At the start of each of the several Kumihimo classes I have had the opportunity to take with Rodrick Owen, he has asked the question

What Is The Difference Between Braiding and Weaving
.		Sometimes it is good to “look up the info for yourself”. But an incentive is always nice. So “while supplies” last (at least the first 5 or so correct answers) Anyone who sends the correct answer will be sent a copy of the current version of “Kumihimo On A Card” by Shirley Berlin-BerlinBraids.com (this is the one also known as “The Red One”

The only catch is that you must be sure you are registered here, and that your have included your “real name” and a valid email address so I can send you the coupon for the book and media mail postage at my e-store ItsAllJustString.Com

Happy Braiding

There seems to be an increasing number of “on-line” communities, some supposedly independent and other that are obviously sponsored by a particular supplier – that really are dedicated to providing a sales venue of real or downloadable products.

Neither is good or bad in it own right – but what is becoming increasingly common to all is that self publishing authors, or those who offer limited production may have tied all their marketing and sales into one or two of these entities.

Still not good or bad, so why this note.

Over the last year or so I have observed several increasingly common occurrences.

First, business oriented publications have had a constant stream of articles and such about the loss of productivity because employees are “surfing the web” on company time – not just lunch hour or breaks.

Those involved with IS (information systems) have always (since before the WWW) had access to “lists” of troublesome IP’s commonly used by the nastier fo spammers – but most companies have been reluctant to get involved in the expense tracking individual sites.

That is changing. As we all try to do more with less, many companies are looking to see how they can make their existing work force more effective.

What are they finding? That are losing far to many hours of work due to employees surfing.

Just think about how often you see ” I will look when I get to work” or “… only have dial up at home so I will upload that from work”

Within the past few weeks, I have read, across many groups and communities, reference to how “suddenly” I cannot access such and so community or web site.

“The technology exists” and because of the need for doing more with less, IS people are now being directed to pay attention to sites that are being accessed thru “work computers”.

To be fair to these businesses, they are just trying to keep their business going and believe it or not keep those employees employed.

For the individual consumer, well, unless they upgrade what they have at home, they will no longer be your customers.

BUT for the Self Publishing Author or Niche Artisan – sorry folks but it is not just me being a control freak,

YOU need to control your distribution

YOU need to control your presence on the web

YOU have to find new and more inventive ways to reach your target audience as well as make sure consumers are aware of your goods and services.

YOU need to make sure that every consumer can access your products and publications easily and effectively.

There is so much more to running your small art inspired business than just producing publication and products.

Keeping a starting chain, “untwisted” is always something of a challenge

Keeping a LONG starting chain untwisted is a bigger challenge.

While not perfect, and it does require a tiny bit of planning and that you read and understand your pattern, here are my most used options.

First (and the one I use “most” of the time) I make the starting chain plus about 10-15 extra chains,

Now I IGNORE the instruction to join the chain, instead, work the first row according “as if” your chain was already joined to the nest to the last stitch.

Obviously you will need to be careful as you work that row that your chain does not get twisted, but even it does the world won’t end.

Instead, very carefully wrap that chain around something (coffee cans seem to work well for me) to straighten the chain and make sure this chain plus row 1 are not twisted.

It should now be much easier to “see” that your work is not twisted and you can “join” that first row “as if there were a chain underneath.

Although you don’t have to, it may be less awkward at this point to secure that last/joining stitch with a stitch maker and remove you hook.

OR you can wait until you have worked further rows to make it a bit easier to hang onto (again, this is what I do)

Unwork the extra chains,

which also btw eliminates the perceived problem of too many or not enough base chain stitches,

Use the yarn tail to weave a Kitchiner or even a Russian type join of the base chain ends –

Finally reinsert your hook (for in the round leave the stitch marker in place) and continue on with your untwisted, non-mobius hat, sweater body or pillow covered or purse.

Speaking of the tail created by those extra chains, it does have some other saving graces/uses.

I “force” myself into certain habits, even though I can crochet or knit with either hand, I ALWAYS make sure that the chain row is some from my left to my right.

That way I “always” know which side is the “front” because the chain is on my left of a flat piece and my right for an in the round.

Incidentally, with a bit of variation the above also works for starting knitting in the round

Hope This Helps

I started this draft a week or 10 days ago, but since the question came up again today, here is “What Wheat Wrote”

It still needs polishing and pictures to be finished, but you may find it helpful even lacking that.

Every once in awhile (okay more often than not) some little detail of fiber work gets into my head and I don’t know why.

First, just to get my personal obsession with technique name correctness out of the way.

While it is popular to call this felting, technically it is not. It
is more correctly a fulling process – it has to with the what
material you start with, loose fibers (like the rovings and such you see for needle felting) or a fabric woven, knit or crochet.

Fulling can be done to any fabric made from pretty much any natural (plant or protein) although some fibers work better than others with various wools at the top of the list, but any handwoven is not finished until it is wet finished

The most common fulling mistake made by those who knit or crochet with the plan to felt the final fabric, is to NOT use a large enough hook or needle to allow the yarns the room they need to first expand, interact, and finally to contract into felt.

For knitting, at least 2 or 3 mm larger is a minimum over the suggested gauge found on the label.

If your yarn label does not give a suggested hook size for crochet, go up 1-2mm over the recommend Knit Needle size and then add at least 2 mm.

A few months ago, I happened to read a message in one of the crochet groups about fulling which is different than felting, the process of making fabric from wisps of fiber.

That which modifies the fabric into something resembling felt is simply fulling more agressively.

As I was reading the question in several crochet groups, it just seems that there was a step missing. So I started this insane bit of research, reading and borrowing about 100 books and another 50 or so on line tutorials about the process.

After establishing there was a step missing from “what works for wheat”, the next step was to try to determine why I do it this way.

The question that often is asked had to do with the fulling not getting the fabric hard enough to be a Purse or Tote, or, if it can be done in a front loader (yes it can but you have less control)

But what is the missing step?

It has been my experience the best method is to “soak” the item first in lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes so that the fibers are thoroughly wetted thru.

The above “step” is not usually found in any directions for either
fulling or felting. in any of the several hundred web how-tos or the 100+ books borrowed from the library. It is a tip from one of my weaving books on “finishing fabric” – that for some reason I applied (quite successfully) to microwave dying with Kool Aid)

Next wash in the hottest water possible, even that means boiling up a pot of water and pouring it in.
For top loading machines, you may be able to add hot water if your machine has one of those compartments to hold your fabric softenter or liquid detergent after closing the door.

Use the Longest possible Agitation cycle

Cold water rinse to shock the fibers into contracting,

Spin at least once, maybe even twice – wool can hold up to about 3x times it own weight in water.

In between cycles (this is where those with front loaders loose some control since they cannot stop the machine while it is still full of water)

You may choose (or not) to take a few minutes to pull the fabric into shape (sometimes the stitch pattern or tension of the work may cause uneven felting) This is really important for those with a front loader, because you could not do it during the fulling process.

Machine Dry on the Hottest cycle -

If you are not satisfied with the hardness of the fabric, you may want to repeat the process use some of the felting techniques that have tutorials “all over the web”

HTH

Wheat

There are many things related to business and in this case shopping that confuse me. There are almost too many easy ways for the consumer to do a bit of research and get the best price.

Add to that the exponentially increasing number of manufacturers, etc who realize no single retailer of any size can usually carry their “full” line, have set up information and in some cases “shopping opportunities” on the web.

Let me be very clear, I have NO PROBLEM with any single individual deciding to sell their personal stash in any of the many ethical ways from auctions on-line to weekend garage sales.

I am a member/observer in many of these groups and sometimes am very conflicted. On the one hand, I am, a “guest” in the listowner/sellers’ so speaking up is not a polite/politcally correct option.

On the other hand, about 95% of the time, they have obtained the merchandise by using false credentials. I won’t bore you with the nuances, but in most cases, the seller has given, at best misleading and worst, out right lies to gain wholesale accounts.

Some might say this is just Wheat whining because she sells on line but no that is not the issues.

Nor, is it that legitimately set up businesses both brick and click have greater expenses and so may need to ask for more to maintain extra services offered to you.

What confuses me is WHY with the information so available, Consumers would choose to buy in to a situation where they are often paying the same or more than suggested retail AND paying in advance.

Over and over, consumers say they shop on line so they can get what they want and get it now.

So last but not least they have to WAIT for the items they want.

Why not support the independent retailers whether you choose a local shop or an . on-line seller

Or, am I missing something here…

Looking forward to enlightenment