Sunday, July 31, 2011

July Review

I have seen this type of photo collage used to summarize the month.
A good idea I think. Sometimes it is easy to forget what
has been finished, worked on, taken apart or thought about.
I can hardly wait to see what goes on in August!

Friday, July 29, 2011

Fuzzy Pins


One of the problems of working with fiber is that
little pieces of it float around and
land everywhere!
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Thursday, July 28, 2011

In and Out

More weaving.
This piece is woven on a loom made from a picture frame,
with wool hand spun yarns, silk fabric and a couple of commercial yarns.
It is about 9 X 12.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Yellow and Blue


I have this large cone of Yellow cotton left over from the days when I used a knitting machine. I have been playing around with dyeing it. Since there is so much of it, I didn't really want to skein the whole thing, so I have been winding off some of it to dye. I dyed a portion of it with t-shirt tye dye stuff (hence the red) but the dye didn't penetrate the cone. Day before yesterday, I decided to soak it in vinegar water and then wrap what was left with a nylon stocking and dip it in the indigo. After it dried, I skeined it off until the blue ran out. Right. It still didn't penetrate the whole mass. I rinsed the part I skeined and I will soak and dye the rest again. Probably about the time I get it all dyed, I will have an urgent need for some yellow cotton yarn!
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Reversed

Here it is reversed. For some reason I couldn't show both of them on the same page. What do you think?
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Small Weaving Compleated




I finally finished this small weaving. I think I need to work on my edges! And what size is it? I am not sure and I am not going back upstairs to measure it. I think the weaving itself is about 5x7. Small enough. The piece is woven in Pearl cotton on a paper background previously painted with stencils and spray paint a long time ago. I think in the early 80's. Who keeps a piece of paper that long? Anyway, I think it is worth trying again. I have started another piece, weaving on top of a collaged watercolor.

What should this one be titled? Would it look better the other way around?
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Saturday, July 23, 2011

From Start to Finish

Well, not exactly. I mean I didn't shear the sheep or wash the fleece, 
but I did spin the yarn from a roll of space dyed pencil roving.
I have never tried using pencil roving.
It is the most wool I have spun at one time, four ounces.
Sounds silly I know, but don't forget, I have only been spinning since January
and part of that time I had a broken neck and wrist! 
It is also the thinnest yarn I have ever spun (thanks to the pencil roving).
After spinning the single, I divided it into two balls and plied them.
Then I washed and dried it and here it is ready to make into something.
I wonder what?

Scalped


Did someone get scalped?
It looks like it, but it is only some
Alpaca fibers
 I soaked in the solar dyeing jars.
I don't remember what plant material is in those two jars.
(label Sara, label)
But the samples turned out OK.
I am anxious for them to dry so I can card them.
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Plum Jam

I cooked the Plum Jam this morning.
 The plums had been marinating in sugar and lemon juice for 48 hours.
It looks good doesn't it. I am so proud!
I like canning things. It gives me a great deal of satisfaction.
"I WILL NEVER BE HUNGRY AGAIN"
                                          Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind

Thursday, July 21, 2011

A Little bit of This and That


I have been too busy with my Granddaughter to do very much,
 but I did work on two small weaving projects and a start a new pair of socks.
The large picture above, is woven with my hand spun yarn.
The smaller weaving is done on painted paper with Pearl cotton.

2 Weeks in July


I spent the last two weeks visiting with my Granddaughter Casey.
We haven't spent any time together for a couple of years.
 We made jam, tie dyed T-shirts and went swimming in the river.
We had Birthday parties and dinners with family.
Come back soon Casey. We miss you already.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Monday, July 11, 2011

Results of Experimenting

 The results of recent experiments
The tan fabric is cotton, folded, clamped and solar dyed in
water and Bradford Pear leaves. I left it there for almost two months and
it is darker then it looks in this photo. The clamp marks look like a row of
Butterflies.
The blue cotton is of course indigo dyed
and the yarn is wool spun onto 28 gauge wire.

Casey and the Peach Lemon Marmelade

My  Granddaughter Casey helped me make
Peach Lemon Marmalade
Delicious!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Friday, July 1, 2011

Getting Fancy

I am getting more elaborate! Now I am using a picture frame loom!
What next?