Archives for September 2009
Summer Fiber Fun
I have been away from my blog for most of the summer, but fortunately, now I am back in the blog groove and ready to fill you in on some of my summer fiber adventures.
I am very fortunate to be able to share a brief video interview conducted at Black Sheep Gathering by my spinning friend Jeri and her husband, Eduard. This was the first time that I had ever been interviewed on camera about fiber, and I must say that Jeri and Eduard put me at ease. Thanks so much Jeri and Eduard!
At the end of July I became a weaver. I purchased a gently used 24 inch Ashford 8 shaft table loom. I warped the loom the very first day, and I haven’t stopped since. So far, I am pretty obsessed with twill. I just think that twill is such a beautiful fabric!
My first project - a sampler scarf made with handdyed mohair/wool yarn:
Plain weave scarf made with handdyed merino wool yarn:
Huck lace scarf made with superwash bluefaced leicester sock yarn. Warp is undyed, weft is handpainted:
In August, my friend, Lori , gave me some undyed and handpainted 2P bombyx silk cord and handpainted 20/2 bombyx silk so that I could try my hand at weaving with fine threads. It was such a delight to smell and feel the silk while I was weaving. And, of course, I used a block twill pattern.
I have now taken to weaving baby blankets because it seems as if everyone I know is pregnant. I am using a wonderful organic cotton boucle yarn in a variety of lovely natural colors that are appropriate for girls or boys.
For my next projects, I am planning to weave another silk twill scarf as a gift for a friend. I bought some 20/2 silk the other week, and have dyed it up in greens, blues and pinks. Also, I am planning to make a felted scarf with handspun. What fun!
Much of my knitting time has been replaced by weaving time, but I have managed to finish a pair of socks for myself, and I have made substantial progress on a pair of socks for my sweetie. For my socks, I used my new superwash bluefaced leicester sock yarn handpainted in shades of blue and purple.
I have several other knitting projects in the works, and I am hoping to work on them more this fall and winter.