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Project #3 - Kids' Hats

Started: before 10/1/23 Finished: The kids bought me a pound of carded mohair for my birthday. I had done a couple of samples with the spindles, but when I got the spinning wheels, I was very excited to try it. It went much more easily with the spinning wheel. I told them I would make them hats for Christmas - there are 5 kids (four kids and a +1). I started by spinning a bobbin of mohair. I wasn't sure if the mohair alone would be enough for five hats, so I decided to ply it with some wool. I found a black wool in the roving my uncle gave me, so I went with that. 2023.09.22 - Finished the first ply of the first skein. 2023.09.27 - Finished the second ply, then plyed them together. I thought the black wool was natural, but my fingers were smudged when I spun it, so I think it is dyed. 2023.09.28 - Washed the first skein and started the 2nd skein. The water came out almost the color of apple juice, and I think it's because some of the wool was dyed a gold-ish color. When it'...
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Basic Fingerless Mitts

Last time, I posted a pattern for Fingerless Mitts inspired by the mitts featured on the STARZ television show, Outlander . (Great show, great book series by Diana Gabaldon .) Today I'm sharing a great basic pattern that knits up fast, is easy to learn, and lends itself well to some awesome variations. These Basic Fingerless Mitts take only a couple of ounces of yarn and some basic knitting know-how (you only have to know how to knit and purl!) My daughters enjoyed modeling these mitts, and loved wearing them during the cold winter months (here in South Carolina, that was only the month of December).  I find them very warm and comfortable while playing the violin and viola, and I wear them all the time. Basic Fingerless Mitts Pattern.....$0.99
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Lessons from a Rigid Heddle Loom - Part 1

 I hadn't realized it had been almost a month since my last post. Apologies, for anyone searching for more. This post should probably be titled "Fiber Arts Requires Patience". This week, I'm working on a project that has been on my to-do list for awhile. I was gifted with an old rigid heddle loom that had spent some time (i.e. many years) in an old barn, after the previous owner stopped using it. I also had some worsted weight acrylic yarn left over from a sweater project, and I liked the colors, so I thought I'd use it to try out the loom. The problem was that my cats had decided they preferred the yarn to the litter box. *sigh* No a problem. I have six cats, and I love them all. This is life with cats and yarn. I used my yarn swift and bundled the yarn up into large hanks. I threw the yarn in the bathtub with the hottest water I could get and added a few squirts of shampoo and some vinegar. I left it to soak for about 30 minutes, then rinsed it and squeezed it o...
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