Got Sheeps?

By Leigh

I do!

Tina (A Blip on the Radar) did a very sweet thing this year and sent out Valentine's gifts, of which Rascal and I were lucky recipients! We got quite a few goodies, but this is the one I absolutely had to share with you, sheep soaps. Aren't they neat? They are definitely "do not use" soaps and deserve special display in my bathroom.

Thank you Tina!

Got Sheeps? © Feb 21, 2010

by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

I Won!

By Leigh

I won this totally cool t-shirt from Basically Benita. She had a give-away and I was one of two lucky winners! She and her husband Scott have been developing a line of t-shirts, and this design is one of their first.

That's not all! They have two more designs here and here.

Benita and Scott will be opening up a webstore soon, with these and more. Keep an eye on her blog for details.

Thank you Benita! I will wear it with pride.

Posted 5 February 2010 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

1st Fireside Sock Done

By Leigh

I finished the first of the Fireside Socks during the Penn State game yesterday...

(I always have trouble photographing white, but you get the idea.)

As you can see, I've also just begun the cuff of its mate. Not sure if the second will progress as quickly as the first, but it might.

In weaving news, I have good news and bad news to report. The good news is that the dining and living room floors should hopefully be done this month, which will mean being able to get furniture, boxes, etc., out of the spare room and my studio. That means the loom will be accessible again.

The bad news is that my studio has no heat. I can open up the French doors during the day to let heat in, or I can spend time in there comfortably if the sun is shining and warms the room up. However, I shut the doors again at sundown because of all the windows in the room. There's quite a bit of heat loss so it keeps the house warmer to simply shut that room off for the night. January and February are our coldest months of the year, but perhaps we'll have plenty of sunny days to enjoy.

I hope your new year is off to a good start. Ours promises to be a very busy but productive one.

Posted 2 January 2010 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related posts:
Fireside Sock Knitting
1st Fireside Sock Heel

1st Fireside Sock Heel

By Leigh

Done.

Posted 26 December 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related posts:
Fireside Sock Knitting
Fireside Sock Progress

Small Bags For Small Gifts

By Leigh

I've always given handcrafted gifts to family members for their birthdays and Christmas. This year, thanks to the homestead, I haven't been able to make the knitted, woven, embroidered, or sewn gifts I usually do. Instead, I decided to give some of fig jam, muscadine jelly, and canned figs I made this summer from our harvest bounty.

Even so, it didn't seem like enough. I wanted a personal, finishing touch that would make it even more special. The answer? Some little bags made from handwoven samples.

These were made from the waffle weave sampler I wove in July 2008 (all those samples come in good for something :) Not only was it the right size, but it's also in Christmas colors!

The sampler was 7.5 inches wide and quite long. I cut 20 inch lengths for the bags. I purchased cording for the bag ties.

I folded them over one inch at each end. Then I seamed the sides, with the selvedges on the outside of the bag. The selvedges made a nice finished side to the bag with no turning and no bottom corners to neaten.

I only sewed the side seams up to where I sewed the fold. Unfortunately the photo showing this didn't turn out.

I think they made a perfect wrapping for my gifts. Plus, once the goodies are gone, recipients will have the bag forever.

© 19 December 2009 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Posts:
Sock Knitting Bag