light wefts

I am experimenting with different light wefts.

Here is light yellow:

 

 Here is light blue:

Here is light green:

I know when I did the everything towels, I liked the dark wefts more.  But I wondered if that feeling would change with a different weaving structure completely.  One thing I like about these lighter wefts is that some of these vertical lines look like vines with flowers!  The weft I end up using will depend on what kind of project I want in the end.  If I want something with a "pow!" where the colors pop, then I should probably stick to the dark wefts.  But if I want a change from my usual, then I might try something more mellow like the light wefts.  With summer coming, I am leaning towards the lighter weft.  It feels so light, airy, and summer-like!

Up close shot with green weft:

 

Everything Bite meets Twill Doubleweave Sample

I loved the "everything bite" towel warp so very much, and have decided to expand on it a little bit and combine it with another really good idea: the doubleweave blanket!  I have never done doubleweave on the 8-shaft loom or with twill, so I'm excited to try something new!

This is just a 4" sample (and being doubleweave makes it 8").  I used the tie-up from the book Doubleweave by Jennifer Moore.  It is the tie-up for the double-width blanket in 2/2 herringbone twill (page 111).  If I were to do another sample, I might just try regular twill (pg 105-107), although I am really liking how this pattern is coming out!  It's different, unpredictable, and has a few patterns forming in it that catch the eye.  I might actually consider doing the whole blanket using this set-up.  You are supposed to change colors at the twill changes, but I kind of like it eclectic like this!
 
 

It's so colorful, and such a cool concept to be able to weave twice the width of my loom!!

I am using 20 colors from my stash 12/2 cotton to weave this sample, and that is what I plan on using for the actual blanket also.  Since the sett of the 12/2 cotton is 30 epi, I have to account for both layers so this sett is 60 epi.  The threads are very dense, but I don't seem to be having any problems at all.  I am using a #10 reed, so there are 6 threads in every dent.  This is definitely the most threads I have ever put into 1 dent, but I'm glad to see it's working just fine!  I was a little worried at first.


Here's the original tie-up, which doesn't look like much because it's supposed to be weaving on separate layers but the weaving draft program is meshing them together.  So if this is what your weaving really does look like, then you are actually doing it wrong!

It's hard to tell exactly what this pattern is weaving.  In addition, because of all the colors, it's hard to decipher the pattern on the loom!  When you dissect the original doubleweave pattern on page 111, you are basically weaving what I would call a broken twill repeat... but the official name really is herringbone, just like the book calls it!

The pattern looks like this on each side:

I love doubleweave!

PS.  Our parting shot today is from the aloe plants that are blooming in our front garden.  I have never seen anything like it!!

They're coming right out of this growth in the center:

ta da!

When it comes to weaving, I always feel part magician.

"Ta da!  They're done!  And now for my next trick..."

 I love my new system that I came up with off the top of my head back in February.  I serge the edges and then sew them down.  I tuck in the corners so the serging doesn't unravel.

These towels are more awesome off the loom than they were on the loom!  I definitely like them all washed up and ready to use!  I'll be adding one to my personal set of towels, which is overflowing in the closet because of all my additions over the last few years!  I love taking one out and remembering the things that were going on in my life at that time that I "wove through" and worked out mentally.

I love weaving!!!


PS. Our parting shot today is a lovely bloom from a cactus at the local park.  Brian took this picture and it's really good!!

 

Just add water

I liked the towels during weaving, but I LOVE how they washed up!  All the little gaps closed, the orange color toned down some (not sure how & why, but it did!), and the texture is so soft!  These ended up being great!! 

 

I pointed out to my hubby the other day that they were actual swirls, but he didn't know it until he got really close to them and looked harder.

Can't wait to finish them up and gift them to the people I love!

Short shuttles

 Half way through I ended up changing to the smaller shuttles.  The large shuttles were just too big and clunky.  These ones made all the difference!  They are so graceful!  I love using them for narrower weaves, although they wouldn't work well for the blanket-sized weaves.  Thank-goodness for both!

 

I wove right up to the ends, but I realized that I didn't want to go past this point because it makes it hard to find the shed.  This is my new stopping point!

 I used the last little bit of space I had to weave with just one color.  I have a computer program that I could have done this with, but sometimes it's just fun to experiment in person!

  Up close, this section looks like a strawberry skin with seeds.

The 5 yard warp wove up relatively quickly!  Once I got into the groove, my shuttles were flying!  I love it when I get into my weaving groove, but unfortunately, it doesn't last forever because the warp eventually runs out!

 This fabric was done in no time at all!

These colors look great together for summer!  I can't wait until I can sit on the back porch sipping my pink lemonade watching the sunset, or even better: the 4th of July fireworks!!  Yay for summer!!!

The View

 

The view from all over looks good to me!  

I especially love seeing some green on that tree!

Come on summer, you can do this!

Swirls!

We have some swirls!!

Pink lemonade swirls!!!

Warp is measured!

5 yard warp that will be sett at 30 epi in a 15 dent reed.  

It looks so orangy right now!

Good thing I like orange!

(Actually, I like all colors!)

Pinterest and Pink Lemonade

Pinterest is a cool site.  Sometimes I gather much inspiration for this site, and I like to think that I also leave a lot of inspiration for other people.  My pins get re-pinned quite often, so I hope I am adding to the community that I take a lot from!  Some of my favorite pins are the recipes, and I've tried quite a few of them already!  I've tried a few cleaning tips, but they don't always work as magically as the pinterest picture promises!  

Through Pinterest, I have found some great weaving pictures, patterns, and references.  However, this is the first thing I am actually pulling from my Pinterest weaving reserve!  I saw this really neat 4-shaft spirals pattern, and I knew I was in!  It's way cool, eye-catching, and only 4-shafts!  (I've noticed lately I've stuck to 4-shafts, and I don't know why!  Maybe because they are so cool??)

 

I am thinking these swirls would look great in pink and yellow... almost like cool swirls of pink lemonade, ready to swirl you up and cool you down during the hot summer that is sure to hit us very soon!

Bread machine Madness!

I used to absolutely hate making bread from scratch, but I have always loved eating it!!  With my birthday money, I decided to get a bread machine and I love it!!!  I got the Panasonic SD-YD250 from amazon.com.  I chose this bread machine because it was rated #1 in the bread machines on amazon, and also after looking at all the comments about it, I decided it really was the best one.  So far, we have made several pizzas using the bread machine, dinner rolls, and many many loaves of bread!  It's so easy to use, and I love programming it so I can come home from work to nice, hot, fresh bread as soon as I walk in the door.  It's almost like the gift that keeps giving!  And I don't have to suffer through making the bread anymore!  :)

To make things even easier for myself, I pre-measure all my dry ingredients and put them into jars with labels of what to add.  This way, Brian can very easily start up the bread machine also without having to look for everything.

This jar method has been a great!

I love using 1/3 wheat and 2/3 white flour, but I might try a 50/50 loaf soon.  The all wheat loaves were just too heavy and made almost a brick of bread!

Here's the machine in action!

 

 I also like how quiet this model is and it doesn't slide/dance all around the counter when it mixes.

It's fun to get the soup going in the crock-pot and the bread into the bread machine and have the aroma of everything coming together around mealtime with so little effort spent on making it smell so good!

mmm!!!

Mrs. Woolton is ready to pAr-tAy!

She's done!!

I found some cute dark purple eyes for Woolma Woolton of Woolingham Manor... they are elegant and perfect for a little lady!  

 

I almost expect her to ask, "Tea, anyone?"  And then have the butler fetch us some tea and crumpets. 

Mostly, I love her whimsical look!

And I think the twill worked out real well for the effect of the exposed skin on the legs and muzzle. 

She stretched out nicely... the proportions seems much better this time around!  Good thing I did a practice sheep!

The tail could use some improvement, but I did my best.  I couldn't sew one and then turn it around because the fabric is so incredibly thick, so I just sewed two wrong sides together and cut off the edges.

She's perfect just the way she is!

  This little project sure has stretched me to my fullest, which I have enjoyed!  And I feel like I've  completed my goals nicely, too, which is also a very satisfying feeling.  Not only is it a pattern that I made up, but  the weave structure for the sheep skin is a new weaving technique for me.  Two double whammies!

And now, introducing the one and only Mrs. Woolma Woolton of Woolingham Manor

As she came together, her name just came together... meet Mrs. Woolma Woolton of Woolingham Manor.... don't you like the Woolingham Manor part?  It makes her sound really elegant, sophisticated, royal, and aristocratic! I can just imagine her in some beautiful castle in England in the late 1800s.

She's a bit deflated right now, but once I get all the batting into her body, she'll come even more to life!!  I can't wait to see!  I also need to add a tail and some eyes!