More felting

Felt boots for the soon to be 3 yr old














Scythian Felt hat based on images of Scythian nomads of Central Asia.

Viking theme felt hanging made to exhibit at Scanfest 2007.

weaving techniques I wish to learn...

as it stands...

brocading
pickup technique
pebbleweave pickup
doubleweave pickup
finnweave
inlaid transparency
weft subsitition
warp subsitition
warp faced ikat
double ikat
double weave
loom shaped clothing
backstrap loom with pickup weaving on sides

have I left anything out for this coming year do you think?

Well, as predicted Ravelry is crack for knitters and crocheters. I wish they included features for felters, spinners, and weavers though. The long awaited warping of the new to me Leclerc Nilus 45 inch 4 shaft (6 really) loom is tomorrow. I just finished the last couple of warp chains for the fibonnaci starter scarf that Sara M. helped me extensively with to design. I've picked up the room a bit as well in anticipation of company. I have too much stuff in that studio! I think I need a bigger studio, maybe a yurt in my backyard:>:>:>.
Charity knitting and blankets was AWESOME at the meeting yesterday. I can't believe the generosity and skill of our fiber folks!

current projects:
peacock poncho
forest canopy shoulder shawl
1 sockotta sock

upcoming:
charity sweater
J's sweater
fingerless gauntlests for present

Crack for Knitters

I just got my invite for Ravelry.com and it's totally crack for fiberfolks. I'm really excited about it. The DH looked at it and pronounced it very feminine in it's organziation *snort*.

Warpingboard...

Is this correct?

Some more pics from this summer's classes...

Here's some of the other student work from the Mehmet and Theresa class in Tenn. Everyone's work was very individual and fun to watch develop.

Here are three of the pouches from JCCFS two weeks ago. The small one is a water bottle holder based off a Kyrgyz one the teacher had. I still wish I'd made an off on it when she was selling stuff. The horse bag is interesting because I felted in locks along the top. Def. a fun and entertaining process. My dh felted in his sca persona name in Runic in the largest of the bags.

Whale of a tale or too much Finding Nemo...
While trying to make curly ques like the ones on that Finnish site about two entries ago I made my "whale hat". Here DH models it for our enjoyment:>. I think this one is about 3 days old. I'm currently working on a smaller pattern with a point for my toddler who is demanding his own "funny hat".

Our newest member...

Here's Tom, he's a French Angora I believe and is the sweetest, most personable rabbit!

Lost and Found

Here's the lost wool that was left at our house in June...I'm hoping someone will recognize it and come claim it.

I'm working on organizing the artstudio again so that I can get my projects and creative life in a bit of order. I despretely want to warp my big loom this month and start weaving for the fall. Felting is coming along well and I've been enjoying the use of Linda's drumcarder to create finer, better batts to felt with.

http://www.liinalommi.com/gallery.htm
I really adore this work! It's so the opposite of my own, so unfettered and creative and modern. I Must make a hat like those someday. I tried recently but instead ended up with a hat that looks like a whaletail going down into the water. Pics will follow soon.

and the found item is...this Viking Funerary Plaque in Runic by John Charbonnet which is made of plaster with the design craved out then the surface painted. Friends down in SC are moving and sent it up with my dh today along with my Mirrix Tapestry Loom.

John C Campbell Folkschool

On top left...Our teacher, Karen Page, laying out a bag to show the class how to use a resist. On the top right...so of the felt rugs from class. On the bottom left...Becky Walker and her inlaid Shyrdak. She also teaches felting and is an all around cool person! On the bottom right...this was our set up in the campground. For us this was camping light.

Wool Caftan from Class

Here is a wool and cashmere felted into silk gauze Caftan by Mehmet and Theresa. I'm going to try this on a smaller scale very soon!

Felting with Mehmet Girgiz and Theresa May Obrian

I went to a 2 1/2 day Turkish felted rug class at Miss Babs in Tenn. at the beginning of this week and had a really enjoyable time. As my hands are tired I'll let the pics do the talking.

current project...

Forest Canopy shawl
size 6 needles
Mtn. Colors Handpainted Yarns
350 yds 60% superwash wool, 25% mohair, 15% nylon
Mtn. Tango colorway

http://misocrafty.squarespace.com/sockknittingresorces-/

http://www.cosmicpluto.com/blog/?p=585

still, still scouring...

If I've measured correctly the sample from VJ is 8.5 to 9 inches and I *think* the bags of wool are going to be comparable. I'm trying to find info on spinning from the fold vs spinning from the lock right now to determine how best to spin up this grey sample from vj which came to 9.3 ozs after scouring and drying. The pretty heathered effect of the wool cries out to be dyed but I'm not sure in what way so I'm letting the idea kick around in my head. I think your book is spot on and while this wool will felt I don't think it's going to be a great or easy felter! I scoured about 15.40 ozs of a choc. merino but I think I have about that much more of it to scour before I'm done. I put some cormo thru the at the same time but the results were less pleasing and it's still a bit greasy so I'm going to run it again after pt tomorrow.

--Wed. to do...
drain and rinse kiddie pool wool
drain and scour washbasin wool
rescour cormo
start sorting thru the Hallie woolbreak bag of fleece to scour for felting on Sat.

still scouring...

Well, the grey cotswold sample from VJ has weighed in after scouring at 9.3 oz and is quite lovely. The chocolate merino seems to have washed clean and is drying out on the rack but the cormo that I washed at the same time is still tacky with lanolin so I guess I'll have to try the whole process again. I've got an entire washbucket of white cotswold in its second outdoor soak--this time in dawn water and the other half of that first bag soaking in the kiddie pool out back. I did however find an old doorscreen that I can set up on bricks to use for drying fleece tomorrow:>.

Scouring

There's cormo scouring in the washer. There's cotswold in the bucket. There are two bags of Cotswold from the Sheile Museum to scour thanks to Pam!!! THank you Pam. I found some of the merino is already scoured and there is merino drying on the porch to rescour with a different method. Felting rugs on Saturday so I need to get some prep done.

Best Central Asian info website on a group ever!

I am absolutely blown away by the level of detail in this website, esp. concerning the yurts and women's clothing! I feel a refinement of several existing projects coming on. Perhaps one of the most exciting pics was of a weaving loom on one of the yurt pages that is exactly the type I've been looking for info on and includes it's name in the language of the area!!! I'm soooo jazzed.

http://www.karakalpak.com/index.html

On the art front today was another foray into inlaid felt. I'll post a pic tomorrow.

Plans for a new 12ft yurt are afoot! However, if I only had some extra cash laying about...

http://www.bukhara-carpets.com/kazakh_yurt_for_sale.html

Going slowly

Well, I'm a little slow on all my projects right now. I'm at a point where I need to sit down and catalog then prioritize my projects to get back on track. Everytime I start something it leads to something even cooler is the problem!

This is inspiring me...

I really wish I could remember where I found this picture. I think it may have been for sale on Ebay but it anyone knows the correct attribution please let me know. This is the weaving technique I'd like to learn this summer to begin weaving a belly band for my yurt as well as edges and trim for the fabric for my entry into the Outfit challenge. Is anyone familiar with this?

The Angel of Yarn and Roving
After taking Linda's class on dyeing I dyed some roving with the leftover dye from class and have now begun to spin it on my new Kundert 1.2 oz drop spindle. I haven't figured the precise wraps per inch yet. The roving itself is an 80s count fine merino from the Copper Moose and is extremely soft, even with the amount of twist I tend to put into my projects.

I'm also attempting to learn to do pickup weaving. I hope to get the Central Asian style down pat so I can do a very, very long decorative Yurt band this year from my yurt. Pics of the yurt are in last August's posts. Just signed up for a Central Asian rug felting class as well so I'm very excited.
Linda dyed this yarn and I love it!

Happy Memorial Day

Well, I'm working on spinning silk with the idea of trying to weave a small ribbon out of what I spin. This weekend I ended up working on spinning silk, learning the rudiments of pick up weaving, knitting a sock in a sockotta cotton blend, and spinning from the fold. Not too bad for vacation:>. It was really nice to have the DH playing with the toddler all weekend so I could relax. Once I dig out of the den full of dirty clothes and toys I'm hoping to start warping one of the 4 shaft looms to begin that project.

Hi all

Well, it's been a few hectic months but I've been steadily increasing my spinning and knitting skills. A happy twist of fate has landed a LeClerc Nilus loom in my art studio for cheap, cheap, cheap so I'm going to also pursue my interest in weaving. My current obsession is the following blog... www.saralamb.blogspot.com

This artist has a yurt studio, Central Asian influences, and a kickbutt sense of color!

New adventures

Well, things have been really busy lately but I'm going to make a point of updating so I can keep track of my projects. I'm currently knitting a purple mohair Pi shawl and have recently finished two pairs of toddler socks for my child. About 10 years ago I decided to learn to spin wool but never got very far with it as I didn't have anything to do with the yarn after it was spun. Thanks to the Joy of Knitting and Felting I now have enough projects to justify learning how to spin! I'm hoping to plant some dye plants in a small garden this spring as well to experiment with dyeing my own skeins of yarn and wool rolags.