Uh oh! Look who moved into the guest bedroom over the weekend.

It's a Union Custom Loom. This one has been around for a few years, possibly since they first started making them in 1918. The guy I bought it from had rescued it from an old barn and cleaned it up and reassembled it. It's going to take some fiddling around and a little more tender loving care before it's up and running again. You guys know me though, a woodworking and fiber project combined is my favorite.
P.S. Future Guests, I'll need a little forewarning to shuffle things around and set up the bed for you;)

It's all happening over at the fiber blog recently.

Most of what I've been doing recently is more related to weaving and is being entered on my fiber blog.
http://larsstricken.blogspot.com/

The rag rug saga continues.

My first rug on the cobbled together loom is finished. The loom needs a few minor modifications but is overall quite functional.

Read the saga and gaze upon the photos here;P

Loom update....

...can be found here.

Finally back in the woodshop

I recently took up weaving rag rugs, partner thought there were too few around the house thet were clean and available when miss muddy pawed puppy came in from outside. I have lots of scraps left over from sewing as well as lots of worn out clothes, sheets, etc. so I knocked together a very basic frame type loom and have made 3 so far. I decided though to make a better loom and headed for my woodshop. I don't want to spend any money and so am limited to scraps on hand, okay, the dowels I picked up at the rebuilding center for $.50 each, $6 spent so far.
Armed with these items and the instructions for assembling an Ashford rigid heedle loom. As well some assumptions on what the size of the assembly diagrams might be, I began building today.
(Clicking on the photos makes them larger)

So far it looks like this. There is still a lot of work to do, but I'm optimistic about the eventual outcome.

Knitting related.

see My post on my fiber blog

One coat of carnauba wax away...

...from finishing,but I couldn't wait to show you all.

Onkel, diene Name heisst Übelheit

Onkeln existieren ja um ihren Neffen schlechtes Wissen beizubringen, rauchen, trinken u.s.w.
Was hat mein Onkel mir Jetzt beigebracht?
Das es solche Dinge wie Holzuhren gibt.
GucktMa!
Nun gibt es noch ein Hobby die ich wirklich muss aufheben. Bad Onkel!

Chair Intermezzo, or, a 3 vest weekend

I did mention on face book that I escaped going out and picking peaches only by beginning to sew on a vest for Geoff. Not that i don't want to pick peaches, I just don't want to end up canning a bunch of peaches on this particular sunday.
It turned out to be a 3 vest weekend for Geoff. He works in a paint store and has a required shirt that he has to wear. He hates it. I have sewd him vests, (and shirts) for the past 19 years. After he got the Paint store job with the shirt requirement he balked and started to wear the vests as an individuallizing statement, he has been told to not wear them but has somehow always managed to retain the right of individuality. I think that his "colorfulness, (with vests") has gained him the trust of clients who don't know what they want as far as color is concerned and rely on someone with individuality. Therefore, Geoff and his "signature" vests are a part of Miller Paint.
He has, however, lost a few pounds since I started making the vests for a more ample Geoff. I did experiment with cutting one down this weekend. Geoff says that it works.
I also like to work, sometimes, with fabrics that have a very "pictorial" imagery. This particular one has been cut and sitting around for several months, I just this weekend finally sewed it all together.

Geoff happened to stop by the fabric store last week to get me more interfacing and came home with some spider fabric. Dutifully turned in to a vest. ( I may say dutiful, but it's been awhile since I did anything sewingwise.)

Now, there are only 8 fabrics left in the line up. Oh, did someone notice that on face book this morning I mentioned I had material for 8 vests on hand, but somehow after making two vests today I still have 8. Well, Geoff went to the fabric store today to buy more lining for 2 of the vests, and magically came home with more fabric.

Maybe you guys that have to wear business suits everyday and your only claim to individuality is in the neck ties that you wear, I imagine that's how it is with Geoff.

The line up. Yes Rita, I know that the 2 on the far right have been in the lineup since December. (Ja Rita, ich weiss wohl dass die 2 ganz Rechts sind noch Da seit Dezember.)

Endlich was Neues.

Die jungste Strickprojekt. Ein Dreiecktuch die am oberen Rand ist fast 2 Meter lang.

Lily Langtry

Lily Langtry war Mal eine berühmtes Sängerin. Sie war auch Mal das Hündchen einer Freundin in Wyoming. Sie war halb Coyote.

Vor fast eine Jahre hatte ich ein E-mail von Freundin. Sie wollte wissen ob ich Jemand kannte der würde die Haare des Hundes die sie über die Jahren gesammelt hat zu Garn spinnen. Ich machte eine Vorschlag und dann hörte nichts mehr bis vor ein paar Monaten.

Noch ein E-mail, aber dies Mal wollte sie wissen ob sie könnte der Garn zu mir schicken und könnte ich ihr eine Decke stricken. Sie hat stricken versucht aber könnte es nicht lernen. ich sagte 'ja, okay. Schick es mir." Dann vergass ich Alles darüber...na, bis eine Packette ankam.

Freundin hat der Hundefell zu Vipfibers geschickt um gesponnen zu werden.

Zwischenzeits hatte ich ein Schal gestrickt und war neugierig wie eine die Männer von Men Who Knit würde der Muster umschreiben um ein Dreieckschal zu stricken. Er tat das und postete der Muster. Also, da musste ich dies Muster verwenden um mein Projekt zu stricken. Aber ich wollte eine Decke stricken, nicht ein Dreieckschal. MMario sagte "einfach, fing in Mittel an und stricke 4 Schals gleichzeitig."
Der braver Lars tat genauso und strickte rund und rund, und rund und rund, und mehrMals rund. Auch während er verbrachte Zeit mit sein Piggy Draussen.

Endlich ist die Hundedecke fertig.
Irgendwie aber, kann ich gar kein gutes Foto machen. Eine Freundin wird dieses Wochenende hoffentlich versuchen besser zu tun. Bis dann musst Ihr meine schlechte Fotos anschauen.

Nächste Woche wird die Decke endlich wieder nach Hause in Wyoming reisen. Als Lohn wird Lars ein neuer Ring für Partner bekommen. Die Freundin ist doch die Selbe die hat vor 17 Jahren ich und Partner Ringe geschmeidet, und seit dann sie auch repariert. Partner hat aber seinen verloren. Jetzt wird er ein neus bekommen.

Rätsel fast gelöst

Geschichte wird kommen.

Na, endlich...

...ist der grosser Strickprojekt fertig. Es wird Später Bilder geben. Erst muss ich mein Atmen holen.

Wüsstet Ihr, http://www.vipfibers.com/ ?

Teaser

Obviously Lars is knitting something big, that he is doing it outside while spending time with piggy is beside the point.

Hab nicht gebloggt aber war nicht untätig.

Geoff has finally come over to the darkside, he's finally got his own tattoos. I had to do the needle work myself, but at least he's got ink.
Endlich ist Geoff zur Dunkelseite gekommen, er hat sein eigene Tätowierung. Ich musste ja selbst der Nadelwerke erledigen, aber wenigstens hat er jetzt Tinte.
Er hat auch zwei neue Mütze. Wenn Ihr wirklich wissen wollen wie sie gestrickt sind, frag Ma, ich werde versuchen zu erklären wie ich sie gestrickt habe. Ich schrieb aber keine Notizen und was ich Ihr sage wird nicht genau sein.
He also has 2 new hats. If you really want to know how they were knit, ask, I'll try to explain how I knit them. I didn't make notes though so the instructions will be vague.

Auch bekam Cous-effe eine neue Mütze. Sie passt doch wohl zu seiner Dreads.

Even cousephew got a new hat. It suits his dreads well.

Der Handwerker.

Cousin wollte mir skizzen als ich strickte in den Sessel dass ich baute.

Snow pig on a snow day

I made it to the bus stop and came to work today. I'll be going home early though. I'll need to stop on the way and stock up on beer and cigarettes though.

Ollie pig decided to come out of her house last night, she quickly changed her mind and shifted into reverse and was back inside in no time.
I had plenty of time to work on Partners newest Vest, we'll go for the view from the back first. The collar comes all the way around and across the back of the neck.
The front view.
Pattern redrawn and sized from the jacket "B" in the center.

Die neue Weste

Geoff wollte eine neue Weste, er hat abgespeckt, sie sollte besonderes sein. Was er ausgewählt hat.
Was ich durchmachen musste weil ich wollte sicher sein dass er möchte wurde was daraus kommen wurde.

Ich glaube ich muss einige zeit verbringen mit nähen

Heutabend hab ich die gezahlt, durch die Jahren hab ich Partner 62 Weste genäht. Auch durch die Jahren müssten sie jeder Jahr ein Bisschen grosser sein weil er auch ein Bisschen grosser geworden durch die Jahren war.

In die vergangene Monaten hat er abgespeckt und es gibt ein Paare seine lieblings Westen die sind jetzt zu gross.

Also,Ich muss versuchen sie kleiner zu machen.

Naja, es gibt auch Hemden, ganz links die Anleitung, daneben ein Hemd die ich davon genäht habe , und rechts von da ein Hemd der er ich mich gekauft hat das er möchte, ein Bisschen zu eng durch die Schulter für mich. Deswegen kaufte ich diese Anleitung. Also den der ich nähte ist zu gross und ich soll jetzt kleinere für Partner nähen, er hat ja schon Stoff gekauft, die zwei ganz rechts.

Hab ich auch gewähnt, er kauft auch Hosen. Sie sind aber zu lang.

Meine Nähmaschine wird doch ein "workout" bekommen.

The G.ee W.hiz I guess it's a Bush hat

Start with an idea, but no real plan as to how to how to make it work.
Size 8 U.S. Needles/ 5mm
Cascade 220 yarn.
Cast on 108 stitches.
Join into a round and work k2, p2 ribbing for 2 inches/ 5cm twisting all the knit stitches. (knit through back of loop).
This yarn was originally a sock that I started and wasn't working out so well so I ripped it out and rewound it not bothering to take out the stripes.
In the hat the stripes didn't really work out all that great but let's not fix it, let's just keep going as if everything is okay. we didn't really have a plan to start with so just keep going.
Begin pattern rows;
Row 1. Begins between the first 2 K stitches. Place a marker.
Bring the yarn forward, slip the next K stitch and P stitch onto the right needle, bring the left needle forward and through the k stitch, slip both stitches off the right needle letting the purl stitch dangle in mid air before catching it back up onto the right needle. insert left needle into P stitch and purl. Bring yarn to the back and K next stitch. (twisted, ktbl)
Now slip the next p stitch and K stitch onto the right needle, bring left needlebehind the work and through the P stitch, slip them off the right needle letting the K stitch dangle before catching it up with the right needle. Insert left needle and K this stitch, p1. Repeat to end of round.
Row 2. knit or Purl the stitches as they are. All Knit stitches are still twisted.
Row 3. P1, cross the 2 k stitches and knit them similar to above instructions, P1. Repeat to end of round.
Row 4. Repeat row 2.
Row 5. as row 1 but the K and P stitches move in opposite directions.
Keep repeating these 4 rows until you have about 5 inches/ 12 cm
Doesn't that make a lovely trellis pattern?
Now it's time to start the decreases.
Decide that you cast on 100 stitches, DO NOT go back and count.
100 divides well by 4, but is 4 decreases per round enough? Probably not. 100 doesn't divide by 6 but it does divide by 5. Pentagonal is good! okay every 20 stitches k 2 together, or in my case it happened to be P 2 together.
Hmmm... there are extra stitches at the end of the round. Do NOT go back and fix it, just keep going as if everything is okay. Decrease every other round staying in Pattern as much as possible, don't worry that it's not really working out evenly or well. Fumble forward! When you have 70 stitches left on the needles you'll realize that you're very confused and your lovely trellis is a mess. Don't stop and fix anything. Go back to your friend the pentagon, forget about the Trellis pattern you intended, knit all stitches twisted, you started with twisted stitches and by golly you're going to finish with the twisted stitches, decreasing evenly 5 stitches per round every round until you have 5 stitches left.
Break off yarn, thread it through the remaining 5 stitches pull tail through to the inside and weave it in. weave in the cast on tail and you're finished.
The most important thing to remember with this hat is to never acknowledge the bad judgement calls, ignore erorrs, don't fix anything, just keep going as if everything is okay.