Fascinating Fiberz

This one-of-a-kind piece was made of a deep purple acrylic that I got from a store that was closing. It has long fringe, with gold metallic thread added to form a plaid pattern. It is both elegant and warm, and would make a beautiful special occasion fashion statement, or a luxurious throw over the back of a couch or chair. Measurement is 60 by 48 inches, excluding fringe.

Price for this finished item - $125 plus $4.60 Priority Mail shipping. If you are interested in having a similar piece made in different colors, please contact me regarding availability.

This blog entry was created so that my future next-door neighbors could monitor the progress of their new home.  The title is not meant to give offense, but rather refers to the fact that my family room and breakfast nook windows, which for over two years have looked out at an overgrown empty lot, are now looking at a cinderblock wall.  I have every confidence that the view will be quite attractive once the house is finished.  The first batch of photos were taken from these windows — once the window view was gone, they were taken from outside.

The full photo essay begins by clicking here.  This will take you outside the blog, but there will be a link to bring you back here.  I welcome your comments on the photo essay, even if you are not my future next-door neighbors.

(If you got here from the photo essay and don’t see the full blog menu to the right, scroll down a bit and click on “Trivialities and Random Thoughts” and you will see it.)

Plain and Fancy triangles are made on the 42″ loom, using a base color in plain yarn alternating with a fancy contrasting fiber to create the plaid effect. Use one as a small shawl, draped over the back of an armchair, or even hung on the wall.

The two pieces pictured above, celebrating the red and purple of Red Hat ladies everywhere, use a feathery eyelash yarn for the fancy part, and are available with the colors in either order (i.e. plain red and fancy purple, or plain purple and fancy red).

These two are completed and ready for immediate shipping. $35 each plus $4.60 Priority Mail shipping — contact me about additional quantities, or other colors and types of yarn.

This large triangular piece with fringe was made in Lion Brand Homespun in a color called Gazebo (unfortunately now discontinued). Gazebo is a summery bouquet of pastels - pinks, soft violets and white. Homespun is silky and soft, but at the same time is washable for easy care.

(Please note that, in the left hand photo above, the dark section on the right side is a shadow, not a color variation.)

Completed and available for immediate purchase. Price - $75 plus $4.60 Priority Mail shipping.

Look for other colors of Homespun on the Lion Brand site. Please note that the ones marked as “discontinued” may still be available in limited quantity in stores and clearance centers — let me know if you are interested in one of them.

This large triangle was made by weaving with three strands of very fine yarn at the same time, resulting in a lovely shawl or lap blanket that offers warmth without excess weight. The color of the yarn is called Blueberry, primarily a deep blue with touches of lighter blue, silver grey, and teal. (You can’t see the teal very well in the photographs, but it is very close to the color of the date stamp.) The piece measures 64″ on the long side by 48″ on the two short sides.

This is truly a one-of-a-kind piece, as the yarn was discontinued while it was in progress, and I just barely had enough to complete it. Available for immediate purchase. Price - $60 plus $4.60 Priority Mail shipping.

What could be nicer than a soft, cuddly baby blanket or a small afghan?

The examples shown above are each made of four small triangles sewn together point-to-point. These are solid colors, but the choice of two colors (half & half, or pinwheel-style) or even four different colors are also available.

100% acrylic, easily washable (a must for babies!), and available in a myriad of colors — let me know which one you would like me to make especially for you! To view the color cards, right-click on any of the links below and select “Open in New Window”.

These blankets measures approximately 42″ square. Completion time would be 2-3 weeks from the time I obtain the yarn.

Price - $85 as shown (with a crocheted edging), or $95 with fringe on two sides, plus $4.60 Priority Mail shipping.

This is my entry for the 3rd Annual International Strings Art Competition. Winners will be announced on May 30, 2008 — keep your fingers crossed on my behalf!

I found out about this competition only a week before the deadline, and decided to enter it by creating a piece entirely out of stuff I had laying around the house. The materials included yarn, crochet cotton, household twine, bobby pins, a paper clip, and a piece of garden mulch. The techniques included knitting, crocheting, weaving and embroidery, with the neck made on a Magicord spool.

This piece may or may not be offered for sale, depending on the competition results, however, if you are interested in a similar one made especially for you, please contact me. (Exact materials would vary, but the overall design would be the same.)

I call these pieces “hairpin lace” because they look like it, though they were actually made as flat-panel pieces on a Knifty Knitter, rather than on a hairpin lace maker.

The scarf (left two photos) is a mohair-look washable synthetic in a rich variegated purple, measuring 6 inches wide by 6 feet long. Price - $20 plus $4.60 Priority Mail shipping.

The shawl (right two photos) is made of Patons Nuance, a blend of 77% acrylic/11% wool/11% mohair/1% gold metallic, measuring 16 inches wide by 6 feet long, in a beige/gray mixture. Price - $35 plus $4.60 Priority Mail shipping.

Both pieces are completed and available for immediate purchase.

This one-of-a-kind piece features a pronounced diagonal pattern which is a result of an alternative method of warping taught by Maureen Dow of Cedar Hollow. This method of weaving also produces a tightly-packed weave which is wonderful when warmth is desired, and also has a great look when tossed over the back of a couch or armchair. Made of Lion Brand Jiffy, which has a fuzzy mohair-like appearance, but is actually easy-care washable acrylic.

This piece measures 37″ on the long side by 26″ on the two short sides, excluding fringe. Completed and available for immediate purchase. Price - $35 plus $4.60 Priority Mail shipping.

Country Comfort is my category of handwovens that are made of ordinary acrylic knitting yarns where the “interest” comes from the color variations rather than the texture or novelty characteristics of the yarn. This one contains four shades of blue ranging from a deep blue-grey down to a pale almost-white.

Country Comfort handwovens are soft and cozy, but at the same time washable for easy care. Because they are made in a loose openweave, they are suitable for air-conditioned rooms in the warmer climes as well as for northern winter use.

This piece measures 60″ on the long side by 50″ on the two short sides. Completed and available for immediate purchase. Price - $60 plus $4.60 Priority Mail shipping.

Don’t need a shawl? Think outside the rectangular box and use these large triangles as furniture throws, or have two sewn together as a bed coverlet!