Thursday 18 January 2007

Weaving

I'm travelling this week and also seem to have a permanent headache. Clapotis is coming on steadily, just a few rows shy of the point at which I get drop my first stitch. The colour of the yarn is lighter when knitted up than I expected, so I'm not sure it's something I would wear, but I can probably find someone who would.
I bought an Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom 6 months ago, and I've been doing a little weaving every now and then. I like weaving: it eats yarn and I feel that less of it is Voodoo (you know, you're following a knitting pattern, it says 'put pointy stick through the loop in this way, do something complicated with the working yarn, say an incantation. Do this umpteen times and voilĂ ! suddenly you have a garment).
My main issue is warping. I warp on the loom, and it's not really that difficult, but it is backbreaking and requires a lot of thought. Plus, in this flat I don't have a weaving post... I have a cabiner attached to a door handle with some string. Not ideal.
I did manage two cushion covers both in Paris yarn from Texere. Unfortunately I don't like the feel very much, but they were interesting experiments. Dicontinuous weft, while slow, does produce interesting results.


blending

discontinuous weft


I am in the middle of a bag made out of Paton's Symphony yarn. I love the way this stuff works in weaving. It seemed the perfect yarn out of which to make a shoulder bag: comfortable, washable and casual.

symphony bag


I've done the bag body, now I just have to warp the loom for the strap. I've needed to do that for the last 4 months.

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