photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

If you need a little

inspiration for some

fun and quick

yarnie gifts,

then get out

your potholder loom!

(My daughter in law

found a totally acceptable

potholder loom

in the Dollar store last week…

we were impressed!)

The 1,2, 3, Easy as Can Be

Potholder Loom Critters

are speedy little  cuties to weave up on the potholder loom-

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

and are great little gifts for kids.

The Weavagarumi Critters

are also quick

and easy to make

with the potholder loom.

They’re great

stash busters,

as they can be

made with

odds ends of yarn left

over from other projects.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Still working with

the potholder loom

but this time,

making fab

one of a kind

vests-

(I love vests…

layering them with

shrugs and  shawls

is perfect for winter.)

Virtuoso Vests

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Speaking of warm

and cosy-

and happily

speedy to whip up…

7 different Hats to weave

on the potholder loom.

Potholder Loom hats

So…  there are lots of

quick ways to whip

up some great gifts

with the potholder loom…

Happy Christmas Making!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

So, I had a

delightful time,

designing and

making these

charming and

somewhat  zany

dolls.

Here’s the link for  how to weave the Halloween Dolls on the potholder loom on Weavezine (which is an awesome online zine).

While I was looking for props for the photo shoot, I found the wonderful little cauldrons that I turned into pincushions.

Here’s the link for how to make a pumpkin pincushion from a miniature cauldron.

Can you see the pumpkin sitting on the chair next to the Pumpkin head doll in the middle chair?

Well.. it’s a pin cushion, too.  And, I am working on a tutorial for how to make it, so I’ll post that tomorrow.

I used fabric from  wild and crazy embroidered pillows that were in the ‘take it home or I’ll throw it in the trash’ box at a garage sale last summer. I have been upcycling the fabric from the pillows ever since.

Oh, by the way… in the photo at the top of this post, you’ll see a scarecrow with a woven head.

I bought him at my fave thrift store as a prop for the photo shoot.

He had a ceramic frog head. I pulled it off and gave it right back to the thrift store.

I wove him a new head. So, if you happen to have a doll that needs a better head, weave it!

Hope you will enjoy weaving these Halloween dolls- I love showing the creative potential of the humble potholder loom!

for

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

I promised to show what I have been doing with the upcycled paper yarn.

Well…

I’ve been working on a couple of things.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I knitted a little pocket doll with the yarn.

Myeh.  It wasn’t magical.

So I frogged it.

And, then, I followed my intuition. One of the b5 bloggers wrote recently that her little girl was saddened by being told that Unicorns are not real.

I thought…. hmmm…. why not show her that the realm of imagination is alive and well?

So, I got out my potholder loom, and started weaving the paper yarn.

and guess what I wove?

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

A Unicorn, of course!

Weaving the paper yarn

is a lot like weaving wire.

Neither of them have

any give, so it’s essential

to warp the loom so loosely

that it is almost crazy making.

BUT…

the completed weaving

is wonderfully maleable

and sculptable, so

the pain in the neck-ed-ness

of weaving with it is worth it.

Although, weaving with normal ‘yarn’ yarn is infinitely easier!

The  paper yarn crochets well too and I quite like the way it can be sculpted. I am working on a crocheted piece that I am making with the paper yarn that I upcycled from the Blue Man streamers. Stay tuned! I’ll post pics of it.

The pattern for the woven unicorn is available at: Potholder Loom Magical Creatures because, yes, the world of imagination is indeed essential, important and must be cherished!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

Potholder looms are a vastly under-rated tool for creating all manner of unique and engaging pieces.

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

But…. can you create art with the potholder loom?

Yes, indeed you can.

Recently, I contributed work

to a beautfiul book by a group

of international fiber artists:

The Four Seasons.

I wove the ‘frames’ for

‘Sophia in Summer’

and ‘Sophia in Autumn’

with wire on the potholder loom.

I also worked with crochet, tatting (yes, I tatted wire for the pieces), woodworking (I carved and burned Sophia’s face for both pieces, and carved the leaves on the tassels of Sophia in Autumn), and a thread twisting tool.

Here is Sophia in Autumn:

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

In Philip Newell’s book,

Echo of the Soul,

he mentioned

that Sophia, Divine Wisdom

has been thought to

sit at a window,

and if you contemplate

and meditate,

you can approach her window

to receive glimpses of wisdom.

This is an image that I find

captivating and intriguing.

So, it is one that I explore in my work.

It makes sense to me that the changing of the seasons would influence the wisdom that we find in nature, and in the glimpses of Sophia at her window.

And, so when Myra Wood invited members of the International Free Form Fiber Guild to contribute pieces to the book, basing their work on the theme of the 4 seasons, I was drawn to create images of Sophia.

I also knew that I absolutely HAD to use the potholder loom to create these woven homages to Sophia,  the Goddess of Wisdom.

There is something very powerful about using a simple, almost ‘dismissed’ loom to create images of the gateway to wisdom.

And of course, wisdom isn’t wisdom unless it leads to love and compassion, is it?

So, using a small loom that I dearly love, and appreciate deeply (even though it isn’t held in particularly high esteem by lots of people) is a really good metaphor for me for the process of visiting Sophia’s window in search of glimpses of wisdom….

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Whee! I love it when I have been plugging away at an idea for months on end, and whooosh! all of a sudden, a floodgate opens and holyhonkinhaleuliah, not only one design dilemma resolves itself and bursts into bloom, but  then, wowsa! a whole bunch of  designs and concepts that have been logjammed just  ‘Archie Bunker’ their way through the door, jostling and strutting and saying, ‘Look at me, wouldja!’

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

And, to top it off, my darlin’ husband, Jim, zipped into the city today to run some errands, and on his way home, popped into a garage sale.   He knows that I have a terrible soft spot for funky little old folding tables…. so bless his heart!

Look what he found me!

For all of $2.

It’s a  sweet little folding wooden table.

I think that it’s home made, with black

painted thin plywood top that hinges in the

middle and folds flat.

The theory is that I fold it up and put it away when it’s not in use.

Good theory.

Let’s see if it works out.

I tend to layer up  any horizontal surfaces

and operate on what I call the

‘archeological principle’ of studio management.

You know… dig through the layers….

The table has 2 strange decals on it that are in pretty bad shape, which is good, because they’d be pretty awful if they weren’t abstracted by the cracklie old paint.

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

True to form, I have already covered it with a  new design project-in-process.

Alright…. now… onto topic…..

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

Ah, yes, about that great question… (I love it when readers ask great questions!!!!)

Tricia asked: What yarn do you prefer for potholders?

This is actually a REALLY important question!

PLEASE!!!!! DO NOT USE polyester or nylon loops for making potholders! They are extremely flammable, and melt and can cause no end of nastiness!

When you are making potholders using yarn or fabric strips, ONLY use natural fibers like cotton or wool.  Wool is most certainly the best choice.

Test a tiny sample of yarn or fabric over the sink, holding the sample with plyers, with lots of ventilation. Turn on the tap, open the window, and BE CAREFUL – I said  A TINY sample!

Hold a match to the tiny sample and see if it melts or catches fire. If it does, for goodness sake, DON’T use it to make a potholder.

Safety first last and in the middle!

And, when you’ve got some excellent cotton or wool, you might even weave up a few potholders for your friends for gifts. They are a simple thing, but they are a pleasure to use!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

‘What is your preferred potholder loom and why?’

First of all, let me dispell any thoughts that potholder looms are just for weaving potholders! (Although they do make excellent ones….) .

The potholder loom is a small loom that is vastly under-rated in it’s creative potential. I have been designing with and for it for years and keep coming up with more and more neat things to weave with it.   Nuff said on that point…. and on to the comparisons…..

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

There are  3 different kinds of potholder looms that are commonly and easily available:

Plastic, metal and wooden.

Potholder looms are square looms that are approximately 7 inches/18 cm along each side.

Usually each side of the loom will have 18 pegs, but there are variations-the wooden potholder loom from American Baby has 14 pegs, and I have a vintage potholder loom that has 20 pegs.

Most  potholder looms create a  square that  is 6 inches/15 cm square.

Alright, so what are the pros and cons of the different potholder looms?

The plastic looms are cheap and cheerful, but sometimes, you can get one that is too flexible. If you end up with one like this, I’d recommend putting it in the recycling. Super flexie plastic looms are infuriating to work with.

BUT, if you find one that you like, then it can be a good choice for travelling, as it is light, and there shouldn’t be a problem with taking it through security. (I have flown with plastic potholder looms a lot, and have never had a problem, especially if you use a chopstick weaving hook. Actually, I have never had a problem with flying with metal ones, either, but I figure plastic is a safer choice- it’s so clearly a non-threat!)

See: Chopstick weaving hook

The other downside with plastic potholder looms is that they have rather short prongs that aren’t usually shaped all that well to really grip the yarn. So, it’s best to stick with springy yarns and NOT cotton that has no give in it, as it will tend to pop off the loom.

(TIP: place rubber bands over the top and bottom edges once the loom is warped to keep the warp on the loom)

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Metal potholder looms, especially the ones made by Harrisville, are great. The prongs are usually shaped well to hold onto the yarn.

They are a little heavier than the plastic looms, and I once had one hit me in the face when we were driving…. (big unavoidable pothole in the road, and poor Jim was aghast when he saw the loom fly up at me….) I wasn’t hurt, but since then, I don’t weave with a metal loom in the car!

Potholes in the road aside, metal potholder looms are a dependable, all round wonderful loom.

The wooden loom from American Baby is a very nicely made loom.

But, these have 14 pegs, not 18. This means that you need to work with more strands of yarn held together, or thicker yarns, or fabric strips etc, since it  creates a more open fabric if the yarn is too thin.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

In the photos, the squares are all 6 inches square, but you can see the difference in size of the weave structure in the brown square (Bernat Super Value Harvest Colors) that was woven on the wooden potholder loom.  The cream colored one is Lily Sugar n Cream cotton, and the variegated pink is a lighter weight acrylic (Jr Jacquards by Bernat), so it is a more flexible fabric than the cotton.

If you plan on working with fabric strips or thicker weight yarns, then going with the 14 peg loom is a good choice. if  you prefer to work with lighter weight yarns, then definitely stick with an 18 peg loom.

Which one do I prefer the most?  I am very attached to all three. They all are excellent looms-although the plastic one is the most finicky, and can be frustrating at times….but, if you need to stick to a tight budget, it’s hard to argue with the low price point.

Would I part with any of them? Not a chance.

Do I use all of them? You bet!

Do I love the potholder loom? Indeed I do!  and am constantly designing for it!

Potholder loom Sources and Resources:

Plastic potholder looms link
Metal potholder looms link

Wooden Potholder looms link

What can you make with potholder looms? link

How to weave with yarn on the potholder loom link (video)

How to weave with fabric strips on the potholder loom tute

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

Photos by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

Last week, someone on the Tat-a-tat-tatting list on Ravelry asked how people store their shuttles.

That’s a good question, and it’s been fun to see how people have responded.

It’s been a wild and busy week for me, as I have been crazy busy launching  2 new pdf books….

1,2,3 Easy as Can Be Cute Critters To Weave on The Potholder Loom

and

Virtuoso Vests to weave on the potholder loom

(Note of explanation: 1,2,3 Easy as Can Be is actually a book that I wrote several years ago, but I had sold out all my copies, so had allowed it to go out of print. I re-photographed the projects and have re-formatted it and have created a pdf version of it, as people have been asking me to go this route.)

Whew! What a busy week! (as well as working insanely hard on the new books,  we had a couple of birthdays in the family, so I was baking cakes  like the dickens- yumm!)

While I was working away on the final stages of the new book, I had a chance to take a nice woodworking break.

A lady who is tatting wonderful things for her daughter’s wedding got in touch with me, because she needs a very small flat tatting shuttle for the motifs she’s working on.  She remembered my handmade tatting shuttles, but couldn’t find them online.

Ahem…. this is because, last weekend, I took them out of my Etsy shop and off my website. I had decided to streamline my life somewhat and to stop offering my tatting shuttles.  Oddly enough, this seemed to trigger interest in them. You just never know how these things work! I had to laugh….. I guess the Universe thinks that I shouldn’t stop with the tatting shuttles just yet.

Any how… I ended up making her a VERY small hedgehog tatting shuttle…. working so tiny was challenging, but I LOVED it!

I think I have to make myself one, now, too…

Photos by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

The picture makes it look bigger than it really is.

I have a thing about miniatures, so

making this wee hedgehog was

really a treat.

I hope that it will bring joy to it’s new

owner.

I find this kind of thing to be so magical.

Someone says:

I need a special tool….

and I say: I can do that!

What fun! I love challenges….

Oh yes! back to the question about how people store their tatting shuttles….

Photos by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

The bunny box is the nesting place for my shuttles that are not currently being used in a project.

I love this box, as my late sister in law bought it for me many years ago. It has deep ’sister’ vibes.

The wonderful little brown plastic box was a gift from a fellow tatter when I was teaching workshops at Lacis in Berkeley, CA, several years ago.

It’s incredibly special (it was an unexpected gesture of kindness and generosity from a lovely woman) and I treasure it:

Photos by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

It’s just big enough for a couple of tatting shuttles and a small ball of thread or a couple of bobbins of thread or floss.

Photos by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

It lives in my purse, and I never leave home without it.

I couldn’t imagine being without it- tatting is so wonderfully portable, and is such a pleasure to work on in brief  moments of respite from the busy-ness of a hectic life.

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

This is a great way of upcycling old clothing and turning it into something new.

I cut up a sweatshirt  for this project….. the outside was lovely and soft, but the inside was like steel wool.

It just wasn’t wearable, so it was time to upcycle it.

First, clamp the garment to a desk or table, and use a sharp knife to release the lower band from the sweatshirt.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Then cut it into a continuous strip by cutting a narrow section, around and around the band….

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

And, then, use it like yarn to weave  on the potholder loom:

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

This wooden potholder loom is from Natural Baby It’s a 14 peg loom, which means that it’s better for heavy weight yarns or -you guessed it… fabric strips!  You can weave all kinds of great stuff from worn out clothing….. how very green!

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

Upcycling and weaving are a very happy partnership!

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Anyhow…. in spite of the crazy storm, and fingers crossed that it doesn’t turn into a tornado (oh please oh please) (the clouds are VERY wild and ominous looking- eep)  um… where was I ? Oh yes, jumping out of my chair….

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Well….. actually, I am ALSO jumping up and down with delight,

because I have been working for months and months on a new self published book:

Virtuoso Vests to Weave on the Potholder Loom

(well, actually, it’s been years in the making,

as I have been weaving vests on the potholder loom for yonks,

and have been meaning to ~finally~ get around to

building proper patterns, graphs, charts,

schematics, instructions, photos etc)

and I have FINALLY finally gotten it all done!

Wheee!

I am oh so pleased!

The Virtuoso Vests are totally versatile… they are all meant to be made as an expression of the creativity of the person who makes them, so I have included lots of ideas for embellishment……

everything from fairies and mermaids to teddybears.

The storm is getting worse and I am running on battery power, so I think I had better sign off for now!

There are more pics at Virtuoso Vests to Weave on the Potholder Loom

I think I am going to batten the hatches here and keep an eye on the sky.

Hope your weather is better where you are!

Happy weaving and stay safe…..

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Today, I am embedding the second half of the tutorial.

In this half of the tutorial, I give all kinds of helpful hints and tips that I have discovered over the years, as I have been weaving with yarn on the potholder loom.

One tip: What if you have a ‘plain jane’ kind of a yarn?

You can make it more of a designer yarn by combining it with strands of thinner yarns, and threads, which is what I did with the yarn in the photo to the left.

Also, see how there’s a pleasing checkerboard pattern?

That’s because the main yarn was a self striping yarn.

When you weave with self striping and variegated yarns on the potholder loom, you will end up with really neat checks and plaids. Kewl, yes?

and, now for the second video:

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