After weaving several scarves, I decided I wanted to add some more handwoven baby blankets to my stock. I only have a few, and I had to re-do the binding on two of those to make it right.
In one of the weaving blogs I read, Unraveling, Meg showed the design of baby blanket she was weaving, made of hearts. I really liked it, and Meg gave me permission to use it. However, Meg’s design is uses more harnesses than I have.
I have a good software program for weaving design, and I’d drafted some lovely twill patterns, but nothing as complex as hearts. I was pretty sure I couldn’t do it. But I sat down and gave it a shot anyway. (Actually, when I went back to it to link to this post, I realized Meg’s design only uses lots of harnesses in doubleweave, which I wasn’t planning to do. But that’s what I thought when I sat down to do the design work. Her design does use 17 treadles! I have 10.)
It only took five attempts to get a pattern that I liked. On the computer screen that is. I’m never sure if things will turn out on the loom the way they look digitally.
Semi-confidently, I measured 498 threads for the warp for 4 baby blankets, threaded the heddles, tied up the treadles, and held my breath.
YAHOO!! I really like the pattern! I loosened the warp so that I could get a shot of both front and back at the same time to show how the hearts show up in reverse.
I’ve finished weaving this one in cranberry. I’m going to make one pink, one blue, and the last? I’m not sure – maybe green, maybe lavender, maybe repeating one of the other colors.
I ordered 1″ binding; the 2″ binding that I can buy at the store seems too large for a little baby blanket to me. These blankets will be off the loom for some time before the binding arrives, but that will give me time to wet finish them. (I learned that I must do this prior to sewing on the binding; that’s why I had to re-do the ones I mentioned earlier.)
Your turn: have you done something you didn’t think you could do lately?
Hi,
I just love the heart pattern. I know you posted this a while ago but would you mind sharing the pattern?
Alexis
Thanks for stopping, Alexis. The draft is here – the next post after the one you commented on. 🙂
Wow. Those baby blankets are the best work I think I have ever seen. Very impressive. Kim
Thanks, Kim!! I had a great time designing them, and was so happy with the outcome…I’m sure I’ll do something complex like this again.
Very cute Peg. It looks to me like it would also be a great pattern to use for placemats and or napkins.
Apparently I have a limited imagination. Alma suggested scarves, and you suggest table linens, while I don’t see it as either. I can modify my treadling pattern and perhaps I would see one of the alternatives more appropriate for something other than a baby blanket. But I guess that’s because I, personally, wouldn’t have a table full of little hearts. That doesn’t mean other people wouldn’t like them! It’s so hard not to make just what I would like, or use, or wear.
Oh, cute, cute, cute!
Thanks, Meg – it’s all from your inspiration! I never would have tried it if I hadn’t seen yours, and for reasons I can’t figure out now, thought I couldn’t achieve on my loom. 🙂
Peg – I LOVE these. I’m also thinking scarves. Are you?
No, Alma, I’m not thinking scarves with this particular pattern. But I do think that doing this design gave me some confidence to try other things that will be better suited to scarves or shawls.
Love this. Will you share your drawdown or .wif?
Sure, Liz, I’ll be happy to share. Look for the drawdown in the next day or two. I’d happily send you a .wif, but Fiberworks saves the files as .dtx. If you can tell me how to do a conversion, I’ll give it a shot. (Note that this is all compounded for me. I have a mac, but Fiberworks’ mac version isn’t out yet, so I run it on a Windows simulator program.)
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