Taking off with a weaving class

October was certainly busy in Val's fiber world!

First, we de-installed Yarningdale (see written story here and video here), which was necessary but bittersweet. Most of the pieces were intact, though!

My small panel for Yarningdale

I also got to visit a beautiful fiber and dyeing exhibit at Saint Mary's College, where I work as a fundraiser. Professor and art chair Julie Tourtillotte spent part of the pandemic on sabbatical dyeing fabrics with natural plant dyes, like avocado pits, flowers, and onion skins. It was stunning!

At Saint Mary's College

I also added a couple of new yarn bomb bike racks, including this new one that was knitted with neon orange / peach yarn in a diamond colorwork pattern. It kind of looks like a snake skin!

I also made some flowers to replace and fix some on a bike rack at 18th and Clark. The flowers were sagging and lacking color, so I made some new Bachelor's Buttons with scrap yarn. The funny story with this one is that there were all these people beeping and taking photos of me doing it; one of them posted to our neighborhood page. She said she caught Yarn Banksy in the act.

Bike rack at 18th & Clark

Big news for my fiber existence was that I finally took a weaving class at the Chicago Weaving School, to learn how to weave on my little rigid heddle Schacht Cricket loom.

The space itself is gorgeous - check out all these looms!!

The Chicago Weaving School, Irving Park Road

Natalie got me started on a project I've been waiting for with some Knitted Wit sock yarn. The store where I bought it, the Sow's Ear in Verona, WI, had a weaving sample with this yarn, which was so enticing I bought the yarn, but my first practice weaving piece went so badly that I wanted to make sure to take a class before I attempted it.

The whole process was a blast. Everything looked beautiful at every stage, and I drooled over this gorgeous yarn.

More than that, I learned so much from Natalie. I recommend taking a class at the Chicago Weaving School if you are at all interested in learning to weave, check out a class. I was able to take a flexible 4-week class to learn on my own loom. She has dozens of looms in the building to teach on, as well.

Do you see what I mean about this gorgeous yarn??

I was able to complete this scarf and two others during the class (part of the benefit from being able to take your loom home, contrasted with using a school loom!).

Weaving yarn is different from knitting yarn, but you can use knitting yarn to weave, you just have to be careful with tension. So I anticipate some gifts coming off of this loom in the coming months and years!

Here's me modeling my new Knitted Wit scarf in the Crafted Perfection colorway:

My new hand-woven scarf!!

The last exciting thing that happened to me for yarn this month is that I was invited to participate in a Christmas tree project with my yarn bombing buddies in La Feuillée, France. I sent a little over 30 squares (17 cm x 17 cm!) to them. 

My squares for France

They were looking for over 800, and all of us produced more than 1,300 more than a week in advance of the deadline! So they might do a small tree with the extras. 

What a month. Looking to do some yarn bombs in November before things get too cold, and you'll be seeing a resolution run-down in this space, too!