Weave-a-thon Week 5

 

I did it! I actually completed five weaving projects in one month, all of them using a different loom from the loom shopping spree I had this past fall. I can't believe I actually did it! (Until I look at all the others things I was going to accomplish in December...oops.)

This little Christmas ornament was woven on a Purl & Loop Minute Weaver Set of 3 (the 10 epi loom). I warped with size 10 white crochet thread, and the weft is as follows:

Size 3 white crochet thread

Size 10 red crochet thread and size 10 burgundy crochet thread held together (2 strands)

Size 10 gold crochet thread held doubled

Size 10 silver crochet thread

I love how it came out, despite the draw-in at the middle of the ornament. I think my gold soumak was too tight, but now I know what to look out for in the future. By the way, the next time I say to anyone, "I think I'll do soumak with size 10 crochet thread on a 10 epi tiny loom," please knock some sense into me. It was uncomfortably finicky, but at least short-lived since the weaving is so tiny. Maybe next time I'll embroidery the gold on, instead. 

Here are the progress photos:

Warp and the beginning of the weft. The circle shape is starting to show:

Half-way done:

Done, but still on the loom:

And it's new location, hanging with my Christmas tree that I made in Week 1 of the Weave-a-thon:

Thanks for following along on this adventure! You'll see all of these projects along with the other things I accomplished in December when I do the monthly wrap-up some time next week. I can't wait to show you the other things I've been up to! 

Happy New Year, everyone! May the year 2021 be brighter and happier than the previous year. 

Weave-a-thon Week 4

The weave-a-thon rolls on! This last week I made a large coaster/mat on my Purl & Loop Swatchmaker 3-in-1. I used sock yarn for warp and weft, yarns that were left over from shawl projects I made over the summer. I love how it turned out, but I was a bit worried for a little bit- the sock yarn warp didn't hold the tension I was hoping for, and the edges started to draw in pretty badly at one point, but it blocked out well. Here are my process photos-

Warped and ready to go, at 10 epi:

The work-in-progress, you can see that the right side is drawing in a little, and the left is drawing in a lot, despite my bubbling. 

The finished project, still on the loom:

And the final project, blocked and ready for use:

I just did plainweave with the colors that I had on hand, and started/ended with hemstitch and fringe. I'm very happy with the finished cloth! You know, the whole point of the Swatchmaker series is supposed to be to help you decide sett for rigid heddle projects. Maybe the rest of this yarn needs to be used for a stashbuster scarf on my Schacht Cricket loom! 

I've already started my final weave-a-thon project- something I'm making on my Purl & Loop Minute Weavers. You can check out my progress on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, all of which I update a few times per week. 

Happy crafting, and a happy new year if I'm not back on here before then!

Weave-a-thon Week 3

 

I am ridiculously pleased with this week's weave-a-thon project! I was originally planning to do a roving tapestry, but then a chart from the Imagined Landscapes current gnome mystery knit along caught my eye, and I decided to change direction. I double warped my Hello Hydrangea large loom with some Caron Simply Soft and then did a long-ish tapestry of plain weave. Then I cross-stitched the gnome chart onto the plain background. Here are the process photos:

The loom, all warped up:

My son "helping" with the weaving:

The plain weave is done and I have started the cross-stitch with some blue Caron yarn:

And then the finished piece again. Notice that a friend let me use some fluffy white novelty yarn for cross-stitching the beard!

The next project involves my Purl & Loop Swatchmaker 3-in-1 loom. Right now I'm thinking of using some leftover sock yarn and warping it at 10 epi, then playing with some color-and-weave for a bit, but we'll see what mood strikes me once I get going!

I'm loving this weave-a-thon. I'm getting a chance to try out all my new looms, and I'm getting to use up some leftover stash yarn while trying out different techniques. It's so much fun! What a nice thing to brighten up the cold, dark ending of this year. 

Weave-a-thon Week 2

 I finished the second weave of my December weaving challenge! 

I made a little tapestry of pick-and-pick, tabby, and some rya knots using the Foundations of Weaving class from Lindsey Campbell of Hello Hydrangea. Here are my process photos:

Loom warped up:

Twining in place:

Some pick-and-pick:

Then a lovely diamond shape:

And finally some rya knots in front of the TV:

I love how it turned out! Even more than my first weave of the month, though I like it better since I changed the finishing. I decided to redo how it was attached to the stick, and then I decided to tuck in the fringe, since I didn't like the stringy look at the bottom. I'm much happier with it now:

My next adventure is the large loom from Hello Hydrangea. I was planning to use some roving to make a texture experiment, but then I got inspired by a cross-stitch chart, so now I'm going to weave a plain weave background and cross stitch on it! Should be fun. I'll report back soon!

Weave-A-Thon Week 1

I finished my first weave of my December weaving challenge! 

I made a little Christmas tree tapestry, inspired by Rebecca Mezoff. Here are my process photos:

All warped up and ready to go:

Day 1 done (twining, background, and start of the tree):

Day 2 done (more work on the tree):

Day 3 in-progress (working at the park while my little one played):

And a close-up of the final product:

I need to work on finishing techniques- I don't love the fringe or the way I attached it to the branch at the top. I wanted to do a Damascus edge, but the warp ends weren't long enough, and if I did it again I think I'd tie off the warp strings at the top and sew the weaving to the branch, instead. Oh well- this is experimentation- now I know what to do different next time! :-). 

My next adventure- the lap loom from Hello Hydrangea. I'm planning to use some chunky yarn and experiment with lines of color. I'll report back soon!

November Recap

 Wow, November sure went by fast! I was able to finish off some long-term projects, so it's nice to get some things accomplished from the WIP (work-in-progress) bin. 

I finished this really cool tartan hat. I had some leftover warp after my tartan table runner from last month, so I made a bit more cloth, sewed it into a folded-over square, and then picked up and knit a brim to make a neat hat. 

I made this amazing Advent calendar for my little one from a tutorial I saw on thehousethatlarsbuilt.com, which was an easy (though time-consuming, since I cut every by hand) papercraft. 

I finished these lace gloves that I've been working on for a couple months. They're so fancy I'm not quite sure what I'll wear them for, but in the past I've wished I had a pair for a fancy bridal shower and a 20s-themed wedding, so I'm sure I'll get some use out of them once we can all go about and do things again. 

And that's it for FOs, folks! Well, I finished a cross stitch project for a friend for Christmas, but if I post a picture it will probably give away who it is for, so I'm keeping it secret for now. I'll share it after Christmas. :-) 

It was a busy month! Here are some WIPs I've got going now:

This brioche cowl:

This tasseled pillow, which is currently a pillow that I sewed and a pile of tassels that need sewn on:

And I'm also working on sewing up some scrunchies (hair ties) to match some of my masks. Why not be matchy-matchy? :-)

That's it for now! Tune in at the start of each month to see my newest FOs, although with my current weaving challenge (see this post), you'll probably see a few weaving FOs throughout this month. 

December Goals

(Picture: the large loom from Hello Hydrangea in my very messy basement)

Does anyone else have lofty December crafting goals? Besides finishing Christmas presents and working on my ADVENTure Gnome from Imagined Landscapes, I also would really like to dedicate one week to each of my five new looms, trying all of them this month. Just little samples, nothing more involved than that, but something to learn the ropes with each of them. Here is my tentative plan:

Week 1 (12/1-12/5)- A Christmas tree tapestry inspired by Rebecca Mezoff on my new Flax & Twine hand loom. 

Week 2 (12/6-12/12)- A sampler wall hanging from the Welcome to Weaving class that I bought from Hello Hydrangea on my lap loom from HH. (I bought the large loom + lap loom bundle, which is linked below.)

Week 3 (12/13-12/19)- A sampler wall hanging from the Welcome to Weaving class that I bought from Hello Hydrangea on my large loom from HH.

Week 4 (12/20-12/26)- A color-mixing tapestry inspired by The Weaving Loom on my Purl and Loop Swatchmaker 3-in-1.

Week 5 (12/27-12/31)- A trio of mini-tapestries on my set of Purl and Loop Minute Weavers. 

I'm excited to get started! I will update on here as well as my Facebook page, Twitter, and my brand-new Instagram account. I hope you follow along! You are more than welcome to join in, as well!

Sewing Masks- The 2020 Pastime

I have to admit it- I went from begging my friend's mom to make me a couple masks so I could switch them out to launder, to deciding I should make a few of my own, to full-on wanting to have one mask in my favorite style per day and also could it match my outfit? When I first started sewing them, I thought, "This is a huge hassle, I'm glad I don't have to make too many." Now I think, "Yay, I have time to make masks today! Let's fire up the iron and pick out fabrics!" 

My favorite mask pattern is this one from Sewing Therapy. They fit the best, they're the most comfortable, and there is a video tutorial, which is very much a thing I needed when I started making them. I have made them for everyone in my immediate family, plus my dad, a friend, and a friend's parents. 

Masks that I have planned to make in the near future:

1. A mask with snowmen on it for the winter holiday season for each person in my household.

2. A Holstein cow mask for my son and my dad, so they can match. (White and black patterned fabric)

3. Music-themed masks for me for work, and also one or two of these for my grandma. 

4. A couple masks in gingham, because some friends thought they could be fun. 

5. More masks from the fabric that I got in the mask kits that I bought back in August. 

When will I have time to sew all of these? Your guess is as good as mine! I dream big. Sorry/not sorry. I'll get them done eventually, I'm sure. :-) 

So, are you sewing masks? If so, what pattern/style is your favorite? Do you prefer surgical-style or N95-style? Ear loops, ties, or elastic around the back of the head? Share with me your mask adventures!

Fiber-related Social Media

 Where do you tend to go for your fiber-related social media needs? 

I have always been a fan of Ravelry, but their recent accessibility issues have caused a lot of unacceptable problems for people, so I'm looking for other popular venues. 

I have a Facebook account where I post updates to my blog as well as recent projects. You can find it here: https://www.facebook.com/fuzzydorffcreations

I also have a Twitter account where I post blog updates, recent projects, as well as share lots of free projects and fun things from other fibery people. You can find it here: https://twitter.com/fuzzydorff

Finally, I have a Pinterest account that I don't use as much as I used to, but I do like to scroll through for crafty ideas (and recipes!) from time to time. You can find me here: https://www.pinterest.com/bethanyseedorff/fuzzydorffcreations/

I probably use Twitter the most. Many people have told me I'm missing out by not being a member of Instagram, but I'm reluctant to create another social media account. I'd rather be crafting than constantly scrolling social media! :-) Do you think it's worth it? 

Are there any other places you think I should be checking out? I really want places where I can reach out to fellow fiber enthusiasts. 

October Recap

 So, what did I do in October? (Besides purchase fiber tools, you mean?)

I sewed several masks. This is my new favorite hobby, when I have time to sit at my sewing machine, at least. I have a pattern from sewingtherapy.net that I've fallen in love with, and they are just more comfortable than any other mask I've tried. 

I made a blue one and an aqua one-

I made a green one for a friend- 

And I sewed an entire set for my family to wear for Halloween, featuring sugar skulls-

I also made this cute little macrame feather, another Mollie Makes 2020 Calendar project-

I finished tucking in the ends on this cute little knitted gnome from Imagined Landscapes (please forgive the dark picture)- 

I wove (weaved?) these adorable little squares on my friend's Minute Weaver set before I got my own-

And I made this amazing woven table runner (draft from Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom) for my grandmother- 

Not a lot of knitting and crocheting, I notice! I have some bigger/more fiddly projects in the works for knitting and crocheting that I worked on through the month, I just didn't finish them. Hopefully I'll finish them this month and they'll be in next month's recap. 

What have you finished lately? Please consider commenting, or you can even email me at fuzzydorffcreations@gmail.com and let me know what crafty goodness you're engaging in. I'm a craft dabbler, so I love to hear about ALL crafts!

Proudest FOs from 2020 so far

It has been SO LONG since I last updated this blog on my FOs (finished objects). I'm not about to post four years worth of projects on here, but I'll post some that I'm particularly proud of that I've made since the start of 2020.  

Knitting: 

I finished these socks that my mom started YEARS ago. The yarn is super soft, and it was knitted from a sock blank, so the socks match! The yarn is from Sandy's Palette. 

I made this amazing Pi Digits Scarf for my favorite nerd:

Crochet:

I made this cool hat (Visage Lace Beret, by Kristin Omdahl) for a friend using some beautiful Hedgehog Fibres yarn:

I made this silly crocheted "toilet paper" scarf (pattern from Chrissy Misso of London Loo tours) for my dad, who requested it, believe it or not:

Weaving:

I made this beautiful trivet from "Weaving Within Reach" by Anne Weil. It was really fun to make and is super sturdy. 

I made this beautiful roller towel using SAORI weaving techniques on my Schacht Cricket rigid heddle loom:

Assorted crafts (anything that doesn't fit above):

I made this cool desk organizer out of a wooden tray, a couple wooden boxes, and a clothespin. I glued everything together and painted the off-white spots on the tray, for interest. The idea came from the Mollie Makes 2020 Calendar, and this project was originally designed by Becki Clark.

I made this beautiful spring wreath from card stock and a hoop. The idea and templates came from Becki Clark, the same person as above. Do you see a trend in my craft inspiration?

There were so many more projects I could have shared, but I don't want to overload you on show-and-tell! I'll start recapping my FOs for each month, so I'll be back later this week with an FO update from October. 

Happy crafting!