Weaving into 2017
All my looms are dressed and ready for the new year. Here's what's going on.
The big computer controlled loom is full of cashmere scarves. I had planned to have them all woven off by the weaver's guild fall sale back in November but that didn't happen. I've finished the first scarf and am weaving on the second now. Both these first two are woven with 100% cashmere. They will be very soft and elegant. The rest of the warp will be woven in a yarn that's 58% cashmere and 42% linen. Those scarves will be soft but not quite as soft as the first two although more sturdy. All the scarves are woven on a warp that's 50% fine wool and 50% silk. It's a very thin yarn and takes a somewhat different weaving technique. The entire process needs to be much more gentle and careful. The weft threads need to be softly placed at the fell rather than being beaten in.
<A weaving epiphany - Penny discovers something>
I really like beating in the weft. I love the tromp on the treadle and throwing the shuttle and beating the beater. I'll be glad when these scarves are finished and I can go back to something that's happier with rougher treatment. The next warp will be linen face cloths.
I've put another run of kitchen towels on the Gilmore loom. This is as much for my convenience as the fact that we are running out of kitchen towels and need more. And the fact that I love weaving them. For the first time I tried tying this new warp onto the last warp. The pattern of threading the heddles and the tie-up were the same as the last run of towels so no crawling around under the loom or redesigning the pattern. I like the process although since each and every one of the 482 warp threads has to be tied to an existing warp thread, it's not a whole lot faster. Easier and different yes, but not really faster. The last run of towels I did used four colors and this pattern uses three. I'm working from more complicated towards less complicated. Maybe the next run will use only two colors. Hmmmm. I'll have to think about that.
After not weaving on my triangle loom in a very long time, I pulled it out and started working on a shawl that is all my handspun yarn and all natural colors from white to light grey to dark grey to nearly black. I'm having fun with it. I do a pass or two everytime I walk past. I'll finish it in no time.
Have a safe New Year's Eve. I wish you safe and happy 2017. Happy Weaving!