at home with Lara's wheels, spindles, looms & dye pots
The 6 towels that I beamed on my Mighty Wolf loom at the end of October, 2020 are hemmed as of yesterday. At first taking space to breathe felt strange. It was not a choice exactly. Wanting to weave with a loose aim of the holidays meant starting, working around the tough regular school-at-home pace. […]
Read MoreThe simple idea to keep weaving after the handspun scarf brought the second Joanne Hall designed kit off my shelf & onto the Mighty Wolf’s beams. One is in our kitchen, and these 2 are shipped to loved ones. This kit was expertly wound, tied and had a 3×3 cross that cannot be blamed for […]
Read MoreTo The Knit Knack Blog’s readers and friends: You too may be feeling a dash of strain sprinkled with sleep deprivation, and sometime fist-shaking. On a surprisingly mild December day that is also quiet enough for thinking, I have some admin good news & project successes to share. First the… Good admin news In a […]
Read MoreAs the pile of small knits grew & yarn production slowed, I have gathered weaving thoughts. The last month threw-up one challenge after another. In my role as Head Cook & Bottle Washer, I have been taken-up with navigating us through it all safely towards the holidays. Since these challenges are of the I Specifically […]
Read MoreThese blankets are for my cousin’s twin boys – a tribute to her, and an extension of The Earl of St. Andrews district tartan to the parish of our birth in Jamaica. The 1930 design is by A. A. Bottomley. Having been created for the use of Prince George, it is a ‘royal’ district tartan. […]
Read MoreHappy new year! Our holidays were spent back home in Jamaica. It was the mix of what we call Christmas breeze, friends and family that made this trip extra-special. Inspiration came by more than sheer natural beauty. The island is still dealing with the Chikungunya virus outbreak. It is transmitted by mosquitoes, and last October […]
Read MoreThe recent trouble with my hands brought me back to cotton in a big way. Of everything else only my cotton spin had a gentle enough action for longer stints. This composition says almost everything about what got me over a Learn to Spin Cotton phase. Three of four things, in fact: A low stool: […]
Read MoreOh, January, I see your cold and raise you a handspun, Paper Snowflake. This wonderful knit pattern is by Naomi Parkhurst was ideal (ideal, I tell you!) for my many hours-worth of 3-ply cotton yarn that I made with coin takhli spindles. As the pics show, this was made a while ago in better weather. It […]
Read MoreIt has been a very busy month. With the 1st level of weaving classes ending, I signed-up for the winter session and tried to get as much loom time as possible. My oh-so-fun twill sampler needed attention. It has 6 twill structures in the 2 blues. Even as someone who would skip sampling whenever she […]
Read MoreA quick post before we get ready for a family celebration on the other side of the GTA. These are a few of my favorite work and home things that I am grateful for, today. With much elbow grease and time, I used linen warp yarn to sew velcro strips across the top of my […]
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