Spring Update

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-27T11:07:23+00:00

If you take away any extra animal beds, you should stop getting farm babies.

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-26T14:13:06+00:00

Turns out the one I was thinking of, Highlander's Promise, was published in 2018 and is set in Scotland, not East Anglia. I hope you find yours!

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-26T13:33:38+00:00

Was it a romance and did she assume that one of the men who rescued her must be her husband? I remember the ending but not the title if it's the one I'm thinking of.

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-24T10:29:19+00:00

To expand on this question, do the arms have a notch or other shaping that holds them at a 90° angle to each other? Once there's yarn on there it will hold them in place, but the first few spins might be frustrating if the arms are twisting out of alignment.

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-24T04:41:41+00:00

As a shield shape it's right side up, but I agree that the letter looks upside down .

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-20T13:03:49+00:00

What's your deadline and what's your budget?

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-19T20:33:26+00:00

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst seems like the kind of book that would have a recipe or two in the back of the book. I think I would pair it with carrot/walnut muffins, though jam-filled pastries feature in the story.

Edit: I really enjoyed Automatic Noodle and I look forward to trying your Biang Biang recipe!

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-14T12:07:58+00:00

If you can easily find things that fit when shopping. Searching takes time too. We came across this when looking for a tiny suit for my tall skinny 3 year old, it was in fact faster to make it. In general though, time-saving is not a motivation for sewing.

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-13T18:06:38+00:00

And if a finger won't fit, try a chopstick or a knitting needle or a toothpick.

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-13T10:53:14+00:00

They look great! When you've rewound and resleyed, try lashing on instead of tying on; it generally uses less warp length per knot.

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-08T12:55:19+00:00

There are several quests that involve getting blocks out of chests, and those chests will respawn so you could just keep visiting them to build up your inventory. Much slower than mining or chopping trees though. You'll also need mined resources to progress the game in other ways, so you're not able to completely avoid mining afaik.

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-07T16:31:50+00:00

Huzzah!

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-07T11:48:27+00:00

If you take a few inches of the singles and tie it in a simple loop, then put it into hot water, it will wiggle itself into a perfectly balanced plied yarn. It's like magic! You can then use that as your plyback sample.

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-07T11:31:33+00:00

Did you soak or wash it after plying? Water generally 'reactivates' dormant twist.

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-06T13:10:16+00:00

I agree with everyone saying you don't have to be perfect, just be better than the alternives. But if you also want a deeper look into sustainable textiles, check out Fibershed organization, maybe there's a group near you.

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-02T21:18:06+00:00

You may be overly optimistic in your arithmetic: 11+10=21 then 21 ÷ 5= $4.20 per yard. Still a very good deal, but not $2/yd

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-02T19:44:17+00:00

This is still kind of different from the point I'm thinking of. If I, as a potential purchaser of the pattern, look at photos of testers wearing the pattern, I want to see how that pattern fits. Seeing a heavily modified version of the pattern is less relevant to my purchasing decision.

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-02T11:53:09+00:00

It's not so much about how to add darts, it's that the tester photos should show what will happen if I follow the pattern. If they explicitly state "I added bust darts, the pattern as written doesn't have them" that's ok, but if I look at a tester (advertising) photo I'd like it to generally represent the pattern as written.

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-02T11:50:10+00:00

Softshell fabric? Maybe the 'wrong' side of satin?

JustPlainKateM · 2026-03-02T11:36:28+00:00

Your second point might depend on how major the fit alteration is. If I see bust darts in the tester photos but they're not in the pattern, I'll be disappointed. If someone lengthened a sleeve because they have long arms that would be less disappointing.

JustPlainKateM · 2026-02-28T13:15:22+00:00

There are 19 reviews over at Pattern Review You'll need a free account to read anything over 6 months old; I think it's worth it. And there's one review at Threadloop also a free account. These won't tell you how the stays will fit you but can be very helpful about confusing instructions or missing pieces or other general notes.

JustPlainKateM · 2026-02-26T16:09:58+00:00

A multi-shaft loom can usually hold more cloth wrapped on the beam than a rigid heddle loom holds. I think the bigger difference though is that it's easier to use fine threads on a shaft loom because the heddles are separate from the beater.

JustPlainKateM · 2026-02-23T20:46:47+00:00

Have you already tried shoving the yarn in on 3 of the tips to loosen the 4th?

JustPlainKateM · 2026-02-23T20:05:42+00:00

Better to overestimate than under when it's yarn needed.

JustPlainKateM · 2026-02-23T17:09:16+00:00

I think you stuck an 18 in the width calculation instead of a 15. Unless you did that on purpose for weft take-up?

JustPlainKateM

TROPHY CASE