TIME TO KEEP YOUR EARS AND HEAD WARM

 FORECAST: 

NIGHTTIME LOWS IN THE 30'S 

TIME TO KEEP YOUR EARS AND HEAD WARM

Earwarmers made with 50% Nylon and 50% Acrylic

Earwarmer headbands of Malabrigo superwash Merino wool
left most is Elle Rae merino.

display set up planning for felted hats, beanies and earwarmers

beanie hats -
some made with JCBrett Acrylic yarn I ordered from the UK
and some made with the softest ever Ella Rae Merino

CURRENT HAT INVENTORY

It has been a while since I posted pictures of my felted Hats. 
These are the 15 I currently have as of Nov. 18th 2016.  they will be going with me to the fall sales. 
First sale is Nov. 19th in Edmonds and then to Bellevue Group Health Nov. 29th. 

If you can't make it to the sales, just call or email to arrange a time to come see them and try them on.  

The prices range from $50. to $60. Some are Alpaca and some are wool. Sizes vary. I can often adjust the size up or down a little bit. 
The flower pins and hat bands  on them are removable and optional. ( unless the band is part of the material) 
If you have a hat from previous years I'd be glad to refurbish it if it is in need. 

blue and purple are sold. Green is still available

teal and white sold, red still available

blue and rust are sold, teal is available

the customer's idea to have me add a band,
 THANK YOU I like it
and will add similar ones to others
SOLD

black is sold ( more fiber coming to make more )
rose and grey available

red is sold 

sold

FINISHING UP MORE HATS

Doing the finishing work on my hats.

They are first crocheted, then felted ( fulled technically) and blocked.

  Got the electric clippers out to trim the fuzz during the Seahawk game today. 

 

comments always welcome

PUGET SOUND ARTISTS GIFT SHOW - NOV. 19th

  Mark your calendars for November 19th 

My handwoven scarves, cowls and felted hats will be on sale here: 

GARDENING? OR WEAVING?

It is getting past gardening season, though I do have to keep watering so everything doesn't die in this drought....and it takes up so much time--Aargh!

But it is definitely weaving and felting season. 
And here is a preview of this fall's sale: 

http://www.childspottery.com/puget-sound-artists-gift-show/

More previews on Barb Child's website above, 

scroll to see her slide show of some of this year's artists. 

Nov 16th 2013 Puget Sound Artists Gift Show

Puget Sound Artists Gift Show Display November 16th, 2013.--My best sale so far. 
All but 2 of the brightly colored tencel scarves sold. 
I wish I had had the time to make more of those and more of the snuggly chenille ones, too. 
Oh, well next year. But I got several orders.

 The copper colored tencel scarf in block weave was the first scarf to sell right off the get go.

Tencel scarves on the rotating rack we made on the base of a lazy susan.

I still made a few felted wool hats this year because I love the colors and textures in the wools from my stash.  But since most of these yarns are discontinued now ( Naturally Alpine and Naturally Tussock with the wonderful variegated flecks  from New Zealand) I am gradually switching over to using Alpaca.

Having fun making hat bands from upcycled men's ties to go with them. 

first weaving post

 December 3rd 2013
Before this year I had woven mainly thicker yarns. My first project was a rug I made about 15 years ago, made on a huge floor loom borrowed from my weaver neighbor Heather McGillvray  http://heathermcgilvray.com/Site/Artist%20Statement.html 
This was made on a handmade loom with parts made from recycled lawnmower parts among other things. I bought very expensive wool knitting yarns and blended the colors on stick shuttles. I wove in plain weave or twill, I forget now, and used the Fibonacci sequence to create the pattern. The rug is still used at the bottom of the step down into our living room. 

then about 5 years ago I took a weaving class and made some Rayon Chenille scarves for everyone I knew and their relatives for Christmas. Then came the grandchildren and very little weaving took place until I found a great deal on a Schacht Mighty Wolf 8 harness (shaft) floor loom.

My Schacht Might Wolf Loom
It has 8 shafts & can weave 36 inches wide

Winding a bobbin with 8/2 tencel for the weft.

So finally in January this year, 2013, I expanded into what I felt was much finer ( thinner-- for me) yarns. I ordered some 8/2 tencel from WEBS during their sale. First up was  Spot weave from Handwoven magazine March/ April 2012. Red warp with mauve weft. 
I put some red warp on the loom and expected to make some scarves for Valentine's Day. 
I finished them and got them off the loom around the end of -----April!   Ooops. 

                  

        



                   

so I quickly put on some spring colors and chose a block twill  to do. 
I finished those in ---- August!

           

   

But then I got the bug. 
So 
I started weaving furiously getting ready for my annual fall sale Nov 16. 
I have been selling felted hats and prior to that some knitted scarves every year at the Puget sound Artists Sale. 
My unexpected surgery for a blocked kidney stone in October however, has put me further behind than I wanted to be.
This year I will have more scarves than in the past and not just chenille in Christmas colors. Here is the Blue and Teal Tencel scarf on the loom doing my first try at undulating twill using the 8/2 size tencel yarn. 
I just love watching how the pattern develops right in front of your eyes as the shuttle passes through. And how the colors blend and pop with their amazing shine continues to fascinate me.
Keeping track of treadling is really good brain work, let me tell you. 
Missing the count provides lots of experience in unweaving and reweaving.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

The weaving draft for this pattern is from handweaving.net and by changing the treadling you can get other effects. I particularly like how the one above looks like Christmas ornaments. 

http://www.handweaving.net/PatternDisplay.aspx?PatternID=61537