Important information about shipping wool

Deb Robson has a very important posting about shipping wool here: Shipping wool internationally

I get quite a lot of wool from other countries. Usually the senders knows what is OK to ship and what is not, and so far they have always asked me what kind of wool I want to work with. I'm very thankful for that. But on Ravelry I have seen many opinions on following these rules, among them opinions that scare me.

So please read and think about it for a while!

Galadriel's Mirror

A new scarf for me! I think this will be a favorite. It's called Galadriel's Mirror, designed by Susan Pandorf. You find it on Ravelry. I loved knitting this pattern. It's challenging without being too difficult.

The beautiful hand dyed yarn is from Hopeasäie.

Art and thunder

Walking with Kasper today. A scary thing happened: thunder from a clear sky. I've heard it can happen but I've never heard thunder in the winter before. Anyway, before it made Kasper and me run home just in case a war had started, I took some photos.

A snow sculpture made by the plow tractor. A ditch. An ice weaft.

Pink for my little sister

My sister is 60 years old now. It's time for her to wear pink. I knitted a light, lacy shawl for her with one of my favorite yarns, Manos Lace. Alpaca, silk and cashmere.

Spring is coming: there are wonderful shades in the snow. Within three months the flower under the shawl has grown several centimeters. It's the Hylotelephium spectabile, Showy Stonecrop, I ofter use as a background for textiles.

For cold days

Beaded crocheted wristwarmers for cold days and nights. Hand dyed sock yarn I bought at Woolfest last years. Czech glass beads.

Inkle loom!

 Hubby gave me this wonderful little loom for Christmas. It was out of stock then, so I got it this week

Am I happy? Yes! Thank you so much Kari!

It's a Schacht inkle loom. The size is perfect, you can have it in your lap and sit in your comfy armchair if you have a suitable table to lean it on. I have a piece of board on my lap to make the weaving more steady.

I have already woven two ribbons, so far simple ones. Of course I had mislayed my shuttles, it's a long time since I last used them. So I bought two new ones from Toika Looms. When I was carrying them up to my study I saw - the box with my looms and shuttles... it's been there all the time I've been looking for it.

If anyone knows what those kind of looms are called in English, please tell me! It's a kind of backstrap weaving. They have been common all over Scandinavia, and I think elsewhere too. I found my cards too, up to the left in the picture. I'm not good at using them. I find the technique difficult to understand and to figure out where I'm going during the weaving process, but I also realize they are very handy and highly useful tools when you want to weave intricate patterns. The blue-white ribbon I wove on one of the backstrap (?) looms. That's a technique I'll recall in my next ribbon, for now I only have a faint memory of how you do it.

As you may have noticed I'm badly struck with weaving fever. As if Toika would have known that, they sent me their catalogue for this year with lots and lots of goodies: looms, equipment, yarns, weaving programs if you want to go digital with your loom. Sigh... See the small pretty loom down to the right? I think it would fit into my study if I do some fixing and organizing first...

But, so far, so good. The inkle loom and the small weaving frames I showed in an earlier post will cure the worst of the fever. Here's the first ribbon I wove on the Schacht loom:

Wooden antique flask with ribbon of hand dyed sock yarns

The Schacht loom is far more handy and easy to use than my old ones. For one thing, you warp on the loom, and it's ready to use. You can put it away for a break, and the warp doesn't get tangled up. I'm so very satisfied with it! I'm now looking at my handspun odds and ends. I need 2.5 meters for one warp thread, so as you can figure out, almost any left over can be used. I see endless possibilities.

Only I have to finish a color blending workshop for Online Guild first... :) And a few SALs and KALs on Ravelry... and a cardi for my little nephew.

Edited to add Feb 27 2012:  The two looms I show above are called "rigid heddle" in English. The English term "rigid heddle loom" refers to the heddle loom you keep on table. It doesn't have a back strap and it's bigger. Thanks to Birgith in Sweden!

Famous (again!)

There's a photo of me, Malin, Sarah Jane and Tini popping up in fibery places, this time here: Fleece Friends! Nice, yes? Yes.

New mug for me?

What's she doing? Why's she giving me an empty mug?