Fiber art blog of @chaoticbooklesbian - crochet, knitting, and whatever my future endeavors happen to be
I don’t think I was clear enough in response to that ask, so let me state unequivocally: TERFs can fuck right off. This blog is intended to be trans-friendly, anti-racist, queer-friendly in general, and anti-bigotry in general. If I accidentally reblog someone who holds hateful views, please tell me so that I can investigate, and please do me a favor and tell me the URL of the blog or some identifying information about the post I reblogged.
I actually had first dyed it yellow/orange/teal but it was too similar to some wool i had dyed & spun a little while back and I wanted something different. So I over-dyed it with some blue and dark grey dyes and got this
after dyeing this i was cleaning my room and found two more braids of undyed merino sooooooo i guess I will have to get some more dyeing done soon
The next project is already underway. I had ripped out the version of this cowl that started with garter stitch, as it just didn’t look right to me. Instead, I am going right into the brioche and will cover up the cast on edge with an I-cord at the end.
The yarn is @29bridgesstudio Non-superwash sock and Suri Silk in the Rose Gold colorway. The actual color is a bit more pink than I can get my camera to pick up on.
Especially when it’s not just “thread any 1,000 needles”, it’s “thread this yarn through that needle” multiplied by 1,000?
Do you want to count and measure every needle and every thread beforehand?
And when you make a mistake, it’s not like finding a needle in a haystack, it’s like finding a needle in a stack of needles. Does that sound like a good time?
Are you thinking “hmm, I’m interested, but only if I have to reach or crouch in increasingly uncomfortable positions for hours while doing this”?
Then friend, do I have the craft for you!
Introducing:
Threading a loom
The reward for threading is, of course, More Work.
Sleyed the reed (like threading but much simpler), tied on, wove header, and now weaving the pattern! 1/10 rows of squares complete.
This is called “doubleweave” because it makes, well, a double layer. The blue layer above and the yellow layer below start off as two entirely separate pieces of fabric - you can run your hand the whole way between them. Then at the squares, the layers switch places and that intersection joins them irrevocably, without sewing and without being able to take them apart ever again (scissors excepted). Yet if you could dissolve one layer, the other would still be a perfect whole piece of fabric.
Finished this flat mat and its stuffed buddy! I will tidy the corners with a touch of hand sewing (they are secure, just messy) but the sunshine right now was too good to miss. This mat is soft, smooth, heavy cotton and I’m so happy with the drape and the colours.
The finished size is 68.5x56.5cm. It could be something like a car blanket, playmat, comfort item, or toy - a toddler could have a lot of fun poking around between the two layers. It’s very strong and wouldn’t be damaged or pulled apart by this.
It is machine washable and tumble dry-able. Like the stuffed mat (see other post), first dibs goes to a currently-pregnant friend of mine, but if she is already inundated with too much Stuff then I might sell it; you can message me to express interest if you wish.
The tapestries made by the Aubusson manufacture based on the art of JRR Tolkien are currently exhibited at the Collège des Bernardins in Paris until May. @actual-bill-potts and I went there yesterday, they’re so beautiful!!
These are all handmade tapestries, each is based on a Tolkien artwork (the Rivendell one has the facsimile on the right for scale).
Blanket/ playmat #2 is underway, this time with a lightly padded texture! Video is 2 minutes of me stuffing the latest complete row (quiet, birdsong), then 2 minutes of awkward weaving because my phone is in the way of the very long unwieldy shuttles (loud, loom noises). Each pocket is completely sealed between the two layers of fabric as they are woven, no seams, no way to open it again except for scissors.
Woven, hemmed, washed, and dried! Finished aside from a little bit of hand sewing to cover up the loose ends at the corners (they’re secure, just messy). I’m really happy with the amount of stuffing I used. Also proud of my little old Singer Featherweight for coping with 6 layers of fabric at the hems. It is sooooooo soft and squashy and delightful to touch and hug.
The finished dimensions are 70x52.5cm which is smaller than I hoped - I wanted it to be squarer and I didn’t count on quite so much shrinkage. It could be, like, some kind of baby playmat or comfort item, or a very fancy dog bed liner.
It is machine washable and tumble dry-able. The yarn is pure cotton and the stuffing meets some fire safety standard or other (I took a photo of the label if needed). First dibs goes to a currently-pregnant friend of mine, but if she is already inundated with too much Stuff then I might sell it; you can message me to express interest if you wish.
ALT
