One Final Rice Bag

For some time I've been pondering the practice of Swedish Death Cleaning, where you get rid of all the stuff you aren't using so that your heirs don't need to. Today I realized we need a practice like for crafters. A practice in which you finish all those unfinished projects and work your stash down to a minimum so as not to burden your family with finding homes for your beloved Stuff. 

I think I need to socialize this idea.

So today I finished the final Komebukuro (Rice Bag) and instead of it being an unfinshed unknown box of parts, it's a cute little project bag. Of the four I made, it's my favorite. Here are all 4 sides. I used stitches and techniques I learned for the Alabama Chanin classes.  

On other projects, I've retied the loom with the remaining warp and will be trying some kilim tapestry; maybe make a little table mat.  Between the next two trips I'd like to make some holiday towels for two of the nieces. 

The "Same Thing Only Different" Shawl is close to finished but I've get it aside to get a project ready for travel; I'll be using yarn I bought in Budapest to make a sweater called "Tiny Dancer". It's a relatively simple slip pullover with a nice slipstitch pattern.  It doesn't feel like there's anything else new? 

On the travel front, I looked at my calendar and realized that I haven't been home more than 3 weeks in a row (Okay, except for one 4 week stretch) since mid April. The three bonus trips in August and September really did me in. Looks like two more trips this year? Maybe three? Then I'd like to stay home for a couple of months.

Knitted shirt and a baby blanket and more!

A sweater that fits!

Finally I'm getting to finish some things (hence the giddy smile on my face). 

This pattern is called "Knit me baby one more time", and it is knitted in sock weight wool. The off white is Hedgehog Fibers in the colorway "Silence" that I bought in Dublin before they were popular; the other is a Claudia Handpainted yarn. I wish that I'd alternated skeins of the Claudia; the top skein of the colored yarn had a lot of darker runs and looks different than the rest.  This can happen with handpainted yarns...  I was pretty disappointed in the yarn as well, as there were a lot of large slubs that I had to cut out while I was knitting. One ball was so bad that I'm going to end up throwing it away; I don't think it's even good for socks. 

Anyways, I swatched and washed the swatch to see if I could actually make a sweater that fit. When I finished it, it was a little too tight but after washing and blocking it fits perfectly. 

Not that it's a huge accomplishment but I also put new elastic in those pants; they've been sitting in the Studio for almost a year now!

Hedgehog on baby blanket

Speaking of Hedgehogs, this one here is guarding a baby blanket. I took a bunch of the 10/2 cotton I got for free and dyed it in greens and blues, then wove it with white. There were two; one is already with baby C. and the other needs hemming, and will go into my box for the next baby.

I finally finished the tiny basket we started in Ashland, and hemmed the last 4 napkins I wove in November. The only thing left in the finishing queue is the 2nd baby blanket and the 4th rice bag!

I've had to do a little unexpected travel lately and needed a project, so I picked up a poncho I've been meaning to start on (Pattern is called "Same thing, only different"), using a very soft cotton yarn with tiny sequins in it. It's a perfect TV project.

Next up on the loom is a legacy project for a guild member who recently passed. G and I are making runners from her handspun yarn to give to her husband.

Other projects? Yeah, too many. No need to list them again.

Some unfinished projects getting finished

Q2'26 3/8

Oh look, it's Latvija!

I was kicking myself for not getting much done this quarter, but I suppose my excuse for it is that I was travelling for 6 of 13 weeks, and injured for two more.  The trips have been lovely but I'm hoping to get back to some semblance of normalcy and get some shit done.

I'm realizing I still haven't photographed the pieces I did in Greece, but they are two of the three items I finished this quarter. The Poncho felt like a big accomplishment!

So it's:

1. Little mat
2. Big mat
3. Poncho

As far as Q3 goes, my doctor has told me I am losing 20 lbs (and given me a coach to work with) so I'll be spending time on that and also on the exercise to support it. And I'm in WA for a week at a weaving class. 

Things that feel like low hanging fruit:

1. The Alabama Channin bandana is about 2/3 done. Beads take time! It's fun in small chunks.
2. The headband still just needs ends sewn in.
3. 4 napkins need hemming. <Yawn>
4. The baby blankets are nearly weavable. Slowest Project Ever.
5. Slightly more progress on the table substrate has been made.
6. The panels for the last rice bag are done and the bag just needs sewing together.
7. Finish the basket from Ashland.

The knitted T-shirt is idiot knitting but I should actually finish it in Q3 or Q4; 

The table and the two baby blankets are a priority. I'll poke through the rest of the list later and see what else I want to add to it. 

End of May, forward motion...

Age of Aquarius Poncho, headless

Greece was awesome. I decided not to blog about it at the time which I think was the right call. I did made a tiny-eensy mat learning kilim techniques, and a smallish (20x15cm?) piece as well. More on that at some point. 

I did somehow manage to pinch a nerve in my neck and was asked by the doctor to limit the extreme weaving. I've been away from the loom and taking things carefully. So:

No further much progress on the baby blanket.

The poncho got completed in Ashland! Somehow the beads I bought in Athens are a perfect match. The headless photo is because the sun was bright and I was squinting and my face was uncooperative.   

I'm working on the knitted T-shirt, already a few inches past the armhole.  I'm hoping it'll fit when it's done. Yes, I realize I could have tried it on when I got to the armhole but I didn't so now I'm just going to go with it.

Stenciled, lined, ready to go

I started the rose T Shirt; I printed the stencil and cut some strips. I've started a rose on the back but haven't gotten very far. I used a shirt pattern I've used before but I suspect something is off and I many have to trim it to fit when I go to sew it together.

I didn't do anything with the french terry top (other than move it from one side of the table to the other), and I didn't work on the knitted skirt or the table. 

I did spend some time beading on the Sonia kerchief from the School of Making; it's the project from the beading class I took a while back.

I'm not sure I'll have time to update this (or if there will be anything to update it with) before the next adventure... 

Heading out, saving state for when I return....

I'm heading out on a trip (where am I going? here's a hint)

and want to make a few notes on where I am on projects and what I want to be doing when I get back.

I checked threading and wound the baby blankets on to the loom. There's one mistake that's marked and needs fixing.  I need to check the denting in the reed (there are some empty slots, then I'm ready to tie up, tie on, and start weaving. This should go pretty fast at this point since the thing that was blocking me (big tangled ugly mess) is fixed.

Before I go to Ashland, I'd like to finish the poncho; that involves sewing the shoulder seams, then picking up and knitting on the edge. Current knitting project (T shirt) will be with me.

Before Ashland I'd also like to start the rose T shirt. That'll mean printing out the rose pattern and  copying to something I can stencil with. Also getting a T pattern (I have the one from The School of Making), checking fit, cutting it out and stenciling. Also cutting the strips for the roses. This is probably 1/2 day of work.

I have the material and traced pattern for the french terry top, would be nice to start on that too; I think it'll go pretty fast. 

I'd like to replace the top of the knitted skirt so I can start wearing it again. Maybe to Ashland.

And I need to start working on the table; I'd like to evaluate the glass I got from C. and finish prepping the substrate.

Q1'26 Finshed list (5)

Zig's belly spot

The studio is not at this minute my happy place, and I'm not sure why. I need to reflect on this and figure out how to fix it. I think it involves less time on my phone. This is reflected in the very few completed projects from this Q1'26.

What else has been going on? A little travel. End of life care for a beloved cat. Lots of German study.

If I've kept accurate notes, this is what's done. I reserve the right to come back and add anything I remember later.

1. Coffee mug postcards
2. An Andean pickup band
3. Card woven band (plus I taught a class in it)
4. A basket
5. Some prepped fiber

Yep, not much, but I have a lot of things that really wouldn't take much time to complete: 

1. The Alabama Channin bandana is about 1/2 done. Beads take time!
2. The headband still just needs ends sewn in.
3. 4 napkins need hemming. <Yawn>
4. The Age of Aquarius poncho panels are complete; it needs sewing together and a band knitted on the sleeves. 
5. The baby blankets are almost wound on. Slowest Project Ever.
6. There some small progress on the table substrate.
7. The panels for the last rice bag are done and the bag just needs sewing together.

I also started a knitted t-shirt for travel knitting. More on that in a later post.

Two things that are stalled and maybe gone:

• The Dissent sweater: I'm debating whether or not I like it enough to not frog it. The color work is not well done; the white is the wrong yarn.
• I mentioned a 2nd block I've carved. While I like it in theory I think I could do a better job, just haven't done it.

I also attended an Alabama Channin class with some amazing roses sewn onto fabric with beads... there was a tshirt online that had the roses on the yoke, and I must have it.  I have fabric for this and bought beads to do it as well. In addition, I'd like to make a t-shirt using their techniques but another graphic in the blue fabrics I have. I am aiming to do that this summer. 

Will Q2. be any better? Hmmm... I have 6 weeks of travel planned over the next 9 weeks. So we'll see if anything gets done!

2 classes, not much else.

 I took another embroidery  class from the Alabama Channin School of Making, this time using beads to and her other techniques to make a fancy bandana. I've been working my way slowly through it.

We were given a year free membership in the School of Making club, so I've downloaded the pattern for a modern styled top (the Fractal Top) and have the material; I just need to cut it out and get sewing! 

I took a drum carding class from Clemes and Clemes through Serendipity spinners, and we made a bunch of batts. I think it was fun but not sure I'd get a drum carder. We did some rolags but I have not spun them yet.

I am still threading Baby blankets but more than 1/2 way through; it hurts my back a bit. 

I'm still knitting on the Age of Aquarius poncho; it's pretty much my "idiot knitting" project right now. I also have everything ready to go for the next rice bag, just waiting for the right time to do the sewing!

AND one of the cats is sick. It's very distracting, which I think is keeping me from being productive.