Tag Archives: fiber project

In Search of an Eco Friendly Xmas

Fabric remnants

One of my favorite things as a young kid was having presents wrapped in the Sunday Comics.  Color me simple, I just enjoyed getting to read the funnies a second time.  I have no idea if my parents were doing this for economic or ecological reasons, but it didn’t diminish the simple joy of the funnies.

Then, as I got a chance to take on elf duties as an older child, I very much preferred the “pre-cut” funny papers to anything I had to measure out.  Given that we were a family of 8 you can see where expediency was of interest to a teenage girl.

Much later, Hubby and I had two kids… and went through that baby/toddler phase of cheap and plentiful toys (all educational, of course).  I must have wrapped one too many presents in that phase because I started thinking it wasn’t fun anymore.

I didn’t enjoy feeling I was spending more time on the presents than the people.  And, I really didn’t enjoy planning in advance for bin space… knowing there would be a glut of paper going out in the recycling.

My goal this year was to wrap presents in a cute, EASY, and ecological way.

Starting with this book and some inexpensive remnants of fabric…

Furoshiki book

I finished of the edging with just a straight stitch and some pinking shears (pay no attention to the wobbles)…

Pinked edging for furoshiki wrap

Following the instructions in the book I came up with this little gem for Hubby…

wrapped gift

Here you can see the same size cloth on two different presents done Furoshiki style…

2 styles of furoshiki

Courtesy of some volunteer work at My New Red Shoes, I learned how to make some quick gift bags as well.  Here I’m playing with two different top edgings…

2 styles of bag edging

Then came the embellishing.  Firstly I simply re-used some ribbon from years past.  This is the no-frills way to go.

re-used ribbon

Here are the embellishments that make my heart go pitter pat.  I scored this crocheted snow flake at a mom’s night out gift exchange last year.  I was three sheets to the wind but still managed to coherently trade for it.  I also acquired a model for this picture.  Cricket is usually so terribly camera-shy, but she insisted on being in this photo for some odd reason.  Maybe it’s a sign that there is some crocheting in my near future.

crochet snowflake

It’s a lot of work and it might get spread out over a couple of years, but I’m seriously looking forward to using a lot less paper… and enjoying more time to drink hot, spiked cider while snuggled up next to Hubby.

Happy Holidays to You and Yours!!!

Why should I spin yarn?

5/9/2012 Project 365 Why spin flower 1

I am a recent convert to spinning after at least a year of abject refusal.  There were a few simple reasons for this.

It’s another fiber hobby, with the accompanying need of yet another set of tools and supplies.

It looks a bit like wrestling an octopus… and not in a friendly way.

It’s slow.  For those of use who usually dive into a new craft like it’s a full body contact sport, it really doesn’t seem like a logical fun step to have to suspend gratification.

5/9/2012 Project 365 flower 2

Cue the martinis; two of them.  Two of them and some gentle persuasion by @cupcakefaerie and friendly encouragement from @cheekyattitude and I was happily taking home a borrowed drop spindle and some fiber just to “try out”.  Not too long after that I was buying my drop spindle from @meshuggeknitter and trying to get my hands on any prepared roving I could from @ilikecake’s destash.

Then @cupcakefaerie let me try out her lovely spinning wheel.  All resistance was gone after that.

5/9/2012 Project 365 flower 3

So yes, it’s another fiber hobby and has another expense.

And yes, it really is like wrestling an octopus at first, until you find this delicious rhythm that is like a balm to the soul after a long day.  More than one curious spectator has remarked on how soothing it looks and sounds.

And yes, it is slower and takes longer to dive into knitting and weaving… but then maybe it’s a bit like “slow food”.  Maybe the sum of some wholesome parts makes for a more satisfying end result.  Part of that sum would be the lovely support from those around me.

Thank you, ladies!

5/9/2012 Project 365 flower 4

(But, I’m not going to prep my own fleece.  Really.  I mean it this time.)

Sweet little butterfly bag…

Miss E sometimes surprises me.  In this case, I gave her free rein on decorating a zippered canvas bag I just finished.  Her usual drawings are busy and full.  In this case they are simple and sweet.  There are just two little butterflies, one on either side of the bag… both circling a happy little sunflower button.

4/29/12 Butterfly bag

4/29/12 Project 365 butterfly bag closeup

Back and forth…

I’ve been joyfully going back and forth between two projects this weekend.

Sleeve shaping on my Quercus sweater…

4/22/12 Project 365 Quercus sleeve shaping

Per the pattern, I did some short row shaping where the shoulder area is (much like the heel of a sock).  Very intelligent construction idea!  I really do enjoy smart knitting.

And some spinning when I want to visit hubbie in the back office area…

4/22/12 Project 365 spinning

This is Blue Faced Leicester top in Teal by Lisa from Poppy Flower Fibers (rebranded to Wabi Sabi Yarns).  It’s worsted spun and hopes to be a 2 ply lace wt or light fingering when it grows up.

Hope you and yours had a lovely weekend, too!

An accounting of projects…

3/11/12 Project 365 spinning 2 ply

I was reading online where someone suggested that 5 was the optimal number of projects to have.  (I’d share a link, but I was lost online and can’t find the link anymore.  Story of my life.)  The premise was more than five projects slowed down your progress to the point of frustration and less than five left you without something to do at critical times.  She suggested having different types of projects for different situations… fancy lace for alone thinking, small projects like socks and hats for travel, idiot knitting for social times or tv, etc.

I had been feeling lately that I was doing a lot, but wasn’t finishing much of anything; discontent was creeping in.  I wondered what my actual number was.  Was that driving my irksome feelings?  I also wondered how having multiple crafts might change your number, and not necessarily for the better.  Then there are those crafts you want to do next that weigh on your mind.  I think they count too, since they don’t just fade away.  They keep cropping up in your head over and over.  Should I be thinning my projects?  Do I fit the 5 project mold?  What will I see if I account for what is currently in the works and on my mind?  I took these questions and upended my various project niches in search of whatever I might find.

In the works:

Hand sewing kanzashi flowers for the painting.  I’m dragging my feet on this, but I recognize the need for them on the painting.

Quercus Sweater (worsted/fairly easy)

Spectrum scarf (fingering/fairly easy/fairly small)

Kernel scarf (lace weight/dead silence required)

Spinning 2 ply fingering wt yarn (tv watching easy)

Sewing a zippered bag (some concentration)

Sewing a skirt for me.

Knit kimono sweater (easy, but needs ripping and adjusting)

Re-knitting blown out sock toes.  (easy, just need to do) I’d just patch them, but the true problem is the socks just aren’t long enough.  Try as I might, my hoofers are just not that delicate and small.

On the brain:

Spin some fiber for a friend.

Hand sew kanzashi flowers from plastic bags for giggles and grins.

Take hubbie’s ad laden conference bags and put fancy fabric on them to dress them up and hide the ads.

Recreate the baby sweater for the pattern/sweater found in FIL’s attic.  Maybe from homespun…

Rip out wrap I don’t and won’t use… put yarn into something else.  A blanket?

Embroider a felted black project bag I have.

Weaving with plastic bags.  Coasters?  Table runner?

Weaving a wrap.

Sewing a skirt for my daughter.

Sew and cut fabric class on Craftsy.com.

Weaving straps on the inkle loom for my Mighty Wolf loom.

Another Tunisian crochet blanket (of course).

Another post card abstract drawing with markers.

There are probably a couple of projects on the brain I’ve forgotten in the moment, but overall, this list was not nearly as heinous as I expected.  While I obviously don’t fit the 5 project mold, I don’t really think I could trim down the list… as the brain loop would still kick in.  I would be willing to lay money on the fact that most of my crafty friends have a list closer in size to mine than just “5″.  The list is reasonable, and I’ve already acknowledged to myself what the next steps are for everything listed.  While I wouldn’t change anything, I do find it a little comforting just accounting for what is “so” for me in this moment.

As to the discontent that’s been creeping in… maybe I just need a new project.  (Hehehehe!)

The “Bomb”

I finally finished that Tunisian crocheted blanket I was feverishly working on before our family trip.  You can see a bit of the fabric edging here:

4/10/12 Project 365 fabric strip edging

This thing is:

Huge… it could work on a twin bed.  I was a little shocked.  That’s really fast work for something that size.

Colorful… every time I look at it I find a new area I like.

A little wobbly… I may wash it a little on the warm side to mildly felt/firm it up.  It has alpaca running all through it, so it should work.  However, not all of the alpaca is the same or in the same amounts, so I could end up with a bit of a zig zag mess.  (I’ll sleep on it.)

Incredibly warm… I predict there will be arm wrestling matches for the privilege of using it during tv time.

Kitty approved… because Momo jumped on it as soon as I finished it and proceeded to make biscuits.  I had to shoo him off at photo time because he was getting a little over enthusiastic with the claws.

The “Bomb”… because it’s just that impressive.

4/10/12 Project 365 The Bomb

The little things…

I get a real kick out of figuring out something that I’ve either been stumped by or somewhat afraid of.  In this case, my son’s duvet cover had about a 2.5 inch slit in it.  I don’t even remember what happened exactly since it’s been sitting in the mending basket for maybe 1-2 years.  (Is this where I get the bad mommy award?)  I knew in theory it could be fixed with the sewing machine, but I wasn’t sure on the actual “doing”.

This morning I “did”.

Changed the presser foot (and found a new setting on my machine in the process).

Changed the needle to a denim needle, something I would not have known to do before my sewing class.

Debated about changing the thread from black to blue to match the comforter, but decided I kinda of liked the effect of the black thread… and no one was going to see it anyway.  (It really wasn’t laziness, honest.)

Lowered the feed dogs… because @meshuggeknitter taught me about when to use them and not.

Cut holes in some canvas and practiced a bit.  They aren’t nearly as pretty as the diagrams in the book, but they were effective in stabilizing the fabric.

3/14/2012 Project 365 practice mending

When I felt comfy I loaded up the duvet.  You can see the hole here.

3/14/2012 Project 365 hole in duvet

There was slight panic when I realized the denim was lighter weight than the canvas and probably could have used a stabilizing fabric behind it, but I threw caution to the winds and forged ahead.

3/14/2012 duvet repair a la Frankenstein

Voila!  My repair à la Frankenstein.

The next step was to take the self adhesive patch I bought at a time when I thought all I had to do was slap on the patch instead of also seaming things up a bit.

Carefully read the instructions.

Gathered my watch with the second-hand.

Found a cutting board to use as the surface, per the instructions.

Found a light weight pressing cloth, also per the instructions.

Heated to the proper temperature and pressed the proper length of time.

And… nothing!

Tossed pressing sheet.

Tossed cutting board right behind it.

Pressed the stuffing out of it again… both sides.

All better.

3/14/2012 Project 365 all better

Sometimes art is just the little things… the practice, the sketches, the swatches, and the patches.

A funny thing happened on the way to a blanket…

I’m totally loving this blanket.  I’m blowing through a ton of miscellaneous skeins of yarn like nobody’s business.  (I’ve probably said this before; it’s just that I’m so amazed by it still.)  But, I’ve been learning a few things along the way.

Firstly, it’s bigger than I thought it was.  I spread it out on my 3′x3′ coffee table to take a photo and realized it’s at least 75% done.  Whoa!

3/10/12 Project 365 blanket big picture

This first section, was “nice” but boring.  (You can say it too; my feelings won’t be hurt.)  I was also realizing at this point that if I didn’t include other yarns I would have an awfully skinny blanket.  I knew that I didn’t have more of the browns/grays/cream in abundance so I only worked up half the neutrals with the idea I could put the other half on the other side of the blanket, framing some colored yarns in between.  (If you can make it look like it belonged there in the first place, it doesn’t really look like an accident anymore.)

3/10/12 Project 365 blanket/boring part

I went in search of other alpaca skeins and found some sparklies along the way.  I figured, why not?  They weren’t planned for anything else.  Wasn’t this a stash busting exercise?!  Here’s a close up since the previous blog post photos didn’t show them quite so well.  Yum!

3/10/12 Project 365 sparkly eyelash closeup

As I started adding different yarns I realized that I felt better about using every single yard of a skein and not worrying about starting on one end or another and having waste yarn.  I figure it just adds character.  It’s also not that noticeable when using so many yarns, some of them variegated and changing colors anyway.  As one yarn ran out I just started adding another to the mix.

3/10/12 Project 365 variegated yarn closeup

What has been fun is playing with different color combinations.  In the picture above, there is one variegated yarn that runs through the entire section, but it looks very different depending on what it pairs up with.  I think my favorite parings tend to be the variegated along with a neutral (black, gray, white).  Even with the different neutrals they appear different.  What a feast for the eyes!

Here I’ve started adding some ribbon yarn.  It’s possible this is pushing the envelope too far, or I need to pair it with more of a mohair to add some fuzzy bulk.  I’ll know more as I work with it.

3/10/12 Project 365 going too far with ribbon?

With all of the different yarns I’m throwing into this blanket, it’s entirely possible the end result will be homely or have that “oh yeah, that is soooo homemade it’s borderline ugly” look.  But, the process along the way is so fun I seriously doubt it will matter.  Besides, functionally it IS warm.

And, blanket number 2 is percolating in my brain as I play with blanket number 1.  There is a TON of ribbon yarn that needs to shine in someplace other that my bedroom drawer…

3/10/12 Project 365 yarn for blanket 2

Let’s have a little math with that knitting, shall we?

2/21/12 Project 365 sweater progress

I’m very pleased with my progress so far.  I’m working on the lower backside of things.  The tricky part of this step is that my luscious pear shape dictates that my lower end of things is 2 sizes larger than the upper end of things.  Let me repeat that… 2 whole freaking sizes larger!!!

I’m going to state the obvious here.  Patterns aren’t written that way.

This means I need to customize the pattern by using a greater number of increases for the lower half than originally called for.  But, even before that, I need to pick a pattern that will either lend itself well to the pear shape or one that will customize easily.  (Ask me how I know this.)  With this particular pattern having the cable work on the upper back and  front sides only, it’s pretty easy to bump up the number of increases on the sides.  An all over lace pattern would be a bit more tricky and likely beyond my abilities at this point.

My math is currently checking out.  I’m still inexperienced enough with sweaters that it’s a bit of a worry whether it will actually work properly, but you never know until you try.  (Okay, I’ll be brutally honest; I’ve never customized a sweater before.  I’m totally diving into the deep end here.)  Whether I’m successful or unsuccessful, I will have learned something in the end.

So far, I’ve learned I need to double-check in the morning whatever math I did the night before.  Heh!