Craft Hope Baby Quilt

I love how this quilt turned out.



I used fusible cotton batting and I love it! I always have trouble with basting (pins or thread) and the fusible batting took away the need for basting. The quilting is less than perfect but I think it looks pretty good considering. I know that i need to start saving up for a better sewing machine. The opening on mine isn't very wide so quilting any size quilt is a challenge.



I backed it with some cotton I got on sale at Walmart a few years ago and bound with cotton from stash. I'm really happy with how it washed and dried. It's got that great slightly crinkly look. I'll get it in the mail tomorrow.

I'm also sending a blanket I wove a while ago for a friend's baby but ended up not sending. I like it and hope it's acceptable for the project.





This project made me think of all the really amazing ways that crafters online join together to do good in this world. We hear of a need or a hurt and we reach for our yarn, needles, fabric stash and thread, searching for ways to provide a small measure of comfort with our craft. We inspire one another and challenge and teach and raise one another up to do more good.

It's pretty amazing and I'm really glad to be a small part of this community.

Distracting myself

Thank you for your prayers for my Mom (and for me & my family). We don't know anything yet. My aunt took my Mom to North Battleford to the hospital but their CT tech isn't available on weekends (it's a smaller city). She was supposed to go back on Tuesday to get the scan. This morning my sister-in-law took Mom to see the family doctor and he wanted them to go to Saskatoon today to get a CT scan done right away. That doesn't ease my worry, but I guess I'm glad that someone is doing something. I can't do anything, which is very frustrating.

To distract myself yesterday I finished a rug I had started in the summer and just lost steam on. This has been on my loom for a few months... It was time I finished it.



The warp is Bernat Handcrafter Cotton and the weft is 3 inch strips cut from 2 different cheap-o cotton blend flat sheets. Finished size is 24" x 28.5" not including fringe.



The colors are predictable really, given my brown/blue obsession all spring and summer. I really like how it turned out and will probably do more like this (one day).

Now I need to find something to distract myself until I hear back from my sister-in-law. Football and some knitting should help.

Thank you again for your prayers.

Woven Handspun Alpaca Scarf

I started on this scarf to work on my weaving tension, edges, consistency, well, to work on my weaving. I used alpaca that I spun last winter (from alpacas raised by a former coworker). I had dyed one batch a dark green before spinning and left one the natural brown. I used handspun for both warp & weft.

I'm really pleased with how it came out. The edges are the most even that I've been able to achieve yet.



I showed The Boy and his response was 1) "You made a scarf? Just in time for Summer!" and 2) "This is for me, right?" (my responses: 1) "Yeah, I know, but it was practice" and 2) "Yes. But I have to take pictures of it first." which made him laugh.)

I think I need to work on smaller projects like this for a while to get more consistent overall. It's been so SO long since I was a new knitter, so I kind of forget that I started out small with knitting. And sewing. And... spinning ... and so on.

Towel Rug

As much as I love working with yarn and fiber and fabric, I love using odd materials to make things. I spot items when I'm out somewhere or just suddenly have an idea and the next thing you know I'm gathering spoons at a flea market to make windchimes or buying an armful of $2.00 towels at Superstore to make a rug.



I had this idea in my head for a few days so last night I picked up some cheap bath towels at Superstore, cut them into 2 inch strips and voila*.

*voila includes: warping the loom, weaving, having the stick I warped on break when I was on my last weft strip, trying to salvage the warp, using duct tape to hold the warp to the cross bar of the loom and finishing the ends.



I originally intended to put this in my bathroom, but it turned out bout 4 inches too long. I still haven't gotten the hang of measuring the length of the piece as I'm going. It's about 36 inches long and 20 inches wide (27 inches wide if you include the "fringe").



Before I started I thought I was going to have to twist each strip in order to get the effect you see above. Turns out that it did this all on its own when I beat the weft strips into place. Other than the length it turned out exactly how I had envisioned.

Yay!

Woven Baby Blanket

I finished the blanket I was weaving last night. I really like it and I still can't believe that I wove a blanket! (wove? weaved? wove I think... ??)



I did a quilt-type binding for the edges for stability. I like the way it looks with the cotton and the weave.



It turned out close to 40 inches square. It's a little shorter on one side due to uneven tension, but it's not terribly noticeable. The center line where I used kitchener stitch to attach the two pieces is noticeable but after washing the tension there worked itself out a bit so it's not as bad as it was pre-washing.



Overall, I'm really pleased with it. I need to secure some of the ends from color changes and tidy up some of the tension if I can but really, I don't think a first blanket could have turned out better for me.

Now, what to work on next... :D

In Progress: Woven Baby Blanket

I stopped by Make One Yarns on Saturday and picked up a "real" heddle (reed? terminology?). I was very tempted by the presence of a Schact Flip, but I was strong and didn't buy it... (but I'm really thinking I need to buy a "real" loom... hmm)

I got home and started warping. The new heddle really makes the weaving go smoother.



I used the Sirdar Snuggly that I had bought quite a while ago to make a blanket for my cousin's new baby. I wrapped 2 lengths about 20" wide and plan to kitchener stitch them together.



The tension is a bit, um, wonky in places, so I'm hoping that I can work it out a bit as I go.



... And I ended up a little short on the warp. I know where I went wrong (at the beginning) and I have a solution in mind.



I'm going to finish off at the same place in the other 3 ends (three. of course) and then cut just above that. I plan to put a binding around the blanket. I like the way it looks with the finishing stitch but since it's intended for a baby I thought I should do something more sturdy.

To say that I'm addicted to this new (to me) craft is understating it. My spinning wheel is jealous (I bought it some new fiber to make up).

First completed Weaving project: Merino Shawl

I used 2 of the very first yarns that I spun to make this shawl. Somehow that seemed fitting. Also, the only way this thing could be more homemade would be if I raised and sheared the sheep myself: homemade loom, handdyed yarn (warp), hand spun yarn... haha



It's far from perfect. Far from "right" even.



But I love it.



It's too loose in some areas. Too dense in others. The selvedges are a mess. It's too short to be usable really (47" by about 18")



I love it.

Thanks for all the encouragement about the loom! The rigid heddle I made from popsicle sticks worked but not well. I have another, hopefully better idea that I"m working on, but this weekend I plan to trek down to the only store I know of that sells weaving equipment and try* to buy a "real" rigid heddle.

I'm hooked. But you knew that would happen, didn't you?

*I say "try" because this is the same store where I *tried* to buy a spinning wheel last year and was told by the owner that there was no point in my buying one because I would just give up on it in a month or two. I'm not even kidding

New obsession

Never underestimate the insanity determination of a completely somewhat obsessive crafter.

I've been becoming more and more interested in weaving, seeing so many beautiful projects at Craftster and elsewhere. I spent some time looking into looms. Turns out they're a bit more (a lot more) than I could justify spending on another new craft. So, I made my own. I studied the Knitter's Loom at Ashford (there is a slideshow that shows really detailed pics and instructions on warping!) and made a stop at Rona to buy supplies.

10' of 1" PVC pipe, 8 elbows, 2 t-joints for $22.59 (incl. tax). A lot of figuring out as I went and voila:



I used crochet cotton for the warp and some handspun/handdyed Ingeo (made from stuffing purchased at Walmart)(haha) for the weft. The "rigid" (not really rigid enough) heddle I made from a piece of plastic needlework canvas. I need to come up with a better solution or just buy a heddle somewhere as there are spots where it catches and it's not really rigid enough. It works, but it's a struggle.



Considering that I've never seen a loom in real life, I think it turned out pretty good. Now to experiment... Whee!!