Slow Progress.

Finally my Building Block blanket is finished and ahead of the Schedule! I’m happy with the way it turned out and learned so much. Each one got more and more complicated and I really enjoyed the classes. The classes were on MachineKnit Community online. Back to knitting a lot but still haven’t returned to spinning or weaving some block there since my shoulder surgery.

Again had surgery so I wasn’t able to use the knitting machine for a month or so. I’ve been hand knitting cowls mainly. The ones below were from a vendor at SAFF. I made the fingerless mitts using part of the pattern. I like them, can turn the hem up over my fingers while driving.

Slowly using my mid gauge to knit a sweater yarn was purchased from Amazon, lol. Cascade superwash 220, it worked really well on my LK150. Photo of my assistant cat he keeps climbing on the machine. It is with a class thru the same group in a Chunky knit class. I changed it put a stretch bottom edge and 3/4 sleeves. I have another yarn to try so may make another. I have two other projects a button down sweater and a master class in April for another sweater. Also another handknit cowl.

Yearlong Obsession

Subscribe to a site called Machine Knit Community and it has a yearlong knit along or KAL. The KAL is making an alphabet blanket or throw on a knitting machine. It is call the Building Block KAL Usually 4 squares a month, That started out pretty easy and went way beyond there. I have totally enjoyed this and have learned so much!

Chose a yarn that I knew my machine liked lol. I had quite the stash already and have added to it a bit as I ran out. Unfortunately the company seems to be phasing it out. Always the way you like something and they tweak it or phase it out. The knitting is down to 4 squares…G,Q, J and T. Letters have always been a challenge. So I have been sewing things together with gaps but at least I am that far ahead. With arthritis in both thumbs I have been using the sewing machine. I’ve been on the hunt for a color changer for about the entire time may. If it arrives I’ll have one to use for the last ones. Unable to do stripes very easily without it. Found a plastic quilt square 6×6 inches and washable markers that have been a great help.

One of the members developed a presentation or PowerPoint way of putting photos of the squares into their spots. I haven’t got powerpoint but found an app that I could use that is similar. Luckily I had taken individual photos of them from the start. This isn’t quite correct but close enough for my purposes as far as colors and balancing them out etc. I will post a photo of the completed blanket. see below

This was a great help over night: Cat protection, it is not a bed. Lol.

Anniversary

Just realized that this will be my 50th year weaving. Took classes after high school at Norwood Looms in Baldwin MI. Had a week long class taught by Melvina McGarr, her husband built the looms. Bought a loom and all the equipment. Found a sales a receipt from back then, that was a shock. I’ve been hooked on fiber pursuits ever since. Could knit and crochet prior to that but never formal classes. Then in 1976 I learned to spin from Ron Reese in Monroe Mi and purchased a wheel from him. Fiber was hard to find in those days so I used a wool top from Franks Nursery and Crafts.

Over the years I have taught myself computer programs that drive weaving looms…Megado from Louet. Went back to college in 2005 at Haywood Community College for a degree in Professional Crafts Fiber. If only my health would have stayed the same I would have been doing something different…

Now I am enjoying classes / KALs from Machine Knit Community I belong to a group making an Alphabet blanket that has been a lot of fun. Also a 21 day Fair isle Challenge, My cowl is from that group. I had to make it my own with a different pattern. Took me a bit longer because life has intervened. Any ideas on what color to paint my foam head?

Having trouble with my Spinal Cord Stimulator for the first time in 7 years. On to more tests… fun, not fun.

Knitted Sanity

Wow first blog post in quite awhile. This has been quite the year. Surgery in May and surgery in October. The first sure helped to a point with the last. Had the spinal cord stimulator extended to cover the C spine since my neck and back has arthritis has worsened. It Has helped a lot but didn’t faze my shoulder. I asked the dr’s over a year about my shoulder and the PA at the pain clinic finally recommended an orthopedic dr and it turned out he was at Carolina hand and sport medicine. My hand dr is/was? with that group. Surgery for a possible torn tendon & spur. Sure enough that was what was wrong, Recovery from this one has been long and painful. PT for ever it seems.. I showed one of the photo to a PT with 30 years experience and his comment was “wow that is a big spur”

So the only thing that I can do is knit, hey it helps my sanity! A few weeks b4 the surgery I joined a group knitting an assigned pooling shawl it has sure kept my interest. Very hard to photograph, I love this yarn instead of two color, as most are this has the dark clusters with a slightly variegated yarn. Did also find out due to an order for a bracelet that I can bead. All of it I must do with limits. Also made with gigantic needles, gnome hats for the twins and the PT secretary. LOL She love gnomes and blurted out “Oh I want one!” They are really fast to knit. Both patterns can be found on Ravelry,” Assigned Pooling by Dawn Barker”https://youtu.be/pB9hBOJbk9U and ” Scrappy gnome hat” by Melody Lisa https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-scrappy-gnome-hat I would get the photos of the gnome hats on the twins but the twins and family I haven’t seen since their return from Mexico. One of the boys brought back a flu bug from the plane. Photo below also of bracelet and new earring design for Super Duo’s.

Some of the beading. Especially enjoyed the spiral with super duos.

Updates and Interests

Well the before mentioned AVL was sold to Berea college for their weaving department. Glad it is going to a good home and will be used, probably for the first time in it’s life. Finally found out that it one of the sensors for the treadle that had become loose. With AVLs help I installed a new one but it didn’t work. So I re attached the loose sensor in the old one and it Worked! Hopefully will get back to weaving, well after the towels get sewn anyway. I nick named them the forever towels not realizing I had put on such a long warp 7 years ago. Four actually go together!

I’ve joined a machine knitting group so that should be fun. I sort of demonstrated the Knit leader for the group on Sunday. I brought it along as it is so hard to describe without it in front of me and glad one of the members remebered how to thread the transparency sheet. Yes it is so old it uses a transparency sheet! Last time Lorri Helms brought in her light weight LK 150 machine. Very portable and should I want to do workshops it would be perfect to bring instead of one of the ones that weighs a ton. So some of my AVL money went to buy one of those. Since I just moved my machines downstairs in the AVL’s spot I know how heavy they weigh. It uses Russel levers that I have never used before so another learning curve to conquer.

These posts seem to get harder as my health changes, one of the medication side effects cause forgetfulness and I was already most of the way there already! Sometimes I feel almost aphasic especially where finding words comes in. Damn Neuroplathy and Arthritis. Just now wanted to type conquer and couldn’t remember how to spell it, guess I went into auto type mode because it is correct! LOL

Finally saw a part of my ribber on the sock machine that was stuck and unmoveable. It was the cause of many frustrating sock making days. My son loosened it up for me and I am finally making socks! Taught myself with basically You Tube. Must be a visual learner. Yes What I learned during the last of the pandemic.

When I was growing up I wasn’t allowed on dates, or to dances. I joke that due to my Baptist upbringing we were only allowed to go bowling. Going through some of it now, dating, at my age and health it is a real bitch. I question motives daily. My two grown kids and I inherited my mothers ability? gene? to look much younger than our ages. My daughter was carded at the casino well into her thirties, My son can pass for 20 or 30. Men have asked me on the dating app if I was really that age and didn’t believe me. Last serious boyfreind at times treated me like arm candy? Huh? Yes single in your sixties wow.

Pretty bummed at not being able to go to concerts, just isn’t anything nearby that interests me. I’m not quite ready to jump into that anyway. Will have to wait and see what summer brings.

Ok darn quess things are gearing up. Heard two helicopters go over the house today. They use these mountains for training, usually for the afghan war. I don’t know what base they come from? They usually don’t fly over here as much as they did at my old house. They came so low I told Dave I was going put a sign on the roof that said ” If you can read this you are flying too low ” Waved at one and they waved back. Yup mountain training range, great.

Further Loom and Textile fun. Um yeah

So several hundred dollars later and my AVL is still lifting inappropriate shafts. So I thought it was fixed the other day after the installation of something in the compu dobby. The magnets weren’t working properly so I put in a new Magnet assembly. My son found an elusive dot to plug it into the computer board. Still isn’t picking the right shafts. Frustration level at the max at this point. If I could lift any part of it, my what a nice bonfire it would be.

I had planned to do one last warp on the loom and then possibly sell it. Now probably at a discount, Darn. Bothers my right shoulder too much to use and the loom sure hasn’t gotten much use the last years it has taken up space more or less. Funny my Megado was up and running right away but it used to cause all sorts of aggravation. My late husband finally figured out that the steel cord that went from the treadle to the dobby box was stretching with humidity, rigged it up for me and no more problem years later.

Also I had been getting into knitting and all the fancy stitches. I love to knit lace. Unfortunately my left thumb hates it. Severe arthritis, one surgery down and it I move it a certain way, ouch. Until it pains me night and day no more surgery, the surgeon says it is like a total knee of the thumb. So to combat this lack I bought a Dean and Bean Sock knitting machine. Anxiously Waiting for a ribber attachment for it. It has been called a gateway drug and I can certainly attest to that!! So basically the spirit is willing but my old body isn’t. So much crap since I hit 40 and now at 66, much more crap to deal with. Golden years my ass.

The bug has firmly bit and I bought an antique off of eBay through a reputable seller. It works very well but the learning curve continues. Making a set up bonnet now on it, my other is just a bit too small. I will be excited to post a ribbed sock whether it is from the Legare of the Dean and Bean. Funny the machine from Quebec came here faster than the Dean and Bean

Legare 400

Weaving and CSM Knitting

The AVL is finally as of yesterday up and weaving. Over a month later… Sheesh thanks to Bob Kruger @AVL’s help. Tried everything I could think of and more. Basically all that AVL suggested until the magnet check. First it would lift the first two shafts of my draft then five or six random ones. Turned out it was a magnet sensor that was bad, actually it was loose but I installed a new one. Was hung up on how to plug it into the computer board my son saw some elusive dot on it and it is working fine now. Blew some canned air into various areas, who knew people were huffing it. So now I’ve changed a battery in a laptop, a fan and now this, more than I ever wanted to learn!

I’m weaving a overshot draft on that loom that only requires four shafts. Seems silly on a 24 shaft loom but I wanted the width as it is 60 inches wide. Finished another long, long term project started just before Dave’s dementia got so bad. That whole studio of the house was put aside because I couldn’t leave his side. Now the finishing starts hemming etc.

Rolled these down the hallway thinking is would be shorter than this! LOL

As to CSM knitting I’ve gone off the deep end. My ribber attachment is on it’s way, eventually from Dean and Bean https://www.deanandbean.com/ long wait list. I’ve lost count of the number of socks I have already made on the 1.0. Their photo below shows the 2.0 and ribber, Mine will be purple. These are reasonably priced machines are definitely a gateway drug. I just ordered a Legare CSM off eBay by a respected seller of them in Quebec Canada. Then ordered a book as the one that comes with it is ancient and hard to follow, downloaded the PDF. also a buckle that holds the weight. LOL now to find yarn money. Have one sock order already that should be fun as it is two sizes down from mine.

My finished ones minus a pair in the washing machine. Most proud of the black trimmed pair. That pair has been on tiny knitting needles for years but because of my arthritic thumb were never finished. Will post more on my adventures in Ribbing and Legare that might arrive first!

Weaving set up, Murphy’s law

Keep in mind this loom has been naked for over 6 years, with my late husbands illness and all. Using my warping mill, I got all my threads measured out, several days. Wound my warp on, several more days as it was full width. On the photo is head kitten, her trainee is further under the loom. Then threaded it with further cat assist, She’s on the sandpaper beam? needy or what? Did rig up a good way to hold my draft. On this loom to thread you take the reed etc. out and lean all the way over that towel Ms. Needy is laying on. I use the longest threading hook I could find at a fiberfest eons ago b4 covid, or it feels like eons ago. You can see it’s reed behind Ms. Needy.

With my health problems, fibromyalgia and arthritis in back, neck, hand etc. this process took many days. I know from experience that any one of these activities if overdone for me can cause pain and more days to finish.

While all this is going on I am having cable issues. The Loom is run by a computer system called a compu dobby. You can see the edge of one (different brand) to the right of the two cat supurrrviser’s picture. That loom worked as soon as I hooked it up! With it’s old cable. It is plugged in to an outlet and a cable runs to your laptop. After you put the draft in a computer program, I use Fiberworks, then this compu dobby selects the shafts for you. ( that company, Fiberworks is excellent by the way) I can get it to do everything except raise the right shafts. I am sure it is a cable issue so I order one off eBay, wrong one for Vista? ( turns out it is the right one and you need to download a correct driver, RadioShack, out of business so have fun finding that one) So I order a pricey one from AVL over four times the price of RadioShack’s that I have used for years. Got it finally and it is about a foot long, you need another (female male serial cord) cable to attach it to so that it can go to the computer. So luckily that additional cable is arriving from Amazon today. Granted this is an old system I use Windows 7 to drive both of my computerized looms, the warped Louet Megado one is under the two cat team.

I have another gizmo that I love. It is a autodenter or patent denter, reed hook. It hops to the next dent in the reed. It is kind of a pain to learn to use but once you figure out it’s idiosyncrasies it is wonderful. Especially with my aging eyes. This is one of the places one can be bought, even has a video showing how it is used https://avllooms.com/products/patent-denter

So then it dawns on me that I have made a major warping mistake. The center was warped correctly but the outer edges were not. So from a 60″ wide project to a 38″ or so project. Resleyed again, the photo is before I realized what was wrong. I knew there was something wrong as it was the third time, in the photo.

I have prolonged my PT final visit for a month, all in the hopes of getting this loom running. Last time I used it I either got Bursitis or? I have a torn rotators cuff ( urgent care Dr said bursitis, PT with a doctorate said rotators cuff. ) If I have the problem again the loom goes up for sale. Anyone looking for a wide AVL loom that runs on Windows 7? Lol that should be fun. Another reason I need a working cable!

I should know by the end of the day if the new cable works and if I can finally weave on the thing for awhile. Dang did not realize I was so rusty. Other two looms I warped without much of a problem. Well the one had a 7 year old wound warp that I couldn’t remember what the plan was for it. Working well now with the middle stretchy threads on a swimming noodle, LOL. If anyone is interested I can post a photo of that.

I was a nurse

Yes I actually wore one of these for many years.

I heard this piece on the news about the burnout that is occurring (still occurring) at the hospitals right now. I know this well as I burnt out at one time. This is a profession known for eating their young and I can now add their disabled as well. After my injuries I wanted to keep working as a nurse but the hospital where I was employed had the amount of lifting in every job description. RN with decades of experience and I was offered either with monitor technician or Clerk in the psych ward. I worked as a tech until my back could no longer tolerate the job. Then down to 4 hour shifts entering data, there was no data collected for me to enter (busy job). Sued them due to them stopping workers comp and settled out of court as advised by our attorney.

Most should look at me as “There but for the grace of God go I” Highly doubt anything has changed there or at any other hospital. Health care has become a money making business. ICU’s that usually have a 2 to one nurse ratio is now (Due to Covid 19) up to a 4 or higher patient to nurse ratio. Not a safe situation. They are filling out a form each time they work that it is unsafe. I left an ICU job due to the unsafe conditions, main thing was the lack of help when needed. I decided that I wasn’t going to risk my license and I wanted some autonomy. I found it for a time in homecare nursing at a true cost as that is where I was injured.

They and we are unsung and un-recognized heroes, not just because we are in a pandemic. I think the nurses, doctors and anyone working in health care during this pandemic should have their loans paid for by our government. Plus some treatment for the emotional aftermath of this whole thing. Since it is a primarily a female profession a lot of this was shoved on us, the overstaffing, dissatisfaction. Many people you talk to are former nurses. Since more men are joining the workforce in hospitals maybe things will change. They also need to be unionized. I know that is a very controversial statement but from a unionized hospital to non unionized place I sure saw a huge difference. They stuck up for you when you needed help. I truly think that at a unionized hospital, a job could have been found for me without the weight lifting BS. In the unionized hospital I worked with a nurse who was a paraplegic in a wheelchair!

Guess when all this is said and done, we shall see if anything changes or if it just stagnates and stays the same. What would our Nations do right now with out the medical field?

Weaving, Life..

“Forever Towels”

Nice to get back to the loom and that my feet didn’t complain too much about weaving today. Since the weather is clear today I took advantage. Started a color series of them possible 3 or 4, depending on how much warp is left. I don’t remember how much warp I put on this loom but they have been nicknamed Forever Towels for a reason. First photo is from Months and Months ago, primarily blue ones are from today.

Something about weaving says “OK you are home again.” Same thing with spinning but with that there is a definite Zen like feeling with it, very relaxing, centering. Sure need to do more of both.

Returning to music after a very long time has sure helped with this pandemic. Finding new and old performers, music I didn’t have any contact with in the semi country western mode during my marriage. I had started listening to Jonny Lange and Keb’ Mo the last few years up in MI. Now from Gary Clark Jr to new music from Boz Skaggs, I’m enjoying it all.

Pandemic fun, well not so much. My sister told me about shelf milk which sure has come in handy and pick up shopping from Walmart. Tried the last one just this past week and it worked really well. I fly in so quickly that I end up picking up the wrong things, like cherry Pepsi. My app failed and am back to paper lists which with rushing has worked out better. Last time out almost everyone had masks on. Several had them under their noses but it is an improvement from even a month ago. My county hasn’t been hit as bad as some in the areas but there are sure some nonbeliever jerks out there. Made a joke that the pickups with the US flag and trump stuff would need to go half mast after the election. Saw a pick up truck with it at half mast! LOL

Boy, relationship status, Either heavy drinkers or reformed alcoholics. Seriously dated three men this year and am calling a truce, cease fire whatever, I am done. Two out of three former Alcoholics. Online dating is not an option during this pandemic, If I hadn’t texted with this last gentleman for a long, long time almost from when I started with this.. (not sure what to call it.) Would never gone to meet him. Not for the faint of heart.