Hi, It's Terri ...

Hamily Heir-Loom Weavers

2010-11-05T11:04:00.020-04:00

On Wednesday I went on a road trip with the Central Pennsylvania Handweavers Guild (CPHG) to Red Lion, PA and the textile mill Family Heir-Loom Weavers. It was a great fall day for a drive in the country. The mill is located in what was once an old dairy building. I found the tour by David Kline fascinating.

Family Heir-Loom Weavers operate over 40 power looms with Jacquard attachments. The Jacquard is an accessory to the hand and power loom. It was intended to supersede the draw loom. It is used to control and independently operate a single or large number of warp threads. With the ability to manipulate an individual thread allowed for the creation of fancy coverlets. Instead of coverlets with geometric shapes you could have animals, buildings, etc.

The Jacquard coverlet on the rack dated 1838 is what got David Kline started in the business. Family Heir-Looms sells a reproduction of this coverlet (seen on the left side of the rack).Here David is holding a sample carpet they reproduced for the U.S. Park Service from an original for Lincoln's home in Springfield. You can see the carpet here (top photo). The Klines have done 3 rooms in Lincoln's home and have since done work in 8 other Presidential homes including Mount Vernon.
When recreating any pattern David said the first step in the Jacquard process is to create the point paper (a carefully graphed and hand-painted design). The point paper is an accurate map of the finished project. Punched cards are created from the point paper. The punched cards are a mechanized way of lifting warp threads to make a figured design. In the early 1800's Joseph-Marie Jacquard perfected an ingenious system of cards punched with holes which, when attached to a draw loom, would allow some needles to pass through and block others. Family Heir-Looms also weaves jean cloth (gray material used to create the jacket in the picture) used in period movies and by reenactors. The tiled walls are still in place from when the building served as a dairy.
Next we got to tour the weaving rooms. Here are a series of pictures since I couldn't take a picture that captured the entire loom in one frame. Click any picture to enlarge, click twice to enlarge even more.

Back of the loom. Family Heir-Looms often puts 600 yard warps on.
Jacquard looms don't have harnesses instead the warp threads travel through "eyelets". The eyelets attached to harness cords that pass through a perforated board then head up toward the ceiling.The Jacquard apparatus determines, based on the number and arrangement of the holes in the cards, which of the individual warp threads will be lifted. For every throw of the shuttle the blank part of the card moves a series of pins or levers which raise certain warp threads while other levers, passing into the holes in the card, do nothing, so it has no affect on the other warp threads. Every pattern requires a separate set of cards.Endless chain of pattern cards.
Front of the loom with the finished cloth rolled onto the cloth beam.

Coverlets!

2010-10-26T11:04:00.010-04:00

On Saturday I visited The National Museum of the American Coverlet located in Bedford, PA. The current exhibit is called Stay at Home and Use Me Well -- Flax and Fleece: Fiber to Fabric. On this day the museum was hosting the Colonial Coverlet Guild of America (a Chicago-based organization) which included a presentation by Ron Walter, a special exhibition tour let by Ron and show & tell. This was an all day event.

Stay at Home and Use Me Well showcases items from the collection of Kitty Bell and Ron Walter. The name of the exhibit was inspired by a flax hetchel or hatchel owned by Kitty & Ron that was made near Burrillville, Rhode Island dated May 18, 1797 and inscribed with the names of Mathewson and Lyda Mathewson with Stay at Home and Use Me Well.The exhibit was extremely informative. One exhibition room was dedicated to the entire process of linen and cloth production from plant or animal to the finished yarn. Ron's collection included a variety of spinning wheels and winders. There were wool wheels, flax wheels, production wheels, a pendulum wheel, and several long-bed spindle wheels where the spindle travels on a three-wheeled trolley. Ron also had a large collection of spinning wheel heads.The coverlets in the collection are of two types which they call geometric and figured and fancy. The geometric have pattern motifs based on circles and squares, woven by both men and women, mostly for use at home. The figured and fancy coverlets have ornate motifs of florals, animals, buildings, etc. and were made by men who were professional weavers mostly woven with the help of a Jacquard mechanism.

This Early American loom owned by the museum came with a Jacquard head they hope to install soon. Sitting on the bench are punched cards read by the Jacquard machine containing the pattern draft. This mechanism can raise or lower a single thread. It will be exciting to see it in operation.I purchased Ron Walter's book, of the same title as the exhibit, in the museums gift shop and it is worth every penny.

This turned out to be a very special day, one I shall remember. We had beautiful weather for the ride there and back and I traveled with friends who I very much enjoyed their company. We felt very welcome and met some wonderful people.

First Project On My "New To Me" Glimakra

2010-09-28T10:28:00.026-04:00

In a previous post I wrote about my Adventures in Overshot. In that post I mentioned Helene Bress whose coverlet books were so helpful to me. Helene will be our guest speaker at tomorrow's guild meeting. I am so looking forward to it.

The project was still on my Loomcraft and I decided to cut the warp off the loom and move it over to the "new to me" Glimakra. Boy was that an exercise. I recreated the cross on the Loomcraft then created a warp chain. I attached the trapeze to the Glimakra and weighted the warp.
The rattle was attached to the back beam.The cross was pulled forward and tied it to the loom frame.The harnesses were hung and the heddles threaded.The reed was sleyed. The warp was attached to the front beam. The countermarch unit is installed, the cords are in place and the treadles are all tied up.

I used the method described in a white paper by Madelyn Van Der Hoogt called Everything You've Ever Wanted To Know About Tying Up Your Countermarch Loom.
The method I used is definitely not in the Swedish method. Next time I plan to dress the loom the Swedish way.

Here she is all finished. The pattern is best known by the name of "Pine Bloom" (an old Appalachian draft). The warp is 10/2 unmercerized cotton, the weft is 20/2 unmercerized cotton and the pattern weft is 5/2 mercerized cotton. I have enough warp to weave another one.

The Glimakra is an absolute dream to weave on.

Antiques Roadshow

2010-09-16T15:12:00.012-04:00

Antiques Roadshow came to D.C. and the Washington Convention Center on August 21, 2010. The D.C. show received nearly 23,000 ticket applications (more than any other locations on the Summer 2010 tour). They estimated 6,000 attended the show with approx. 70 appraisers. There will be three Washington, D.C. episodes that will air sometime between January and May of 2011. I got an all day ticket from a friend whose friend is one of the appraisers.

One of the items I brought was a Jacquard coverlet I purchased at auction on Nantucket for $200. It was made by J. Cunningham in 1844. It is woven with white cotton and red wool. On the interior are four large floral medallions. The borders have the New York State seal with "Under This We Prosper" above and George Washington on horseback in the corners. It also has the slogan "United We Stand Divided We Fall" and J. Cunningham Weaver N. Hartford Oneida Co. N. York 1844. (Click picture to enlarge.)

I brought along the book "American Coverlets and Their Weavers" where James Cunningham is listed with his bio and a picture of this coverlet done in blue and white. The coverlet was appraised by Beth Szescila who specializes in rugs & textiles and decorative arts. Beth said it was one of the nicest she has seen and because of the condition she appraised it, at auction, between $3,000 - $4,000.

I really had fun at the Antiques Roadshow. It was great to see all that goes on behind the scenes and to see many of the appraisers you see on TV. To see what goes on at Antiques Roadshow watch this video.

If you want to see one of these old looms in operation check out this fascinating YouTube video.

We Love You So Very Much!

2010-09-07T07:18:00.000-04:00

Glimakra Update

2010-09-05T10:57:00.012-04:00

After my last post I got busy cleaning my "new to me" Glimakra. When they say the Glimakra is just a bunch of sticks this is what they mean. It's amazing how the loom can be broken down into a bunch of sticks. I cleaned every wood surface. Joanne Hall recommends cleaning the parts with vinegar and water. I did this until I ran out of vinegar then switched to Dawn dish washing soap and water. I then wiped the wood surface with 100% Tung Oil from LeeValley.To learn more about the construction and care of Glimakra looms visit this page on Joanne's site.

I didn't really need any parts per se . I did purchase a 10-shaft countermarch from Becky Ashenden. I also purchased two books from her, Damask and Opphamta with Weaving Sword or Drawloom and The Old Linen Closet: From plain weave to damask. The loom came with 9 heddles (18 sticks) so I ordered another 2 sticks to give me 10 shafts. It also came with 11 treadles. I thought 9 heddles was a little odd but 11 treadles was very odd.

I set her up all by myself in the spare bedroom but already moved her to the living room. This time with the help of my DH.I'm in the process of outfitting her with Texsolv tie up cord. After washing and organizing the Texsolv heddles I ended up with ~ 850. I ordered 200 more from Earth Guild because that is what I will need for my next project. This loom is typically sold with 11" heddles but mine were 12 1/2". I guess the shorter length will give you a larger shed. Any shed on this Glimakra will be bigger than what I had on any of my jack looms. I cut this warp off my 45" Loomcraft. It started out as 6 yards. I'm using a trapeze. I need to decide if I will set the loom up as counterbalance or countermarch. My project is a 45" square Overshot. I should still have enough warp for 2 squares.

I Have a Glimakra!!!!

2010-08-08T13:46:00.018-04:00

Did I need another loom? Not particularly. Did I want to own a Glimakra? You betcha! It helps having friends who are bad influences. I got an email about a loom in the Philadelphia area for a very good price. It was a 40" wide, 8-shaft, counterbalance and countermarch Glimakra with no extra accessories like reeds. Turns out someone else got the loom.

I looked on the Spinners', Weavers' & Knitters' Housecleaning Pages and found a 47" 8 harness, 10 treadle Glimakra for an even better price. This one is counterbalance but came with 6 stainless steel reeds and a few other extras. If I add the countermarch parts I will still come out ahead. This loom was located about 30 minutes north of Philadelphia. My bad influence friend and I went on a road trip a few days later and brought her home.

Here she is before taking her apart. The loom needs a good cleaning. It was filthy. Here is the bad influence helping me load the loom into my SUV. This is everything. I actually had room for another Glimakra with room to spare. I was pretty tired by the time I got home so she had to sleep in my SUV last night (The loom not the bad influence!) Actually she may have to sleep there again tonight. The bad influence and I had a fun time. I picked her up at 7am, it took a little over 3 hours to get there, we spent about 2 hours taking her all apart and loading her up, we ate lunch at Olive Garden, then had a long drive home. We got hung up in some slow traffic. I pulled into the driveway a little after 6pm.

I did manage to wash all the Texsolv heddles and cords last night. The water turned black instantly. They are all nice and clean now. I don't want to bring the other pieces into the house until they have had a good cleaning.

It has all its original parts including the owner's manual but the lady did keep the packing sticks. Grumble, grumble. It was made ~ 1981. It is missing a few pieces here and there. Just minor stuff. I've already been in touch with Joanne Hall about replacement parts. She responded to my email quickly. I've only heard good things about Joanne and her husband Ed. It's refreshing to get good customer service these days. I'm working on a list that will include the countermarch upgrade. I plan on getting her up and running as counterbalance then transition to countermarch.

I think I shall call her Emily!

Great Wheel, Wool Wheel, Walking Wheel, High Wheel, Others...

2010-07-12T20:34:00.032-04:00

I got this Great wheel from a friend in her 80's who developed macular degeneration. She purchased it at auction in Southern PA many years ago. It's been in my living room with my 3 other spinning wheels collecting dust. I decided I wanted to learn to spin on her. (Click any picture to enlarge.)
I found a label on the accelerating wheel head and did some research. The wheel-head maker is Benjamin Pierce (1814-1899) and was manufactured in Chesterfield, NH at the Chesterfield Factory (also known as Factory Village and now Spofford Village). Pierce was known for the manufacture of bits and augers. The New Hampshire Historical Society owns a ledger and daybook of Benjamin Pierce and Old Sturbridge Village Research Library owns a Pierce daybook (1859-1866).

Another bit and auger manufacturer living in Chesterfield at the time was Richard Henry Hopkins (1831-1877). Hopkins was also a wheel-head maker. It was common for Chesterfield manufacturers to combine the business of creating bits and augers with manufacturing spinning wheel-heads. The forging skills were similar. At one time Hopkins worked for and partnered with Pierce.

Apparently Pierce was selling wheel-heads manufactured by the Hopkins family and others, and eventually made by himself and his son. Around 1868 Frederick Benjamin Pierce, the son of Benjamin, joined as a partner in his father's business. This continued until Benjamin Pierce sold the bit shop to the Currier Brothers in 1882. From what I can tell it appears the elder Pierce may have continued marketing the spinning wheel-heads after he commenced manufacturing them. Pierce also manufactured spinning wheels and flax wheels.The label reads, "Benjamin Pierce's Wheel Heads /Particular care must be taken to keep them / dry. When used they must be kept well oiled, / and when new bands are required, they must / be smooth and even. Spindles warranted steel. / by BENJAMIN PIERCE, Chesterfield Factory, N.H." I believe it was made sometime between 1853 and 1882.

Wheel-heads made in Chesterfield were manufactured according to patents 1803 and 1810 owned by Amos Miner from upstate New York. Miner's 1810 patent gave him exclusive right to manufacture, or license the manufacture of, his wheels until 1824. After the expiration of the patent Chesterfield became the center of manufacturing wheel-heads in New England.

There are maker's marks on the end-grain of the table under the wheel-head. Punched twice are AWheeler and C. W. MUZZY. I found in the census some Wheeler's and a couple of Muzzy's living in Chesterfield but haven't absolutely identified them. If anyone knows for sure the spinning wheel was made at the Chesterfield Factory I would appreciate knowing. Update: After pouring over census records I believe AWheeler is Ashbel Wheeler born about 1817 and C.W. MUZZY is Carlton William Muzzy born about 1837.The accelerating wheel-head appears to be all original even the braided corn husk bearings. I noticed the spindle is ever so slightly bent and that causes the spindle to wobble. In order to remove the spindle it looks like I would need to remove and replace the corn husks and I hate the thought of doing that if they are original. The accelerator head appears to be made of beech wood. The table is 45" x 5" x 2".The wheel diameter is 49". The wheel looks like it is made of Chestnut. At the scarf joint you can faintly see the square headed copper nails. The drive cord tracks properly. I will probably remove the knot in the cord and overlap the ends and sew them together then wrap and sew the overlap to prevent fraying. That's how I learned to do it from Norman Kennedy in one of his classes. Today I ordered Katy Turner's book "The Legacy of the Great Wheel: Myths, History, and Traditions" from AbeBooks. I also ordered some back issues from The Spinning Wheel Sleuth that contained information about Great wheels.

Sewing Machine Cabinet for my Singer 185J

2010-06-21T11:44:00.020-04:00

In an earlier post I talked about getting nostalgic and purchasing a Singer 185J just like my very first sewing machine. I ended up buying 2 of them. A portable I got on eBay and another one in a cabinet from Craigslist. I decided to put the machine in a different cabinet and this required quite a bit of work.

The Singer 185J is a 3/4-sized machine so the opening in a standard sewing machine cabinet is too big.The hinges used to mount the previous machine will not work for my 'Lil Green. The old hinges are mounted on the underside of the cabinet. The spacing is wrong and the post used to attached the machine to the hinge are the wrong size. The hinges are what allow the machine to swing down into the cabinet when not in use.
On top are the square hinges I removed. On the bottom are the round hinges that fit 'Lil Green. These will get mounted on the cabinet top.
First I dismantled the cabinet.
I made a filler piece from birch plywood and cut the holes (at the right depth) for the hinges using a forstner bit. It took me hours to carefully cut the plywood so I could get an exact fit. I then glued and screwed a couple strips of hard maple to the underside of the cabinet to support the plywood since the Singer 185J is an extremely heavy sewing machine.
All finished. At some point I will apply stain/finish so the plywood will blend in with the original.
'Lil Green in her new cabinet.
Front view.
Rear view.

42nd Annual Spinning Seminar at The Mannings

2010-06-15T16:49:00.028-04:00

We had the best time at The Mannings spinning seminar. They are located on the banks of the Conewago Creek halfway between York and Gettysburg, PA. The complex surrounds the 1874 farmhouse and barn. You didn't have to register and there was no admission charge. There were 14 demonstrators covering a variety of topics and you could come with your wheel and sit and spin if you wanted to.Jan Derry has been raising Bombyx mori silk worms for ~ 15 years. We got to see all the various stages from mating to laying eggs to spinning cocoons. For more details check out this blog.John Bostek demonstrated sheep shearing of Border Leicester and Cormo sheep.Cotton spinning with Sally Jenkins.A video clip I took of a friend giving cotton spinning a try.

Wool Wheel, Great Wheel, Walking Wheel or High Wheel. There are probably other names as well. Sharon Peffer is using her Norman Hall reproduction Great Wheel. She explained the difference between the Minors Head's and Bats Head's. If you wanted you could try your hand at drafting.This is just a sampling of what we saw.

Janey Pullover

2010-05-29T18:56:00.015-04:00

This was a kit I purchased at Maryland Sheep & Wool called Janey Pullover by Melissa Jean Stahl. It was knit with Vermont Organic Fiber Company ~ O-Wool ~ Balance (colorway 3017 Peridot - 3 skeins). It's 50% cotton - 50% merino. It was a fun knit. The kit came with 3 cute handmade ceramic buttons that go perfectly with the yarn. The only thing I did differently was add the grosgrain ribbon. Every morning around 5-5:30 I take our dogs for a walk at the Tupancy Links and always see ducks on this one house. Sometimes there is just one or two but most times there are several. I often wonder why this house. For some reason it always makes me smile.
Every Memorial Day Weekend there is a boat race called Figawi. Sailboats race from Hyannis to Nantucket on Saturday then race back on Monday. This is what the Nantucket boat basin looked like before the race. Pretty quiet. (Click to enlarge any photo.)
Here is what it looked like after the race. Somewhere around 250 sailboats end up here. A photo from the Nantucket Inquirer & Mirror. We had a good time watching the boats come in from the Jetties.UPDATE:
We went down to see the sailboats off this morning (Memorial Day). We're used to fog around here but this somehow seemed different. Turns out this wasn't fog at all but smoke from a number of large fires in Southern Quebec. Very, very weird!Rounding Brant Point Lighthouse you can see the masts of sailboats as they head out to Nantucket Sound.

Elizabeth Zimmermann's Green Sweater

2010-05-21T19:15:00.019-04:00

When I first heard about this sweater I knew I had to knit it. If you haven't read the article Channeling Elizabeth: Recreating a Family Heirloom by Sunday Holm in Twist Collective here it is. It tells the story of the reconstruction of the 50 year old sweater.

It was an interesting knit. The sweater contains phoney seams at the underarms, steeks, mitered shaping for neck and facings, underarm gussets, kangaroo pouch, deep dolman sleeves (more of a modified drop shoulder with a gusset), and gauntlet cuffs.

Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmermann's Green Sweater dissected and written by Sunday Holm
Purchased: Schoolhouse Press Pattern #13
Size: 36", 40", 44", 48" (I knit mine in size 42" but wished I'd knit it in size 40")
Needles: US #6 (4mm)
Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca ~ Peat Mix (6277) 50% Alpaca 50% Wool
Pewter Clasps: Quantity 7 purchased from Schoolhouse Press
Started: 5-5-2010
Finished: 5-20-2010

5-20-2010
Turn Sleeve Hem;Finishing (Sewed on pewter clasps)5-19-2010
Work Gauntlet Cuff
5-13-2010
Knit Sleeves
5-11-2010
Knit Neckline; Knit Neckline Facing

5-9-2010 & 5-10-2010
Start Neck Steek; Shape Neck Opening; Graft Shoulders (did 3-needle bind-off)5-8-2010
Start Sleeve Steeks 5-5-2010
Hem knit on one size smaller needles. Pattern called for Provisional Cast-on but I cast-on with Judy Becker's Magic Cast-on.
Did a knitted hem so I wouldn't have to sew down the them as part of finishing.

Baby Jordy ~ This Post Is For You!!!

2010-04-29T07:00:00.025-04:00

I've been on Nantucket for about 3 weeks. We had wonderful weather for Daffodil Weekend but the cold weather has returned. Brrrrrrrr.... Tomorrow I'll be returning to Maryland for a quick visit to attend a baby shower for my DDIL and hope to attend Maryland Sheep & Wool while there.

I hope she likes the gifts I made for her.

The pattern is called Baby Delight by Irene Kubilius published in Knitter's Magazine 45, Winter 1996. With the left over yarn I knit the baby socks. Dreambaby DK from Plymouth Yarn was used.

I enjoyed was making this four patch quilt. I just finished it last night. It has been years since I have worked on a quilting project. Inspiration came from Quilts for Baby: Easy as ABC by Ursula Reikes. All the materials are flannel. The quilt was completely hand-pieced. The border was hand-quilted with the center tied. The corners are mitered and the binding was cut on the bias.

Quilt top.

Quilt back.

Quilt label.

Into the front-loader for a final washing.

I made the 3" Nantucket lightship basket in my workshop and the doll chair in Hampshire County, WV with Charles Boland. To see how the chairs are made see this previous post or this one. The rabbit is holding a photo album with pictures of Grandma making the chair.

Which Path Should I Take?

2010-02-09T15:26:00.008-05:00

We have paths all over the backyard. One path to the horse field, another to the driveway, and the last going to my workshop. It looks like a maze out there. Sammy the Lab took one of the paths and didn't know how to get back. He stood out there barking then tried to cut across but the snow was too deep. I had to go out and rescue him.

We're waiting on the approaching storm. We could get up to another 24-inches. Some neighborhoods closer to D.C. haven't been plowed yet and there are still lots without power.

I Survived the Blizzard of 2010

2010-02-07T16:34:00.020-05:00

The snow blizzard in the DC area began Friday morning and did not let up until Saturday evening and dumped over 30-inches. We lost power during the early hours of Saturday (thank-goodness for generators). Obama referred to this storm as Snowmageddon. Washingtonian's are also calling it Snowpocalypse. We're expecting another 5"-10" on Tuesday. Most in the area have snow fatigue, me included.

We waited months for a reservation at Volt which the snow canceled. It's owned by Bryan Voltaggio who came in second in this season's Top Chef:Las Vegas. His brother Michael won. Both brothers are from this area. We'll try again sometime in the future.

I hope to dig out to my workshop soon. Click on the picture to see how huge the snowflakes were.
Sunday morning we awoke to a beautiful crisp, clear sunny day. Getting back to feed the horses was no easy task.
There's a picnic table there somewhere.Our Lab Sam. He's turning 13 this year. He is still so puppy-like but he's slowing down.

Nantucket Basket Class

2010-02-02T09:49:00.017-05:00

Finished teaching a 4-day Nantucket basket class. It ended up everyone worked on a different project. I was very pleased with how the baskets turned out.

Karen with her 16-inch oval tray with Wenge wooden base.
Marea with her 6-inch open round. Her first basket.
Jenny with her 12-inch oval tray with quarter-sawn Sycamore base.
Stephanie's finished 6.5-inch mini-market basket with oak staves and Gaboon ebony base. I enjoyed sewing the Toile de Jouy fabric liner.
Kirby with his 7-inch oval.
Penne with her 10-inch open round.
Jennifer with her 8-inch oval. She will be finishing it at home.

My Adventures in Overshot

2010-01-16T16:10:00.026-05:00

I went to lunch today with two of my fiber friends who commented that I have not updated my blog in a while. Even though I've been very busy they were right. So here you go Pru and Nadine, this post is for you.

I very much enjoyed a guild road trip to the Lost River Museum in West Virginia and learning about two Mennonite women (Ora and Lynn Tusing) who lived up on Branch Mountain near Mathias in Hardy County, WV. overlooking the Lost River Valley. You can see a photo album from the visit here.

I fell for the coverlet sample Priscilla Blosser-Rainey wove on the sister’s loom using the remaining warp that was on the loom when the museum acquired it from the Tusing sister’s estate. The warp is 40/2 linen and the weft is Harrisville 2-ply doubled. The draft is the sister’s favorite which they called Glaring Flower (a.k.a. Pine Burr/Pine Cone Bloom/Pine Bloom).

When I saw the pattern of the sister’s favorite draft embroidered on a piece of muslin hanging over the loom I knew I had to weave it. Did I mention I never wove Overshot before?

I set out to learn all I could about the Overshot weaving structure. I exchanged a few emails with Priscilla who said the coverlet is treadled “tromp as writ” and tabby is 1&2 and 3&4. I also had discussions with Beth, our guild president, who showed me, in the draft and the pictures I took, that Pine Bloom contains tables and crosses. Reading the draft (click any picture to enlarge) if you start where it says “Begin Here” you would start out treadling 1&4 - 8 times, followed by 2&3 - 4 times, next 1&4 - 8 times, and so on. The four Overshot blocks are A=1&3, B=2&3, C=2&4, and D=1&4 with tabby 1&2 and 3&4 as mentioned. Since I’m a visual person I wanted to graph out one full repeat. Here is what I came up with (click to enlarge).

I soon discovered the Tusing sister’s draft did not conform to traditional contemporary Overshot where the 4 blocks are 1&2, 2&3, 3&4, and 4&1 with tabby being 1&3 and 2&4. I also discovered all the blocks did not share a common thread between sequential blocks like traditional Overshot. Looking at the picture you can see the few blocks that do overlap are identified with a heavy X and blocks that don’t, have the adjoining threads boxed in with pencil. Underneath each block I wrote how many threads made up the block repeat and circled the number. I thought I must be doing something wrong! This is really weird! On a trip to The Mannings I brought along my worksheet and the Tusing sister’s draft to see if Tom Knisley could take a look. Tom said the way I was approaching it was correct.

My plan is to weave this on my Loomcraft loom which has a maximum weaving width of 45”. I needed to figure out how many repeats of the tables and crosses I could have. I settled on Partial Table, Cross, Table, Cross, Table, Cross, Table, Cross, Partial Table (reversed). All the numbers on the lower left of the worksheet contain my calculations of how many heddles I would need on each of the harnesses. The total came out to 1,067 ends. Sett @ 24 epi (12 dent reed – 2 ends per dent). I am using 10/2 cotton for warp, 20/2 cotton for tabby weft, and 5/2 cotton for pattern weft. Beth came over to help me wind the warp since she has a warping mill. We decided on 6 yards which would give me 3 separate squares of the pattern. The warping mill made a quick job of it and now I am a convert.

I was still feeling uneasy about this draft not conforming to traditional Overshot. Then one night I was looking at The Coverlet Book: Volume 1 – Overshot by Helene Bress. Bingo! I learned that this draft contained a combination of “on-adjacent blocks” (each block has one thread (or harness) in common with its neighboring or adjacent block) and “on-opposites” (opposite blocks are not neighbors and do not have any harnesses in common).

Helene went on to explain imperfections or doublers. If you remove the pattern weft you would find a Plain Weave ground fabric. When two adjacent warp threads ride side-by-side (threaded into the same harness) they interrupt the Plain Weave structure. The two adjacent warp ends rise or fall together. This is called “unsplit doublers”. They will never be separated or split up.

Can doublers be seen with the naked eye? It depends. Often you can’t or don’t but sometimes they show up as a warp-wise (vertical) streak. Helene goes on to say significant doublers are those that occur at the edge of a block, as one block progresses to the next. Doublers are most noticeable when they occur within a block as opposed to at the edge of a block.

One example of an unsplit doubler may be due to a threading error within a block where adjacent threads are threaded through heddles on the same harness. For example, the block should be threaded 4,3,4,3,4,3,4,3 but instead it is threaded 3,4,3,4,4,3,4,3. These threads will rise or fall together when tabby is treadled and tabby will be imperfect. Chances are good you will see a warp-wise streak. If this streak occurred regularly, i.e., within block D of every repeat then most likely there is something going on in the draft as opposed to a threading error.

The Tusing sister’s draft contains another type of doubler called a “split doubler”. Unlike the previous example where adjacent threads are going through the same harness you have adjacent threads going through different harnesses but the threads still rise and fall together. My tabby is 1&2 and 3&4. If you look at my worksheet starting at the top right and move left you start off treadling 2&3 - 4 times followed by 2&4 – 4 times. No problem transitioning blocks here. The blocks share a common thread. Next, we treadle 1&4 – 4 times. Now we have a problem. As discussed, this is an example of “on-opposites”. The adjacent threads are 2&1. When the pattern blocks are treadled the threads will be “split up” because they do not ride together but the doublers do occur in the tabby area since my tabby is 1&2 and 3&4. Since the doublers here occur in the tabby area only, and occur where there is a change of blocks they are less noticeable than unsplit doublers.

Helene says it’s not hard to find drafts with doublers in them and when there are consistent doublers, there is probably a specific reason for their existence. Half the coverlets Helene examined had doublers. She said some even had a tripler or two.

Here is my project on the loom. Whew! No threading errors. This has been a good learning experience.

I hated to leave...

2009-11-02T10:11:00.014-05:00

The last few years I stayed on Nantucket through Thanksgiving. I love it when the crowds leave and the island quiets down.

It's nice being back in Maryland and still see fall leaves on the trees. Now I need to get ready to teach a basket class in a few weeks. Then I plan to dress the loom for an overshot project.

While on Nantucket I did manage to knit a couple of chemotherapy caps to be donated at our November guild meeting. I also made some bracelets from small scraps of antique ivory and parachute cord. They are comfortable to wear and the paracord is very durable. For closures I use either a bead or a toggle made out of scrap whale bone.
I'm having fun learning new knots from Ashley's Book of Knots. It was first published in 1944 and documents over 3,800 knots. It's certainly not the easiest book to learn how to tie knots from. You can now get new reprints of the book but comparing the new with the old, the older version is much better. The print and pictures are much more clear and crisp in the original version of the book. Other knotting books I like are The Arts of the Sailor and The Marlinspike Sailor.

I made some of these little guys. The one on the left has a lanyard knot and a 4 strand square sinnet. On the right is a lanyard knot and king cobra stitch.
Cleaning up the yard before leaving I snipped off all the blooms from the hydrangea bushes and tree. Piled up they were so beautiful I had to snap a picture.
This came from our hydrangea tree. The blooms are large and plentiful.
I really enjoyed scalloping and digging for clams this year. Nantucket Bay scallops are different from any other type of scallop. They are smaller (half the size of sea scallops) and more tender and sweet.Shucking (opening) scallops is hard work but well worth the effort.
Nantucketers call hard-shelled clams quahogs (CO-hogs) but they can be subdivided by size. The smallest, little necks, are ~ 1-inch thick. The largest, chowders or quahogs, are 3 or more inches in diameter and cherrystones are in between.
Steamers ~ Soft-Shell Clams ~ Long Necks must be dug by hand at low tide. A short handled "fork" with long, thin tines is used to excavate them. The thin shells are very delicate.
I froze a lot of the meat and will be enjoying it over the winter. Yummy!

Horoscope Necklace ~ Singer 185J

2009-10-10T07:51:00.028-04:00

In my last post I talked about weaving a horoscope shawl. As part of the workshop you created a horoscope necklace based on the same winding draft as the woven shawl. The various packets below contain tiny beads in various colors. We were also given larger beads to represent planets.
Here is the completed horoscope shawl and necklace. Each tiny bead represents a warp thread in the woven piece. Every so often the woven piece has four threads that were threaded through the same dent and heddle to represent a planet. The large beads in the necklace represent planets.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think I am getting nostalgic. I've been pinning after my first sewing machine. I remember that first sewing class in Jr. High School as almost life changing. I didn't come from a family of crafters. My first sewing machine was purchased second-hand from a neighbor lady for $20. To pay for the machine I babysat her 3 children (real brats) for 75 cents per hour. It took forever to pay for the sewing machine!

I don't know what happened to my first machine but it looked identical to my new purchase (below). Isn't it adorable? It's a Singer 185J manufactured in Canada in 1962 (the 185K was made in Scotland). It's a flat-bed 3/4 sized straight stitch machine. It's all metal and it's heavy. I would call it heavy-duty because it will sew through just about any type of fabric. They were manufactured from 1959-1962. It replaced the black 99K, also a 3/4 sized machine. Basically, this is the 99 with updated green paint. I purchased this one with a cabinet. First thing I did was give it a good oiling and it purrs like a kitten.

My original 185J came in a carrying case like this one.
I found this YouTube video of an old commercial for the Singer 185. It was considered the Young Budget Machine. You could buy it on the Budge Plan for $119.50 ($12 down and $1.25 per week).

Handwoven Horoscope Shawl and Whatzit?

2009-09-10T15:33:00.026-04:00

Back in 2007 I signed up for a Bonnie Tarses Horoscope Weaving workshop. I was unable to attend the workshop but was given the horoscope to weave on my own. With the nudging and help from Beth, our guild president, I finished the shawl! It was a lot of fun to weave. Even though it is plain weave I never got bored (how could I with all the colors). Thank you Bonnie and Beth!!!

I purchased a Bambu 7 kit from Cotton Clouds and using the horoscope threading draft from Bonnie I wound the warp.
Weaving in progress.

All finished!!!

The workshop also included a kit to make a beaded necklace based on the same horoscope. I hope to have that completed soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~

At my last guild meeting one of our members brought in a very interesting item and asked if anyone knew what it was. We didn't have a clue so now I hope someone out there will know what it is.

What the heck is this?
It has an adjustable arm on the top with a platform that has small pegs. The platform has grooves. It is handmade and very well made.

There is a second adjustable arm that appears to have the ability to hold something down.

This may or may not be related.

Update: I would agree with Vanessa. It's a needlepoint stand. There are lots of examples out there in internet land that look similar. Check out this site for a review of a needlepoint stand with similar features.

As for the other thing in the photo... some one thought it might have something to do with the creation of lampshades.

18th-Century Market Fair

2009-04-27T07:52:00.017-04:00

This weekend we went to the 18th-Century Market Fair at Fort Frederick State Park in Western Maryland.

Windsor chairmaker Charles Boland of Storybook Joinery was there.I love the finial on top of his tent.The temperature soared to over 90 degrees. I don't know how the vendors managed in their period wear. Some highlights from the fair.

I've been busy...

2009-04-22T19:22:00.026-04:00

I took a break from weaving and have been busy cleaning up and organizing my shop. I've also been creating basket parts for a class I'm doing over the summer. Today I fired up the steam box to steam bend oak for the handles. I wanted to use Schedule 80 PVC pipe but ended up using Schedule 40 since the Schedule 80 is only sold in 20' lengths @ $6.79 per foot (ouch). A cradle was created just in case the Schedule 40 pipe sags. The steam box sits on brackets that are temporarily mounted to the fence with clamps. Click on picture to enlarge.

A small hole is drilled on top where a temperature gauge is installed. Relief holes are drilled at each end of the PVC pipe on the underside. You know you are ready to steam bend when steam exits the holes as pictured here.
The handle stock is ready to come out.Oak handles on molds. The oak bent like butter.I use rough cut green white oak that I get from a local sawmill. It is cut down to more manageable sizes and stored in a freezer in the shop until I'm ready to use it. The wide oak board is put through the planer then cut into strips on the table saw. I love my Delta Unisaw with Biesemeyer fence. You can see in the picture the oak is wet.The strips are put through the planer again and planed to the finished thickness. This will remove any circle marks left behind by the table saw blade.

Windsor Chair Class

2009-04-03T11:13:00.033-04:00

The previous few years Vanessa came up and we drove to Hampshire County, West Virginia to take a Windsor chair class. This year I went it alone and had a fantastic time! I made a sackback settee and Charles made one alongside me.

Here are some highlights from the class.

Riving billets for the settee spindles, back bow, and arm bow using a froe and maul.

Cutting out the 2" seat blank with a bow saw.

Saddling the settee seat using a gutter adze to hollow out the seat.

Saddling the seat continues by cleaning up and shaping the seat using a drawknife, block plane, inshave (scorp), travisher, compass plane, spokeshave, and card scraper.

Driving a wedge into the leg tenons and seat.

Cleaning up the spindles that were created on a shaving horse with a drawknife then fork staff. Final cleanup using a card scraper.

Pounding the spindles into the seat with a dead blow hammer.

The finished chairs.

This is Charles Boland of Storybook Joinery. Charles is knowledgeable, not only in the areas of Windsor chairmaking, but the history as well. He willingly shares his knowledge and is so patient. Charles only takes on 1-2 students at a time so your time spent there is quality time. His classes are well worth the time and money. Be prepared to work hard. You won't be disappointed.

Some of the tools of the chairmaking trade you'll be using.

And as an extra bonus Maggie, the official shop dog, comes for visits.

And then there is Sam the cat who adopted the Boland family and rules the roost.

If you want to see Charles' work you might stop by one of his events.

Structo Artcraft 240/4

2009-03-24T14:35:00.010-04:00

I recently purchased this little cutie on eBay. It's a Structo Artcraft 240/4 (4-harness). It's 15 inches long x 10-1/2 inches wide x 13 high and has a maximum weaving width of 8". The loom came with a 15-dent reed. If the reed is slayed two threads per dent (for a sett of 30 ends per inch) the loom could accommodate 240 warp ends.

The Structo Artcraft loom was originally produced by the Structo Manufacturing Company of Freeport, Illinos. The company was started in 1908 and was the producer of metal toys. In 1921 they began producing toy weaving looms. Later, the toy looms were discontinued and actual standard weaving looms were made. The looms were manufactured until 1972 when the loom business was sold to the Dick Blick Company who continued manufacturing the looms until 1981 when they decided to take them out of production. Dick Blick still holds the manufacturing rights to the loom.

The Structo Artcraft looms were sold through retail outlets as well as mail order. They manufactured both pressed steel and wooden looms. In 1930 Mary Meigs Atwater wrote "Manual of Instructions for the Structo Artcraft Looms: Nos. 240, 420, 600". Atwater sold the loom through her Shuttle-Craft Guild mail order business.

The looms were popular workshop looms and for weaving samplers. For more information visit this website or join the Yahoo group all_things_structo.

I finished the tea towels or are they dish towels?

2009-03-08T09:20:00.008-04:00

I wanted to take the newly restored loom for a test drive so I put on 5 yards of 8/2 unmercerized cotton and wove plainweave towels. This was the first time I used weaving sticks and I really liked it since this loom has a much smaller shed than I am used to. I have some very beautiful 24" cherry ones and plan to make more in various lengths.

The finished tea towels...

I'm leaving today, heading for West Virginia, for another Windsor chair class. Below is the rocker I made last year. I finally finished it a couple of weeks ago.

This time I am making a settee. Before heading to class I needed to turn this hard maple stock into legs, six to be exact.

On the lathe...

All finished...

Structo Artcraft 600 Loom from eBay

2009-02-20T20:25:00.026-05:00

I purchased this loom from eBay almost 2 years ago. I think I paid more for shipping than I did for the loom. No surprise! There wasn't any part of this loom that wasn't rusted or filthy.

It's a Structo Artcraft 600 4-shaft loom with a maximum weaving width of 20". The loom came with a 15-dent reed. If the reed is sleyed two threads per dent (for a sett of 30 ends per inch) the loom could accommodate 600 warp ends. It was made sometime around 1925 but before 1932 (when the next model was released). I was able to find an original owner's manual and product catalog on eBay. Click any picture below to enlarge.

I took the loom completely apart and sanded all the metal parts down to bare metal and spray painted them back to their original black paint. I decided not to sand the mahogany down to bare wood, instead I sanded the old finish off with steel wool and used Restor-A-Finish. This stuff is amazing.

Ta-dah... Here is the completed loom. I created cloth aprons with rods and ordered TexSolv heddles. I really didn't think I could get the rust off the 15-dent reed but I kept at it and it came out beautifully.

Here she is with her first warp. I used the Katie Reeder Meek method of using a trapeze. You can get a review of her book Warp with a Trapeze and Dance With Your Loom Using Live-Tensioned Weights here.

For the first project I put on a little over 5 yards of cotton warp for dishtowels.

I really enjoyed restoring this old loom. It's hard to believe it's the same loom.

Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder

2009-02-19T21:03:00.002-05:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I posted last. Where does the time go? I got this e-mail a couple of days ago and can relate, especially when it comes to my crafts.

Stay tuned... I'll be updating my blog soon.

AAADD
KNOW THE SYMPTOMS...PLEASE READ!

Thank goodness there's a name for this disorder.
Somehow I feel better, even though I have it!!

Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D.-
Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden.
As I turn on the hose in the driveway,
I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start toward the garage,
I notice mail on the porch table that
I brought up from the mail box earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys on the table,
Put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table,
And notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back,
On the table and take out the garbage first.

But then I think,
Since I'm going to be near the mailbox
When I take out the garbage anyway,
I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my check book off the table,
And see that there is only one check left.

My extra checks are in my desk in the study,
So I go inside the house to my desk where
I find the can of Pepsi I'd been drinking

I'm going to look for my checks,
But first I need to push the Pepsi aside
so that I don't accidentally knock it over.

The Pepsi is getting warm,
And I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Pepsi,
A vase of flowers on the counter
Catches my eye--they need water.

I put the Pepsi on the counter and,
Discover my reading glasses that
I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk,
But first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter,
Fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote.
Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV,
I'll be looking for the remote,
But I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table,
So I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs,
But first I'll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers,
But quite a bit of it spills on the floor.

So, I set the remote back on the table,
Get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then, I head down the hall trying to
Remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:
The car isn't washed
The bills aren't paid
There is a warm can of Pepsi sitting on the counter
The flowers don't have enough water,
There is still only 1 check in my check book,
I can't find the remote,
I can't find my glasses,
And I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today,
I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all damn day,
And I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem,
And I'll try to get some help for it,
But first I'll check my e-mail...

Moe as in Moby Dick

2008-07-23T17:32:00.002-04:00

Before leaving Nantucket someone bet me $10 that I wouldn't finish and hang the whale before I left. That was all the push I needed. I've been working on the whale the last year and a half. Here he is hanging in our cottage. He's pretty hefty and 44" in length. He has real ivory teeth carved by Nancy Chase. The timber, used to carve the whale, is several centuries old and came from the Nantucket United Methodist Church. It's an original timber from when the church was built in 1823. In the mid-1980's the church basement was renovated and to accommodate an exterior door the timber was cut out. It had been kicking around Nancy's house until I discovered it. Nancy started the whale many years ago so with her help I finished it.

We had a party to celebrate. The night before the party I had someone help me hang him and I covered him up with a sheet. The night of the party we had a whale naming contest. Everyone submitted their choice of a name. The names were then read aloud. Next everyone voted for a name but they couldn't vote for their own name. In the end Moe won by 2 votes and then we had an unveiling. I love him and I can see him from just about any room in the house.

I also made this basket. It has a rosewood bottom and ebony top. It can be used as a ladies sewing box, jewelry box, or just as an art piece. The bird on top was carved from an antique whale tooth.

The Eagle Has Landed

2008-06-17T08:39:00.000-04:00

The eagle is finally finished. Yahooey! After restoring the wings and stand the eagle took 26 books of 23.5 gold leaf. It just sparkles in the sunlight. It is believed to have been carved by John Haley Bellamy (1836-1914) c. 1860-1870 a famous New England nautical wood carver.

Spring Mystery Shawl

2008-05-21T16:26:00.000-04:00

I've been knitting the Spring Mystery Shawl Along 2008 hosted by Renee Leverington of Goddess Knits.

The first clue was posted on April 19th. New clues are issued every other Saturday. There are currently 3 clues. Clue 1 and 2 are finished. I'm knitting with JaggerSpun 2/18 Zephyr in Vanilla using US 5 needles. This has been a fun knit.

I've been teaching Scott, who is a talented ivory carver, how to make Nantucket Lightship Baskets. Here is Scott with his finished 4" round basket. It really turned out beautifully and Scott's a real natural.

Nadine, Ed, Nantucket, and Clapotis!

2008-04-18T20:24:00.001-04:00

I'm back on Nantucket. When we first got here it was cold, windy, and rainy and I wondered why I came up so early in the season. The weather turned this past week and we have been having beautiful weather.

My good friends (more like family) Nadine and her daughter Ed came for a few days. We had a very nice visit. Ed is a fabulous cook and they came with a rather large care package that included bottles of wine, homemade bread, a precooked dinner, and desserts (yes that is plural). It was all yummy! Ed even helped pull together some of our other meals. I always learn so much from her. Nadine is a good cook too.

When we get together like this we usually get a lot of knitting accomplished but not so much this visit. We did manage to stop by our favorite yarn store (Sheep to Shore).

I helped Nadine take a picture of Clapotis, her latest knit, to upload to Flickr and Ravelry. Afterwards Nadine presented me with this beautiful scarf.I was so surprised and delighted at the same time. Clapotis is a free pattern that can be downloaded from knitty here. Nadine knit it to be worn with jeans so she added some repeats and made it a little narrower.

I'm looking forward to their visit again next year.

Beadwork Progress Has Slowed Down

2008-03-31T22:07:00.004-04:00

I was zipping along on Beadwork until we went off to another Windsor chair class in West Virginia. I brought Beadwork along but I was too tired in the evenings to knit a stitch. Since I last posted I picked up the sleeves and completed the decreases. Now I just need to continue knitting down to the cuff then put the body stitches back on the needles and continue knitting.

I took a Windsor chair class last year with Vanessa. This year we went back to West Virginia and Charles Boland's workshop, Storybook Joinery, where we each made a Nantucket Windsor Fanback rocker. The class was a full six days. We loved every minute of it! (Except for the part where I got a ticket for speeding and having expired tags.) Besides the class we enjoyed seeing Sherry (Charles' wife) and their golden retriever Maggie. One night Charles cooked a delicious seafood stew for us. As you can see the Boland house is filled with his beautiful creations including the dining room table.

Here are our finished chairs. My chair is on the left and Vanessa's is on the right. Charles is in the center without rockers.

Some highlights from the class.

The crest is steam bent red oak with the crest ears hand carved with volutes.

The oval shaped seat was created from a solid piece of 2-inch thick clear white pine. The seat was saddled by hewing with a hollowing adze, and then finished with a scorp, compass plane, travisher, spokeshave and a scraper. This picture also shows the tail piece that was installed via a mortise and tenon. The back spindles are installed into the tail piece to provide extra strength for the backrest.

Here the legs and stretchers are installed. The legs penetrate the seat and are wedged securely in place through a tenon joint. The holes are drilled using sightlines to bore compound-angle leg mortises.

Everything else is maple with the exception of the arms that are poplar. The arms have hand carved knuckles and volutes. I affectionately renamed the knuckles to Maggie Paws as a tribute to Maggie the Boland's golden retriever.

See Vanessa's blog for a more complete description of the workshop.

The next project for me will be a Windsor Sackback Settee like this one.

If you ever have an opportunity to take a class from Charles DO IT you won't regret it. He is very patient and willing to share his vast knowledge of his craft with you.

Beadwork - Making Progress

2008-03-07T14:25:00.001-05:00

I'm making nice progress on Beadwork. This sweater is being knitted top-down FLAK-style. Since my last post I have knit the back down to my armhole depth, picked up stitches for the left and right front increasing as I went along, and knit both right and left fronts down to my armhole depth. Next I will pick up stitches along each edge for the sleeves.I'm also getting ready for another Windsor chair class. Ahead of time we were sent maple stock for the legs along with a sample leg to turn on the lathe in our own workshop. Here is one of the finished legs. It's not identical to the sample but it's close enough for me.

Beadwork

2008-03-02T08:51:00.001-05:00

I joined the Beadwork KAL way back in December 2006. I finally starting swatching and cast on in February. I am knitting Beadwork with Guernsey 5-ply wool called Frangpipani in Crushed Raspberry. I ordered the wool from Jan and if you have never dealt with her she is a delight. She gives the best service.

This is a Jade Starmore design that originally appeared in the Interweave Knits Winter 99/00 in adult sizes. Beadwork also appears in the book A Collectors Item in a child's version.

I am knitting Beadwork FLAK-style from the top-down. I started off knitting the saddles then picked up the stitches on one saddle, cast on the neck stitches, then picked up the stitches on the other saddle. I am now knitting the back stitches down to my armhole depth.

Yesterday I had a meet-up at with Pru. Pru came to MD to go to a Yarns International sale and she wore her lovely Beadwork. Afterwards we went to Starbuck's and had a nice chat with show 'n tell.

Hurricane Noel - Extra Tropical Storm

2007-11-04T09:26:00.000-05:00

Hurricane Noel made its way up the coast and passed over Nantucket yesterday dumping 4" of rain. On its way it morphed into a powerful nor'easter. Once Noel reached Nantucket weather experts called Noel an Extra Tropical Storm not a hurricane. It still packed the wind speeds of a hurricane but the eye of the storm was not as tight as a hurricane. In any event we had wind gusts up to 87mph. I couldn't resist going out to Surfside to watch the surf.

Today the blue sky's are beautiful. The house I recently posted about out on Smith's Point is gone. Several more houses are goners too. The fast-moving storm washed away more than 20 feet of shoreline in Madaket. This picture was taken on 11-9-2007. Here is how this house looked on 10-20-3007 just a few weeks earlier.Once the houses right in the surf are gone these will be the next to go.

On the knitting front I am making nice progress on DH's FLAK sweater. I am about 1/2 done with one of the sleeves. This week I received Roscalie Cardigan kit. I'm going to finish the FLAK sweater before I cast on Roscalie.

You Can't Fight Mother Nature

2007-10-22T07:13:00.000-04:00

I don't have a knitting update since I haven't been knitting lately. I had to go to Boston all last week. So, I thought I'd share some pictures of Nantucket. Oh, on the knitting front I did receive my invitation this morning to Ravelry. Yahoo! I made my Ravelry username itsterri.

On Sunday I drove out to Madaket (Western tip of Nantucket) to check on this house. This weekend it finally toppled off its foundation. It is the last house on Smith's Point and is owned by a family in Connecticut. It was threatened before. In early 2005 the waves crashed through the basement. Since then, the beach had gained and then lost 125 feet.

The house next to it is a goner. It is only a matter of time (a very short time). The heavy part of the storm season isn't even here yet. That usually begins in December or January.

Viewing from another angle you can see the house fell off its foundation.
On the other other end (East) of the island 'Sconset Bluff is fast-eroding. The Sankaty lighthouse was in danger of toppling into the ocean. It was finally moved last week away from the bluff. It is now sitting in its new location. You can read about it's journey here.

The Eagle Has Landed - Almost!

2007-10-10T10:10:00.001-04:00

I'm making some progress on my DH's FLAK sweater. I originally stopped working on this sweater when I got to sleeve island, that desolate place. I still couldn't bring myself to start knitting the sleeves so I went ahead and knit the body. DH tried it on and it fits him nicely. Now I am motivated to finish.

I've been working on this eagle for a long time. It is believed to have been carved by John Haley Bellamy (1836-1914) c. 1860-1870. Bellamy was a famous New England nautical wood carver. The eagle was perched atop an entryway on a Nantucket home for many years until it was in dire need of restoration. My involvement began by helping Nancy Chase repair the wings. She removed all the old gold leafing then I started reapplying it. What a pain staking task this has been! I've spent about 40 hours and there is lots still to do.

He really is an awesome bird. When complete the owners said he will be coming indoors.

Nantucket Sunrise

2007-09-29T09:57:00.001-04:00

When we are on Nantucket we don't have much property to run our dogs so every day at daybreak I head to the Tupancy Links and get treated with the most spectacular sunrises. They are well worth rising early for. Tupancy was a nine-hole golf course overlooking the ocean that in 1976 was gifted to the Nantucket Conservation Foundation (NCF) by "Tup" Tupancy and his wife. Now the property can be enjoyed by the public. And a few minutes later ...

Recently DH's FLAK sweater got pulled out and dusted off. I started this in parallel with the FLAK sweater I knit for myself. Somehow mine got finished and his did not. (No comment.)
Single sock syndrome no more. Finally managed to finish the second Fetzensocken sock.

Second Sock Syndrome - What's Up With That?

2007-09-07T12:00:00.000-04:00

The Jaywalkers are finished! Check out the Grumperina's Jaywalker gallery!

Now I must do something about this!I started this sock as part of the July (2006) Knitalong Pattern for Sockamaniac Sock Knitters. It's called Fetzensocken by Diana Meyers. The pattern was converted from German to English. Google Fetzensocken and you will find plenty of places to download the pattern. Mine is knit with Koigu KPPPM my absolute favorite sock yarn in the entire world. So why didn't I finish it and the other sock in 2006? I just noticed Sockamaniac has a Yahoo group called Second Sock Syndrome. It doesn't look like an active group though.

Knitting MoJo - I want it back!

2007-09-01T18:34:00.000-04:00

I was reading Sonya's blog about how she got her knitting mojo back. She got it back in a big way. Her Kauni Cardigan is gorgeous and she is zipping right along.

I was thinking about how to get my knitting mojo back and decided to knit a pair of Jaywalker Socks by Grumperina. I think I am the only one on the planet who has not knit a pair. I finished the first sock today.
I'm using Fortissima Colori-Socka yarn. I'm not a big fan of this yarn but I have lots of it in my stash.

Next, I could pick up one of my many WIP but instead I've decided to start a lace project. I've never knit a shawl but have always wanted to so I plan to start Leda's Dream by Pink Lemon Twist of Mystery Stole fame. Actually Leda's Dream was the first Mystery Stole, Scheherazade was last years MS2 and this year it's ??? . Thanks Vanessa for suggesting this pattern.

I plan to knit Leda's Dream with Jade Sapphire's Cashmere-Silk (45% Mongolian Cashmere/55% Silk) in colorway #7 (Flannel Suit).

The Chair is Finished...

2007-08-21T10:42:00.001-04:00

After returning from the Windsor chair class and while Vanessa was still here we sanded our chairs in preparation for paint. Before painting the chair it got a coat of walnut stain that was diluted 1/2 stain - 1/2 water. If the paint wears off to expose bare wood you won't see the light color of the wood underneath rather you will see the dark walnut stained wood.

Next the chair received a coat of Old Fashioned Milk Paint in color Salem Red.

The next coat is Pitch Black. Many old chairs had several coats of paint applied to them. With use the underlying color comes through in the natural wear areas. To simulate this I took a pan of water with a cloth and rubbed wear areas exposing the underlying color.

Lastly, the chair got 3 coats of Golden's brand Natural Tung Oil Finish followed by a coat of paste wax.
Vanessa and I are planning to make another chair in March. I plan to make a Nantucket rocker (it's like the second chair on the left).

We Did It!!!

2007-08-07T18:16:00.000-04:00

Vanessa came up from Florida last Saturday and left today. We had a wonderful time together. I miss her already. Before leaving for our Windsor chair class in West Virginia we had to stop in at WoolWinders and Eleganza Yarns. Eleganza was having a 40% off their entire stock of yarns Saturday night starting at 9pm. Heading to the store it started to pour and by the time we left the store it was raining so hard we could hardly see to drive. The thunder and lightening didn't help matters either. We did some major stash enhancement.

Now, on to the Windsor chair class. Vanessa and I attended the Waterford Fair last fall where we met Charles Boland and his wife Sherri of Storybook Joinery. Of all the Windsor chairmakers we liked Charles' chairs the best and talked him into doing a class and he agreed!

In our 6-day class Vanessa made the Bowback rocker and I made the Sackback. The chairs are handmade using the same techniques that chairwrights used in the 18th century. Windsor chairs were introduced to America from England during the 1720's. The American Windsor came into its own during the 1790's. Windsors were used everywhere (chairs, rockers, children's furniture, stools, settees, etc). We're here with Charles and as you can see we are grinning from ear to ear. We couldn't be happier with the way our chairs turned out. We loved every minute of the class and this included our stay in Romney, WV. Our lodging was at a B&B called Hampshire House where we had the place to ourselves all but 2 nights. Their high protein pancakes were delicious! We had ours without the fruit. Download the recipe here.
Charles allowed us to each make a different chair and he made one of each along with us. This made it a lot harder for him but very accommodating for us. Here are our chairs along with Charles' chairs. We started with straight grained red oak logs that were riven with wedges and a froe to create the stock for the spindles and bows. The spindles and bows were shaped on a shaving horse with a draw knife and spokeshave. The bows were then put into the steam box and bent over a form.The legs, stretchers, and stumps (arm posts) were turned on the lathe from hard maple.
The seat was shaped from a ~2-inch plank of clear pine. Here are the tools (scorp, travisher, compass plane, spoke shave, and drawknife) used in dressing (shaping) the seat after the seat was hollowed out with a gutter adze. Holes for the spindles were then carefully drilled into the seat using a brace with spoon bits at the appropriate angle.
We're getting there! The spindles are threaded through the arm-rail and are hammered into the holes previously drilled into the seat. Next the bow-back will be installed. I'll let Vanessa tell you about her favorite tool(s) and our other escapades. I'll let her explain these too.
And I can't finish the post without mentioning how beautiful the Boland property is or how warm and friendly they are. We loved their dogs Maggie and Molly too. They are good people. The last day of class Sherri made us a delicious lunch and that evening we enjoyed a crab feast in their gorgeous secret garden. (Sherri is taking the picture.)
We've already planned out our project for our next class in March. Mine will be the Nantucket Fanback rocker. I can't wait!

If you don't think you are up to making your own Windsor chair you might consider purchasing one from Charles. They are truly a piece of art.

Long Overdue Post

2007-07-27T13:32:00.000-04:00

I have lots of catching up to do. The biggest news is our Nantucket cottage is just about complete and we are just waiting for the final sign off by the building department before we are issued the occupancy permit. Here are a few pictures. It sits on a little one-way street that used to be a foot path. The front is being bricked and there will be a flower bed next to the house that will contain things like hydrangeas and old fashioned roses.The house is only ~1,100 sq. ft. and has 3 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms. It doesn't feel like it is that small and it amazes me how little space one actually needs. The original section of the house was built in 1925. I was looking at a recent issue of "Cape Cod & Islands HOME" magazine that featured a huge house that was referred to as a cottage. That started me thinking about what is a cottage exactly. Hmmm...

The book The Credible Chronicles of The Patchwork Village 'Sconset by the Sea published in 1886 states, "The meaning of the word cottage in society is strangely perverted. It is defined in the dictionaries to be a small habitation; a cot; a hut; formerly limited to a poor or shabby habitation, but now applied also to any neat or tasteful dwelling."

Based on the last part of this definition the house I saw featured in the magazine would qualify. I'd be interested in knowing what others thought about the subject.

Nantucket Daffodil Weekend Festival

2007-05-04T00:10:00.000-04:00

The island was in full bloom with over three million daffodils bulbs planted over the years. Daffodils could be seen in shop windows, planted along roadsides, in gardens and window boxes. Daffodil Weekend marks the beginning of the spring season on Nantucket. Part of the celebration is the annual antique car parade where cars are decorated with daffodils.

Each trip back to Nantucket I've worked on my whale with the guidance of Nancy Chase. He's a big boy and I've nicknamed him "Bocephus".After the last time I worked on the whale it started to crack or check. Checking is typically caused by shrinkage differences between the surface and core of drying lumber. A check is a naturally occurring lengthwise separation between wood fibers. Wood logs shrink twice as much in the tangential direction (growth rings or concentric circles) as it does in radial direction (diameter). I was surprised this happened since the timber came from the Nantucket Methodist Church and is one of the original timbers from when it was built in 1823.

I filled the cracks with Swedish putty. Some of the cracks were so deep I ended up creating little wedges from wood and inserted those into the cracks and back filled with putty. It seems to be working. I worked a lot on the tail this trip. I'm very pleased with how Bocephus is turning out. This is my first carving experience. Nancy watches over me and gives me direction. She is the best teacher and so encouraging. I'm having so much fun.
I did manage to cast on the foxes sweater. While on the 2 1/4 hr. boat ride back to the mainland I cast on and knit ~ 1-inch of ribbing. Oh well, at least it is something.

A Decision Has Been Made

2007-04-20T21:00:00.000-04:00

Our black Lab Sam got his stitches out this morning. They all love him at the Vets office. Labs are such wonderful pets.

Tomorrow I leave for another trip to Nantucket then Boston then back to Nantucket before heading back to Maryland. I plan to knit on this trip! I found myself in a litte quandary (see the March 23rd post) and have made decision. I'm going with option c.) Start the Dale of Norway Fox Sweater!
The fox pattern can be found in Dale of Norway book #66. It has the black with red foxes or blue with salmon heather foxes. Dale of Norway book #107 contains the black with copper foxes. I'm planning to knit the black with copper version using Heilo.

I was supposed to attend Meg Swansen's knitting camp this year. I had a guaranteed spot because I didn't make it into last years camp due to being wait listed. Stupid me forgot to register by the deadline so I lost my spot. I was really looking forward to it too.

Poor Sammy!

2007-04-10T07:52:00.001-04:00

I'm back from an extended trip to Nantucket. We're keeping our fingers crossed that we'll have an occupancy permit soon and we'll be able to move back into our cottage.

While I was away our Lab Sam had a medical emergency. Sam suddenly developed a huge cyst. Initially the vet treated it with heavy doses of antibiotics with plans to surgically remove it. It responded well to the drugs and a decision was made to cancel his surgery. While I was away the cyst reared its ugly head and Sam had to go to the emergency room. The next day he had surgery. It was shocking to see how big the incision was. Poor guy!While on Nantucket I stayed with my good friend Nancy Chase. She let me tinker around her ivory shop while she worked. I found a beautiful slice from a whale tooth in one of her scrap caches. I sanded and buffed it and Nancy put it on a piece of leather. I now have a beautiful necklace that serves a dual purpose as an eye glass holder. The picture doesn't do it justice.
I brought my knitting with me on my trip but did not knit a stitch. Tomorrow I leave for Boston for a few days.

Sirdal Update

2007-03-23T15:15:00.000-04:00

Don't you just hate when you put a WIP down and then you get involved with other projects and realize weeks, months, even years pass by? I was zipping along on Sirdal as part of the Dale's Of Nor(th America) KAL and knit to the armholes before I put it aside. Decided the sweater looked a little big. No, scratch that. It is huge! Of course I noticed the rice stitch section looked rather big before I got to the armholes but was in knitter's denial. I swatched! Scouts honor but I should have swatched the rice pattern too because that's where the problem is. So I put the sweater down and gave it a timeout.Now that I have gotten over the shock I have 2 choices, a.) Frog, of course or b.) another possibility. Since the sweater is knit as a tube why can't I make the steek stitches occupy more stitches. That would shift the placement of the sleeves. Since I am at the armhole I can make sure the motif is centered properly on the back. Did that make sense?

I suppose I have option c.) Start the Dale of Norway fox sweater :)

Is It Spring Yet?

2007-03-16T13:10:00.000-04:00

Oh look! I have a little visitor this morning. Isn't he cute?Hmmm, I should have guessed he was only interested in my birdfeeder. I'm back from my class at The Mannings. It was fabulous!

I MUST get back to knitting. Look for a knitting update soon.

I love going out to my barn/workshop on snowy days. It is so cool to work out there and watch the snow fall. I really didn't think we would get snow today.

The Mannings

2007-03-08T17:06:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I leave for Pennsylvania to attend a color and weave workshop at The Mannings. The special workshop was put together for the Blue Ridge Spinners and Weavers Guild. It should be fun.

I'm a convert! After taking Kati Reeder Meeks workshop I went home and built a trapeze and immediately created a 9.5 yard tartan warp using Jagger Spun 2/18 100% Superfine Merino 386 ends at 30 epi. I created a similar warp back in September with the help of my DH and it was painful. All the fine threads kept sticking together and little fur balls would build up and the threads would get stuck in the heddles or reed and break.

With the help of the trapeze I was able to dress the loom back-to-front without any assistant and was able to do it quickly.

Winding the warp.The trapeze is attached to the loom, the rattle is in place and the warp is attached to the rod.

The warp goes up and over the PVC pipe.

The weights are attached to the other end. Once the warp is cranked on the trapeze is removed and the heddles are threaded.Sleying the reed using an auto-denter.
Time to weave. This tartan is called Sutherland District scarf half sett.If you ever have a chance to take a workshop with Kati, DO IT, you won't be sorry.

Kati Reeder Meek

2007-02-22T14:15:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend I attended a Kati Reeder Meek weaving workshop called Lustrous Linens - Weaving Linens with Success. The workshop was hosted by The Waterford Weavers Guild. Kati is the author of two books, Warp with a Trapeze and Dance with your Loom (using Live-Weight-Tensioned Warps), and "Reflections from a Flaxen Past".

Kati Reeder Meek taught us how to use a warping trapeze along with gravity and applied vibration to beam an evenly tensioned warp and to use live-weight tension to weave without stopping and retensioning the warp. In addition, Kati shared many of her best practices. (Click on any picture to enlarge.)
Linen in various stages.
Some of Kati's woven linen samples.Warping back to front using a trapeze. You can make your own trapeze (instructions in Kati's book) or you can purchase one from Purrington Loom Company. The trapeze is temporarily attached to the loom, lease sticks protecting the cross are attached, the end loops of the warp will be attached to the warp rod, the rattle is tied to the back beam, and the weights are then tied to the warp. We are now ready to spread out the threads in the rattle.Stiff paper is inserted to separate the layers as we crank the warp on.Beaming on. During this phase the warp is spanked to vibrate the warp and even out tension.As the warp is cranked on, the weights rise to the top and need to be repositioned.Beaming on finished. The trapeze is removed.Threading the heddles. Kati believes in finding a comfortable position for seeing and reaching the heddles. This may mean your loom might need to be put up on blocks, tilted forward, or the shafts lifted. Position yourself as close to the heddles as possible. Sleying the reed with an automatic denter or reed hopper. The automatic reed hopper "walks" from dent to dent without ever leaving the reed. You can view a video clip of an auto-denter in use here. Kati uses the auto-denter a little differently but you will get the idea.Using the "click method". Kati attaches the warp threads to the cloth rod from the outside to the inside. She will advance the cloth ratchet one click every so often. The warp will be at very high tension at the end. The tension will backed off before weaving begins. Once the loom is fully dressed weights will be used in place of the braking system. Live-weight tension uses gravity to get the job done. The larger milk jug tension the warp by pulling down and the smaller water bottle provides a counterweight. The loom's brake is disengaged. As the warp is advanced the milk jug will rise until the water bottle touches the floor. Then the cord wrapped around the warp beam relaxes and the milk jug slips down until friction is restored. This is self-adjusting so there is no need to deal with the friction brake and readjusting the tension with each advance of the warp. Your warp will remain at the exact same tension.

Blanket of Hope

2007-02-15T16:45:00.000-05:00

I'm finishing up an afghan block for the Blanket of Hope project. It was organized by Rebekah for fellow knitter Sonya for her husband Kevin. I don't personally know Sonya (or Kevin) but remember Sonya participating in the FLAK (Follow the Leader Aran Knit-along) and wanted to help out. I decided to knit a block using the same cables as our FLAK sweaters knowing Sonya would recognize them.

The Adoption is Final...

2007-02-08T18:30:00.000-05:00

We picked up the new baby this afternoon. She's a solid cherry Loomcraft 8-shaft, 12-treadle loom with a 45" weaving width. She has wonderful patina. The loom is c. 1981 and the loom maker, John Post, of Littleton Colorado only makes a few looms each year with each one handcrafted. Mr. Post has been making these beautiful looms for over 35 years and now only sells through Halcyon Yarn.

Just Our Yarn

2007-02-02T11:30:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday I attended a guild meeting of the Blue Ridge Spinners & Weavers. JOY (Just Our Yarn) came and did a Trunk Show. It was lots of fun. The company was started by Diane Smith and Cathie Chung. They purchase yarn and fiber from Green Mountain Spinnery in Putney, Vermont and handpaint it. Their yarn is gorgeous and each colorway is unique. Diane and Cathie brought along knitted and woven samples using their handpainted yarn.

This shawl is sold as a kit. The kit includes the Karen Joan Raz Feather Shawl pattern. It is knit with a single strand of Myne (100% cashmere). It takes 2 hanks (500 yards each) to knit this shawl.
I was fancinated by a new age fiber called Tencel. It is wood pulp cellulose. It feels like silk and drapes luxuriously.

The next 3 woven scarves are Bonnie Tarses designs made with Tencel (10/2 and 5/2). The first scarf is called Horoscope Scarf and Bonnie teaches it in a workshop. Bonnie teaches Color Horoscope Weaving where she demonstrates her fascination with color, love of symbolic textiles and interest in astrology that culminates in luscious and magical fabrics. She will be doing a workshop for our guild in April or July. Count me in!
Double weave blanket woven with Caravan (65% lambs wool and 35% camel down) at 10 epi. It was felted lightly in the washing machine.This knitted shawl was made from Indulgence (75% Merino/15% Angora/10% Silk).

Bonnie Inouye - The Big Twill Workshop

2007-01-29T18:52:00.000-05:00

I attended a 3-day weaving workshop with Bonnie Inouye called The Big Twill. It was a combination of lecture and round-robin weaving. In class we had a variety of 4-shaft, 8-shaft, and a 12-shaft loom. We received our threading ahead of time and were to arrive the first day with our looms warped. Each loom was warped differently. During the "hands on" part of the class we went round-robin weaving our "treadling" sequence on other's "threading".

Bonnie brought many examples of her work to illustrate points she was lecturing on.

During lecture Bonnie used FiberWorks PCW weaving design software and a digital projector. The sofware is amazing and made learning easier.

At the end of class the samples were cut off the looms. Each column represents a different loom. Bonnie then spent time discussing the samples.

More photos can be viewed here. I would love to take this class again and recommend it highly.

Catching Up

2007-01-23T22:10:00.000-05:00

I'm back from Nantucket. The extensive renovation of our cottage is about 1-2 months from completion. The cottage is located in the Town of Nantucket in the Old Historic District on a little quiet one-way street. At one time this street was just a foot path.

I stayed with my good friend Nancy Chase who is an island treasure and renowned ivory carver and scrimshander. Here Nancy is working on a very large wooden whale she started carving many years ago but never finished. On the right side of the picture you can see the whale's mouth. The timber is several centuries old and came from the First Congregational Church of Nantucket c. 1834 when it was renovated in 1980 to rebuild Bennett Hall into a real theater for the Theater Workshop.Nancy and I will be working on the whale together and she is giving it to me as a gift for our cottage. I can't express what this means to me or how excited I am. In this picture I'm using a grinder to shape the whale's tail.
Nancy taught me how to play Cribbage. We had great fun playing. I plan to make my own Cribbage board.
While away I cast on Sirdal for Dale's of Nor(th America) KAL . Sirdal has a hemmed ribbing and I decided on the spur of the moment to create a picot edge. I really like it.

2007-01-13T23:13:00.000-05:00

I purchased 2 books with my Barnes & Noble gift card. I'm not a lace knitter but I just may be after perusing the first book, Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby. The photos are gorgeous and the patterns appear to be well written and for various skill levels.
The second book is Yarnplay by Lisa Shobhana Mason. I purchased this book because of the cover sweater. The V-Neck pullover is called Poppy.

Tomorrow I will be leaving for Nantucket to check on the progress of our house remodel. The Dale's of Nor(th America) KAL starts January 20th. I won't get home until the afternoon of the 22nd so I'll miss the 'official' cast-on date. For those of you participating in the KAL have fun and I'll catch up with you when I get back.

Stranded Mittens

2007-01-09T20:36:00.000-05:00

I finished the Squirrel and Oak mittens minus the Squirrel and Oak (motif) for Stranded: The Colorwork Challenge. The mittens were fun to knit and I plan on knitting another pair but this time with the Squirrel and Oak. The original pattern called for 48 sts and 53 rnds but I had to knit 60 sts and 63 rnds to fit my hands. This was a fun knit.Since I will be away for the 'official' cast-on of Dales's of Nor(th America) KAL slated for January 20, 2007, I decided to go ahead and start swatching. Sirdal calls for a gauge of 24 sts and 28 rnds on 3mm or 3.5mm and 4". I wasn't even close using 3.5mm (US 4) needles. I got 28sts and 32rnds.
Hey, do you think I could double dip and use my Dale's of Nor(th America) project for Stranded: The Colorwork Challenge? Hmmmm...

Dale of Nor(th America)

2007-01-03T03:56:00.000-05:00

I ordered a kit for Dale of Norway's Sirdal from Susan at Spin Blessing and it arrived yesterday!

Sirdal is in Heilo 60th Anniversary Book (#147) and also individual pattern #6007 as a pullover or #14702 as a cardigan. My kit included the braid pak and I chose to do Sirdal in colorway I charcoal heather (0083) and off white (0017). Sirdal can be knit with Heilo, Falk, or Hauk.

Here is a stock picture of Sirdal.

Don't You Just Love Receiving HandKnit Gifts?

2006-12-30T15:28:00.000-05:00

Thank you Vanessa for all the wonderful gifts. This year I received mittens with cables down the center to go with the Bronte scarf I received from her last year. Bronte is a Sharon Miller design and appears in Rowan Yarns A Yorkshire Fable.
I also received Schoharie Country Milk Soap with 2 little sheepies on it along with this great Knit Yourself a Merry Little Christmas mug and "Lazy Cable Socks" pattern with Stideaway Shetland in colorway Bracken 100% Merino Wool by Autumn House Farm's . I feel so spoiled.
While I'm at it I wanted to show off my glovittens Vanessa knit for me a few years ago. I like to keep these in the car. They are great for driving.

It's My Anniversary...

2006-12-22T17:16:00.000-05:00

Today is my anniversary and my husband brought home beauuuuuuutiful roses.
DH is taking me out to an early dinner then it's off to pick up our GS who will be spending the weekend with us.Happy Holidays ...

Knit From Your Stash 2007

2006-12-18T21:59:00.000-05:00

I added a button and this link to Knit From Your Stash 2007. I don't think I can do it but I don't want to discourage others. Wendy Johnson came up with the idea to knit exclusively from your stash in 2007. Click on the above link for details.

I finished the next accessory for my loom. In my previous post I mentioned I wanted to make the equivalent of the Schacht "Wolf Trap". Well here it is ... It's going to be so helpful. I now have a place to put my shuttles and bobbins and other tools needed while weaving right at my fingertips.

Now should I make the equivalent of the Schacht "High Castle Tray"?

Like My New Wheels...

2006-12-16T11:03:00.000-05:00

My loom is very portable albeit on the heavy side. I saw a Baby Wolf that had wheels (Schacht calls it the Stroller) and decided I wanted to make them for my loom. They work beautifully. When you close the loom the cross bars collapse and the wheels engage. The wood piece with the wheel attached is notched out a bit to custom fit the loom frame. That makes the wheel attachment extra sturdy. One of my other hobbies is woodworking and it comes in handy in the most unexpected ways. It just saved me $85.

While visiting the Schacht website I saw other accessories. One Schacht calls the "High Castle Tray" for handy storage and the other is "Wolf Trap" for holding shuttles and bobbins while weaving. I bought the supplies to make the Wolf Trap today.

If I keep going I'll have my loom all pimped out before you know it.

2006-12-11T12:13:00.000-05:00

Had a busy weekend. Only managed to knit one Squirrel and Oak mitten and ended up frogging it back because it was a little short for my long fingers. This is a fun and quick knit.

2006-12-06T04:22:00.000-05:00

The other day I picked up yarn for my Squirrel and Oak Mittens as part of the Stranded: The Colorwork Challenge. The pattern called for Dale of Norway Hauk but my LYS didn't have it so I am using Heilo.I finished knitting another Piece-of-Cake hat for my 1-year old granddaughter. I have one more to knit. The hat can easily be knit in a day. (See free pattern below.)

Stranded: The Colorwork Challenge

2006-12-02T06:41:00.000-05:00

When am I going to learn to stop reading blogs and signing up for KAL's. The answer is NEVER! I read about the Stranded: The Colorwork Challenge on Rebecca's blog and had to sign up. It started Dec. 1, 2006.

I liked the rules:
1. Knit something in stranded colorwork
2. Knit them starting December 1st.
3. Or later.
4. Just knit them.
5. You must finish them.
6. Or not. Your call.
7. Share your progress (or frustration. Or hints. Or tips) with us.

Now, to answer a few standed questions:

What are your projects for this knitalong?

I've decided to knit Adrian's pattern called Squirrel and Oak Mittens . I wanted to make them after I saw Vanessa's.
At the same time I hope to get back to knitting Marina.

Is this your first colorwork Project? No

If it isn't, what was your first, and has it survived the test of time?

My first fair isle was a vest from Sweaters From Camp called Northwest Sunset Vest. I haven't worn it yet. It can be viewed here.

Piece of Cake Hat

2006-12-01T19:42:00.000-05:00

A friend gave me 3 balls of Dale of Norway's "Free Style" and I didn't know what to do with it so I decided to knit her a hat. I found a "free" pattern on Kids Knits that uses the same yarn. It takes 2 balls to make an infant/toddler's hat and 3 balls for an adolescent, teen, or adult hat. I changed the original pattern so I could knit it in the round. I changed the tie from a crocheted to an I-cord and instead of hemming the headband I knitted it.

Here are my instructions:

Terri’s Modified Piece-of-Cake Hat Using Dale of Norway “Freestyle” yarn

So cute, yet so simple! Great in solids, but you can add stripes; embroidery, fair isle or intarsia motifs...the possibilities are endless! Instructions are for sizes: infant, (toddler, adolescent, teen and adult).

Yarn: 2(2, 3, 3, 3) 50g balls of Dale of Norway’s washable worsted weight wool “Freestyle” or similar wool.

Needles: US size 6 or 7 (4 or 4.5 mm) circular knitting needles and a darning needle. Use size necessary to obtain gauge.

Cast on: 76(80, 84, 88, 92) sts. Join ends and work in st st for 18 rows or until work measures 3”. *K2tog, yo; rep from * across row until only 2 sts remain, k2tog. Work in st st and increase 1 st at edge on the next row. (holes are 2 rows high). You’re back to 76(80, 84, 88, 92) sts. Work in st st for 18 rows. With another circular needle of a smaller size put the stitches you cast on back on the needle. Start with a stitch that’s parallel to the stitch you’ve just ended with on Row 38 (18 rows + 2 rows + 18 rows). Fold the knitting in half, purl side to purl side. Lay the needles together and k2tog (1 st from each needle, i.e. one from each edge). Try to knit loosely so the hat won’t be too tight. The holes when folded in half will form a zigzag pattern. Continue knitting. Work in st st until piece measures 7 (7½ , 8, 8½, 9)” long. *K2tog, yo; rep from * across row until only 2 sts remain, k2tog. Work in st st until piece measures 9 (9½ , 10, 10½, 11)” long. Bind off all sts.

I-cord

Using single strand and a dpn, cast on 4 stitches. Knit these stitches and slide them to the opposite end of the dpn, without turning the needle. Your yarn will be on the left side of your work. Bring the yarn behind the 4 stitches (from left to right) and begin knitting at the right hand side of the needles. Knit all 4 stitches and without turning the needle, slide them to the opposite end. Continue working in I-cord until your cord is 16-inches long. Weave in the ends. Feed I-cord over and under through the eyelet row. Pull tight, tie in a knot and make a bow.

Finish

Just weave in any loose ends and you are done!

Here is my hat for my friend.

Mowat Scarves Are Done ...

2006-11-28T19:38:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I have a Blue Ridge Spinners & Weavers Guild meeting. Our program will be dyeing self-striping sock yarn. The meeting will be held at Frog Eye Fiber Emporium. The shop owner is one of our guild members.

I finished both of my taran scarves. I felted one of them. I'm really happy with the way they turned out.
This is Sam our black Lab. He was so cute this morning I just had to take his picture. We also have a Dalmatian named Dottie.

H a p p y T h a n k s g i v i n g . . .

2006-11-23T19:15:00.000-05:00

For those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving I hope you have a wonderful day.

There're Back ...

2006-11-15T13:08:00.000-05:00

For the last couple of winters we're had visitors. Turkey Vultures! I went outside yesterday and happened to look up and there they were. They just sit there and stare. What do they want? Creepy.

Notice the trees have no leaves. That's because they are on the ground. We spent Saturday raking and will be doing the same this weekend.
Over the weekend I made a table top swift in my workshop. I saw one like this and decided to make it. The first picture shows it apart for easy storage and the second picture is the swift assembled. I made it from mahogany because I wanted it to have some weight to it. The pegs I purchased from the hardware store then painted them black. The lip on the peg should keep the hank from sliding off.I saw a very cute canine x-mas stocking and decided I had to make some. It was so easy. I used felt for the paw and pads and fleece for the cuff.

Where the hell is Matt...

2006-11-04T23:59:00.000-05:00

I thought this was awesome!!! The background music is called Sweet Lullaby by Deep Forest.

Survey Says ... MeMe!

2006-10-28T11:50:00.000-04:00

1. FIRST NAME?
Terri

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
I was named after my dad.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
I can't remember the last time.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I'm told my printing looks like a school teachers. I never cursive.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT?
It varies.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I hope so.

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL?
Not a formal journal but I do take lots of notes on pads.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
No. They were taken out when I was 22.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Yes, but it would need to be a special place. Definitely not from some crane in a parking lot.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
I mostly eat Honey Nut Cheerios.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Yes.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Yes. More like strong on the outside and soft on the inside.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Pumpkin.

14. SHOE SIZE?
Mostly 8 sometimes 8 ½.

5. RED OR PINK?
Red.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Sometimes I speak what I'm feeling.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My grandmother.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Nope.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue jeans, mint green, none.

20. LAST THING YOU ATE?
Cereal.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

Nothing.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Some shade of blue.

23. FAVORITE SMELL?
My dogs.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My attorney. She's handling an insurance loss.

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO?
Calming nature.

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from?
Yes.

27. FAVORITE DRINK?
Diet Coke.

28. FAVORITE SPORT?
Running long distances. I used to run marathons.

29. EYE COLOR?
Hazel.

30. HAT SIZE?
Not sure.

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Used to, but I had eye surgery about 8 years ago. Now, I wear reading glasses.

32. FAVORITE FOOD?
Anything with pumpkin in it.

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings.

35. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Fall is my favorite but if I have to pick it would be Winter.

36. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs.

37. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Anything with pumpkin :-) .

38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
?

39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
?

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING?
The New Work of Dogs by Jon Katz.

41. WHAT’S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?

Nothing.

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV?
20/20.

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS?
Native American Music.

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES?
Beatles.

45. THE FURTHEST YOU’VE BEEN FROM HOME?
Europe. Although Maui is probably farther.

46. WHAT’S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT?
I'm not afraid to take on any challenge.

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Bethesda, Maryland.

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Nobody. I copied it from Vanessa.

Waterford Fair

2006-10-10T13:17:00.000-04:00

The Waterford Homes Tour and Crafts Exhibit (October 6-8, 2006) a.k.a. Waterford Fair is now over. The fair has been run by the Waterford Foundation since 1943. The Quakers arrived in Waterford, VA in 1733. The Colonial-era village of Waterford is a National Historic Landmark, which has remained intact and is a delight to visit and walk the streets. You can take a virtual tour of the village online.

The Waterford Fair included top-notch artisans, demonstrations, and musicians. In addition, there were Colonial encampments and Civil War re-enactors (8th Virginia Infantry the same regiment as my Carter ancestors). Each day 4 different historic homes were open for guided tours. Now for some sampling of pictures (click any picture to enlarge).

Vanessa came up from Florida to attend the fair. She brought along her newly finished Marina. It's just gorgeous and fits her beautifully. Hers was knit using the new Virtual Yarns undersea garden colors using 2-ply Hebridean wool and mine is being knit with the old Scottish Collection colors using Jamison + Smith 2-ply jumperweight shetland wool. It was interesting seeing them in a side-by-side comparison. The newer colors look deeper and richer to me. I liked both colorways.That's Vanessa on the right (and you know who on the left). We had a wonderful time and I throughly enjoyed spending time with her.
Melissa who I took my tartan weaving class from. Melissa is a member of the Waterford Weavers Guild as well as the Blue Ridge Spinners and Weavers Guild.

Tartan Class

2006-10-02T21:30:00.000-04:00

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I attended a Tartan Weaving workshop led by Melissa Weaver-Dunning. Before class we warped our individual looms. Everyone picked their own tartan pattern. In the workshop we worked round robin sampling each others warp. This was a wonderful opportunity to work on different looms.

Melissa Weaver-Dunning is sitting at the second loom on the left.Beth Wilson, the president of the Blue Ridge Spinners & Weavers, is working on my loom which is the first loom on the right.After cutting the sample tartans off the looms we put them on the table in piles sorted by weaver.Melissa did a talk on the origins of tartan patterns as well as a session on designing a tartan warp. I loved the class and now I'm hooked on tartans.

Here are 4 of the 13 samples. Click on any picture to enlarge.

She's All Dressed Up...

2006-09-26T17:46:00.000-04:00

I finally got the 9.5 yard warp on my loom. This was no easy task because the fibers kept wanting to stick together. I couldn't have done it without the help of my DH. The warp is Jagger Spun 2/18 100% Superfine Merino. The Tartan will be woven at 30 epi (ends per inch). That's pretty fine.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

2006-09-24T22:42:00.000-04:00

This morning when I went outside I was presented with the most spectular rainbow. You could see a perfect arc with both ends of the rainbow visible. Awesome! The picture doesn't do it justice. It's been a while since I have posted so this one may be a little long. This week poor Seri had to get 12 stitches. See them right under her eye? Poor thing!
With the official start of the Fall season it's that time of year for arts and crafts festivals. On Friday I went to the Mountain Heritage Arts & Crafts Festival near historic Harpers Ferry. I talked to some wonderful craftspersons whose workmanship was prejudged so only quality items were for sale.

This coming Wednesday I have a Blue Ridge Spinners & Weavers Guild meeting. The guild was started back in 2002 but last month was our first meeting as a formalized guild. We now have officers, bylaws and pay dues. The only real rule we have is You have to Be Nice!

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I'm attending a Tartan Weaving workshop. Before the class we are to warp 9.5 yards on our looms. Everyone picked their own tartan pattern to weave. In the workshop we will work round robin sampling everyone's warp and then each person will be able to weave a scarf on their own loom. My tartan is called Mowat and has 4 colors (black, yellow, green, and blue).The weekend after the workshop is the Waterford Homes Tour & Crafts Exhibit. I've already purchased tickets for all 3 days (October 6, 7, 8, 2006).

Not much knitting on Marina. Here she is feeling at little neglected.

2006-09-07T22:26:00.000-04:00

I received Lisa Souza - Petal yarn last week but haven't yet started swatching for Beadwork. Lisa specially dyed this 50/50 Silk/Merino wool for me. She calls this color Celadon and offers it in some of her other yarns.I purchased this loom last year from the auction at Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. It is an oak jack-type floor loom with 4 harnesses and 6 treadles. It came with a stainless steel 27" 12-dent/inch reed, metal headdles, and metal tie-ups. It is very similar to a Leclerc but this one is handmade. It can be folded up easily for transporting but the loom is a little on the heavy side.

I'm getting ready for my first weaving class and decided to restore the loom by giving it a good cleaning, replacing parts and refinishing the wood. Here is the before...
and after...
I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. This is a very well made loom. I'm replacing the wire heddles and tie-ups with Texsolv. Texsolv System (heddles and cords) are made from crocheted polyester and are very strong and durable. To learn more about Texsolv headdles and cords read this article.

2006-08-29T11:24:00.000-04:00

I'm back from Nantucket. The total gut renovation of our house is progressing. I brought back a house guest who stayed a week with me in Maryland. She headed back to Nantucket yesterday. I haven't knit a stitch in over 2 weeks. I knit some on Marina before I left for the Island.

I've decided to knit AS's Beadwork. There is a new Beadwork KAL starting soon. I'm using Lisa Souza's Petal - Hand dyed 50/50 Silk and Wool yarn. Today Lisa is dying a special batch of Petal for me in a soft sage green color. Tomorrow, if dry, Lisa will send it via Priority Mail so I should be able to start swatching by week's end.

Beadwork was published in "A Collector's Item" 1999 by Jade Starmore. The book is still available from VY's but only contains a child's version. The adult pattern was published in the Fall/Winter '99/'00 edition of Interweave Knits. VY's also has the adult version available as a kit. The yarn pack (Scottish Fleet) includes a technical amendment for use in conjunction with the instructions in the book. It is size-specific and free with yarn purchase. No comment.

Tomorrow I plan to go to a meeting of the Blue Ridge Spinners and Weavers Guild. It's been some time since I've been so I am looking forward to it. This is a group of very talented members made up of knitters, spinners, weavers, and animal fiber breeders. I purchased a loom at last years Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival that I'm bringing to the meeting tomorrow to have it looked over.

One day last week we went to DC so I thought I would share some pictures I took of and from the Washington Monument. Visibility was 60 miles this day. The pictures were taken through the observation glass. Click each picture to enlarge. I've lived here my entire life and I am still amazed at this city.Looking West. (Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool)Looking South. (Jefferson Memorial, Tital Basin, and Potomac River)Looking East. (Capitol Building and Mall)Looking North. (White House)

She's Left the Starting Gate...

2006-08-05T11:21:00.000-04:00

The Marina KAL doesn't officially begin until September 20th but I decided to cast-on early since I will be leaving next Monday for Nantucket. After a week on the Island I will be bringing back a houseguest who will be staying with me in Maryland for a week.It took me a while to figure out gauge, sizing, etc. I may have an issue with my row gauge but I'm not going to worry about that until I get to the armholes.

This really is a nice pattern to knit. The repeats are easy to remember. I never could remember the repeats on the Northwest Sunset Vest. I was forever looking at the charts to figure out where I was.

I've become attached to my cookie sheet. I put a magnetic strip on the bottom of a ruler so I can keep track of where I am on the pattern. The cookie sheet has a large surface and the handles make it easy to transport the project. I can put pencils and other notions on the cookie sheet and they don't fall off due to the raised edges. I also put magnetic strips on the bottom of containers to put things in like the stitch markers in the photo. This container has a clear window so I can easily see what's inside. You can purchase containers with magnetic bottoms at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

I couldn't believe the temps this morning. On my way to the back door to let the dogs out I looked at the thermometer and it said 66 degrees. I had to rub my eyes in disbelief. They say we are going to have a beautiful weekend.