Knitted Bib

I have just finished this little baby bib for my niece who is expecting her first baby. I have also knitted booties but have yet to sew them up. I am happy with how it turned out with this colour way.
I have previously knitted bibs for my grandson and they really stop the dribble from wetting their clothes .

Below is the booties that stay on that I knitted for my grandson. In lots of colours to match his little outfits.

Blanket Finished.

The Finished Blanket

I didn't  have any joined together problems but quite a few skipped . No matter how careful you are with sticky wool you have to be more careful. I think it will work out better on the big floor loom now that I understand the principle behind it a bit better. I wanted short fringing and so twisted as usual and then soaked in hot water and then gently washed in a wool cycle then I cut the fringing down and got rid of the knots. It is holding the twist. 

 I love it to death. It is warm comfortable and just pretty.

Anyway here it is 

A sneak peak of my double wide blanket

I think it looks quite pretty. 

Also in between all this and before I started this project, I am going to New Zealand soon on a one weeks holiday first time to new zealand. So because its going to be so bloody freezing and I am a Queenslander through and through I thought I better weave that alpaca scarf and knit that beanie I have been putting off .
Here is the scarf and beanie all knitted and woven in handspun natural colours of Alpaca.

This yarn was made from my first spinning experience and so is a little let me say textured but still beautiful and unique.

I used Patons Dreamtime merino for the warp and all handspun alpaca for the weft. It is 

simply done in plain weave on the rigid heddle.

All Knitted in the same alpaca used for weaving. 

I used a Noro knitting pattern but modified it to suit me and my handspun alpaca.

Double Width blanket on Rigid Heddle Loom

I am trying Double Wide Weaving out on my 80 cm Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom.

Project from Ashfords Wheels and Looms Magazine- Double Delight.
It is so pretty and unusual using novelty yarn and wool I thought i would it a go.

I didn't find it hard to understand how to thread the 2 heddles up at all. I found the instructions from Ashfords Wheels Mag really good, especially about threading the double heddle.

So here are a few things that I have discovered whilst trialling this new to me weave structure before attempting it on the Ashford Jack Floor Loom.

• Firstly each shed has its place in the structure and now I fully understand what shed is doing what function.
• That sheds 2 and 3 have 3 threads on top every time and sheds 1 and 4 have only 1 thread. Am I right in thinking these are the plain weave sheds?

Here are some pictures

Above sheds 1 and 4. One thread from a slot and one shed from a hole- This is why I think these are the plain weave sheds.
And below shed 2 and 3 with 3 ends ( 1thread in the hole and 2 in the slot.)

A good way to check for errors when clearing the shed in readiness to throw your weaving sword.

 Can you see the error in the above photo. 3 threads coming out of the slot. It should be 1 thread in a hole and 2 in the slot. No no no that could cause drama so double check every pick.

and how to double check that impending error. Double weave double width is slow going on the rigid heddle but a great project to fully understand the structure and what it entails. I am really enjoying the simplified use of the rigid heddle. Quicker to warp and start the weaving process.

Here is shed 1-  front heddle up, back in neutral

Here is Shed 2- back heddle in down position and front heddle in neutral position

  

Shed 3- Both heddles in neutral position and pick up stick B forward and on edge

Shed 4- Both heddles in neutral position and pick up stick A forward and on edge

I have tied the pick up sticks thats what the red cotton is for so they won't slide out.

I am also very conscience on my selvages especially on the fold. I am sure it won't be perfect first time round but it at first you don't succeed try , try again. Nothing ventured nothing gained.
If anyone is reading this except for myself I really hope my trials with double width weaving may be a little helpful.

Homemade Treadling Tracker.

So here is the final product. My Homemade treadle tracker.

I have documented how I made it here.

What a constructive mess

What is this going to turn out like and what is it to be become?

I have been racking by brain over the last month and been scouring the internet for some ideas on a way to keep track of my treadling on my loom. I have seen beads used a lot, strung on string and tied to the beater or castle but if tied to the beater i would be worried that the beads would slide around even with a  nice thick string. It just didn't seem that solid of an idea to me. I wanted something more technical than that and more permanent and nothing that could accidentally be touched by little fingers.
I also liked the idea of printing out the treadling sequence and taping that to the castle or beater and may have to resort to that idea for more complicated treadling.
Anyway I think this idea of mine may just work. Next post and picture is of the final thought process and how I made it. If anyone reads this blog other than me it may help you out to or maybe you could improve upon the idea.
Okay enough said  back to working on it.

A link to a really good blog on Weaving

This is an Australian Blog and Martin  of gangewifre. blogspot does beautiful weaving,  He is a very talented man that he has lots of information on his site that is extremely helpful when you are newly starting out on your weaving journey.

Washing Merino Fleece

Here are a few photo's of my merino fleece being washed.
I bought this fleece of gumtree here in Australia a couple of years ago and a white fleece as well.
I thought I would have a break from Alpaca for a while and try my hand at merino as it is so readily available here.
Well this one is very fine and doesn't seem to have a long staple i think it is about 6-7cm long if that.,
but i give everything a go once. I decided to just wash it in cold soaks for a start and it was very greasy, not smelly, just greasy.

 Above was the 2nd tap water soak. Below is the 3rd. I was soaking for about 30 mins at a time.

 My makeshift table to pour the fleece onto. Omg this is back breaking work. I should have done it in smaller portions.

 The fleece drying in my little shed.

 Nope still doesn't feel like i want to comb and spin this , so I will use tantech's wool scour.

 This is after I used Wool Scour. It has come up beautiful . So soft.  Below is the staple length 10cm

 Look at this crimp. It is so fine it feels like silk in your hand whilst spinning it.

Here is the white merino fleece. I should probably scour this as well. I can't remember but i think i have already washed this batch when i first got it but its very hard to comb

and finally after combing and seeing such waste i made some felted dryer balls.

My weaving on youtube.

Here is the link to my youtube channel.
I am documenting my journey of weaving and spinning and if anyone learns anything in the meantime thats great.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnqTbBcWLGelT5FjTnES55w

New Page been added Ashford Jack Floor Loom

I have added a new page on my Ashford Jack Floor loom tab at the top of this page here and my first project on it.

Baby bootie pattern

https://patchcath.wordpress.com/tutoriels-2/tricot-layette-chaussettes-longitudinales-a-2-aiguilles-au-point-mousse/

Knitted Shoes for jack

http://www.ohmotherminediy.com/2014/02/diy-como-hacer-patucos-de-lana-dos.html

Zippered warp faced plain weave pouch . Is it too much?

What do we think with the cord, too much of the same colour? I will also use some of this cord as a zip pull for this pouch.
The little pouch is something i wove on a very old idea of a heddle. It just has holes and to be honest it was really comfortable to weave with.
I made the band lo c k holder and this unique heddle myself and because it is body tensioned as in a backstrap loom it was really easytouse and also to set up the plain weave. I would like to try a little pickup design on this heddle time permitting.

4 strand loop braid

I am really happy with how this turned out and it was created so quickly. I think it looks pretty

Back to knitting, spinning and a little tablet weaving.

Well now that the table runner is finished I am going back to knitting and spinning but in the meantime a little tablet weaving practice.

Here is a photo of the band.

I know I have one card in that tablet weaving that isn't quite threaded properly but its just a practice band , once again to learn from errors and get a feel for it using my newly made plastic cards. I am pretty happy with them in general and they are not to hard to handle.

The knitting that I am doing is my alpaca blanket.
I have designed a graph of alpaca and translated it into a written knitting pattern.
So far its going really well.
I chose a basket weave pattern and the row of alpaca's will go about midway up and it will be finished with the basket weave pattern.
Here are the photo's of my progress

 The picture above and below show the little hoof's and bottom of  legs on the alpaca's

 This is the basket weave pattern.
The alpaca has been carded and handspun by me and the fiber is from a work friend who have three beautiful boys with the most gorgeous fiber. I have 10 different shades of alpaca fiber that I have bought whole fleeces of but I believe there are at least 22 different shades.
I wished I had more colours.

and this is the graph that I painstakingly made before recounting and translating it into a written pattern.
Lap Blanket has 187 stitches , so it may take a while as its still fairly hot here in Australia. Nights are getting a little cooler. Gorgeous weather I adore it.
So thats about it.
Family coming for a Roast Pork tonight. Must get cracklin'