Brown and Black Scarves

I've finished six scarves and one has already sold.  The lengthwise threads are fine cotton, and I wove with more cotton or silk - details are provided below with each scarf. All scarves are quite wide, and long enough to wrap twice around the wearer's neck with ends draped down in front.

I really liked this weave structure and had fun playing around with it. It's kind of dynamic ... but it's time to move onto something else, which I've already begun ...

Here are the scarves:

S016 | Cotton and very fine silk | 161 x 24 cm (63.5 x 9.5") | $120

S017 | Cotton | 163 x 26 cm (64" x 10 1/4") | $90

S017 Detail

S018 | Silk and cotton | Sold

S019 | Cotton | 165 x 25 cm (65 x 10") | $90

S019 Detail

S020 | Cotton | 169 x 26 cm (66 x 10 1/4") | $90

S020 Detail

S021 | Cotton | 178 x 26 cm (70 x 10 1/4") | $90

April Showers Bring ...

... more studio time!

Any promise of spring is welcome, and we've had some beautiful days lately. But when a light rain begins at dawn and the outlook is a damp and gloomy day, more studio time is the solution.

I've been weaving some interesting scarves this week in response to a friend's request for one or two in black and brown. The warp is black, brown and ivory 2/16 cotton set at 32 threads/inch, which is slightly thicker than sewing thread but not by much. Some of the scarves I wove with more of this cotton, or a range of silks I have on hand both in natural tones and dyed. Here are some samples on the loom. I know they look on the raw side here, but they will transform into nicer cloth when washed and pressed, and make soft, nicely draping scarves that are long enough to wrap around the wearer's neck a few times.

I wish readers a great long weekend!

New Towels, 15 New Towels

I'm galloping through towel projects lately and had some particular fun using an idea in a book and running with it. It took me four days from warping last Sunday through to weaving 15 towels by late Wednesday, with all hemming done a day later. The offset vertical stripes make me think of musical syncopation with voices or instruments.

Expect to see more of this design in upcoming scarves and blankets - if I don't think of something even better!

A Winter of Spinning

The good results of a long, dark winter are a line of skeins of handspun wool hanging up to dry.

These skeins of dark grey wool spun up really nicely; the red skein at the end is actually mohair which I'll use sparingly in a special blanket.

The handspun yarns that I use in my handwoven blankets are plied, meaning that they consist of two fibres twisted into a stable yarn. This obviously requires more than twice the time than a single ply. It also means that any of my work using handspun yarns has many hours invested.

Most spinners agree that spinning is meditative and calming (when it's going well) and part of a day well spent. In my case, spinning is often part of an evening well spent.

This handspun wool will work well again in some new blankets.

Note: Photo carefully composed to avoid any remaining snow. :-)

Twenty-Two Towels

This towel project was more interesting and fulfilling than I expected. The twill weave structure, and different colours I used, gave me some very nice effects. Here are some samples:

As usual, these towels are 100% cotton and machine hemmed. (I wash them after hemming to test that the hemming will hold up.)  They measure about 58 cm (23") wide and 65-70 cm (25.5-28") long. They can be machine washed and dried, and they last for ages - I've heard as long as 15 years - while looking great in the process. From what I've heard, many are used instead as table centrepieces. :)

Each towel is priced at $30, excluding relevant taxes. Email me if you're interested in any colour combinations and I can send you photos.