Hip to be Square

 

This has to be one of my favorite designs ever! When Jane Patrick from Schacht Spindle Company called to ask if I'd create a piece featuring the Zoom Loom for TNNA (The National Needle Arts) Convention, I couldn't say "no".

And then there is the yarn. I had previously worked with Classic Elite's Liberty Wool Print on my rigid heddle loom. With the long color repeats, the effects when woven are spectacular. It comes in many colorways and is completely machine washable. What's not to love about this yarn? 

I had an idea in mind  when I started weaving the squares, and it evolved from there. To really show off the woven squares, I outlined them with crochet in a solid color. Classic Elite Yarns had the perfect Liberty Wool solid to coordinate. I played around with several arrangements of the squares. There are so many possibilities. I settled on the one I liked best and stitched them together. To add another element, a rib knit border and turtleneck were added. And the results, well all I can say is, It's Hip to be Square!

 

To purchase the pattern:

 Hip to be Square Poncho

 

 

 Photos by Bliss Photography

 

Special thanks to Jane Patrick, Heather McVicker and Sandra Geonetta

Zoom Loom Garments using Tahki Stacy Charles Yarns

It was just last summer that I designed the Harlequin Vest using Zoom Loom squares.  I attended The National Needle Arts Trade Show in Phoenix in January of this year wearing my vest, you can imagine my surprise when I was stopped by none other than Stacy Charles himself of Tahki Stacy Charles Yarns asking me if my vest was made using their Filatura di Crosa Tempo yarn. Well of course it was!

So he challenged me to design more garments made with the Schacht Zoom Loom using TSC yarns. There's nothing I love better than a challenge. And trying out new yarn is always a welcome treat. Before long I had four new designs ready. Currently they are all in my Etsy store available as PDF downloadable patterns and most of them are also available as a kit packaged with full color printed pattern and yarn; or a kit which also includes the Zoom Loom.

Harlequin Vest with Filatura Di Crosa Tempo Yarn

 

 Lacy Vest with Stella and Flora Yarns

 

 

  Tabbard Vest with Nina Yarn

 Spring Jacket with Portofino Yarn

Since most everything I weave ends up as something to wear. I imagine there will be more to come in the future. But in the meantime, check out these patterns and kits. They will be perfect to pack along on a summer vacation or an ideal way to while away those upcoming hot summer days sitting on the porch with a glass of ice tea and your Zoom Loom.

So Zoom away . . .

Photos by Stephanie DeFranco Photography

Too much fun in my studio!

I recently did a bit of traveling and needed a portable project -- or two (I'll write about the other one real soon).  So I ventured off the handweaving path just a bit. I had no clue what it would be when I started, but I packed my size 11 knitting needles and whipped this up quite quickly. When I returned to my studio, I discovered that the thrums (waste yarn after a piece is cut off the loom) from my Zen Jacket were the perfect fringe along with some blue ribbon I had left from another project. So fun!

 

As always, I was inspired by Blue Heron Yarns handpainted skeins. This one is Rayon Loopy in the Mossy Place colorway.

 

Busy Summer

It's been a busy summer in my studio. In addition to teaching, weaving and designing new garments, I've been learning to spin on a spinning wheel. I purchased this hand-dyed alpaca roving from Creature Comforts Etsy Store and spun and plied the yarn and knitted the sweet little scarf pictured above. This is my first hand-spun, hand-knit scarf. It's so soft and I love the colors. Thank you, Creature Comforts!
 
On my big floor loom, I've been weaving yardage. This flax blend swing vest was hand-dyed and made in a medium/large size. It's accessorized with a scarf from last fall's collection.

And now that I'm carrying yarn for sale on my shelves, I can't help but knit some of it myself in the evenings. I made this black vest with Prime Alpaca from Galler Yarns. It's so soft and light weight. I can hardly wait for cooler weather so I can finally wear it. I found this fun pattern on Ravelry by Drops Design. I love their style.

The back has a web-like spiral. This picture shows the design but the color is a bit washed out.

Vacation Projects Finished

Vacation has ended and thanks to this project, my hours in the car flew by quickly. After almost 15 years of carrying these little balls of yarn around with with me, they have finally become something I can use. As I always do, though, I'm second guessing myself on the placement of color. If I could unravel it and start over again, I'd use a different approach. But I really think it works just fine the way it is.

For variety, I packed my drop spindle and practiced my spinning. Here's a picture of the balls I spun from the sample pack of Merino wool roving I bought at Fiber Fiesta. The ball on the front left is Merino and silk. I have much to learn before my spinning is perfected but I had fun doing it.

And now it's back to studio work. I'm dressing the loom and preparing my plan for the month ahead.

Little Balls of Yarn

I found these balls of yarn hiding in my old trunk while unpacking my studio. I've been toting them around with me since the 90s waiting for the perfect inspiration which so far had elluded me. They're the end result of a color triangle dye study I did while studying fiber arts. Sixty-five different colors of 1 ounce balls of yarn, to be exact. They started as a natural gray 2-ply worsted wool from Brown Sheep.

Over the years I would pull these out intending to weave or knit something, but I just loved looking at all the beautiful colored balls together. Several times I even began a project that I didn't like so I unraveled it and and once again stored away these little balls.

At last, the time has come. I've begun knitting this 10-stitch blanket I found on Ravelry. I'm not much of a knitter. I'm the one who starts knitted projects and never finishes them. But once I figured out how to literally turn the corner on this one, I decided I really like it. A road trip is in my near future and this seemed like just the thing to take along. Hopefully I can post pictures of the finished blanket soon.