Blog Archives

The Vehicle of My Dreams

7/28/2015

is cutting edge.

It is also cozy.

It will go anywhere

while reinforcing my self image.

It is a source of delight

Wheatstone Model 21 Concertina; early 1900s-- the era of the lost ledgers

and possibility.

And it will fit in my purse.

Recent research
has indicated
that the only way to get this vehicle

is to make it myself.

Four Selvedge Tapestry; hand spun wool warp; hand and commercially spun wool weft; indigo; walnut; lichen

And now I feel better about everything!

Dream Car ©Sarah C. Swett 2015

That Summer Knitting Feeling

7/20/2015

Stockinette and Earl Grey ©Sarah C. Swett 2015

got even better

Cheviot Fleece

after ripping several inches

Spun on a low whorl Turkish Spindle (20 grams)

and starting again.

Four singles used together. Some plied. Some not. Indigo. Cutch. Barbara Walker's Mosaic 3 (Fourth Treasury).

Handmade Running Shoes--a curated history

7/14/2015

Moccasin I
PRO:
-Perfect Fit
-Lightweight
-Silent
-Excellent Ground Feel
CON:
-Slippery in Snow
-Absorbs water even when well greased
-Bits of road gravel stick to bottoms and won't fall off. Ouch.

buckskin; synthetic sinew; 2010

Modified Moccasin; Elk Leather; 2010

Moccasin II
PRO:
Same as above but less flexible
CON:
Same as above but more absorbent of both water and gravel and even heavier when wet. Turning them inside out helped, but best in dry conditions.

Upper: Fulled Wool Swatch - Hand Spun Rambouillet/Columbia ; Garter Stitch; Natural Dye. Sole: 1/4 " neoprene from a roll I found on a beach on the Olympic Peninsula in 1987; stitched with button and craft thread; March 2011

Wool Stitch-Down I
Pro:
-Good Fit
-Lightweight
-Flexible
-Warm when wet (yay wool and neoprene)
-No Shopping
Con:
- Neoprene started to wear out on the first run.

Wool Stitch Down II

Upper: Fulled Wool Swatch - hand spun rambouillet/columbia ; Garter Stitch; Natural Dyes; stitched with synthetic sinew; November 2011

Sole: 'Feel True" Rubber sole from Xero Shoes :http://xeroshoes.com/feeltrue/

Add Indigo

PRO:
-WARM/HOT on the coldest days
-Sole material secure and flexible
-Good tread
-Flexible: if I do slip I can compensate.
Vive minimalist running!
-High Cuff keeps snow out of my socks

Pro Continued...
-No shopping for the upper material
-Improved appearance when dunked into an Indigo Bath
- Modifiable
- Continual Fulling for perfect fit
-Welcoming at 5 AM in February
-Warm when wet
-Hand Spun Wool!

Yeah!

CON:
- Absorbant
- Heavy when wet
- Not the best in slush
-HOT out of season

So good to be inside after being out

Oxford Stitchdowns I

Uppers: White and Brown Buckskin; Soles: Natural Rubber; stitched with synthetic sinew March 2014;

PRO:
-Comfortable
- Flexible
- Excellent ground feel
-Water resistant if WELL greased (see previous post for how they looked after a year of hard use)
-Warm
-Used a Pattern (slightly modified), from Sharon Raymond's book: How To Make Simple Shoes For Women
CON:
- WARM in the summer
-Leather Stretched: I didn't use a last, but could adjust
- Natural Rubber wears out (I still love it)
-Required Some Shopping (Link above is also for Rubber Sole material)

Oxford Stitchdowns II

Upper: Duck Cloth; Eco-felt; a bit of worn out leggings (spandex/cotton); Sole: Vibram Cherry 3/16"; stitched with Synthetic Sinew

PRO:
- Lightweight
-Breathable
-Flexible
-Excellent Ground Feel but also protective
-Hard wearing soles
-Accessible Materials
-Familiar Pattern
-Color!
-Easy on/off for TRUE Barefoot running on nice bits of sidewalk, grass and dirt.
CON:
-Get wet (could be coated with something)
- Brand New so I don't know as much about them as I will!

Two Needle Stitching is Strong; July 2015

Maintenance

7/7/2015

Yesterday, I put new soles on my running shoes

Before I started, they looked like this

Natural rubber is heavenly to land on, but not that durable

I managed to get some of the gunk off the leather, but grime-laden grease is tenacious stuff. And anyway, all I really needed was to clean them enough to see the old stitching holes.