Handwoven Shawl Day 10

Well, I finished my Handwoven Somemore Australian Bond Shawl today. I washed it and hung it outside to dry. I think I made it a little too long and probably could have made it a little wider. Oh well, I didn't really have a pattern to go by, other then the pattern that I wove into the shawl.

I wove on this shawl today for 3 hours and 18 minutes before I finished weaving and started taking it off the loom. Whenever, I weave another shawl, I will know how wide to make it and how long too. I still have some yarn left over from the 5th skein. I need to rewind that yarn and then figure out, just how much yarn I did use in this shawl. I will have to post that tomorrow though when I will take another picture of the shawl. The different shades of the fleece really give this shawl a nice shadow pattern IMO.

Handwoven Shawl Day 9

This skein is actually my sixth skein of 2 ply lace weight yarn. This skein has 358 yards, and is 2 1/2 oz or 72 grams and has 17 wpi. I had washed this skein a while back, but got involved in weaving on this shawl that I forgot about it. Then after I started weaving and was getting close to finishing up the 4 skeins I started with for this shawl, I knew I needed to get busy and figure out the yardage, ounces, grams and wpi, for this skein. So today I did just that, then made up a label for it (mainly for my purpose), so I wouldn't forget this information and would have it for later, when I needed to total my yardage for this shawl.

Once I did all this, I began weaving and got into my weaving zone (LOL). I did have to back track a couple of times, but this was because I was switching shuttles and had to make sure that I had the pattern going right. After 2 hours and 37 minutes of weaving, I had my 4th skein completely finished and skein you see above wound on the shuttle and 4 rows wove with the new skein. The apron rod is now showing on the back roller, which means that it won't be long now before it starts to move over the back beam.

Handwoven Shawl Day 8

Yeah, I fixed loose weft thread, and got busy weaving and playing catch up. I wove for 3 hours and 16 minutes today and I'm now half way through skein #4.

The shawl is really moving along quite well and my front roller has quite bit of the shawl wrapped around it.
The remaining warp that is still on the back beam is slowly being moved off the roller as I weave. I don't know yet if I'll have to wind up yet another skein for this shawl. I do have the skein for it if needed, I just haven't figured out the yardage and grams yet.

Handwoven Shawl Day 7

Today was an Oooopsy day. I started my day with cleaning my house, doing laundry (in other words being a good girl). LOL Then I dyed some polwarth roving and had to hang it to dry in guest bathroom shower. Once I did that I went to my spinning/weaving room to weave and everything was going okay;.............until I saw a loose weft thread 72 rows back (this was back almost to where I had started weaving today). So I began the process of taking each of these rows out 1 row at a time. I had to stop because it was starting to drive me nuts. So tomorrow I'll go back to it with a better frame of mind and finish taking out the remaining rows, and then begin the process of reweaving those rows and move forward.

Handwoven Shawl Day 6

Yes, I know its Sunday and I really shouldn't be weaving today, but I just had to come upstairs do a little weaving. I started out winding up skein #4 into a center pull ball and then weaving with the remaining yarn from skein #3. Once I had skein #3 all used up, I began winding yarn onto my shuttle from skein #4 and started weaving again. All in all I spent 1 hour 16 minutes weaving today.

Handwoven Shawl Day 5

It was another hot one today and I had all the windows open in my spinning/weaving room and my ceiling fan going as well. That helped to keep me cool during the 2 hours and 3 minutes, I spent weaving on my shawl today and even then I didn't quite finish using up skein #3. You can see in the picture I still have a little bit on my shuttle. I have skein #4 laying out to be wound into a skein tomorrow. I have the treadle pattern pretty much memorized now, but still forget sometimes as to which row I just finished. So I have the treadle pattern written down on a piece of paper and taped to my loom. I always try to end the treadle pattern at the end of a pattern repeat. This helps so that when I come back to my weaving after taking a break or the next day, I know where to start weaving.

Handwoven Shawl Day 4

Today after I finished dying some roving, I headed upstairs to my spinning/weaving room and started weaving on my shawl. I only spent 1 hour and 37 minutes weaving, as it was just too darn hot to weave today (92 F outside). I have almost gone through my third skein of yarn on this shawl. This first skein was used as the first half of the warp (121 threads), and the second skein started out as the remaining warp threads ( 71 threads), and the rest of the second skein went into the weft, which I finished using yesterday. Yesterday, I started using the third skein in the weft. I will probably finish up the third skein tomorrow and start using a fourth skein.

This picture here shows the shawl now has wound around the front roller. I think its has only wound around the roller once. I still have quite a bit of warp on the back roller, so I'll be weaving for a while. I love weaving on this shawl and look forward to going upstairs to weave, even in the heat. LOL

Handwoven Shawl Day 3

I went up to my spinning/weaving room this morning and started in weaving on my shawl. I spent 4 hours and 52 minutes weaving today. There were times though that I forgot where I was at on the pattern and I'd have to take a few rows out and then redo it. I think I did this about 4 or 5 times. It was really hot here today (91F), so I had problem's with the threads sticking together, when I'd raise different shafts. I'd have to separate the threads before I could throw my shuttle. This picture doesn't really show the pattern on the shawl, so I took another picture from a different angle.

This picture shows the underneath of the shawl, as it comes around the front beam to wind around the front roller. You can see some of the pattern on the top, but really see the pattern (which is the reverse of the pattern), from the underneath.

Handwoven Shawl Day 2

Today started off with warping up 4 more threads, to give me a total of 192 warp threads for weaving this shawl. Then I once I had all 192 warp threads threaded threw my reed, it was on to threading my heddles using a 12 stitch "A German Bird's Eye" weaving pattern and then tying off both the back and the front of the loom. This shawl measures 19 inches wide on the loom. The picture to the right shows everything tied off and ready for the weaving to begin.

Once I had the warp tied off, I picked up my shuttle and started winding on enough yarn to start the weaving process. I then tied up my treadles in a 1 & 4, 1 & 2, 2 & 3, 3 & 4 pattern. The treadling is what helps to make the pattern. I'm not exactly sure just how much I wove today, as I didn't measure it. This was 7 hours and 15 minutes of warping, and weaving today.

Threading my loom for a handwoven shawl/stole

For my next project with some of my Handspun Australian Bond Somemore Fleece, I thought I'd weave a shawl/stole. I want this shawl/stole to be 18 1/2 inches wide on the loom, so I've measured off the area on my loom, to show where to start the threading and where to end the threading. I've already threaded 121 threads through the reed, and I need 67 more threads, to finish off the width. This will give me 188 threads on this shawl/stole.

Once I have this done, I will start threading the heddles for the design I want to weave. Then all I will have to do after that is tie off the back and front of the loom and set up the treadles. Then I can start the weaving process. I will take pictures when I have the loom warped.

Somemore's Waving Ribbon Socks finished

I finished the socks this morning, then washed them by hand and having the hanging out to dry. I will post pictures of them later when they are nice and dry. I did try them on before washing and found them to be a little loose on my feet. This will probably go away after washing and drying them. Since this is the first time, I've ever spun a 3 ply yarn from fleece and knitted socks from I found it to be quite enjoyable. I know my feet will be warm and happy this winter.

Now I just need to finish spinning up the remaining batts into 2 ply lace weight yarn. I've begun warping some of my handspun 2 ply lace weight yarn onto my warping board. I have 1 warp finished which has 121 threads in it and I've started winding for a second warp. I haven't quite decided on a weaving pattern. Although, I have thought about an 8 stitch Rosepath pattern, stilling deciding though.

Knitting at the crack of dawn

I couldn't sleep this morning so I got up and went downstairs and started knitting around 5:20 AM on my red and white shawl. I'm not exactly sure just how many rows I knitted in 1 hour and 39 minutes but I now have 164 stitches on this shawl. The hearts on this shawl are really starting to make the shawl look nice. I find myself adding more hearts 2 rows after I finished a complete heart. The hearts are spaced fairly evenly over the shawl. I even have some interlocking hearts added in.

After I finished 1 hour and 39 minutes of knitting on this shawl I stopped to fix myself some breakfast, fold some laundry, and wash the dishes. Then I started in knitting on my Frankenstein Clown Socks. I now have the heel finished on the mate and have started working on the leg of the sock. I sat and knitted on these for 1 hour and 40 minutes. I completed 35 rows on this sock during this time.

Now that its 9:33 AM I need to put another load into the washer, make the bed (now that hubby is up), put the dishes away, then head off to the bank. Once I'm finished with the bank hubby wants to go and get his hair cut, get the oil changed on the car, pick up 2 new kennels at Petco for 2 of our dogs (the kennels they are sleeping in are just too small for them now), then go over to Wal-mart to look for 2 lamps (for our bedroom). After that, when we get home I can sit at my spinning wheel and spin up some more yarn, and weave on my weaving loom.

I know that I will be tired come 9:00 PM tonight! Well, I sure hope so anyway's.

Merry Christmas from Spinning Ginny's

I would love to take this time to wish all my friends and Customers a very Merry Christmas. I've had a wonderful time these past 5 years knitting on socks, shawls, scarves, spinning up wool into yarn, weaving scarves, and making goats milk soap. I hope to continue doing these items for you all for a long time to come. Thank you again for being great friends and customers.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Ginny

Tri-Loom Shawl

Well, I today off this shawl and took it off the loom. Once I had it off the loom I then crocheted around the 2 sides to give it some stability. Then I placed it in the sink and washed it, when I finished washing it I squeezed out as much water and soap as I could and then rinsed it in fresh water. Once I had that done I then squeezed out the water again, then I rolled it tightly in a towel to get more water out. When I had done that I then laid it out on my lap and started crocheting my decorative edging. I used some of my Majestic Sky Merino Silk in the lace edging as well as some of my left over Handspun White Merino Silk. I didn't put a lot of lace edging around this shawl just enough to give it that little extra something.

I need to take a picture of it and when I get it taken I'll add it to this post.

Weaving on my Tri-Loom

I started weaving on my 3 foot Tri-Loom last week. I had a skein of Majestic Sky Merino Silk that had only 179 yards to it instead of 232 yards like I have listed on my website. So I thought I'd see how a small shawl would turn out with this yarn.

I'm weaving a plain weave for this shawl instead of anything fancy. This is because I'm still learning how to do a basket weave on this loom. I haven't quite got the hang of that type weave on this loom and a plain weave is just easier right now. I almost have it finished and probably would have finished it sooner. However, sitting on the floor and weaving (due to my table being full with my 20 inch table top loom), is very uncomfortable after a while.

When I'm finished with the weaving I'll take it off the loom and crochet around the 2 bottom edges like I saw done on wildharefiber's tri-loom shawl. My shawl will be much smaller then her shawl as she wove her shawl on a 6 foot tri-loom and mine is being wove on my 3 foot tri-loom. I'm not sure though what contrasting color I'll start with for the lace edging though. I do have some some white handspun yarn that I can use with some more majestic sky merino silk.

First things first, though finish weaving it and take it off the loom.

Spinning Ginny's Handspun Yarn and Other Gifts

Here at Spinning Ginny's I'm up at the crack of dawn Monday through Friday. I start off knitting first thing in the morning. Then I move onto Spinning, Weaving, and crocheting. Then I'm back to knitting again, before the day is done. Occasionally, I get in some soap making as well. Mostly I start working on that in the fall when its not so hot. I sometimes even do a little dying of yarns, but that too doesn't happen very often.

Right now I'm knitting on a shawl, and 3 pairs of socks. Well really only 2 pairs right now as all my DPN's are being used. The Shawl I'm knitting on is called a Cat's Paw Shawl and I actually started on it back in June. This shawl is coming along great, and as of this morning I now have 453 stitches on my needles. I need to knit with the Cat's Paw pattern until I have 485 stitches. Then I'll change over to an Old Shale pattern to give the bottom of the Shawl a lacey edge.

Now, the socks I'm knitting on are for my Mom and Brother. I still need to start on my Mom's second pair, but need to free up some DPN's before I can. I have the cuff finished on one pair of my mom's socks and 18 rows past the cuff of Stockingnet stitch. I also have the cuff finished on my Brother's pair of socks with 18 rows past the cuff of Stockingnet stitch. These socks that I'm knitting on right now are being knitted with Lang Jawoll Cotton Sock Yarn.

Spinning time comes normally around 9:21 give or take a few minutes. I usually spin for 1 hour and 36 minutes. I love to spin up new colors of wool as well as ones that I have spun up in the past. I have spun Merino, Coopworth, Blueface Leicester, Corriedale, Falkland, Colonial, Camel down, Llama, Alpaca and Merino/Silk Blends. I love the feel of each one of these and look forward to spinning every day. I knit scarves, shawls and socks from some of my handspun yarns.

Weaving time comes right after I finish spinning. I weave for 1 hour and 37 minutes. I love to weave Dish Towels, Scarves, and Table runners. Right now I'm weaving on some Dish Towels and have the first Towel finished and the second one started. I'm weaving these on my 36" floor loom right now, as my 20" table top loom has a project on it as well. My small Triangle loom doesn't have anything on it at the moment, nor does my Tapestry loom or my Inkle loom. I just haven't had time to work on them yet. However, I will get to them one of these days.

Crocheting time comes after lunch time and I usually crochet for 1 hour and 39 minutes. I love to crochet Doilies, Shawls, and Afghans. Although, I haven't crocheted any Doilies in a couple of years. I only just completed a Crocheted Stole back in June and listed it in my store. Right now I'm crocheting on a Small Throw and its about partially finished. I'm usinig Lion's Brand Handspun Yarn on this Throw and the Stole I finished and have listed in my store was made from the same yarn, just a different color.

Around 4:00 pm I usually go back to knitting again, but this time on Socks. I stop around 5:30 pm. Then its time for Dinner and after dinner I'm back to knitting on socks again until bedtime.

Ginny