Toasty Toes

I know it has been a while, but I was suddenly motivated to start knitting some slippers. We had a cold snap and the floor gets very chilly on my bare feet.
I have several patterns for slippers and chose the quickest one. The author made these up in one day, but it took me two days. I found the pattern on one of my favorite DIY web sites -  Here.
I always am disappointed when I knit socks or slippers and within weeks the soles start to wear out. I wanted to make some that would last. I found one pattern that called for polar fleece yarn. I had no idea what that was, but finally it dawned on me that the yarn was actually made from Polar Fleece!!! I looked up the yarn and it wasn't terribly expensive, but a pair of slippers would have cost me $30 to $50. Now the whole purpose of knitting them myself is to use my own yarn or whatever so that it's CHEAP - as in FREE.

Well, duh. I had an old fleece jacket with a broken zipper that was in the give/throw away bag. I rushed to take it out and started cutting strips to make my own yarn. (I used to have a nice rotary cutter and mat but they vanished during the move. I had to use scissors and wear gloves to prevent blisters.)

I cut the strips the same way I do when I weave rag rugs. I folded it in half with the stretchy side on the fold and cut from the fold but not all the way through the open side. Then I open it up and cut every other slit on one side. I do the same on the other side but alternating with the first side. This leaves me with one long strip that I can roll into a ball. I round off the square edges as I roll.
Then I started knitting.

I did omit the pom-poms. I'm just not a pom-pom type of girl, and I added a small loop on the back of the heel so I could hand them up.

This is not the most flattering of footwear, but it is thick, soft and warm and it's machine washable. As usual, one of my slippers was considerably bigger than the other. I had to do some tucking in the heel section, but now that I know how homemade fleece yarn knits up, I can start with another pair from a nicer pattern. I'd like to try one with a hand spun wool top and a fleece sole. Later for that.

Gazebos and Fleece

I have a rule that every fleece has to be washed before it's stored. I don't always manage to do that, however. I was given several fleeces just before moving back to Texas. They came with me in plastic bags and stored in metal trash cans. Not the best environment for them.

I finally decided I had to do something with them - either wash them and use them or throw them out. Surprisingly, they were all in pretty good condition. I took advantage of a friend's gazebo for skirting and drying. Now that's the way to clean fleece!

One Mug Rug is Not a Set.

I gave up looking for the blue to go with the pink yarn. I rather like the way the tan looks. Now I can't find the rest of the tan yarn. I know I put it in a clear container to keep it clean, but where did it go?

OK Where's the Yarn?

I decided to do a couple of small projects on my little loom. I managed to find the loom and the heddle and some warp thread and got it warped. I found a shuttle with yarn on it that I could use. But needed another couple of shuttles so I can do stripes.

In the meantime, I took a ball of yarn that was the right color for a stripe. Put it on my desk.

It took several days to find the small shuttles that had fallen behind the desk. I was thrilled to find several the right size for the little loom. Now I can't find that ball of yarn.

I won't mention what my desk looks like....

How to Make Knitting Needles and Without a Needle Gauge

How to Make Knitting Needles and Without a Needle Gauge

I haven't done any weaving yet. I finished my sister's project and liked it enough to think about doing one for me. It just might be too hot here to even think about it but anything that hides my hair can't be all bad. It took too long too, but that was my fault. I didn't have the sense to take a picture. That might be as close as I get.

I've thought about knitting some undies. I read in a book by Linda  Friend that she tried wool underwear and absolutely loved it. I've certainly got enough yarn. I could do cotton too. I have a really simple pattern. I'll keep you posted.

Almost Ready to Weave

I've been thinking about weaving again. I need a blanket and I have a ton of yarn. I could make strips of random patterns and sew them together. Looks aren't as important as keeping warm. I could put my homemade loom on the bed and weave - I think. I don't know how uncomfortable that would be, but I won't know until I try it.
My folding loom has warp on it and I really hate to waste warp. It's an ugly nylon string warp. I should just get rid of it, but can't bring myself to do it.

New Store

I just opened a new store called "Lil's Store" on Amazon. It's recommendations for you especially if you are looking for craft books and supplies. I'll be adding more over time. It's an easy way to collect favorite items without having to dig through all of Amazon's listings. Come take a look.

Lil's Store