Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Inspiration



Inspiration from nature - my brother was here for a really overdue visit - and we found these beauties hanging out down by the lake - it was a nice surprise for me since last year we only had one bloom! Isn't nature amazing?

Monday, June 23, 2008

Alternative start for Viking Knit Weave


When weaving a viking knit piece I used to use the "petal over the dowel" method to start my weave until I ran across this method (and I wish I could remember where I saw this so I could give credit where it's due)which is SO much easier, IMHO. I still use the wooden dowel to weave around but now I use staples as the starting loop. I included a picture of the "set-up" to make it easier to understand. (except the photo does not show the heavy duty staples I actually use). I divide it into five parts, put the staples equi-distance apart, and then just start weaving. Once done weaving, I use the long starter piece of wire to weave through the end loops then remove the staples and tighten the weave, then draw the whole length through the drawplate. SO much easier!