Coasting into 2017

Okay, that’s corny but good titles can be tough to write. Sliding into 2017 might be a better heading. Snow has been on the ground every day so far this year. That’s only eight days, I know, but very unusual for any winter where we live. It seems to have prolonged the Holiday season so we can’t complain.

Rep weave coasters from the final two warps

Here are additional photos of my Christmas coasters. In all, I wove six separate warps in six different color ways. It worked out beautifully since I was able to give gifts sets of coasters, one of each color. I hope friends and family enjoy using them. They certainly were fun to make.

Sets of six made Christmas gifts

In addition to coasters, I wove a few narrow table runners. The purple one was perfect to hold our Advent candles. Sadly, I put those away before I took a photo. We use votive candle cups: three purple, one pink and one white for Advent. The little purple runner worked so well because one candle fit on each of the middle five motifs. Next year I will try to remember to post a photo.

Already this year I have one warp of table runners off the loom and finished. Today another warp is freshly beamed and ready to go. Photos to follow.

I think it's time to put the kettle on and enjoy a warm mug.

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

Narrow table runners to match the coasters
The purple one was especially nice for placing Advent candles

Ladder Stitch Hems

Happy New Year! The Christmas season passed far too quickly for my liking. A trip to visit our grandchildren in a distant state kept us busy in December. We had a lovely time celebrating together. Then it was home again just in time for Christmas. And before we knew it, it was time to flip the calendar page. Here’s wishing 2017 proves for you a year of health, happiness and successful endeavors.

Hand hemming Christmas coasters and runners

Those on my gift list received sets of six coasters; one from each of the six warps woven in the same pattern. They were fun to weave and I managed to empty several cones of yarn in the process.

The hems are sewn by hand using the “Ladder Stitch”. Once the warp comes off the loom I use a machine triple zigzag stitch to overcast both edges between each piece. After cutting between these stitch lines hems are folded twice and Ladder Stitched. The photo shows my needle taking a stitch under two warp threads on one side of the hem, next I skip directly across to catch the very next two warp threads on the other side. When the thread is pulled up the two sides of the hem are invisibly woven together. You can find video demonstrations of the stitch on UTube. The technique is particularly effective on Rep weave due to tightly sett warp ends.

At the very bottom of this photo you can spot the edge of a tiny wad of beeswax. Since I was in my teens, this same bit of wax has lubricated and strengthened my hand sewing threads. If you prefer, there is a commercial non-wax product available that does the same job.

Another helpful tool are the colorful little clips seen here. They are called Wonder Clips and work far better than pins to secure hems before sewing them. Even if they didn’t work so well I’d want to use them because they are so cute. They come in various sizes and colors and are fun and easy to use. You can find them at your local fabric store, quilt shop or on line.

Ladder Stitch in progress
Raw edges machine triple-stitch zigzagged

These small projects have been a lot of fun. Now that the 2017 has dawned I am ready to tackle some larger pieces. May your year be filled with good health, happiness and satisfying projects. Happy New Year!

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

Weaving Fun in Small Ways

Wee Swedish Coverlet

Photos of my final Wee Swedish Coverlet warp are probably in order. Here they are. Since this warp turned out to be other than perle cotton, it behaved differently. Shrinkage was greater. The finished cloth drapes well, better than the 100% cotton version. Overall, these are nice but I am wishing to weave some brighter colors for my next Wee Coverlets.

Wee Swedish Coverlet, Detail

Wee Swedish Coverlets
This group of coverlets drape beautifully.
The colors are pretty subdued for babies.
Maybe parents will appreciate this at laundry time.

Since last I posted life has taken a few twists and turns, some far less than pleasant. In the face of turbulent events, returning to the studio and immersing myself in weaving truly helps. Whenever calm reflection is necessary to peace of mind the studio is my go-to destination.

A box of odds and ends, mostly 8/2 cotton, had been on my shelf for a very long time. My guild sale was coming soon. It occurred to me to use some of that cotton to weave some quick coasters for the sale.

I took my first weaving class in 1988. My first exposure to Rep Weave at that time was an article by Joanne Tallarovic in issue #74 of Shuttle Spinal and Dyepot. A narrow runner in her article was the inspiration for these little coasters.

Rep Weave coasters
Notice the blue ones. One has rag as thick weft.
All the others have bright yellow cord-type yarn as thick weft.

Life intervened and I did not complete as many of these as I would have liked in time for the sale. But that is fine because Christmas is coming soon. Each of the four warps shown was an opportunity to learn and improve on the design. Exciting discoveries along the way made for a load of fun.

Blue coasters:

I wind my warps twice as long as needed but only half as wide, with a cross at each end. For Rep weave I wind two ends together. This works out great except when I forget to divide the total number of ends for the center block by four – not two. That is why that middle block is wider here than I meant for it to be. Since the extra ends were available, I just threaded them as wound.

The first few coasters on the blue warp have rag as thick weft (see group photo above). I liked that well enough until I thought to use a bright yellow cord that has been on my shelf longer than I can remember. Wow! That bit of bright yellow at the selvedges really pleases my eye.

Green coasters:

Now that is better. The center block is the proper width.

Unfortunately, in the meantime I’d forgotten to weave six thick wefts in the center. These coasters are shorter than the blue ones. Sometimes life events interrupt my train of thought. Oh, well.

Red coasters:

The challenge here was a limited supply of red and white. Making due, I used black and grey for the borders. Somewhere along the line I’d had a conversation about floating selvedges with a weaver friend. It motivated me to do something for the very first time – add floating selvedges to a Rep weave. I am never too terribly worried about matching floater color to warp color. Here I decided to go out on a limb and used a red floater next to the black border. The result made me very happy.

Yellow coasters:

Here you see more odds and ends from my box of 8/2. The border yellow is darker than the center yellow. And take a look at that floater!

Floating selvedges on Rep Weave???

What will be the next adventure? I saved the warp for a tie-on and there are still remnant cones of various colors in my box. Ideas are brewing and so is my next mug of tea. Hum, any coasters around here?

Watch for coaster hemming technique in my next post.

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

Brewing a cup of tea with first two versions of Rep Weave coasters

Wee Coverlet in Action

Grandbaby enjoys her Wee Coverlet

This is our newest grandchild snoozing beneath her Wee Swedish Coverlet. Mama says little one spends time examining her blanket, looking at pattern and color changes, and doesn't cry right away on waking. This makes her GrandMama very happy.

Next you see another photo of the six Wee Coverlets from my bright green warp. It was very special to me that one of my weaving friends wanted the yellow one for her new grandson, Jasper. I wish him many pleasant slumbers over a long happy childhood.

The third color way of this warp is in progress. I'm not sure if I will like this version, the colors are a bit dark. But who says baby colors must be pastel? I don't understand because babies are good at making stains. Why shouldn't their clothing and bedding be colorful to begin with? That way keeping baby things looking nice and clean is easier for parents. Colorful wraps set off a baby's natural beauty. Bright colors are happy colors.

Another view of bright green Wee Swedish Coverlets

I intend to offer one or two Wee Coverlets at the Seattle Weavers' Guild annual sale October 27-29, 2016 at St. Marks' Cathedral. If you are interested and in the area, please stop by. Our guild is a group of many talented weavers whose incredible work will be on display. Even if you do not wish to buy, you will not be disappointed with the show of beautiful handwovens. And, as a bonus, weavers are very nice people. Stop by and say hello.

Warp on/Weave off,

RepWeaver

Each One Precious

Wee Swedish Coverlets for Baby by RepWeaver

Weaving Wee Coverlets takes time. Each one is a labor of love. And that is how it should be. Time spent weaving these is perfect for contemplation. For me it really, truly is about devotion. It is my way of adding color, texture and warmth to new lives. Most importantly, it is my expression of love for little ones. Babies are so very precious. May babies and children ever be wrapped in love; may they ever feel precious and cherished. That is my wish for every child wrapped in a Wee Coverlet.

When UKI discontinued 20/2 perle cotton in colors, I ordered several cones from The Georgia Yarn Company. Choices were limited and, without sample cards, color names were all I had. Maybe there was a thumbnail shot of each color, but screens vary. So when the yarn arrived I was surprised at the intensity of this green. The color name is “Kelly Green”. I’d imagined it would be darker. Here was a challenge.

Wee Swedish Coverlet by RepWeaver
Showing Front Side

The warp and Tabby are Kelly Green with purple and yellow stripes plus occasional variegated ends. This particular variegation wasn't as bright. It has teal green, yellow, purple and white and was a bit of a stretch. The two sides of each piece are very different from one another. Variegated ends show more on the underside.

Wee Swedish Coverlet by RepWeaver
Showing Reverse Side

Recently I showed these latest Wee Coverlets to a group of my weaving friends. One of them asked if I thought there were any bad color combinations. I took this as a compliment as it is an excellent question. After a moment’s thought I replied, “Yes”. My idea of a bad color combination is one in which color values are too similar. If value and intensity are too close, pattern and structure can be lost. Scale also plays a part. Equal parts of similarly valued colors compete equally for attention. It is better to use more of one or the other. The “bad colors” question is food for further thought. What a great question!

Weaving this warp of Wee Swedish Coverlets was pure joy. The brightness of the warp and frequent color changes in the included variegated ends added interest. I wish for these six little blankets to swaddle six precious infants well into childhood. Younger siblings may enjoy them, too. That is if the older isn’t a “Linus”, clinging to his blanket for security. Or perhaps a beautiful beloved blankie will be too treasured to relinquish.

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

Wee Swedish Coverlets by RepWeaver

Wee Swedish Coverlets, Continued

Wee Swedish Coverlets by RepWeaver

After lengthy procrastination, finally I have a few more photos of my Wee Swedish Coverlets. For the longest time they sat in a neat folded stack on my kitchen island. My camera sat atop the stack.

These blankets are crib sized but still large enough to challenge my photographing capabilities. Perhaps if I had a crib it would have been easier to stage them. These are not excuses so much as evidence of my lack of confidence. In any case, here is what I managed to capture today. Perhaps these photos will give you a better sense of my Wee Coverlets. Now I can email photos to my daughter so she will be able to choose one of these for our tiny grandchild.

Wee Swedish Coverlets showing both fronts and backs

Weaving progresses on the second color way of these coverlets. I am working on the fifth one on the bright green warp and chose a bright pink for the pattern weft. We’ll see how that combination works. Until it is finished and washed I will not know for sure.

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

Wee Swedish Coverlets

Finishing Touches

Trimming ends with appliqué scissors

When I take cloth from my loom I hem or edge finish the pieces before I wash them. After that  they go right into the washing machine with warm water and regular detergent. Next they go into the dryer until nearly dry. After that I press them until dry. 

It isn't until then that I take a close final look at each piece. Next comes trimming off all the little loose ends left from refilling shuttles or changing colors. I think of it as akin to writing "The End" after the final chapter of a book, not that I have ever written a book. But the final step in a project is satisfying, a certain kind of fun.

Do you have one of these? This little appliqué scissors is made by Gingher. Its sharply pointed and curved blades make trimming ends neat and accurate.

Right now I am about half-way through weaving a second warp of Swedish Wee Coverlets. The color is eye-popping. Some tiny children are going to love these. Let's hope their Papas and their Mamas like them, too.

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

Wee Swedish Coverlet

Wee Swedish Coverlets by RepWeaver

With the arrival of our newest grandchild I needed to weave another Wee Coverlet. Since the Swedish Kitchen draft has been a success, I thought it would be nice to try it as a baby blanket. Mom’s favorite colors are blue and yellow and our baby is a fair, blue-eyed bundle of joy.

Here is a photo of the stack of five Wee Coverlets from this warp. Now all that is left is for me to snap more photos. I’ll post those when they are available. After that my daughter will have to choose one Wee Coverlet from the bunch for her sweet baby girl.

Corner Block of Wee Swedish Coverlet

Nearly glow-in-the-dark warp

Since these are finished, I am working on the next color-way of this design. This one is going to be eye-popping bright. I had been pondering how to use this kelly green 20/2 Perle Cotton from UKI. Paired with a variegated yarn plus yellow and purple this ought to be a winning combination. This new warp is so bright it might just keep me awake at night. Let's hope it doesn't have the same effect on babies. It is going to be fun choosing pattern weft colors.

Warp on/Weave off,

RepWeaver

Swedish Kitchen

Swedish Kitchen Towels, Warp #109 by RepWeaver

Here, at last, are additional photos of Warp #109 towels mentioned in the previous post. Choosing colors and watching them interact gives me great joy while weaving. Having a few variegated ends in the mix mulitplies the fun.

Once these come off the loom there are always "Aha" moments. Colors and combinations that appealed most to me while weaving aren't always my favorites when finished.

Nine Swedish Kitchen Towels, Warp #109 by RepWeaver

Red pattern weft washed out the effect of
red in the variegated warp ends.

Since the variegated ends in this warp were a combination of red, brown, gold and forest green I thought the brighter red pattern weft would be my favorite. But it turned out to compete too much and washed out the effect of red of the variegation. The darker maroon pattern weft was far better, causing the brighter red in the warp to zing.

Swedish Kitchen towel by RepWeaver
Two shades of green that did not seem happy together
Here you see both front and back sides of the towel 

The green towel below was my least favorite while weaving. Its blue green pattern weft seemed to fight the yellow green in the warp and tabby. Do clashing colors set your teeth on edge? That is what these greens did to me as I wove. But in the finished towel the colors worked. One of my weaving friends even said the green one was his favorite of the lot. Green pattern weft does a fantastic job of highlighting the red variegation in the warp.

The reverse side of Swedish Kitchen Towel with Maroon pattern weft
This color combination proved a favorite both on and off the loom

Warp #110 with marled (navy and white plied together) warp ends used where before there were variegated ends

This is the current warp on my loom, the one I wrote about in the last post. I tied it to my two previous warps. The marled warp ends don't seem to be working the way I'd have liked. Maybe this will be another case in which the finished product outshines the work in progress. Let's hope.

Knitted Shaker Dish Cloths

Here is a good way to spend time when away from the loom. These are knitted Shaker Dish Cloths. Leave it to me to find another way to incorporate variegated yarn! These work well and are fun to use. Knit some for yourself or to give as gifts. The pattern is available for free at Very Pink. Look for other great patterns there as well including "World's Best Kitchen Scrubbie", one of my favorites.

That's what I'm up to today. I wonder what will happen tomorrow? One can never be too sure.

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

Back in the Saddle (Or Back on the Loom Bench)

Hello, again!

Swedish Kitchen, Detail

It has been a long, long time. For several weeks I have been away. I spent three weeks over Christmas in Washington, D.C. Then most of February I was with our daughter and son-in-law who just gave us our third grandchild. Their new little sweetheart joins an older sister and brother so they are a very busy family. Mine was a working visit but loads of love and fun.  Now I am home again and missing them, yet, home is the very best place. And I am back at my loom.

Here are a few quick shots of my latest towels. I will take more but first I need to iron that stack of towels. Here also is a shot of the third iteration of this design. I am going out on a limb here and using a plied yarn in place of the usual variegated ends. Time will tell if it works. I will be sure to let you know.

Swedish Kitchen Towels by RepWeaver

There are no travel plans in my immediate future but there will be visitors. Oh, and we will be having our siding replaced and the house painted. Neither of these will take me away from home but may limit weaving time. The excitement continues!

Warp on/Weave off,

RepWeaver

Warp #110

Blogging Along

Here is one case in which the third try was certainly not the charm. It isn’t that the results do not please. I was simply pushing the design without a full understanding of the structure. Further study is in order and I aim to revisit Colonial Patterned Double Weave before long.

These are the result of my attempt to add border effects. This time I took inspiration from Bertha Gray Hayes’ draft “Springtime Fancy”. The design worked very well in double weave. But the way I tried to add the borders did not. The first coaster shows the border and the next two or three show errors as I tried and tried to rethread the warp without the experimental part. Eventually I righted the whole mess and came out with some nice little pieces.

I continued playing with the idea of using two shades of the same colors in warp and weft. The green/teal version appeals most to me. The variation adds depth and kind of hints at shadow weave.

These are the best size for coasters of my three warps. I wove the long piece specifically for a narrow shelf. Plenty of hand woven textiles help make a house a home.

Coasters from three Colonial Patterned Double Weave warps

It's always nice to have an assistant in my busy little studio.
Latest rugs in progress on the loom.

By   the way, the other day I made an exciting discovery. A photo in the Spring/Summer issue of Handwoven Magazine attracted my eye. There on page 27 were two beautiful towels woven in the “Norse Kitchen” design from “A Handweaver’s Pattern Book” by Marguerite Porter Davison – the draft that inspired my miniature version of the same draft. What fun!

Last time I wrote about my little weaving studio. Here it is in all its messy glory. I’d be happy to spend every day there and so would my cats. Perhaps you can spot Squeak in one of her favorite spots?

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

Back-Blogged

Colonial-Patterned Double Weave

Does this happen to you? A pressing goal in one area of life causes neglect in another? That is how blogging slipped to a lower priority. I may not be the first to think of it, but “Back-Blogged” is how I feel. The demands of gardening during an unusually early spring, the possibility of a cross-county move with necessary reduction of accumulated stuff, and a rug design request/challenge from our son and daughter-in-law have kept me hopping. Life is never boring.

Contemplating the move has been particularly worrisome but also exhilarating. I find myself looking around the studio at my “stash”. Space is at a premium and I have squirreled away far too much yarn and equipment for comfort. My studio is actually rather a small room, about 10’ x 12.5’. And you know how it is with available space – easily filled. I’m afraid there are tough decisions ahead for this weaver. On the positive side, the move may not happen right away. Panic has not vanished; it has simply been delayed.

Second group of Colonial-Patterned Double Weave coasters

In the mean time weaving continues. Here are a few snaps of my second Colonial-Patterned Double Weave exploration. With this warp my goals included:

1.     To weave slightly larger coasters

2.     To develop my own design using the “Colonial” technique

3.     To avoid “opposite colored” hems while maintaining tube structure

4.     To further explore color interlacements

5.     To improve my beat to weave “squared up” overshot patterning.

Left - Warp and Weft colors alike
Right - Brighter red used as weft, improved selvedge using floaters

Draft #64, “Queen Anne’s Lace” from Weaving Designs by Bertha Gray Hayes: Miniature Overshot Patterns inspired the threading draft from which I formulated three threadling variations. I added two repeats of straight twill at each selvedge and included floating selvedges. The resulting pieces are a bit on the large side for coasters. Other than that, they are a success. Using slightly brighter colored wefts produced interesting effects. 

Weaving this warp was lots of fun and bears further exploration. This structure would make wonderful placemats.

Warp On/Weave Off,
RepWeaver

Miniature Norse Kitchen - Third Warp

Miniature Norse Kitchen towels

Darker teal yarn used as both warp and tabby in borders

Here you see finished towels from the third warp of my Miniature Norse Kitchen draft. This warp was shorter than usual due to limited supply of yarn. Look closely and you will see a darker shade of teal blue added into the borders. Sometimes I mix in other colors of warp for design interest. Other times I mix in additional solid warp colors due to limited supplies of yarn. It is a great way to use up small bits of yarn. Each of these reasons was relevant with this warp.

Third color way of Miniature 

Right side of Miniature Norse Kitchen

Both sides are beautiful. The variegated and darker teal is more obvious on the reverse side. If you ask me, either side could be considered the "right" side.

Warp On/Weave Off,
RepWeaver

Reverse side of Miniature Norse Kitchen