Twined Bag 3

Twined bag 3 is nearing completion. I tied the bottom warp threads with overhand knots to close off the bottom.



When I started I was tying knots to the outside and covering the weft with a couple rows of twining, but then I started tying to the inside.

So I can clip the threads on the inside of the bag and hide the ends.

Have a good day!

Thunder Fury

It's Christmas and Number Three Son (Oscar) has received "The Sword Of Thunder Fury!"

So as not to annoy the chihuahuas or chihuahua mama, Do Not poke or jab at persons or animals. Only swing in areas clear of obstructions.

Merry Christmas!
From my corner of the world, Sacramento, Calif.

Jingle Bells and Holly Berry

I was given the bird this season. Meet Jingle Bells. He is a yellow Pacific Parrotlet. He's a little bitty parrot the size of a budgie (parakeet). He likes to ring the bell hanging in his cage. He was given to us by a friend last week. Well, my lovely wife bought for me a female yellow parrotlet. Her name is Holly Berry. We are so clever with pet names. Right now they are living in separate cages but next to each other until they get used to each other. I've always enjoyed birds and I am thrilled to have a pair of birds again in our little condo. These birds are captive bred since restrictions prevent them from being imported (USA) from South America.


They are in separate cages while they get used to each other. So its no pictures together for now. Here they are in their separate cages.

12/23/10 EDITED TO ADD:


Second try at pairing them. This time I moved him to HER cage. Now they are behaving in a friendly manner.

Have a good day!

Designer Yarn From Lumpy Wool

Betty Chu is the breeder of top of the line English Angora rabbits. She is also
an accomplished spinner, knitter, weaver and designer of custom yarns.

Betty takes wool from combings and clippings that may be a little felted from
the sides or bellies or armpits on rabbits and then she spins it as a lumpy
yarn. Then she dyes some of it and knits hats or sweaters with it. Nothing like
an angora hat to chase away the chill.

Some knitters love the yarn because it is uniquely handmade. If they want fine*
yarn, they can buy commercial, but Betty's fun yarn is different.
(*Betty does know how to spin fine yarn)

It's no secret how she does it, but it fascinating that she can take wool that
many of us would throw away and make designer yarn with it.

I've seen Betty's yarns and knitted goods for years so when I wanted to find
some pictures of Betty's hats, I went to the weblog she manages for Northern
California Angora Guild.

Here are links to blog posts that show some hats and other goods.

You can click on the pictures for larger views.


Betty's Fiber Display at Monterey Fair
(click the pictures!)
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=Betty%27s+Fiber+Display+At+Monterey+Fair+

Show & Tell at Cow Palace (see two of Betty Chu's hats)
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=Fiber+Show-%27n-Tell+At+Cow+Palace+

over dyeing angora yarn - see Betty Chu's hats
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=over+dyeing+angora+yarn

Check out these dye jobs - see a Betty hat
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=Check+Out+These+Dye+Jobs+

Angora caps in July
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=Angora+Caps+In+July

Head for hats
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=head+for+hats

Useful empty kleenex tissue box - with a hat
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=empty+kleenex+box

Doggie fashion - a Betty Chu dog sweater
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=Doggie+Fashion+

Angora dog sweater - a Betty Chu dog sweater
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=angora+dog+sweater

How many pounds of wool? Classifying angora wool.
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=How+Many+Pounds+Of+Wool+Are+In+The+Boxes%3F+

Have a good day!

Note: Originally titled "Designer Yarn From Junk Wool" titled changed to "Designer Yarn From Lumpy Wool" because it implied that Betty's wool was junk, which it definitely is not. - FR

Twine Too Many

(click pictures for larger image)
Twining continues on the train and the bus. From bottom row, the orange, light brown rows have one row of S twine followed by Z twine. From the lowest black row, up to the next orange, those are Z twine. Above that is all S twine.

Notice how the sides of the bag kind of bulge out. I have too many warps on this bag. So when I twine it causes the bag to spread. I did not need to pack in as many warp colors as I did. I could have easily left off five warp pairs and it would have fit more snugly to the cardboard frame. I also think after I put the straps on the sides nobody else will notice.



Sometimes while I twine I turn the card sideways. The yarn falls down out of the way and it goes better sometimes.

Have a good day!

Caught On The Web - Dec 2010

Here are a few websites of interest I found while surfing the web:

Eva's Weaving Blog
http://evasweaving.wordpress.com/

Extreme Sheepherding with electric lights (reprise from 2009)
A youtube video "What Welshmen do when they're bored"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGOGOxtN2lM

Inagaki Kiryou Weaving Supplies, Japan
Be sure to check out the spinning wheel for cotton
under the group of Cotton Tools
http://english.inagakikiryou.com/index.html


Weaving on a forked stick - kids project
http://naturalsuburbia.blogspot.com/2010/08/weaving.html

News article:Santiago Morales, weaver of pine needles, baskets, etc
http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/entertainment/santiago-97624-reeds-top.html

Check it out! Back issues of Weaver's Journals
available for free download. This is awesome!
http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/wj.html

A Weaver's Album: Pictures of Looms, Spinning Wheels, and more
http://elaine899.tripod.com/aweaversalbum/id6.html

A blog from Europe? Interesting colors and a couple of looms?
http://tejedorassayaguesas.blogspot.com

guatemala info with textiles
http://abovefault.net/category/travels/guatemala/

Mademoiselle Chaos blog, pastry, spinning, knitting, crochet
http://mademoisellechaos.blogspot.com/2010/02/my-favourite-pastry-recipe.html

reference book for double weave
http://www.haven2.com/proc/html/a_reference_book_for_double_we.html

Tangled web blog
http://www.austintapestry.blogspot.com/

tri loom instructions
http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/triloom2.htm

How to knit to wristwarmers bangles on doublepoint needles - very unique!
http://www.ahousecallednut.com/a_house_called_nut/2009/04/bangle-wristwarmer-tutorial.html

Fabric Follies Two - interesting postings and a list of more blogs to visit
http://fabricfolliestwo.wordpress.com

EDITED TO ADD MORE LINKS 12-11-10

Pretty scarves knitted from lumpy angora rabbit wool
Good idea for spinning angora "second" wool
http://angoraandmore.blogspot.com/2009/03/angora-scarves.html

Prussian sash in Sprang (oblique interlacing)/German Language
http://blog.wirweben.de/wordpress/

Google translate can convert this to English or other
http://translate.google.com


Ears of Corn Placemats
http://janie-bell.blogspot.com/2010/11/ears-of-corn-placemats.html

Kathe Todd-Hooker, MorningStar Studio
http://www.kathetoddhooker.blogspot.com

Kathe Todd-Hooker, Fine Fiber Press
http://www.finefiberpress.com

Nadeau Hand-Skill Loom seen in Popular Mechanics Jan 1955
http://books.google.com/books?id=aN4DAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA197&dq=handweaving&pg=PA197#v=onepage&q=weaving&f=false


Waaban Aki Crafting - Eastern Woodlands (US)
See twined cornhusk bottle in middle of page
http://home.cshore.com/waaban/dolls&figures.html

How to make and use a floor loom for twined rag rug weaving
http://craftydaisies.com/2008/07/23/how-to-make-and-use-a-floor-loom/

Twined bags for sale - check out design
http://www.barkingrock.com/bags.htm

Weaving World
http://www.weavingworld.ca/tips.htm

Language of Native American Baskets
http://www.nmai.si.edu/exhibitions/baskets/subpage.cfm?subpage=tech_tech

Primitive technology
http://www.primitiveways.com/basketry2.html

Basketmakers.org - Information and many links
http://basketmakers.org/

newspaper basket
http://www.craftstylish.com/item/47658/the-times-they-are-a-changing-how-to-make-a-basket-from-a-newspaper


Lots of woven baskets and some good design elements
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_arts_by_indigenous_peoples_of_the_Americas

Rigid Heddle Weaving - and more!
http://rigidheddleweaving.com/

Doni's Deli blog - great monk's bag tutorial
narrow cloth woven on rigid heddle makes a fast bag
http://donisdelis.blogspot.com/2009/01/little-tutorial.html

Fibers Of Being - a blog with nice pictures
http://fibresofbeing.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/more-freestyle-rosepath/

Daryl Lancaster's blog
See how she plays with cloth
http://www.daryllancaster.com/wordblog/page/15/

Have a good day!