Late? Or Early.

I don't know why, but I do most of my scarf weaving in the summertime.

I'm either really late... or really early for winter!

So far, I like the way this one is turning out, even though the yarn is so fragile.  I'm hoping it lasts until the end of this warp.

Twenty dash two

Sometimes I think I'm nuts.  

(Or maybe I was nuts sometime in the past.)

I had bought this 20/2 wool a few years ago thinking it was a great idea because 1.) it was nice and thin, 2.) there was a lot of it, and 3.) it was super cheap.

I pulled it out this week to make a scarf and I think to myself, "What was I thinking?"

This stuff is super thin!

I have 3 strands per dent on the reed, and it tangles real easily and breaks even easier.

I'm excited to make a super thin scarf, but...

...there are certainly drawbacks to the 20/2 wool!

A few quickie Christmas scarves

I decided at the last minute to make scarves for a few people at school.  It started with wanting to make my two principals scarves for Christmas in our lovely new school colors!  Not only did they change our school mascot and colors this year, but we also have two new principals.  Our school has gone through a lot of changes!

Now our colors are blue and orange.  These scarves will be SOOO loud!

Who wouldn't want to wear a scarf with the same colors as a box of Mac N'Cheese? 

  

 Unfortunately, I really wanted a lighter blue instead of navy because in low light situations, this is going to appear very Halloween-ish.  But it's all the store had this day, and it still looks good in good lighting! 

Best of all, I only spend $3 on each principal this year!  What a lovely gift for so cheap!

Here's the 2nd one.  I used opposite colors so they could tell them apart and also so I wouldn't run out of the main color.

And both of them together:

I also promised my team of teachers at school that I would make a scarf for the janitor's "winter survival" basket.  We're putting other winter items in the basket, like a mug, coffee and tea, and some gift cards.  I'm sure she'll love it!  She's the hardest working janitor I have ever seen.  My room is so squeaky clean all the time!

I love color, so I tried to make it as colorful as I could!

My hubby's cousin contacted me and wanted me to make a list minute scarf for Christmas for his wife.  I said sure!  He sent me this pic of her coat to match.  He said a scarf with zigzags in light blue and lime green would be perfect!  I agree!

I think they will look fabulous together... the coat and this scarf.  I also think Chris and Rhonda will look fabulous this winter in their matching scarves together!  Chris' scarf was the one I did this summer and looked like this:

It zigs and zags a little differently than Rhonda's... but it's the same zigzag pattern done in Navy and shades of green.

And one more zigzag in some Seattle Sea Hawk colors!

Now I can rest easier knowing I have helped keep several people extra warm this Christmas season!

It's never too early or late for a scarf!

I love it!  I hope my hubby's cousin Chris loves it, too!!

It's super long, and super soft!  I can't wait for him to use it this winter and report on how it works!

Chris' Scarf

It's a little warm to enjoy such a cold-weather scarf, but winter will be here before we know it!

This scarf is for my hubby's cousin Chris.  He is a big and tall guy, so I made this warp extra long (3 yards) so he would feel toasty warm and have plenty of extra room to wrap it around his neck a few times!

I let him do all the picking of colors and design, however, I saw this combination WAY before he put it together!  This is EXACTLY what I had in mind for him.  It's never ceases to amaze me that there is a weave for everyone, and if you know them well enough, you can pinpoint it before them! 

DONE!

Done...

...and never to be repeated again!!!

As you can see in this picture, the hat is the original design (top) and the scarf is the mimicked design (bottom):

My cousin wanted the designs to look similar, but wanted the hounds tooth design to be a little bit smaller.  Overall, it's a little bit more green than I expected it to be, but I'm just glad it's done!!  It also ended up being the perfect width after I redid the sett.  It is now 6.5".

Now I can kick back and celebrate!!

Close...

Close...

 ... Very close!!

But not quite!  I think I'm going to take this out and re-set it to 20 epi instead of 24 epi.  I think then it will be even better!

My cousin's scarf... the saga continues!

So here we are.

I need to finish this before fall.  It's been nagging on my mind for months.  I have written a book and completed a lot of projects in between finishing this one!  I thought I had made enough navy yarn, but no.  I only made it about 3/4 of the way through the warping.

Remember this project?  It's the one with the dissected polyester yarn.  I am looking forward to it being done!  This is a very time-consuming and energy-consuming scarf!

But it's going to be so awesome when it's done!

And it's going to match my cousin's hat perfectly!!  So perfect.

That's what I'm aiming for, that is where my focus will be.

Just get it done!!

Onward to Seattle!

 The yarn my friend picked out was AMAZING to work with!!  The softness was amazing, and the colors were also amazing! 

 Here is the extra-long scarf:

 

It pretty much goes to both my knees!  I like it though.  I am considering making myself an extra longs scarf, too.  I think the kids at school would get a kick out of it when I go out to do my outdoor duty.

 Here are some close-up pictures so you can enjoy the beautiful dye on this yarn. 

Amazing stuff!!

Tricks

The Seattle pinwheel scarf is coming along really well!  This yarn is a DREAM to work with, that's probably how it got its name "dream in color"!

 

My ravelry friend introduced me to these plastic paperclips from Wal-mart to hold the extra heddles in place.  They worked really well!  I never really did much to keep the extra heddles at the edges, and sometimes I would have problems with my threads wearing and breaking.  This technique also helps to cut down on a lot of noise created by the extra heddles rattling around.

I love weaving tricks!

I love the process!

I love the process of setting up the loom.  And I love sharing that process when I'm making something for someone else who doesn't weave!  Here are some updated pictures of the Seattle Scarf:

It's all set up and ready for weaving!

Pinwheel scarf!

My Ravelry friend contacted me and said she wanted another scarf!  Remember the super-duper long scarf I made a few months ago?  She wants another one, same color, but with pinwheels as the design.  She also wanted it made out of the Dream in Color Classy merino wool yarn.  It's so wonderfully soft!  It also has a very neat dye pattern to it.  Here is the warp that has already been measured out:

At first I thought the sett was going to be 8, but when the yarn arrived in the mail I noticed it will be more like 10.  At first I was worried that I wouldn't have enough yarn, but I think everything will be ok!  Now that I measured out the warp, I can sense that there will be enough yarn left.  Plus, I tend to over-calculate just a little bit! 

Here are the stats:
Warp length = 3 yards
Black warp = 21 threads
Gray warp = 16 threads
Warp color rotation = B8, G8, B8, G8, B8, G8, B8, G8, B8
Sett = 10 epi

Another one done!

I'm almost caught up with all that I need to get done!

Free Pattern: How to make a Polyester Houndstooth Scarf

I have received two last minute orders for Christmas scarves from friends!  So I decided to make a tutorial for you so you can make your own.  They have been very popular this year! 

Measure out 2.5 yard warps in each color.  There will be one set of 17 threads on the warp and the other set will have 12 threads.  Today, the aqua has 17 on the warp board, or 34 total.  This accounts for 4 stripes of 8 threads each, or 32 threads, plus 2 float threads, one on each side.  The black was the less number today, and it went around 12 times, so we have 24 threads, or 3 stripes of 8 each.

I put the color with more on first, and then the 2nd color on after it.  I am using a #8 reed with 1 thread per dent, so it has an e.p.i. of 8.

Thread the heddles 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 with each color, making sure to start with 1 float and end with 1 float thread.

Wind on the warp.

Tie on the warp...

...and make sure the treadles are tied up as 1-2-3-4, 2-3-4-5, 3-4-5-6, 4-5-6-7, 5-6-7-8, 6-7-8-1, 7-8-1-2, 8-1-2-3.

Weave with the aqua first, or whatever color is on the outside.  Start with 4 rows of plain weave.  Then press treadles in order 1-8 with the one color.  Make a nice little hemstitch to hold the yarn together.

Do the 2nd color with the treadles in order of 1-8.  Then back to the first, etc.  While weaving, make sure not to beat the yarn in too hard.  Just place it into place, or else you will pretty much have a funny looking skinny rug!

When you get to the end, do the outside color last, and then 4 rows of plain weave.  Add another little hemstitch to hold it in.


Cut it off the loom, make sure the fringe is all the same length.  Twist it together, and viola!  You have a polyester scarf!!