My First Woven Hat

One of my favorite pasttimes is to check out craft books from the library. I found one called Weaving Without a Loom and I'm making a tam/beret type hat that I found in the book. The hardest part was finding a copy center that could enlarge the pattern 190% for me. Then I glued it to a .50 piece of posterboard, and poked holes in all the 'o's and 'x's' with an awl. The cardboard is ripped away after the hat is complete.

The women at the knitting meeting were boggled trying to figure out what the heck I was making with a piece of cardboard.

So far it is red and gray stripes. But I've barely just begun with it.

Fiber Play Days

Since I've joined the Barony of Angels, I've been exposed to a lot more practitioners of fiber arts. They have these great 'fiber play days' at events where we can sit down and look at inkle weaving projects or talk about nature fiber dyeing and spinning, or learn Viking whip cord braiding.  The only downside is I'm usually so busy doing archery or face painting or juggling or entering the raffle that I barely have time to go to the fiber tables. I need to clone myself, that's all there is too it. Last time I went I learned how to make a stuffed fabric button. I sewed my new button onto a doll.

This is before I sewed his mouth on.

Stick Weaving an Art Doll

I finally learned how to use stick weaving to make a doll. This has so many possibilities. I'm very excited.

Three Color Striped Sash

Today I finished the sash (belt) that I started at the Santiago archery range. I noticed that the beginning half is wider than the ending half. Maybe it's not a good idea to change locations in mid-project.  I'll have to keep an eye on that in the future.

This was my first attempt at stripes and I used 3 colors of yarn.

Survivalist Fiber Arts

Self Reliance For Survival
Recently another photographer invited me to join a survivalist group on Flickr called Self Reliance For Survival.
As I was contemplating about what appropriate photos I could add, I thought spinning would be a good one. Then I thought about a topic that kind of chaps my hide, so to speak.
Many times when I'm knitting or crocheting or doing other fiber arts, men will walk by and roll their eyes and say something like, "um, knitting, or hmpf quilting, my wife does that." And then they'll go back to working on their knife or their bow or their atlatl darts. Very few of the men say, "Wow, you can knit. Can you show me how?" I think it's happened once and I even remember the guy who said it.
And no, he wasn't gay. He's one of our best archers and teachers.
So what's the deal guys? Don't you realize that to be a true survivalist you need as many fiber skills as you can master? You can't always rely on a deer walking by so you can shoot it, and skin it to make clothing or shelter.
With knitting or crochet or weaving you can make coats, blankets, hats, socks, gloves, shelters, slings, bow socks, hammocks, and so much more. With quilting you can take old clothes, save the good bits and make new blankets and jackets and vests. If you are a big, brave, strong guy are you afraid people will think you are a pansy if you whip out the knitting?

In a bartering society, you might need things you don't know how to make, like butter or candles. You might need to trade for eggs, lye, coffee, or fence posts. If you know how to weave you can make things to trade like baskets, sunhats, mats, potholders. One guy I know made his own hat out of pussywillows.

I hope you men will rethink your attitude towards fiber arts. If you don't want to do them yourself, at least don't belittle the women in your life that do them. They deserve as much respect as a knifemaker or a bowyer. And for you few guys out there that do knit and weave maybe you can convince the other guys you know to give it a try.

raffia hat

fox quiver

men in kilts

knit cap

Small Weaving

I've been trying to figure out some weaving on a square loom I got that was originally sold to make potholders with stretchy fabric loops. After I did this part I added some tassels and hung it on a dowel. I'm not quite finished with it. I want to add some seashells or driftwood or something to it next.

Weaving on a Board Loom

As I scour the web trying to figure out why my weaving isn't going so well, I came across this cool weaving blog and when I have time I'm going to go back and read more of it.

I'm using my new loom from the Threadbanger tutorial only the sides are pulling in something awful and I'm trying to find the cure for that. Anyone have a hint? I'm weaving too tight, but when I try to do it looser it doesn't look right either. I'm using yarn instead of fabric so maybe that is the problem. Or maybe my longwise yarn is too loose.

I am enjoying it even with the mistakes though so I will keep at it.

I like primitive crafts and rustic weaving. I know those of you will computer generated weaving gizmos are probably scoffing at me, but this loom will fit in well with my paleoplanet.net group who like to do things in a primitive way. It's crude, but that's part of the charm.

Welcome to Unique Fiber Arts

Welcome to Unique Fiber Arts. I wanted to highlight some of the more unusual fiber arts I do. So this is where I'll post things I've done using stickweaving, lucet, tatting, and other things that don't fit under the knitting and crocheting umbrella.