October 4th, 2011 at 00:57 am
It is always amazing how one discussion leads to another. What started in Crochet Partners as a request for suggestion on wool for a toddler hat, evolved into some great comments on felting.
One of the best was a very basic summary of how to felt, by machine.
And I thank Marty for reminding me of a Tiplet I wanted to share during the last felting discussion.
It is one of those things you pick up when you come at something from a different direction.
So many new people have come to felting by way of Knit or Crochet – that they may have never really learned the basics the way a traditional felter, spinners or weaver does.
I have never quite understood why so many people seem to need to do multiple “washing” – infext almost every set of directions you read relating to felting Knit or Crochet, seems to mention multiple runs thru their machine.
So WHY is that not the case for me ?!*?
So in that “semi conscious” time of the morning, I suddenly realized that what was missing from most if not all of the commonly available instructions for “Machine Felting” of Knot or Crochet (or wovens for that matter) as PRE-Soaking –
Both Felting and Kool-Aid Dyeing require you to presoak, in lukewarm is best, for at least 30 minutes. This helps to get all the fibers possible “opened” and thus more likely to felt or accept the dye.
For felting, my usual method is to fill a bucket with warm to almost hot water in the slop sink next to the washing machine about 1/2 full. Give it a squirt of my “ivory soap” liquid, stir and then use a long dowel or wooden spoon to gently submerge the item. I “weight it” to it stay under water with a heavy dinner plate.
If it won’t stay down, Jaquie Carey’s acrylic covered Kumihimo bobbins add weight to the plate and since they are completely covered in a relatively non-reactive coating (as may be some others).
After about 10 minutes, with the plate still in place, Add a tea kettle of hot water – pour it slowing over the plate so that you are not hitting the fibers directly with the changed temperature.
When the water reaches room temp, you are ready to add it to the wash, draining option. We have an unfinished floor with the drain located near the slop sink, so no matter if it gets a bit sloppy
Pre-Soaking KA – Mix the Kool-Aid into rather warm water, add the yarn or fibers (again making sure they are submerged, same tricks but usually smaller plate will work.) Soak for about 15-30 minutes until water cools. Now follow whatever felting works best for you.
Here is the link to the first of my Kool-Aid articles or use the Kool-Aid Category.
Enjoy The Making
Wheat
October 3rd, 2011 at 12:20 pm
As far as I can see, the return on the investment known as US Foreign aid has bought us nothing but hurt.
I do firmly believe that IF someone wants to make charitable efforts outside the country that makes it possible for them to do, that is their right and privilege.
So if Brangelina want to make life better for those in Africa instead of South LA, it is their money to spend as they wish.
But NOT so the US Government.
Instead
-restore the tax benefits so that once again there is a reason for the kind of Corporate support that so advance the Arts in the USA
– make it EASIER for individual and businesses to be good neighbors
– stop all foreign aid – and take all that money being used to help fund attacks on the USA, and use it for Small Business and Development loans and Disaster Relief within the US.
– Use tax credits and Right to Work laws to encourage companies to bring back their jobs and update their facilities lying dormant.
If we must buy raw materials, fine, but let’s see if we can bring them to the US.
– Let’s make it a REQUIREMENT that all Government goods and services from Medical Transcripton to clothing for out armed forces, MUST be awarded to US Companies PRODUCING the product or service in this COUNTRY.
Isn’t really about time we considering possibly having less so that we can make it possible for each of us, individual or company to help our neighbors instead of our enemies.
Just one of those things that runs thru my head pretty much every day.
Obviously all those things will take time, but in the meantime,
Let’s stop buying off shore on eBay and support the jobs for those same products that are helping to pay the salaries of our own citizens.
Let’s fuel our economy with oil and natural gas found inside our borders.
Let’s make it clear to the Wal-Marts that we are willing to pay an extra dollar for a shirt made in the USA instead of putting an entire town out of work over 50 cents.
Let’s stop defending everyone else’s borders so that there is safe haven for terrorista and bring our armed forces home and use those funds to protect our borders.
Let’s stop selling to our enemies and limits sales of technology and raw materials to our friends.
My personal goal is find at least ONE item each month that is either “Made In America” or is helping to support US Jobs
Here is just one:
– Buddy Jeans and Texas Jeans
And oh yeah, lets elect state and federal legislators and executives willing to put America first and take us back to a country where the concept of a Hand Up and further denigrate our citizens by only giving hand outs.
Okay rant over …. for the moment
July 14th, 2011 at 17:13 pm
As most know, I can be a real PIA about technique and proper respect for traditions, but when it comes to materials, seem willing to try pretty much anything
Not unlike the new spinner who is willing to try everything including at least one shot at Dryer Lint.
Non-Standard disclaimer, although I have sold and still do sell most of these, that has little to do with anything beyond if I did not like them, I would not sell them. These are tools and techniques I use and have in my personal stash.
Hemp can be very iffy – IF the hemp you use is intended for Macrame, then likely it was too stiff. You will want to find a finer thread and may need to treat it like linen, which does require some additional preparation and finishing to soften it a bit. There are some hemps for weaving and knit and crochet which are softer, but not something I use very often for braids.
A popular Practice product is Satin Cord – there was a time when all Satins were find silks, now they are most nylon. The core is usually a cotton or cotton poly or poly piping.
The smallest and almost impossible to find is “bug tail” which is .5mm and when you do there is almost no color selection
Petite – Size 0 – aka/ mouse tail is also less available than other sizes,
and approximately 1-1.4mm (don’t ask me why it varies so much – it just does )
Light Weight – Size 1 – sometimes called Rat Tail is about 1.5 to 1.9mm usually “listed” as 2mm because when flattened it is closer to that. More available than Bug or Mouse, but still often limited colorways.
Heavy weight, size 2 – “true” Rat Tail – is near to 3mm – the most commonly available, including often in stores that sell sewing supplies “by the yard”
With very rare exceptions I do not like the look of varigated which, since that range is always either non-existent or limited – I rather like the way BeadSmith’s new product is set up – 4 solids in 3yd pieces in a package.
S-LON (BeadSmith) – C-Lon (CLon)
These are not my personal favorites but they do have a place and depending on your project may be the most suitable.
Like so many yarns and threads, these are the same product with different names and in this case, produced in the same factory in China – just being offered by different distributors – If you think this is confusing, don’t ever try to keep track of yarns
S-lon/c-lon may or may not have and identical color line and what is often not clear it is that both brands have different “weights” one is similar to a #18 Mastic and the others are like D or E Nymo
S-Lon and C-Lon are primarily beading thread/cords. They will not have a fine a hand as either cotton, rayon or silk but are somewhat flexible.
Many seem to like this thread when the braid involves beadwork…
Personally I prefer either FlexRite or SoftFlex in the 7 strand/.007 diameter when working with beads or when a braid is planned for jewelry.
Most bead shops and many fiber business carry both – sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t
Another fiber I like is Asian Knotting Cords. These are braided cords, in diameters similar to the Satin Cord – although availability and colors are often a problem. I prefer the .8 but kept a supply of the 1.3 for knotting purposes particularly 6 of the 8 Clover Asian Knot templates seem happier with the thicker cord.
RAYON BUNDLES/aka BIRON
Biron is a wonderful Japanese product, about the only current importer for Biron would be Braidershand
As possible substitute, many of us use Rayon MACHINE (its finer) embroidery thread – You can find these in sewing and fabric stores, there are many brands and which will best suit your needs will be determined by “trial & error”
For quick warps – I personally like Presencia’s El Molino which is a
multi strand 100% Rayon divisible floss with a really soft hand in the finished braids.
For fine threads to make bundles similar to Biron, i prefer Presencia or Robison Anton Rayons and YLI’s Metallic threads when there is a greater need to satisfy the magpie in us all.
When Wools seems to be called for and as I continue to work my way thru Makiko-san’s 2nd Treatise -n Andean Braid,I have been using several different lace weight yarns, most recently Ella Rae Lace Merino and am looking forward to the new Juniper Moon yarn, Findley which is a Merino/Silk blend. The other wool I have been using is Araucania’s Ranco Sock
Probably ideal would be Madeira’s Lana 12 is lovely 50/50 wool acrylic blend and offers a huge range of colors. BUT since so few braid with wool, it was not “in the budget” for my personal stash
For Cottons, I have been using Sullivan’s or Presencia Floss (pretty much opposite ends of the price spectrum – Since Sullivan’s got the production issues settled nicely, even with only a bit more than 400 colors it is a good and economical choice –
For making up a quick and thick warp for practice, I was really please when KFI decided to bring back my favorite cotton – was King Tut (not to be confused with Superior’s cotton thread) under the Ella Rae brand as Phoenix.
Hopefully it will do well and they will expand the colors. Meanwhile for Braid Anatomy its 24 colors is adequate and there are several shades of each primary/secondary so interested visual can effect.
I have used a lot of pearl cottons in all the sizes (3,5,8,12,16) but just don’t like the hand of the finished braids and they are not thick enough – guess I will just have eBay what is hanging about,
Sullivan’s new metallics floss really stunned me with its gentle hand and I am rather liking the samples of their new perle/pearl cotton line – so looking forward to seeing it in person at the trade show next month.
I wish my personal budget allowed for the Silk bundles but it does not. Instead I have been, for very special projects, been using Clover’s Tire Silk Thread somewhat limited in available colors, but enough to make me happy and dream about special ordering the one’s not currently offered in the US.
Braiding with yarn and wire are, for the most part, a topic for another day and at least so far as the wire is concerned, I am sort of waiting to see what happens now that Beadalon bought Artistic.
Now if I could just remember who borrowed my day stretcher so there would be enough time to both get stuff into the catalog AND spend more time with pretty stuff running thru my fingers….
Enjoy the Making.
Wheat
P.S. Carol Franklin’s Braidweaver.com, has some really excellent tips for Braiders, my favorite is to use multiple spools and then warp many threads with each pass.
June 12th, 2011 at 10:51 am
My friendship with Jean dates back decades.
While it is often mentioned her significant contributions to Crochet …
It is well worth mentioning how much she has given to ALL segments of the industry.
Leisure Arts & American School of Needlework under her guidance probably MADE the craft industry possible.
Name a fiber activity and Jean was right there ready to encourage the budding independent designers and authors – generous to a fault with her time and talent,
After Leisure, Jean, with Rita Weiss created “Creative Partners” continuing thier individual and joint contributions.
Take a moment when you can and read just the brief summary of her life in the Needle Arts Industry and look at the wide range of her contributions to all niches.
http://www.creativepartnersllc.com/About_Us.html
On a personal level, Jean has been one of the most supportive individuals on the planet to me over the past few years as I dealt with issues related to my own health issues and my mother’s final illness and recent death.
Just a year since the death of Kim Crews Barnett – it seems we are losing far too many, too soon of the wonderful people who have worked to make these hobbies available to us.
Please hold her in your heart as well as here family and friends
May 30th, 2011 at 09:05 am
Lest we forget what today really means:
http://ramparts360.com/american-exceptionalism/fridays-at-the-pentagon/
Memorial Day is about Honoring, not eating
and sometimes a little more,
Happy Birthday Observed & Actual to Ffej
Thanks to all who serve
Wheat
