Monday, May 14, 2012

Spring time in the Rockies

Well I spent the afternoon getting all the kits together for the classes I will be teaching at the Snake River Fiber Fair this next weekend. My tatting class is fill to the brim. We will be learning how to make this card. We will also talk about how to buy threads and shuttles. I will also be teaching beginning knitting and rigid heddle weaving. There is still room in those classes and I'm sure if you showed up on Sunday you can join in on. For more info check out the web site.
http://www.srfiberarts.org/fiber_arts_fair_2012

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Liney-woolesy




Wikipedia defines Linsey-woolsey as a coarse twill or plain-woven fabric woven with a linen warp and a woolen weft. Similar fabrics woven with a cotton warp and woolen weft in Colonial America were also called linsey-woolsey or wincey.

I define is as fun. So yesterday I spend a couple of hours playing around on my loom. I had it warped for finger towels but after I got started I found I had a major threading error and it really wasn’t easily fixable so I decided to just weave off the warp in plain weave.

Last weekend I spent a day demonstrating spinning. I had 4 ounces of Cotswold wool in a light grey that I was spinning as a singles at about 40 wpi.  I was able to get about 560 yards out of the bump. My warp was about 6 yards, so I just sat at the loom and wove plan weave.  I have to say there is something to be said about plain weave. There is such a calming rhythm to it.

Linsey-woolsey was used during the Colonial times and even through the Civil war and later part of the 19th century as a basic cloth for clothing and household needs.  When linen was not readily available cotton or hemp was substituted.  In my case I used 10/2 cotton from Henry’s attic as the warp. I really love this yarn and how the fabric turned out and plan to make more of this cloth for a pair of pants for my husband as some point. Because the loom was set for finger towels the piece is a bit wide for a scarf and maybe a bit narrow for a shawl. But for an afternoon of just playing around on the loom it’s pretty cool.

Looking towards the new

 
It’s been a super long time since I have had them time to blog. For the past couple of years I have been really busy with life. I basically took some time away from most things fibery. I stopped teaching and working in a yarn store. I think I needed the break but I am happy to say I am back and what I love to do. Although I am not teaching as much as I did before and I'm not sure I will ever teach every week like I did before but it’s enough to keep it fun and keep the creativity going.
I am also happy to say I have started to design again. A few years back I did a lot of work for a local yarn store and sold some of my patterns in the store to later find out they were making copies and selling them without paying me. I must say when I found out I was really hurt and burnt. So I stopped designing.  I think that was about 5 years ago.  This time I plan to keep control a bit better on my patterns. I will be selling them on Ravelry and on a new website I plan to launch later this summer.  So please stay tuned to announcements on where and when it starts. I also plan to sell handmade items and hand dyed fibers.
I also plan to attend a few events through the summer and fall where I will be demonstrating the fiber arts in some manner. Below are the events that I will be at during the rest of the month of May.
May 19-20 the Snake River Fiber Fair in Idaho Falls. http://www.srfiberarts.org/fiber_arts_fair_2012
I will be teaching tatting, beginning Knitting and beginning rigid heddle weaving. I will also be judging the skein contest. If you are in the area please stop by and say hello.

May 27 the Fiber Train in Nampa Idaho http://www.fibertrainfestival.com/
Even though this will be a two day event I will be able to attend only Sunday. I will be in the Puffy Mondeas booth weaving, so if you are interested in learning to weave please stop by and say hello. By the way my husband will be attending the same event blacksmithing.  I do plan to attend the memory yarn class on Monday night.

Coming in June I will be attending the ye olde renaissance faire in Eagle Idaho. Please check back for more information and what Items I will have items for sale and will be donating some things totally cool to raffle off.   http://www.yeolderenaissancefaire.org