For links to video on how to upcycle cloth tea bags into Teabag Yarn, and how to weave triangles with it, please go to: LINK
I love finding fun and unique ways to upcycle things, and so I have had so much fun turning cloth tea bags into yarn and weaving with it, to make tutus for the Merrie Sunshine and Mermaid Minnie Moonbeam dolls.
For the main page about Merrie Sunshine and Minnie Moonbeam dolls, please go to: LINK
Here is the video that shows how to make the Upcycled Tea Bag Tutu:
Ahhh, tea! One of life’s great pleasures!
Some teas come in cloth tea bags that can’t be composted, so instead of throwing them in the garbage,
here’s a great way to upcycle the bags into yarn that you can weave with (or knit or crochet).
I’ve made a video about how to cut the cloth tea bags into fabric yarn-
What can you do with upcycled tea bag yarn?
Weave with it as if it’s regular yarn… for instance, here are a Star , a Dragonfly and Heart woven on pin looms that I designed for Dewberry Ridge Looms
Or: Make upcycled brooches- here’s a video showing how:
More videos about weaving with teabag yarn –
How to Weave Using Upcycled Teabag Yarn 2 Nails at a Time on Pin Looms:
AND:
AND:
I am working on a series of circular tapestries that are contemplations on the nature of healing, imagination, dreams, stories and the power of community.
These two tapestries: ‘Each Flower Has a Memory’
and ‘Mermaid Circle of Imagination and Hope’
were woven on many different looms, including peg looms, weaving sticks and a variety of pin looms.
There’s also quite a lot of tatting included because of the soothing nature of lace making.
The tapestries are each 28 inches in diameter (70 cm).
Here’s a little video that shows the new tapestries:
Many years ago, I bought a vintage gnome at a garage sale.
Rather liked that he had weathered off all his paint, and yet was still steadfastly all in one piece.
Last month, when I was weaving hearts for the window, I decided to add gnomes to the window, and the old fellow didn’t look cheerful enough to add to the gaity.
So I painted him:
It struck me as being odd that he didn’t have a mustache, so I added one, using my much loved old ‘Gnomes’ book as a guide.
I tried to add the Bunny to the window, but he’s too big and floppy, so he’s sitting in a corner of the studio instead.
I designed him many years ago for Canadian Living magazine.
Here’s a link to the pattern for him and his sweetheart: KNITTED BUNNIES
And, then, I took pics of some of the other things in that corner of the studio.
Including a little video:
And then I totally forgot to blog about Gnomes and Bunnies and looms.
It’s a crazy time.
Hope you are well ❤
For many years, I have adopted all the stray balls of crochet cotton that I have found at the thrift shop.
I have happily been using them in many different ways, but now they are coming together to be upcycled into lovely kitchen cloths to use instead of paper towels.
They are a pleasure to weave on potholder looms and are lovely and soft.
While we are all holding the fort at home, let’s create some beauty, and enjoy the sweet pleasure of weaving on simple looms!
Here’s the video I made about this very satisfying form of upcycling.
Here’s another installment in my series of video tutorials on weaving with yarn on the potholder loom, using colorwork techniques. I hope that these videos will bring you some respite from the challenges of the pandemic!
The Houndstooth Check is a timeless classic pattern that can be woven on any size potholder loom.
I’ve figured out a way of warping the potholder loom that makes colorwork with yarn much easier- there are some tricks to it. This video reveals them all 🙂
Houndstooth Check is woven slightly differently on the 18 and 36 peg potholder loom than on the 9 and 27 peg potholder looms.
Here’s the video tutorial:
Happy Weaving- stay well!
Oh dear! 3 more errors in the Potholder Loom Weaving book have surfaced:
Page 51, lines 1 and 2 have typos.
Here’s the correction:
And:
Page 59, in the Diamond Twill pattern for the 18 peg potholder loom:
And: The Dancing Lady chart for the 18 peg loom on page 53 has a typo:
I apologize for these typos. 😦
But, Happy Weaving, errors and all….
I have been making Comfort Bears for a community in Northern Saskatchewan.
One of our close relatives has been working with people in the town because of his job.
When he heard that there is a high stress level there, he mentioned to a front line care person there that I make Comfort Bears, and so they asked if I would be willing to make some Comfort Bears for them.
I couldn’t get to them right away because at that point in time I was working 24/7 to deadline on the 2 new books that I have coming out this year as well as a solo show that was here in Edmonton before Christmas.
Once those deadlines were met, I set in on making Comfort Bears for them.
I sent a box of 30 Comfort Bears off to them:
The timing of sending them seemed to be powerfully right… as a teenager had died of suicide and that the box of 30 bears had arrived soon after and had been given to his grieving classmates.
I was deeply saddened, and was grateful that the little bears had been there at the right time to do their job.
When my contact person told me that there were other people waiting for Comfort Bears, and that their need is great (I don’t want to say why, as that would be a violation of their privacy) I cried.
I was galvanized to get more Comfort Bears to them as quickly as possible. I had been working on more bears for other groups, but I chose to re-direct them to my contact person.
I set myself a goal to weave 100 Comfort Bears before the end of January.
This meant that I had to put aside everything else that I was working on, but that’s okay.
I DID IT! Hurrah!
I have sent another 50 bears off to my contact person and I hope that they will bring all kinds of happiness with them.
Sometimes people just need to know that someone that doesn’t know them still cares about them.
There are 50 Comfort Bears in this box.
With love in every stitch.
It helps me to sleep at night to know that I am doing this small thing, when otherwise, I would be worrying about people who are going through ghastly things.
A few things that I have discovered as I have ‘marathoned’ on the Comfort Bears-
1- Wow, have I ever gotten fast at weaving them! The more I weave the more streamlined the process has become!
2- No 2 bears are alike. Even the ones who were born out of the same ball of yarn have totally different faces.
3- The faces on the little bears seem to be ‘destined’ – a couple of the bears look distinctly grumpy. I was not pleased about that as I was aiming for them to be comforting after all. But, as much as I tried to cheer their faces up, they solemnly refused my efforts. Okay. Maybe some people need a Comfort Bear that isn’t going to be grinning at them.
4- I usually have a hard time with January. Yes, the days are getting longer, thank goodness, but for crying out loud, when an Arctic cold front lands on us for record breaking days and days and days, it’s truly brutal.
And, the political situation…. sigh…. and worries about the planet…… sigh/sob….. and awful things that people are dealing with…. oh my word…..
BUT… I have found great joy in the making of these 100 little bears, and respite from the worries and woes about the state of the world.
Yes, it’s such a small thing that I am doing, but it has helped me to feel better. And, that matters.
5- People are so kind!
I have talked about this on facebook and youtube, and people have offered to make some Comfort Bears and send them to me, but I am asking them to please make Comfort Bears for the people who come into their lives, wherever they live- whether it’s a classroom full of special needs kids, or a neighbor who is having a tough time or a stranger that is obviously in need of a little kindness, or someone is sick or scared or lonely or working really hard or studying for exams…….
The pattern for the woven Comfort Bears is in my book: Potholder Loom Weaving.
Free patterns for crocheted and knitted Comfort Bears are on this link: LINK
Please won’t you join me in making Comfort Bears?
Thanks ❤
If your weaving hook is too short to reach across your potholder loom, using a shed stick will solve that problem.
Also, you can use a shed stick when you are weaving twills, too.
Here’s the video:
The Potholder Loom Weaving book is available at all online book vendors and you can also order it from your local bookstore.
Happy Weaving!
An astute weaver caught an error in the Potholder Loom Weaving book:
I made a little video that shows exactly where to look on page 52 of the Potholder Loom Weaving book to correct the error in the chart. I apologize for the error. 😦
Noreen Crone-Findlay, designer and author
Tottie Talks Crafts Blog 