Summer!

Hello! The last couple months have been full of events, ranging from volunteering at the library and writing a blog for my school's science project, to taking my first college class!
  Because of being out and about so much, I have not gotten much weaving done, as the big looms have remained firmly planted in the studio while I flit from one place to another. Due to this, I thought that I had not done many "crafty" things that were worth writing about, but it turns out that I have amassed quite a little collection. "Little" being the keyword.

Firstly, I have been working on these little cross-stitch necklaces:

These were extremely convenient       "to-go" crafts because I could just throw them into my backpack on my way out of the door.

Another project I got to work on was a knit pair of fingerless gloves with cables!

I have been knitting for over ten years now, but I had never knit with cables before! It turns out that they are a lot less difficult to make than I had imagined, and this beautiful pattern from my mom convinced me that I should give them a try.

Finally, I did manage to get a few inches of weaving done on the sewing thread warp, and I started weaving the placemats!

I am hoping to finish the sewing thread warp by the end of this month, but I still have about twelve hours worth of weaving left on it. We shall see!

Why should I wait to dye another day...

...when the weather today was perfect?

This morning saw me running downstairs with an armful of wool, food coloring, and a mason jar. Symptoms my family interpret as meaning: "Get out of her way if you don't want to be covered in color!".
Let us just say that I checked the weather forecast, and it was PERFECT. No clouds, low winds, and temperatures in the high 70's. The time of year has come... for solar dyeing!
I tried solar dyeing a few weeks after my first dye project, and I fell in love. Who wouldn't like stuffing some wool, food coloring, vinegar, and water into a jar, and then letting it bake in the sun? I certainly enjoy it, and the fact that it produces stunning colors is a bonus.

While I was letting the wool "bake", I started planning the first project for the Wolf loom. I have decided on some placemats in a Norwegian pattern in honor of the first owner.

 This warp will be short, so I can get the in's and out's of the loom without worrying about wasting too much yarn, but I  plan on making the next one full-length so I can give away some placemats as gifts.

Scrub! a.k.a. Adopting a Wolf Part 2

The loom was finally upstairs and safely in my room. The next step? A very thorough cleaning!
I took as much of the loom apart as I dared, and spent a LOT of time scrubbing every inch of wood I could see. While I was cleaning I also opened the two mysterious packages that came with the loom.

The first and smallest one contained two shuttles, the original owners weaving notes(!), instructions for the loom, and... EXTRA HEADDLES! I was already worried I would have to buy more for the loom, and this turned into a lovely surprise. However, the second package was even better...

It contained not one, but TWO reeds in 8 and 12 dents, wooden lease sticks, warp spacers, extra apron rods, and a raddle! Everything, absolutely EVERYTHING that came with the original loom was here. That is truly a rarity in used looms.

Even more impressive however, is that the loom's history is as complete as it's components.

The original owner was a Norwegian woman who took a weaving class in Sedona, Arizona, when she bought the loom. After that, the loom traveled with her to Texas where she kept it until she sadly passed away. She left the loom to her nurse, who is a very talented artist. (her work makes what I'm doing look like child's play, which to be fair, it kind of is.) Unfortunately, she travels a lot, and the loom was simply too big to take along. So, for 14 years the loom waited patiently in a shed for someone to come along and weave.

Two days ago "someone" finally came.

(after stopping to take a picture of this adorable calf!)

The owner of the loom had decided that she wanted the loom to go to a good home, and that is how she found my weaving mentor. After that, my mentor told her about a certain crazy teenager with a love for weaving. And so, a friendship was born, and a loom was squeezed into the back of my mom's car.
 Which brings us back to yesterday, and scrubbing.
My mentor once told me that several cultures believe that if a loom is not used then the "soul" will go out of it. Personally, I think that it just goes to sleep...

...until someone cleans it up and starts using it again.

I Must be Crazy, a.k.a. Adopting a Wolf Part 1

Crazy is as crazy does, and with a mentor to assist, crazy turns into a loom. It's a long story, and it starts with this picture:

My weaving mentor shot me an email about an old loom that is very similar to Schacht's Mighty Wolf. Her email went along the lines of: "What do you think", quickly followed by: "free, old, and in need of some love".  That got me wondering exactly how many looms I can fit into my tiny bedroom.
Apparently, the answer is just... one... more!
And so, another adventure begins.

After a long scenic drive and some heavy lifting, the loom was home, and I had nowhere to put it! So, I spent the rest of last night making room for the loom by moving around yarn and wire-shelving to fit my dresser into my closet. No, that is not the craziest idea I have ever had, and yes, it did fit! (barely)
After all that I was exhausted, and completely forgot to write a blog post. (Sorry!)