Stash Busters

 I think this time I am really getting to the end of one or two bags of stash.  The turquiose mohair (weft)has been looking at me for a long time and now it is merged with some multi-coloured boucle it is not quite so blinding.  It's not quite all used up but by the time a piece I have on the jack loom is finished it should be.  It is woven in an 8 shaft twill variation.

This piece has a warp of descaled merino boucle and is woven in plain weave with with a (dare I say it) Australian wool weft.  In due time it will become two baby blankets.

So hard to photograph!

Weaving is easy. Taking a decent photo of the finished article can be so hard.  Here are some before and after pics of a wrap I took off the loom a week or so ago.  It has plain weave panels with an alpaca and silk warp in a very dark navy at 18 epi and lace weave panels in 16/2 mercerised cotton at 24 epi  which, in some lights looks exectly the same colour and at other times seems several shades lighter. The weft is the mercerised cotton. None of the photos shows the colour accurately.
Here's one before washing . . .

It's definitely not this blue - and increasing the saturation turns it purple - but you get the idea.  That's a couple of fine silver threads added as supplementaries outlining the lace stripes. There is a heavier silver yarn down each selvedge.
This is after washing and pressing . . . and yes, that's the ironing board you can see through the fabric.

I tried all sorts of light levels but couldn't do any better than this. The end hanging down behind the ironing board in the shadow is the best bit for colour but of course it doesn't show the pattern.  I'm pleased to have done this because it seems that the blue one in a similar style that I sent to the CF exhibition in Hamilton has been sold. At least I'm trusting that it has because it hasn't come back.  I wasn't really ready to say goodbye to that one; I like to have things around for a while before they disappear and get forgotten. 

As you can see, this wrap is not finished. I'm saving the fringes for school holidays so I will have something to do while sitting in Esther's new house enjoying the sunshine.

I have always wanted to . . .

One of the projects in the back of my mind for years has finally come to fruition.  I wanted to weave a really fine piece suitable for a handkerchief and put a border of tatted lace on it.  Finally I have done it and it is one of the pieces I will be sending to the Creative Fibre Area Exhibition in Westport in October.

I'm not entirely satisfied with it as the lace doesn't sit as flat as I would like it to . . . but I have plenty more opportunities to try!  The white warp and weft are both size 50 mercerised Egyptian sewing cotton at 40 epi.  Unfortunately the reed marks have not washed out (4 ends per dent in a 10 dent reed) so it looks a bit streaky but quite acceptable I think.  The red is woven with a finer red unmercerised cotton which gives a distinct shimmer.  I must experiment more with this.

Moving right along . . .

The Weavers' Group workshop was a lot of fun and deemed to be a success.  Since then I have had a warping weekend of my own, taking advantage of having my warping board wheeled out into the lounge for more space and light.  I now have a fine navy wrap on the loom, looking good, and warps waiting in the wings for tablecloth, napkins, teatowels and hot-plate mats.  No photos yet but I hope to get a fair bit of weaving done during September as I intend to stay home for the whole month.  Yes, I know, I should be in the garden . . . but . . .  I also must remember to send my entries for the Area Exhibition in Westport. 

Warping Week!

The past week has been spent preparing for a weavers' workshop next weekend.  Each warp is a gamp of some sort . . . twill and colour-and-weave predominate.  Drafts are sorted and warps are wound. All I need to do now is prepare the paperwork and get copies made.  Who knows what will emerge from this lot but I am looking forward to it.  Here are the 'surprise packages' waiting for the weavers.

This one is a colour blending exercise . . . it took the longest!

Last of the Blues

A couple of small blankets or knee rugs have emerged from pretty much the last of the thicker blue yarns I had accumulated. 

I am not greatly enamoured of the space dyed yarns used in the weft, especially the one that goes so dark in places it is almost black.  It gives dark horizontal lines that detract from the twill line.  In use they are not so noticeable. I suppose if I did my own dyeing I could avoid these problems.

Now I have worked off all the fluffy stuff I am ready for something finer.  This is no.50 Egyptian sewing cotton set at 40epi.

Threading the heddles was a bit of a mission but I used a straight draw on 8 shafts and tied each 8 ends together in a slip knot. That made it easy to sley it 4 ends per dent in a 10 dent reed.  It was only if the slip knot came undone I had do do some sorting out.  It was a dream to wind the warp with one reel of cotton and fit another one directly on to the shuttle to weave.  No knots, no joins, no breaks .  Why did I think it might be difficult?  it wove up really fast in plain weave.  What am I going to do with it?  Watch this space.

Transformation

Weaving has taken a back seat for a few days while I have been finishing a project which is to be part of an exhibition at the Marlborough Museum later in the year.  Several Creative Fibre members were given an opportunity to inspect items from the Museum's textile collection and choose one to use as a subject to 'transform;'  not to reproduce it but use it for inspiration to create something using either colour, shape, texture or motif from the original.  Because I thought I could happily use tatting for this project I chose a purple pillbox shaped hat with bold gold decoration and here is my transformation with a photo of the original alongside.  I reversed the colours and toned down the gold somewhat and turned the shape into a covered box.

I had experimented a bit first and here is my first attempt. At least it was started first but finished last.

I have some weaving though and taken a couple of knee rugs off the loom. I will post photos of them when the finishing is done.  I'm now looking forward to weaving something much finer.