Book or IT Pocket Socks Knitted

 

Welcome to an idea of knitting from some of my dyed and commrical yarns from my stash. The idea that people put plastic covers over their laptops or tablets or even books of all shapes and sizes has been around for sometime. 

 but remember the library bag from school usually calico or some other fabric that you would take your books in to and from school. The wool ones do give a natural contection with nature, but I have brightened them up and played with colour combinations. May you enjoy them as I enjoyed making these one so far - more are in the works.

 

Winter warmers

I have been weaving three throws - wraps using some yarn that I have had for a few years and until recently I was unsure what to or how to use in weaving. Then I came across another yarn and ping went in my mind, these two can go together and even though they will create differnt width in the reed, they lend to  be woven clasp weft with the introducing of angora, alpaca and wool in some of them, so with this sorted I started.

This is the first one just off the loom with my new idea for measuring, little tags with the length it measured from the last tag eg 120cm plus 20cm = 140cm under loom tension. There is wool and alpaca in this one and a new happpy owner who fell for the weaving when I was doing some bark weaving workshop with school children recently.

Number two from the same warp this time a darker green running up the middle and different edge finish shape. Yarns are wool, alpaca giving a nice touch.

This one has angora, wool and aplaca in it which is giving a nice feel to the weaving even at this stage. I have started the final one and are please the light blue works well, the red looks more red on the loom, but I will wait and see when weaving is finished.

Start of Winter Weaving

 Winter Weaving has be brought in by the use of wool in 3 & 8 plys and the interesting find at the Bendigo woollen mills of a rainbow coloured yarn with a black thread twisted around the rainbow. I am still on the Saori way of clasp weft and freeform as is more easy to see in last couple images. Squares by way of inlay and or clasp wefting gave a great sample or small piece.

Front before trimming.

Front now trimed, I like the threads showing the way I made

and possibly the unfinished and slightly messy way it looks.

I have washed this sample and knotted using two threads together.

This is the whole piece looking at the back, before it is ironed.

Moments wrap is showing how in winter the moments of sun, fun and comfort can be time shortened

yet much enjoyed and needed. I have very much enjoyed making these three weavings.

Winter Moments a very fun bit of weaving was had by myself with shape and rainbows against the black background showed the colours well.

Thank you

Glass

A workshop by Patty Gray - Wow is the most frequent word that came to mind. Wow because Patty showed and shared how to make glass into works of art in ones own way. To explore and gain confidence in opening a kiln, then to be given the chance to move my molten glass into new ideas. This workshop happened nearly a month ago in Melbourne at Axess glass, and ran over three very full fun filled days. I was able to try out a lot and here is the results - bowl, bas relief, reactive glass, combing, boxing platter, and skills glore. I thank Sue and Tammy (Axess glass) along with all that were there as they made it so enjoyable.

bowl - Mine and the green a friend who also attend workshop, with much looking forward to next year when Patti is back to teach us more wonderful skills.

Combing process from kiln to cooling

Bas relief front and back views

Joint project for workshop ( we three made)

Platter - using vitrgraph and differnet glass's

Sushi platter - copper mesh, vitograph, boxed method and much cutting of glass into small pieces to fill form.

I thank my friend Carole for her images as some of the above are her photos from the workshop, my camera is hiding at present.

Stainless Steel & Silk Warp

This length has taken some time as I have been seeing what white yarns I wanted to use on a stainless steel and silk warp. I had been collecting small amounts of the stainless steel and silk over the last couple of years through sampling and shipbuilding as they have been kind to let myself  know about the fabulous yarns from Avril and Habu among a few others. The introduction of Saori weaving from Sampling has opened many possibilities from my ideas head space. So I wind the warp - To which I am still a bit naughty in not working out too many figures like the number of ends per inch and sett, but that's me. I did write down somewhere the number of ends I ended up with but alas it is now in a new safe place.



On the Table Loom,  looking at the light coming through.



I have such a lovely time when sitting chatting to the two companion's that keep myself company on this textile journey - while I explore what happens when ?????? ya that was interesting.

A square of stainless steel and silk to give a feature of some sort.

I still have tension issues and edges that look like waves to which I am learning to live with, forever viewing them as expressions of my emotional and other parts of me coming through.

Unwashed - detail of one end, what wrinkles and where did they come from? 

The weft is a combination of vintage white boucle Paton's (?1950's), wool 3-4 ply, silk and cotton blend, silk gima, cotton, tencel and possibly a couple of other yarns all of which could be brought as white yarn. Along with stainless steel and silk as the open squares to gain shape and movement in the piece or at least interest for me on how to weave them as I go along.



Finished unwashed length laid out in hall.



The only place which is long enough to see the length. Images a bit bright, yet it is a very sunny day and I was glad to see the total length. I kept the fringes longish to see what will happen when wet finishing is done, the only bit will be to sort out knotting.

Thanks

Opening of Carole's Studio

 The opening of Carole's studio was a delightful event on a perfect day, just the right amount of sun and heat. Myself along with the many other friends all went to wish Carole, all the best for the future of this very talented person who welcomes people into her life, while being so creative.

Glass, metal, paper are but a few of the areas of exploration and desire for Carole.



These two felted ones enjoying the chance to meet people.




This shows how Carole balances and moves from metal to felt also glass and the sneak peaks of the digital images.



Metal objects which are aluminum to which some are coloured, what vibrancy in colour choice which is why I admire here work and friendship.
Thank you Carole for a wonderful day..



Bright Warps



On the loom.

This bright warp is to be made into brooches, bookmarks, and scarf using a comb reed. A nifty idea with a interesting reed that is 5 dents per inch.

I worked at using the comb reed over these two warps and I had these bright yarns to play with, along with the weather getting sunnier - what a way to greet Spring. 



Bookmarks from two warps.

 

All weaving is work in progress.

 As the warps were randomly wound, it brought out many combinations and pattern in colour. I am a very much flow with the yarn type - I often just want to see. In this case what these 4 ply yarns would look like. I did not work out the set, for this would mean decisions made by me at the beginning and I want the yarn to be involved. I sample via using the warp, this allows for the yarn and I to see how much can be gotten from a ball/hank. These warps are straight drafts and on 4 shafts. I can Do SAORI weave if the idea doesn't work and I will play again. Having fun is one of my main goals when weaving.

Brooches - needing finishing.

I started with the more red/blue warp and with the comb reed (a reed without the top bar so you can lift warp from one dent to another) and wove the scarves then re-dented closer to a rep weave type set and out came bookmarks and brooches at the same time side by side on the loom. Yes I divided the warp used two shuttles and wove, why not is how I think.  



 

With the Second warp the very bright yellow, greens. etc I learnt it is much harder to do brooches and bookmarks first then a scarf, As when I re-dented and wound on it affected the tension of the warp but a few sticks and patience when weaving the scarf. The lifting order came from the Handweaver's Pattern Directory by Anne Dixon. Which is the kind of book I keep Handy when weaving patterns as it has so much choice.

 

Two different -4 shaft patterns.

 

Rolled up scarf - 4 shaft pattern