What the heck???

Yesterday I took Jack out for his regular afternoon walk. It’s been very cold, so he usually chooses to walk only as long as absolutely necessary to accomplish his mission. The afternoon walk was once around the block, which was what this walk often is any time of the year. Fine.

We got back home and I sat down to do some computer work. Jack was sitting near me in the room, just like always. He was, I thought, chewing on his bone. Swell.

When I was done on the computer, about an hour, I stood up and saw this.

WHAT THE HECK?!?! Jack hadn’t been chewing on his bone, but pulling things out of the rug!

In 2 years he has pulled out a total of maybe 2 dozen, and I always thought they were done in error when he was grabbing for a toy. But this?!?! This is BAD!

To make it as bad as possible, this spot is dead center in the middle of the rug. It’s not like I can put a chair over it or something have no clue if I can put those parts back into the rug; I will try, but I’m betting it will either be near impossible or will look like he when I’m done, and that I’ll be looking for a new rug. I’ve thought about weaving one, but wasn’t really ready to do that. Especially since this rug is a 5′ x 8′. Quite a large rug for handwoven indeed. Your suggestions will be appreciated.

In another what-the-heck is a new problem with my Adobe Photoshop Elements Editor. I have used this program for years, ever since I’ve had a blog, for sure. It’s how I edit my photos and size them for the web. When I got my new laptop, I’m thinking abou 18 months ago, I had to change the version of the software and get used to it, but it works very similarly, so fine.

Except starting a few days ago, not fine. I open an image. Crop and adjust as needed. Go to Save for Web and resize. Hit Save I consistently get an error message: “Could not complete this operation. The specified volume could not be found.” It matters no what file location I choose.

I’ve figured out a work around, but come on – what the heck happened?!?! My work around is more steps: Go to Image Resize. In a few clicks I’ve gotten it to the size I want. Then go to Save as and rename the file so I now it’s the modified one. Then click Save, and it easily goes to exactly the same location as it couldn’t find a minute ago. Again – what the heck? I can’t find anythin in Preferences that would seem to have any impact. Again, your suggestions will be welcomed.

Ok, so here we are on December 31. A few days ago I had a minor freak out when I realized that I had only 4 days left in the month and had completed NOT A SINGLE THING for my inventory. YIKES!

So I put the black and white 8/2 tencel scarf warp on my counterbalance loom. I figured I could weave it off relatively quickly. An I did. I’m not in love with the huck weave structure I chose, but it’s okay.

This was an experiment, to see what I might like best for weft for the shawl warp I’d painted at the same time. First I did a gradient weft: 16.5′′ of a solid color, my standard 64-thread gradient to the next solid color, repeat. I had 4 solids I used: black, dark gray, silver gray, and white. It’s okay, but not my favorite. I do like those spots of black on one end of the fringe – reminds me of porcupine quills.

Next I used solid white for the weft. I like this one better. You can see that one of the fringes in the middle of the white end sort o came undone in the wet finishing. No idea why, but I’ll have to fix that.

I had enough warp left for one more scarf. What color would I choose? As I thought about it, I had a light bulb moment. My cowl have been selling pretty well, so instead of making one more long, fringed scarf, I’d weave two short cowls – it’ll be summer time and people like short cowls in the summer.

So I wove one with the dark gray weft and one with the silver weft. This got me 4 finished pieces instead of 3.

I don’t think either of these photos show the cowls to their best advantage, but frankly didn’t want to go through the challenge of the Adobe process again with the other shots I’d taken.

Then I realized I’d finished weaving another scarf on my rigid heddle loom a few weeks ago but never did the finishing. This is the counterpart to the one shown here, this time with a dark purple chenille weft.

This rayon boucle warp doesn’t look good when double twisted, so I tried to put some beads on it to dress up an otherwise plain fringe. Geez, it was one problem after another, until I finally gave up, cut the fringe short-ish and called it good. So I ended December with 5 pieces. But absolutely nothing is on the loom now to start January. I saw a scarf woven from this to-die-for dra on Facebook and grabbed the draft from Handweaving.net – this is why I stay a member!

Thank you to Tara Oftenorth for creating this modification. I think I’ll warp my Macomber for this next.

UPDATES:

Jack had dental surgery last month – 14 teeth removed! Yikes! I suddenly realized that since his mouth has healed he has been doing a lot of chewing, much more than previously. Those teeth must have hurt, poor baby. So yesterday I went to Petco and bought 3 different kinds of chew toys. He loves them all. Hopefully this will protect future problems.

I googled the problem with Photoshop Elements, and was far from the only person with this issue. I followed directions for fixing it, and it worked like a charm.

12 comments to What the heck???

December 31st, 2017 | 

Dyeing, knitting, weaving

 Like most people’s lives in December, mine has been busy. Here are a few highlights.

I helped out at the Weaving Center, providing an extra pair of hands for a talented felter and teacher who taught 8 teenagers to felt a little bag. So creative!

I knit 2 hats for my grandson. He requested the one on the right, identical to one I’d made for his little brother last year. I made the one on the left in his school colors, which he’s definitely into. I don’t know if that one will fit or if I’ll need to remake it in a larger size. I found the pattern on the internet, but didn’t mark it and can’t find it now.

I decided at the last minute to dye some socks for my 2 grandnephews. I had 3 pair that I thought would fit them, so used 1 method I knew would work and tried 2 others. First up is the known method – tying in marbles with little rubber bands.

Then the pair that didn’t work as well – but I know how to make it work next time.

One side of these socks look cool, but the ‘inside’ didn’t get any dye. Next time the rubber should be clamped onto both sides of the socks.

The 3rd pair was also successful. First I mildly scrunched them on a length of PVC pipe. I knew from experience that too much scrunching on the PVC would leave too much white on the socks.

After the mild scrunching I wrapped them in rubberized shelf liner, then tied it on with some rubber bands.

I like the results of this experiment.

Those socks got mailed out yesterday.

Now I’m working on a modified circle shawl. I used an online random stripe generator, going through at least a dozen variations produced, and warped with 8 colors of 8/2 unmercerized cotton. I’m using an interesting flecked wool for the weft. We see how it all works.

I also hand painted a bunch of 8/2 tencel, preparing for a series I’ve mentally planned in black and white. This dyeing has also been a learning experience...the black hasn’t always behaved well, even though I actually did dye samples (regular readers will know I almost never sample).

I’ve also added more time learning dances with the ROC City Line Dance Express group. Those women are GOOD! And make me feel good, even though it takes me LOTS of practice with YouTube videos to learn the steps.

For the next few days I’ll be cleaning, wrapping gifts, and otherwise preparing for the holiday. I may be able to fit in some more time at the loom on that striped warp...or maybe not.

December 20th, 2017 | 

November work

I don’t know how so much time goes by between my posts.

Wait, yes I do. I’m busy weaving, volunteering, babysitting, dancing, playing fetch with Jack, and making Christmas presents. Bu who isn’t busy? And when was I not busy? I’d like to promise I’ll do better in the future, but I learned a hundred years ago when taught preschool not to make either promises or threats that I’m not prepared to keep. So anyway, here’s a post.

I started with the cotton & vintage synthetic warp.

I couldn’t find the same ‘bumpy’ yarn I used the first time, so used Queen Anne’s Lace yarn from Henry’s Attic. Although not as pleasing to me, it’s fine. After I wound that warp I didn’t have enough of the synthetic yarn left to weave both shawls, so I used shell Tencel with the Queen Anne’s Lace yarn, measuring how much I used in grams.

Then I knew that I did, in fact, have enough of the vintage synthetic yarn to weave the second shawl. I paired it with the same 8/ cotton I’d used for the warp, just like I had the first time around. Beautiful and lovely, if I do say so myself.

Using two shuttles, these shawls are slow weaving. I was alternately frustrated and in the mode, so decided I’d weave 2 more o the piano scarves I’d woven a few years ago, also slow weaving since they are clasped weft. Again, a HUGE THANK YOU to Ngaire at Dust Bunnies Under My Loom for the concept several years ago, long before I’d even heard of clasped weft. She puts hers on Etsy, so I won’t do that; since it is basically her design I will only sell them at local shows.

Note: Finishing these piano scarves will only bring me to 4 pieces for the month. And I’d like to weave 2 more rayon chenille shawls, since I sold a few and want at least one more each for the Copper Shop gallery and my winter show. IF I can do them before the end of the month, what with Thanksgiving and all, I MIGHT get to my goal of 6 this month. See how it goes?

I’ve also been doing a lot of dyeing – both hand painting and immersion dyeing, but not yarn. Instead, I’m making Christmas presents, so don’t want to share too much here, but I’ll give you a taste of the fun I’ve had.

For those who asked, I did fine at this year’s Guild Holiday Sale, selling 1 scarf, 1 shawl, 8 of my packages of buttons, and all 10 towels. That will inform me for next year, too.

Tomorrow afternoon I’m taking a class on fitting a standard pattern to my body. This is much needed, and will encourage/allow me to use my handwoven for clothing. And to sew a few things from commercial fabric, too.

November 14th, 2017 |

Finishing out October

I’m closing out October with 9 finished pieces. My plan is to get enough ahead of my goals that I can spend some time weaving not-for-sale items, such as a transparency or two. So I managed to fringe and wet finish a few more pieces.

I beamed the 10/2 tencel red-orange-yellow warp I’d hand painted earlier this month. I loved it going on the loom.

I’d been waiting to try a few things. One was a draft that I was calling ‘wobbly eyes.’

The other was experimenting some more with creating iridescence with color. So I chose an 8/2 periwinkle tencel weft. I was no in love with it on the loom, nor after it was all done.

I wasn’t happy with this while it was on the loom, and finally remembered to listen to my own advice: either color or weave pattern can be the star of a piece, but if you combine the two they just fight with each other and it rarely ends well. So I cut the scarf off the loom and rethreaded for a simple point twill. I chose a dark red rayon 8/2 weft. I knew on the loom that this would work, and I was right. Due at least in part to the season, I’m calling this scarf Red Maple. (Note that the colors aren’t quite as intense as they appear in the photo.)

I thought I had enough warp left for 2 short cowls. I was wrong – there was only enough for 1, but this turned out to be my favorite of the 3: Golden Maple.

In fact I liked it so much that I wore it to the NYS Climate Summit I attended yesterday.

Right now I’m getting an almost-redo shawl warp on the loom. It’s 8/2 cotton and a fine vintage synthetic treated as a single thread in the heddles.

It’s an almost-redo because I couldn’t find any of the ‘lumpy’ cotton yarn I’d used as weft last time, so I bought the closest thing could find. We’ll see how it turns out.

Completely unrelated, some weeks ago a friend introduced me to a local dance class. Actually, I invited myself to go along with her. I. Am. Hooked. This is a soul line dance class, offered in a rec center in the city. The women in the class are so welcoming, the dancing is great fun, and unlike lots of other exercises I’ve tried, this one doesn’t hurt my knee. I often make mistakes when new dance is introduced – which happens every single week – but it’s all good. When I get home I watch YouTube videos of the new dances and learn them as the week goes on. So I get more exercise every day. I am having a GREAT time AND losing weight – win-win! Here’s a clip of one of the newer dances, one that gets the heart rate up, especially if you do it several times in a row. Enjoy!

October 29th, 2017 | 

Met my goal, plus

 With my goal of 6-7 finished scarves or shawls per month, I’ve just met that for October. It’s possible that I’ll get 3 more done, bu they may end up not getting finished until November.

In my last post I showed you 3 warps I’d hand painted. The first to go on the loom was the 5/2 bamboo. I chose a simple block twill weave; I just like this weave structure.

For the first scarf I used an 8/2 cotton weft that I’d immersion dyed a year ago that was waiting for the right opportunity to play. This was it. I like the way the sheen of the bamboo and the matte finish of the cotton play off each other. I also switched the size of the treadling blocks randomly. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, but I do.

I used a commercial 5/2 bamboo for the second scarf, and because I wasn’t sure if I’d like the random treadling, I used a consistent pattern for this one.

I had only enough warp left for a short cowl. I opted for a navy tencel, wanting it to make the warp colors pop. I also chose short treadling changes for this short piece. I was surprised that this is my least favorite of these 3 on this warp.

I also got those bumberet towels you saw me beaming in the last post woven and finished. I learned something with this warp... prefer it when I have more of a main color predominating in the warp than I did in this one. They’re fine, just not my favs. From the top down, in the weft color order in which I wove them, you see blue, medium blue, pale green, periwinkle, peacock, mauve, aquamarine, and lilac.

All of these towels, and a few others I have in stock, will go to the Weavers’ Guild Holiday Sale in a few weeks. History tells us that people like to have small purchase options, so I’m hoping the towels will do well there. Although I like making towels, they’re not big sellers at my show, so towels do not count toward my monthly goal.

In keeping with the small-items scenario, I decided to make polymer buttons for the Holiday Sale, too. I tried some new things, and there were lots of buttons that didn’t make the grade after baking.

I am happy with all those that did. I made a little leaf-vein etching on this set of 3...

...and did what I think is neat striping on some.

I decided to paint a glaze on the buttons for a finished look that I prefer, and turned them into button lollipops for 2 coats of glaze front and back.

Once they were all done I had to develop packaging that would show them well. I printed on cardstock, sewed the buttons to it ( task that took much longer than I’d anticipated), inserted it into a cellophane bag, stuck my business card in the back, and close the bag with decorated tape. We’ll see if they sell.

After this show I will put any towels and buttons left up in my Etsy store, and try to get some more photographic views of woven scarves and shawls to post, too.

October 23rd, 2017 | 

Startiing strong

October started really strong for meeting my 6-7 finished pieces per month. That’s mostly true because I don’t count scarves as done until they are fringed and wet finished. The 3 scarves I’ll show you were off the loom at the end of September, but not fringed or wet finished till early October. Way to start!

I had a dark royal purple warp on the loom, threaded for a complex twill. First I used a green that is almost chartreuse, longing f that iridescence that comes with complementary – or in this case split complementary colors. I much prefer the side that’s more purple.

I auditioned a salmon weft for the second scarf, again going for that split complementary color, but really hated it. So I used a very pale blue-green. I was tired of the treadling pattern for the first scarf, so changed it for the second. My overall reaction? Meh. It’s okay.

I really wanted something that would send me for the third. I tried out a few things and settled on a gold silk that I’d immersion dyed a few years ago with natural dyes. It’s a bit thicker than the 20/2 of the warp, so the hand isn’t quite as nice, but I really like the colors. I also changed the treadling pattern again, and this one is my favorite weave pattern as well as favorite color combo.

Since October was starting off so strong with numbers, I wanted to spend a bit of time in my basement, hand painting some warps. I did three warps, and decided in advance that I’d (a) make decisions in advance, (b) take better notes, and (c) not use u any leftover dyes, mixing up new so I knew what I’d get.

First up is 5/2 bamboo. I dyed in a blue->green->blue->purple pattern, using a 3% dye solution. I also immersion dyed 2 skeins for weft. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough containers to give them each a vat with sufficient space, and then I was so involved in the hand painting that I failed to stir them. So the skeins aren’t a good solid color. That’s fine for warp use for a future project, but not the weft for this one. Live and learn, as usual.

Next I painted some 10/2 tencel. This time I used a red->orange->yellow->orange pattern to my painting, and a 2% dye solution (These colors aren’t particularly accurate, but the best I could do.)

The third warp is also 10/2 tencel. This time it’s a 1% solution, in red->orange->yellow->green->blue->purple that then doubles back on itself, going purple->blue->green, and so on. In an ideal world I would have had just one ROYGBV run per scarf, but I couldn’t exactly make that work in my calculations, so I think each scarf with probably be more like 1-1/3 of that rainbow. I hope looks okay woven. I also hope that the patch of white, where I obviously failed to saturate the yarn with color, doesn’t land in the middle of a scarf. I can wish that it’ll be where I would normally cut for fringes, and just cut it out. A girl can hope, right?

While I was waiting for the yarns to batch and dry, a process that takes a few days, I decided to put on a warp for some towels. Although they don’t sell particularly well in my booth at shows, towels tend to sell at the Weavers’ Guild Holiday Sale, and I don’ have very many. I opted for more bumberet.

I learned in the process that I prefer it when I have more of the predominating color, in this case intended to be blue or green. The towels, which won’t count toward my monthly goal, are in the finishing process, so you’ll see them later.

I’m always eager to see how my hand painted warps turn out in the weaving, so am looking forward to that adventure. Oh, yeah. Meanwhile I also made some Christmas gifts. In my canner. No peeks at what’s inside!

October 14th, 2017 | 

Mary Poppins and me

One of Mary’s sayings is “Well begun is half done.” With that in mind I began my year of 6-7 good finished pieces every month. A common strategy for me is to do what I don’t want to do first, using what I do want to do as a reward, if you will.

So I started by sewing 51 bags.

Here they are sewn, in a pile, inside out. I have subsequently turned them right side out, ordered the needed ribbon and printed the needed tags, and threaded the ribbon and tagged them all.

Then I beamed a shawl warp. I’ve learned that for me, with rayon chenille I’m better off warping for just 2 shawls. Much less frustration in the beaming process, and much more consistent tension across the warp throughout the weaving. So here’s my first warp, very pale green to rich blue.

I’ve since woven both shawls, but one is still awaiting hemming. I finished the other so I could bring it to a gallery that has some of my pieces. This shawl has a commercial variegated weft, which wasn’t my favorite so I made it into what is for me, a new design to add interest. Here’s the front.

And the back.

It’s not perfect, and I’ll make improvements in the next round...the front should be a little longer and the back a little shorter. The center back seam should be more tapered to improve the drape at the bottom. And I may add a few beads or something to enhance the front. But I’m happy with it, and the young women at the gallery really liked it, so I’m onto something.

This design made me much happier than the moebius shawl I tried. That shawl did sell at the August show, but unfortunately I was getting lunch at the time, so didn’t get to see the woman who tried it on and loved it. I couldn’t manage to make it look right on me. Glad she did.

Anyway, I have already beamed and threaded the next rayon chenille shawl. Really saturated gem colors. I am loving it.

September 6th, 2017 |