discernable, but it looks more felty than knitty. I tried felting at 30 or 40', but it just wasn't good enough. So in the end, I just put this (in a pillow case) into a 90' wash with a sheet, and then when it came out left it to dry over a cake tin which was just right for size - this helped give it a good shape, esp. around the base.

I knitted this on 5.5mm needles, I think the pattern says larger? I've just felted the 2nd bag, which I knitted on 6.5 but its not felted as well, I'll use the smaller needles next time.

I'd not thought ahead about pockets - and didn't think it needed lining. So I added some pockets in vintage fabric, and one little felt pocket.

update

2008-12-16T17:08:00.000Z

I'm getting accustomed to the colours of my warp, the length for the second bag worked quite well I think, in greens

and the third is going okay, in pinks.

I'm bearing in mind the possibility of painting/dying a stretch of warp to change the colour options - I'd like this warp much better I think if the yellow/cream was blue instead. But for the time being I'll carry on with the existing... I'm having to think much more about the colours - more experimentation, weaving then undoing sometimes.... so its stretching me, at the very least.

And I've finished the little chair seat for LG, which I'm really pleased with.

It will now go up to her bedroom to sit by her bedside and be buried under a pile of books, papers, make-up, dirty plates, tissues.....

:-/

pastel

2008-12-02T20:36:00.001Z

Well I've started weaving my latest set of bags, and feel rather foolish because having put the warp

on the loom
I'm not very happy with the colours.

silly me.

I was partly going for colours that would allow for a lot of variation in the weft - making each bag very different.

And I was partly pushing myself to use colours rather different from my usual very blueygreeney preferences.

And I was partly seduced by the sale items when I bought the yarns...

and maybe its partly to do with buying online, without seeing the colours myself in reality...

Anyway.

I will make the best of it and hope that they are colours other people will like, even if they are not my natural preference.

My first sample looked like this:

This will be the first bag - one side:

and the other side:

I wove this one in fairly neutral, soft, "calm" colours to let the pattern emerge, and for me to get accustomed to this warp a bit.

I plan to weave the next one in much more funky yarns and colours - green, again, but maybe bright lime green - and possibly loud pink too?

After that, I'll move on to blues, purples maybe. I'm wondering how it would look with grey weft, or even black. I think its probably quite good for me to have to work with a rather different palette from what I would normally choose, I just hope they turn out okay.

The textures are quite nice, I'm using some chenille and some shiny yarns. If only I could get to like the colours a bit more...

ends and beginnings

2008-11-07T17:01:00.000Z

ha! did i ever kid myself that this blog would be sort-of-monthly?

but I am now feeling very crafty indeed, after months of only very little crafty time due to travelling (good) and taking pictures (good) and working very hard (bad).

The chair seat I'm weaving for LG's little bedside chair is getting closed to finished now:

and I've got most of the old varnish off the chair itself. It needs a bit more sanding, but is almost ready:

There will, before long, be pictures here of the finished chair.

I LOVE doing these chair seats.

I am also determined to spend more time on the piece I have on my loom here at home, and I will be putting a new warp on a loom at college to make some more little bags, a bit like these.... to hopefully go over here and be auctioned....

About which I larfed! as I thought of doing these little bags using up yarns I have already as this is supposedly one of the guiding criteria for future projects. Until the cupboard is bare.

I then discovered that the only yarns I really have in sufficient quantity to make a long warp are wools, and I really wanted to use cottons.

So... I wandered over to here and who knew? they had a sale on! I bought a whole lot of lovely cottons and chenille on special offer.

So... I have added to my stock of yarns.... against all my resolutions. The cupboard fills up again faster than it empties.

So... I am feeling naughty but also rather pleased with myself.

BUT I have plans also for the wools, which is to knit bags and then felt them.

Which seems like a nice little crafty cosy wintery project.

So if i don't post here for another 6 months, lets hope its because I'm busy being very crafty indeed.

bags for darfur

2008-04-11T19:18:00.000+01:00

Check out these fabulous bags, made by Joyce of Blunderview.

She is making and selling the bags to raise money for Darfur which is a heartbreaking and imperative cause - and the bags are just wonderful.

Please pass on the news/link, buy, advertise on your blogs... whatever.... if you want to.

previous next

2008-03-14T05:16:00.000Z

Both my chair seats are finished now, being sat on regularly and looking no worse for it.

My next project is to renovate a little chair which LG has by her bedside - the wood needs some work, which I'll enjoy doing. And the seat needs replacing. Yay!

I so enjoyed doing the chairs i've just finished, I was delighted to think of doing this one too.

Its a little old dressing-table chair. And its been buried under such a tower of books, magazines, old plates of toast etcetcetc that I'd not realised what a state it was in.

Of course, being for LG, the colour scheme will be various shades of black, with possibly some black and/or purple. Goth as possible.

should be fun. I will keep you informed....

in the meantime, I am still knitting string bags.
Not yet having done the preparation I need to do on the chair before I can begin weaving, I spent today's weaving class spinning. I have so many bits and pieces of fibres around, bought in sales, shows etc.... needing to be spinned - its one of my favourite in-between-project activities.

Today I was spinning silk noiles - raw silk.
like this

And I think I might try plying some of this with some of my lovely hemp, to use for my next string bag.

tiny toes

2008-03-03T20:25:00.000Z

For our new nephew, Aidan, who we will see in about 3 weeks when we visit family over Easter.

i just love knitting baby things!

string bags

2008-02-10T01:28:00.000Z

I've enjoyed myself so much making more string bags for few of my friends - knitting in hemp, with some novelty yarns I bought a long while ago, which have been languishing in my yarn cupboard, waiting for their time.

Which is here - this is the perfect use for them, - and they go so well with the hemp.

And here are some fab. chocolate vintage buttons whch I was given for Christmas - from Hotel Chocolat.

Delectable and delicious.

ta da!

2007-12-28T22:20:00.000Z

Viola!
my chair is finished.

I'm so very very happy with it and feeling rather smug.

But t'was easy, really - see the previous few posts for some ideas as to how I did it, I'll be looking with a new eye at old furniture in junk shops and at the boot fair - and I'd encourage you to do the same.

Easy peasey lemon squeezy - it remains to be seen, of course, how durable it is but the hemp is very strong, we have no cats now to shred it, lets just hope that the mice don't see its potential as a cosy nesting place.

progress

2007-12-10T06:34:00.000Z

These are fairly up-to-date photos of my progress on the chair. I might even have finished it last week, if I'd not run out of plied hemp - I had to move onto a spinning wheel to do some more.

I've also made a string bag with the same hemp - though with 3 strands plied rather than the 9 strands I'm using for the chair seats.
I found the pattern and instructions (via Tut-Tut's blog) here - this is a great website, full of ideas and inspiration for all sorts of yarn crafts.

I enjoyed making this bag - at least, I did after the first few rows where I kept gaining and/or losing stitches. Its pretty quick and very satisfying to make - and nice to use.

I'm thinking of plying some hemp together with some nice shiny gold thread, or some novelty tufted threads, to make some more of these for Christmas gifts.

Its really nice to be knitting again.

more slippage...

2007-12-05T18:56:00.000Z

oh dear, my intentions of more regular posting here have really slipped, haven't they?

I plead busy-ness at work, and guests in the spare (loom) room. But I have done a bit more on my current "must get it finished" project at home. And I'm having a ball with the weaving of my chair seats at my Thursday class - its such a great project, I'm loving doing something quite different, and I think they are going to look fab.

These pics are not very up to date, I've got quite a bit further than this now, will take more pics tomorrow. The pictures here show the warp wrapped around the chair seat from back to front, over a wrap of velvet to pad the chair-frame, and the layer which I wove across on the bottom layer of the warps - the chair seat itself will be woven on only the top layer.

Having woven a bottom layer (for extra back-up strength when sat upon), I lined it with a piece of blue fabric which you can see here - and now, as I weave the top layer, I am stuffing the gap in between the two layers with rags. This is giving a really nice padded finish.

No matter how busy and tired I am, Thursdays are happy happy days!

bums on seats

2007-11-09T00:51:00.000Z

Oh dear, my weekly intentions have slipped.

However, I've done over 2 1/2 inches since my last post.
V. pleased with self. And enjoying the weaving.

I've not been keeping track of how much I've woven in total as I'll just keep going till I get to the end of the warp. So - don't know how much warp is left. But really feel as if I'm making progress.

My next project at my textiles class is to weave new seats for a couple of chairs whose lovely rush seats were ripped to shreds by our cat, years and years ago.

I'd prosaically thought of weaving some fabric and then attaching it in some way to the chair frame.
Marvellous Mandy suggested that I could weave straight onto the chair, using it as a frame for the warp. What a brilliant idea.

So - this is my experimental sample:

I'll be using the yarn in the bottom of this piece - hemp, with a lovely silvery texture and sheen, also very strong. This is 9 strands plied together (or rather 3 lots of 3-ply plied together) to make it stronger and chunkier. The colours in this sample are rags woven in - which I will do in the lychen-colours I'm using for the futon throw.

I've just been shaving down the corners of the frame, to make it kinder on the hemp and to make the seat more comfortable. Next week I will be carrying one of the chairs to my class to start work on it.

Its such a fun project and really nice to work on something so different - and to rescue the chairs from their bedroom-clothes-dumping hell.

I will keep you informed as to my progress.

Zero

2007-10-20T20:38:00.000+01:00

Zero inches.

Not even any cm.

But I've been busy and out and about and, in particular, to the Knitting and Stitching show. I'd missed a few years, went last year, saw and bought gorgeous STUFF - and so too this year.

I saw the Water Aid knitted river, pictured above.

And these. Aren't they extraordinary? They are entirely embroidered, the first by Helen Parkinson and the second by Owen Davies. I'm not sure that I'd want to own one and I know I wouldn't want to make one, but they are rather marvellous.

One of the best things about the show is that it is so varied, and as well as the above, and some lovely quilting (which I couldn't photograph), there were graduate shows which included this artwork in paper (or could have been silk - the artist, Marion Glover, wasn't there at the time for me to ask):

This is a picture I liked made in felt, by A Scolding:

There was also an exhibition of the most exquisite shibori dying by Hiroshi Murase:

I bought some fibres I had specifically been after:

alpaca and silk noils for spinning and some lovely lovely hemp for plying - I'll use these for weaving or knitting.

I'm going to use some of the hemp to have a go at this string bag

And finally, some gorgeous Christmas pressies. These are made by Thai hill tribes, and sold by a couple in England who run the charity established by their daughter who died tragically young.

These bags were only £11.00, they are beautiful and a really good - and fairly traded - cause - have a look if you're thinking about Christmas shopping. Or if you're not.

There is some info about Stephanie, who founded the charity, here and further info. about it is available by email from ksdp.uk@lineone.net

weekly

2007-10-10T18:24:00.000+01:00

Well only 2 cm more woven since my last post (I've switched to metric because 2 cm sounds more than 1 3/4 inches).

A lot of weaving measurements still seems to use imperial - one piece of weaving equipment, a reed, is bought in various imperial guages ( number of dents - gaps - per inch) but is purchased by length, a certain price per metre. Weird.

I wont be weaving at home any more this week as we'll have a friend staying in the guest room.

BUT I have finally finished - lined, with fastenings and labels - a set of bags I started over 2 years ago.

I did finish one of the set nearly a year ago so that I could give it to my niece for her birthday - and I did an earlier post about that here - so wont repeat myself.

It was a very satisfying project - not a difficult weave once the loom is set up, they were made on a basic 4 shaft table loom - and the variety is created mainly through the range of bits and pieces I used in the weft, which included bits of fabric, ribbons, novelty yarns, chenille and gimp. They were made almost entirely by using up bits and pieces I already had. Which is my other overall textiles aim at the mo - along with finishing projects.

But I'm pleased with myself - and good timing for Christmas.

Here they are:

catching up

2007-10-04T06:18:00.000+01:00

I've just checked when I last posted. Early July - almost 3 months ago, and it feels like a lifetime.

Well, the purpose of this blog was partly to keep me going with my textiles and to get me motivated to FINISH PROJECTS.

My weaving class has just begun for the Autumn and - having not made time to plan a new project - I have been finishing off bags which (I can't believe this) I initially wove in about 2005....... I know I made the handles in May 2005, because I did a quick blog about it. I am feeling duly chastened and committed to doing more finishing.

Hence this new post. I have some weaving on my loom which was started at least 18 months ago, and I think probably more like 2 years. Or more.

probably more...

A-n-y-way.
I am weaving a throw for the futon which sits in our dining room and sometimes serves as an extra bed. I quite like the blanket which is covering it at the moment but its not big enough.

This new throw follows colours I used on one of my favourite cushions which developed out of a project I did as part of a City & Guilds course in weaving and design.

The design board was based around "Living Forms".

I found a little bit of twig covered with wonderful lychens - I particularly liked the combination of soft greenish greys, dark slatey blues and a hot bright sulphury yellow.

I don't think I'd have thought to put these colours together, but was really pleased with the weaving designs which I based on the colour scheme.

So these are the colours in the throw. The yarns are mostly cotton, or cotton / silk / linen mixes.

My loom at home weaves up to only 24" wide - so I am using a technique of weaving a number of layers at once. The layers can be joined at the sides - or on only one side or the other, as the cloth is woven. I'm weaving 4 layers - the top layer is joined to the 2nd at the right, the 2nd joins the 3rd at the left, the 3rd joins the 4th at the right - so, once woven the cloth will open out into one piece 4 times the original width.

Hopefully!

Here are the two edges of the weaving:

Its such a wonderfully clever technique (and a very old one), and its not at all as complicated to weave as it sounds (though it does need a loom with 8 shafts) - but it does grow more slowly than plain single weaving.

This is no adequate excuse for taking so very very long over it.

Neither is the fact that my loom is in the spare / guest room.

I hope to post once a week here, even if its just one line recording how much I have woven in the past week.

Today I wove over 5 inches.
This despite the fact that I spent far too long obsessively searching (and re - searching in the same places) for my weaving notebook which - though I didn't need it right now - does have useful notes of previous projects and workshops.

It was only about 10 minutes after giving up the search, when I had been weaving, relaxing, thinking, drifting... that I realised where it must be.

Who knows what I might realise and remember if I manage to start weaving regularly at home again?

big bootees

2007-07-06T21:28:00.000+01:00

I had a late birthday surprise this week, with a package all the way from Australia, from a wonderful dear blogger friend, with lots of lovely stuff - including:

Aren't they just fabulous?
They may look like baby bootees but they are big enough for me.

They are keeping my toes toasty warm in this poor excuse of a summer which we are having.

Hand-knitted by a woman called Sheila (who i guess may be rather special).

I may have to investigate further - as to whether she uses a pattern, any tips and secrets to her success - don't you think?

Thankyou Sheila, i love them.

(also the towel... pics will follows!)

interval

2007-06-30T18:25:00.000+01:00

sorry i've been absent from here for so long.

i will try and do a new post within the next few days

something exciting about cutting up plastic bags, i think.....

(hope everyone hasn't given up on me!)

Birthday dillo

2007-05-26T17:09:00.000+01:00

Isn't this the very best birthday gift in the world? ever?

My very own hand-knitted, exclusively designed armadillo, commissioned by a dear friend and made by her sister, little purl one.

Check out her blog and her etsy shop for lots more wonderful knitting.

SWAPS

2007-05-12T23:02:00.000+01:00

Lovely lovely stuff.

Look what Toby sent me - just at the right time to cheer me up when i needed it.

and best of all some of his very own hand-made jewellery.

Thanks so much Toby. I'm looking forward to sorting out some nice stuff for you too.

recycling

2007-04-30T08:30:00.000+01:00

I've been crocheting with plastic bags again, inspired partly by the new orange Sainsbury's bags. I tend to carry re-usable bags of various kinds folded and stached away and avoid adding to our collection of bags-under-the-sink, bags-in-the-cupboard, bags-in-the-recycling-bin. But M doesn't.....

I've made a couple recently for friends. One I forgot to take a photo of.... it was a bit slapdash and wibbly, i hope he liked it. These tend to come out a bit lopsided anyway, esp. as I'm not actually very good at crochet, I rather make it up as i go along.

Anyway, this is the second:

Its quite small and I was rather pleased with the shape.

A town in the UK is going completely plastic-bag-free for a minimum of 6 months.
Excellent eh? Click here for details.

If the idea catches on, maybe plastic bag bags will become collectible and things of great value?

I've also got a new technique for cutting the bags into long strips - my first textiles tutor showed me this, and its an adaptation of a Japanese paper-cutting technique I learned at a paper-spinning workshop - I'd not seen its possibilities. If anyone reading wants to know how, leave a comment and I'll do a post on it. Its much quicker, results in more even strips, and is much much less rustley, esp. for when watching TV with irascible family members.

spinning

2007-04-23T20:26:00.000+01:00

We only have a few weeks left till my textiles class finishes for the summer.
(which is a very bad thing)

I have ideas for other projects.... plenty of ideas..... but just can't be arsed at the moment with all the planning, working out, maths etc......

so, in the meantime, I'm spinning.

Happy, in my trance, spinning

and spinning

and spinning.

I began textiles classes before LG was born. After her birth I missed a term. Then I went back to the class - an evening class at the time - and spun and spun and spun. LG wasn't sleeping too well, she wasn't a very happy baby and that 2 hours in the evening was MY time, and I'd drift off into the hypnotic relaxation of the wheel and spin and spin and spin.

Every now and then my textiles tutor would ask me if I had plans for all the wool I was spinning - was it for a particular project? what would I do with it? I had no idea, I was just happy spinning.

And here I am again!

I'm spinning raw (tussah) silk. I bought it some time ago, and its been sitting quietly, waiting.

Its not the easiest fibre to spin, being very short tufty bits - with lumps and bumps and little bits of cocoon in it.

But it makes a nice yarn, with slubby texture

After I've spun a bit more, I'll probably ply it, and it should look pretty much like this:

And then I'll decide what to do with it!

Easter gifts

2007-04-15T19:47:00.000+01:00

Two lovely lovely presents from my dear friend Molly Bloom.

The first comes from Stitches and Daughters, a shop in Blackheath and Greenwich. Its crotcheted, and is fairly stiff so I assume soaked in glue or something.

Pictured here with

and then without creme egg.

And even better - not least cos lovely Molly made it herself :

Which is very nice as a necklace, which I initially assumed, but even nicer as a bracelet.

Thankyou so much Molly. xxxx

Rag-button bags

2007-03-11T19:37:00.000Z

On the same warp as the tea cosy recently finished, I also wove 2 bags.

The warp colours were kind of predetermined, because I had the yarn to use up, and I'm trying to design projects around what I have in my cupboard, rather than buying more..... much as its a temptation... gorgeous stuff to be bought.....

For the tea cosy, I went with orange, yellow and red to contrast with the blues. Partly because my natural inclination is towards either neutral/natural colours, or blues and greens. So every now and then I push myself in the direction of unexpected and brighter colours.

After the exertions of the red, yellow and oranges in the tea cosy, and in a rather lurid sampler which I also did - experimenting with this 4 layered-technique - I found myself irresistibly returning to my more usual palette, for the bags I made.

This one is not quite finished - the handles were woven into extra warp threads, left long at the sides - and i have some substantial ends which I think are asking to be made into tassels, or something similar. (what do you think?)

These did represent a bit of a learning curve. For the tea cosy, I wove the weft closer and tighter, to be sure that it would be tea-worthy and reasonably hard-wearing. On the bags, the weft wasn't really close/tight enough to be secure, so I've had to do quite a bit of finishing by hand to make sure that these little bits of rag and the buttons wont fall out, leaving a trail of buttons etc. behind me. This is quite ironic, because the weaving technique means that bags are made almost as finished items - woven as a tube, front and back, joined at the sides and along the bottom..... and should have come off the loom almost ready to use! Tch! still, I'll know better next time .....

But I think they are now almost finished, and secure, and usable..... I might keep one of them for myself....

Buttons

2007-03-04T16:58:00.000Z

These are buttons from my most recent haul.

My first car boot sale of 2007 - in Ipswich, thanks Lucy! It was such fun. Now I remember just why is it I'll sometimes get up too early on a Saturday morning.....

Of all the things I might buy at a boot fair, buttons are top of my list as what I'm most pleased with. Not just because I'm such an addict, but also because of the anticipation of coming home, sorting through to see what treasures are there.

These are the best/nicest - the ones I'll keep. I have to be fairly selective as I already have so many buttons! (impossible to have too many, obviously) There are lot of really nice ones here, and some real treasures.

And while we're on the subject of buttons, if you like buttons too then you might like to visit natural attrill. Click here for their blog, and here for Toby's jewellery showcase - he makes (and sells) truly wonderful jewellery incorporating lots of the things I love most, buttons, beads, hemp, felt, silver, beachcombings, stones.....

Tea cosy - finished!!!

2007-02-23T02:30:00.000Z

I've just looked back at the post I did about starting this project - in May 2006, when I said it was a project which I might get finished in 4/5 weeks.

Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

Just finished. Well, its not quite a year later, is it?

Its taken so long partly because I've had a disrupted life lately, and spent quite a bit of time in my class gazing out of the window rather than getting on with things.

Its also taken so long because:
a. I made a long warp, longer than necessary (the warp is the "vertical" yarn which goes on the loom first, across which you then weave the weft horizontally) - so that I could do some other projects as well as the tea cosy. On a long warp its possible to weave a number of different items, leaving spaces between them and cutting them apart when the whole lot comes off the loom. So I have a sample too, where I just mucked about with the techniques, and 2 bags. (not quite finished, pics will follow some time....)

b. I'd chosen a fairly complicated weaving technique, and had to spend time figuring out how to do what I wanted to do. I also left my notes at home more than once, meaning I had to figure it all out all over again.

But I really enjoyed making this, its one of my favourite weaving techniques and its an area of my life where it really doesn't matter how long things take.

So here it is, the new tea cosy:

For more on the technique, see the earlier post here.
It was woven as a whole, joined at the top and sides, with horizontal tube-pockets on the back (oops, forgot to take pictures) and these little square pockets on the front - all stuffed with fleece (for keeping the tea warm, of course) and some also with fabric and/or buttons.

My weaving tutor wanted to have it to wear as a hat.
She is, of course, mad. But in a totally wonderful way.
But I am already enjoying using it as a tea cosy.

Antique Quilt

2007-01-21T17:28:00.000Z

Every now and then my parents have a clear out and offer various items around the family. They are very generous and many of them are beautiful and/or special. Most - if not all - of them are familiar, things we have grown up with.

But where my mum has kept this quilt for all these years I don't know. Well , in the loft I suppose? I'd never seen it before - and my parents aren't really the kind to keep things they don't need or use. It was in a box labelled, on its various sides, as "Beautiful antique quilt" "Grandma's Quilt" "To be kept". Clearly for my father's benefit.

They had thought that no-one would want it and/or have room for it, so maybe I could sell it on eBay? I was quick to suggest that I'd be happy to give it a home.

Its silk, and beautifully light and soft. It belonged to my great-grandmother - her daugher (my gran) was born at the turn of the century, married in 1921. So this would be late Victorian or Edwardian. The stitching looks machine- rather than hand-done.

The patterned silk has quite an oriental design.

At the moment, this is gracing the spare room, and I regularly visit it.
I'm hoping to keep it there, though probably not for use. Generally it seems to be in really excellent condition - except for the corners.

This picture (below) is quite close up - and you have to look pretty close to spot the wear. However, I'm concerned this might get worse.

The options seem to me to be that I darn it - I'm pretty good at sewing, and could do a fairly neat job I think, but it would clearly show, even if I can get a fairly good colour match. Or I wondered about patching the corners - if I could get silk of a matching shade in the rust, brown or possibly black - and make patches to repeat the scallop pattern of the middle.

I'd be so grateful for any comments/advice on this.

Extreme water knitting

2007-01-09T10:20:00.000Z

I thought I'd better get on with my knitted squares for the Water Aid campaign - the last deadline I heard of was early 2007.

So this was the perfect opportunity to have a go at Rachel John's "extreme knitting".

This was SO much fun. I have so many odds and ends of yarns - some of them really not very nice or exciting on their own. This was done with 10 strands of yarn - its much easier than I expected to knit them together. The needles are the largest I have - they are about 1.5cm.

It knitted up amazingly quickly, and the finished piece has a lovely thick, soft, luxurious feel to it, and I love the mix of colours and textures.

Bag - Monk's Belt

2006-12-20T21:02:00.000Z

Oh dear, over a month since I've posted anything.

You've probably all stopped looking by now.

Nonetheless, here is something new to look at. Just in case.

As well as not finding time to post on this blog, I'm also not too good at finding time to finish textile projects.

A year ago I was weaving a length to cut up and make into little bags. It was finished some time around Easter. The weaving, that is. I've just got around to making up the first bag for a neice's birthday. 8 months... hmmm, not too bad actually!

This was a using-bits-from-the-cupboard rather than buying new project, with a warp in blue cotton, various shades, and then all sorts of things for weft - cotton, silk, tufted novelty yarn, ribbon, fabric, chenille. It worked out really well.

I was revisiting a weaving pattern/technique I found when I was doing samples for a City and Guilds course years ago. Its not actually a complicated or difficult technique - only 4 shafts, for those to whom that means anything. (Its called "Monks Belt" - page 105, "Honeycomb", No. I of Johann D's, in Margaret Davisons Handweavers Pattern Book).

The handles were done on an inkle loom.

Only about 5 or 6 more to go!

Knit a River

2006-11-16T17:30:00.000Z

KNIT FOR AID

Knit a river is a new campaign with WaterAid. The campaign is designed to raise awareness of WaterAid and their vision - a world where everyone has access to safe water and effective sanitation.

Join I Knit in campaigning with WaterAid.

Easy-peasy lemon squeezy jackaneasy.

I'm sure it doesn't need to be perfect knitting, thats not the point.
And anyway, the only perfect knitter ever was my Nan.
(well, and maybe your nan)

Have a go.
Have a knit-a-square party.
Tell all your knitty friends.
Post a notice on your blog
(- and/or borrow mine)

The deadline is early 2007, the I Knit site has updates and further information.

Extreme Knitting

2006-10-23T23:52:00.000+01:00

One of the best things about the Knitting and Stitching show this year was the Extreme Knitting.

Rachel John was selling wonderful rugs, quilts and shawls, and immense knitting needles - and demonstrating her technique.

What she is doing is fabulous - not only are the results gorgeous, but its perfect for using up bits and pieces of yarns, combining textures and colours - and using industrial supplies and/or charity shop finds (etc etc) - hence NOT spending loads of money on beautiful but so-expensive "designer" yarns.

She knits on huge knitting needles, and with anything up to 200 strands of yarn, knitted together.

Her pieces have wonderful weight - blankets, shawls, floor rugs up to one inch thick - real heirloom pieces. They are very solid but also soft, luxurious and practical.

The demo was great - she gave some useful practical tips and really encouraged everyone to have a go for themselves. I certainly plan to try this, I've so many odds and ends sitting waiting to be used. And I think it would be fairly easy to at least have a go - if I start with only 5 or 10 strands! 50 or 100 probably takes a bit of working up to.

The piece here on which Rachel demonstrated is being knitted with 35 strands, and the needles are about 24cm thick.

She said she usually rests the ends of the needles on her chair/sofa, so that the weight isn't too much of a problem.

This rug (below) was woven with 50 strands, and the colours were beautifully graduated from sea green-blue at one end, through blue and red to orange and yellow at the other end.

For more info., click here and scroll down to August 2005 - theres a pdf press release with info. and more pictures.

Have a go! I'm off to buy some dowelling, and to phone my wood-working father....

Shed string Part Two

2006-09-29T17:39:00.000+01:00

This is some of the summer collection of Mandy's gorgeous hand-spun "string". Based on raw hemp, it incorporates all sorts of other fibres, fabrics, bits and pieces - lace, even feathers.
(Click here for the "Spring collection"!)

Do click to enlarge these pictures, this needs to be seen as close up as possible, its just scrumptious.

This is twisted into hanks.

And below - teased out a bit to show the yarn in more detail:

This would make wonderful birds'-nest baskets and cornflower and cow parsley bags!

And its just occurred to me that it could be knitted, as well as woven..... watch this space - I want to have a go too.

Textiles classes

2006-09-22T12:29:00.000+01:00

My weaving/spinning class started up again yesterday, hurrah!

I'd wrongly assumed it started the same week as schools in the borough, so I've had 2 weeks feeling deprived. It was great to be back.

However - no details yet of fab. textiles work going on in the class. That will follow in my next post. (including some more pics. of Mandy's gorgeous hand-spun shed "string" - from her summer collection).

Before that - a piece of shameless advertising.

Numbers on the textiles courses have dropped over recent years. (Like numbers on most courses in further education - especially general interest courses). This has a lot to do with cuts in funding.

Numbers this year are looking pretty critical - we need more students to keep these courses running! There are very few classes in spinning and weaving in London - if this course is shut down, it will probably never start up again, which would be a tragedy.

Are you living in London and interested in learning to spin, weave, dye, make felt .... do other textile related things? ... tapestry, braids... Do you know someone who might be interested?
...rugs, blankets ..... belts, straps, hats .....

The classes are open and suitable for learners - absolute beginners welcome - or for more experienced people too.

There are textiles courses on the Thursday - morning and/or afternoon (most of us do both, 2 hours just isn't long enough!) - also on the Wednesday - an all-day course. The Thursday class is most in need of numbers, our teacher is simply wonderful, its a really nice friendly class. Some of the students at the Wednesday class (I think) do a one year City and Guilds course, tho' you don't have to join up for that.

You can come with specific ideas of what you want to learn or make - scarves, cushions, bags etc. are really quick and easy or you can come and get ideas and guidance from the tutor
who will set you up with some projects, if you don't know where to start. You don't have to have any of your own equipment or supplies - everything you need is there!

Join up now and theres plenty of time to make some Christmas presents.

The course is run by Greenwich Community College - in Greenwich itself, on mainline trains into London, also on the Docklands light railway. Most students are fairly local to south London, but we've had students coming from North London too, as there are so few weaving/spinning classes around. website: www.gcc.ac.uk

Costs of the courses vary depending whether you live in the Borough or not, whether you are on benefits, retired etc..... - full info. on the website.

There is also a 2 day weekend workshop coming upin October on paper spinning, which looks great, I've just signed up for that too.

SO

here are some phrases designed to catch googles:

learn to spin
learn to weave
felt-making
textiles classes
spinning course
spinning class
weaving course
weaving class

... have I missed anything? can you think of other ways for us to advertise this course?

If you are going to the Knitting and Stitching Show in October - please tell anyone you can about our courses!

Keep your fingers crossed for us, it would be so bad for all sorts of reasons if any of the courses are shut down.

Tassels again

2006-09-20T08:19:00.000+01:00

I will now always associate tassels with my mother - which is kind of nice but also sad. They have been a perfect activity for my hands while I've been visiting so much, during her illness.

The tassels I posted earlier were mostly very quick tassels. These took somewhat longer! and I'm sure I would never have found so much time to spend on them if it weren't for being with her.

These first 2 are made from some superb waxed linen I bought at the boot fair. Lovely stuff, but not too easy to work with, as it has a mind of its own.

The second of these has Victorian/Edwardian boot buttons attached to the ends - I was so happy to find such a nice use for them.

This one has a really satisfying weight because of all the beads - some of which are old bone toggles inherited from a grandmother or great aunt.

And these are made through an entirely different technique - basically just tying little bits of knotted string together, and fraying the ends. Its a victorian tassell making technique, and can make little dainty tassels

or - even more fun - big rude shed tassels.

Button Swap

2006-09-11T01:05:00.000+01:00

Lovely buttons from my swap with lovely Donna.

Unlike the buttons I sent, these were beautifully packaged, and came with a lovely card picturing vintage fabric.

I'm so pleased with them, what a great idea. And below are some of my favourites.

Beautiful mother of pearl

Some great vintage plastic, bakelite, flower etc. buttons, big and small

And these are my favourite, very little ones.

For more great vintage swaps, see Tat's new Vintage swap site.

Tasselling

2006-09-06T18:05:00.000+01:00

As promised (... for a while now...) TASSELS!

Tasselling (in my new [innovative?] use of this word as a verb meaning the making of tassels - rather than embellishing with {- not half so much fun, I shouldn't think!}) was part of the short course where I learned how to make buttons (see earlier post) - I think I enjoyed the tassels even more than the buttons.

Lots of pictures here of tassels made last weekend with a friend who was visiting, and LG (my daughter). We made more than I've pictured here - they are very easy to make, and mostly very quick (not so much the one with wire and stones.... Dizzy made at least 6 tassels in the time that one took!) [pictures should all enlarge if you click]

These are some of Dizzy's tassels:

Not a very good picture here, but these are lovely and esp. the one on the right which is made of lovely soft shiny ribbons.

And these are just gorgeous, aren't they?

She was very creative - and prolific! she made more than this, but for some reason I didn't get pictures of them all.

These were my weekend tassels:

I think this one would be good on a larger scale and used as a chandelier.

(very satisfying to find such a good use for beach-finds of pebbles with holes and sandwashed glass.)

The following were some of these following made by LG, but posted with her permission here on the understanding that I refer to her as Demon Child, rather than Little Gem. Tch!
Some of them will make great Christmas decorations

And this carrot tassel is my favourite of all

I have pictures of more ... didn't want to get too carried away here! ... and can post them and/or instructions if anyone is interested. They really are easy peasy.

Shed string

2006-08-13T00:46:00.000+01:00

Lots of pictures coming up. This is my friend Mandy's work.

She is amazingly gifted and creative. She is my weaving/spinning (+ textiles) tutor, as well as a friend and near-neighbour who I am glad to be getting to know better.

This is her shed string.

Her shed, in and of itself, is great, and has inspired me to a shed of my own. Click here for pics.

Her shed string - which currently decorates her
shed - is as un-string-like as her shed is un-shed-like.

Inspired by her garden through the changing seasons, she has spun this string based on raw hemp (and this is the hemp other spinners might be tempted to throw away)

incorporating other things (other fibres, lacew, bits of fabric... ) according to the mood/inspiration.

This is early Spring-string:

Forsythia

An early misty Spring morning

Forget-me-nots

Isn't it wonderful?

These yarns would make really gorgeous bags and baskets. But it also looks great hung inside the door of Mandy's shed!

I know she has added a summer collection, I'll pop round and ask if I can take more pics. for you.

Buttons : How-to

2006-07-07T06:20:00.000+01:00

In response to Mu ddy Red Shoe's request, here are some instructions about making buttons like those in my previous post.

FIRST - with pictures (which should be clearer and larger if you click on them) - "Dorset buttons" and variations. These are the buttons pictured 2nd in my post.

You need a blunt-ish darning-type needle (depending on thickness of thread) and a curtain ring, washer ... anything similar - to work around/over. (Tho plastic is possibly better for washable buttons)

First, button stitch all the way around the ring. Then, you're supposed to push the line of little knots which this produces from the outer edge of the ring, in to the middle - this gives a neat edge. (Second part of diagram A.) On the red and cream buttons, I left this on the outside as it was a nice fuzzy effect, especially working with chenille.
A.

Next join a long thread on to the ring - wrap it around the ring (ie. across the diameter), to make the spokes, with each winding a little to the side of the previous one - A. part 3. Don't worry if the centre of the spokes doesn't look very central.

Use the same thread to centre and fix the spokes by stitching a cross or two in the middle.

The last stage (A. part 4) is to do a couple of rows of backstitch across the spokes, just inside the outer ring, with each stitch bringing together a spoke from the front with the matching one from the back. You can use the thread you were already using, or cast on a new thread. Cast off and then stitch a buttonhole loop at the back.

Of my buttons, the orange one and the little blue one were basically done like this - the orange first, which is why its a bit lumpy. Also - because it was a soft yarn which split easily - probably better to work with something a bit more solid (though not too fine) at least at first.

For variations, the backstitch can be overstitched with chain stitch, french knots and/or little beads can be added in various places - and you can, of course, do more than 2 rows of backstitch. And just using different types and colours of yarn makes a lot of difference.

Other variations:
B.
This is the red and cream button on the left in my picture.

Same method as A., though you might want fewer spokes. Then you simply work the backstitch from the centre outwards, rather than from the edge, and fill the button with this stitching right to the outside edge. This button looks fairly different on front and back.

C.

This is the other red and cream button which I made, although I worked in sets of 2 spokes at a time, rather than 3 at a time as in the diagram (C) (because I hadn't counted the spokes properly first.....) The sets of 2 or 3 spokes are woven with the needle in an over-under / figure-of-eight pattern. Don't pull the thread too tight.

SECONDLY
The other buttons in my earlier post, at the top, were crotcheted - I don't have any diagrams, but these are very very easy. You don't need to be a particularly expert crotcheter (? - looks wrong) to do these. (Just as well, as I'm not ...)

Take your ring and chosen thread/yarn - you need a fair length, but can work from a spool/ball, you don't have to cut it before you start.

Take a loop towards the end of the yarn and pull it through the ring towards you from back to front, keeping hold of the end of the yarn at the back (the end will be secured by the first couple of stitches). Keep the hook through this loop, and pull another loop of yarn through it, over the top edge of the ring. Pull the yarn tight around the ring (not tooo tight) - and this gives you your first loop on the crotchet hook.

Does this sound like so much gobble-de-gook? or unknown Niddy-Noddy-speak? I think I must get/find/take some pictures - its much easier to learn by seeing and doing than by reading.

OK - pictures of this first stage below:

You then work around the ring like this: put your hook through the ring from front to back, put yarn around hook, pull back through ring - 2 loops on the hook. Put the yarn around the hook from over the top and back of the ring, pull this through both loops - one loop on the hook. Repeat this until you've worked your way around the edge. Don't worry if the outside stitched edge seems to be pulling in. For anyone used to crotchet - this is double-chaining.

When you are back to the beginning make sure you have a fair length of yarn left - cut it off and/or join in a new length if necessary. Bring this end through the final loop you had on the hook and pull to secure it. Use a darning needle to thread the yarn through each of the chains on the outer edge, round and back to the beginning - then pull the yarn tight. This will pull the outer edge in to the middle, forming your button.

Depending on the ratio of the ring-size to the weight/thickness of the yarn, you may get a completely filled in button - like my purple ribbon button - or you may get a button with a hole in the middle, like this one, and the multi-coloured one. I could have crotcheted a few additional rows around the edge of this before finishing if I'd wanted it all filled in across the back. To do additional rows, you work another row of double-chaining through the first row rather than through the ring. Doing extra rows also gives you the acorn-cup effect.

I hope I haven't put anyone off with all these words ..... focus on the pictures, it really is quick and easy once you've had a bit of a practice. And curiously satisfying. Assuming you like buttons that is.

So there. After all that - someone had better just have a go!

There is a lovely button book which has instructions for these and lots more:
50 Heirloom Buttons to Make, Nancy Nehring, The Taunton Press 1996. ISBN 1-56158-146-1.

Buttons

2006-06-24T18:51:00.000+01:00

I signed up for a short, 3-week course, which has replaced my usual weaving class (now finished for the summer).

I vaguely thought I might continue with the tea cosy which is still not finished (in fact, only just started really).

I should have known better. "Tassels & buttons" might sound like something which might just be forgone, in order to get on with other weaving. Not these tassels and buttons. Mandy (she of the inspirational shed) creates inspirational tassels - tassels like no tassels you have seen before - and the buttons are pretty good too, especially for someone with a button fetish such as mine.

I have now had two great Thursdays, both of which have started extremely miserably but been redeemed by tassels and buttons, Mandy's inspiration and the lovely group.

The buttons in the first pic. are crotcheted. I especially like the big one, and the pale chenille one which looks like an acorn cup.

The buttons in the second picture are "Dorset buttons" - done with a needle and thread, around curtain rings. The orange one was my first and is a bit clunky. I was very pleased with the red and cream ones, esp. as the red is chenille which contrasts nicely with the creamy silk.

Someone in this week's class (a very kind someone, who brought in some old buttons from her own collection for me to have) said that there must be hope for a world where people will sit around for a day making buttons, for fun.

Blog about tassels to follow, in due course.

Boot sale quilts

2006-06-14T20:57:00.000+01:00

These beautiful quilts came from the last car boot sale I went to.

They are hand-made patchwork, really well made with beautiful fabrics and designs.

Unfortunately they have some marks on them, but I'm hopeful of getting these out (with Dons' advice).

This is a double-bed size cover - only a few marks, I'm fairly confident it will clean up well:

This one is single-bed size, and has more significant marks... hope I didn't make a mistake in buying it, but its sooo pretty.....

So, if and when I get them cleaned up, I only have to decide what to do with them!

Keep them or eBay? Tough decision

Lacey

2006-05-29T13:10:00.000+01:00

I've been thinking a lot about lace textiles recently.

My weaving class-room has a display board, and the display this term has been lace - all kinds of lace, real lace of all sorts, stunning antique lace collars, lacey fashion shows, lacey leaf skeletons, lacey knitting, even lacey sculptures.
I also went to a small exhibition recently about lace making & lace effects.
And then there was this.

So, here are some of the lacier things I have made. (the word lace/lacey is by now starting to look strange and wrong).

I made this for a City & Guilds course I did a few years ago, it was linked to a design board on "Walls" which got me more than a few strange looks taking photographs of walls in and around Greenwich.

The technique is called "Spaced and Crammed" and the lacey effect is produced simply by putting the warp threads alternately very close together / more widely spaced on the loom - and then doing similar spacing and cramming with the weft.

According to my largely fictitious City & Guilds presentation, this was to be a bathroom blind for my own house, the prospective client being my husband. Its never gone up in the bathroom, I wasn't really quite sure about the colours (though I have just now thought of another use for it) and I soon afterwards saw some lace weaving which I thought would make a much nicer blind.

So I made this for the bathroom. The weaving was a joy, especially as I'd just been weaving some blankets from chunky slubby hand-spun wool - it was a delicious contrast to handle.

The technique is called Huck Lace - the lace is produced because of the way the loom is set up, and the order in which the shafts (and therefore the warp threads) are lifted. Looks effective, but very easy and fast to weave.

It has yet to be washed (which will make the weave a little tighter and more three-dimensional) and yet to be actually made into a real, usable working blind.... I will get around to it one of these days, really I will.... though a friend was saying the other day that it would make rather a nice summer wrap/shawl, so who knows? ...

Recycling

2006-05-20T05:17:00.000+01:00

My T-cosy is going very well. I think I'm slightly crazy to start something quite complicated so close to the end of my weaving course, but I'm having great fun.

Having taken my camera to yesterday's class without any memory card, here is something else to look at instead:This is my peg bag. I crotcheted it from old plastic carrier bags. Dead easy and very satisfying because it is so ecologically sound! (and essentially free, of course)

The slightly thinner type of plastic bag is best, the kind which is slightly rustley - for those in the UK, WH Smiths bags, and/or Argos are ideal, or market bags. However I have used heavier plastic too, when required to find just the colour I wanted, it works ok but is slightly more difficult to work with.

Cut the bags into strips about 1 inch across (less if the plastic is thicker, wider if its very flimsy). Starting at the top edge of the carrier bag, its possible to cut around and around in a spiral right down to the bottom, giving quite long strips.

Then crotchet - with a medium/large crotchet hook. Easy peasey lemon squeezy. Its best not to work too tightly. I drove M mad with making these in front of the TV because the plastic rustled so much and disrupted his viewing.

This larger bag is the first one I made, which I did use for a while to take all my things to weaving. It now contains all our shoe-cleaning gear, cloths and brushes.

The handle stretched a bit with use - though this could be avoided by crotcheting some thin string in with the plastic. The spotty/patched effect is from bags with writing/pictures/logos on them, this produces random patterns.

The real danger with these is that it establishes a habit of bag-spotting - unusual colours will catch your eye, and you'll be trying to identify logos/sources of bags in the high street. Also you will never again be able to throw away an attractively/interestingly coloured plastic bag.

Tea cosy

2006-05-05T22:46:00.000+01:00

Yoga - check.

Washing out in the garden - check.

Guinea pigs still in the garden (not escaped) - check.

Bit of housework done (friend coming for weekend) - check.

Funny bread mix in the machine for gluten-free friend - check.

Time to blog.
Must get this blog off the ground.....

I was going to spend the last few weeks (shame }:o( ...) of my weaving course finishing the little bags I've been making - sewing up, sewing on handles (see earlier post) putting in lining etc.

BUT - at the last minute yesterday morning, I decided to do a new project which I might just have time to finish in the next 4/5 weeks - because it will be much more fun, it will use up some of my store of yarn (and then I can buy MORE!)

and basically because I hate my tea cosy.
Its awful.

SO - I'm weaving a tea cosy.
(sorry if you were anticipating a picture of the awful tea cosy - its a bit too disreputable to appear here.)

This is the warp, on the warping mill.

The mill makes it much quicker and easier to measure out all the warp threads, keep them the same length and in order, ready to go onto the loom.

I have got a system of pegs to clamp onto the table at home to make warps, but its a bit of a pain in the neck and involves lots of reorgnisation and walking round and round the table.

and just taken off ready to go onto the loom:

I haven't decided about the weft yet - though the orange threads here (which are just temporarily keeping it all in place) look pretty good. I think I'll do something funky, and use different colours, ribbons, tufty threads in the warp. Any suggestions? what colours would you put with this?

I will weave it in double-cloth - this is a technique where you can weave two layers at the same time, one on top of the other, getting them to intersect at certain points and in different ways.

This means that you can weave tubes, or 2-sided cloth, or cloth with little integral pockets which can be stuffed with things....and there are lots of other possibilities. Its one of my favourite weaving techniques.

These are double cloth cushions which I wove some time ago as an experiment, with pockets stuffed with fleece and bits of yarn.

SO - if I weave this tea cosy with 4 layers of cloth at once (rather than 2 like the cushions) then both sides of the tea cosy can have little pockets or tubes stuffed with fleece - hence keeping my tea nice and hot! of course, I could put other things in the pockets too... buttons... any other ideas? needs to be washable, i suppose.

I should also be able to weave it joined up at the top and down the sides, meaning there will be no making up to do afterwards. If I can work out how to do that...

I will keep you informed.

Niddy Noddy

2006-05-01T18:39:00.000+01:00

This is my niddy noddy.

Yes, thats the genuine and traditional name for this piece of equipment, I'm not making it up or being silly. (as if I would do such a thing).

It was made for me by my lovely old dad.

I also have a lazy Kate (actually, 2 lazy Kates, one large and one small), but not (unfortunately) a swift (umbrella or otherwise). I also have a spinning wheel, though it doesn't have the type of spindle on which a princess could prick her finger. Though sometimes spinning does send me to sleep, just a little bit (in a good, I'm-very-relaxed kind of way).

I will post further, soon I hope, explaining the use of the niddy noddy (to those of you who don't already know). (I admit you are probably in the majority.) It is indeed very useful - for spinners that is. You might think of some other interesting uses for it.

Its fascinating how any area of interest develops its own more-or-less esoteric terminology. Language games. I could go on about skeins, sett and draw-downs, raddling and sleying. I could explain how 2-ply and 4-ply mean quite a different thing to a spinner than they mean (or at least used to mean) to knitters.
But I wont, because that would be booooring.

During school terms I attend a weaving course at a local adult education college - which is great, and ensures I have at least one day a week being creative. However I also have a loom and other equipment at home, and am trying to make more time to enjoy using them. All part of my on-going mission to work and worry and stress less and live more.

This blog will be about weaving, spinning, knitting. It began with this, and was also inspired by Stuntmother's knitting blog. I hope to share with and get ideas from other people - and to be inspired to finish projects (!) and to keep a record of them.

So this will be intermittent, then? Ha ha. But with lots of pics.