And here is the final unveiling…

It’s crazy how quickly I can finish a narrow table runner, versus weaving an entire bolt of fabric! Night and day! Thus, we are coming to the end of the project – already!

Usually, when I’m weaving fabric for handbags, I don’t have to worry about the beginning and the end of the project. But, for this table runner, I have plans to twist the yarn into fringe at each end. So, I have planned extra inches of yarn for that very thing!

I have laid in a little toilet paper to keep the yarns from shifting, and then forwarded the project until I have enough “fringe inches”. After that, I still have a bit left. So, I’m weaving a little sample in an effort not to waste anything! As you can tell, the entire process is pretty labor intensive. So, I typically attempt to use nearly every inch of yarn on the loom! And all samples can later be transformed into something fun!

I’m at the end! I can see the knots at the back of the loom and the yarns no longer separate enough to squeeze the shuttle through. Thus, it’s time to cut it free!

I like to start in the middle when cutting off a project. I seriously doubt the table runner would completely fall apart if I started slicing yarns from one end. But, I’d rather not risk it… (You know how baseball players have all these crazy superstitions? I’m not that bad. But, on the other hand, I’ll wear the lucky socks if I think it’ll help!)

Once it’s off the loom, I need to tuck in any loose yarns. In many cases, I can tuck them in as I’m weaving! But, there are a few at the very end that you just can’t get around. At least, I haven’t figured out how yet! Never say never, right?

Next up, twisting some fringe! I love the look of twisted fringe! And now that I have a lovely twister-thingy, it’s much easier and faster! It’s a little tool with (4) individual fingers that each contain a pincher. You place the chunks of yarn in the pinchers that will then rotate in the direction you want! It’s a little more complicated than that, but you just need to know that it’s magic! Worth every penny!

After the yarns are tucked in and the fringe is twisted, I’ll send the runner through the washing machine and dryer. I like to pull my projects out before they are completely dry – my theory is that I can avoid a few wrinkles that way. But with a project this dense, you don’t have to worry about that too much anyway! Then, throw a label on it and it’s ready for the big time!

It’s so fun to see the finished product! All the yarns fluff up and create these fabulously vibrant shapes and rows of color! Yum!!! Hopefully, it will be a perfect addition to my client’s living room!

Next on the docket will be another bolt of fabric for handbags. But, I think I’m going to mix things up a bit this time. We might get wild and crazy over here! (Keep in mind as you ponder the phrase “wild and crazy”, it’s a weaver talking…) I’ll chat with you soon…