Woven billfolds and hats

I've been using my table loom to experiment with new (to me) patterns. The billfold was done in plain weave patterns and opposites. I loved it until I started working on the new one. Now I love the new one....It has some issues with the lining. A friend did that for me and I have to keep a rubber band around it so my pitifully few bills don't fall out, but that will be fixed in the newer model.
The hat was woven using twill patterns from a book by Leclerc that I can't remember the name of at the moment. It was fun to try some new stuff!

Etsy for Dummies

I just finished reading a book donated to our art association (Cardigan Mountain Art Assoc) entitled "Starting and Etsy Business for Dummies." I wanted to let our membership know what was in it so I browsed through it and found that even as a seasoned Etsy seller, I found a lot to think about in this book. Yes, it walks the beginner through setting up an account, how to buy, and how to sell. But it goes beyond the basics and covers marketing, strategies for getting noticed, and how to take pictures. It's definitely worth a look whether you're a beginner or a pro on Etsy. And it's a typical "for Dummies" book with cartoons and humor to match.

Spinning Workshop

I'm getting ready for a spinning workshop through the Cardigan Mountain Art Association tomorrow. I'm doing just a one afternoon  class to get people interested in spinning. It should be fun, but I have to run and get materials together! I'll be back soon with pictures!

AGGGGHHHH.

 I finished a little project on my table loom and started a second one on the same warp. I happily wove a couple of inches before work. When I came home and started to weave again, I noticed a rough spot - the WEFT was broken. I pulled it out and started again, but noticed another rough spot a few rows back. I had to unweave a bit to get to that broken weft. Then I noticed a broken warp. It wasn't at the fell, but back further - more unweaving. Then ANOTHER broken warp. As I was about to fix that, I found ANOTHER broken warp!##@! I gave up and cut it off. I sort of expected the warps to break since I'm using a homemade reed, but the wefts!!!!!??????And 3 breaks in on spot? When they were fine when I left?

When I'm out at an outdoor market or craft fair with my spinning wheel, people often ask me, "What are you making?" I try not to sound sarcastic, but the answer is, as a matter of fact, "YARN." The truth is, I'm not always spinning to knit or weave something in particular.. Sometimes I spin yarn to sell, sometimes just to use up some bunny fur, dog hair or sheep wool that has been accumulating. Sometimes I have something new like raw llama that I just want to see spun up. Sometimes I spin just to relax or to keep my hands busy.
It takes 3-4 times as long to prepare and spin yarn as it does to weave with it. I rarely have the time to do that. I get to spin here and there, in odd chunks of time. I do it just because I like it and want to keep my shelves full of yarn. Weaving takes up great quantities of yarn and when I'm weaving it's full steam ahead.  It has been said that in the days of homespun clothing, it took 7 spinners to keep one weaver busy! No way I can keep up with that!

  My first huck lace. It's in linen and is still a little stiff. I've washed, frozen and steam pressed it so I know it'll turn soft after a while.

I was having trouble with the new inkle loom popping pegs. I realized that we had modified the plans to accommodate more pegs to give a longer warp, but we hadn't altered the tension bar. It wasn't giving enough slack to move the warp and I was pulling hard on it.  With a larger tension bar, it works great!