Thursday, April 27, 2023

Tiny Misfits, clasped weft and puzzles

The current jigsaw puzzle is very satisfying, nicely made and an interesting image. It's coming along.  One or two pieces at a time is how I roll.

And today's weaving is a return to a favorite technique I've done and liked before, clasped weft. It's trickier with the backstrap loom, you need three hands, but it's working okay.


Non-weavers, see the yarn on both sides? You bring the shuttle over from  right to left, loop the other yarn around and draw the shuttle back. One yarn pulls the other to wherever you want to stop it, to create your design.
Weavers, have you done this? I really like it. Remembering what shed you're in helps,too. And I have to pay more attention to the selvedges, because this techie draws them in. So typical, as soon as I start backstrap I introduce complications.

I love doing this, because it's spontaneous if you want it to be. Anyway, this is where we are today.

While I was upstairs working on this, my Misfits box arrived, tiny order this week



Dandelion greens, spring tonic. I can pick a few, unsprayed on the patio, but these are much bigger and look good.

Another chicken for multiple uses, and fusilli, for my pasta needs. Otherwise fruit.

So that's where we are today, 

Yesterday I learned a new word at my discussion group, which I think is written naches.  Jewish word meaning the particular joy a parent gets from seeing their children grow and develop. 

It's very specific and I really like it, also I don't know an equivalent English word for exactly that. Does anyone? Or an equivalent in other languages? In this blogista group we have a number of languages, so please have a think and let us know.

And today two more discoveries


The Christmas cactus which had put out a couple of buds before Easter then given up on them, came through with this. 

And earlier I saw a mourning dove fly by with grass in his beak, clearly nesting nearby, and this morning here's the partner sitting peacefully on the ground near my patio door.


She sat there blinking but not apparently worried about my presence. So I'm hoping to see a young family soon. 

Also do you fancy a pretty easy, (!) puzzle? That's too bad, I don't have one, but anyway try this


Happy day, everyone, I'm having one. 




32 comments:

  1. I've got one idea but one of the words doesn't work!

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    1. I can think of a couple of answers to one of those words.

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  2. Sweet doves! Mr. Moon says that the doves around here eat at our feeder so much that they should start giving us eggs. I doubt this will happen.
    That scarf is going to be gorgeous!

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    1. Ours never eat at the feeder, strictly ground feeding. But they're fine when other birds spill food. I'm hopeful about this scarf.

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  3. Those doves seem so gentle and harmless, but, somehow, they survive.

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    1. Well, I do occasionally see a sad little heap of feathers where some predator has caught up with one. But yes, we have an entire flock. They usually lay only two eggs to a clutch, so their survival is pretty good considering.

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  4. Even after your description I don't have a clue how you weave! I don't see mourning doves much anymore, we had quite a few of them for a long time. Do you have a minimum order with Misfits?

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    1. If you want to see clasped wedge shown and explained much better than I can, check out Kelly Casanova on YouTube. My misfits minimum is $20, very easily reached.

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    2. I typed weft, then auto bossy changed it.

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  5. That looks like a good box for you! I love that new word. I wonder if grandparents can borrow it?

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  6. That new scarf pattern is so attractive! And yay, today I actually got the puzzle although a synonym for "fragment" stymied me at first.

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    1. I can think of several possibilities, but I have a favorite.

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  7. Love the colours in the new scarf. It’s progressing well. Great shot of the dove in its element!

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    1. Coming from a great bird photographer, that's lovely to hear.

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  8. Looking forward to a beautiful scarf! My cactus is also acting strange (as I posted it's one bloom today also!)

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  9. I love clasped weft and I love Kelly Casanova. Her tutorials are wonderful. And she's Australian to boot!
    The puzzle has me completely bamboozled. But maybe my brain isn't in puzzle mode today.

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    1. She's a good teacher, isn't she? Patient and clear. I like her a lot.
      I expect the puzzle will unfold suddenly!

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  10. Your clasped weft is quite attractive. Good, solid colors! When I had my current loom in the old studio, I was doing a good deal of clasped weft work on it. Hard to describe, now.
    A Christmas cactus in April is a sweet find. A friend gave me a cutting to root, and I passed it on to my sister, who has better window sills and no cat.

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    1. I wonder if you have any blogposts about your clasped weft pieces?

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  11. A fun puzzle. Always more so when I know the answer. LOVE the hint you sneaked in. The weaving is beautiful. Makes me want to try that.

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  12. The puzzle and the weaving have similar sorts of colours - we like that green on the warp (that's the up and down bit right?)

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    1. Yes, the warp is the up and down threads! I remember weft as left to right to left, rhymes. Or something. I wonder if the color similarities are why I like them? I hadn't noticed that.

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  13. Oh, I think I solved it and the answer has two things in common. it's amazing that doves manage to hatch and raise babies in their nests which always seem so haphazard and flimsy.

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    1. I've had them build nests inside of planters, very secure despite their any old how skills.

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  14. It’s all action in your hemisphere with spring in the air.
    Down under we have lit the fire and staying inside keeping warm and dry

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    1. We have endless icy rain, so we're staying in warm and dry, too! Not too spring like.

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  15. I love the colours you're using in your new scarf.
    I have never eaten dandelion greens because, quite truthfully, I'm rather afraid of them. For some reason I seem to think they will taste awful and I can't bring myself to try them. Maybe one day I will.

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    1. They're bitter like sorrel, in a pleasant way. Nice addition to a green salad. Maybe try one bite!

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