All Tied Up

My 1978 Hammett floor loom came with thick cotton cords for all its tie-ups.  Try as I might, getting everything to be even and at the correct heights is near impossible.  As soon as I think I've got the cords to be even, I go to tie the knots and the cord slips.

I've been wanting to replace all the cords with Texsolv for quite some time. The last 1 3/4 years has seen the loom sitting unused in the dining room, as I wasn't well enough to weave.  Now that I am, I don't want to put a warp onto it, until I replace all the cords.

These types of projects need to be done slowly and methodically, to keep the Oops at bay!  The first thing I did was to collate tools - a small Phillips head screwdriver and good scissors.  Many of the cotton cords were mostly original to the loom and needed prying loose.  When I couldn’t open the knots, I’d just cut the cord close to the knot and push the small cut end through the screw eyes.  This worked well.

The beater had previously been removed.  I also removed the breast beam and the cloth beam and it's ratchet, as I didn't want to bonk my head on the cloth beam, when it was time to crawl inside the loom.  I then clamped the harnesses in place, then I removed the cords from the lamms to the treadles (to relieve the weight and pull from the treadles), then the cords from the harnesses to the lamms.

I then realized I’d need to prop up the harnesses, so they wouldn’t come crashing down, as I removed the top roller cords.  Luckily my loom bench (this barstool at Target) was the perfect height to put under the harnesses.  

 

I then removed the cotton cord and added the Texsolv cord to the right side upper roller, then the right side of the harnesses to secondary roller.  As I had bought a 22-yd spool of Texsolv cord, I cut the lengths generously for this loom, at  23".  Once the loom is warped and any final adjustments to the cording made, I can trim the excess.

Because the lamms are hinged on the left side, I couldn’t put the stool on the left to hold the harnesses up, so I used some of the freed up cotton cord to tie the harnesses up over the top roller, and replaced the cords on the left side.

I'm using these brass paper holders to secure the Texsolv ties.  Thanks to Lucille on the Warped Weavers Ravelry group for the idea!  They work well and cost much less than Texsolv pegs. Once I was happy with how things were hanging, I folded the paper clip ends around and over the button end.

Then I replaced the harness to lamm cords, then finally the lamm to treadle cords.  A small empty box held the treadles up at a good height – it's hard enough on the body being squished into a small space on the floor, without having to also  hold up heavy treadles, while trying to insert cords!  And to hasten this process, I used extra long cords for the harnesses to lamms and lamms to treadles, so that I only needed one clip on each cord, instead of 2.

It wasn’t a quick project, but quicker than putting a warp on!  And you may have noticed, I replaced the original metal heddles with Texsolv – no more clanking and banging – I don’t like unnecessary noise.

Now that the loom is done, I can begin to warp for afghan and rag rug samples.
Onward,
Dawn

Repurposing Space

Many of us live in constrained spaces.  Finding ways to store our essentials, preferably without spending $, can be a challenge.

My studio space (everything for spinning, weaving, sewing, and ALL the shipping accoutrement) is in our dining room. The room is only about 13’ square, and has 2 (space wasting) built-in corner cupboards, 3 windows, a doorway and a large opening to the stairwell and living room.

I am constantly trying to eek out a bit more storage.  The largest bugbear to this room has been this keyhole desk above. We bought it years ago from the local Restore, long before I bought the new-to-me floor loom, as my office was originally in the dining room, but is now squeezed into my bedroom.

I’d have sold it already, and put a 4’ wide tall metal rack in its place, except it was a Project getting it into the dining room in the first place.

All our interior doorways are a bit too narrow, so the door moldings had to be removed first, so the desk would squeeze through, then the moldings had to be put back and the paint touched up.  So, this baby isn’t going anywhere, until we cut the desk’s overhang off the back of it, so it can go through the doorways and out!  

Last night, as I continued plans for spinning and weaving projects I need to start soon, the dilemma arose as to where on earth was I going to put a bump or 2 of wool top, as well as the things I will be weaving – more rag rugs and wool afghans.

So, I gave the desk a re-think.  Both the large lower drawers hold files.  But as we also keep files in the basement, I decided to move all the files out and stash my fabrics in the drawers.

Some people save jars (I do too, and plastic bags, and, and..), but I also save boxes.  I have a bunch of PM Regional Rate C boxes, back from when they actually offered a rate C option.  I use them on occasion and just Sharpie over the ‘Rate C’.  But, it turns out they are also the perfect width for the desk’s metal file holders to hold all my files. Taped the bottoms for strength and cut off the top flaps.  Now I just gotta haul them into the basement.

Both drawers stuffed to the gills!

Onward!
Dawn







 

Wool Pillow Project

I've long admired all the great new wool bedding products being made, but my thrifty DIY self does not like to pay premium prices for something I can make myself, and the one thing I've been needing is a new bed pillow.

For many years I've been using Tempur-Pedic pillows when I find them at a good price. They last me many years, as I have no qualms about cutting them open and re-shifting the insides, to keep the ideal pillow shape, as needed.

One of my hand spinning experiments was a really thick roving yarn that I semi-felted. My wheel isn't really geared to spinning this type of yarn easily, so the experiment ended there.

I have several balls of it, and no immediate need for it to be woven or knit, but hubby used to have a Martha Stewart pillow that was just filled with little poly puff balls, so I took the idea and have been cutting the yarn into about 1.5-2" lengths and pulling each bit apart to make little wool puff balls. 

Here's my largest (16" diameter) SS bowl being filled with them.  I filled the bowl a couple times.  I then stuffed them into a zippered pillow protector, so the tufts can be re-shifted and added to, as needed. 

It has taken some time to finish this project, but I didn’t work on it consistently.  Although it initially looked like one, 100 gr ball of yarn made enough puffs to fill about half the pillowcase, it turns out using only 2 balls of puffs would have made a rather flat pillow.  In the end I used 4 balls (400 gr/14 ozs.) of yarn cut and pulled into puffs.  I didn't pack the pillowcase, instead I left enough room for shifting the puffs, as needed.  On with a cotton pillowcase, and I slept on it last night for the first time.  

I was hoping, but wasn’t expecting, the pillow to work out as well as it did.  The little puffs allow my head to nestle in, and I could scrunch the pillow under my neck, when shifting from my back to my side.  It worked out well and is comfortable.

If anyone tries this idea, do let know how it works for you!

Onward,
Dawn

Christmas in August

I always need a Plan.  Not a Deadline, mind you, just a plan.  At this point in life, ‘deadline’ is a dirty word. Who needs the stress?

I do, however, need my mind and my environment to be organized, or I feel overwhelmed and flounder in indecision and a lack of motivation.  It’s logical, as being motivated intimates a state of action, or near action, but if one doesn’t know what to take action upon, the action is stymied.  Energy flow is blocked.  It’s bad feng shui, for both the mind and the body!

So, as I’m back to feeling well enough to cook, clean, and climb stairs to do laundry, my natural inclination is to get back to work - knitting patterns, spinning, and weaving, as well as planning some home projects – sewing, organizing, getting in a few much needed things, and getting rid of the old tat and broken electronics and appliances.  

There’s a lot that needs doing!  And although I am feeling well enough, though still on the mend, I’ve learned (finally) not to over do.  Being organized and having a Plan of Action is crucial.  Hence, Christmas in August.  I’ve begun the knitting for the grandkids’ Christmas gifts now, instead of putting it off until November.

I don’t really have time right now to design things from scratch, as heaven knows, there’s a pile of half-finished designs and patterns sitting here waiting for me the past 2 years.  

So, I pulled out the kids’ pattern books that I have hoping to, just once, be able to follow someone else’s pattern, as EZ used to say, as a Blind Follower.  At least, that was the plan.  And we all know how the Universe laughs at plans!

I have 2 Minnowknits books, this one and this one, also Takle and Kolstad’s “Small Sweaters”, 3 Debbie Bliss books, and VK’s Kids issue from 2001. Not a lot of books, but enough to inspire.

I also pulled out my binder of sizing info – data I had collected over many years of designing.  Looking through all this data, however, made my head begin to swim.  It all wasn’t organized enough to be a quick reference.  

So, a Detour.  Spent an entire day (and will need to continue it another day) organizing all this info into charts – body measurement info, but also ease and sizing info, which is affected by yarn weight and stitch patterns.  This short detour is a necessary refreshing of the memory, as I’ve not been knitting for children often, just once a year.

But of course, all the patterns I like will need some (or a lot of!) reconfiguring. It’s always the way – I’ll like a particular stitch pattern or color chart being used, but don’t have the pattern’s given weight and style of yarn, or the pattern isn’t in the size I need.  I’m sure a lot of knitters are faced with this same scenario.  Most of the time, it is all easily enough remedied, so long as one doesn’t mind some math.

I’ve begun with this hat, for my granddaughter, who turns 3 in January. The hat was originally designed in a DK wt. yarn, and I’m using Lamb’s Pride Worsted which leans toward a heavy worsted weight, so I had to reconfigure the stitch counts and the stitch patterns, as well as the ear flap shaping.  The ear flaps took the most time and I’m still not sure about them.

The edges of the earflaps, front and back edges are also left plain in the pattern, which I don’t like, so I’ll be adding an edging.  And a hat needs matching mittens, so I’ll need to design them.

I’m still not sure I want to continue knitting this pattern in the yarn I have, so I ordered 16” and 24” Basix circulars in sizes 4, 5 and 6, in case I decide to rework it (or start something else) in a DK wt. yarn, likely Nature Spun Worsted, which, despite the name, really wants to be knit at a DK wt. gauge. 

I have plenty of circulars, but in larger sizes, and, as is usual, the price of my beloved Addi Turbos have risen quite a bit since I bought my circulars 25 ish years ago!  I don’t mind investing in tools, as I LOVE tools, but am not eager to spend $90 for 5 sets of circulars!

So, while the hat is on hold, I decided to knit this aran sweater for grandson, who turns 5 in December.  

In both of Jil Eaton’s Minnowknits books, there is the same cream-colored aran sweater, in a chunky gauge. I have more than enough Lanaloft Worsted in Manor Grey and Ash, and I decided on the grey. Again, despite the name, the LLW really wants to be knit at a heavy worsted wt, gauge.

Naturally, my gauge is a smidge snugger than the pattern’s, so more reconfiguring was needed.  But that was just the beginning of the needed adjustments. As I knit sweaters in the round, never pieced like in this pattern, this too had to be addressed.  The next thing to change was the direction of the cables on the left front and the left back, so that the cables face each other (mirror image), instead of all crossing in the same direction. I really like things to be balanced, which shows an attention to detail when creating a pattern, that enough thought and planning has gone into the design.

The last change I’m making is how often the 2/2 and 3/3 cables are crossed. The pattern has them both crossed every 8th row, which is rather loose for my taste, so I’m crossing the 2/2 cables on every 4th rnd and the 3/3 cables on every 6th rnd.

I could have just designed this sweater from scratch, for all the changes I’m needing to make, but it will be all the better for it!  

Grandson is said to be fussy about what he will wear, so I knit this aran pullover more in hope, than expectation, that he will like it enough to wear it!

Onward,
Dawn

Sheepy Grey Rescued by Beautiful Norwegian Countryside!

 (Originally posted on WP 3/3/22.)

When I’m feeling loquacious (which hasn’t occurred at all this past year), I tend to start many blog posts. Start, not finish. I want to get the gist of them down on (virtual) paper, lest I forget them.

Time passes, though, and life and work move on, so about half of these half-written posts are no longer relevant. The following post though still holds true. To be honest, I don’t remember if I ever posted it to my old blog.

Sheepy Grey Rescued by Beautiful Norwegian Countryside!

Until recently, I had been knitting up my modest stash.  It amazes me that the yarns and colors I wish I had more of, I don't, yet the yarns and colors I do have, make me go, eh.

Like sheep's grey.  That earthy, isn't quite grey, isn't quite brown, can't make up its mind, murky color, which only men seem to tolerate!  I have bucket loads of the stuff. Well, not bucket loads, but, about 1.5 lbs of it, which is a lot, compared to the bits and bobs in the rest of my stash.

I was beginning to go off the Garter Stitch Deep End, aka Garters on the Brain. Washcloths, in various stages of progress, sit, as yet unfinished, as do the rest of the garter stitch lampshade covers, and a rough sketch of a garter stitch design sits with sample yarn, yet to be fleshed out. But, as I was writing that post, hubby was on his way home from the library, with our usual magazine load – Yankee, Consumer Reports, Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, Country Living, and any VKs he can find.

What he also had in his arms was The Best of Lopi, More Sweaters, Monkeysuits, and Knit One, Knit All.

This last book is one of two EZ books I did not own. I have Knitter's Almanac, Knitting Workshop, Knitting Around (my all-time favorite), and The Opinionated Knitter.

I don't have Knitting Without Tears, although I did borrow it from the library once, but saw no need to purchase it. But, after slowly perusing it, I had to get a copy of ‘Knit One Knit All’ And although I've seen mention of EZ's Add-A-Bootees, I never saw the pattern. 'Til now.

So, did I finish up the all garter stitch work piled onto the back of the love seat, necessitating that I sit gingerly, lest all the yarn balls, with their attached ndls, don't come tumbling down upon me?  Of course not. I immediately pulled out that boring, sheepy grey wool yarn (Cascade Yarns Ecological Wool), made sure the ball had been wound with doubled strands (it had), pulled out a size 8 Addi Turbo and the old-style Bryspun Flexible dpns (love, no, LOVE my Turbos and Bryspuns, but only the old-style Bryspuns, not the newer, concave ones), and CO an Add-a-Bootee, to see if I like the design.

I'm always up for a good slipper sock design, but, have not (yet, anyway) found one I want to knit repeatedly. We will see how this one goes.

As I cogitate about the matter (and I do like to chew on things, until I really understand my own perspective and motivation), I think my long-time aversion to garter stitch is connected to its use in clothing.

I don't mind it used in household linens, like afghans, area rugs, and the lowly washcloth – the stitch seems to make sense in these applications. In clothing, however, it makes the fabric thick, unless knit in very thin yarn. It also makes it bumpy, and uncomfortable.

For thickness, I prefer Fair Isle or stranding – to me, a riot of color and pattern, or fabulous cable texture, should be the trade-off from having to have the extra fabric thickness. I'm not (yet, anyway!) sold on garter stitch's use in clothing, except, hopefully, these bootees.

But, this post is also about design, not just color. We all have colors we are attracted to like honeybees to flowers. My heart stops when I see a particular shade of intense fuchsia. My brain suddenly goes into dreamy mode. Cobalt blue also has this effect, though to a lesser degree. It's something about the red/blue balance in fuchsia, which speaks to me.

Then I look at earthy colors, like that sheep's grey, and it's Thud. No sparks, no dreaminess, no inner sighing. I know the sheep can't help the color wool they make. And I love sheep. One can hardly be a knitter and not at least appreciate sheep, if not love them, but the earthiness does not inspire design.

Or does it?

I love many things. One thing I love, and have yet to get to do, in my nearly 63 and counting years, is travel. It's one reason I love to read EZ's Knitting Around. I could (and do) read of EZ's magical early years, over and over. All that travel, all those wonderful experiences in places far afield from where she grew up. Some knitters prefer her Knitter's Almanac, but, I'm already that older women, living a hidden-away life, so I don't harken for more of the same – I yearn for Adventure, to, finally, get out of the house!

We can then want to surround ourselves with what we don't have, so I love to watch travel shows – Rick Steves, Rudy Maxa, The Visions series on Amazon, especially Visions of Austria, and to some extent, Debra Rixon's shows.

I cannot watch these shows, though, without seeing design, everywhere.

As Rick Steves' videographer pans across the Western Norwegian countryside, what do I see? Farmhouses in that sheepy grey color, with barn red or white trim - Ooh! Look how well they go together, I think to myself, and store the idea away.

As we’ve owned this cedar-shingled cape-style house on Cape Cod for the past 11 years, I'm well familiar with sheepy grey (it’s everywhere on the Cape), though I'm usually inside, looking out from it, and yes, more white or brick red would punch it up. Same for that ochre yellow house with white trim.  Ocher yellow - definitely not my fav color, yet, used on these Norwegian homes, it suits its place – terroir.

His quick shot of the Bergen harbor (at 17:38 mins. in the above video), shows repeated elements and colors, from the buildings and their roofs below, just screaming to be another design.

Here's another. And another, even better.

Can anyone look at Nyhavn Harbor, in Copenhagen, and not see great colors which work well together? More design.

I actually want to pause at all the great shots, and take photos, to store away as design inspirations!

May sheep (even sheep’s grey fleeced-sheep!) safely graze.
Onward,
Dawn

Woolly DIY

 (Originally psoted on WP 11/5/21.)

In my latest attempt to expand the sizes of hand spun yarn I offer, I hand twisted 8, 100 gram hanks of the new-to-me US Rambouillet (French Merino) wool top. I hand felted 2 hanks, then thought that using the delicates cycle in the machine on the last 6 hanks would make the hanks look as good as Kate’s from Ashford, after they came out of the wool cycle on her machine.

But I was wrong. The hanks felted oddly, very well in some places, hardly at all in others.  So, once they were dry, I balled them up, and put them into a plastic lidded bucket (as all my fibers and handspun are stored), awaiting some inspiration for what to do with them.

Now, I’ve been aware of wool-filled bed pillows for awhile, as well as wool-filled comforters and here, but buying almost all these ready-made alternative/eco/non-mainstream products is outside the budget, so the idea goes into the DIY box.

Wool quilts are an easy thing to DIY, if one weaves or knits. I prefer wool blankets to quilts, anyway.

BTW, if you love all things wooly, do check out Clara Parkes’ new ‘The Wool Channel’. Here’s her post in June of 2021 on wool bedding.

Clara’s posts are making me think outside the usual wool boxes - as with the wool sponges  and wool PJ’s.

These wool sponges are made from felted wool batting, but I wonder how necessary that step is – am thinking of just garter stitch knitting a square with wool roving yarn, then throwing it into the washer and dryer – it would be a quick and easy experiment, to see if/how they worked. So, it’s on the To-Do List.

Now, those PJ’s are tugging at my purse strings – the fabric, warmth, comfort are all calling to me!

I’m no fan of flannel PJ’s - as the woven structure does not stretch. *Fleece* PJ”s are only warm in that they trap body heat and moisture, so after a while one becomes sweatily too warm.  Cotton stretch knit PJ’s are then what I’ve been wearing for many years - OK for summer, but not ideal for the colder seasons. LOL, but I am no impulse buyer. These wool PJ’s can tug at my purse all they want to, I can’t budge, and am not sure if i could even DIY this project for less cost (not likely).

But bed pillows are easy. They’re always getting worn out, then one is stuck with disposing of (or repurposing) the polyfill or memory foam bed pillow.

I have found that down pillows can last for decades (and I always wash and dry them in the machines), and when the feathers finally give up most of their fluffiness, I still repurpose them into throw pillows.

So, here I am with 2 memory foam bed pillows, one older than the other,

both have been surgically readjusted, but are now getting to that point of needing the seams opened up again and the filling repositioned. If you’ve done this as well, you know how memory foam bits stick to each other. It’s not just a matter of shaking the pillow around so the bits can resettle evenly - ha!

It’s too bad I never took pictures of what I had to originally DO to one of the pillows, before I could even use it. I had purchased it, lightly used, on Ebay, but everyone is scent-crazy these days, and we don’t tolerate scents. I sprayed it with unscented Febreeze, I aired it out on the line for weeks, nothing helped. I ended up opening one seam, pulling all of the memory foam bits out, soaking them in unscented detergent and vinegar, then maybe also a baking soda/water rinse, can’t remember – scent requires A LOT of effort to get removed. HINT: Please don’t use scented detergents, softeners, or fabric spray on clothing and linens!

These bits were then lain across a large old bed sheet on the basement floor, to dry, before becoming a pillow, again.

Although I will get to this chore, I detoured myself with the idea of turning my oddly-felted Rambouillet roving yarn into pillow filling.

The easiest way to do this seems to be by just cutting the yarn into 1-2” long snippets, then hand teasing the yarn into a loose mass. This last bit is not difficult, as the yarn wasn’t felted solid, whether done by machine or by hand – the fibers were just fulled enough to tighten the yarn structure.

This bowl is my largest, for making the Thanksgiving sage stuffing, which has been hubby’s favorite.

NOTE TO SELF: It’s been just the two of us for about 18 years – I really gotta retire this bowl. We don’t need two large trays of stuffing (as per the recipe).

It’s also the one I use for large batches of Martha’s stollen or Christmas cookies. So far, it is holding 100 grams of loosened up  Rambouillet fiber. I think I will prep 2 more balls of yarn into fluff, then stuff and seam up an old pillowcase, once I get the loft worked out.

Do check back to see how, or even IF! this Wooly DIY works out well.

Happy are those who play with wool,
Dawn

Back to Basics

 (Originally posted on WP 10/16/21.)

Back to Basics

We all come to appreciate certain things, in our own, sweet, sometimes slow, time!  Which brings me to – I've never been enamored of garter stitch. There, I've said it.

When I began to knit, circularly, that is, after reading a couple chapters of Elizabeth Zimmermann’s ‘Knitting Workshop’, I dove head-first into Fair Isle, stranding, cables, and lace.  Of course, I noticed that EZ used garter stitch, and quite often, but, it just seemed to lack sophistication and knitterly skill.  When I want to do something, I always do it big.  I don't take baby steps, I fearlessly dive in head first.  So, I never knit anything in garter stitch.

Maybe it's age…although blaming things on ‘age’ irks me, as it sounds like an excuse.
What it really is is a too-busy Life for my energy resources – too much to think about and take care of every day, so that when I go to knit, I don’t want (and my brain doesn’t need) anything strenuous, complicated, or fast-paced.

The stage is finally set – a confluence of variables, where, suddenly, my hands are enjoying this simple stitch.  They never did before, though.  I used to wonder how knitters could find garter stitch to be easy.  Yes, it's just knit, knit, knit, but, those purl bumps don't *want* to be knit into.  Ya gotta push past the bump to knit each stitch.  Eh.  

To me, these bumps always want to be purled into, which was, and still is, fine with me.  I have no qualms about purling, even in Fair Isle or stranded color work.  I love stranded knitting.

I do tend to knit, not quite *all* the time, as EZ did, but until the recent health snafu, on most late afternoons into evenings, with just short detours to eat, shower, get all the evening pills and paraphernalia, and tend to hubby’s meal and coffee needs, so I can plop my backside back down, and not have to jump up for anything, until bedtime.

And what do I usually knit?  Socks.  Piles and piles of socks.

Been knitting socks since the beginning of my knitting life, as my feet have always been cold.  I used to buy men's wool hunting socks.  Naturally, they were too large for my feet, but there wasn't (and likely still isn't) anyone making thick wool socks for women's feet.  

Now, why is that?

Don't they know that women can tend to be cold? (Well, at least until menopause!)  Aren't we the ones always inching up the thermostat, hoping the husband doesn't notice?  And, of course he does, making a big fuss, gagging and choking on the heat, as if he was about the melt, whilst making a beeline for the thermostat, muttering to himself, just loudly enough for the wife to hear: "Now who put the heat up?"  When he knows darn well, who put it
up.

But, all of a sudden, as I finished up another pair of socks, to be hand washed and added to the bulging sock drawer, I suddenly dreaded casting on another pair of socks.

Aaack!  What's up with that?  I've never NOT wanted to knit socks, not in 3 decades. Now, I had been knitting up stash.  And my stash, as a designer, never mind as a knitter, has been quite humble, as discretionary income hasn't been a burden for most of those 3 decades.  But, I've been in a clearing-out-the-house frame of mind for a long time.  And, that means yarn, too.  

I also recently purchased the luxury of a new pair of LL Bean sheepskin slippers.

I had a pair many years ago, which lasted 3-4 years with daily wear for 9 months of every year!  Now, that's quality. Then the price went up, and I was back to knitting thick wool socks, instead.  But, sheepskin really can't be beat to warm up feet on cold floors, and didn't I have enough Life Stresses to deal with?  Yup.  So, I deleted from the list having to deal with cold feet!  And they have outdoor soles, so I can get the mail and sweep the leaves off the deck without needing to change shoes.

But, back to knitting and garter stitch. So, with not wanting to knit socks, but needing something to work on every evening (as I cannot just be a couch potato, like men seem so capable of!), I turned to the household – what does it need?  

I have a pile of things I need to sew up on the machine, but that’s day work. But hubby had been needing a new afghan – longer than the ones I’ve knit. So began the 3 week journey of knitting bulky knit garter stitch squares for this afghan, now seamed and I-corded, but it hasn’t yet had it’s bath, I mean, wet blocking. 

 

I don’t consider anything I knit or weave as finished until it’s had a bath, been hung or laid flat to dry, then pressed, if needed, as wovens tend to need.  So, please forgive any lumpiness you see – stitches becomes much more cohesive and smooth with a bath. Washing large afghans and blankets is so much easier once it’s warm enough outside, so they can be draped over the line.

The afghan has been done for months now, but the need for more easy knits still reigned.  So, what else does the house need?  Hmm, could use some pretty, and decorative (though not just decorative!) face/bath cloths.  

We may decide to rent the entire house out next summer (as this IS Cape Cod), or, perhaps list it for sale before then, and although I am working towards unifying color and design through the entire house to exude a coastal farmhouse style (a large enough project!), I also want the house to exude personality and not look sterile, like a stager has been here.  

This means showcasing hand-crafted textiles throughout – from the bathroom to the kitchen and bedrooms.  Bits of color, pattern, and texture, so, either guests or prospective buyers will remember the house as looking expectedly coastal, but with unique, handmade touches that say it’s a home, not a showroom. I can never imagine myself living in those stripped down to almost nothing houses - it’s as bad as trying to imagine living in an empty house.

When I need design inspiration, or my knitting mojo has temporarily lost its oomph, I often turn to other textiles – needlepoint, sewing, and quilting books, like these 1980’s vintage quilting books, the spine of one long ago split the book into two.  Quilting was one of my first ventures into the making of textiles.

Simple (and some not very simple) geometric quilting patterns translate well into knitting and especially into garter stitch.  There ya go – next knitting pattern decided.

Here are the face/bath cloth samples I’ve knit thus far, though to be honest I think these are more than enough for a written pattern!

I worked to present quilt blocks in a knittable way.  Some blocks would require far too many color changes, and hence, ends to weave in afterwards, but if I really like a particular block, I play with it’s size or repeat to achieve a pleasing and easily-workable interpretation.  

I also look at each quilt block or repeat of blocks to consider the best construction method – should it be knit in one direction or from varying directions? Totally seamed later on, or picked up and knit as you go?

You can see from the photos above, that just as in hubby’s buffalo plaid afghan squares, I prefer the textural interest which comes from changing knitting direction on each afghan square and each segment of the garter stitch face/bath cloths.

They make for pleasant, easy knitting, even in the 100% cotton yarn I used. I was never fond of knitting cotton, but this cotton (Knitpicks Dishie) is really lovely, soft, and smooth.  The blocks could also easily be knit in varying weights of wool yarns, to become an afghan or blanket, which I may get to one day. Although, on the To-Make list, for many years now, has also been the knitting of a queen-sized wool counterpane – LOL, once I find enough patience to want to knit the same square over and over!

As I am currently detoured into spinning and knitting up winter/holiday items for sale, the pattern for these face/bath cloths may take a few months yet. And, who knows, I may find yet more quilt blocks I really want to knit up!

Onward!

Waking the Sleeping Beds

(Originakky oposted on WP 5/1/21.)

Thank goodness for rain!

Well, that’s not what I say when it is raining, as rain keeps me from continuing to weed, manure, plant bushes, lay the landscape fabric, then finally cover it with cedar mulch.

But, I really need a day or so in-between hard-work gardening days, which spring  always is. My brain wants me out there getting it done, but my body says NO, in no uncertain terms! It’s not well yet and so, too much physical exertion lands me in bed for a day. I hate all this wasted time. I’m a do-er by nature, so lying around needing to rest irks me!

But I am pleased with the progress thus far. Both of the (long ago planted) heirloom rose beds had the above treatment, which they’ve been needing since they were put in. Now I can finally not need to weed constantly – that time is better spent on spinning, dyeing and weaving.

This right side of the house bed now has 2 white azaleas and a blue hydrangea planted.

This matching bed on the left side of the house is being done today. 

 

Some of last year’s hollyhocks were coming up, but are still small, so I dug them up, plopped them into a bucket of water, until I can fill some pots to flank the kitchen door and garage door entrance.  Don’t know if they like being transplanted, but it can’t hurt to try.

I also still need to dig out and weed a small area for the honeysuckle, by the arbor.

Then there’s the longgg process of edging around all the rest of the perennials with bricks set at an angle.

Not only does my neat-freakness extend to wanting my gardens neat, but the few times we’ve had landscape guys in to mow the weeds, I mean lawn, and suck up all the autumn leaves, they made a hash of the jobs - whacking down all my Lily of the Valley last summer and then taking away all the leaves off the garden beds last autumn, which I put there specifically for the winter! Grr.

So, the edging is crucial, to keep them out of the beds, IF we ever use them again.

Yesterday, I prepped the driveway bed  (which usually gets green beans) and planted the hollyhock seeds I saved last autumn, then lightly sprinkled some chipped branches hubby did last autumn, until they propagate and grow enough to mulch it better.

I ordered snow peas to plant in these pots, (showing last yr’s green beans). Have plenty of jute to string up a trellis for them. And lettuce of course for the gutters. Early May may sound late for cool-weather peas, but it does remain cool-ish here until the beginning of July. And believe me, I have planted things in April only to have to reseed in May, as April seems to be too cool for propagating here!

On the ‘Eventually List’ is the removal of these way-too-large bushes flanking the front entry. Will find something more to fit the scale of the house.

Not sure what’s better – buying a house with no landscaping, so you can completely personalize it, OR buying one who’s previous owner had a schizo, OK, *freestyle*, approach to garden design. One of this, one of that, everything in the wrong place for it to grow well, and planted too closely to everything else. Good thing it’s only a 1/4 acre plot. Any bigger and we’d not live long enough to fix it all!

Onward!
Dawn

Bit by the Decluttering Bug

(Originally posted on WP 3/31/21.)

Not sure if it’s the yearly spring cleaning bug that’s bit me, or just the fact that, with this long bout of anemia and low RBCs I’ve been working on, I’ve been needing to spend a lot of time lying down, which only leaves the brain left to work. And what does it work on? It thinks of things that need to be organized, cleared out, spruced up, fixed, and redesigned – all the things waiting on the other side of the gate, with me chomping at the bit, for the gate to open!

I had been making a mental list of all the stuff that needs clearing out of this house. I hate clutter and as this is a vintage house (1947) it is not burdened by a lot of closets. I say that facetiously, of course, because having a lot of closets is hardly a burden! So, it’s been bugging me - the old tat I’ve been hanging onto, thinking that one day it might be useful and/or I could think of ways to recycle it into something else.

As mental lists tend to lose accuracy over time!, I wrote down the list.  Aack, so much stuff - everything from old pillows, blankets, and worn out rugs, tchotchkes from I don’t know where, non-working small appliances and real glassware I don’t trust myself to use (I much prefer Duralex Picardie bistro glasses, which are more indestructible).

And lest we forget, there’s the behemoth (85 lb) non-working Phaser 8560 clogging up table space in the dining room studio.

Along the way, there’s also a lot of heavy boxes stored in the eaves upstairs which will need to come out of the eaves, so the insulation guys can get into the eaves.

As hubby can’t get onto his knees to squeeze himself into the 3 closets, where the eave hatches are, guess who will be doing it?! LOL, this is one reason I hate to get ill – there really is no time for being ill, not when the other half is already out of commission.

But at least I can then work on the yearly job of shredding the old files stored there which are due for eradication.

Rooms and closets to go through on 3 floors: 13, give or take.

The goal? To actually be able to easily access the stuff we do use in the closets and cupboards, and know that if and when we may need to/want to sell this house, that this chore will already be done. And mentally it is freeing to not be surrounded by shabby stuff that needs *help*, as I have neither the time nor inclination to do all that helping!

One problem with clearing out, that became evident immediately, is that after all this stuff is pulled out of closets and cupboards, it then coagulates in large piles on the floor in various rooms, until it can be bagged up and brought to all their final resting places.  As we aren’t also burdened by a lot of floor space (I wish!), I need to bag up these piles asap and store them in the garage.

Thus far, I have a pile of old felted wool mats and throws that can go to the animal shelter and boxes of glassware and doodads that can go to Goodwill, along with some clothing I know will never fit me again.

The dump, unfortunately, will be getting the preponderance of stuff, although as I haven’t done this deep a clearing out for several decades, I figure I’m still ahead of the game.

Has anyone else also been bit by the decluttering bug? I like to imagine that we’re all feeling this need, especially after the long tedious year we’ve all had, stuck within our well-used four walls. We could all use feeling a little lighter…

Onward,
Dawn

 

Been Towel-ing

 (Originally posted on WP 4/12/21.)

Remember this project!?

Yup, it was last July, this kitchen towel warp was on the floor loom, almost woven off. I had about 20" left to do on the last (5th) towel, but then I paused one day, to tackle other life things, saying to myself that it would only be a short break, and then I'd get them done.

Yes, I am an eternal optimist. As is usual, Life took over, then Christmas, then I got sick and had to waste a month of my life in the hospital, then waste a couple more months doing very little more than recovering.

But, it is April now, and as I am almost done recouping (though I won't know for sure until I do another large set of blood labs), I need to scratch the itch which crops up every spring - the I-gotta-beautify-m -environment itch. So, along with the clearing out of old tat are the gardening plans, and revamping (aka adding to!) my list of things to sew for the house. I'm sure you know this song.

Well, it's kinda what I feel about this house. I've never liked it much, never mind loved it, but it is what we have for now, so I want to make it as beautiful as I can, not the least because when we are ready to sell it, it should look great! But until then, I *would* like to not cringe when I walk into certain rooms.

I know this past year has us all at home, experiencing our homes in a different way than we used to, and feeling a bit cramped, and maybe even a bit disgruntled about how our homes look and function. But I've always been at home, working from home, so I've been feeling this cramped and disgruntled thing a long time! But we haven't been in the position to do anything significant about it.

Well, this year that is gonna change. The old is getting fixed, recovered, redecorated, re-woven, or replaced. I don't want our home ending up looking like granny's house!  You know how it is - we acquire most of our stuff early on in our marriages and never get to change or replace it, as there are always more important priorities. Fast forward 35 years, and the house looks like it's stuck in a time warp. Heaven knows I gag when I look at real estate pics of houses stuck in the 70s or 80s. I don't want our house to make anyone gag!

So, the new kitchen towels are a small start to this process.

 

They are the first towels I've woven in many decades, and are a bit heavy, as I used yarn I had on hand - 8/4 carpet warp in 3 colors. So, I'll be getting different yarns for another set of towels, though am not sure yet which yarn. Most towel weavers like 8/2 - either as cotton or cottolin, and I'm leaning towards it, because the intermediate weight, 5/2 cotton, is generally mercerized, and I prefer unmercerized. Cotton flake is another option I'm considering, although I do like that the Brassard cottolin uses organic cotton. Considering that growing cotton uses a lot of pesticides, organic cotton is a plus.

Details
Warp and weft: 8/4 Maysville cotton warp in Natural, Colonial Light Blue, and Linen
Sett: 16 epi (8 epi with doubled ends)
Width in reed: 21"
Length woven per towel: 32"
Finished Width: 16.25-17.25" (twill towels took in more than plain weave, of course)
Finished Hemmed Length: about 26"
Finished weight plain weave towel: 6.4 ozs.
Finished weight twill towel: 8.6 ozs.

Edges were zigzagged on the machine, then the entire length of fabric was machine washed warm water with other laundry, and machine dried warm with just other towels. Towels were cut apart, then hand hemmed using a 1 strand length of the Natural color warp.

What i learned from this project
It surprised me to see that I love to weave twill! All the rag rugs I've recently woven are all plain weave. Even the handspun wool rugs I made decades ago were weft-faced plain weave. The towel I like the look of the best is the plain weave plaid towel, but the towel I like the *feel* of the best is either of the twill towels, as there's simply more surface area of the weft showing.

What I don't particularly like is how the amount of picks to the inch that twill needs really blocks the warp yarn from view, and any chance of having the plaid pattern show evenly. But, to be fair, the 2 blue weft towels also overwhelm the patterning. I didn't have enough of the Linen color to use it as weft in one towel, but it would have likely done the same thing.

This is perhaps due to the faux basketweave structure - the fact that my 16 ends to the inch were threaded as 8 epi, with doubled strands. Maybe single warp and weft strands would have interlaced better – hopefully, the next batch of towels will clarify this. I'm also hoping a single sleying of ends will keep the widthwise take-in and shrinkage down - these lost about 20%, but only in width, not length.

In the meantime, there's sewing and gardening to do.
Onward!
Dawn

In Two Shakes of a Lamb's Tail.

(originally posted on WP 11/10/20.)

It’s been a busy week since my last post (when is it not!)  As of yesterday morning, I had almost 7 rows and columns sewn together.

By last night, all 9 rows of 5 squares each were all sewn up.

Today, I need to weave in all the WS tails, and begin the edging, likely in the creamy white, as the 17 ozs. of Samantha-Katya Pink Peace Fleece is used up, and there’s only 60 grams left of the Lanaloft Bulky in Wheat from the almost 35 ozs. I began with.  

Not sure why they call this color Samantha-Katya Pink, as it’s a red wine color, but there you have it.

All the Peace Fleece yarn came from deconstructed design samples, and the LLB was a 1/2 price bargain buy from LittleKnits.com.  The creamy white handspun, which filled in for the only 5.75 ozs of PF in Antarctic White I had, was some 2 ply Domestic 56’s top. which I had no other use for, so the afghan cost me very little in outlay – a good thing, as the hubster may or may not like it.  If he doesn’t, I’m sure I can use it.

I made stitch and row adjustments to each square (and hence to the seaming sequence), to accommodate the varying yarn grists.

So far, it is about 39-40”wide x 69-70” long, weighs 4.66 lbs. and is about 17 days in the making, with perhaps 2 days’ work remaining, so will meet my expectation of a 2 to 3 week afghan easily!

Onward,
Dawn

It's Whoop-si-Daisy Time! (Yet Another Baking Rabbit Hole)

(Originally posted on WP 11/13/21.)

We moved from NY to MA 10 years ago, making us New Englanders, yet I've never bought or made an apparently well-known New England treat – whoopie pies! What can I say, I've lived a sheltered life. Actually, we just never dine out. In the past 10 years, we've only been to 4 restaurants, and only like two:  Scargo Cafe in Dennis and The Wicked Oyster in
Welfleet.

As I no longer want to/can afford to spend 6 months of every year making (usually knitting) Christmas gifts in my spare time (yes, it really takes that long!), I tend to opt for baking gifts.  But I don't like to repeat myself, at least not too often.  So, I recently went
searching for some new ideas to consider.

What came to mind was the Two Fat Cats Bakery in Portland, Maine, featured in PBS's 'A Few Good Pie Places'.  I remembered their whoopie pies.

I thought, OK, this is different, not a cookie, not strictly a cake, and should definitely be easier than the 12+ Martha Stewart Christmas Stollen I made one year, from her 1989 'Christmas' book. What a workout those puppies were to mix by hand! Not the least because (to save some time) I mixed several at once in my largest SS bowl.

The Initial Research
I always first consider just buying baked treats or food items and having them shipped, because, let's face it, I'm not superwoman any more, and being exhausted from before Thanksgiving until after the taxes are finally done in February is just too much for me. I would ike my winters to finally be the restful, unstressed, good-sleeping, recuperative seasons I need them to be. Well, that's the idea, anyway.

I have done this with citrus (had it shipped from Florida), but most other food gifts cost too much – manageable if one has a small extended family, not so much as the family and friend count climbs.

So, I found and saved at least 10 whoopie pie recipes, noting that some used buttercream fillings, while others used marshmallow fluff fillings, and others yet used a cream cheese filling. So, of course, I had to go looking for buttercream and marshmallow recipes, as well, because buying jars of marshmallow fluff made with gmo high fructose corn syrup isn't my idea of showing love to my family.  

So, as I fell further down the rabbit hole, I went searching for alternatives to corn syrup, which is necessary in order to make fluff, and found these two options:

Organic Lite Corn Syrup and Lyle's Golden Syrup also available on Amazon, at a much higher price.

Ufda.

But it's not until one delves into all the variables can one see the best route towards the end product.  Am crossing off the marshmallow creme filling, and will focus on the much easier buttercream fillings.

The cream cheese filling idea makes me a *bit* nervous. It was used for he oatmeal whoopies. It should be fine though, as I've made rugelach a few times and shipped them, and they use quite a bit of cream cheese.

But that's just the ingredients and recipes. I also then tend to research the best way to produce said foodie item en masse, as well as wrap and safely ship them.

There's actually a Whoopie Pie Pan (who knew!) also called a Muffin Top Pan (not to be confused with that other cause for consternation), or this silicone job.

But I also noted that some recipes simply use a medium-size cookie scoop. Yay, I actually have this in my kitchen gadget drawer!

Last item to consider if using the cookie scoop is  A) parchment paper or B) silicone pan liners.

I have the former, but only one of the latter and it's small, it doesn't fit the larger 11" x 17" baking trays I have.

When making lots of something, I like to have a 2nd pan ready to pop into the oven when the first pan comes out, but they're $25 for 2 liners, eh, I'll stick with the $2 rolls of parchment from the Dollar Store.  Have too many more important things to spend the $ on.

The Test Batch
I figured a half batch of Whoops would be plenty - about 7-8.

I rarely eat cake or cookies, much preferring a few spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream in the evening, but hubby likes a cakey nibble with his early evening coffee, and he has friends more than willing to try out my baking, but it may still take some time to gather feedback and hopefully have a consensus on the Whoopiest Whoopies!

The test batch used this recipe.

Which I had to adjust *of course*.  I don’t usually have brown sugar around, but do have molasses, which I mix into white sugar. And the 1/2 batch would then only need 1/2 a large egg - yeah right, so a whole egg went into the 1/2 batch.

The other change was that when. i printed the recipe, the pdf somehow didn’t show the oven temp instruction, which turns out to be 400” - much hotter than I would bake any cake.  I had set the oven to 355”, so instead of taking 9-10 minutes, they took 11.5 minutes, and I could have baked them longer, but the little cakes came out nice and moist. I will try again, baking at 400” and see what difference it makes.

This was also my first time making buttercream.  When I bake coffee cakes, I don’t frost them – who needs all that extra sugar? But this is a treat. One thing’s for sure, now that I’ve made buttercream, which is SO easy to do, I’ll never buy those small containers of frosting again, as they totally underwhelm me.

I medium scooped the first 11 whoopies, filling tray 1. I also never used a scoop     to scoop batter, but then, I’ve never made any small baked items that weren’t enclosed in a small or medium muffin pan.  Scooping doesn’t clean out a mixing bowl as neatly as using a tablespoon or spoonula – it just can’t, because of its bowl shape.

This irritated me, as I need things to be neat and orderly, and NOT wasteful, so I spooned heaping tablespoons of the batter for the last 4, on the right in the photo, cleaning out the bowl.  They’re fine, just not as perfect as the scooped cakes.

Because these puppies are moist, after cooling and filling, I put them onto a piece of parchment on a dinner plate, so they wouldn’t stick to the plate, and put one whoopie pie out for hubby along with his evening coffee things. (I need to do all these little things for him, as it’s been difficult for him to reach things in the cupboards and fridge.)

I later noticed the dinner plate was looking distinctly light. Hmm. Yup, he liked them and ate two!

As I try out the remaining whoopie pie recipes, I’ll likely just make the little cakes, and save all the buttercream-making for if I decide to make them for the holidays.  Am scoping out sources for little waxed paper bags to pop each one into, just in case.

Onward,
Dawn