Beth Smith's Blog, page 8

Drawing a Blank

I was getting really good at planning. But things are more difficult now for some reason. I’m not sure how to fix it. A few years ago I worked with Jillian and we set goals together and then we planned how to achieve those goals and then at the end of six months we would have a review of our progress and it was awesome. Then I continued to do that on my own and things went well for a while but over the last 6 months I’ve kind of been losing it.[image error]

This is my current page for Wednesday of this week! Actually, my whole week looks like that. And it shouldn’t because on Friday I leave to go on the choir tour with Maggie and in two weeks I’m leaving for PlyAway and I know there is a ton to do and I can’t figure out how.

I’m stumped.

[image error]

At the beginning of each of my monthly plan books there are pages to set goals and make big plans for the month. This is what my March looks like.

Maybe I need to just get out a big legal pad and write everything down that is in my brain and then try to organize from there. I have a giant weaving project that needs to be done and there is no progress being made. I have a sweater spin along that is happening right now and I’ve only spun about 100 yards of singles. I have samples that are in my brain but I have no yarn to make them. And that room to clean and a newsletter to write and blog posts and videos and I’m making very little progress on any of it because I can’t seem to plan it.

Today, in about 5 minutes, Thatcher and Sammy are coming for 3 hours and so no work is going to get done this morning. I think I need a chaperone.

I’m sorry. I sound kind of whiney. I’ll stop now. I can do this. I’m a big, grown up girl. And at least I got the washi tape on the pages. I’ll have myself under control in the next week.

 

Kitchen Towels – Always learning

I put some number of kitchen towels (I actually can’t remember how many) on the loom way back in December. My plan was to weave them rally quick and have a few little gifts for Christmas. LOL! It is now March. I can see the end of the tunnel but they still are on the loom. Part of the problem was that at the same time  was launching a ton of new things that needed my attention. A newsletter (sign up at the bottom of any website page), a Spin and Weave Along and Patreon! Plus it was Christmas for crying out loud.

This project has taught me a lot though and so, even though nobody got kitchen towels for Christmas I am much smarter about my weaving.

The first thing I learned is that the raddle needs to fit the loom and the whole rigging thing I tried to do was a complete disaster. I usually dress the loom from front to back but I wanted to try back to front as I have been told it’s easier and better for more delicate threads which I plan to be working with shortly. I’m not sure either of those things are true. They might be true if this method is your go-to and you are really good at it. But for someone just learning I think the threads had just as much abrasion. I’m not giving up and will be trying it again and again and again.

[image error]

The threading went fine-ish but again, I didn’t have things set up properly and so it would have been easier if I wasn’t trying to wing it.

[image error]

I switched a couple of years ago to using an end feed shuttle and I loved it. I saw immediate improvement in my selvedges. But for this project I went back to a boat shuttle. I purposely chose one that Sara Lamb told me years ago was her favorite.

[image error]

Then I went and watch a YouTube Video by Laura Fry to relearn the catch and throw method that I was told would be better – again, many years ago. At the time I was taught it I was learning so many things and it just felt awkward and too hard so I never really tried to actually get better at it.

Since Christmas had come and gone there was no rush so I slowed down and tried again. I would like to apologize publicly to Sara Lamb and Laura Fry. Yes, this works, it is efficient and comfortable for my wrists.

Also, my selvedges are gorgeous now.

[image error]

I’m super happy with my technique and Lousmith told me the other day that I’m like a machine!

[image error]

This loom will be naked by Friday and ready for the next project. I promise.

Back From My Run!

In February of 2017 I attended my first runDisney weekend at Disney World. I went with my 3 daughters and we all did the 5K together. It was fun and Maggie had her 16th birthday at the Magic Kingdom on our last day. I was in no shape and the 5K took everything I had and I was exhausted afterward. We all went back to the room and I slept for hours.

This year my family (mostly Lousmith) talked me into signing up for both the 5K and the 10K races. I was petrified because of my last year experience but we all four signed up and Brittney and her family went along although only Brittney participated in the races because somebody had to watch the babies.

There were lots of bumps in the road and life (and sometimes laziness) got in the way of my training and so off we went to Florida and I was nervous. I had only completed one 10K in the last year and it was the week before. I wasn’t even close to the required time so I was sure I would be swept during the race and not be allowed to finish.

Friday the 23rd of February was the 5K. The busses to take you to the start begin running at 3:30AM and we were out there and on the first bus. We finished and it was fine and I felt good after the race. We spent the day in the parks and I walked and walked and walked.

Check out this group picture! We’re adorable.

[image error]

The next morning, 3AM came quickly and I felt a little sick to my stomach. I was super scared. I knew I needed to make it past the 3 mile marker, that’s where you head into Epcot and they will no longer take you off the course even if you are slow. It was close, but I made it in. Ryan and Brittney ran ahead and Lou stayed with me. Maggie decided to go to the finish line early and be of service to the runners:-)

[image error]

We finished and it was ok. My time was 1 hour, 52 minutes.  We went to the parks that day too and according to my steps counter I walked a total of 16.5 miles that day.

Sunday Maggie turned 16 and so we celebrated with Winnie the Pooh. My throat felt a little scratchy but it was our last day so I decided not to mention it.

[image error]

Maggie at all the snacks.

[image error]

Well, We got back a week ago and I have spent the last 7 days feeling super sick. This, I am sure, has nothing to do with the races and everything to do with the awful flu that has been going around.

On Saturday I signed up for the 2019 races….not the half marathon. I’m giving myself until 2020 to do that one.

Now it’s back to work! I’m making a video today for my Patrons. It’s a mini class about consistency and keeping your yarn the same over a project. Have you checked out my Patreon Page?

Looking to Buy Wool Combs? – Using single and double pitch combs

Ready? Here is a short bit about my combing method, comb safety and what happens when you comb a multi-coated fleece with single and double pitch combs.

Hopefully, if you have been avoiding your combs, you’ll get them out again. If you want to try combing, go for it! A lovely worsted yarn is a beautiful thing.

Looking to Buy Wool Combs? – Terminology

The point of combing is to align fibers, remove debris and increase the consistency of the fibers to be used in spinning. Choosing the right combs will make a big difference in the end result. I talk about this a lot when I teach classes that have any processing involved.

So, today let’s talk about wool combs terminology.

Pitch – Pitch refers to how many rows of tines are on the combs.

Single Pitch are preparatory combs. They get your wool ready for the next step. Or, another use is for combing double or                        multicoat wools when you want to keep all the coats together and not separate them.

    Double pitch means that there are two rows of tines. You most often find this number of rows on sets of combs where you will          hold both in your hands rather than clamping one to a table. Once you get beyond one row of tines you begin to separate out          shorter stapled fibers, week fibers and a lot of the junk that may be stuck in your wool.

[image error]

Mini Combs – These combs are small, easy to take to classes. generally single or double pitch. Often used for sampling or small                        projects. They can be used for a wide range of wools such as shorter stapled wools like Merino, to medium length such as                      Romney. The size of these combs can make combing long stapled wools (longer than 6 inches) more difficult.

Hand Combs – This is usually just another name for Mini Combs. Sometimes these are slightly larger than minicombs but still just                       single or 2 pitch.

Viking Combs – These are larger and heavier than Mini Combs. Again, they are single or double pitch and are generally recommended               for medium to long stapled wools like Wensleydale or Lincoln.

[image error]

Russian Paddle Combs – These combs are very wide with fine, short tines. These are great for separating doble coats and then                           spinning the shorter undercoat right from the comb. There are some great YouTube Videos demonstrating how to use them.

[image error]

English Combs – These are the larger combs that many people think of when they think of combing wool. Usually these combs have 4                  or 5 rows of tines. If you are planning on combing more than one full fleece in a year this is where you want to be. You use                      these by clamping one comb to a table and swinging the other comb using two hands.

[image error]

I hope this helps. Next time I’ll talk about my method of using hand combs.

We’re going to talk a lot about this kind of thing at the upcoming Rhinebeck Retreat. Have you checked it out? It’s going to be super fun.

 

Using Sample Cards to Plan a Project

Over on the Patreon Page we have begun choosing a pattern as well as our fiber for the Sweater Spin Along that will be happening over the next 8 months. I know it sounds long but it’s nice to be able to take your time and really do it. and for most people, a sweater is a big project to spin for and so we need to give everyone a good amount of time to accomplish this very satisfying task.

Anyway, we’re sampling and making decisions about whether the fiber we choose will work for the pattern we want and also whether our spinning choices are the best way to go or should there be some tweaks and adjustments. In my opinion, the best way to go about all of this is to sample. It feels like it takes so much time and precious fiber but believe me when I tell you, you don’t want to spin 2000 yards of 3 ply yarn and then be underwhelmed with the sweater you made.

To accomplish sweater happiness I always sample and I keep good records. That way I know what worked, what didn’t and also I have some nice samples for future projects that I can easily duplicate because I made good notes. If you think you’ll remember just by looking at the yarns, you will not. Just ask the giant box of samples I made in classes which I didn’t bother to label at the time.

[image error]

Here are the things I think are important to put in your notes.

Fiber Type – Obvious why

Processing Method – be specific here. If you combed it yourself, did you take it off the comb through a diz or some other way? If you carded it, did you make a rolag or a cigar or use some other method?

Wheel – If you have more than one wheel then note the wheel you are spinning on. All wheels spin differently and will affect your yarn outcome.

Drive System – So, if you have a lendrum you are definitely in Scotch tension (flyer led) but if you have a Matchless then you could be using any of the three systems and so it’s important to note here.

[image error]

Flyer Whorl – Which whorl are you using? It’s not always important to note the exact ratio but I do note if I am in the biggest or the smallest groove and if the wheel has multiple whorls then which specific whorl it is.

Bobbin Whorl – Some wheels have different whorl grooves. These differences an be on either end or all on the same end like on the Louet Irish Tension wheels. These differences affect the speed/take up/twist.

[image error]

Draft:Treadle Ratio – here’s one that many people don’t use but I think is important for consistency sake. Basically you figure out how long your draft is and how many drafts you do per one treadle. So if I am doing short forward draw, 1.5 inch draft each time my right foot goes down then my ration is 1.5 inches to 1 treadle. Sometimes you might have two treadles per draft and sometimes, if you are doing long draw, you might have like 18 inches to 20 treadles.  (I don’t count treadles the whole time I spin but I do pay attention for the first 10 minutes of each spinning session to get into the correct rhythm – then it’s called the Rhythm Method of spinning. LOL)

Drafting Method – Short Forward? Shord Backward? Supported long draw? Something you do that is unusual? Then describe it so you can reproduce it.

Other Notes – any notes you want to tell future you that will help to make this yarn again.

[image error]

And then, I wrap singles around the card and punch two holes. One hole holds a fresh two ply ply back sample and the other holds a fresh three ply ply back sample. Those are there for the plying later on. The singles will help you maintain consistency over an entire project.

It’s not too late to join in the spin along. Just head over to the Patreon Page and join for only $3 per month and I’ll be leading you in my process and in the end we will all have a new sweater!

 

No Shed – New Shed

The two looms I own are the Schacht Baby Wolf and Schacht Mighty Wolf. The towels I’m currently weaving at a pace as slow as a snail are on the Baby Wolf which is a 24″ wide, 8 shaft loom. I only have 4 of the shafts threaded for this twill. I’m on the 5th towel of 10 (I think). I decided to try a twill pattern which requires 8 treadles to be used. For at least 2 of the treadles 3 shafts are raised at the same time.

When I took this loom out to thread it I noticed that my rubber bands at the back were all dry rotted so I removed them and just started weaving away happily with no issues, but then when I did the tie up for this current pattern I remembered why those rubber bands are helpful.

[image error]

See all that space under the lower threads? Also, see how there’s no way a shuttle is getting through there? I wove a couple of picks, pushing down the offending shaft each time. Then i remembered the rubber bands.

And I decided to take my camera along so I could show what those holes in the back of the loom are for in case you were wondering.

[image error]

Here’s my rubber band collection. You can use almost any rubber band as long as it will fit through the hole and they are all the same size.

[image error]

One down….

[image error]

There they all are threaded through the holes that are there for just this purpose.

[image error]

Then slide the thin dowel through the top loop of the rubber bands which will hold them in place.

[image error]

Now add a treadle tie cord to each rubber band.

[image error]

And slide a tie up into each treadle.

So, what this does is when a treadle is pushed down on purpose, its neighbors don’t follow along because they are held in place by the rubber bands. But the bands stretch so when you actually want to push that treadle you can.

So now you know, if you have a loom like this and it came with all of those rubber bands, what to do with them!

Ok. I’m back to weaving!

I Found Some Yarn

When I was winding the warp for the towels I’m weaving I ran out and had to put a brown stripe. They were originally just going to be white. I was sure I had more white cotton somewhere and I couldn’t find it anywhere. Really. I looked everywhere. Almost.

The other day I was in the laundry room looking for something and I opened a cabinet that is high above my head with a door that is hard to open without a step stool. And there it was.

That is 17 cones of yarn. 14 cones of cotton and 3 cones of grey Shetland wool.

I’d better weave faster. Anybody need some towels? I can practice my Huck Lace technique.

Stretchy Drive Bands

The Sweater Spin Along begins in just a few days and so I’ve been thinking how can I help you all get your wheels in shape before we start. Well, here’s my first tip.

I was spinning on my Watson Martha the other day and had to stop, so I was doing the usual things I do when I put my wheel back where it lives when I’m not using it. I put the sample card back where it hangs on the wheel, I put my oil bottle back in the place I like to keep it so I know where it is and I loosened the handle that holds one of the drive wheels in place and pushed the wheel back so that the drive bands were loosened up.

[image error] [image error]

 

 

 

 

 

After I did that I thought about some people I had met with a poly drive band that was no longer stretchy or that had been on the largest whorl of their wheel so long that it would no longer work on the smaller whorls. Often when I ask about it the answer is because people are worried about messing with the way their wheel is set up and that they won’t be able to get it back to the same tension or setting.

I’m here to assure you that with the help of your sample card and the notes you make on it, along with the sensitivity of your hands, you can get your wheel back to the same settings to spin the same yarn you were spinning the last time. A little practice combined with a bit of self confidence and all will be well.

[image error]

It is important to loosen the tension on your stretchy drive band when you aren’t using your wheel. Because of this practice we have an 8 year old ladybug with it’s original drive band which is still in great shape.

If it is too late you can get replacement bands from several sources. The dealer you got your wheel from is a great resource because they probably sell the drive bands ready to use. If, however, this isn’t an option you can buy the poly cord from The Woolery and then cut it to the length you want and melt the ends together. Another option (that doesn’t work for my Martha) is pony bead lacing from your local craft store. It’s a stretchy poly cord that comes with connectors and you just snap it together and go.

If you want to join our Sweater Spin Along just become a patron of mine. This is going to be like a long term class (8 or 9 months) and I’m going to teach you almost everything I know. Where else can you get a class like that for only $36? I hope you’ll decide to join!

Treadle Tie Ups

I’ve been doing some live videos on my Facebook page and the last two have been about tying up the treadles on my loom. I put on a warp that is long enough for at least 6 kitchen towels and I want to do a different pattern on each towel.

I warped the loom in a 1234 pattern and there are so many different patterns you can get just from that one threading pattern.[image error]

This is the basic 2/2 twill which I love very much and you can find it in a ton of fabrics.

If you aren’t a weaver let me explain. That little box up in the top right corner tells you what treadles to push at the same time and the 4 rows down the right tell you in what order to push those treadles. Really, after plain weave, I think twill is one of the easiest patterns to treadle. Just pay attention to your feet and you don’t even have to look at the pattern page to remember where you are.

[image error]

There’s my towel in just the 2/2 twill. It looks beautiful as a solid or with 2 colors.

This morning I changed the tie up for the next pattern.

[image error]

And then I started treadling without looking at the pattern….

[image error]

That doesn’t look anything like the draft. Bummer. But I think I’ll measure how much I’ve woven, begin to weave the correct pattern and at the other end I’ll go back to this and it’ll look like I did it on purpose.

Alright, back to the loom. I really need to finish these towels.

What are you weaving?