Square continuous strand loom weaving: child's jacket

I don't live where it's very cold but I love working with wool. I had purchased my 28 " square loom to do warm weather tops for myself (and I've done one), but this winter I tried something with wool yarn from my largeish stash for donation. Here are some sort of directions and photos:

I completed a square, it was woven with worsted and heavy worsted and I wove tightly so the end was a squeeze. Of course the most woven warp threads really tighten up a lot. 

 I was afraid that the weave would be too loose but it wasn't. I impulsively put it in the washer and dryer to felt it a bit. I was very happy on removal from the dryer. It would up at about a 20 inch square. Remember...you can felt more but you can't felt less...start in the washer with a short cycle and warm, not hot, water. If your fabric is not felted enough, repeat and try the dyer.

I made some strategic cuts, now that it was a bit felted it did not fall apart. At the top, opening for the neck, neck slit 1/3 of the way down, and arm hole openings 2/3 of the way down. 

Folded over thus

I sewed the front horizontal seams using a zig zag for reinforcement. I also zig zagged the other cut edges. Then, I crocheted  around the front openings and neck. Added buttonholes in my crocheting. 

Finally, I turned it inside out and made a seam to narrow the sleeves and pressed the little collar opening.  It is a US size 3-4.  Very little waste...4 triangles where I cut to fit the sleeves . (not enough to add a hood, unhappily).

Very proud of my warm little wooly jacket which will be going off to the Salaam Cultural Center for "Hats and More for War Torn Syria" pretty soon. 

Little Triloom Ponchos

I have completed two little triloom ponchos and a small shawl so far this year, all done on my "lace dent" loom. "Lace" isn't really the right word as the "dent" is 3/8  inch, hardly lace.  But I double and triple up on a worsted weight yarn and it works. I haven't found a loom with a smaller dent, not sure that they exist.

I wanted to be able to weave some items for "Hats and More for War Torn Syria" group on Ravelry. Via the Salaam Cultural Center in Seattle, this amazing group sends items to Syria and places where Syrian refugees actually wind up.  I figured out that I could "fold" my finished piece into a poncho shape and add buttons.  One of the added benefits is that one uses one's yarn faster than with knitting (!)

Here, my friend's 5 year old models an unfinished poncho, he said very cutely  "but it needs buttons!"  I crochet an edge and add buttonholes and of course buttons.

Here are completed ponchos, with buttons.  This one was done from naturally dyed wool (I didn't dye it)

Here is another, front and back. I used as above 3 strands of worsted weight, in with the blue one one strand of purple, making it lovely and vibrant.

The bottom of the back had very loose weave so I hand wove in some threads. I liked the effect, actually. 

I hope that these will be functional garments. They could of course be head or neck warmers.

More Knits for Syria

I am doing well in the "knitting for Syria" part of my life. Finished three items which will go out this week, plus one from my friend Celia.  I shouldn't be so proud of myself!

   
 This from Celia:

Here is a link to the Friends of the Salaam Cultural Center Facebook page. The work involved is staggering. Items are shipped to refugee camps in Jordan and Greece. I am so pleased to be able to help in some very very small way.

Knitting for Syria in 2016

I did a fair amount of knitting to donate to Syria in 2016 and posted on some of it before.  Since then, I have completed two more sweaters and a blanket.  The Ravelry group "Hats and more for war-torn Syria" was my happy find.  These sweaters are collected by the Salaam Cultural Center in Seattle and distributed to Syrian refugees abroad. 

Elizabeth Zimmerman's baby surprise jacket has been my touchstone for these sweaters. 

Here are a few more completed this year

The yarn in this one is Harrisville Shetland

This one is larger, knit from Studio Donegal Tweed in worsted weight, acquired during my trip to Ireland. It wasn't wide enough so I added a crocheted band for the buttons which turned out to look really good!

And this is a wool blanket done in squares from the last of the yarn from a friend. Two friends and I dyed the yarns at different times, some synthetic dyes and some natural, as the yarn was white which is not practical. I was not the only knitter so I can't take full credit. It's about 5' x 5'. There are different gauges but all squares are 6" x  6". I alternated directions of the garter stitch in sewing it up, thinking that that might make it a bit sturdier.