If there’s anyone out there still reading my blog (stats tell me I get the occasional visitor)—just want to let you know I’m still here, still weaving, knitting, crocheting, and occasionally sewing.

I have an idea about my pin loom patterns and “book.” If you’ve read the assorted blurbs on the Sue’s Book tab of this blog, you’ll see I vacillate. My original intention was to write and publish a children’s book, but after many years of serious effort I’ve abandoned the idea (maybe temporarily, maybe permanently). Lately I’ve toyed with the idea of writing a pin loom weaving book—well, more than toyed—I’ve put in some serious effort and had significant assistance from my friend, Tanja in the Netherlands, who is a typing wizard. She transcribed all the notes I sent her and paired them with the photos I sent her.

Here’s what part of it looks like (in miniature):

a glimpse of the Library of Patterns

Obviously Tanja couldn’t type up the stuff I didn’t send her . . . and haven’t sent her. I’ve been whipping up more patterns in the last week, and playing around with color combinations and pattern variations. I still write everything out by hand, but I’m slightly more organized about it now—I write on note cards and keep each card with its square in a Ziploc bag.

Old way . . .

New way

You might have noticed the photos are blurry. I did that on purpose for a couple of reasons. One is to protect the patterns’ privacy. The other is that we’re having a swap on the Facebook Pin Loom Weaving Support Group and I don’t want to give away any surprises (because I might be using some of these squares in the swap).

So, my idea is to give up on the idea of a book—my heart isn’t in it; I just like making up the patterns—and instead, release the patterns here under their own tab. That way we can all have access to my patterns instead of waiting for a day that likely will never arrive (if it’s up to me it isn’t to be—unfortunately).

Any comments?

I have never known myself to get to the end of a first-time project and remember to photograph the end processes. So, I have no photos of the final assembly of the scarecrow. However, if you purchased the pattern, you have the same instructions I followed.

I tried a couple of different techniques:

  1. I sewed the raffia to the scarecrow’s head (remember I don’t like glue) before assembling the hat.
  2. I sewed the hat to the head (I don’t know if that was part of the instructions or not; by the end I was doing whatever I thought needed to be done to complete the project).
  3. Got the idea to add a crow from Bee Sroe on the Facebook Pin Loom Weaving Support Group.
  4. I added the Mini Pumpkin from the Halloween Pin Loom Set by Deborah Bagley.

    Ta da!

    Ta da!

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I’m obsessed with the houndstooth check pattern of weaving.

Houndstooth check requires a different warping and weaving style. It’s not the three layer warp method. It’s definitely not bias weaving. It isn’t exactly two-layer warping though it most closely resembles that style. Because of its roguish nature, you can play around with it a lot while warping, and even a bit while weaving. It produces this fascinating geometric design. I’m not all that crazy about the end result; it’s the process that grips me.

5" and 4" Houndstooth Check squares

5″ and 4″ Houndstooth Check squares

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Can't post a photo of what I haven't made yet. Stay tuned.

Can’t post a photo of what I haven’t made yet. Stay tuned.

On the Facebook Pin Loom Weaving Support Group we’re hosting a weave-along of a different kind. We’re following a commercial pattern invented by one of the group members. Be sure to visit Deborah Bagley’s Yarnovations for the Halloween Pin Loom Projects set. We’re making the scarecrow from that set. Isn’t he a cutie?

We need to make several plain weave (PW) squares for the project, but they don’t absolutely have to be plain weave. I figured as long as I’m making squares, and don’t have to make too many, instead of PW, I’d practice some skills and revisit some of my earlier blog posts. I decided on 2/2 Twill for the scarecrow’s jeans, which means using the Two-Layer Warp method (2LW). And I decided to use my Loomette to make the houndstooth pattern for his shirt. Read More →