Small Business Saturday Sale!!!!!

Visit my shop: www.etsy.com/shop/LSGCrafts and use the coupon code "THANKS" to get 15% off any order over $50. Here are just a few of the handwoven items I have listed for sale.....

Weaving With Sock Yarn - 2 projects

Here are the results of my latest weaving experiment; using a plain wool warp with variegated and self striping wool sock yarns as weft. 

I used what was left of a cone of Nature Spun Fingering wool (2800 ypp) in natural for my warp. I threaded at 15 epi. When I last wove with this wool, I used a set of 20 epi. The fabric was gorgeous, but I wanted to open the sett a bit. For weft, I have a ball of Kauni 8/2 wool and for another variation, I used Done Roving's Frolicking Feet "Apple Pickin".

I threaded in a rosepath (4,3,2,1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4,1,4,3,2,1...,). For the Kauni yarn I wove "tromp as writ" according to the threading. 

Here is the Kauni yarn weft...

I love love love this yarn! The colors are amazing and it finishes up so soft. Just gorgeous.

Now onto the Frolicking Feet. This was so much fun. I wove again in rose path. The results were awesome. 

When I got to the 3rd color change in the yarn, I changed the treadling.

I finished with the rosepath and then some plain weave. 

Here are the finished products.....

The Kauni yarn is now a beautiful table runner. It is for sale in my Etsy shop at: www.etsy.com/shop/LSGCrafts

Here is the Frolicking Feet yarn made into an infinity scarf. I love it! It is so soft and warm. 

A word of warning about the Frolicking Feet yarn. The last bit of this yarn was white and yellow. As soon as I put the scarf in hot water, the water turned red. I rinsed and rinsed, but the white became a peachy color. Actually, I am happy with the result because I think the white & yellow were too much of a contrast with the other colors, but be forewarned: This yarn bleeds!!!!!

Log Cabin - 3 variations on one warp

I hadn't woven log cabin in a while so I decided to experiment with it a bit. I warped the loom with Nature Spun Sport wool in natural and charcoal at 10 epi. 

First I did a four color log cabin using a light grey and teal wool for weft. 

Then I tried a brown alpaca wool as weft....

Finally, I used 5/2 black pearl cotton as weft. 

Though I like the first two fabrics, the third is my favorite. It is light and gauzy and fabulous. I'm definitely making that again, but probably with a solid warp. Would make excellent curtains. 

Happy Weaving!

I Remember Momma

Today marks such a sad anniversary for me. It has been one year since my mother passed away. She was young (only 61) and vibrant and beautiful. She died after a courageous two year long battle with Pancreatic Cancer. 

Before she passed away, I made a bag for her out of some of my handwoven fabric. She carried it everywhere. Now that bag is back with me and hangs next to my loom. 

There really are no words to sum up the pain and sadness that my family has felt over the last year. There are no words to express what it was like to watch her pass away and then have to go tell your kids that Grandma is gone. I feel like that is what I've been trying to do for the last year; find the words. It turns out, I've had them all along. 

In addition to weaving and fiber arts, my other passion is genealogy or family history. I've been working at it for 20 years now. Back in the late 90's, someone sent me a quote by Marcus Tullius Cicero........

"To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?"

I never really thought about the word "woven" in that quote before. Weaving can be literal. Threads that run one way and other threads that pass over and under and around them. Weaving can also be figurative. Our lives are so intertwined with others that they are woven together. 

When one thread ends, a new thread begins, and when done right, blends seamlessly with the others. The new thread starts where the other ended. 

We are forever woven together, my mother and I. I miss you Momma. I miss you so much.

Adventures in Overshot - Take 1

I have always admired overshot weaving. Growing up in Bucks County, PA, a place rich with Colonial history, you can see fabulous examples of overshot all over the place. 

My 4 shaft loom was de-accessioned from the Holcombe/Jimison Farmstead Museum in Lambertville, NJ. I promised them that I would make them a period correct woven piece to go in the ca. 1750's home in the property. Overshot is the obvious choice. The only caveat.....I've never woven overshot before. 

Always one to bite off more than I can chew, I found an overshot pattern by John Landes, a weaver of the late 18th century. I can do this, I told myself. 

Here is the original pattern:

I decided that, before tackling this 18th century challenge, I would thread a sample piece to experiment with overshot.

I am using an Orange Peel overshot pattern.

This piece will have 3/2 black pearl cotton as warp and tabby weft. I am going to use Kauni wool as pattern weft. I also have some Pima cotton for pattern weft. I am interested to see how the different colors will interact with the black.

I think I am starting to understand this block weaving thing. I had 4 extra threads when I got to the center of the loom and I knew I had counted my threads and dents very carefully. I instantly thought, I must've skipped a block. So now I'm thinking in overshot 😉

Well, I'm 1/2 done with the threading and now I remember why I haven't done a black warp in a while. Aaaahhhhhh!

Happy Weaving!