Weaving A Gem Of A Life

Towels and jams

Here are those polka dot towels I mentioned recently. While blue is a main color, you’ll also see lots of lavender, purple and some turquoise. I like the mix. For me, the darker ones appeal to me more than the lighter ones, but I’m hoping others will feel differently. (I like the way I photographed the red & orange ones better, but this is okay.)

Like my first polka dot towels, I decided to try weaving with the treadling that switches the background color. Also like that first batch, I didn’t like it so much, so went back to the ‘regular’ treadling. I actually like it better in the photograph than in real life. Weird, huh?

Yesterday morning after the gym I went to a local farm market. I’ve purchased quarts of strawberries from this market and others, and I think this farm’s strawberries are the sweetest. So when their price for a flat was low, I couldn’t resist buying a flat of strawberries. I brought them home, set aside a quart for my neighbor and a quart for my son, washed a quart and a pint for my frig, and since the berries were fully ripe, needed to make jam. Today.

I made one batch of strawberry with low-sugar Sure Jell. Then I made a batch of strawberry and raspberry, with lime juice and zest, with regular Sure Jell. I would have used low sugar for this, too, if I’d had another box. Both batches actually jelled nicely, unlike some of my experiences. I need to stock up on sugar and Sure Jell (low sugar) so that next time I stumble on the best fruit I can take advantage without an emergency run to the store.

3 already counted

These 3 scarves don’t add to the totals I recently reported; although I hadn’t posted about them yet, they were already completed and in my spreadsheet.

Usually if I like a piece on the loom, I like it off, and if I don’t like it while weaving, I don’t like it later. But sometimes I get surprised. This cowl is one of those times.

I did a lot of planning for a mixed warp (tencel, rayon, and a bamboo-cotton blend) of twill blocks, using multiple colors in the weft as well as the warp. Then I started weaving and pretty much hated it. So I decided to only weave it long enough for a short cowl. After it was wet finished? This is clearly my favorite piece on this warp. Go figure.

Anyway, since I didn’t predict that, I rethreaded the loom for one of my go-to weave structures and wove a scarf with black tencel. It made everything too dark, IMHO.

I wanted to brighten it up for the last piece and didn’t have any rayon or tencel that moved me, so I went with mercerized cotton. But since the cotton was thicker (5/2) than the warp (which was a combination of 8/2 and 10/2), my calculations for yardage weren’t even close. I realized pretty quickly that I wouldn’t have enough of the blue to weave an entire scarf. So I put more mercerized cotton in various color stripes symmetrically in the middle of the scarf. Not my typical look, and I hope it turns someone on.

I’m working on finishing the towels – just some hard pressing left now – and getting another warp on the loom – the last before my show.

Am I prepared?

As the timing for my first show of the summer rapidly approaches, I sat down to look at what I sold last summer and what I’ve woven since then in preparation for this summer. Made me feel good – in most categories.

Sold last summer:
25 towels (inc. some sold later on)
29 scarves
12 cowls
15 shawls/wraps/mobius/etc.

Woven since then:
49 towels (inc. the 8 on the loom now)
33 scarves
12 cowls
32 shawls/wraps/mobius, etc.

I thought I was making too many cowls. That’s the only category that I have barely enough in, and scarves are pretty close, too. Can I make more in the next few weeks? The answer is maybe – I have a warp ready to go that will make 3 scarves or 2 scarves and 1 or 2 cowls. But I won’t be able to get another warp on after that, I don’t think.

4 + 79 = ??

Of course we know that 4+79=83, but not in my world. Nope. 4 finished pieces + 79 bags = um…you can’t add those things together. But I did sew and string 79 bags in a few different sizes for packaging at my shows this year. Used about 60 yards of ribbon. Yes, 60 yards of ribbon.

I got four more pieces woven and finished so far this month. All on the last handpainted warp I had. Again, this is living coral and turquoise in 8/2 tencel, but this time the yarn was all painted in skeins, not warps. This type of dyeing has its own beauty, although I think I prefer painted warps over painted skeins.

That being said, I’m happy with all four pieces. First up is a jacket woven with an 8/2 black tencel weft. I threaded the loom with a point twill, and used an M & W treadling. The weather has been so beautiful that I brought Lady Jane and Dolly both out in the evening for photos.

Then I used some 16/2 (or maybe even 20/2) rayon in a lovely peacock color. I tried tripling the weft but that was too much, so used it doubled. I also decided I needed more just plain shawls, no sewing involved.

I decided to weave 2 shortish and wideish cowls with the remainder of the warp. I changed the tie up and treadling, and used that doubled peacock yarn for the first piece.

Then back to the black tencel for the last piece. I also decided for a closer shot so you can see more detail in this piece.

So I have a total of 7 finished pieces, and 3 more off the loom awaiting my finishing. That’s why I decided to follow my wishes and put a warp for 8 more polka dot towels on the loom. This time in various blues. No sneak peeks!

Towels and silk scarves

In my last post I showed you a pile of unfinished polka dot towels. It took me a while to get them hemmed and pressed, but finally, there they are in all their glory.

Again, many thanks to Susan Pogue for her draft. Everyone who’s seen these towels, either in person or in photos, has really liked them, so I am positive I’ll be be weaving more polka dotted towels in the not-too-distant future. If you look closely, you can see that I did the alternate/new treadling on one towel as shown in the Handwoven magazine. It didn’t send me in real life like it did in the Handwoven photo, so only used it for one towel.

I’ve started June with 3 silk scarves. First up is a clasped weft. I’ve not done clasped weft in a while, and never with silk, so was eager to try this with a twill threading and treadling.

This is a 20/2 silk warp and weft. However, since clasped weft results in 2 shots of thread in each pic, the weft is much thicker than a typical 20/2 silk scarf, and the result is a bit thicker, with a less graceful hand, than is my personal preference.

For scarf #2 I used a lovely red silk, again in 20/2. A much nicer hand on this one, and a simpler treadling pattern.

After getting input from some of my trusted friends and relations, I decided to put some beads on the fringe of this scarf. One little seed bead in each bundle of fringe, placed randomly.

I wove scarf #3 with a tan weft, and returned to the original treadling, producing sort of arrowhead shapes. This weft is 60/2 weight – very fine. I used 3 strands of it together for weft, figuring that would approximate a 20/2. Interestingly, this scarf is much lighter, much softer than the red scarf. Surprised me.

I rather enjoyed the red seed beads on the last scarf, so used the same method and put seed beads in this fringe, too. I chose a pearlized neutral color, so the beads are much more subtle than in the red. In the photo you have to look for the bumps to see them, I think.

I have the last of my handpainted warps on the loom now. We’ll see what I end up with.

Weaving A Gem Of A Life

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Towels and jams

3 already counted

Am I prepared?

4 + 79 = ??

Towels and silk scarves

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