Black Sparkle Cowl!

Whew, finally done with this gorgeous extra large cowl. Yes, cowl! A tube for your head! ha, ha...

I created this on circular needles

So I started this lovely in early fall. Made a huge mistakes, ripped it out, made another huge mistake and ripped it out completely again. Finally, I got it finished up. It is super soft and has a nice band of contrasting yarn with a bit of sparkle on each end of the cowl. Adds that little extra fun.

Close up of detail yarn added for sparkle

I love cowls! They are the most fun. You can wear them around your neck as a super warm scarf or you can pull them up on your head as well as a hood/scarf. So very versatile and adds that extra to a simple dress or basic coat.

Black Sparkle Cowl!

I created this by alternating 4 pearled stitched rows with 4 knit rows. I noticed this keeps it from curling up on itself.

It really is a tube!

I am very glad I hung in there with this project. I think I made the mistakes I did because of the dark yarn I was working with. It is harder to see than a lighter yarn. So I learned to move into really good working light. It made all the difference. And I just keep on going! Now I have a fun project to sell and I have lots of new ideas in mind to try for the next few cowls I am planning to create!

Rat-A-Tat-Tat

I have had the best time learning to tat over this past summer. Now I am working on creating lace for garments and some holiday snowflakes to either be worked into an outfit, used as jewelry or simply an ornament.

Double Five Spoke Tatted Snowflake

I got into this because my great grandmothers use to tat long ago. When they both passed away I inherited their tools and over the years it added up to a lot! So, I decided I would take it upon myself to give it a whirl. It was not easy! It took me basically a week following detailed instructions from books and only 1 or 2 videos on You Tube were helpful.

Close-up

At first, as typical when I am learning something new in fibers, I was so tense I made the double stitches very tight! And I did not figure out "The Flip" for a while. "The Flip" is the KEY to tatting.

Look here to get a pretty good instruction on how to tat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as2gXQ-RYeQ&feature=related

Detail of a lace pattern I am creating.

After I learned & mastered "The Flip" for the double stitches and then how to make a picot I was on my way. I loosened up and it is such a comfortable relaxing activity now. It's slow going and really does take a long time, but for me it is very rewarding.

I am going to quit writing for now and go sit down in my favorite rose chair by the window, watch the snow fall and work on a custom order for snowflakes I need to get done by the 14th! Happy Tatting!

I finally let my son know...

This is a break from my regular postings. Something from my perspective and something dear to me...

It was something I had gone over and over in my mind for many years. How do I tell my child about the Autism Spectrum Disorders he has? How do I make sure it is a positive experience? How do I not scare him, make him feel less than what he is, how do I spin this?

I have thought of this since he was a baby. When he was about 18 months old his father and I read about Asperger's Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder. We knew we were onto something when we read the article in Wired Magazine. It added up even at a young age.

My son met all the milestones on time, he potty trained in a reasonable amount of time and he could dress himself, etc. He had a very hard time speaking. He had a hard time with fine motor skills, loud sounds, gross motor skills. He was very, very routine dependent. He couldn't vary even his feeding schedule without a major meltdown. When he could sit up and manipulate items he would put one item, one at a time, behind him until they were all gone. Then he would turn around and do it all again and again and again and again.

He was such a sweet child until you have to make him do something. Then he would pout, he use to snarl at his teachers, mumble, etc. He would react strongly. Not so much anymore.

We have had him evaluated, diagnosed, and in therapies since he was three. He finally spoke his first sentence at the age of three with the help of speech therapy. I'll tell you something too, speech therapist are people I have a ton of respect for. How they get these kids to do what they can't is amazing to me. I have watched/observed sessions for 7 years now. I am always awed.

Occupational therapist are another miracle on this Earth. My son has been in this also since he was 3 and just graduated from this in September right when he hit 10. I have seen over the years things happen and progress that I never in my life thought would happen. Now, my son does not have major problems, just lack of coordination, vestibular issues, fine motor skills that were very poor. Not major, but enough to be a problem. His running was not good, his climbing was not good, his writing was not good, his coordination was not there. Now, he is capable of anything, but not really willing to do it. Just doesn't come naturally like it does for my other children who are completely capable and climb everything they can.

So recently there have been some problems with anxiety and maybe even low grade depression, lack of self-esteem, etc. I have a feeling there has been some bullying along the way. Which breaks my heart. So my husband and I have sought out some extra help for our son. And in the process of this I knew it was time to let him know.

I asked him if he ever wondered why he went to see the people he does. He wasn't sure. He had always done it. He's been told before to make him stronger, smarter, better. That is true. But the real why of it just wasn't there. And I know my child. I know when he wonders what the word diagnosis means. What is Asperger's? What is a spectrum disorder? What is autism?  I know he has thought of it and even asked before to some degree. I have also always told him if he wanted to know anything to just ask.


So two weeks ago I sat with him and I told him that everyone needs help for something. That everyone, even his dad and I, have had help. That what makes him him is what makes him so wonderful. That his way of looking at the world is unique and beautiful. I told him he has Asperger's Syndrome. That it is an autism spectrum disorder. I spoke to him about sensory integration dysfunction and how sound bothers him sometimes. Nothing in depth, but just basic terms and explanations. More can follow later when he is ready. He understood it all. In fact, I think he was a little relieved. Sometimes knowing something about yourself helps you go forward in life. Kind of like that light bulb moment that we have from time to time. Answers can lead to progress in this case, a positive experience.

I believe everything I told him. I do believe he is unique and beautiful. That he will not fail because he has the tools that will help him throughout life. That is okay to ask for help because everyone needs it from time to time.

I also think autism is a gift. Not just for my son, but for me. Before my child came into my life I know I was made the way I am, perceptive as hell, because it would help me be the mom I wanted to become. Autism has taught me huge amounts of patience, that I can't fix everything, that I can ask for help, that my child is not a problem, but a solution. I feel that he will grow and become an adult who will follow his dreams because he will not look at these things as problems, but he will use his gift as the solution. I truly believe this. I always have. I always will.

I am glad I told him. I am happy for the one-on-one experiences I still get with him. My child is amazing and has an amazing mind. Sometimes when I sit with him he talks to me about his dreams and ideas and it just blows me away. Just like any child can blow away their parents. I am grateful to have him in my life because he makes me feel important, makes me feel whole and I know I am loved. He tells me of the places he will go and what he wants to learn. And you know what? I am gonna back him all the way. Because I have always believed in him and his abilities even when he would tell me he couldn't do something. I could see how hard he was struggling. I always told him to keep trying no matter what. To keep trying and never give up. Just like my parents told me. And you know what else? He's accomplished much these past seven years and becoming such a fine young man. He will continue to accomplish so much more and completely blow me away. I couldn't be more proud of him.

Have a Cowl Man!

Oh Cowls...the new rage. At least for me they are. I have been thinking about making cowls for about two years now. They are so nice to wear as a scarf wrapped around your neck or even pulled up over your head like a hood. Very nice addition to a wardrobe especially if you live in a cold climate where you need that extra warmth!

Drapes beautifully around your shoulders and neck.

So far I have created two and I like they way they turned out. The first is the Autumn Cowl. Nice rusty reds and oranges with some teals, yellows and greens throughout. I didn't knit this one in the round, but instead I just knitted a rectangle. Then I sewed up a seam to join the two shorter sides of the rectangle creating a tube.

The cowl worn as a hooded piece. 

I knitted my next cowl in the round with circular needles. So much fun! A little harder to keep track of where I was so I put a safety pin in where I started. Worked like a charm! So instead of buying all those little plastic stitch holders that are expensive there is a tip...safety pins do the same thing! I have named this cowl Orange Crush. It is so very soft and really flows well.

The Orange Crush cowl worn as a scarf.

Love them! I am going to make one for me even which just doesn't happen, but I am determined to have a black one in the softest material like Orange Crush.

Take a look around out there on Etsy. There are tons of style... so big that loop a couple times around you, some are narrow and just for your neck, some are very open weaves and look just gorgeous! There are also a lot of free patterns out there if you do a search.

So "Have a Cowl Man!" and make a fashion statement this year with you wardrobe!

Val Weaves Like She's Playing the Piano

That is what my friend told her grandma the other day after watching me work at my loom. It hit home with me. I talk about this all the time to people who will listen. Like everything in life, there is a rhythm to weaving with the treadling of harness changes and passing of the shuttles. I can see where she could see that in weaving.

That passing back and forth, working the loom, and watching the weaving grow into my art is relaxing for me. Once you get the rhythm down you fly. Before you know it you've woven several feet of material. It's like I fall into this zone and the music I set in the background helps me keep pace with what I am doing.  I always have music on, or I am thinking of music in my head, or singing when weaving.

There are days I do not find that ease and grace...there are days I struggle with just how much to beat the material into place and those days drive me nuts! I recently had one. I was weaving with my favorite ~ pearl cotton. Beautiful material ~ deep violet, but for me who was trained and worked as a rug weaver was finding it hard to do that "lack" of whacking the reed against the material. Meaning I needed to be more gentle and consistently softer with the material. So I achieved this awful banding in the material. It's where your beating is not consistent and then you end up with this uneven beaten effect. NOT GOOD!

See the darker areas where I beat the material more? makes banding...

So, in order to get my project done on time I switched material. I chose a cotton yarn, but mixed in with a little flax and rayon to help me out. It's not as soft and smooth, but it worked. Because truth be told even though I am a weaver and worked as a weaver I have not woven consistently for a long time...since about 1998 exactly.  So, I unwove the material which was about 22 inches and started all over. And guess what? It worked. The new material worked out much better for me and I am happy with the result!

Switching material and using a color that was closer to the warp color helped.

This just goes to show that practice makes perfect and everyone needs to practice their technique. Everyone can improve on what they are good at. And I play the piano also...which I haven't played or practiced in a long time. Maybe I should get back to that and find that rhythm I need for the more delicate work I would like to achieve on the loom. I see scales in my near future!

I'll Probably Die with Fiber in Hand

I told that above to a friend yesterday and I am completely convinced I will. You know it's true. I know it's true. Fibers are becoming more and more a part of my life because I want them to be.

But have you ever loved something so much it's very hard to put it down? Think about it. Music in your headphones as you run down a beautiful path or a book that has you captivated. That's how I am with fibers. There's something to making something by hand. I put myself into every stitch I make. A part of me is in every pass of the shuttle when it flies through the shed as I weave. Creating is an extension of me.

I am completely drawn to the feel of some yarns and threads. They are just incredible. Some are soft and relaxed while others are more rigid and refined. Some have slubs, bumps, lumps in them that make for a fun texture. They are all unique and have their own characteristics that defines what they will be made into. It's up to the artist to figure out how to manipulate them and make them into something new.

I will probably create as long as I live and I figure I'll die creating. Because really living means doing what you absolutely love. You should do what you love as long as you can. That is exactly what I intend to do.

Autumn Cowl hot off the needles!

Paper Woven Cards

My second activity I provided at FestivALL in Charleston, WV this past June was weaving with paper. This was the shorter and simpler project to choose from for the children. They could do both if they wanted.

I cut slits in blank cards to weave narrow pieces of handmade paper through. The paper we wove with was hand-made and a very wide variety of colors. Loads of glitter were on a lot of the pages too. Extra sparkle is always hard to pass over!

Here are some fun photos from the those two hot days in June!

Getting started, over and under!

Couldn't have done this all without Mom and Stephanie!

A parent assisting their child

What a fun time we had!

Treasure Pouches woven by kids!

FestivALL in Charleston, WV was so much fun this past June. I had the pleasure of teaching weaving to children on cardboard looms I had made for them. 

What is GREAT is that some of the kids I taught have sent in photos. I also included other photos to show you what we did those fun days in late June.

In two days in I introduced approximately 120 children to weaving. That's a lot! I am so happy I was a part of FestivALL. It was a great experience and I would completely do it all over again!  Enjoy!

Completed Treasure Pouches! 

Made by Xander, 5-years-old, Charleston, WV

Made by Emma M., WV

Another made by Emma M., WV

Made by Maggie, 4-years-old, Lexington, KY

 

Here's some photos from two days of fun!

Setting up for the crowds!

My Mom measuring out some of the yarn.

Starting at the bottom of the loom and going around, up and over...

Here I am working with the kids and parents.

Kid working hard with their parents assisting.

Close up of a child weaving on the cardboard loom.

Working on the flap for the pouch! Very close to done.

A child working on the flap for the pouch. Almost done!

Ready to slip off the loom!

One of the kids stayed pretty much all day and here's what she did! 

Almost done! 

Completely finished. She had the biggest smile!

I'm back baby!

Oh, what a long hot summer this has been. I took the summer off blogging to spend with my kids at the pool, traveling and learning new fiber related arts. Had a lot of fun this summer and I am glad I had the opportunity to do what I did! 

At the beginning of summer I had the pleasure of working in the tents at FestivALL in my old stomping grounds of Charleston, WV. I taught kids how to weave Treasure Pouches on cardboard looms. I also had an optional project of hand-woven paper cards. I could not have done it with out the help from my mom and my sister-in-law Stephanie. We had a lot of fun in the humid, hot tents! My next two posts will focus what the kids made. I am so excited to share them.

School has begun for all my children and it's now time to get back to what I love. I am changing my focus a bit on this blog. I will be blogging about new things I have been working on for FibersStudio, projects I have planned and all the things that I am passionate about which includes some subjects that aren't fibers related. So you will be getting a bit larger view of my world.

Hope you have enjoyed your summer and getting ready to find projects to focus on in the shorter days with me. Are you ready?

Woven Cards for the Kids of FestivALL!

I am happy to have finally made an example of this woven card to show you. It's a great example of what the woven cards that kids of any age will be creating by hand at FestivALL! I am really excited to be working with the kids and this is a free activity in the Children's "Make and Take" tents. I will be demonstrating on Saturday the 26th of June from 10-6 and then on Sunday the 27th of June from 11-5 in Charleston, WV in front of the library downtown.

I start from a simple card that comes with an envelope. I then cut 1/2" inch slits horizontally in the card so you can weave paper vertically though them. I have cut the papers down to 1/2" strips. Here is the basic example:

I am also cutting a frame to go around the woven area. Or I may just cut paper so kids can glue stick four different papers around as a frame. Might be easier over all to just plan on the latter.

To also give it a nice finish there will be a blank sheet we place on the inside of the card to hide the woven paper from the inside.  Here is just a small example of the papers from which the kids get to choose.:

A lot of the papers are hand-made and have glitter, too. It's a fun and quick project that I hope just let's kids play with paper and learn to simply weave. You can use it as a thank you card, birthday card, etc.

Hope to see you there and can't wait to be in the tents!

Remembering Fall Wall Hanging - Hand-dyed wool yarn

When I was in grad school I had the wonderful experience of taking a spinning and dyeing class. What a world of information I learned, and was completely turned on to dyeing yarns. The class focused on wool, and I was amazed at the amount of colors we came up with. This is nothing new. People have been dyeing wool and other fibers for centuries, but what fun it was for me.

Here are some examples of what I learned. I created these cards as a recipe box to keep, and glad I did that I seeing I want to do this again soon!

Hand-dyeing yarn is a slow process, but a very rewarding one. You don't have to do a project like this one where I used many, many colors together. You can simply dye one skein of yarn and weave, knit or crochet a scarf or any project you choose! With dying your own yarn you get the exact color you like and that is the benefit once you know the technique of which natural dye to use. No one else's art will look like yours because you benefit from the knowledge you gained in dyeing wool. 

"Remembering Fall" is simply an elegant addition to your home. Creatively hand-woven in an eight-harness twill pattern. Each color has been dyed individually by me to achieve the color palette I desired. I designed the weaving as I wove it grabbing the color I thought I wanted to go next to the other and so forth. I finished the wall hanging by twisting the tassels.

The color palette is reminiscent of the soft dull hues of fall. Think of walking through a field, forest or along a pond for color inspirations for this art piece during an early fall day.

This should be hung in your stair well or on a wall away from direct sunlight or artificial light so that the colors do not fade. It could also be a wide table runner or placed over another piece of furniture like an upright piano as a runner. "Remembering Fall" was lovingly created to enhance your home and bring joy to your life every day.

The size of this wall hanging is 22" (approximately) x 72" (approximately - tassels included).

The Best Thing

The best thing happened to me on Saturday. A little guy (around 5 years of age) who I had taught cardboard weaving to came up to me at a rock concert for kids and told me how much he worked on his coin/treasure pouch project. His mom told me how much he really loved it! I was so happy to meet her and see the pride in her eyes. He finished it for his art show that he is having with his classmates in pre-K today. He even named his treasure pouch. How fun!

 

(In the picture I have removed the artist's name. You can still see what he has titled it and what his asking price is. This is a pre-K class and they are learning how to count money and give back change, etc. at their very own art exhibition. His parents will be "buying" this from him.)

 

I am enjoying teaching again. Just a little here and there. I don't have to get through to every child ~ not at all. This past Saturday I really did learn that a student I was teaching last Wednesday totally got into weaving.  This is what makes me happy and I am still smiling.

 

The fun thing about this coin/treasure pouch is that it involves several processes that are core to a child's everyday education. It teaches eye/hand coordination, planning ahead to the next step, the concept of opposites and then of course fine motor skill. It encourages concentration and focus. It is a project that shows the child instant results as they watch their weaving grow into what they are creating. They then begin to understand how something is made. Which then will lead to understanding and questioning how other things are created or made. Logic is never ever a bad thing. Right?


What I love most though is that this "technology" is as old as man practically. People have been weaving for a long, long time. It's a very simple process and yet it takes effort and persistence. Of course it came around because of necessity. People needed shelter over their heads, clothing on their bodies, and items to carry their goods or even babies in.

We take weaving for granted a lot today. Our jeans we wear are woven, not knitted. Most fabric for our furniture, sheets for our beds, curtains for our windows and even our tents are woven. So we still are using weaving in the same way, but today it is done for us. We do not have to create that which we need. We go buy it. Unless you are me and enjoy making what I want!

So, for me just planting some creative ideas into the minds of others in order to understand a process I am in love with ~ some would probably say obsessed with ~ gives me a lot of joy. Once you understand the process and master the technique then your creativity kicks in. New and beautiful things start to happen. Things you dreamed about creating now become reality and you can then share them with the world. This is what art is at it's core and what drives me.

Not too long ago I decided I would get back to what I love and I came up with some plans.  I am so glad I did. This little kid absolutely has made my year and stole my heart. I can't wait until I teach the next time to see what I learn from those I work with one on one. Then see what they create and take away from the project. Learning is life long and the best thing in my opinion.

An invitation to FestivALL's Children's Make and Take booths!

I am so very excited and honored. I was invited to teach in the "Make and Take" Children's booth for FestivALL.  The main word in that second sentence is "invited." There will be eight artists sharing with children their art.  What a GREAT way to get an art form out there to the public. I doubt that many children understand what weaving is or even what it takes to weave jeans that they wear all the time. So, educating the kids might lead to the love of weaving. You just never know and I am happy to be there to teach them.

I am now preparing 300 card board looms for the children ages 5 and above to weave their very own coin or treasure pouch! :) I am also creating paper greeting cards that children of any age will be weaving with paper. That way if they are not interested in the pouch or purse then they can still get some exposure to the art by the way of paper weaving.  It's nice to have a choice.

So, to make these looms I am cutting down old boxes and such that I have gathered.  Then scoring and folding in half, cutting notches every 1/4 inch to then put a warp on (that's the string that is on the cardboard loom above in the picture.)  This example in the picture is a little bigger than the ones I am making for FestivALL.

The weaving actually starts where the folded part is at the bottom of the loom. Then you go around the loom until you get to the top of the short folded section. You could weave a solid color, a stripe or any combo you can come up with. With a tapestry needle and your favorite yarn you can create any look you like.

This is one I am currently working on with some hand-spun, hand-dyed yarn I created a long while ago! It's very relaxing to go over and under the threads watching your weaving grow. And it's also a very quick project that a lot of kids find they enjoy.

When you can no longer go around the loom anymore, then you just go back and forth on the warp that is on the back of the loom until you get to the very top of the loom. This creates the flap that folds over the pouch.

What a fun way to learn to weave and even upcycle a bit with that cardboard you are getting ready to recycle anyway. This is a FREE event! The children are welcome to sit as long as they like with a parent assisting them at the booth creating this.  They will also get to take the loom home with them and all the yarn they need to finish up the project with instructions. If they like they can restring it at home and create another. The looms usually last for two or three projects.

Some may like to incorporate a button and loop for the pouch to have it close and stay closed. You can do this or leave it as is. You can use a blanket stitch around it and create a long loop for a handle to wear it around your neck also. Whatever you do with your design it is yours to play with.

Here is an example of one I made my daughter. She uses it each day to hold her special treasure she finds outside as she plays.

So I better get back to work on creating these for the children of FestivALL. I will be there on Saturday the 26th from 10am-6pm and Sunday the 27th from 11am-5pm. Come by the booth and visit with me and enjoy one of the projects I will be helping with! I would love to see you or even introduce you to something I love!

The never ending blanket!

Oh what a time I have had with this one. It's a gorgeous blanket and exactly what I wanted, but it took me almost 3 years to finish it!

I got the idea from my husband. He wanted a blanket that would cover him from head to toe and very soft. So, I found this great yarn that was fuzzy and wonderful on sale. I located my circular knitting needles and got started. I took it with me when I was waiting for my kid's therapy to be over, waiting for my kid to get out of school in the pick up line, and everywhere else when I had a break or time to knit for a bit.

So, why complain about it. Well, it really isn't the project that I disliked. It was the amount of time I was taking to do it. It's simply knitted and pearled. I reversed the stitches to create some pattern and switched out colors to create a random stripe to it. Really what it was is that I told my husband that I was making it for him and felt since I had told him that I should be doing the project fast.  I couldn't seem to stay on track with this project. So it drug out for a long while. He was patient and didn't complain, but I felt since I told him that I should be getting it done! ha! Well, I think my best procrastinating self took over.  Knitting a huge blanket is very warm...so knitting in warmer weather was out!

Long story short, it is done now. I still have some ends to sew in, but I can do that when the weather turns to crisp mornings again during football season! ha!

I do love the way it came out and now my husband can cover himself from his head to completely over his toes in comfort.