Twenty Twill Towels

By the end of 2014, my hand towel supply was down to next to nothing, so I've been inspired to weave lots of towels this winter and spring and have some fun.

This project used a 16-thread twill repeat that was initially threaded 8765 87654321 4321. I'd beamed the warp with two dark stripes, and when I got to them I thought - hey, why not use a different threading for a little variety? I still needed a 16-thread repeat and decided on 1234567876543218. This would give the towels an interesting look because the dark and light stripes would produce different twill patterns.

I began with a tie-up of 3-3-1-1

and switched to 3-2-1-2 about halfway through the warp, which gave a tighter weave structure overall.

Both look great though. I really had some fun with different colours and combinations, and what I thought would look pretty awful ended up looking not bad once off the loom, and even better when washed and pressed.

On to my next towel idea!

Blankets for Valentine's Day

Two special blankets are finished and traveling to Ottawa soon. Both are my "Hearts and Chocolate" designs for Valentine's Day. Here they are with the details:

SH108 | 100% wool | 178 cm x 127 cm (70" x 50") | Sold
Rich red and dark brown with a tweedy light brown between the stripes

SH109 | Wool with mohair, handspun mohair and handspun alpaca
190 cm x 132 cm ( 75" x 52") | Sold
Wide bands of hearts, chocolate and ... snow?

The first blanket was woven entirely with my favourite Shetland wool that I've been using for several years. The second blanket started with Shetland wool on the warp with about 50% in the weft. The rest of the weft has alternating mohair and handspun mohair (hearts), handspun alpaca (chocolate), and handspun alpaca (white). This is one deluxe blanket!

If you're interested in either blanket, please contact me or go directly to Alison at alison "at" cariboohandwoven "dot" ca. She can let you know when they arrive and are available for viewing in person.

Cotton Blanket in Happy Use

This big cotton blanket sold at the medieval market in November to a couple I know pretty well. They actually visited my booth three times when, after leaving, they'd get another idea of a gift they'd like to buy and back they came. By the third time, we were laughing about this.

"He" bought this for "her" for Christmas. First, a close-up of it on the loom while being woven:

And here it is finished and draped:

Recently, I gently enquired about how she liked her blanket since officially receiving it, and here's the quick reply:

I love my blanket.  It is my couch buddy.

Good to hear!

Wool Blankets Inspired by Nature

My 17th set of Shetland wool blankets is based on a warp of browns, greys and rich greens. I wove with more of those tones, as well as with beautiful autumn shades of oranges and gold. And one blanket is woven entirely with my handspun wool. This is one of the most exciting blanket projects I've ever done.

Here are the blankets I have for showing now. Some can be included in my next shipment to Ottawa in a few weeks; feel free to let me if you're in Ottawa and would like a particular one sent, and then for Alison to let you know when it arrives.

SH099 | 100% wool | 175 cm x 130 cm (69" x 51")
From the Deep Forest series | $250

SH101 | 100% wool | 173 cm x 130 cm (68" x 51") | Sold

SH102 | 100% wool | 180 cm x 130 cm (71" x 51") | From the Autumn Storm series | Sold

SH102 | From the Autumn Storm series - This blanket tells a story
from autumn colours through dark clouds to after the storm | Sold

SH104 | 100% wool with approximately 50% handspun |
180 cm x 135 cm (71" x 53") | From the Deep Forest series | Sold

SH105 | 100% wool | 196 cm x 130 cm (77" x 51")
From the Autumn Storm series | Sold

Cotton Blankets in Use

A local friend is a big fan of my cotton blankets. She was the successful bidder for the big green cotton blanket at the 2013 Artwalk, and both her daughters received Memories Blankets from me when they were born.  She gave me this awesome photograph from a few years ago in a vintage frame of her with her eldest daughter, wrapped in their blankets.  The photograph was made by Leslie Rowse Photography.

I love this - thank you!

Thank You

2014 was very good to Cariboo Handwoven and me, with record sales and a lot of interest in my work. I have many people to thank:

• Friends and others who were interested, caring and supportive, regardless of whether or not any sales were involved. Studio visitors were often very intrigued with my looms, my handmade blanket racks, and the big, bright space I'm fortunate to use. That all meant a lot to me. 

• All those who purchased a Cariboo Handwoven blanket, towel or scarf. 

• Blog readers who brought my page views up to 8,506 by the time I posted this blog at the end of the year.

• The Station House Gallery in Williams Lake, BC for hosting "To Drive the Cold Winter Away" in November, and Joan Beck as my enthusiastic artistic partner in the show.

• Pat, my husband, for making me three blanket racks and a new blanket tree, and teaching me how to better understand and use his first digital SLR camera for better photographs of my work. Pat is also very supportive and encouraging whenever I steer away from my favourite earthy browns and greys and use brighter colours. :-)

• And last but certainly not least: Alison, my sister in Ottawa, who has been instrumental in another successful year. Along with her cousin-in-law, Elsie, she has done a lot of one-on-one promotion, Facebook posts, lugging, displaying, standing, hosting, banking and more. 

I began 2014 with a good supply of blankets, towels and scarves, and then added to it during the year through new projects. I'm now down to some nice wool blankets, what's left of the latest set of hemmed cotton blankets, and a few bath towels but no hand towels. This is an important milestone for me, and it means that my work will be even more tailored to what is wanted on top of what I want to make.

I can't forget 2014. All the lovely feedback about how much you enjoy your blanket, or how great your towels look and how long they last, or how well a scarf was received as a gift - that's what really matters to me most. The business part all comes after that.

So whatever your part in my enjoyable and successful 2014 ... thank you. I'm wishing you a great 2015!

Blankets in New Homes

The festive season created a lovely flurry of orders and studio visitors through the last month or so. And now the feedback is coming in. Here are three reasons why I love to weave.

First, a buyer at the Medieval Market in November took home my 11th and latest Wenger blanket that includes about 50% handspun Romney wool from the Wenger Sheep Farm on Fox Mountain, just north of Williams Lake. The weave structure is narrow columns of tiny herringbones, and the blanket is thick and soft.

Here's what the blanket owner wrote to me:

... I wanted to check with you as to whether putting it up as a wall hanging is advisable. Would you recommend that and what would be the best way to do that?  I worry about stretching and definitely do not want to do anything damaging.  ... There is something so tactile about this blanket that speaks to me of everything that went into it. It is really quite meditative and grounding so I want to keep it in safe reach.

I have extra dowels for hanging and plan to give her one for this blanket.

#2, I made this cotton blanket for a special person in her favourite blues.

And she said:

I love wrapping up with it for a snooze or when I am feeling a chill :)

And third, a friend of a friend on Vancouver Island contacted me in November, and we had an enjoyable exchange of emails that led to her order of a Shetland wool blanket for her father-in-law.

The colours are earthy browns and greys with a distinct and complementary reddish-brown. It's kind of a masculine blanket and I was really pleased to hear this back from her:

We want to let you know that the woven blanket we gave as a gift was such a hit. My father-in-law said it was the best gift he could receive and I know he meant it! Thank you again for your superb handwork.

The business of Cariboo Handwoven is enjoyable and all that, but the feedback itself is the best. Thank you!