Baby has a New Sweater

 24.XI.19.Th Baby has a New Sweater

Most of my knitting past has been pretty much sock focused - thin yarn and tiny needles are the norm. I took a break from knitting altogether for a couple of years to let my joints recover (that old kniting injury of mine 😬) and am now just dipping my toe in the proverbial pattern pool again, focusing on projects that yield necessaries for knitworthy folks. It just happens to turn out that these projects tend to be knit on larger needles - makes my slow knitting feel so speedy and accomplished if I don't think about it too hard.

So my current necessary is for my knitworthy dog baby - here is Tara with her brand new shield against the cold:

I am quite pleased with how it turned out (aside from the renegade Tara tongue trying to energetically blep its way from the photo). I followed the design as you knit school of pattern-making and I'm particularly pleased with how well it fits. And isn’t she a beautiful lady?

Another More Looming Post

 

Ruthie and Ruthie Again

24.XI.10.Su

Ruthie and Ruthie Again

So we built the first Ruthie.  Then we disassembled the first Ruthie. It turns out that both looms are not the same - I thought they were both 48" but the first one we built was the 60" version instead and I would prefer to have the larger in the attic workspace and the smaller in the living room. Correcting the oversight does seem a long way to go though and I'm a bit embarrassed - how does one misjudge such a major aspect of the loom when purchasing it? Still, it does end up being kinda nice that the two are one each of both sizes and I will be much happier with how the smaller one will fit the downstairs space.

24.XI.12·Th More Ruthie and Then a Change of Plans

Addendum: So much for that, it is to be another change of plans. The last loom (as in I'm out of space already but can I keep this loom it followed me home and how could I turn another Cantilever down?) arrived yesterday morning and I really think it is the one that needs to live in the living room (and besides, it will be easier to shuttle the Ruthie's sticks up to the attic shop than would be the nearly assembled Cantilever, so musical looms and Ruthie disassembly it is.

In No Particular Order

 

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100 Day Project, Day… Um… One?

My apologies, I had intended to be better about posting, right up until we got sick. Not “a bit under the weather” sick. Not quite on par with the first round of Covid where we tried for the fever temp survival world record either, but still, we slept through much of the last few weeks. Better now, if still revisiting what I recall as that hangover long Covid thing I remember from last time, and perhaps with one or two fewer spoons at my disposal (do people still count spoons?)

Hiccup: I wrote this for Day 1 of the 100 Day Project (though admittedly I plan to follow my own path) but am only actually posting now, on Day 3. I’m still calling it a go, for writing and intent and actually getting this set up and posted, but case, point, and unneeded explanations — this embodies the why of the challenge thing.

Back to original post: I will (aim to) do a few things that would fit into the #100dayproject (#weaveeveryday / #draweveryday / #tapestrydiary — yes, you three, I’m looking at you…). And sometimes, often, much of the time, these are a challenge; they certainly will all show up regularly as part of the 100 day thing. But the behavior I’d really like to make a reliable part of my routine, the one that I find the most challenging to keep up with, is just this. I intend to post regularly, but when there is any sort of a hiccup in my systems, posting is the first thing to fall aside. 

So… If we’re gonna do this, let’s make some plans and rules.

• Blog post weekly: I had planned to post on Thursdays but for various and varying tidbits, that seems to be a rather rushed day these parts. Today is Wednesday and here I am posting, but I think I am going to run with Monday is Blogday instead as of next Monday* (note to self, learn how to link footnotes in Blogger…);
• IG/FB post daily — just a short check in and perhaps just for as long as we’re running with the project. Link to blog on Blogday;
• Start putting a blog roll together: so I can share, of course, but also so I can go back to checking the places I like to visit regularly myself;
• Remember to photo, photo, photo, draw: post in my other hashtag “everydays” and write regularly so the Blogday’s post is ready to schedule for Monday.

Are you 100 day-ing as well? It’s definitely easier to be accountable in numbers with others, so I figure I’ll be wandering around the hashtag to see what everyone else is up to. Let’s do the thing!

The Thing: Gratuitous color draw on for the day:

(Someday cartoony watercolor thing… )

* Sarah Swett publishes her own wonderful The Gusset on Tuesdays, and the temptation of Twosday Tooday monikers aside, I will choose to follow Sarah’s Tuesday writings with my own on Mondays going forward. Moonday it is!

It’s Been a Long Short While

 Tap tap tap… Is this thing on? 

I missed you. It has been a long while and I haven’t even the foggiest how to begin catching up. So, as someone once posted, we shall this time be condiment(ketchup)-less. 

Not, though, to say that I have nothing to “ketchup” about. I’m rarely knitting, complaining hands and all. I would like to be knitting and I’m told maybe trying something with bigger needles than socks prefer might help. But one must move forward, so enter the looming of the looms with their different hand motions.

No one told me most people don’t have to keep trying out new looms the way one tries out new needles, to find the very best suited… We may have a few more looms about than I often admit to, though the number is now intended to be decreasing as I think, I think, the stable is somewhat stabilized. (As of last week? Or is that next week?) 

Order of ketchup-ness (did you know that ketchup used to be white, not red… How is that possible, when were tomatoes not red? I digress…) State of the looms:

• There is a Toika (Eeva) upstairs waiting to be assembled. Well. Partially, as the frame has already been framed. Still waiting are: the brain (if it only had a…), shafts of 32-ish-ness and appropriate cordage for each, and sectional rails for two warp beams. Oh, and a test run, which means a warp would be handy;

• There is a Toika (Eeva) upstairs waiting to be assembled. Not seeing double. This was the loom that used to live where the loom in bullet the first is now residing. And this one really is disassembled — someday parts will come together, but for now this loom lives in the bedroom (gables) and the library room (sticks) and the living room (more sticks) and the studio (wedges and other small parts). Poor thing is probably quite confused;

• There is a Toika downstairs in the living room that is now mostly assembled. This one is a Maria. Have you heard of a Toika Maria? Nor had I, but now one lives with me. Admittedly, it is actually labeled Toijalan Kaidetehdas, but that is the moniker that ultimately became Toika, yes? This one is a rug/tapestry loom and I am so chuffed that it now lives here… 

Admittedly, it will probably be happier when the warp is warped and once I order springs with which to suspend the beater. (Chains, not yet shown, work for now, but the beater is effectively only functioning as a reed holder. Safe, but immovable.);

• The Fireside jack loom has been moved to its hopeful home space next to Maria. I am determined to run one more warp with it, towels probably, to test if it is more comfortable to weave with if I have a more appropriately arranged bench height. I expect that the Fireside bench with commuter seat and park bench top is too tall for me (perhaps that is why its previous owner rarely wove with it —remind me to tell you about that sometime, the loom has a cool history). This loom is so pretty, I want to like weaving with it, I want to so very much…;

• Yet remaining is to clear space for the next addition. Just as we were planning out Maria assembly, a friend texted that there was a Fireside cantilever tapestry loom listed for sale. In spite of hunting and wishing and hoping (oh my…), I had not really expected to ever luck into having one, they move from sale to sold so very quickly. Steven also moved quickly in this case, and I’m very excited that this one is now sold and hopefully will be here in a little over a week. Crossed fingers that it makes it here soundly — we’ve had good luck with shipped looms so far, but waiting until is always such a worrying event;

• Which leaves the one that’s been partially assembled in the attic studio for about a year(?) now, the Ulla Cyrus (plus the two Cyrii<sp?> in stasis ahem-I-mean stick form and hiding in the storeroom). We are hoping to add electric, finish window frames and ceilings, and install a slop sink for dye space use in the attic, which will, I hope, allow the space to be used year round. (Attic is to have the dye space and fiber processing, as well as this Cyrus and the Toika that is awaiting reassembly.).

Coincidentally, end of year is traditionally when one recounts the updated list of looms on a few of the online weaving lists, so the timing of this post worked out fortuitously…. Also, on this list, an Ashford tapestry loom, Zeus Mirrix loom, and assorted small Mirrix or pipe looms. Yes, this past year has somehow become the year of tapestry…

Not yet mentioned, there are a few looms to be rehomed. Choice of several smaller ones has been offered to Steven’s son, who I’m excited also has an interest in weaving. But there is a 60” AVL 16 shaft manual dobby, with fly shuttle and older format cloth advance system that is wanting a new home, and also an 8 shaft Baby Wolf with its own dobby, a new and never installed AVL Baby Dobby. Not that I expect this post to have wide enough coverage that someone will see the loom they’ve been drooling over for sale here, but in the interest of end of year updated loom lists, one should be complete.

And now, if I can just re-figure-out how to assign tags and topics, we should be set to go!…

Sheepless Nights

My little girl has a blog of her own -- see her here: http://4joylove.blogspot.com/. I'm guessing this means I'll have to start up again, just to have a place for her to comment (it's only fair, if I get to bombard the Smidgereen's place with comments, she'll need something to comment on here as well, hmm?).

Lots has happened since I've last written, life changes, major adjustments; it's mind-boggling to me when I think about it, and I'm working on making some more big changes even still. I'm thinking that maybe it'll be better to add them in slowly and play catch up gradually. At any rate, nutshell version, Smidge and the Boy live elsewhere now and are heartily and heartbreakingly missed (until the summer, they come back for the summer!), I live elsewhere as well, with a wonderful elseone (a perfect knight for sheepy nights and days as well?) and am learning a lot about basilisks and stuff you might not expected to be relatively related. Are you confuzzled yet?

Oh, and it's March. March is full of mind-blowingly important dates, a Smidgen birthday and two related anniversaries. And a rush to complete a pair of socks, March's Madness lives through socks in these parts, and the first heat is up to just past the second heel. Must be finished by Friday. More to come, dates and data and dabbles, oh my...