norsegirl

Had a brilliant lightbulb moment last night with respect to my costuming... specifically that I've wanted to make wool trim for some time but it always felts all to hell or bleeds dye or both... why not use sock yarn? Until I started knitting I didn't even know there was such a thing. It is wool, sometimes blended with other fibers, that is treated to resist felting and be machine washable. While this strikes a blow to being period, it does allow the use of both wool and a washer, which makes it not the worst idea every for camping clothes. Sock yarn is also fine enough to not be ridiculously thick (or at least I don't think it will work). Anyway I picked up a few skeins of solid colors today and I will give it a shot sometime this week and report back.

Haven't accomplished much else today. Stayed up REALLY late reading LJ after I posted my last entry because I was missing everyone. Maybe not the best choice in the world as far as being awake and able to function today. Have roller derby practice this afternoon, I anticipate having my butt handed to me in a glorious way.

Question for the peanut gallery... I want to start weaving my trims with more authentic materials. But I'm having a problem figuring out how to use the results of said weaving...

( Wooly disasters behind the cut )

Here's the questions I put out to my wise readers:
Is wool trim useful or is this a silly pursuit for anything other than an A&S competition?
How can one weave a piece in wool and wash it without the dyes leeching out and ruining the piece (and possibly the garment it is applied to)?
Is there any way to pre-shrink wool so it can be applied to a garment without turning it into felt?
Once wool has been applied to a garment, what are the care instructions to ensure the wool will not shrink after application?

( I promised I'd post some pics of some of the pretties I brought back from Estrella. )

So, um, I bought a floor loom. As if our place wasn't cramped enough for space as it is. And the kicker, I have no idea how to use it either. I've been carting around a table model LeClerk that I picked up from Utsi for years now with no idea how to set it up or weave with it, and now I'm adding a 36" floor-model monstrosity to my house.

I think the plan will be to join the local weaver's guild in the fall and bring the table model out to learn the basics and apply them on the big model at home. It's exciting and yet daunting and somewhat terrifying at the same time. The idea of having the ability to weave my own fabric just gives me shivers (the good kind). And yet I know that weaving your own is often more pricey than buying from a fabric store, so I fear for my bank account as well as my sanity.

Still trying to think of what I'm going to say to the hubby when this thing walks in the door. Maybe I'll just put it in my sewing room and he might not even see it... yeah, that's what I'll do.

I was asked by Inga on Wednesday to make a gift for the current crown princess for when she comes to our area in November. I was asked specifically to make a woven belt incorporating blue, yellow, black and white (her colours). Thursday night I warped it and wove a few inches to make sure I didn't hate it. Tonight got it all finished and off the loom. I love quick projects. The loom was provided very kindly by

rectangularcat and was made by her husband

landsknecht_po and I love it.

Designing weaving with any more than three colours is tricky, in fact two is ideal. It's a bit busy but I think I am overall pleased with the result. The final belt is 1 1/2 inches wide by 2.5m long. Yes, I love mixing measuring units, and that was a little longer than I was aiming for, but she can cut off the excess. I am especially pleased with the blue, a brilliant shade that just came out recently and that I had never used before. Unfortunately it doesn't photograph well. The yellow was an end-of lot that someone kindly picked up for me back home and I had been saving for a special occasion (the yellow currently available is so pale as to be almost unrecognizable as yellow). It's just a mix of your standard crochet cottons anyway.

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