Much better!

Our weave/study group is studying block weaves which was our topic of study about two years ago. Many of us, myself included, still couldn’t claim to have a clear understanding. At our last meeting we submitted for comment our profile draft, weave structure and choice of yarns to Patty, our study leader. I chose 8/2 Tencel and turned twill for my project. She said she thought it would be pretty, but when I came home and put the profile draft in my weaving software, it was absolutely too busy to be an attractive scarf. I was stumped and that’s when I decided to weave the overshot table runners.
This last month has been pretty busy but our group is meeting this week, tomorrow in fact, and I don’t want to lose to opportunity to solidify my understanding of block weaves, so Saturday I found a profile draft in Strickler’s eight-shaft book and put it in my software. Then I wound a dark purple warp and got it beamed on.  Sunday I threaded and sleyed the reed and by then it was too dark to see. Monday morning I wove this far and I absolutely love it! II had to idea what it would look like.

I had some time this afternoon so started on a new towel.  I chose a weft with the exact same value instead of a lighter one, and these are much more pleasing to my eye.  I might even try orange on the third towel!

Monday afternoon I went up to the local community college to attend an art class. I knew it was full and I was five on the wait-list but I just threw myself on the instructor’s mercy, and hallelujah, I’m in! For the first time in twenty years I am attending college, and I even have a parking permit to keep tickets off my windshield. Yes, I got one.  The class is Drawing 1.  I’ve put off learning to draw long enough. The next ten weeks are going to be very busy.

I finished this sweater for my granddaughter-to-be and will gift it at the baby shower next month.  It’s Malabrigo Rios and while I love the look of the yarn and enjoy working with it, it seems too heavy for a baby sweater.  The yarn I’m knitting now is from Swans Island, gauge 25 stitches to 4” and I like it much better.

I just ordered another cone from Bartlett Yarns in Maine.  I like the hand of the cloth when it’s finished and I like the feel of the wool in my fingers.  The hitch is that I have to skein and wash all of the yarn before I can start knitting.

This is the sweater I’ll knit with it, another Heidi Kirrmaier design.  I’ve gotten spoiled with the perfection of her patterns so when I first started knitting the Swans Island yarn, I chose a sweater pattern from Ravelry.  It was cute and seemed to have a lot of happy knitters.  The errors by the time I had knit 2” made me throw in the towel.  Instead I’m going with a pattern from Garn Studio called Baby Fir Jacket.

It’s much easier to follow and this is how far I got starting this morning.  Much better when the instructions are better!
Tomorrow is going to be a full day, weave/study in the morning in Redmond and art class in Bend in the afternoon.  I’m going to eat cold pizza in the car for lunch, I hope it doen’t snow!