Summer Weaving Summary

Weaving is one thing but the finishing work afterwards is another and quite often longer process. I have finally finished the second alpaca/silk mulberry wrap - a companion to the one I put in the Fibre Spectrum exhibition. (No sales from that by the way but I am pleased to have those pieces back as I don't have a lot of work on hand.)  This one has a different lace pattern in a block at each end with the centre in plain weave. You may or may not be able to see in the photo that there is a plain weave flower motif within lace squares.  Note the very long fringes. There are only two threads twisted together in each strand. By the end I was wishing I had twisted them in fours. However, it makes a dainty fringe

In January I decided to do a stash-busting exercise and use up some of my thicker yarns to make a couple of throws - a decision I have questioned many times during our hot dry summer when the temperatures often climbed over 30 degrees. Today I did the last of the trimming of the fringes and I can now put these away until the weather cools a bit. The first one has about four different yarns in it, each one a complex mix of fibres including wool, mohair, polyester and goodness knows what else. It seems big and bulky but is really a lot lighter than it looks.

The blue one also has a mix of fibres but not as complex with a greater wool content including some Touch "Mt Pisa" boucle yarn which gives it a nice handle.

On a different creative journey, at our next Marlborough Weavers' meeting we are going to be looking at bags of all shapes and sizes. I found one I thought would be a good inspiration for a handwoven bag so made one up in an odd hour during Waitangi weekend. It was so easy - one square, no cutting!  I can also see me using this model to make a textile book cover as well - even less sewing. I'm rapt!