Handspun projects

This cardboard loom was warped to test a color & weave (shadow weave) pattern that I was hoping to use with these two handspun yarns. Unfortunately, I either messed up the pattern--very possible...I pulled the weft out at least three times on this little piece!--or the pattern is just hard to see at this scale. The yarns are spun from a dyeing series from a while back: two rovings dyed in similar colors and patterns, one with dilute dyes, the other with concentrated dyes. For now, these yarns have been returned to the yarn box. I've requested a book via interlibrary loan to learn more about color & weave patterns.




This piece makes me smile! It's plain weave with handdyed, handspun singles used as both warp and weft. I still remember spinning this single. The colors formed such beautiful stripes that I didn't know what to do with them!

The original plan had been to ply the single with itself. I could imagine all my pretty colored stripes turning into mud. I couldn't handle that possibility, so I began looking into more options. I considered chain-plying, but I'm not overly fond of the technique and didn't really want a three ply (or quasi-three ply) yarn. For a while I hunted around trying to find an appropriate yarn to ply with these pretty stripes...and then I just gave up and put the bobbin on my shelf.

As I put the two green yarns away (awaiting further enlightenment on shadow weave) I spied the bobbin of green & purple. I grabbed it off the shelf, ran upstairs and made a new batch of gelatin sizing (1/2 oz gelatin: 2 C. water), skeined that pretty bobbin of singles, and sized the yarn! While the sizing dried, I made my calculations, trying to maximize the existing yardage of singles. Soon the warp was wound, the scarf (?) was woven, and it was wet finished. It's sooooo pretty! It's Romney wool and is a bit scratchy, so it may not really end up as a scarf....but I love the color and the fake plaid effect as the various stripes crossed each other! I may have to do this again!

Delicate and Durable

Delicate first:

This is a piece of cotton yardage. The warp is 10/2 unmercerized cotton alternating with a 2-ply handspun cotton yarn. The weft is a handspun cotton single.

The loom is a tag sale purchase that was originally used for making belts (think inkle loom with a texsolv heddle). I've tried to stabilize the texsolv heddles with a row of crochet stitches on top and windings of yarn at the bottom of the heddle frame. The warp pulled in 1.5" when I started weaving, but seems pretty stable now that I have a few inches woven. The fabric is light weight enough for a shirt!

Durable: A new pair of bed socks from 100% acrylic worsted weight yarn. My last two pairs lasted 4-5 years!

Overshot Challenges

I've been working on some "overshot as doubleweave" samples for an upcoming guild meeting. I really like the one to the left. Unfortunately, I didn't weave it correctly. Check out the back side--all those floats aren't supposed to be there!















Yarn: warp- 10/2 unmercerized cotton in grey and variegated blue. Weft handspun cotton single.
Sett: 15 epi (doubled--ie. 30 epi)

The biggest problem with these samples--I think the sett is too close. With a smaller sett some of my challenges in getting these square would have gone away.

Towel Exchange Results!

Oh, I was a happy camper on Friday! Not only did I get to attend the guild meeting, but my children were wonderfully well behaved, and I got two beautiful new towels!

The solid blue one was woven by Phyllis Ferrero. The pattern is overall diamonds with a center decoration in each diamond. The picture doesn't to the towel justice!

The blue and natural towel (dish size) was woven by Ryoko Marti and is the structure known as M's and O's. I love it!




Both of these towels are going to be used this weekend--the diamond towel in the guest bathroom and the M's&O's in the kitchen! I can't wait to show off the work of my friends!



This little red and white piece is a bit of tape that I am weaving from sewing thread. I have never woven with threads so fine. It was a challenge to thread the heddles in my little loom because the thread was so fine I had a hard time seeing it to keep track of my position! If all goes well this pretty little tape may get used for holiday creations. If not, I still like it. Perhaps it could be hair ribbons or shoe laces!

The Right Tool

I once had a co-worker tell me the importance of using the right tool. Even if you knew how to use a hammer really well, it just wasn't the best tool for cutting, say...window glass.

Well, I have a new tool. My little rigid heddle loom is awesome! It's like the first loom Martin made for me, with all the bells and whistles added! The heddle is only semi-rigid, though. It's made with texsolv heddles that can be shifted from side to side. That becomes important later on!

I got the loom two weeks ago. I used the leftover warp that was on it to get the feel for the loom, then warped to make a bag handle. I am really pleased with how it turned out! And the loom, while it is bulky, was portable and I took it outside and wove while the kids played.


Last night I warped and wove project #2 on the new loom. I had made some knitted I-cord with some handspun yarn and wanted something ala potholders to show off the color variations.









(I'm only mildly crazy. The 16 yard skein of I-cord was knit with a mechanical cord knitter.
I couldn't do that much I-cord with double points!) I was hesitant to try this. Using a warp this thick would be like rag weaving which requires lots of beating. But, what could I do? I'm using the floor loom to hold 15 yards of muslin fabric for a few days, so it was unavailable!

Well, the project produced one potholder. I had warped enough for 8, but it was a painful process. The texsolv heddles moved just enough that the warp threads would bunch together. The comb that I was using to pack the weft in worked, but I couldn't pack it tight enough. And on and on!

I will try my potholders again in a week or so on the floor loom. In the mean time, I wonder what pattern I should make for my next belt?