Woven Notebook Cover

Woven Notebook Cover
by Rachel Simmons (Me)

Available in Ply Magazine, Prep Issue, Winter 2020

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This was a fun project and would be a neat way to get in to a spin-to-weave project for someone nervous to take the plunge.  It does not require you to spin a ton of any one fiber, you could really play around with the colors, and the end result is a cool cover for your project notebook!  I spun this on my Ladybug using Neighborhood Fiber Co wool/silk blend.  The warp and weft were 2-ply and there is an accent color that I chain-plied.  The cloth was woven on a Ashford rigid heddle in a honeycomb weave using two pick-up sticks. I have all of these details for you in the Ply Magazine Prep Issue, so I won't bog down this post with them.

I was really happy with the end results.  As with all of my creations, though, there are things I would change.  I think I would have liked a little more twist in my yarn.  Also, I loved the colors as I was spinning, but I don't love them as much in the way that I wove them.  If I did this project again, I might swap the warp and weft colors or even do the accent color as the main attraction. I'm not really sure, but I would change something.  However, I really love the pattern.  I love how it fits the book and I love having a woven cover on my notebook.  I think it is a solid recipe for future projects, especially because it is quick to spin and weave.  

It is always such an honor to contribute to publications such as Ply Magazine.  They are publications I really respect and turn to as references in my crafting life.  Being able to be part of something I value so much is a little unreal.  I definitely feel a little like an imposter, like I'm not nearly as good as the other fiber artists that grace the pages of these magazine.  But you know what, I love submitting and trying and creating anyway!  Maybe one day I'll feel more like I belong or like I really stuck the landing; but really that's the beautiful thing about crafting, it's all about the journey.  (And now I can chronicle more of my making journey in a notebook with a cool cover! Haha!)

I hope this little project inspire someone out there.  That is really the best part about reaching a wider audience.  I love my sources of inspiration out in the world, wouldn't it be super cool to be someone else's?