Playing with Scarves

I am scheduled to participate at a craft fair in a few weeks and I'm working to get more things finished.  The latest scarf is dried and ready to have the fringe twisted. 

The warp is a variegated (fall colors) cotton silk blend and the weft is a solid red-orange acrylic/cotton blend.

The structure is a 2/2 point twill that is a little irregular.  I thought it would make it a little more interesting.  This yarn was a little heavier than I've been using.  I sett it at 8 epi.

I have some more sock weight variegated yarn that will be headed to the loom in the next few days.

June Towels for June

I finally got back to the loom and the next set of towels.  The June picture is of a sunset and when translated into towels, pretty dramatic.  I picked out some slightly different colors originally but was able to order a few more colors that fit better. 

I threaded these to an 8-point twill with my standard 1-1-1-1-2-3 twill tie up.  I did get a bit bored and wove some of these as rosepath and some with an "M" treadling - 1-> 8 - 7 -> 5 - 6-> 8 - 7 -> 1.  The others were woven as "tromp as writ" with an 8-point treadling.

I really like how they turned out.  I wish I had woven two of the purple ones, but I was nervous that they would look too purple.  But they look great. 

The next project is a divergence.  The County Fair now has a category for County inspired pieces.  I'm already winding the warp for those towels...

Finishing One Project and Starting on Another

I finished the bead leno shawl in time to donate it this coming Thursday.  I created a twisted fringe using my handy-dandy hair twister.  I also used some clear beads at intervals to add some sparkle.


There are some things that I didn't think looked as good as they could have on this piece, but overall, I am pretty happy with the result.  I will use this design technique again.



While finishing the shawl, I started winding the June towel warp.  I am liking the colors even more as they combine in the warp threads. 

Amazing Bead Leno

The shawl isn't quite finished, but it is off the loom and washed.  I still need to finish the fringe and press it a bit. 

This did turn out to be easier in a lot of respects than I thought it would.  Threading the straws was very straightforward and it works - a bit miraculous. 

Straw "Beads"

Using a stick to ensure clean sheds

Leno still on the loom

I got a bit tripped up with tension problems (which isn't something new) but that didn't seem to cause any problem.  There were places where I think the weft should have been beaten in a bit more.  There are also a couple of places where the warp threads are spaced more apart.  It is less lacy than I had thought it would be. 

This is something I would try again. 

Maybe with less soft yarn.

Something New

I am embarking on a bead leno project.  This is a technique that allows you to use the loom to perform a design that normally is considered "hand manipulated".  By putting groups of warp threads through a "bead" (actually a short length of drinking straw), you can use the loom to recreate this technique just by treadling.  Once set up this is a much faster way to achieve this design.

This is going to be a summer shawl.  I've wanted to try this technique, but the opportunity just presented itself to try this.  I joined a knitting group.  The purpose of the group is to get together to knit and to create shawls and lap blankets for people who are facing a life challenge - personal illness, family member's illness or death.  I knit a little, but would much rather weave.  Since the weather is turning warmer, a nice lacy shawl would be better than something warm and woolly.
  

Blanket From the Stash

I have been holding on to some cotton/nylon yarn that I bought ages ago.  I tried to swap/sell it at a local event, but there were no takers.  A member of my weaving discussion group said it would work well for baby blankets.  

So I took a break from towels and thought I would weave up a couple. I miscalculated and thought I wouldn't have enough yarn for more than one blanket.

  Wrong (Oh well.)  I have enough for at least 1 or 2 more.  But I'm kind of glad I only made one. 

I used a Bernat "Softee" acrylic for the weft which was super soft.  Fortunately since the warp wasn't very soft.  It feels OK, but not great.  The warp yarn was very stretchy and a little hard to warp.

But it's almost finished, so now I can find a good home for the rest of the yarn.  :-)

It's April, so the April Towels are Finished

Finished the "April" towels this afternoon.  They are in the washer, but I wanted to give you a peek.  They are probably the ones that are furthest away from my normal color choices.

  The weft colors I used were pink, dark green, light green (willow), dark brown and beige.  The lighter colors are a bit hard to distinquish in the photos, but they do look different in person.

The towels were threaded in a symetric pattern of a 4-shaft point; 6-shaft point; 8-shaft point; 6-shaft point; 4-shaft point.  The tie up was the 1-1-1-1-2-3 twill I have been using.  (I still can't face getting under the loom to re-tie.)  I used a straight treadling 1-8; regular point treadling 1-> 8 then 7-> 2; an extended point treadling 1->8, 1->8, 7->1, 8->1; and a tromp as writ with 4-, 6-, and 8-treadle point treadling.  The last two are more interesting, but I have to pay attention.

Not sure what month is next...