I'm warped but can't weave yet!!!

"Why not?" you ask. Because the pattern I have chosen needs four shafts per pedal and I don't have that many cords. Thank you, Sandy of "Redfish Dyeworks" and "The Weaving Outpost". She is looking to see if she has them so I can begin weaving. Let's hope she finds them or I will have to shop on line and wait for them to arrive.

The pattern I am weaving, once I get the cords on the loom, is a twill variations that caught my eye! It is M and W twill. This makes what looks like interesting float patterns that really show off two contrasting colors. I am making towels for a towel exchange that I mentioned in an earlier blog and I think it will be a long enough warp to really try all the variations plus keep a few towels for me, instead of handing them all over to the exchange.

I have a 3/2 cotton in Spice as the warp and some beautiful 3/2 cotton in Desert Sand as the weft. I also want to try on with my bamboo yarn in Robin's Egg Blue. It is my favorite color and I just love working with Bamboo in towels because it makes them antimicrobial and so soft to the touch you don't mind drying the dishes by hand! I can't, however, use the bamboo for the exchange because I am limited to linen, cotton, cottolin, ramie or hemp. I may also try the linen that I have but the size is off. It is much finer than the cotton and it may be overwhelmed by the cotton. We'll see. I will photograph the samples and let you judge.

Next blog will contain photos. Look for them and let me know which one you like best!!!

Birthday Party Means Rewards for You.

I am off to my favorite client and dear friends' home for my birthday party tomorrow. Such fun. I was a newbie and Andrew and Donna saw my very first Christmas Ornaments and bought all of them. It was my first sale, it was my joy to see them so excited and I am looking forward to seeing their new home, newly remodeled. It is so fun to see them.

To arrive at their home for the first time, I want to bring them a house warming present and they want something made by me. It is such a hard thing to know what will fit their life style and decor. I am sure they will be kind about anything I bring, but I want it to be something that won't just take up space. I need to think about this for a while. But I will be back to let you know what I've chosen and you will have a chance to comment and win a similar item of your color choice.

The drawing will be at the end of the week and be randomly chosen from all submissions.


More to come, today!!!


Liana
Lianasloom.com

My First Finished Handspun Ball of Yarn

Why First you ask?

It is the first full ball of yarn ever produced from my handspun yarn. Until now I have always spun just enough to make a skein of yarn averaging around 75 yrds. per skein. Nothing to write home about. Most spinners, even new ones, manage to make these skeins and I am no exception. It is with great joy that I managed to spin enough to sell. This ball of yarn is 177 yrds. and it is a 2 ply blend of Super wash Merino, Silk, Bamboo and Firestarter (used to make the yarn sparkle).

How did I achieve more yarn this time than all the other times? My secret is a wonderful spinning contraption called the "WooLee Winder"! The reason it works so well making a larger quantity of yarn is because of it's design that fills the bobbin evenly. The bobbin fills smoothly with no hills and valleys to shorten your yardage, instead you find a steady, smooth surface of yarn that increases your productivity while shortening your time spent spinning. This decrease in time is due to the fact that the yarn production is never stopped to move the yarn to the next hook so that the spinning can continue winding on. This requires stopping often. With the WooLee Winder instead of a traditional setup, you will also improve the quality of your yarn. With the ability to make a more consistent yarn at a more consistent size, I don't have to stop and lose my train of thought every few minutes. That relaxed meditative state is more easily maintained. I am not saying that it will stop family and friends from interrupting you but then they are always welcome interruptions, are they not?

There is a down side to be considered, however, in making the investment to improve your yarn quantity and quality, and that is cost. The WooLee Winder is owned by one man, Robert Lee and now his son, he has been able to make one for just about ever spinning wheel out there but they are handmade and the bobbins are specially fit to the new flyer.

You can find him at http://www.thewooleewinder.com/

But if you want to see the difference, look below.

This is my WooLee Winder!







This is my ball of yarn, 2 ply 177 yrds. 15 wpi.



This is the single before it was plied.



And finally, this is the amount of yarn I usually achieved from a traditional flyer and bobbin. This is 84 yrds. 13 wpi and not enough to make into a good sized ball.