Lake Bound

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I think I actually pulled it off.   I really do.  My teaching stuff is organized, my clothes for the trip Friday are packed, my handouts are printed, the house is reasonably tidy (as long as you use my personal definition of reasonable) and I’ve flung a pair of shorts, some yarn and a bathing suit into a laundry basket, downloaded a new audiobook, and if I’m lucky, five minutes from now I’ll plunk that in the car, hit a grocery store for supplies, and be on the road to the cottage pretty close to my goal time of 11am.   I’m not sure how I pulled off everything last night, but I’m pretty sure I folded time at least twice, and this morning has demanded a rather uncommon amount of caffeine.  Still, it’s done, and showing you this scarf is the last thing on my list before I’m out the door.  Remember this yarn?

I spun it last month with the goal of it becoming a scarf, and this weekend, that’s exactly what it became.  I warped my Cricket loom (I used my 8 dent reed)

and decided I would try something a little different. 

I experimented with Soumak (that’s the funky lines that look like knitting)

and with leno (that’s the screwed up bunches of yarn that were supposed to come out really differently, but are still sort of interesting.)

The goal was to try and do something other than a plain weave – I’m a little sick of it – and I don’t think it’s the loom that’s limiting me… it’s my skills. I’m not sure I’m thrilled with the results though, I think I need a lot more practice.  Maybe I’ll put the loom in the car too.

Before I go, a few gifts?

Kirsten at Be Bold My Love has a great gift.

A $50 gift certificate for fibre or yarn in her shop. I’d have a hard time choosing. Let’s hope that Lora H has an easier time.

Not to be outdone, Tara at Dragonfly Dyewerx has a beautiful skein to send off to  Jeani.

It’s her sparkle sock in Emerald Lake.   I hope Jeani loves it.

Christian  of Radioactive Rabbit has a heck of a gift.  She donated before, but this time she said that if you guys made my second goal a reality she’d donate a $100 gift certificate to her shop. 

That makes her just about my favourite person today, and I know that Tami is going to agree.  Enjoy!   (Also, I’d appreciate it if you all took a look at what she’s up to.  It’s a race to benefit project Open Hand, and she’s making a great commitment.  Maybe it’s something you want to help her with? )

Alison Hyde specializes in generous, and so it’s no surprise that she’s got a signed copy of her book to mail off to Diane G.

By now you’ve all figured out that I have a bit of a thing for handmade soaps, so I like this one a lot.  Tara over at On a Branch Soaps

will be sending Sara B two soaps of her choice.  (I would be taking the Green Tea and the Rosemary Mint.)

Voila! Now. If you don’t mind? I have a date with a lake.

72 thoughts on “Lake Bound”

  3. Thanks for showing us your scarf! Have you tried any Swedish weaving? There are some great ways to do pick up and I even have towels with sheep on them that was done using a weaver’s sword to weave in the pattern.
    Also, you’re one of my favourite people too today! I ran 3 miles yesterday and was talking to another runner. She was shocked that I am 25 and made the commitment to the race in such a large way. Thursday I’m taking the day off and am going to go to San Francisco to walk the course so I can check out the hills I’ll be running.
    Thanks again and enjoy your week!

  5. I love the scarf!! Weaving is so cool, but something I would never do. I have a feeling that you said that same thing a few years ago though. It’s a cycle, kind of like spinning. You go from “I would never do that,” to “I think it’s kinda cool,” to “Is that an Ashford or a Tina there in the corner over there.”

  7. It’s not the loom; a rigid heddle can be made to do a lot of interesting things. I know you teach knitting classes, have you thought of taking a weaving class? Something just to get you over the ‘plain weave’ hump? You can do a lot of interesting ‘pickup’ patterns using a dowel and some string heddles, or your fingers.

  9. I like the scarf, though I can sort of see what you mean by leno. The soumak looks pretty awesome though.
    My loom is still warped and waiting for me to weave enough to make a Denny skirt. Here’s hoping for awesome!

  10. It’s lovely all around…yarn, scarf, beer acquisition…
    I’m jealous that you’re going to a lake today. Of course, I could go to the San Francisco Bay but it’s cold in there.
    Perhaps a day of knitting with Little Man around. We’ll see how that goes 🙂

  14. Oh you sweetie. I’m going to be blushing happily all day.
    Love love love your scarf! Love the generosity of all towards one another and towards the AIDS patients and the riders.

  15. I live at the lake, here in Manitoba, so I can’t be envious of you going to the lake, except that yours is in Ontario and in roughly the area where I pine to be. However, I’m not even going to be at “my” lake today, as I must drive to the city for purchases that are not to be had in this tiny tourist paradise. Still, it’s a gorgeous day, and my quest is a righteous one, so it’s still all good.

  22. At the bike ride, was there anything about Gold jerseys this year? I thought in years past if you raised X amount of money or made your goal or some such, you got a special gold jersey. Am I wrong? You raised more money than anyone else, right? Should you have a platinum jersey? lol

  23. Since I’m more than thrilled with your weaving results that should offset your less than thrilled, landing us just at plain ol’ thrilled. (Honestly, I think the colors and texture are spectacular.)
    Have fun at the lake. Wear sunscreen.

  25. “If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” Loren Eisley
    Enjoy the lake.

  26. Have a wonderful time… but please don’t get so caught up in cottage life that you forget Twist! I am so looking forward to your class on Sunday.

  28. Yea, Steph!!!! Have a wonderful time and kiss Marlowe’s sweet cheeks for me 🙂

  29. I just borrowed a book from the library called Weavers Idea Book; creative cloth on a rigid heddle loom by Jane Patrick (Interweave Press, 2010 ISBN 978-1-59668-175-0) that is full of ideas for rigid heddle weaving. I can’t wait to get a chance to try things out, I’m already thinking I need to buy my own copy of the book.

  31. Twill? Huck? I like huck — my wedding dress was huck (woven by my mother). Which makes me ask — what do you do with a 22 year old handwoven wedding dress when you have all boys?

  32. I’ll second the suggestion for Jane Patrick’s Weaving Ideas Book. I have it and my RH weaving is full of non plain weave fun.

  33. Fold time! that’s what I want to learn how to do.
    Do you give classes in that?
    have a wonderful time and I think the scarf is pretty wonderful.

  37. although I have olfactory problems with perfumed/scented products, I do like the way the soap bars look like slices of fudge.

  41. Have a WONDERFUL time at the cottage!
    It is a mark of my fondness for you and all you do that I wish you this despite the fact that you make the rigid heddle loom in the corner grouse at me about not being warped, and that one of your earlier posts caused me to order North Ronaldsay roving that I in no way needed but suddenly had to have….
    But really, do have a wonderful time!

  42. Wonderful scarf, LOVE the colours (and of course I loved the yarn when you spun it), and since I know absolutely nothing about weaving, I didn’t notice any flaws at all.
    Isn’t the alchemy of dyeing/spinning/knitting fun? I’m always surprised at how final product works out. The roving never produces the yarn I expect, and then the yarn, once knit transforms into something different again.
    BTW, very pleased and humbled to have been chosen to recieve Be Bold my Love’s wonderful gift. It WILL be hard to choose…

  44. Have a great time. You have certainly earned it 🙂
    And I absolutely love the yarn! I squeeze when I got the email and even more when I realized which one it was. (I saw the post earlier today and thought it was beautiful but didn’t pay any attention to the names because I’m one of those people who never win things.), Thanks so much as it was my pleasure to support your team.

  45. Love the scarf. The so-called “flaws” give it character and panache.
    Did you forget to pack undies again? Or were those among the supplies you’re picking up from the store on the way to the cabin?

  46. Yeahhh – you made it 🙂 that makes me happy. Gee, you did alot in just a little bit of time.

  47. I am experiencing scarf envy—I spin, and have bought a Cricket and several beautiful braids of hand-painted roving with the intention of some serious scarf weaving . So far, I’ve only spun up two of the braids. I’ve been side-tracked by the heat and Hunter Hammersen’s latest sock book.

  48. Lovely scarf, hope you don’t mind if I say it looks very Tweedy, which is a look I really love.

  49. Thanks for the photos. Love your interesting weaving. Hope you have a wonderful time at the lake. Get all rested and all the happiness you can get. Time flies. Make the most of it.

  50. Thank you for making me Google “Soumak”. Found this site for instructions (http://gfwsheep.com/soumak/soumak1.inst.html). It looks pretty straight forward. I’ll be trying it soon. Hopefully I’ll end up with a new technique to add to my weaving skills.
    Enjoy your new scarf and the trip to the lake. In some circles you might be called a “lake cottage recidivist”.

  51. I’m with you on practice, only, with me it is spinning on a wheel, I still get the “footpedal” stopping its rythm or is it my rythm. Well, practice will have to wait till autumn, because summer has finally come and I hope to enjoy here in the Netherlands, although Sunday was too hot.
    About tidyness, well, I have a wallplate with the text: “I am not chaotic, I am f L eX ibl E”, that says it all. In my chaos I can find anything, besides, everyone in my house is getting fed and cleandressed in time and nobody has ever fallen ill, they have healthful antibodies and my house is clean enough to be safe. I refuse to live in a showroom, I go for cosy. Enjoy your trip and maybe this is the first time you have packed NOT at the last minute, so it must be an O=ly+mpic achievement worth of gold.

  53. Wishing you a great trip…as for the scarf, I would be overwhelmed to receive such a gift! It’s so beautiful and the colors are so fabulous. Since you are not thrilled with it, I would be overwhelmed to receive such a gift!

  54. I live just northeast of you and the leaves are starting to change. One day it was green and now suddenly there are bits of red and yellow cropping up here and there. The squirrels have doubled their efforts to remove every nut from our black walnut tree and the birds are flocking on the phone wires. Enjoy these last precious days of summer at the lake!
    And the scarf? Totally gorgeous!

  55. You had time to weave before leaving on a trip? I don’t know how you do it. I’d be able to pack up knitting stuff, but actually work on a project while I’m running around packing? Not me. I’d be chasing the dustballs first.

  57. The scarf is just beautiful! The colours and the pattern are just gorgeous.
    Enjoy your trip!

  61. As I don’t weave I have no idea what Leno is “supposed” to look like, but I really hope you made yourself some notes on what you actually did, because it’s a really pretty pattern!

  64. Love that scarf and the yarn is to die for. It happens to be one of my favorite colors.
    Have fun at the lake and take a break! We love you for posting as much as you do, but everybody needs to sit back relax and keep knitting.

  68. Not my favorite color viariety but the attempt at something new looks like fun. I need to do the same.

  70. A quick note to say “thanks for a wonderful read”. Your newest work “All Wound Up” was great fun as well as sweet. Life is so ironic.
    Um, the chapter about “washie” was hilarious. I actually read a few passages to my 20 something kids. I couldn’t help it! They were patient.
    There is alot in what you write that is right on the mark about how a yarnie can feel. Really enjoy your books! Again thanks.

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