Friday, October 08, 2010

Proof of Activity!


Earlier this week I finished the weaving on the plaid pillows project. Now that I have it off the loom, I'm less certain about making it into throw pillows. The colors are awfully strong and I'm not sure they would fit in to many living spaces. I do like the resulting fabric: it has a nice weight and handle. I'm just not sure yet what it should ultimately become.


Some details:
Woven on my Ashford Rigid Heddle loom, with a 7.5 dent reed.
Used Tahki Cotton Classic, in blue, green, and yellow.
Finished weaving: about 20" x 68"


There are definitely a few screw ups and glitches, but it's all part of the learning process.

I stumbled on some mystery yarn in my lair the other day. It appears to be a wool/acrylic blend.

I think it's a color my mother in law would love. I'm making the Leaf Scarf by Mary Beth Temple from the book 60 Quick Knits. This is my kind of lace! Very easy to memorize and intuit and action only on the right side rows. I like the stability the garter stitch columns give the finished fabric and the way they contrast with the lace panels.

I also did a bit of spinning that defies photography. Seriously, this mini-hank must have a photographic deflector shield. It was an attempt to turn some crappy fiber into something better, but I wouldn't say it succeeded. Several years ago, my friend Fern and I bought a large lot of spinning fiber from a local spinner who needed to clear out her stash fast. There was a big batch that she told me was polypay and really only good for felting. After our move, I was looking at several large balls of purple roving from that stuff. I wondered, how bad could it be? I tried to spin some and instantly understood why she said that. It had a lot of little nups that were unsightly and frustrating. Then I wondered if I ran it through the drum carder with something else, would that help. Well, it did help, but probably not enough to be worth the trouble. I made a very wooly three-ply mini-skein from my sample bat. I'll knit a swatch out of it and decide then if it's worth pressing onward. Otherwise, I'll have a whole bunch of lavender-purple roving suitable for felting to give away.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

It's all beautiful. I can see that fabric as a Spring set of kitchen curtains. ☺

Molly Bee said...

Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Gorgeous!

LaBean said...

The minute I saw the weaving I thought SCARF! But alas, it's not wool. I have no fashion sense or style. I'd make pillow covers out of it and plop it on my beige, plastic-covered couch without a second thought.

The Leaf Scarf. I love simple right-side-only patterns. I shall be adding that to the queue.

I remember the first time I bought a large quantity of fiber from a local shop and just KNEW I could spin it into something usuable. But, no, Harrisville roving is for felting and I should have left it there. I WAS able to return it for something spin-able but now I know better.

Kathy Kathy Kathy said...

You probably could get a Scott or Owen sized kilt out ofthe plaid.

aningshr--Didn't you name a sweater that once?

Kaye said...

Ooo...I really like that weaving. If your pillows get treated like our throw pillows, even if the colors worked for your living room--too nice to use as throw pillows!

Shandy said...

That's really neat weaving. The irregular plaid certainly gives it movement.

Leslie said...

The plaid is very pretty! It looks like a perfect blanket/throw to me!

Batty said...

That's some lovely plaid! And the scarf is looking good too. Great stitch definition.