AnotherPurl :: a knitter's life

mbta == stupid

Don't tell me it isn't true. 

Lately the MBTA, which for me is normally a reliable mode of transit, has had more delayed trains, accidents and what nots.  I got home fine last night, but my hubby who was traveling maybe 30-40 minutes later was delayed (upon delayed, upon delayed).  It's the type of thing that always makes me extra cranky.

Of course, I didn't knit while I was waiting, or do much cleaning, or anything useful.  Nope.  I read web comics.  I finished Girls with Slingshots.

This weekend I'm helping a friend warp her loom for the first time, which has me thinking about a nice weaving project that I can finish before I go on vacation next month.  I want something that is stole width, about 10-14 inches after washing.  It should use some of my nicer lace weight yarns, and maybe I'll knit an edging around it to deal with some of my wonkiness in the selvage.  Or maybe I'll figure out the selvage issue and just do it right. 

I'm panicking a bit about what to wear on the cruise (dress up dinners are making me nervous).

a race to the finish line

Yesterday I spent my free floating minutes (lunch, the morning commute, gaps during rehearsal) working on the Scarves.  I'm weaving in ends, knotting fringe, adding fringe to the knitted scarves, and giving them the quick dunk and hang in lieu of a blocking.

I'm pretty proud of what I've been doing, which is a lot of fun.  Normally I don't like speed or deadline projects, because it is too easy to feel like I'm in the trenches of drudgery.  Even though this project was similar to many others in terms of the amount of time needed, it was very different because outside of some color choices I got to make some of the creative decisions.  It's amazing how much more enjoyable a project is when you have a say in what you are doing.

I haven't really posted any pictures since the first two scarves I did.  But I have a number of pictures taken in the early morning before work and before retying fringe, etc.

(click to enbiggen)

8 scarves since the beginning of April.  And the last one despite some issues is pretty good for a beginner.

Because I like it so much, a closeup!

Yup, blue and red and white.  Stripy and sort of plaidy all at the same time.  I started this one on Sunday after I got home from put in and finished it at around 11:30 or so.  It's not perfect, but it makes me happy to have done something that is not a simple stripe pattern (it's a level 2 stripe, not a level 1). 

This is going to be for one of the leads, and all it needs is the quick dunking to finish it off. 

I'm not sure exactly the best way to keep the first thread and last thread looking all nice and snug against the fabric without getting loosy goosy.  Somewhere in the process of weaving the red and white scarves, I was reading something about hem stitching (which I'm sure I'm doing wrong).  What I started doing was leaving an end long on each side, threading it and then sort of hand weaving with it.  I'd go under a couple of threads and then wrap around the warp like I was backstitching and then continue three threads forward (but not like the Paula Abdul song).  It makes a nice decorative edge that works well for staying snug before I tied the overhand knots for the fringe.  On a couple of the woven scarves I actually had an end too short to really weaving in to look like weaving.  On these I took the philosophical theater approach and wove them in like it was knitting.  It can't be seen from the audience is a very freeing thing, especially as you motor down to crunch time.

put in (iolanthe edition)

I got to light hang at a bright and early 7 a.m. this morning (Sunday) after waking up at the truly early hour of 4:30 a.m.  I didn't waste any time, and shutting the door to block some of the noise, I finished weaving scarf #7.  No pictures, per normal, because I am lazy and running close to last legs (which explains why I am up now).  I just needed to start and finish the scarf for Strephon, who is only a fairy down to the waist, and collect the scarves from a couple of other members of the cast who saved me from needing to knit or weave 10 scarves in about a month. 

I'm mostly done.  I have some fringe and finishing and weaving in of ends on both the knitted and woven scarves and then a quick dunk and a dry.  I'd love to have time for a full on blocking, but the time is short till opening night.  Tomorrow is a full run through, Tuesday is cue-to-cue and then it is dress rehearsals until we're done.  No time for real blocking.  And barely time to knit the one scarf that is about half way done that will be coming back to me.  I feel like a busy bee that has taken one of the power-ups and now I'm running around at twice my normal speed.

Light hang was mostly uneventful.  I'm a bit uncomfortable with heights, so I pushed the scaffolding around and climbed up the side to fetch various cables for the person using the Genie (only older than any of those models).  There were 3-4 people at the top of the scaffolding, one in Genie and one person at the top of a very tall ladder all hanging lights from the 21 ft tall ceilings.  I think pushing the scaffolding was much safer. 

I left sometime after 4 p.m., got some food and drink, and headed home for the last scarf and finished it in the wee hours!  Or about 20 minutes ago.

And now I'm going to bed.  It was a very eventful day.

chibi-infodump

I'm still motoring through woven scarf after woven scarf, and I definitely like the process.  While warping itself isn't exactly fun, it is no more time consuming or difficult than weaving in the ends for a sweater.  Where I feel like I lack information is finishing. 

In Creative Weaving, it is suggested that you sew down the last row of the weaving, but it doesn't give me any idea of whether this would be better done by taking out the header.  When I take out the header, the beginning section of the weaving gets a little more loosy goosy.  I feel like I should take the loom and weave both a header and a footer to the piece, do any sewing down or other finishing techniques, remove the header/footer and then deal with my fringing options.  As long as I don't tack down the header section, this shouldn't be too onerous or difficult.  Of course, most of the beautiful pictures of weaving out there show the main body of the work and don't show how the work was finished.  By the end of the weekend I will have at least 7 woven scarves finished and 2 knitted scarves blocking.  It would be great to have an idea of what I'm doing before that point.

I don't really want to pull out my sewing machine, and figure out new bobbins and changing the thread, so I am considering getting navy and wine colored iron-on hem tape and finishing the scarves that way.  I wouldn't consider it appropriate for gifts, but as this is for the theater and it will keep the scarves in better condition and is easier for me than sewing... Well, let's just say that hem tape is winning the battle, though proper finishing will win the war.

30 minutes a day

The show (yes, the only thing I've written about for months) opens next Friday (May 1st).  This week is full act run throughs with both the piano and the orchestra.  Next week will be cue to cue, dress rehearsals, opening night and put in.  Definitely not in that order.  I have a few scarves left to do for the show, but as the rehearsal time is ramped up to the breaking point and the sleep has already been dropped to the insanity level it is pretty hard to find the mythical free time to make the last of them.  I could knit another one during the breaks in the rehearsals, but knitting is a much slower way to make them.  I plan to weave the last three scarves, which mostly means a 1-2 hour block to warp the loom and about 4 hours (maybe less) of weaving.  Still faster than knitting.  Yesterday morning, I woke up and pulled out the loom and started weaving.  Thirty minutes before work and I was about a third of the way through.  I'm hoping that with a little bit of focus I can finish two scarves before Saturday and complete a walloping ton of costume prep.

30 minutes.  It's not so hard.  Especially now that I've bought and read Bloodhound.  No excuse to lose a day!

< 2 weeks

Iolanthe opens not this Friday, but next, which means we are in full act run throughs and are finishing up the last of the costuming and other items for the show.

For me, that means getting up early to weave, because I don't have time except on the weekends and Fridays to get any of it done.  I'm sort of kicking myself for not getting the tote bag that fits my Harp.  Iolanthe is a very disjointed show in that the fairies are on stage for the first 4 songs and then don't show up until the middle of the Act I finale.  That is a solid 30 minutes, maybe more, to get the weaving done and I have already knitted or woven 4 scarves. 

So, I'd write more, but I'm going to weave for 30 minutes before getting ready for work.  See, there is time for everything!

being a geek

I just lost a post on Search Engine Optimization.   I'm going to refrain from reprising it (suffice to say I was geeking about a job from more than 6 years ago and being a lazy blogger), and instead talk about a weaving project I am thinking about trying after doing the last of the scarves for Iolanthe this weekend.

I want to see what the boundaries are.  What is the weirdest, yet still functional fabric, that can be woven with a rigid heddle, a pickup stick and some patience.  Actually, probably a lot of patience, because what I've been thinking of in my mind is something between a plain weave, tapestry weaving (other links: contemporary gallery, soumak instructions)and shibori (other links: monks belt and twill, Carrasco gallery).

There is something freeing about being in the stage in a project or a skill where you know just enough to be dangerous.  It is very easy as you start something new to be completely tied to what you are taught - be it from a book or a class - or suppose should be done.  I feel that this is in some ways more of a trap that happens in something like knitting or crochet, where there are so many very easy to find books on the subject.  Or maybe this is just an after effect of my first weaving book being Creative Weaving, which doesn't exactly guide you in the "Your First Weaving Project" mode. 

lessons in productivity...

Somtimes productivity creeps up on you and then all of a sudden you realize how much you've gotten done.  A week where you finished a couple of projects, made some nice dinners, did some needed cleaning and never felt rushed in the process.

And then there are times when the productivity comes like a mac truck and wham!  You are run over with all of the things you've done or had to do and the negative time you managed to get it all done in.  That for the past week or two has been my weekend, and this weekend was no different.

Iolanthe is going up at the end of the month, and I'm working on costumes (though not the sewn portions, because I'm not the best with a needle).  I've had 4 or 5 rehearsals a week, running, massive amounts of exercise though I did take this morning off in that regard, and a huge amount of food made at least by the tupperware in the fridge.

Saturday I finished this:
 

A closer look?  Sure!

This is my first scarf woven on my Kromski Harp.  Unwashed, unblocked and with a bit of finishing to do.  The yarn is the 3/2 cotton from Halcyon Yarns and it is a simple 10/10 warp in white and blue.  The scarves don't have to be long, and are generously fringed, so they will work for the guys who have to be dressed for winter at the beginning of May.  I'd say poor guys, but the women's costumes might have less fabric, but we do more dancing and running about. 

I warped the Kromski using the method in Creative Weaving (bad idea - it really is more convoluted than it needs to be) Thursday night after dinner and finished the scarf Saturday morning before leaving for rehearsal.  Not bad for my first attempt!

Of course, that wasn't the only thing I did.  I have started a knitted version of this scarf in the other set of colors, because I didn't buy the loom bag.  Not my brightest thought, but the loom doesn't fit in my largest tote bag.  I wanted to get to use the gaps in the sitzprobe to continue the scarf making, so knitting won the day.  No pictures, but the first knitted scarf is almost done.

Sunday, I was out almost all morning, and when I came home I started another scarf.  I had a bit of a meltdown, because I just couldn't figure out how I was supposed to clamp the warping peg to anything for the direct warping method.  Eventually I just gave that idea up and used a chair that had a bit of a post as my warping peg.  Not ideal, but better than worrying or getting grumpy (ier).

This morning, because I woke up before the cows, I had this:
 

This scarf was made with a combination of the yarn from Halcyon Yarns and my first ever order of yarn from Webs (and why have I waited all this time?!).  I placed an order with Webs when I got an email from Halcyon Yarns that the blue yarn was backordered and would arrive in 2-4 weeks.  Aaack!

Well, that ended up not being an issue.  The yarn from Webs arrived on Tuesday or Wednesday and the yarn from Halcyon arrived within 24 hours of that.  Very quick for a backorder!

I love how this one came out, because the two slightly different shaes of blue really make the look more robust (in person anyway... pictures by the dark window sill at oh dark hundred don't really say that much).  I can see that even a single project makes a big difference in the finished project and this one looks more professional than my first attempt. 

I have another 6 scarves that need to be made, but I am winding off balls of yarn and providing instructions to some of the other cast members to get some of them knitted up.  The weaving is a blast and while these projects are a little thin (I probably would have been better off with something slightly thicker than the 3/2 for my 10-dent reed) that isn't an issue for on stage!  While I am working on these scarves, I keep thinking of ideas for some of the partial skeins and single skeins I have in my stash.  I keep wondering if the ideas in my head are even possible to translate to the rigid heddle or if I am really trying something that is better for tapestry or some other method. 

Either way, I hope that my interest in weaving lasts longer than my short-lived tatting phase!

almost 3 hours (not 7 days and 7 nights)

So, my last post was #666, so in honor of that one of the cheesiest metal videos I've ever enjoyed watching:

Last night I put aside my knitting as the orders I placed at both Webs and Halcyon Yarns had arrived.  I made my dinner and pulled my loom (still pictureless, because I am lame) off of the shelf and set up the warp.  It took me almost 3 hours to warp even though I was only doing something that was 70 warp threads wide.  Practice.  I know it won't be that slow next time.  I even started doing some of the weaving and put the header on and about an inch or so of weaving before I noticed that it was about midnight, when all good little ladies should be in bed.

So, this morning I decided to make mental drafts for the scarves to come.  All plain weave (unless I feel comfortable enough with the plain weave to start adding in the pickup stick), but I have 9 scarves on my plate.  Short scarves, because they are for the show and will be worn under jackets.  Because I feel sorry for the guys, the scarves are all being made with cotton.  Something about the show going up at the beginning of May and the guys in overcoats just brings out the sweats.  It's always warm under the lights anyway, so I am picturing a lot of Final Seal being used to keep the makeup on and their faces as dry as possible.

Tonight, I am planning on making a spring panzanella based on the one at Smitten Kitchen, and then weaving for an hour or two.  It's a good thing my loom folds, because it is going to be my near constant companion in the weeks ahead.  Now just to get my beating technique down so my weft doesn't look so darn uneven!