kumihimo

Progress and Finishes, Sort Of

by CZeitler

I did finish the first beaded kumihimo bracelet I tried, however I did not string enough beads on and the end is just kumihimo so I am not even going to add a photo here. Another bracelet, this one with embroidery thread, and smaller beads, has been started. There are 30 beads on each strand, I will add more if this is not enough for an 8″ bracelet. I may make it slightly smaller and add a chain and lobster clasp so it can be loosened or tightened as needed.

Onto a finish, I did finish weaving the main portion of my bog jacket, small panels were added to each side since I am a very large person and some more width was needed. I do have to re-sew up one of the side seams, which means I am going to re-sew all of them several times over, since the arm hole kept getting caught on a doorknob at work.

The front end has a simple tied fringe while the back adds in some braids to the fringe. It was all woven at 7.5 epi. with Knit Picks Dishie in whites and grays. When trying to bring my warps back together after the neck hole I had extreme difficulty. I wound up tightly tying 4 of the warp threads, two on either side of the hole, together so that the warp would rejoin after a few picks into a solid piece of cloth again. Even after finishing and washing the piece there were weft threads strung out through this rejoining of the warp. I first tried to crochet a lovely chain around the neck line to create stability, however this eliminated the stretch needed to actually get the piece over my head. To this end I wound up folding the neckline down toward the ‘wrong’ side of my piece and felling it down with what amounts to a rolled hem. I love how this looks. Admittedly the back is much longer than I thought it would be, and I am planning to use the rest of the warp I already have cut and chained to weave up pieces that I may use as sleeves. Since this is a 100% cotton piece it is not too warm, and if I were to make another piece I will likely use a slightly tighter epi to give this a bit more body to the entire piece. I do have some yarn that I believe is wool in black and rainbow that I may try to use as another version. I do also have a peach version of Dishie in a large quantity that I might use to make another version of this jacket, it was so much fun once I really got started.

There are a couple more projects I was going to mention but I think that this post is long enough already. I will mention an accidental project that I think is so funny. Friday when I was taking my braid out, this is the same day I modeled my new bog jacket, I ended up with a huge snarl at the end braided very tightly. I did try to get this matt out, however nothing was working. In the end I cut out the snarl, giving myself a small accidental trim. I then took the hair, and a glue stick, to make small pieces of ‘thread’ that I hope to use in some kind of a Victorian hair art.

Until next time Live Life A Little More Abstract!

Busy Weekend

by CZeitler

My sister has been without a car for a couple of years now. She lives in a larger city in Pennsylvania so she could use a bus to get around, however the busses are not always reliable and she often has to call an uber or another transportation service that is a bit costly. In 2023 I was able to get financing to purchase a hybrid car that will be paid off in 2031. One of our cousins in New Jersey managed to get a scratch on the side of her car that her insurance considers ‘totaled’. She fixed that car up and gave it to me, I gave my car to my sister (I’ll still work on paying it off), so that we both have vehicles. I am very grateful that I was able to do this, I didn’t realize how much it was stressing me that she did not have transportation. This did force me to clear out my car, which allowed me to find some amazing items that I ‘lost’ in the car. I am trying to keep my new to me car a bit cleaner.

Since we were visiting our cousin I decided to stay on a few extra days to hang out with the family, it is always fun to spend time with them. We visited a huge mall and I was able to find some mini block kits for over 1/2 off, and I treated myself. These are the super cute ‘monsters’ from Pac Man, I have the PacMan head and cherries to put together another time. I have been getting some spinning and weaving done on a tapestry piece that I choose to call my “Vacation Tapestry: Time is Fleeting”.

I also attempted to be a ‘passenger princess’ and craft in the passenger seat of the car since my sister drove us both up in my car. This did work somewhat, but not entirely. I managed to get some braiding done on a new kumihimo braid in Christmas Colors. Not as much as I wanted, though I did get some dozing done, I haven’t been able to sleep in a car in quite some time.

This was an amazing trip. It has taken a lot off of my mind, we both have transportation, my car insurance cost went down significantly, and I have had time to get quite a bit done. With the cost of gas this summer, the fact that my new to me car has horrible gas milage, and other considerations means that I am going to spend more time at home this summer. This is going to be a great boon for me. I am going to finally get my home organization finished, I have definite steps to take. My garden and garden storage are going to be greatly improved this summer. I have clover that I need to plant when the winter weather holds off for a few days, and there are English summer garden bulbs on the way for me to plant when frost holds off. At work we created ‘Seed Balls’, because b-o-m-b is a Nono word in a public library, and several of the seeds need to be stratified in a cold environment (kept in the fridge) for 30-60 days. That means that I have several seed balls that will be thrown in my back yard the beginning of May and a few that will be thrown the beginning of June. I am very excited to see if these are going to bloom.

Okay, I think that is enough for this post. Until next time remember to Live Life a Little More Abstract!

Plans Derailed

by CZeitler

On Thursday I went to work with a slightly scratchy throat. I had been moving books an dusting shelves so I thought that was it. One of my supervisors let me know that there were throat problems going around, so after the meeting I decided to go home early sick. I’m so happy I did. I then slept through with few waking moments until Saturday. My throat was feeling better by then, I had ordered Walmart delivery of garlic pills, oregano pills, immune support pills, diet soda, and oatmeal. These purchases took up most of my cousin visit fund, but oh well. On Saturday I was feeling much better, I was able to get some dishes done and a quick shower so I could stink a little less.

On Sunday I was able to get a few projects worked on. I finished the beaded bracelet, made a kumihimo piece and finished another. I was planning on using this weekend to make progress on the big quilt project I was working on, however I do not want to get my germs on it. I hope that I am not coughing in the morning so I can make progress on that.

The final thing that I am working on is some small weavings for holiday cards. I’m not sure if it will happen or not, I’m just happy I made progress on this.

Remember to Live Life a Little More Abstract.