The Shawl Is Finished!

The Bamboo Shawl on the Sabina

Yea!  I finished the bamboo lace shawl!  Lots of folks have done this shawl.  I bet it's one of the most popular projects ever published in Handwoven. It's fun to weave and it's so classy and elegant.  A gorgeous hand and drape straight off the loom, even before it's finished.  I'm saying right now, I want one of these for myself, so I'll be off soon to order more thread!  (I'd just go to the local fabric store for it, but I want colors they don't carry to use for dish towels for the boat.)

Close-up of the Shawl

I'll be interested in seeing how the shawl finishes.  The selveges are a little fluttery as are the plain weave sections.  I think that's because the lace blocks draw the warp in some and the plain weave blocks can't compress that much.  So the result is something like seersucker fabric.

Sabina

The Sabina is awesome. When she came home, we were afraid that no matter how much work George put into her, she'd never weave well.  It's hard to get next to something that's held together with screen door hooks!  But we were wrong. Not only is she beautiful, she weaves like a dream.  She holds her own with any modern loom I've tried. I am very much looking forward to the next project!

Well, the immediate next project needs to be warped onto the Baby Wolf.  I'll probably do the 8-harness Peacock Shawl.  I've wanted that shawl for years and I have the supplies.  I just need to get her done!  If I'm close enough to getting the light blue spun for the pinwheel scarf I want to do, I may try that.  It would be wonderful to weave my own handspun.  Whichever project is next, though, it will need to go onto the Baby Wolf.  She's my demonstration loom and it's only three weeks until the St. Francis in the Wood Renaissance Faire.  I'd like to have whichever project about half woven off before the Faire so I can finish it there.  As soon as the Faire is over, I need to start warping on the next tartan project for the Highland Games.  It's always something!!

Kitten Update
The girls went in to be spayed today.  They're home now and sleeping.  I hope they get over this quickly and are back to their normal bouncy, loving selves.  I hate for them to be in pain and uncomfortable, but it's for the best, I know.

Lost and Found Kitties and Snow

It's been a difficult year already and it's just getting started.  After my daughter went back to college, I came down with the worst cold / flu I've had in ages.  I ran a 102-degree fever, which is unusual for an adult and very unusual for me.  I had the worst sniffles and cough, but no sore throat.  The doc tested me for flu, but I came up negative, so he thought it was allergies.  I doubted it was allergies, and then George came down with the same thing three days later.  Hmm...  Well, we're both over it now, so that's a good thing.

On Monday night, George stayed up almost all night transitioning data between the old company we worked for and the new one - The last day of January was the witching time.  I stayed up doing my ATC's.  All three cats were upstairs with me, keeping me company.  Finally, I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and came to bed.  I did notice the cats didn't climb into bed with me.  It must have been 45 minutes later that George woke me up in a panic.  The front door had blown open and the kittens were both outside.  He rushed out to get them, but they both ran away from him.  I got up and got dressed and went out with him to search the neighborhood.  No sign of them anywhere.  It was raining and cold - not the place for kittens to be.  If the Siamese got out, he came right back, for which I was incredibly grateful.  If we'd lost Ming, too, the world would have just come to an end right there.

So began three days of anxiety and searching.  The forecast was for the coldest weather we've had in years and the two kittens were out in it. Tuesday evening, George was out searching the neighborhood for them when he saw the feral mother cat and Myst.  Myst ran away from him, but at least we knew she was alive and safe.  There was no sign of Calliope.  We left the garage door opened a bit for them and put food out.  We also put food out on the deck where we had found them originally.  The next morning, George woke me up by putting Myst down on top of me.  She had come home during the night and stayed in the garage.  We were so overjoyed to see her, but had still seen no sign of Calliope.  We saw no sign of her until last night.

The forecast last night was for snow.  It hasn't snowed here in 25 years.  We both searched and searched for Calliope, to no avail.  It was overcast and quiet, as it frequently gets before snow.  Just before I went to bed, I checked out on the deck.  Somebody had eaten all the food I'd put out there.  I refilled the food bowl and put it back out on the deck.  I noticed that a freezing rain had started, which hadn't been forecast.  I called to Calliope, and thought I heard a very faint meow.  I couldn't be sure and I thought it might have beeen my imgination.

I came back in and told George.  He went out and stayed for quite a while.  I could hear him meowing and talking.  He came back in, all excited.  He had seen Calliope!  She was eating the fresh food, but she ran away when she saw him.  I told him to put some of her favorite salmon in the bowl and I put on my robe and hurried out.  I sat on the deck in the freezing rain and called and waited quietly.  George brought the salmon and waited with me.  We called and called and heard Calliope meow.  Slowly, her meows got louder and closer.  Suddenly, there she was on the deck.  I told George not to move and not to make a sound.  It was the hardest thing I've ever done to see her and not to lunge for her.  She ate some of the salmon and obviously wanted it, but was so skittery.  We stayed perfectly still and she got less skittery and started eating.  Finally she came up to me and bumped me with her head and let me pick her up.

Calliope Snoozing

She seems fine, although she was very hungry and cold.  She ate two bowls of salmon as soon as she got in and snuggled with me in bed.  It was delightful to have three cats piled on top of me again!

A million thanks to all our friends and neighbors for their good wishes and prayers and for helping us look for the kitties.  And thanks to our vet and SCAT - our cat adoption service, for their advice.  Here are some tips:

• Keep the garage door open just a bit and put out both food and the litter box.  The used litter box helps the cat to identify home by the smell
• Young cats and kittens rarely go more than 1/2 mile from home, so they're probably close by.
• If necessary, use a trap to catch the kitty.  Traps are frequently available to borrow or rent from animal rescue groups.  Do be sure to check the trap frequently.
• CraigsList is sometimes a useful way to find or advertise a lost animal.
• Many rescue groups and shelters have photos of the animals they've taken in which can be seen on the web.  Be sure to check all those resources.
• When picking up a lost cat, be careful, calm and quiet.  Move slowly and let the cat come to you.  Rushing any animal and/or grabbing at them usually frightens them, even if they know you.  If they're hurt or frightened for any other reason, you'll need to be even more calm, quiet and deliberate.
• And, of course, spay or neuter your pet.  Spaying/neutering reduces the desire to roam and, if they do get out, lessens the number of unwanted animals in this world.  There are many low-cost spay/neuter programs around.

Snow!

Snow on the Deck

Well, by Northern standards, it isn't much, but it snowed last night!  Actually, there's ice under the snow, which is making things interesting.  It's starting to melt now, but still.  I wouldn't go out.

The X-Terra in the Snow

I think this would be a good day to stay home.  It's looking like maybe soup or chili for supper.

The Sabina Weaves Again

It took me two days, which is actually something of a record for me, to warp the Budget Bamboo Shawl onto the newly restored Sabina loom.  The shawl project was featured in the November/December 2009 issue of Handwoven magazine.  Made from Aunt Lydia's Bamboo Crochet Thread, it's an inexpensive project with a beautiful hand and and elegant look.  I had measured out about a third of the warp and  sleyed it into the 36" Schacht Standard 4-harness loom. For some reason - probably my dislike of warping - I abandoned the project. I forgot to knot the sleyed warp. I should know better.

When the kittens came to live with us, they quickly found the unprotected warp.  One morning I woke to find all of it on the floor below the loom. Bad kitties! I thought about trashing the warp, but decided to carefully stabilize it and put it aside. I brought it out again to warp onto the Sabina. It took a little combing and straightening to get the tangles out, but I got it successfully warped onto the Sabina along with the rest of the threads.

Lace Shawl warped onto the Sabina

Once I got going, threading and tying up the loom really didn't take all that long.  The lace is a  rhythmic pattern that's easy to learn.  The only downside is that every other thread must thread into the first harness, so you can group no more than two threads at a time to thread.  In, for example, a twill, you can group four threads at a time.

I have to admit, I was tentative throwing the first shots to spread the warp. I guess I was afraid the old loom would shatter into pieces or something. The fishing swivels we used for connecting the tie-up cords to the harness cords did have some problems.  The one controlling the first harness - the one with half of the warp threads, did break.  I don't know if it was under too much pressure or if it was weak, but break it did.  It's rather dramatic when you have a harness raised and you hear a POP and it suddenly drops.  But we replaced the swivel and, thus far, the new one seems to be working okay.

Starting the Shawl

The shawl is woven in blocks of Atwater-Bronson lace, a loom-controlled openwork weave. The designer planned alternating blocks of lace, but liked the center and two border blocks in lace, separated by tabby blocks so much that she wove the entire shawl that way. I chose to weave four repeats that way, four repeats of the lace/tabby blocks reversed, and then weave the shawl in the original configuration until the end when I'll repeat the reverse/original border.

There are a few things I've noticed with the Sabina. The weaving area between the beater and the breast beam is much larger than I'm accustomed to, so I have to reach further to throw the shuttle.  Interesting! However, I don't have to wind the cloth off quite as often. The beater can accomodate a 45" reed, so it's much larger and being made of cherry, much heavier than I'm accustomed to. I have to be careful not to pack the weft down too hard.

But it is wonderful to see the old girl weaving again. I wonder what she thinks, back to doing what she was meant to do.

The Loom Comes Alive

The Newly Restored Sabina and Me

Sabina Loom Before Restoration

Late in December we were given a 45" Sabina Folding Loom.  We knew nothing about Sabina looms and really didn't need a third floor loom!  But George cannot resist a restoration challenge, so we took it in and he started to work.  In working with it, it became apparent that the loom had been stored for at least part of its life in a barn, maybe?  Maybe a garage.  Anyway, the metal was so rusted that none of it could be used.  The wood was dry and rough. Holes were filled with insect nests.

Sabina looms are insteresting.  As nearly as we can figure out, the looms were built in a small workshop in Wilmington, Ohio from the 1930's to 1949.  They do fold, although not the way modern looms fold. Side beams pivot on the castle.  The warp beam, sectional warp beam and back beam are on one side of the side beams and the cloth beam and breast beam are on the other.  Diagonal wooden rods brace the side beams in a horizontal position for weaving.  The beater assembly and treadle assembly both remove and can be stacked against the castle. Pieces lock in place with screen door hooks.

Sabinas are rising shed looms, but don't use the jack mechanism that most modern rising shed looms use. Instead of the treadle causing a scissor mechanism to raise the harness or harnesses, the Sabinas use a system of pullies and chains to raise the harnesses from above.  This causes many people, myself included, to think they're counterbalance or countermarche looms.

An internet search didn't turn up many clues about the Sabina or its provenance. They are around and there are usually a few for sale on eBay or other sales sites at any given time.  But trying to find plans, instructions or even contemporary photos of them isn't as easy as one would hope.  Eventually, George did track down information about the owners of the company.  He even found a Google maps photo of  the house and workshop which are apparently still intact. He's gotten in touch with another man who is restoring a Sabina and they've compared notes. He's found very little, though, in the way of documentation.  After having restored various antique spinning wheels, he's accustomed to letting the wood talk to him.  The Sabina didn't fail.

Sabina before dismantling

He started by carefully photographing the loom as he took it apart. The photographs would serve as the guide to reassembly. The rusted metal bolts and chain were removed and measured for replacement. The old reed and heddles were discarded and new ones ordered.  Each piece was sanded smooth and received a coat of our favorite finishing wax.  As soon as he put a coat of Ashford spinning wheel wax on it, the wood came to life.  It's a beautifully aged cherry. He used brass hardware in places that shouldn't receive much stress. Steel hardware was used where strength is critical.  The steel was ink-dyed to blend with the cherry wood and brass hardware.

After a wrestle with our consciences, we chose to use Texsolv loom cord to replace the metal chains used to raise the harnesses. The Texsolv cord is by no means period, but it should be easier on the cherry pulley wheels and should be much lighter and quieter in operation. I've become a fan of using the Texsolv cord for apron cords. They came standard on my Schacht Baby Wolf loom. After rescuing Calliope from almost hanging herself in the tie-up cords on the older Schacht Standard loom, I've decided to replace the old cording there with Texsolv cord as well.

We ordered a new 15-dent reed and 400 new inserted-eye heddles as well as the Texsolv cord from Woolery.  I'll probably order at least 400 more heddles and at least one more reed.  She can use the Schacht reeds, but they look kind of silly in a beater meant to accomodate a 45" reed.

Warping the Restored Sabina

I have a project all picked out to weave as a gift for my friend who gave us the loom. At only 17.5 inches wide, it will look silly in a 45" loom, but that's not important.  What's important is seeing the old girl back to doing what she was designed to do.

I can hardly wait!

A Kitten Christmas, Finished Projects and Learning a New Technique

Christmas is over and we're in the quiet week between Christmas and New Years. This year has been one of making new traditions and temporarily setting old ones aside.  Because we have two kittens in residence, putting the delicate blown glass ornaments on the tree wasn't an option.  This is the first year in many, many years that I haven't been able to put my beloved ornaments on the tree, nor could I use the new ones I bought earlier this year.  Ah well, there's always next year! We opted for a (shudder!) artificial tree this year, decorated with large bows and unbreakable gold ornaments.  The kittens regarded the tree from the beginning as their playground and have spent quite a bit of time up in the branches.  They've knocked off ornaments and bows. But they're so darn cute that we couldn't get angry with them.

Myst in the Tree

See what I mean?

We did add two new traditions to the mix.  I've always loved the tradition of putting candles in the windows at Christmas.  Several years ago I visited Frederick, Maryland at Christmastime. I finished my work early and took the opportunity to visit the historic district. For December, the weather was mild and the walking tour was fun. Several of the oldest houses had the candles in the windows.  Beautiful!  Just before Christmas, I found some battery-powered LED candles that come with suction cups.  They can sit on the bottom window frame and hold on to the window.  They're wonderful!  They also flicker, so they look a bit spastic, but I love them.  I also love that they have embedded timers, so they turn themselves on and off autmatically.

Byzantine ATC's for the Tree

I was bemoaning the no-delicate-ornament situation to my son who replied that since we're artists, we'll think of something.  And he was right. I decided to start a tradition of making a few ATC's for the tree. Friends can have one... but only if they bring one for trade! Thus far, it was a bust. Joseph was going to make some, but he didn't get around to it. Mom opted out this year. But I made five more Byzantine cards for the Christmas tree and they looked lovely... when they weren't being knocked off the tree.  But they survived.  At least four of them did. I assume I'll find the fifth one when we take the tree down.


Finished Projects
I managed to finish several projects.  Obviously I have oodles more to go, but I'm happy for what I've gotten done.

George's Fingerless Gloves

George's Fingerless Gloves

Well, I didn't make it by Christmas, but I only missed it by one day.  I finished the gloves on the 26th and cast on for the caps the same day.  But at least these are wearable... just in time for the weather to warm up.  Ah well. There's plenty of time for it to get cold again.

The Aran Sweater

The Aran Sweater

And not that I want to suggest that the world might be coming to an end or anything, but I finally finished the Aran sweater!  It's been on the needles for years.  It's finally off the needles!  Finishing it was a pain, but I'm so glad I can finally wear it... just in time for the weather to warm up!  It's very warm and snuggly.

I steam-blocked the seams and cables.  This is the first time I've had the courage to try steam-blocking.  I like it very much for thicker things like sweaters.  Probably fine lace will still be damp-blocked.  If I do much more steam-blocking I'm going to need a garment steamer, but the steam iron does nicely for now.

ATC's and Encaustic
Again, I've been putting off doing January's ATC's.  It's not so much being stubborn as being very busy. 
January's themes are "Inspired by Color" and "Make Your Own Background."  Weeellll.... I frequently make my own backgrounds these days.  I'm getting more comfortable with acrylic paints and am rather enjoying them.  But I've been tempted by encaustics.  Encaustic is an ancient Greek style of painting.  Ground pigments are mixed with beeswax and damar resin.  The paint must be worked  hot, but when it cools, it's very tough. I've put off and put off buying some starter paints and tools and getting going with it.  But George gave me some paints and tools for Christmas, so my excuses are running thin. So yesterday, I plugged in the hot plate, melted paint in an old muffin tin and got out the natural-bristle brushes.  Eight cards later, I at least had the theme done!

Encaustic Village Group

I did these on a sticky-back canvas card, which I probably won't do again.  Next time I think I'll try watercolor paper cards.  But these worked.  The background was done in white, cobalt blue, and an ochre color I made with cadmium yellow and a dark brown.  (Didn't have yellow ochre paint.) The village scene was torn from a cocktail napkin and embedded in the wax. I made every beginner's mistake in the book, but I'm kind of excited about it.  It's far more time-consuming than acrylic or even watercolor, but it has its compensations. The smell of the beeswax is lovely!  None of the cards is a miracle of technical perfection, but they all have a charm of their own.

Encaustic Village Detail

"There's pansies, that's for thoughts."

Inspired by Color has been fun.  With the weather overcast and as gloomy as it sometimes gets around here, I've been longing for color.  Pansies are a cheerful flower that can tolerate the cold.  So we bought lots of pansies when we bought the window candles.  I planted them in windowboxes and set them on the walkway.  I also put some in the "kitten pot" - the flowerpot that the kittens slept in when they were tugging on our heartstrings and finding themselves a home.  I bought as many different colors as I could.  I love them all, but my favorite is a "monkey-face" large pansy with a brown-ish purple center surrounded by gold and red.  I like to think this card is a mixed-media project of gardening, photography, acrylic painting and stamping!

Another Year
So what will next year bring? More learning techniques in all media. More weaving. I love to weave, but I don't get around to it all that often. George is about to finish the antique Sabina loom and I'm excited about getting a shawl woven on it. I have all kinds of things I want to do in 2011. I want to get this weight off. It's affecting my health and that's not good. I want to spend more time outdoors and on the boat. We'll see what comes my way! A very happy and productive New Year to all my friends and family and to those that may read this blog, but who I never know or meet!

The ATC's That Won't

Byzantine Retro
Some days it's just not worth getting up in the morning.  I'm only participating in one ATC swap this month: Retro Christmas.  I thought about making a 50's-looking card, but an icon I found called out to me.  I decided to go for a Byzantine look. I wanted the card to appear old with the paint somewhat peeling, so I decided to use Tim Holtz's crackle paint.  This is the first time I've used crackle paint.  What I don't know about crackle paint would fill volumes, apparently.  Here are the steps I used to make the cards:

1. Paint an acrylic canvas ATC with gold arcylic paint. Let dry.
2. Glue on the icon image. Let it dry.
3. Gold leaf the halos around each member of the Holy Family. Let it dry.
4. Apply clear crackle paint and let it dry.
5. Panic

Maybe I read the instructions wrong, but they said to apply a thick coat of crackle paint. For reasons unknown to me, the crackle paint cracked all right, and lifted the ink off the icon image with it. In areas where I used little paint, the cracking is really pretty.  That would be one or two of the cards.  The rest cracked way too much, varying from a little too much to "I can rub the entire image off the card" too much.  Lesson learned: Use crackle paint sparingly, at least over a printed image.  I need further experimentation to see just how it works with various media.

I intended to varnish the cards anyway to protect them, but this morning it became a "glue the 'paint chips' back on" exercise. After two coats of varnish, gluing chips back on where necessary and possible, I think I have 9 finished cards.  I won't say they're all good.  Far from it!  But they're passable, if somewhat delicate.

Byzantine Retro ATC card detail

Phinished Phiberwork Projects
I've finished quite a few knitting projects, and one crochet project that I'm very happy about.  I've hated crochet for years.  It makes my hands sore and my gauge is a nightmare.  Working at the shop, however, has been a wonderful thing.  Crochet designer, Linda Permann works there.  Although we usually trade days - I'm there when she isn't - she and I found ourselves working together for a week.  During that week, not only did she take the time to correct many of my mistakes, she helped me find patterns and yarns.  In some ways, I now like crocheting better than knitting.  I can design as I go more easily in crocheting than knitting.  No, I'm not abandoning knitting, nor can I ever see myself doing so, but I'm getting to really like crocheting.  So without further ado, here is my first post-Linda project, the Cardiff Cowl from Lion Brand Yarns.

Cardiff Cowl Detail

The pattern is reasonably easy, very pretty and only took one skein of Mirasol Nuna.  I bought two skeins, thinking I'd need both.  The cowl came in a few yards under a single skein.  I decided to make a knitted cowl from the second skein.  George found me a lovely feather-and-fan (Old Shale, Print o' the Wave) and cabled pattern, so that's what I used.  And here it is!

Feather Cabled Cowl

And fresh from the needles of a girl who hates doing colorwork, here are two versions of the Argyle hat from Crystal Palace yarns.  Both are made with a solid color of Merino 5 and a handpaint in Mochi Plus.  The first is my hat with the variegated on cream.

My Argyle hat

The second is a more intense rainbow yarn against black.  Honestly, I like this one even better than the first one.  However, I promised this hat to George and he won't give it back!

George's Argyle Hat

More Projects??

But I have to start more socks, don't I?? I think I only have five pairs going just now. Here are the latest, a simple sock made to show off the Footprints yarns I have. The set includes handpaint yarn for the body of the sock and a smaller amount of a coordinating tonal yarn for the toes and heels. I'm hoping I'll have enought for the cuff at the top of the sock. I'm using the Upstream master pattern from Cat Bordhi's New Pathways book.

And last, but not least, I've started a pair of fingerless mitts for George.  These will have detachable covers for his fingers so he can choose whether to have more dexterity, but colder fingers or warm fingers and less dexterity.  I just cast these on yesterday, so they're not far along yet.

George's Fingerless Mitts

It's been a busy time! Of course, there's much more going on, but this is a start.  One of these days, I'll get this blogging thing working better and post less in one post, but more frequent posts.  Someday...

New ATC's

Ah, it's ATC (Artist Trading Card) time in the ol' town tonight.  I squeaked these in under the wire.  What with the polymer clay shrines, working at the yarn shop, designing knitted stuff and everything else in my life, I put off making the cards until the weekend before the swap.  Oops!

Actually, I'm glad I did.  The themes this month were Flying Things and Steampunk.  This time, I thought they'd both be easy.  Wrong!  But... Last week I had a chance to attend a class taught by Susan Pickering Rothamel.  She used techniques and media that I've never worked with before and was, frankly, a little scared to try. When I got home, I wanted to practice the techniques before I had a chance to forget, but the two kittens decided to join us that evening and the studio had to wait. I had to work Saturday, but on Sunday, I took my courage firmly in hand and decided to tackle a technique I'd never tried before to produce seven Flying Things ATC's.  I've never been known for sense.

And here they are!


Leaves Fly, Too

 Each is a little different.  They're each based around a Japanese postage stamp with a bird (flying thing) on it. Because I love this time of year, I wanted to use fall themes and colors.  So...  I started with an acrylic underpainting in fall colors. I adhered the postage stamp to the middle of the card and a black-paper cutout of tree branches on top.  Then I adhered maple leaf motfs from paper napkins and overpainted them with acrylics. After the whole thing dried, I embellished the leaves with irridescent paints.  A coat of sealer and they were done!  Here is a detail of one of my favorites:

Leaves Fly, Too Detail

The Steampunk card should have been easy.  I have two kids who thoroughly understand Steampunk.  I did a memory book for my son that was totally Steampunk.  I get this concept.  And maybe I'm getting a little tired of it.  But a thought kept niggling at me.  How about a totally Steampunk card, complete with a mechanized view of life, with a little bit of color and nature and light?  So I took a stamp I dearly love, a woman made of clock faces, found two Steampunk backgrounds, and found a gorgeous butterfly from a Dover clipart book.  I stamped the woman onto a shaded, almost flesh-toned paper and embossed her in black to create a sharp, almost harsh image. I cut the image out and adhered it to a dark, paper printed with gears and all that Steampunk sort of stuff and then adhered the butterfly to the card.  I embellished the butterfly with irridescent paints and tiny crystals.  And here it is:

Juxtaposition

I have to say, I'm glad I did the swap.  The one thing about scheduled ATC swaps, it forces me to create art on a schedule.  Now that may seem kind of mechanized and soulless, but let's face it, if Pope Whichever hadn't kept on his case, Michelangelo probably would never have finished the Sistine Chapel!