Loom at the Park

The book I got the directions out of.

Using a comb as the beater.

The shuttle and the loom

The moss green and turqua scarf I made in the backyard.

Yesterday I took my loom to the park by the library and set it up for weaving. It was challenging with the breeze but I finally got it under control. A few people wandered by and looked at me like I'd sprouted antlers but no one came over to talk. I'm not sure if it was because I was the only white woman in the park, or if they just couldn't tear themselves away from their cell phones and endless rounds of singing Itsy Bitsy spider.
It seems I can get about half a belt done in one sitting.  By then my attention starts to wander, or I have to find a bathroom, or my shoulders and neck start to cramp up. How did our foremothers do it with all the butter churning, soapmaking, wheat grinding and wood chopping? We are weaklings compared to them, or at least I am.

Popsicle Stick Loom

Barbara's son just got his 2nd tooth.

My friend Ren invited me to a craft group on Facebook. That was nice of her.  I shouldn't have named my group Fayme Crafts because I'm the only one for the most part posting crafts to it, when I wanted it to be a group that everyone could post to.

On Saturday I took my loom to the Arroyo Seco with me and talked my head off about it.  I made a belt. The hardest part was keeping myself parked in the chair. I kept leaping up to play Frisbee, talk to new people, run to the bathroom, hold Barbara's cute baby and eat.  I never get much done there, for all the schmoozing. But I did finish the belt. Now I need to start a new project on the loom.

Barbara's son is learning to walk.

Me wearing the headband I made on the loom.

Barbara took these photos of me using the loom.

Almost done with the belt.

It was Erick's first time. He's making a longbow.

Popsicle Stick Weaving Loom

Yesterday at the library I raided the children's section and came away with a great book that shows how to do various summer camp style crafts.  After my friend Lynn showed me how her big loom worked last weekend, I was thrilled to find directions for a loom made out of popsicle sticks. It acts just like a heddle, took only a few hours to make including letting the glue dry, and I've already made a neck scarf and I'm halfway through a belt. I'll take it with me to an archery gathering I'm going to tomorrow so I can work on it some more. I was doing it outside but the sun is setting so I stopped for the day and forgot to take photos.  I'll get some tomorrow for sure. You could even make this loom for free is you save your popsicle sticks.  I used some other wood I had laying around for the top and bottom frame.  Then I had to use some fine sandpaper to keep it from snagging the yarn.

The book is for children and when you have small hands you can easily push the ball of yarn back and forth.  My big hands were a bit more challenging so I made a bobbin (shuttle) from a rectangle of basswood. I can see it would work better with the corners rounded but that's a task for another day.  The book also says to use your hands to tamp the yarn, but I found a wide tooth comb in the bathroom that works a lot better.  So with a few improvements, I'm off and weaving and having a great time.

Spoonflower and Fabulosity

I've been drawn back to Spoonflower. http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/pigglewiggins?shop_selection=recent&sub_action=new_profile Hopefully this links to my profile. I don't have any of my fabric designs up for sale yet because it costs $5. to proof each one and money is tight now.  But I can still add to my inventory until that day when I have some money to move forward. I can't wait to sew some things with my very own custom fabric designed by me.

I'm also reading an empowering book called Fabulosity. Every woman concerned with branding and selling should read it.

Dolls or Frogs

I just cut out two dolls from a yellow gingham dishcloth.  I sewed around both of them with the machine set to 15 stitches per inch.  I got one of them stuffed.  From a distance they look kind of like frogs. If I put the arms up instead of down it would make a good frog pattern. With so many inexpensive dish clothes in interesting designs and colors, it's fun to use them for crafts instead of the normal way.

Leaving Etsy

Lately I've been debating if it's even worth it to stay on Etsy. After struggling all these years, the only shops that seem to do well are the ones that sell consumables like soap and incense, suppliers, and vintage shops.  Artists rarely make the best sellers lists on Etsy. For time invested in listing items, taking photos, writing descriptions, and other associated hassles, I've seen very little return.  Lots of compliments, but you can't pay the bills with compliments. And it's just such a burn out to put your work there and never see it sell.

Knitting is Sometimes a Big Hassle

I just made a huge mess unburying my Kaffe knitting project.  I gave it it's own special bin, but being a big bin it ended up on the bottom of a huge pile of boxes.  So now all the boxes are on my bed and I'm about to dig into the bin to see if I can find where I left off. Before I even got it out to the work table my boyfriend stopped me to say he was just about to use that table, which is why the project got stopped in the first place.  But he's agreed to use the front porch so hopefully I can work for at least one day on the project and figure out where I left off.

Update:  Tore up the whole room to get the bin out. Sorted through bin and neither the project nor the directions are in there. #fail. Sigh.

SCA Gyldenholt Anniversary

Sean Patrick is fine weaver.

Asian garb

The woman in the red tunic is a bard.

Finn gets a chance to shoot after running the archery tournament all day.

The SCA is great place if you are a creative person. You can find weavers, spinners, calligraphers, painters, leatherworkers, dancers, jugglers, and bards at SCA events. I just wish I had the energy to do them all. I'm so worn out from yesterday's archery event.

Sock Jellyfish

I can't resist books on sock critters so I grabbed one I hadn't seen before at the library. I made a jellyfish.  It was fun and only took me a short time. I'm looking forward to more jellyfish in my future. The book also has some pretty cool hamsters, owls, penguins, and other things that are worth exploring.
It's called Socks Appeal by brenna maloney.