We are eyeball deep in weaving! It hardly gets better than this! (Unless, of course, you bring me dessert while I’m weaving… that is always better…)
Growing the pattern!
For this table runner, I am slowly expanding the size of my blocks as I go! If I remember correctly, I started with (3) throws of the shuttle per block, and I just keep adding to them! It makes me immensely happy to create fabric that grows and changes – even if it’s subtle!
Yum…
Floating golden rectangles!
Part of what’s so exciting (or nerve-wracking) about this type of weave is estimating the shrinkage. What I’ve discovered is the fabric will shrink 17-22% lengthwise – which is a boatload! On the flip side, the width will barely budge. (Funny how that works out!) So, when I plan these types of projects, I add many, many inches to the length anticipating that once it goes through the washing machine, it’ll end up the correct size! (There are always prayers and offerings sent up to the laundry room gods as I drop it into the water!!!)
It’s a great, dense weave!
And because this will be used on a table, my philosophy is that you should be able to throw it into the washer and dryer. Therefore, I utilize washer-friendly fibers and always pre-shrink before handing it over to its owner! I don’t want there to be any surprises on their end!!! (The goal is always to have happy/thrilled/overjoyed clients, not confused/shocked/unsatisfied clients!!!)
It’s a 2-shuttle job!
Making progress!
Once upon a time, I met with a lady who was trying to sell her mother’s weaving supplies. Among her goodies was a box of yarn looking a lot like the carpet warp (sometimes called rug warp) that I use! This is a type of inexpensive cotton that comes in a million colors! So, I snatched it right up! Turns out, the yarn was made in Europe and they spin their version smaller that the yarn I buy here. Oh… goody!
So, now I have many tubes of the European cousin to my carpet warp and for the most part, I don’t like to mix them due to the inconsistent sizes. BUT, I found that they work perfectly in the rag shuttle for this runner! I need a nice, fat grouping and any/all cotton will fit the bill! So, I pulled a whole bunch into the shuttle together and there you go! Creative problem solving – yay!
Overhead view
Such earthy colors!
I’m so close! It’s a short runner and I’m right at the end! Next time, I wrap up the weaving portion and cut this little feller off the loom! It’s going to be great!!! Talk to you soon…
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Art, Dressing the Loom, Planning a Project, Weaving, Weaving Fabric, Yarn
