Mmmm, Fiber-y Goodness And Other Delicious Projects

Hey everyone! What an amazing weekend! For those of you who don't know, this past saturday (July 9) was A Day in the Park, and it was AWESOME! I could have done without the 2 hour drive there and back, but it was well worth the trip! Classes were attended, friends were made, and good food was had. What more could a guy ask for!?

Well, first off let my gawk about the classes (formal and informal) that I took! First was learning how to spin wool on a drop spindle by Mistress Lydia. It was sooooo much fun! My only regret is that I didn't take a picture of the first yarn I spun. Oh well......... There will be more, and I hope it will be just as fun! I also watcher Mistress Lydia spin on a wheel. I didn't actually try it myself this time, but I got the concept and the theoretical motions down. All that I need to develop now is the muscle memory and technique!

Next was the lampwork bead class! Yes, I took another one and had just as much fun. ^_^ That's always a good sign. I have learned that I like the thicker mandrils for making beads on. They're just so much easier for me to turn. The thinner ones take waaaaay too much concentration for me right now. A funny thing I've noticed though, bead release has a really bad habit of not releasing my beads. I think it should be re-named. Just sayin'. Once they finish soaking so I can get them off the mandrils, I'll take pictures of them. I made three this time. One of them has this AWESOME metallic black glass. Two words; LOVE IT! 

I also took some time later on in the day to learn some viking wire weaving from Lady Serena. It was so cool! You think I'd realize the things you could make with loops, but somehow this snuck up on me! 

Now, you might be wondering what Etienne was doing this whole time. Well, fret not, I shall answer your question, you inquisitive grasshopper, you. He made a basket! It's so freaking cool!! It's most likely going to be used to store my weaving yarn, which I am totally okay with. I mean, come on, awesome basket, for my yarn, uh.......duh! I'd be stupid not to jump on that like white on me. 

Then there was the food.........*drifts off, drooling* Oh the food was so delicious! Egill Gullbjarnarson was kind enough to open up his home to host the BBQ/Potluck extravaganza! BBQ pig, various fruits and veggies and salads, and who can forget the desserts? I still want more pie <_<. Just sayin'. 

Oh!! I almost forgot! I learned how to use a marudai! It was so freaking cool!!! The ease and flow of using this device compared to the foam disk is night and day! I was able to make a lanyard on the marudai in about 1/3 of the time it  would have taken me on the foam disk. I am a convert, and I will get one now.

All in all, I had so much fun. I met a lot of people and got to know others much more. I wouldn't have traded the experiences I had this Saturday for anything. It was perfection.


Edit: Holy crap! How did I even forget that I had a display!? I displayed 7 of my woven pieces. 3 belts, 3 pieces of trip and 1 brocaded bookmark. I feel sooo silly for not remembering to put that in. >_< Quitting smoking has really made my short-term memory get messed up. Also, I got my second commission there! YAY!!

Trim!!!

Weee! Ever since I got my inkle loom the weekend of Sapphire Joust (May 27-30) this year, I can't stop weaving on it! I have to admit, some of my other projects have fallen a bit by the wayside, but worry not ye of little faith, I shall finish them (eventually <_<;;)!!!



I really love how simple and relaxing weaving can be. Not to mention the fact that it's inspiring to watch little cones of thread become fabric! It's always so amazing and beautiful to me. That process is something that I have come to love about the fiber arts. Being able to transform one product and through some simple manipulations, create something beautiful is something that I hope I never lose the love of. I think at the heart of every fiber art enthusiast, there needs to be that raw passion to create and manipulate, watching something new come into the world through hard work, patience (sometimes a lot of patience) and a steady hand. I hope I never lose this sense of wonder for what I do. It's what keeps me wanting to do more and dig deeper.

Now, enough about that, wanna see what I've been making!? Cool! Me too! ^_^


This is the first trim that I made! I'm so proud of it. I got the thread I use for weaving at Earth Guild and it's amazing. A little on the pricy side, but for 800 yards per tube, I think it's well worth the investment.

Here's where I started experimenting with patterns! I love how you can make chains with inkle weaving! Such a simple design, but it has a great effect! 

Alright, this one took some time to get done. With how wide it is, advancing the warp was at times tricky, but I managed to do it! The pattern took some real concentration to warp, but it was well worth the effort in my humble opinion. :D

I loved making this trim. Clean and simple (notice it's the same pattern as the second picture?). I love how changing colors can change the look and feel of a completed piece. *swoon* I didn't really have any plans for this trim and one of my friends mentioned that they were his heraldic colors, so it became a gift! Hopefully he'll get some good use out of it. 

 Ahh, the belt...........*stab*. I joke. Kinda. At the request of Etienne, I wove him a belt. With silk/bamboo thread. Working with the nice smooth cotton is really awesome, the sticky, temperamental and cranky silk/bamboo? Not so much. Oh well, the finished product was beautiful and soft, and I guess it's a good starting place for when I start to weave with wool.  

 I'm really proud of this trim. It's the first thing I've made for a gift basket for another Kingdom (Caid, to be specific)! In fact, I've only made one other thing for a gift basket and that was at the baronial level. *shrugs* Oh well, at least now I know that I can make and give stuff to other kingdoms that they'll (hopefully) enjoy! I decided to use a different color for the weft threads on this trim. I wanted it to stand out and be unique, and I think I achieved that.

After a few commissions get finished and I make a belt for myself, I'll probably finish up my other projects. I still have a bag to knit for a friend and of course start getting ready for WoW and In The Phoenix Eye. So much to do!!

Until next time!
Bless your face