New Tricks

This was a fun box to receive last week! Its like Christmas all over again.   Now, not all of these are mine as some are for a friend who also weaves.

I have been weaving  all kinds of kitchen towels warps in the past few years and using only my stash yarns.   I still have lots but none of the "neat colours". I seem to have 8/2 cotton colours that really need something else to liven it up and nothing left for white or black. 

So I called in an order to Brassards and gave them my customer number and order. They called back to tell me that they have no record of me and that number belongs to someone else now.    Its been so long since I placed an order, they gave my number away!  That sure made me chuckle....

So now that I have a nice selection of colours to choose from I'm searching for a draft to do some more kitchen towels.   I'll make it a long one....

That book sitting on top is a brand new sample book as my old one is from 2013.   Its worth every penny too! Can you imagine sitting threading cards like these for hours on end? 

So what else is new?   Well, I have two completed shawls and three table runners all waiting for their glamour shots with the camera. Its been dark and stormy here and on the days the sun comes out, it almost blinds you!   So there's been  much going on and it will all be posted here in due course.  The shawls need to have natural light to show them to their best due to the colours of the warp and the weft.

The runners.....they can be hard to photograph decently and not look like blocks laying on a table and something more interesting is required.     But soon!

I discovered some new 3D printed brackets for the lease sticks on the Megado and ordered a pair along with their silicone bands to hold them in place.   They are printed rainbow style and shift from orange to aquamarine.   

 I just tried them out for the first time and apparently set them into the wrong spot but it seemed to work okay for the most part.  I'll try the proper spot next time on the next warp.  So here they are in use and a sneak peek at a new warp.

If I place them on the correct centre board mid way and turn the holders the other way, it may be too far a reach? I'll have to see next time. The lease sticks need to be trimmed down by half an inch as they fit too snugly between the sides of the loom.    I know they are a bit too low for threading where they are, but I love the whole idea that people (in this case the husband of a weaver) are thinking of new ways to do things and improve the process!

These lease stick holders are made with a Megado loom in mind  by https://www.gingerlockshandwovens.com  but there are other options out there for a few loom  make and models  at https://loftyfiber.com and they have one for Spring looms and a few other manufacturers.   Check them both out!

We have some valiant spring flowers starting to make their way up between rain squalls and gusty winds. They are much tougher than they look!   🌷

So I'll be keeping the camera near and watching for some sunshine (minus high winds!) and will be back soon.

This is our grandson Ethan who just won a gold and as silver medal at a recent jujitsu tournament.   For the readers who may recall me announcing his birth (which feels like yesterday) he's turning 10 in April. 

So me missing posting for the month of January is nothing to the decade that went by in a blink!  😳 🏆

The Ever Popular # 728

 I belong to a weaving group on Facebook called Strickler in Color. Its where weavers share a draft they have woven based on the book and their interpretation and colour choices : The Weaver's Book of 8 Shaft Patterns by Carol Strickler.   

All drafts in this book are shown in black and white, or light, medium, and dark grey tones.   The focus is on the pattern. The focus of the group is show off colour!   How they have interpreted the draft.     By far and away the most popular draft is #728.    The draft just ends its self to so much variety and is just plain fun to weave.

It was actually submitted by Joan McCullough (of Campbellford, Ontario): Rosepath in multiple tabby weave, page 48, from The Rosepath Motif : An Approach to Weaving Design by Margaret Windeknecht. Published in 1987.

I have woven this before and  it seems the right time to do it again..... and in my favourite  colours and weft choice     So six towels all roughly 20" x 30".   8/2 cottons from Brassards, 24 epi, and hems are hand sewn to void the "stitch ditch" line.  

The hem is flipped so you can see the reverse.... its just as pretty on the other side!

The rather satisfying cloth roll before it was taken off the loom. Shown here with black weft for samples

I had a small bit of warp left and I thought I would weave some using the same red as in the warp. The idea was to embellish card inserts and make some Christmas cards.  Add some beads and sparkly bits.   I hand washed this red section and the red bled like a murder scene!   The white is a permanent pink and I have no idea of what to do with it now.   I washed the towels with no less than 8 colour catchers and rinsed until the water was clear.   I'm happy I did the red cloth first and saw the issue ahead of time.     So if you buy Brassards cottons, test them out first to make sure they are dye-fast!

We are enjoying a moment in the sunshine here. Its all about to come to an end and by the weekend we'll be into a large storm coming in off the Pacific with very serious winds and rain. We have done extra tie downs on the patio furniture covers and feel extra snug after our house painting this summer. Hub even made room in the garage for the car! ☔️ 💦 💨 🍂

The budgies are doing just fine and all settled in. I call them the Happy Gang after an old time radio show from the CBC and ran from 1937-1959 and enjoyed two million listeners.  

"The show was known for its "spontaneous humor, music, and corny jokes." 

Well, that describes these four birds completely. You just never know what is coming next as they play.  We have jazzed up the cage with perches,  2 swings, and treats.   Two swings?   well, they all tried to get on the triangle swing and so we got a second one to keep the noise down as they fought over who got the prime seating.

So here's the entire cage set up: 24" x 21" x 54" and on wheels. They are used to going for a ride and the vacuum doesn't phase them anymore.  Below, is Teal and you can see all the toys and swings. Yes, they are spoilt.   😁