Home Detention

Oh dear, I should remember to call it self isolation . . . though for me it is no hardship. It is more like retreating to the back of my cave and shutting the world out . . . suits me fine. Thank you so much to the several under-70s who have offered to fetch and carry for me if required. So far I'm fine and quite content.

This enforced staying home is working for me as I have just launched into a major weaving project and I am looking forward to being able to concentrate on it.  I am making a LARGE "Dream Blanket" for my favourite (and only) grand-daughter. Usually I don't post about my projects until they are finished but this time I thought I would post a blow-by-blow commentary as I go. That way, Natasha, who lives in Perth, can check up on progress if she wants to. It might make a long boring series of posts of no interest to anyone but a weaver, but I will start it and see how it goes.

For once I started by making some samples . . . something I encourage others to do but seldom take my own advice, but I really wasn't sure where to start. Natasha had picked the silvery grey colours and I had accumulated what I hoped were plenty of gorgeous yarns.

Decisions made, calculations and paper-work done, here is the beginning of the first warp. The blanket will be in three panels and this warp is for the two outside ones. The third panel will be in the middle, a bit wider and in a different pattern. More of that later.  The warp is a beautiful soft alpaca, very fine so I am using it double. Over the first two days I made four warps of 148 ends each, so 592 ends in total, each 7 yards long. You can do the maths if you want to; I am just happy to report that I did not find one knot or break in the whole process. Thank you Adobe!

I will leave this now and post regular reports as things happen.

Classic apparel for the man-about-town (or the motorcyclist on his way to work)

After the chunky stuff I like to do something fine and a son-in-law's 50th birthday was the perfect excuse. The warp is black baby alpaca set at 24 epi and woven in 2/2 twill. As usual I made two scarves. the first with white silk stripes and the second with a couple of jade silk ends either side of the white . . . so they are "the same but different."

Lace Plus

The lace project I mentioned a post or two back has been finished for some time. The "plus" is that after the lace is done there needs to be a massive amount of thread dangling off it which I needed to manipulate and stitch into the branches, trunk and roots of a tree. I really enjoyed making this and was pleased to find a ready-made handwoven table mat to use to mount it on. (That's an owl in the branches.)

I did another version of this for a "paint chart challenge" for a Creative Fibre event that was to be held in Nelson in May. For that reason it was kept under wraps waiting for the big occasion. It is wrapped and packed and waiting to be posted. That was before Convid19 struck and the event was postponed, so I may as well post a photo of it now.

The strips of paint chart on the right determined the colours. Beads, stars and silver birds found their way into the mix before I made myself leave it alone.

What I did in the holidays

Back in December I hinted that I was giving my loom a "once-over" ready for some weaving for myself over the holiday period. Once I discovered that I had looped the bottom of some heddles on to the wrong shaft (and found that didn't work!) everything came right and I was ready for a happy New Year.

My Aussie friend Barbara had started something when she brought over a beautiful cushion for me that she had decided was in "my colours."

On a subsequent visit she floored me by bringing me masses of gorgeous boucle yarn, 50% wool, 50% mohair, in the light and dark turquoise to complement the cushion perfectly. Being not only generous but also a bit bossy, she insisted I weave a throw for my couch. How could I refuse?  Here is a pictorial record of my holiday weaving. Maybe it will explain why I like staying home while other people are heading out into the traffic.

First I found some accent yarns for the "pop" factor.

Somewhat off-beat lines here as a link to the off-beat cushion design.

Minimal waste on this project

The usual Philippine edge and twisted fringes

And a wash in the bath. I was not going to trust the washing machine for this one.

Rolled in towels and dried on the back of the couch . . . no problem on 30 degree days.

Mission accomplished. Thank you so much Barbara.

And a bonus. A vase I have had for half a century came out from hiding behind a curtain and matches perfectly. A few fairy lights tucked inside completes the picture.

Time for a catch Up

I can't believe that I have not posted anything here for half a year! I'm blaming Facebook . . . I can zap a photo or two there, either my own, Weavers' Group or Creative Fibre, and forget that this is the place I plan to record my own progress. So here goes for a massive catch up.

Last time I was warping up for tea towels in plain weave with 2 strands of 16/1 linen in both warp and weft. Yes I know, it sounds boring, but I did get to mix some colours.

This is the only one with a proper colour gamp. The rest had one-colour wefts. It was a long job and I was pleased when it was done . . . pleased with the results as well.

Next came a couple more scarves. These were in beautiful kid mohair so are lovely and soft. 

I call them "his and hers" . . . one has a light weft and the other is dark.

Next came another blue project, Tardis colours, this one a throw for Liam for his 21st birthday. (I find it mighty hard to believe that he is 21 already) 

The finishing was still in progress when this pic was taken but I did get the Philippine edges done and the fringes twisted in time - just forgot to take a photo. It is mostly wool with stripes of mohair in both directions. I used the same twill stripes as for the previous scarves because I really liked the effect.

I'm looking forward to my next project . . . lovely yarns in lovely colours that have been gifted to me. I want to make a really good job of this but need to first "re-jig" my loom, checking everything from the top down. It is a while since I did it and it is starting to get a bit out of kilter. 

In between weaving projects I have been enjoying learning lace-making and am pleased to have completed a necklace and two little pendant pouches. 

My next lace project deserves a post of its own so that will come when the finishing touches have been applied.

Time for a Catch Up

The kid mohair scarves I was starting on the last post came out well, one in plain weave and one in a fancy twill variation .

I kept to the same pattern for a couple of scarves on a much finer red warp of alpaca and silk. The first of these used weft the same as the warp to produce a crepe weave. For the second I used a thicker dark navy alpaca yarn.

I haven't spent much time at the loom during the last few weeks but did turn my lounge into a warping studio for some time.

Several warps are now tucked away, suitably labelled, ready for action as time and energy allow.  The last photos show a linen warp for tea towels which is now on the loom and awaiting threading. It will be quite a job as it is in two strands of singles but I am really looking forward to weaving with linen again.

What Next?

First, it's time I did some finishing of my PhDs (that's projects half done). Four of my six grocery bags have now been completed and a couple pressed into service. There are a couple more to come but I reckon this is enough to be going on with.

I am also working on two other projects and hope to have photos to post before too long.

Giving me inspiration to get to the loom again are some lovely luxury yarns I couldn't resist. They have been in hiding for a few weeks now so I decided it was time for a warping day.

This should make a fabulous throw - can't wait to weave it.

Long enough for two scarves - love the blending of the blues. This yarn is wool and soybean protein.

Really couldn't wait to start this one. It's on the loom already. It's lambswool and mohair and feels wonderful.

That lot should keep me happy for a while.