Variations on a Theme

Gorgeous Hand Painted Silk Fiber

Prior to receiving my 12" Mirrix loom, I practiced for a brief time weaving Affinity bracelets on my little rigid heddle Cricket loom. As I’ve explained before, the Cricket works remarkably well however it really doesn’t stand up to the Mirrix in terms of ease, convenience and efficiency. Also I did not as yet have the wonderful fibers that Mirrix provides for the Craftsy course. And if you don’t think their unique fibers make a huge difference, I can tell you that you are wrong. As evidence, some of my earlier results can be seen below using a variety of bits and scraps that I already had in my stash.

 
From left to right, the first bracelet was woven using raw sari silk waste yarn as the weft and a matching cotton blend yarn as the warp. I've noticed that the size 6 beads that I used seem a little too large for this design. Second from left is a diminutive little girl’s bracelet using extra fine Finca no. 8 perle cotton with size 11 delicas and 4mm gold beads (although what little girl would want an all brown bracelet?) Third from left is a wool/silk DK-weight yarn with square-shaped size 6s. Huge. (And notice my wonky selvedges. Yikes. I can always say that it's a design feature though, right?) I especially like the fourth from left which uses another multi cotton warp and a matching boucle as weft. The rainbow design next was woven entirely from multicolored embroidery floss. Boring. C-lon macramé floss and railroad yarn with a bit of unskilled "advanced tapestry techniques" are used on the last bracelet. Hey, I was winging it.

 

 
The bracelet shown above was inspired by some bracelets that I saw on Etsy. I decided to get fancy by adding a little bling with a pin that I purchased at Michaels. (It’s not really a pin but a sew-on bead made by Bead Landing and is still available the last time I looked.) Although when worn it covers a good deal of the weaving, I couldn’t resist the way it matched the Araucania linen/ cotton blend yarn used in the bracelet. Perfect.

The Columbian Clay bracelet shown below is from the final bonus section of the Craftsy class. I really like how the clunkiness of the clay beads plays against the fanciness of the hand painted silk fibers.

 

The wonderful thing about Affinity bracelets is that you can never tire of making them and of course, you can never have too many. My high school aged daughter and her friends are smitten with them so I suspect I'll be making lots more or better yet purchasing another loom and teaching them to make their own.

xxx, Karen

 

 

To do or not to do

Saturday was a day of rest...well at least when it came to weaving. I had to take care of some chores, and we were also out till late (into sunday). I was too tired to do the usual early start.

I haven't done any more on the bracelet as I don't know what size is needed. I may be forced to guesstimate. Hmmm!...

So, Sunday I made a start on the fringe or the purse. This was after a lot of 'research' (read looking at eye candy) of fringes! I looked through some three books on looming that I have, and chose a style. I bought some Swarovski bicones last week to use in the fringe. I also went through my stash to make up the numbers. Now, yesterday evening I sat down to make a start. But then I had to choose the colours to use in the fringe. This took a while as I wanted to choose colours that would work with both sides. The fringe will be on both sides of the purse so they have to be matching. I'm not daring enough to try using different colours on each side!

So, I chose the colours and lay them out with some of the bicones. I made a start, held it up to admire and rapidly changed my mind. So, I was back to thinking about what to do again. In the end I went with my original idea, and here is how it is looking so far.

I'm thinking of changing it up a little, but hesitant. I'm not sure why. Partly because I don't know if it would work, and I don't want to undo and redo if that happens to be wrong.

My next project to go on the loom will be a portrait. I promised my husband a long time ago that I would make him a portrait of his (late) parents.

It's been more than a year since i promised, so I think it's about time I got on with it! I'm hoping to surprise him with it. It would mean I can't work on it while he is home. He doesn't look in the cupboard where I keep the loom so I wouldn't worry too much about him seeing it. I need to order the remainder of the beads so I can start. I was considering fireline for the warps but think will just buy the large bobbin of white Nymo. That will do the job just as well.

So still quite a bit to do. I think I may try and do a video on warping for wide pieces. The portrait will be about 150 wide. Delicas of course. I I had planned and saved I could have done it in 15s! They're a bit steeply priced but one of these days I will do a picture with them! Perhaps something with less colours :)

I'm off to decide how to continue this fringe. Happy reading and a good night when you get to bed!

Advanced Tapestry Techniques

Lesson 10 of the Craftsy Bead & Tapestry Cuff class teaches advanced tapestry techniques. Upon first viewing it, I felt as if I’d been suddenly thrown into the deep end of the pool. After many slow and steady lessons, this class uses frequent new terms and I must admit, unfortunately does not always employ the best photography. The techniques themselves are not really all that difficult but if it is one’s first time attempting them, I am certain that you will need to watch multiple times before catching on. The thirty-second rewind feature is useful although I found I required more than just the quick thirty seconds to review certain sections. (I cannot speak for everyone’s experience however it seems that the Craftsy platform does not always allow for smooth rewinding and fast forwarding although this could perhaps just be a problem with my own computer.) My criticism of the photography concerns the bad angles that are sometimes used and the need for more close ups. As Claudia does admit however, if you are seriously interested in learning more about tapestry, any of the many books available at www.mirrixlooms.com will provide the necessary depth that is beyond the scope of this class. I've purchased Kirsten Glasbrook's classic and look forward to diving into it as soon as I've completed this course.

Pick and Pick

          

                                                    Wavy Lines & Lazy Lines

Minor concerns aside, I seriously love the results of “pick and pick” or what I prefer to call simply vertical striping. The beauty of these advanced techniques is that suddenly the whole process of weaving becomes quite clear in a novel way. Of course, if you weave in one shed with one color and the following shed in another, you will get vertical stripes. Two passes with one color followed by two passes with a second color will yield horizontal stripes. Brilliant. For me, the term “lazy line” seems a little too close to “wavy line.” (And why not just call it “diagonal line” which is what it is?) And if anyone can explain the difference to me between hatching and shading, I’m all ears. Also, those special situations when the edge warps are lowered are a little confusing but once again I’m sure a little more experience will clear this up.

 

                                                        Finished on the loom

                                                         Weaving two at a time!

                                                           

Well, as they say, practice makes perfect and I’m more than willing. My first cuff has attracted so much attention that I’m afraid I’ve already overextended myself gift-wise. This should keep me busy for quite some time.

If anyone needs me, I'll be weaving tapestry cuffs.

xxx, Karen

 

Travels with Mini

When a weaver and a musician go on holidays, what do they take with them?

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

Their dogs, of course!
But of course, they never leave home without a guitar

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

Or, a loom:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

 

The Mini is the most perfect little loom for traveling.
Because she's so portable, I was able to keep working on the Weave Along #8 as we were out and about on our travels.

I was weaving away on this pouch while we were away:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

So, I took advantage of the gorgeous scenery to photograph the step by step photos of weaving the pouch:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

Mini has her own wee suitcase which she snuggles very happily into, along with all the bits and pieces needed for the weaving.
(It began life as a case for a drill that lives in a toolbox, so Jim gave the un-used case to me and I love it for  Ms Mini!)

When we are on holidays, I tend to photograph the smaller things, like lichens:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

and flowers (ahem... the wind was crazy, so trying to get the flower to sit still was a lost cause)


copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

and small looms on beautiful stony beaches:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

and the patterns in tree roots:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

and shadows:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

and gorgeous driftwood:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

and the patterns in nature:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

and small dogs having great adventures ... (Yikes! Wolves ATE a dog here? eegads!)

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

Speaking of wild animals, last year when we went to Jasper (in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada), we saw 13 bears!
This year, we only saw one:


copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

But we did see one VERY thrilling wild animal- the first time I have ever seen a wild mountain goat, in fact:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

It was rainy, windy and cold for the entire time we were there, which made perfect weather for weaving and making music :o)

But then, as far as I am concerned, ANY weather is perfect for weaving and making music :o)

 I will be posting the step by step photos for the checkered Soumak Pouch on the 19th of September.

And, of course, the installments of the  Soumak Pouch weave along will continue to be posted on Elena's blog, A Word From Elena,  every Sunday and Wednesday through out September.

I hope that you had a lovely summer and that the sun shone upon you, and music swirled around you and that the yarn was sweet in your hands! 
~Noreen~











Productive times

The early rising is helping me get in some weaving before the minis descend on me! The past two weeks have also been fairly productive. I finished off a bracelet, and also cleared the loom. The strip for the side of the violin is sorted - the warps on one side have been rewoven. The other warps will be used to join to the next length that I loom. I'm debating whether to make it 19 and not 20 beads wide. The 20-wide fits into the side with a little manipulation. 19-wide would sit in the space nicely.

Right now, I'm working on the Nelson Mandela bracelet. After a worrying start (as usual!), it's looking fabulous - if I say so myself! The worrying start? Well, I split it into three sections. I was planning to start at the top of the head and work down, then go back up and finish the top. However, I laid out the beads for the bottom so have ended up working from the bottom up. It's not entirely 'comfortable' but I can do it if needed.

So onto the worrying part. I had finished weaving the hand, and was happy with it after making some changes to the colour choices. When I moved onto the face is when the worry set in. I continued weaving despite making nothing out. I figured if it was wrong I'd just undo it.

Yesterday when I stepped away from it to start work, is when all fear was dissipated and I have my OH MY moment!! The image was there!!! The relief was palpable!

So, last night I finished weaving the face. I've not got to decide what to weave above the head. The pattern stopped at that point, but I needed to shift it down. I'm sure I'll figure something out anyway.

In the meantime, I've began the handle section of the purse. And I think I made a good choice. I've got an image (of sorts) in my head for the actual handle. I'll see if I can get it on paper then weave it. I also better get thinking about that fringe too!!

So those are the two projects I'm concentrating on at the moment. I would like to get my late in-laws' portrait on next. This will be for my husband. To make a change from framing I'm thinking I could back it with ultra suede or something similar, so it's a hanging. I'll think on it while I order more beads

For now I'm resting and will continue weaving later. Have a good afternoon and apply weaving/beading!

Ain’t No Stopping Me Now

I’ve said it before but these Mirrix Loom bracelets really do weave themselves. After years of painstaking pattern-following, row-by-row stitch count knitting, what a pleasure it is to obtain such instant gratification. In less time than it takes to watch an episode of Law & Order, another bracelet is woven and finished off. The only problem, if you could call it that, is what to do with all the resulting bracelets. (Another random note: I once started making handmade herbal soap as a hobby. Well, it was so much fun that I wound up with far more soap than I could ever use. The upshot: a fairly successful cottage industry with customers that included Bed, Bath & Beyond and HomeGoods. It nearly killed me though. Not again, please.)

 

Using the shedding device, admittedly, takes a little getting used to. At first I couldn’t figure out how to keep the shed open. Only after several rewinds of the video did I catch on to the fact that the black part of the handle must actually wind around the bar, hugging it, to keep the shed open. Duh. Also, I’m still not entirely happy with how my bead rows are sitting- not quite even and a little wobbly for sure. I must be doing something wrong or else I prefer the other method of sewing the row in as it seems more secure. Oh well, good to know that I’m not exactly an expert at this yet ;)


The finishing...well, let’s see…the glue is a little messy. Be sparing. I would definitely use clothes pins or clamps to temporarily hold the three layers of tapestry, brass cuff and ultrasuede together while the glue dries. And while I enjoy the Zen-like process of sewing the three bead picot edge around the perimeter of the piece, I would definitely set aside some quiet time for this, and don’t plan it for too late an hour. It’s a little tedious for sure but the results, you must admit, are spectacular.

                                                            Freshly cut off the loom

 

                                                 Backside before being trimmed & glued

Backside after being trimmed & glued

 

Clamped while glue dries

 After beading

 

 The finished bracelet

 

Lookin' good!
 

I think they’ll fit perfectly in several Christmas stockings, don’t you? Who will be the recipients of your Mirrix weavings this year?

 

xxx, Karen

The Big Leagues

Whoever designed the Mirrix class for Craftsy really knows their stuff. (Claudia/ Elena?) Each lesson builds on knowledge learned in the previous one and progresses so gradually that nothing ever seems too difficult. Although I’ve been moving through it all rather smoothly, secretly I’ve been terrified of that odd looking metal tube lurking in the box. Ever since first becoming interested in Mirrix looms, I‘ve been fascinated with the concept of this shedding device. The name itself is so unusual, don’t you think? I’ve wondered if the term is unique to Mirrix and if not, who invented it? Of course, I had to google it. Wikipedia explains “a shedding device is the device used to raise or open the shed.” Ok, so the term exists out there in the greater world of weaving and the definition definitely makes sense. But still…you have to admit is does sound strange. (Random note: in describing the shedding device to my husband -who I warn you has a strange sense of humor- he responds by pointing to Ollie, our beloved Old English Sheepdog and says “Now that is a real shedding device.” Yuk yuk.)



Ollie, the original "shedding device"

Clearly, I had no idea, when the time came, how I was going to deal with this contraption. I would have remained perfectly content to continue using my loom as is, sans shedding device, making Affinity Bracelets from now 'til doomsday. But captivated as I was by the sheer beauty of the Tapestry Cuff, I knew that sooner or later, like it or not, I would have to conquer the dreaded shedding device!

Almost as terrifying a concept as the shedding device are those devilish little bits of string called heddles. How confusing they seemed and could I figure out a way to avoid using them? Well, was I ever pleasantly surprised. Following Claudia’s step by step instructions in Lesson 9, I was warped for tapestry, with shedding device and both sets of heddles in place in the wink of…well, you know. I cannot describe my joy while using the shedding device handle and seeing the shed move back and forth before my eyes. Magic. And how brilliant! I’m happy to report that I am well on my way to creating my very own magnificent beaded tapestry cuff. Wait ‘til you see it. Won’t you be jealous!

 

Warped, heddled & ready to go

 

 

 

 

 

Oh and by the way, think only Claudia’s Mirrix gets to go sailing?

xxx, Karen