Speaker cloth

I'll just sneak in with this one before the end of the year. 

5.2 metres of cloth for son in laws speakers.  

Its not all for him unless there are mistakes made! 

Black is linen plied with an unknown manmade fibre.  

Sand is 3 threads of 20/2 cotton from DEA yarns.

Draft from 8 shaft patterns (Strickler) book, pattern no. 715, 

because that is what was on the unit its replacing.

"Just what he wanted" was the verdict.

This evening is New Year Eve which is shaping up to be windy and wet.  I've moaned quite a bit about the weather recently, apparently with good cause.  Our summer is 6 weeks (6 weeks) late arriving so not here yet!

Enjoy your celebrations

and all the best wishes for 2015.

Seasons Greetings

 The pohutukawa tree (NZ Christmas tree) 

as seen from the deck over my front garden taken a couple of days ago 

as a storm was approaching.

Wishing everyone everywhere

a wonderful time with family and friends

over this holiday time.

(And spare a thought for those who have to work to keep

the country ticking along, including

nurses, police, ambulance and MAF staff at the airport.)

Shibori scarf

I've been a member of the Fibre Artists group with a stand at the historic Cargo Shed on Tauranga waterfront for over a year now.  There are quite a few of us sharing the fibre stand so I only have to work three days a month.  Even with the hour long drive its a fun day out with lots of people to meet and talk to.  My stock was getting low so I wondered what I could do with this purple and gold shibori scarf to make it more attractive to a wider audience.  

 After a good soaking it went into the dye pot with half a teaspoon of royal blue acid dye and I was very pleased with the result, especially as it held its texture.  This is woven in slightly overtwisted merino which, when first wetted out, it would have released its twist at the peek of the pleats thus making them permanent.

I was wondering why I didn't have more weaving to talk about but its been so frantic here at Hotel Pio that I forgot to take photos of the last blankets, a lovely mix of light taupe which reminded me of driftwood.

Have also finished 5 metres of fabric for speaker cabinets - photos to follow after it has been gifted.

On the house keeping side, remember back at the beginning of August, I ripped my leg open and got seven stitches.  I can now report I took the last dressing off this morning.  It is healed at last.   Yippee!

Jack was delighted with his Tardis socks (last post) - made great skid-mobiles on the varnished floor.

And just a reminder that if you want an easy notification that there is a new post there is an Email button at the top right of this page.  It would be nice if you also joined the list of Followers so I know some folks are interested in my ramblings.

If you have a wee boy about to turn 4, don't look!!

Gift spoiler!

I can't wait any longer to show these.  I used a pattern from Spud and Chloe

and combined it with a pattern for Tardis socks.

Part of a box of treasurers I received for my birthday several months ago was these foot prints (Go at your own pace, was the message.).  Little did the creator know they'd be used to get the right sock size!

Jack and Zoe's foot prints

Bonuses

First day of summer, cool, wet and hail forcast!

 Two blankets here in soft spring greens, so much fun to weave.  

Had so many blankets to freight to Auckland (and stuff to pick up from there) 

that we decided the cost of freight was a good chunk of a tank of diesel

and the bonus was seeing all the family.

 All four scarves from the same interleaved warp, again fresh spring colours.

And shock my horrors, I'm trying to thread the loom back to front.  Am using a dummy warp and will tie the real warp on from the front.   Seems silly to have to restart the computer to turn the loom on just so I can put a cross in front of the heddles so I can thread 2 threads per dent in the reed and again in front of the reed for the tie on.  Thought this was the easier way to do it rather than wind a warp with 4 dark 1 light 1 dark 1 light for 560 threads.  The bonus is its been easier on the torn shoulder tendons and the back.

This will be grill cloth to cover the speakers on son in laws retro sound system.