Scarf Kit Sample

We sample all the kits we offer on our Etsy site and we have received requests for a scarf kit.  I began work on this new kit with a project plan and measured the yarn for the warp, threaded my Schacht FLIP rigid heddle loom with the warp and started weaving with a measured amount of weft.  The scarf was quick to weave, I used variegated washable sock yarn for the weft and cotton for the warp.  I finished the weaving today and will tie the fringe and wet finish it tonight.

Looks like a new kit is on its way to our Etsy shop along with several new table runner/towel/placemat kits.  Last step is to write the instructions which we include with every kit.

I am pleased with the scarf and will take better photos when it's done.  We have purchased several different colorways in the sock yarn and will offer the new scarf kit in each.

Three looms A Day

 Here are the new napkins for our family in process on the Toika.  This  loom and this project are very special to me.  The Toika Eeva is the first floor  loom I have purchased brand new.  It's a long story and one I enjoy telling.

In July 2014 we went on a car trip to New England to visit Cape Cod, friends in Dartmouth, Massachusetts and to stop at the Marketplace at Convergence in Providence, RI.

A couple words about Convergence.  Every 2 years, Handweavers Guild of American (HGA) organizes a large conference for weavers, spinners and dyers.  It used to be THE place to go if you did any of those crafts.  Nowadays, most people seem to be attending classes closer to home and enjoy seeing the newest yarns, spinning wheels, drop spindles, etc. at shows like Maryland Sheep & Wool, Estes Park Wool Market and New York Sheep & Wool (often called Rhinebeck).  My personal favorite is Maryland Sheep & Wool but that may be because I live in Maryland and have for close to 30 years.

So, in 2014 we were in New England at the same time as Convergence and decided to go to the Marketplace so I could try the various computer assisted countermarch looms that interested me.  I started weaving on a Schacht Baby Wolf jack type loom.  A couple of years later, I bought a used countermarch/counterbalance 8 shaft Glimakra Standard because I experienced back and leg pain when weaving on the Baby Wolf.  I continue to weave on the Glimakra  and I enjoy it but there are some days my body can't deal with using treadles at all.  I knew the time for something easier, like a computer assisted loom which lifts the shafts for you, had arrived.  I wanted to stick with a countermarch loom because I love the shed size and how quiet they are to operate.

There were only 3 looms that interested me, Leclerc Weaverbird, Louet Megado and Toika Eeva.  I had always heard the Toika was the Cadillac of computer assisted looms and, supposedly, the most expensive.  I knew I wanted 16 shafts and I wanted at least 48" weaving width so I could weave wide rugs. We arrived at the Marketplace for opening and I expected them to be prepared.  Leclerc was the first booth we found but they were not ready for customers yet.  I watched as the company owner worked on a sampler he had on the loom.  I was concerned about how noisy the shafts were as they rose and lowered to create the shed for the shuttle.  Although it was a countermarch, the loom controls were metal and seemed quite loud.

Next stop was to visit Louet.  They were busy threading the loom and completing the set up of the computer which worked to raise and lower shafts.  They suggested we return in 15-20 minutes and they would be ready.  I stood and watched as they worked on the loom and became discouraged as I watched one person after another approach the company president and request information about the part they had ordered.  I learned that there was a 2-3 month delay in orders and many were turned away without news of when they could expect their part.  It seemed like a bad sign.

On to Toika.  The loom was set up and ready for me to try weaving on it.  I was introduced to the various features of the loom and invited to sit down and weave.  It was everything I had hoped for.  It was quiet, it was easy to operate and understand.  I learned that if I ordered a new loom, the Elkins (US dealers for Toika is WEBS in Northampton, Mass.) would come to my home and set up the computer box that sat on the top of the loom and give me an introductory lesson for using the loom.  In addition, the software needed to operate the loom was included in the price.  It was  the Cadillac others had dubbed it and the price was less than other looms I was considering.

I wanted to decide then and there but thought the wisest thing to do was to think about it.  I stopped at Louet and the loom was ready for a test drive.  There was still a part missing, I don't remember what, but it effected my decision since even the owner was unable to get the parts from the main company in Holland.  In addition, it required a lot of leg strength to raise and lower the shafts.  That was the one thing I was looking to avoid!  We also stopped at Leclerc and I wove for a few minutes on that loom. Although it was easy to operate, it was not as quiet as the Toika and the clinking and clanging of the wires as they lifted and lowered the shafts was very annoying.  Plus, there was no one to help with setup.  You receive over 40 boxes of loom pieces and you are responsible for assembly.  Not ideal.

I gave it a night but truth be told I knew as we left the Marketplace that my mind was made up.  The Toika was everything I wanted and needed and I called Barbara Elkins the next morning and ordered the loom.  It was a great choice.  I love my loom a year later!

Art Elkins preparing to install the computer

Toika Eeva ready for computer installation

A momentary diversion

I had planned to write about weaving.  Truth be told, I have always wanted to write a food blog.  I know, there are thousands of online food blogs.  And some win awards and big prizes.  One food blog I have followed for over a year is Orangette.  I was curious about the name and I enjoy her writing.  Turns out, the author, Mollie Wizenberg, won the James Beard Award in 2015 for Best Individual Food Blog.  Who knew?

Okay, back to the food blog.  My life, as a person with Type 1 ( juvenile, insulin dependent) diabetes for the past 55 years, is focused on food.  That's not the full picture.  The 3 essential pillars of diabetes care are food, exercise and insulin.  So, my life is centered on all three.  It is a balancing of all three elements and food is the most complex.  People with Type 1 diabetes are dependent on insulin.  The amount of insulin you take in a day is based on your food intake and your level of physical activity.  If you overeat, you need to exercise or take more insulin.  Somehow food always seems to be at the center of things and calculating the amount of insulin needed is not as straight forward as you might think.

For instance, if you eat a slice of toast for breakfast, you figure out how many carbohydrate grams are in that slice of toast and take enough insulin to help your body digest the toast.  But, if you put peanut butter on the toast it can slow your digestion of the toast and the insulin is working while your stomach is still working on the toast.  The insulin, most of which is fast acting, is available to digest the toast but the toast is napping because the high fat content in the peanut butter has slowed things down.  In a worst case scenario, the insulin causes your blood sugar to drop too low too fast and you experience low blood sugar which requires you take fast acting sugar to restore your blood sugar to normal.  Then, a couple of hours later, the toast and the fast acting sugar arrive on the scene and the insulin is long gone so your blood sugar goes too high.  Very complex and all because you wanted a dab of peanut butter on your toast!

I could spend weeks explaining all the exceptions and issues that arise in my efforts to balance my food, insulin and exercise as I try to maintain my blood sugar in a "normal" range.  I could spend several more weeks talking about the history of insulin delivery, home blood sugar monitoring and balancing the 3 basic pillars of Type 1 diabetes.  Then, I could spend several more weeks talking about the goal of all this careful control and the devastation of diabetes complications.  I guess it wouldn't really be a food blog but a diabetes blog which would turn into a diary of my daily struggles.

That's when I stop myself from discussing food and especially food and its effect on my life.  I spend a lot of time balancing my blood sugars and writing about it doesn't seem at all interesting or fun.  Now, reading Orangette and learning about food and its preparation from someone else's perspective which I enjoy.

I'll return to posting pictures and writing about weaving tomorrow.  It's much more fun and easier to explain.  And, I'll have this blog post to remind me why I don't write a food blog. Plus, I enjoy reading Orangette and looking at recipes on several other food sites.

I'll leave you with a photo of the band I took off my backstrap loom a few days ago and I'll talk about the 2nd band I worked on using my backstrap.

The Wrap Whizzes off the Loom

I have filmed several of our completed wraps as I remove them from the loom.  I've enjoyed watching the fabric come off the cloth beam and seeing it piled up on the floor in front of the loom.  This time is a bit different.  I admit, I've never worked this quickly in my life OR I may have pushed the wrong button when I filmed myself removing the baby wrap from the loom.  Once it's off there are no "do-overs".  Before I began filming, I spent 15 minutes testing the camera and making certain I positioned it correctly on my new tripod.  Then, I pressed the wrong button or something when I set it to record.  Actually, I think it's more fun this way.

Let's go back to the beginning.  This wrap, which we have titled Home to Oregon, was designed from a poem written by our client.  You can read the poem here.  She explained more about the poem in her blog post.  

The center of the wrap is marked with blessing threads that represent the flight of the mallard ducks over a pond.  The color yarn was chosen to represent that vibrant turquoise that appears on the mallard's head.  You can scroll down on this page and see a nice color photo.  

                            

The wrap is almost done.  Janet is taking a close look at every thread to check for any minor treading errors.  Once these are repaired, the wrap will be hand washed, hemmed and mailed to our client.  I will be sad to see it go.  This one is a beauty.

Weaving, traveling and having fun

I was very surprised to see it's been 2 months since I last posted a blog note.  I keep writing posts in my head that never make it to the computer.

We have a beauty on the loom currently.  I just finished designing the blessing threads and will have a picture of them on our Facebook page next week.  The wrap was designed by Janet from a poem written by our client.  The poem, Home to Oregon, can be found here.  Here is a photo of the wrap on the loom.

The colors are a delight to work on and the weft is a beautiful 2/18 Merino wool which flies off the shuttle.  I am looking forward to placing the blessing threads.  We refer to the wrap as Home to Oregon since it is based on the poem of the same name.

Twilight is a beautiful all cotton wrap that is available in our Etsy shop here.  

The stunning blues and purples of this wrap are difficult to see on the computer.  We have a few good pics in our Etsy shop.  

In addition, we have towel/table runner/ market bag kits that have pre-wound warps and weft yarn on bobbins ready to weave.  We have received great reviews for our kits and will begin offering scarf kits in the near future.

That's all the news from the studio for now.  I'll be back soon.

The Weaving is Over

Gramma's Garden

The weaving is complete for the two baby wraps of Gramma's Garden.  The top half of the photo above shows the wrap with the purple wool/tencel weft and the bottom is the red wool/tencel weft.  This was the first time I have used wool/tencel in a baby wrap and it feels lovely.  The wraps are soft and have a beautiful drape even before wet finishing.

Each wrap will now be thoroughly examined for small skips and weaving errors which will be corrected by hand.  The ends will be hemmed and the wraps be hand washed. I wrote about the finishing process a.  few weeks ago.  I posted about my experiments in finishing the samples for these wraps.  The best result was hand wash, air dry and iron with a hot steam iron.  I am planning on hand washing each wrap separately in lukecool water in the bathtub and hanging it to air dry.

It feels good to have the weaving done.
I've included a short video of the wraps being cut off the loom followed by some more pictures of the removal process.  I love seeing the large pile of fabric when the wraps come off the loom.  You can see the twill section that is our trademark hem.  It only appears on the inside of the wrap and it;s a small touch we add to all our wraps.

We Have a Winner!

Winter Twilight

It's a wrap.  You have watched this baby wrap from the time I was beaming it on the loom, to threading, weaving and even a video of taking it off the cloth beam.  And now it's done.
I love the colors; various shades of blues and purples with black as the weft.  There are more details and more pictures in our Etsy shop where it is listed for sale.

Here's the sister wrap being used by its new owner.

It's her first hand woven wrap and she was thrilled with the result.  This mama worked with Janet to design the colors and their placement in the wrap.

The initial photo also shows the pin stripping which is lovely in person.  Dark, rich colors such as these do not always show as well on computer monitors.  Each monitor displays it slightly differently.  

We also have a second wrap, named Tropical Delights,  available for sale in our Etsy shop.  The colors are slightly different and the pin stripping less dramatic but it's a beautiful wrap, if I do say so myself.

So now there's a new wrap on the loom and a new adventure begins with Gramma's Garden.

Happy New Year!

Razzmatazz moves along

Here is Razzmatazz as it appeared on the loom last week.  And, below, is the video of Razzmatazz I & II moving on.  Well, moving off actually.

And now the finishing process begins.  Anything hand woven needs to be inspected carefully when it comes off the loom.  We correct any small errors like skipped stitches, repaired threads, and other minor flaws.  All these things can be fixed with some needle weaving and careful inspection.  We work very hard to make every baby wrap that is sold by Lotsaknots Studio perfectly woven when it leaves here.

Once all the repairs are made, rails are hemmed (if needed for safety) and ends are also hemmed by machine.  The wrap is then washed, inspected and, if need be, small repairs are made and the wrap is shipped to its new home.

I'll continue to post as the process moves along.  Once repairs are made, the initial measurements are taken before the wrap is hemmed and washed.  It will be measured again following hemming and washing so stay tuned there is more to come for Razzmatazz.

The beginning? the end? Both.

Razzmatazz I

Our baby wraps are all plain weave so what's with the twill line?  It's the hem for the wrap I just finished.  The twill hem is a Lotsaknots trademark.  It also draws the weaving in a bit so sewing the hem without it showing at the edges is easier. When I have worked on something all week, it feels good to complete it on Friday.  

Razzmatazz aerial view

We now have a business page on Google+ for Lotsaknots.  You can find it here:   http://goo.gl/DUlXHU

I'm learning more about how to use this new option.  Any help with Google+ business pages is greatly appreciated.  Feel free to leave a comment after this post or on our Facebook page.  

Weaving Odds and Ends

This is the current view from the loom.  

When I am weaving a baby wrap or anything, for that matter, I get wrapped up in the process and forget about everything else.  Especially the computer.  Weaving is a type of meditation for me.  I enjoy every step and tune our the world.  I watch the shuttle move from edge to edge and enjoy seeing the fabric grow.   Sometimes, I listen to a book on disc and find several minutes have passed and I haven't heard a word.

The warp currently being wound 

This is the warp for the next baby wraps being woven.  Janet is busy at the warping reel winding this warp.  She does it in 4 bouts or sections of over 200 threads each.  Then, they are wound onto the back beam of the loom and threaded into the heddles to prepare for weaving.  We're still a few weeks away from that.

Tropical Delight, the sister wrap to Tropical Breezes, is available for purchase in our Easy shop.  It's 3.5 meters long and 27" wide.  It's a soft, sturdy, light and lovely wrap awaiting a home.  It's brand new, never wrapped, never worn.  It could be yours!

Got my roller skates on now!

Dark Shadows is the current baby wrap on the loom.  I haven't left time in my day for writing our blog and it's been quite a while.  I try to weave as much as possible and finished weaving Stormageddon

over a week ago and moved right into Dark Shadows, the sister wrap on the same warp.

I had a brief set back and spent 3 days recuperating from a spasm in my lower back.  My physical therapist, Jo, is a fabulous practitioner and got me back on my feet quickly.  Thanks must go primarily to Janet and David for forcing me to remain on the couch or in bed early so I could heal.

Janet has completed the mock up for our next custom wrap and sister.  We don't have a name yet and are open to suggestions.  Here is a picture of the mock up for the warp:

It's showing up darker on my computer screen than it is in real life.  It's several colors warped randomly with 4 basic background colors.  It's been a challenge and we purchased a creel to assist with the warp winding.
Here is a picture of the creel or cone holder we purchased from Fiber Artist's Suplly Co, LLC

TO THE LOOM!!!

Dreamland Centered

Today was an exciting day as I reached the center of Dreamland, the wrap that is currently on the loom.  It always seems like the first half goes slower than the second half, especially the first wrap of the warp.  This warp has 2 wraps on it.  The first wrap is for our client who provided the picture that Janet used to create the warp.

Janet has this amazing ability to translate photos into warps.  I love what she has done with this one.  It captures the colors and the feel of Dreamland.  She saw this as a dreamscape and named the wrap Dreamland based on that.

I have a video of the middle marker for Dreamland.  The client chose to have a weft change as the middle marker.  It's more subtle than I expiated.  The colors in the video are more intense than in person.  

Have a great weekend.  I'll be back next week with finished wraps.

Technical difficulty delay

We wished a fond farewell to Haleakala and Awakea.  They are both off to new homes far, far away.  One is taking a long trip to Alaska via Ohio and Michigan.  I encourage everyone to keep their address on their Paypal account current.  It helps businesses, like ours, to send your purchases to the correct address.

The sample is completed for Dreamland which is the next wrap on the loom.  It will have one sister wrap.  After completing the sample weft for the client to choose her favorite and decide on a middle marker, we ran into several problems.  The most difficult issue was the front apron bar which had
gotten caught in its own strings which run over the knee beam and attach to the cloth beam on the front.  This caused all sorts of tension problems and the 2 feet that had been completed were removed, the apron rod was attached more effectively and weaving has begun again today.

We hope to make good progress now that all technical difficulties are repaired.  We lost a few inches of warp which means the sister wrap will be 3.3 or 3.2 meters in length.  We'll do a hand embroidered middle marker on the sister wrap.

I'll keep you posted on progress.  I get wrapped up in weaving and don't get to the computer to post very often.

Happy weaving!

One ends and another begins

Hale akala and Awakea are all done and I am currently working on Dreamland, the next custom baby wrap.  Here is the inspiration photo for Dreamland.

And, the mock up for the wrap

Finally, here is a collage from beaming the warp onto the loom and getting ready to thread it.

I couldn't resist taking a video as I removed Hale akala and Awakea from the loom so here it is:

Awakea (morning) middle marker

I finished weaving Haleakawa and am halfway through the sister wrap, Awakea (Hawaiian for morning).  I hope you enjoy this video of the middle markers.

Janet is busy winding the warp for the next wrap, Dreamland.  Here is a photo of the mock up she completed.

The next video will be Dreamland being beamed onto the loom.  I'm looking forward to being snowed in on Monday so I can get more weaving done.   Planning on finishing Awakea and hemming and wet finishing (washing) both wraps.  

A hui hou kakou - until we meet again.

Weaving Hale Akala

When we agree to weave a custom wrap, we work closely with our client(s) to create a wrap from a photo or painting or idea they want to see in cloth.  We have been working with a mama in Hawaii and she chose these two inspiration photos

This is a photo of the Hawaiian sunrise.  It's a favorite from our client and she wanted us to use the color scheme in this photo along with...








.
This one which is from a painting she purchased while in Africa.  The first mock up expressed what Janet saw when combining the two photos. The mama indicated she wanted a graduated color scheme using yellow, pink, salmon and purple.  So, Janet did another mock up which our customer liked and we wound the warp.

Last week, I showed a short video of threading the loom with the warp our client named Hale Akala( house of the sun in Hawaiian).

This week I have a video of the first foot of weaving I have completed using a light gray weft.  Prior to beginning the weaving, I sampled 6 different weft colors including natural, black, light and dark gray.  Our customer chose the one she liked best and off we go.

The first wrap to be woven is the custom wrap which is 4.6 meters long.  I plan to weave 182 inches which will allow for take up in the weaving and shrinkage after wet finishing.  I checked my calculations by measuring the sample off the loom before and after wet finishing and found I needed to beat less firmly.  My ppi (picks per inch) were greater than my epi (ends per inch).  Plain weave structure requires an equal number of each or the web or cloth will be either weft or warp faced if you  have too few or too many picks.

Here's the video:

I'll be back with the middle marker early next week.  Back to the loom for now!

Introducing Hale Akala

Here is a short video after beaming Hale Akala (Hawaiian for house of the sun)

Once beamed, the threading begins.  From there, it's sley the reed and start the weaving!  This is the first warp we have done that is totally Brassard yarns.  The beaming went beautifully and the threading is going very quickly.  I'm looking forward to weaving this warp and trying a couple of different color wefts to show off the gradient.
The name Hale Akala mean house of the sun in Hawaiian and is pronounced "holly ah kah la".  It was named by our customer who lives in Hawaii and provided this photo as the inspiraiton for the wrap

I could stare at this photo all day and dream about how warm and lovely it must be in Hawaii right in this photo.  Certainly beats the 12" of snow we got this week.  Hmmm.

Farewell to Julia

Over a year ago I purchased a weaving kit, something I rarely do, for a Bronson lace shawl made with alpaca/silk.  It was a good deal from Yarn Barn of Kansas.  The yarn was on the expensive side and the draft was easy enough.  I made it for my best friend.  I should say I cursed, struggled and pulled my hair out over that shawl.  It was my second 8 shaft project on the Julia.  The first, a simple twill bread cloth, was not a success.  I adjusted the 8 shafts, lamms and treadles on my Julia countermarch loom an easy dozen times before I finished that shawl.  It's a beautiful piece.  I'd love to make another one but not on that loom.  Julia and I are parting ways.

After I finished the shawl, I took 4 shafts off the Julia and wove several other items successfully.  I concluded that Julia and I do not work together in 8 shafts.  After a while I began thinking, how ridiculous.  I bought an 8 shaft loom.  I want to weave 8 shaft patterns.  The only conclusion I came to was that I needed to sell the Julia and buy a different loom.

So, after several months and several postings on weaving sales sites, Julia is heading to a new home.  I hope you enjoyed my little video tribute to Julia.

Next week I'll return with some big baby wrap news!

Merry Christmas to all!!

A view of the Lotsaknots Studio

For the past few weeks I have focused on the long warp on the Glimakra Standard that will be 4 baby wraps.  There is a lot more going on in the studio.  I've put together a quick video tour of the some  other projects.

The warps are all designed and wound by Janet who has a fabulous eye for color.  The Sedona wraps that are currently on the big loom was designed by Janet using a painting of Sedona, AZ.  We were visiting Sedona in September and walked into an art and sculpture gallery where they featured the painting Janet used for this warp.  She is very talented and has a great feel for color which can be seen in this and all the warps we produce.

BTW, Janet is the other half of Lotsaknots.  She is a knitter, spinner and occasional weaver.

Enjoy the video:

This warp is featured in our Etsy shop.
Please add your "Like" to our Facebook page.  

And the warp goes on

The warp was wound in 4 sections or bouts, threaded or sleeyed through the reed and through the heddles.  Now, it's time to wind it onto the back or warp beam of my loom.  I'm using my Glimakra Standard which is my favorite loom.

Here is a llittle podcast about getting the warp on the loom so I can start weaving!  This will take a little time because the warp iis 20 yards long.  

Feel free to leave commentss after the post and enjoy the video.