new weaving project started

getting the loom out finally.  Starting a new project.  It is pretty much going to be posted on facebook, since my few followers are all friends there :)  I will post the finished project when done.

my plan is basically 6 purple 12 vari 6 green 12 vari repeating and ending with purple. My loom has a 26 inch weaving width so will be 24.5 inches wide. I am winding just over 3 yards of warp

Next weaving project is....

Collingwood Workshop

http://www.tabbytreeweaver.com/collingwood%20workshop%202011-1%20flyer.pdf
“3 End Block Weaves”
Jason Collingwood is coming to Tabby Tree Weaver
on May 12, 13 & 14, 2012. A great way to spend
Mother's Day!!! Jason is "The" guru on rug weaving.
He will be teaching 3-end block weave. You do NOT
need a special loom for this. A table loom or small
workshop loom will work fine. Looms must come
dressed and ready to use. Information will be sent on
supplies. All levels of weavers may participate. Due to space constraints looms must
be kept to Baby Wolfs (26") or smaller.
Class fee: $200.00 per person and class size is limited to 20 participants. Registration
will open on January 18th with a $100.00 deposit required to reserve your spot.
Remainder of the fee will be due by April 1, 2012. Cancellations made prior to 30 days
of the workshop will be refunded except for a $25.00 administration fee. Cancellations
made 30 days or less prior to the workshop will not be refunded.
To register: Please contact Tabby Tree Weaver with your credit card information or
please send your check. If responding by email, please include all contact info so that I
may get back to you. Please do NOT send your credit card information in your email.
Contact number: 317-984-5475
Email: tabbytreeweaver@comcast.net
If you should have any further questions, please send your inquiries to:
Tabby Tree Weaver
PO Box 106
Arcadia, IN 46030
I will be happy to answer any questions this way.

Inkle Trim request for HRH Julianna

A commission for Her Royal Highness via Bryna, desired was something easy and free form, with white or silver.  We ended up working out green and white.

And the finished project:

Halvdrall kitchen towels

Oct 31 2011

11/28/2011 Finally got it on the loom and started!

close up

Here is my current project.  This is an overshot pattern, and I am changing not only the weft color but the tabby color with each strip of weft you see here.  Whew its going to take a while, but I am trying to get it done for Christmas presents.  The pattern is half, one, and one and a half inch stripes in blue, red, green and purple.  The blue is not as light as its showing in the photo. I have a few threading errors, this one was tough.  I thought about it, fixed one of them that I thought looked bad, and then thought, they are design elements!  

Needle Felted Lamb

Felted Lamb
Take some freshly shorn Romney wool and wash and dry it

Card it with your Ashford Flick Carder

When it is all nice and fluffy, blend in some black mixed breed wool with your Ashford Flick Carder.  Reserve some unblended black and white for later.

Blend until you have a nice mix, but not so much that you can no longer see the individual colors.
Gather your felting supplies.  A hard surface if you are working on your lap, or a work table.  A towel to keep the fleece from sliding off.  Your choice of felting needles, I like the Clover Pen Style Needle Felting Tool which has two needles in it, but you can use a single just as easily.  You also need either a felting mat or brush to work on. 

We will start with the legs of the lamb. Use the mixed wool in all steps unless otherwise instructed.  You want to make 4 evenly shaped legs, about the size of your pinky, felting stiffly the bottom 2/3rds.   To make each leg., roll a tube of wool and lay it on your mat or brush and poke it with your felting needle and turn it as you go, to keep the leg an even tube.  Be sure to round the ends of the feet and leave the top 1/3 loose and fluffy to attach later.
Next make the body, roll an oval ball about the size of the palm of your hand.
Felt the entire ball until firm, adding more layers of wool to get the size you want. 

Next we want to attach the legs to the body. 

Starting with the hind legs, lay the fluffy top 1/3 that you did not felt over the round body of the lamb, felt in place.

Repeat for the rest of the legs, positioning them two in front and two in back.  Here is where I am working on the back legs, smoothing the fluffy tops around the body evenly.  When attaching the legs, don’t forget to go to the inside of the legs as well.  You want your lamb to be able to stand on its own.

Add a small tuft of wool for a tail, shaping as you prefer.

Next make a small ball of wool for the neck.  You can attach it now to the body or attach it to the head here in a moment, and then to the body, whichever is more comfortable for you.  I have attached it here to the body.

My lamb is a black faced lamb.  Roll a ball, about the size of your first joint of your thumb for the head out of the black wool.  Leave some loose like you did for the legs on one side to attach to the neck and attach it, working the wool over and onto the neck
Be sure to felt the head and neck on tight, checking during felting, and checking that your head is not too heavy or large for your lamb to stand on its own.  It’s easier to pull off and make a new head now than later.  .  Take a few wisps of mixed wool and layer it over the join of the head, to blend in the black of the head to the body more evenly.

Time for some little ears!  Roll a very tiny little ball of mixed wool and flatten it

Decide where you want your ears to be on the head and felt a little dip in the head where they will be placed.  Then felt the side of the ear in the dip and shape and form the ears so they stick up.

Next are the eyes.  Use some of the white wool and like you did with the ears, locate on the head where you want to place the eyes and felt a little first.  Make a very tiny round ball of white and felt it into the head, sinking the eye in some.  Felt a little for a smile or mouth if desired.

How does she look?  Have any loose parts?  Go over the body and felt any loose areas.
 

All done!
As an option, if you want, you can also add a tongue to our little lamb.  Take a little tuft of white and felt a flat ball.
 

Just like you did for the ears felt in a little tongue in the mouth.  I found it easier to felt from the top to the bottom.



Thanks so much and enjoy!

Noelle had a little lamb

My first attempt at a needle felted lamb.  Made of 100% wool, with no chemical processing.