WIP (Work is Progress)

Conversation on Knitting Daily recently centered on UFO – unfinished objects. Well, I’ve got my own fair share. Thought I’d share the spinning and weaving ones with you this week.

I learned my lesson at SOAR this year: don’t leave your project for the gallery until the last minute. You might not be happy with what you get. I did and I wasn’t! This time around I am starting early. This is the beginning of a shawl. The yarn will be sport weight when it is done. The fiber I began with is merino 60 and bamboo 40 – really quite scrumptious. It is Bonkers fiber that I purchased at Michigan Fiber Fest last summer. Yes, I loved the colors, but I also was intrigued by the fiber content. So, I purchased two four oz. hanks. One hank is on the bobbin, the other is almost half spun. I’m making good progress. Only been at this one for a little over a week – which, of course, means everything else has come to a stand still. That’s my only spinning project, really. Oh, there’s some “demo” roving hanging around, but that doesn’t count. That’s the roving I grab when I spin in public – like at the Tiger game, or whatever. It never looks really nice when it is done and I never have plans for it. Some day, maybe, it will turn into something. In the meantime, it doesn’t count: it’s value is in the demo-ing!

Just off the Baby Wolf  is this piece of fabric. It is a color and weave project that I played with using 10/2 cotton (solid purple) and our handpainted silk (2,000 ypp).  I allowed myself to have fun and play with the tie up and treadling. It is ultimately bound to be needle cases, or perhaps eyeglass cases. Maybe even Christmas presents (sshhhh! don’t tell anybody!).

On the big loom in the living room – the 72″ Cranbrook – I have a very special project. It is a doubleweave blanket that is from wool from a Corriedale ewe Mariah “mothered” at Mt. Bruce Station when she was in elementary school. We purchased Melanie’s wool for two years and I had it spun at Stonehedge Fiber Mill, well, a while back. I first started putting this project on the loom two years ago. I have all the errors worked out of the threading, figured out how to tie up a countermarche loom and I’m ready to go. Just like I’ve been for at least six months! If I took two days, I could have it done. Done and I wouldn’t have to look at it every time I walk past and Mariah would be happy. She’s starting to take it personally! Maybe after I finish the spinning I’ll get back to this.

Another loom at home still has the farkle bag project on it. Enough for two more bags. The bags that were finished (like the one above), were in Handwoven in the Sept/Oct issue, which means that loom has been sitting there staring at me since July. I just haven’t been able to waste the warp (as much as I want to some days), so there it sits. That’s an afternoon’s work. Could happen soon too.

The last loom with a project on it is in my office. It’s got a baby blanket on it that is just about ready to weave. I should be able to finish it up over the weekend or maybe even before. The warp is Bambu 7 and it weaves beautifully. Just beautifully. The first project on the same warp was cut off today. It was a shawl woven in a waffle weave. Now I will resley the reed and make a denser fabric for a baby blanket working with the point twill threading. I’m looking forward to playing around on the computer tonight to come up with a plan for finishing it. Fun stuff!!

Okay, so, I’ve confessed. No dogs to cut off, just a bit of work to be done. Good thing I’m not allergic to it. I’ll show you the projects when they are done! Sooner rather than later.