Many things.. Weaving and a Machine Knitting trick.

When I was in college for the second time at Haywood Community College, for my 2nd Associate’s degree this time an AA, Arts instead of AS Science, our weaving class was studying rugs. I chose a pattern using new fabric and warp for a rag rug. I made a mistake so it ended up as my Happy Accident rug. Totally misread the draft but mine is certainly unique.

And of course our once feral cat climbed on to give it his blessing when I was getting photos for our books at the end of the program . I sold one rug at our final student show at the Southern Highland Craft Guild’s, Folk Art Center. Kept one for our home. It faded horribly so just recently I have unhemmed it and will flip it to the other side, it will look brand new again. On the photo below the back/ side on the right looks like new and the old faded one is on the right.

It was getting stubborn since it has been folded over that way since ? 2007 ? So I fell back on a machine knitting trick I have used for ages. Plastic laundry clips all along the hem really makes it behave. I usually will hand hem knitted items this way to hold the fabric so I can put a seam in for the garment.

Doing this hemming while listening to an audio book, “The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History” by Kassia St Clair. Very interesting so far and I have and have ordered the book.

Love my new kitchen and I am sure when the washer dryer are done it will be just as nice. New Bay window so I can see sunsets again!! Earlier today I plastic and sheet draped almost my whole weaving studio. The plumber has to put a drain all across the inside ceiling of the rear of my house to get a drain for my upstairs stacked washer dryer. With the foggy light out this morning, yes it does look spooky. Sheets to left are looms that still have warp on them that maybe?? I can use. There is no way I can move the AVL loom with my hand in a brace half the time. Do not want another bursitis flare either. So will hang in there.

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Fingerless Mitts, My Hand Knit Designs

The local Smoky Mountain Knitting Guild in November  had a mini class and hand out on Knit your own mitts ( Is that Smoky or Smokey? a weird spelling thing we noticed down here). I designed two pair, the first ones needs blocking…. I used stitch patterns that were in books on my shelf.  Once I started I was on a roll.  Both pairs are  in worsted weight yarn. The first pair is in a lace pattern on the front only and long cuffs. The second one is in lace and cables, I planned the variegated lace to not be seen but it will make the pair warmer. I really enjoyed designing these. Realized during pair #1 that all the mittens I have made over the years prepared me for these, made it much easier. Just cut off the tops of the hand and thumb of mittens.

The first pair and stitch pattern comes from “The Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible” pag 19 #2 Gorgeous book by the way. I based the size on my machine knit version so it has long cuffs. In the photos they look busy but they aren’t in person, Just interesting.

HB4116

HB4116

 

The second pair are in lace and cables and reversible.  I planned the lace to not be seen but it will make the pair warmer. They have shorter cuffs. The first stitch pattern comes from the  “Big Book of Knitting  Patterns” Pg 58 the bottom pattern “Honeycomb” .  The cables were fun to knit. the most challenging thing was the thumb  and  placing it within the cable pattern. Then I did the thumb in garter stitch to continue on with the theme. The second pattern comes from “The Knit Stitch Pattern Handbook” Pg 63 top ” Tilted Tiles” for the variegated lace.

HB4116

Had to add in the right amount for the thumb gore in the midst of the cable pattern

HB4116

Now back to the two? cowls, lap blanket and third mitt with the same salmony pink yarn and a different variegated yarn, hmm Fairisle? I’m not mentioning the weaving, spinning, beeding  and machine knit projects.  Too many projects too little time. I have also noticed I have a knitting book addiction that I will have to keep in check. Knitting and weaving books just don’t work well on a kindle for me.

Machine Knitting Trick

January a great grand daughter and in March a grandson were born . So of course I’m busy with baby afghans or blankies, sweaters, bootie. making.

Somewhere it was suggested to use pants hangers as clips to hold long knitting projects to I tried it out and what a great idea. So thank you for the idea! Sure beats using the ribber comb or any other method I’ve used in the past. The edging took longer than the blankie.

Keep Going

Was just getting back into weaving…   Sometimes you learn things that you really can live without knowing…..  Was weaving cat mats when one of my cats jumped up on the woven part and wanted to be petted. Petted her and while purring she bit me.  Cat bites much more dangerous and tend to be infected vs dog bites,  sharper and dirtier?  My middle and smallest cat is now on Quarantine at home.  The greeter cat is “vicious”.   Bit me Sunday night at the base of my left thumb, the one with arthritis already present. Hurt like hell,  bled and I screamed. Was swollen on Monday, went to get groceries and when we returned there was a streak of red down my wrist, 2  inches or so.  Son was going to work.  Knew I was in trouble,  Off to urgent care I went and they were closed. (Full Moon) By the time I was seen in ER it was now 4 inches long. Knowing my insurance company I agreed to be admitted for twice daily IV antibiotics.  They x rayed it, no tooth fragments otherwise it would have been surgery as well. One of the CNA’s complimented me on catching it so soon and main reason I was getting such a good response to the antibiotics.

Widow support groups talk a lot about trigger points. Ok I was an RN, Just watching medical stuff on TV and I have a recurring nightmare. PTSD?   I am on the female cancer unit I worked for 5 years in the 80s. I’m the only regular staffer all the rest are pulled from other units or floats. Literally run off my feet.  Similar thing happened, I was  one of two regular staffers one night.

Trigger #1   I was in a hospital,

#2 In a hall bed in ER in front of where we got my husbands terminal cancer diagnosis the hard way. As my husband snoozed  I heard two dr talking in front of the room ” he has a large mass on his kidney and another one on the spine”  That poor guy my husband just has Arthritis and Pneumonia.  Just what a former nurse who was concerned about privacy wants to learn that:  no that is my husband they were so indiscreet about. Terminal he lived 6 weeks after that.  Between this and being extremely angry at a certain cat. They asked me a while before they moved me if I was suicidal or homicidal my response was no Cat icidal.

#3 Of course I was admitted to the same floor that my husband was on, slightly larger room. I think I slept 3 maybe 4 hours the 2 nights I was there.

#4  Things at this hospital have not improved I questioned almost every drug given to me. I did forget my phone with my drug list, had no idea I would be admitted.  ER and admitting nurse just named the drugs off didn’t ask any dosages.  From there they were  All wrong,  from first night there on. Thought the thyroid drug looked the wrong color, asked wrong dose. Kept trying to give me blood pressure medication twice a day I am only on it once a day.  It really wasn’t the nurses fault, they corrected them 5 times in the computer and with the Doctor,  that I know of.  Computer? Pharmacy?  The last morning she named off the drugs before opening them, Thyroid still wrong and a blood pressure pill at the wrong time. I told her don’t bother I will take it when I get home.

ADVOCATE  What if you are unconscious? elderly? forgetful? Be with your loved one and ADVOCATE!

Our son brought my kindle in thank goodness at least reading will transport me elsewhere and I am in less pain as well. Now since I have been home I have attempted some knitting but the thumb was at first stiff now sore. I tried a splint last night but helped for awhile but I ended up pulling it off.  Very fast music and books now this is a modern achievement I can get behind and support… And Youtube.

Saw a band on “The Late Show” The Revivalists and started listening to them on Youtube.  I found “Keep Going” This is the mode I have been in for 0ver 2 years through Dave’s illness  and now living without him.  Keep Going = Making an effort to live normally in a difficult situation.   Believe me it is sometimes a minute to minute effort to keep going.     Another is a Willie Nelson song “It’s not Somethin’ you get over but it’s  “Somethin’ You Get Through.”

Someday soon Back to sanity and weaving or knitting or?? Meanwhile my Kindle is calling my name.

Greeter cat on a different project

Countermarch Tie-ups

Been awhile since I set up the Glimakra Ideal.  It is a  horizontal countermarche , one of the two types that are most common. The other is a vertical countermarche that I have never dealt with.  I have an excellent book  Tying up the Countermarche Loom  by Joanne Hall. I don’t start all over with adding the shafts, tying the lams and doing the tie ups as some videos suggest.  I also took a class eons ago,  the instructor was Madelyn van der Hoogt. She had additional ways to tie up the loom and  the part that helped my loom get the best shed. Put the warp on back beam of the loom, put the shaft holders on, put the locking pins in,  thread,  tied on, then  do your tie up. Sitting on the floor, should keep me agile. Then  the treadles are set up so that the ones on the right are 9 inches from the floor and the ones on the left are 7 inches. On the left the lams are on rods and this is the side that is at 7 inches.

The difference  from other looms is that you are tying up both to raise and to lower the shafts. Jack looms like the Norwood and Gilmore are rising sheds and only the O’s in the picture below are fastened to the treadles. On Counterbalance or Sinking shed looms, like Leclerc and Louet the X s are tied up.  On the Countermarch looms like the Glimakra or Toika looms all the Xs and Os are tied up.

This raising and lowering at the same time makes it excellent for weaving sticky warps like mohair. My Ideal is the smallest size and  they don’t make that size anymore. The Ideal can be converted to a counterbalance or Draw loom. It is also sturdy enough for rugs. We did add a weight to the beater.   After working with this loom I made myself a  Tie Up Card to keep it straight in my head. The other picture shows the shaft holders. I usually put one on the upper on one side and on the bottom on the other. Wish I had them for my AVL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the first time I have such long wefts as the corduroy is in several yards. Will take me a long time to use it up I have two cat mats done but I am not happy with the tie up on the second to last treadle ( fourth treadle for the twill)  One of the upper lams is  bumping into the shaft. So after weaving for quite awhile I thought I would fix it. Lying on the floor I have so many cat helpers, not.  So instead of my upper helper Cattrina in the photo below, I had Daisy rubbing against me and in my face.  I would almost get it fastened and she would bump into me. Below is the Cattrina helper and pictures of the mats. You can see the shafts in the background and the nice shed big enough for a rag shuttle. Wish I had picked up another shuttle  when I was at Great Northern weaving.  It wasn’t the tie up it was up a higher problem going from the center whole that moves the lams, Tomorrow is another day!

 

Great shed not the one I am fixing.

The mats are going to be really nice on the bottom of the pillow

Cattrina, 1/2 Maine Coon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Latest UFOs, Knitting Weaving Combination

I have too many UFOs to list!  The project that I have been working towards, for awhile now is mats for shelter cats. I have knitted several tops on the KH930 with a Garter Carriage. The longest time is due to the garter carriage. I sent one for repairs in August of last year and it ran for only a short time. Finally bought another that is pristine and running great now. Photo below is the first one now only used for parts… This machine will knit and purl in a row, otherwise you have to hand manipulate the stitches to make the purl stitches. It also casts on and castes off your knitting.

 

I think I will do the pillow part with flannel on the back as it wont show. Then I am weaving the bottom of the mats. All of the weft is corduroy that was donated to HCC and back then due to lack of storage to all the students .  Then they go to market research. My four cats.

 

toppers

This knitted chart looks like birds. Still trying to figure out a way to attach them, Maybe large snaps so the tops can be washed? The middle will be a foam mattress but maybe not washable?? decisions decisions. We will see which the kitties prefer.

One of my new market researchers below as I try to finish setting up the treadles on my countermarche   Glimakra. On these you set up the rising and lowering part of the tie up: so both Xs and Os. Took a wonderful class 20? years ago from  Madelyn van der Hoogt. Still use her handouts today.

Cattrina Weaving assistant/ market researcher.

 

Under this guiltless kitty you can see 5 of 6 treadles done. They are set up so that the ones on the right are 9 inches from the floor then they gradually go to 7 inches on the left. Had to redo the threading on the right of middle, yes rusty after close to 2 years away  from the looms.

I’m cutting the strips for the mats with an old serger, cheapie but works great for the purpose. I really don’t make enough rugs to warrant paying for a proper rag cutter. I’v woven about 8 inches and think the twill after thought pattern looks best…