New fiber addiction…I learned to weave

I have a new fiber addiction…weaving.  I have a “new to me loom” that arrived on June 20th.  It’s a Leclerec, Nilus II 60″ loom.  I don’t start small, as someone mentioned.  In the picture you can see my very first weaving project, a scarf that I’ve finished.  It took me 2 days to warp the loom and just a few hours to weave the scarf.  There is a definite learning curve when warping a loom.  I had taken 3 semi-private weaving lessons from a lady in our spinning group, read about a dozen different books on weaving,  but actually warping the big loom by myself was an education, one that I’m still learning.  Each loom is different and no matter what they tell you in the books or how someone shows you on another loom, the way YOUR loom is warped could be totally different.  That’s what I’m still learning even now that my second project made it on the loom.

I learned to warp back to front, and had “Learning to Weave” open to that section and followed along with Deb’s instructions, eyeing the pictures and determined to figure it out.  My loom’s raddle is designed to fit in the beater bar groove where the reed is.  Well, when I tried to use the raddle on the back beam, it’s base is narrow and it won’t stand upright to use that way.  First lesson learned…  There were several other “lessons” during the warping and weaving of this project.  However, the lessons didn’t stop there.

My second project is dishtowels that I’m still working on.  They are almost half finished weaving.  It took me 2 days to warp the loom full of more insights on what NOT to do when dressing a loom.  I was determined that I was going to spend as much time weaving as I did dressing the loom.  I started weaving last Tuesday, so I definitely accomplished that goal.   I’m doing four dishtowels, in black and white,  using the pattern from “Treasury of Handwoven”.

There were plenty of  “firsts” for this project.  First time following a pattern, first time weaving with cotton, first time using a boat shuttle.  There were plenty of other lessons learned too, like making sure you have enough heddles on each shaft and they are all on the left side of the loom before you start threading.   I had other snafus while getting this project on the loom, but they all worked out.  I think the lessons we learn by making mistakes are the best ones taught, well I hope so…I don’t want to make those mistakes again.

I’ve done some spinning for the Tour de Fleece on Ravelry.  I’m on “Team Monkey Farts” and I did have one entry so far of a finished 4 oz. of Rambouillet that I dyed at a workshop that Elizabeth had at her house.  Can you imagine about a dozen fiber loving ladies having a blast for a few hours, dyeing fiber, yarn, sock blanks and thank goodness not the house?

Rambouillet I dyed at a workshop

Here’s the finished spinning which I attempted to do in thick singles to make the Amanda Hat pattern.  However, when swatching yesterday I got the gauge suggested in the pattern but the fabric wasn’t right.  I tried doubling the yarn, then  a smaller needle  in pattern but wasn’t satisfied that this yarn was spun to really work for this pattern.  I’ll probably use this for weft or figure out something else for it.  It’s funny but the colors match almost exactly of some yarn that I’m currently knitting a pair of socks for my daughter’s Christmas present.  I dyed this roving before I started knitting the socks and wasn’t even trying to match the colors…it just happened.  Funny how that happens.

My goal for the Tour de Fleece is to try and spin 2 oz. per day while the tour is on.  I know I won’t be able to spin every day, but if I can work on some of my spinning and not let the weaving take over, I will have accomplished something.

There has been a few knitting projects that I’ve finished up recently too.  I’ve done two pairs of socks since my last post.  One pair was knit in a personal best time, just under a week for the pair.  The colors dominated so I let them be just plain socks, the Classic Sock pattern from Folk Socks.   I knit them one at a time on Magic Loop, which was different for me.  I usually knit 2 at a time, but  for the stripes to really match up on the socks I couldn’t use both ends of the yarn at the same time.   I managed to enter them in the June Challenge in the  “Sock Knitters Anonymous” group on Ravelry.  Who knows, maybe I’ll even enter them in the fair this year.  They are wool socks and I don’t anticipate wearing them before the fair the first week in September.

The second pair of socks were knit 2 at a time on Magic Loop for a class I taught at my LYS.  I used the Twilight pattern from “2 at a Time Socks”.  I love the cotton yarn by Opal that I used, they go perfectly with blue jeans.  I’ve already worn these but they haven’t been washed yet, so well see how they come out.

I’m a firm beliver in machine washable socks, I don’t do handwash, especially when it comes to socks.  I’ve had a couple of pairs shrink up due to this.  One pair was mine, which I rehomed to someone with a smaller sized foot.  The other pair were some I knitted for DH using some Henry’s Attic wool that I had dyed.  I’ve learned to only knit socks that contain some amount of nylon to make them truly superwash socks.

Twilight Socks

On the farm news, Bella Vita Farm & Fiber no longer has CVM sheep.  I am concentrating on only one breed now, the Finns.  I don’t have the space, especially in the fall at breeding time, to keep more than one breed.  My CVMs went back to Ohio to live at Yellow Creek Cottage with my friend, Chris Spitzer.  She maintains one of the largest flocks of CVMs in the US, averaging between 150-200 sheep in her flock.  I will continue to do the National CVM Conservancy website and be involved in the breed in that respect.

Please be patient while I update my website to reflect the changes made here at the farm, as of June 20, 2009.  This year I am only going to be shearing once in the spring of 2010.  I want to let the Finn fleece grow for one year instead of shearing every six months.  I’m not sure if this will be a permanent change or not.  We’ll just have to wait and see.

Last, but not least, I did a podcast interview for “The High Fiber Diet” on June 20, 2009 when Coggie came to our farm with her husband and her friend Deb.  I enjoyed their visit and hope they come back again soon.  Unfortunately Bamms couldn’t come due to the horrendous storm the night before that did quite a bit of damage in Holland, MI where she lives.   Make sure to listen to the podcast and check out the show notes to see pictures of Bella Vita Farm & Fiber’s animals.