Work Log - 21 October, Saturday

Spinning

Skein 3 for the kids' hats is drying.

Jacob fleece is drying.

Spun 2nd ply for knitted ponchos, plyed them, and washed them. Now hanging to dry.

Facebook

Two posts today. Scheduled one for tomorrow so far, and may just leave it at that. Plan to post 3-4 on each weekday, and 3-4 total during the weekend.

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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...

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

Tatting by Mlle. Riego - Week 1

So, I had this great idea that I would work through some vintage tatting pattern books and blog about it. Maybe even write a book with updated patterns. I don't know if I just happened to pick the hardest book to start with or they were just so much smarter in the mid-1800s, but this week was an epic fail. I was complaining to my daughter when she suggested that I write about my fails, as well as my successes. So here goes. The premise The book is "The Tatting Book" by Mlle. Riego, published in 1850. I found it at the Antique Pattern Library , and Google Books . It seems to be her first book on tatting. Her preface states that tatting individual pieces, then sewing them together as it had been done in the past, is currently making a revival in France under the name "frivolite". She didn't feel this method of work was practical for the "English lady", so she wanted to create a new method of work that would be suitable for English workers. She sets ...

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