Yarn't You Glad...
  • Home
  • Projects
  • Tutorials
  • Things You May Like
  • Shop
  • Blog

Projects

These are finished objects from yours truly.  Some projects are designed by me, some projects are not, all projects are here to inspire.

Little Bag

6/2/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Bento-Inspired Bag
by Rachel Simmons (me)

Pattern Available for sale on Etsy: $5.00

PROJECT AT A GLANCE

Type of Project: Rigid Heddle
STRUCTURE Plain weave.

Equipment: Rigid-heddle loom, 18" weaving width; 12.5-dent heddle;
1 shuttle. (If you have at least 19" of weaving width, you could use a 12- dent heddle instead.)


YARNS Warp: Lanaknits 3-ply (100% hemp; 165 yd/1.75 oz; Lunatic Fringe Yarns), Sprout, 90 yd; Brick and Aubergine, 136 yd each; Weft: Lanaknits 3-ply, Pumpkin, 134 yd.
​SETTS Warp: 12.5 epi. Weft: 8 ppi.
DIMENSIONS Width in the heddle: 18".  Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 32 1/2" (includes a 2" section between bag fabric pieces). Finished size: (after wet-finishing) 2 pieces of fabric, 14 1/4" x 17" each. Finished bag size: 2 bags, 11 1/2" x 9 1/2" each. 
This pattern first appeared in the 2020 issue of Little Looms. I love this little project.  It was so quick to weave, unlike most other things I try to tackle.  I loathe to say something can be done in a weekend. I never get "weekend" projects done in the two-day allotment.  I will call this a weekend-ish project.  It is highly possible you could actually finish it in a weekend.  If you don't, that's cool, too.  I have three young kids, a mother-in-law, husband, plants and pets who all live under the same roof as me and my projects, I totally get needing more time. 
This was the first time I'd used a full hemp fiber in my weaving. I have spun hemp and woven with hemp/cotton blends, but this was different.  Hemp does not have the same elasticity as other fibers, so maintaining a consistent tension in the warp was tricky.  However, it is a small project, so even if you wind up with hooks and lego blocks hanging off the back of your loom, the finish line is not yards away.  I think it is totally worth it, too.  The hemp fibers are strong and have gotten so soft with use. Plus, it is a sustainable and usually eco-friendly fiber choice. 
Now that this pattern is for sale in my little Etsy shop, I'm excited to see other people's finished projects.  I hope people find the pattern to be a great recipe where they can either make the bag as written, or adjust it to be their own.  While it does require minimal cutting and sewing, the pattern is really straightforward and can be easily adjusted to accommodate different fibers, loom sizes, weaving structures, numbers of bags...
As for me, I am planning on weaving a few more of these functional cuties as soon as I finish the current occupant of my Cricket Loom.  I am excited to be making patterns more widely available and hope you can check them out.  Stay tuned, too, I have a few more originals in the works that should be popping up over the next few months. 
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Chenille Woven Scarf

11/19/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Chenille Scarf
Woven on 15" Schacht Cricket Rigid Heddle Loom
 10-dent reed
​
Cotton Clouds Weaving Kit $60
Shown in Red Maple
Available in different color kits

Structure: Plain weave
Pattern in two sizes- 10" and 7" width
(shown in 10" size)

This scarf occupied my Cricket rigid heddle loom for about two years.  I hate to admit that, but it is true.  I finally finished it as a birthday present for my mom exactly two birthdays after the one I intended.  It's wild how fast time can fly and how unforgiving weaving projects can be in reminding you of exactly how much time has swooshed past.  This was the first project I have ever woven using Chenille, and I really loved the results.  Chenille has a bad reputation for being a little fussy or difficult to weave, and while I did experience some tension issues, overall it was not a bad experience.
Picture
Picture
The colors were absolutely beautiful.  I did not purchase this kit.  In fact, my mom did but then decided against weaving the project.  She suggested I take the yarn so it would not go to waste, so of course I did.  The pattern, as written, was a little difficult to follow for a rigid heddle loom.  I ended up winging it, choosing to warp in a 1-2-1 scheme where every other dent was double stuffed in a 10-dent reed.  This may have been the intent of the original write-up, in which case...good. I think you may have good results, too, if you used an 8-dent reed and double stuffed every heddle.  I did not try this, though, but it was my understanding the goal was for 16 epi.

I do not have a close up picture of the fringe, which a really regret, but you can crimp chenille for a really special finish.  This is achieved by weaving a large section of waste yarn at the beginning and end of the fabric that is removed after wet finishing.
Picture
Picture
While the warp threads are multiple colors, with groupings of the variegated, solid orange and solid brown, the weft is all the solid brown chenille.  I love how the colors shift vertically and the extra interest is added with the occasional splash of variegated thread.  When the scarf first came off the loom, it was very stiff and felt a little bit like the interior of our family's 1992 minivan when I was a kid.  However, using special finishing techniques for the fiber made a HUGE difference.  I am posting those tips as a tutorial, it is well worth a peek if you plan on using chenille.

Bottom Line:  The pattern itself was not amazing, but the colors and materials were a lot of fun, making the kit a nice choice. The color shifts in the warp are dynamic and make for a beautiful finished project.  The project itself is easy to weave, as it has a plain weave structure and, once warped, is not fussy. Do consider reading up on the best ways to handle chenille on a loom if you have never used the material before.  
0 Comments

Rigid-Heddle Rug

10/8/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
"Forest Floor Mat"
Designed by Tammy Bast
(Pattern Available in "Easy Weaving with Little Looms 2020")
Structure: Pile Weave
Rigid Heddle Loom 32" weaving width
5-dent heddle
Yarns:
Warp- 8/4 Cotton Maurice Brassard in "Brun Chocolat," "Jeans," and "Brun Fonce"
Weft- Noro Kureyon AIR in "Laguna" and 8/4 Cotton in "Brun Chocolat"

Finished Size: 25" x 40"

This rug was an absolute joy to make.  It took a little bit of time, as each loop had to be pulled up by hand to create the texture of this wooly floor covering, but it was meditative.  The pattern itself was not complicated and it was easy to see the progression as the rug was crafted, so there was no need to stare at a pattern the entire time I worked.  I had made a minor error with the colors of the warp, which I adjusted by adding a couple more warp threads...which threw off the motif ever so slightly which meant I shifted the pattern just a hair to accommodate my lack of attention while warping.  However, all warping nonsense was completely my fault- the pattern is a good one.
Picture
Picture
Picture
The rug does shrink a little after it is finished, but not nearly as much as I thought it would.  However, the loops themselves crinkled up on themselves eliminating my fears that toes might catch on the rug.  The two images below show the rug prior to its bath; the loops are more upright.  While the finished rug still has "loops," they curl down to the floor.  I'm sure if someone really tried, they could get a toe stuck in there, but it would take some work.  
Picture
Picture
Also, this was the first time I'd used Noro yarn.  It was really beautiful and made for a very delightful texture in the final rug.  The colors were also so pretty.  As a variegated yarn, the color shifts in the rug are just the natural progression of the skein.  As noted in the pattern, attention should be paid to where your color starts and stops as you move from one skein to the next- it can be beneficial to wind a skein in an opposing direction if it leads to less abrupt shifts between skeins.  I noticed that the orange color shows a little more vibrantly in the photographs than in real life.  The yarn is a little expensive, clocking in at about $18 for 100 yds, but luckily it is a really bulky yarn so only three skeins are needed to complete the rug. 

Bottom Line: If you have a larger rigid heddle, this is such a great way to diversify your projects.  The fact that you can make a beautiful and functional rug is really wonderful and you are sure to get compliments with this texture and design.  Do be careful if you have smooth floors in your home- the finished rug is slippery on the underside! 
0 Comments

Ikat-Inspired Spinning/Weaving (Dyeing) Project

7/19/2020

2 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
The Spring 2020 issue of Spin Off Magazine is host to my spinning, dyeing, weaving project inspired by ikat-style techniques.  I know, that's a little bit of everything, right?  There is an article that discusses using avocados to dye four different types of fiber while using resists to create patterns in the threads.  This culminates in a weaving project planned with handspun yarn that is resist tied and dyed to create a pattern in the cloth.  It was SO MUCH FUN to do, but it was a lot of work.  I'm not entirely convinced the finished product reflects the efforts to get there, but I love it anyway.  It was a beautiful journey.

The scarf was the culmination of skills developed through the article, and I think the magazine did a very nice job of laying out the photos, organizing the pages and showing the cartoon of the ikat-style resists along with the pattern for the scarf.  It is really a lengthy process to get from fluff to finished ikat-inspired cloth; but when I reflect on the number of skilled hands and time that goes into true Ikat masterpieces, this project barely scratched the surface of what it is to be truly an Ikat textile.


Picture
I think my favorite part of this particular endeavor of mine was that there are so many different parts that might inspire others.  With both the article and the project, it could be avocado dye, spinning different types of fibers, resist dyeing, ikat-inspired projects, or just the finished project itself that sparks someones artistic journey.  I feel like it is such a lovely way to share an idea, or family of ideas, that a person can really make their own.  Some projects do not always lend themselves to this kind of creative flexibility.  Goodness, this journey has inspired my own creative bug in a million different directions.

I hope you are able to access the article/project and enjoy all the pages have to offer.  I am proud of this work.  It pushed me as a fiber artist to really learn more of the many layers that go into a finished project and really more of myself as I deepened my relationship with fiber craft. 

Picture
Picture
Picture
2 Comments

Lace Poncho

7/9/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Boy does this little poncho have a story!  Do you ever have one of those projects that just kind of goes wrong start to finish?  Well, that was this project. And it's not even this poor poncho's fault (which was actually supposed to be a wrap).  I was so excited to be part of the 40th anniversary issue of Handwoven, it didn't even matter that things were a little upside-down.  I do wish the project had turned out how I envisioned, but all things considered I think it turned out quite well.

I should have known I was headed for trouble when I had three project deadlines, a three month old baby, and two toddlers who were taking turns being all kinds of sick.  We had pink eye, we had ear infections, we had flu, we had tummy bugs, we had strep throat...it was not a great season for wellness.  Then, yarn support was forgotten.  I was told it was coming and then crickets.  As the days turned to weeks, I got very nervous.  This was my first time creating something for Handwoven and I was not sure how long I should give things to "work themselves out."  After about a month, I emailed and found out my yarn support had been accidentally forgotten! Oops.  So now I only had a month to complete the project, three sick children, and Christmas two weeks away.  Yikes!  Go big or go home, though, even in the weaving world.  

When the yarn finally arrived I was sleep deprived and sick myself.  I was navigating what it means to have three children and a husband with all different wants and needs and trying to find time for my own ambitions in between. It was...stressful.  And then the yarn was supper sticky!  Argh!  Luckily, I was given the  amazing tip of holding my beater back while changing the shed, that helped a lot!
Picture
Picture
Feeling quite proud of myself, I was creating a lovely Huck lace Brooks bouquet combo inspired by curtains.  Once I got the hang of the yarn and stopped kicking myself for picking something so persnickety when I had absolutely no time for mess ups, things sailed fairly smoothly.  Sneaking in between Christmas festivities, cookies and waiting until the baby was sleeping, progress was being made!  A true Christmas miracle!  But then...disaster struck!!! Somehow I had mis-measured my warp.  That has NEVER happened to me before.  I usually do the math, measure, remeasure, do the math again.  Of course this was the project, though.  My warp was about ten inches too short!  It messed up the whole symmetry of the wrap I was trying to create.  There was no going back, either, and trying to adjust the symmetry.  That is difficult to do with cooperative thread, but it is near impossible with sticky thread.  I cried.  Not gonna lie.  I was hanging by a proverbial thread.
Picture
Picture
After I was done crying, I tried to figure out what to do next.  Change the pattern, right?  That was the only logical thing.  So, instead of making a large wrap, I'd made a small poncho that did not require the same symmetry.  Presto change-o, the project was saved!  Granted, it wasn't what I really wanted, but like I said, the end result was still quite pleasing. 
Picture
If you are interested in making your own version of this woven lace poncho, or perhaps creating the intended wrap version of this project, the pattern is available in the most recent issue of Handwoven; the 40th Anniversary September/October 2019 issue.
0 Comments

Diamonds and Rust

6/22/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
So, here is another one!  I knew I'd been hard at work doing something this past year.  Now that all the publications are finally hitting the press, it feels really good to have something to show.  It makes sense that that fiber art publications are not an instant thing, but sometimes the wait is hard!  This particular weaving project was for the curated Loom Theory collection for rigid heddle looms.  I was honored to be invited to design for this e-book publication and delighted to use Lunatic Fringe Yarn.  Specifically, I used their American Maid yarns, which are natural cottons in their surprising natural colors.  (Who knew cotton grew in green?)

At first, I was a little apprehensive about the yarn choice.  Not because I don't LOVE Lunatic Fringe Yarns, but because I usually use them for things like dish towels.  That just goes to show, I was only limited by my own bias and lack of imagination because the yarn was a delight and even packed a little surprise- the colors darken after a bath with baking soda!
The scarf itself was a combination of plain weave clasped weft and overshot.  The clasped weft was between the dark green and dark brown cotton colors, as you can see in both the picture of the warp threads and the weaving.  I did not want such a stark straight line of color down the side of the scarf, so I tried keeping the blend of clasped weft organic, never passing more than an inch on either side of the color change in the warp, but allowing the clasped weft to fall in different places as the scarf progressed.  Perhaps a straight color line would have been better?  I like the back and forth play, but I can see peoples' tastes leaning for a cleaner line, too.
Picture
Picture
Picture
The overshot was throughout the solid green portion of the scarf, creating subtle diamonds in the scarf body.  The scarf was finished with a twisted fringe (which looked AMAZING with the American Maid cotton). 
Picture
Picture
If you are interested in the pattern for this scarf, is is available in the Loom Theory scarf collection for rigid heddle looms linked earlier in this post.  The ebook clocks in at $12.99, which is not bad considering the number of quality patterns it contains.  There are a total of seven different scarf patterns.  And even if this scarf does not strike your fancy, if you enjoy rigid heddle weaving, you should check out this book.  Every scarf in the collection is designed with a specific, curated yarn by a different artist and the end result is a beautiful and diverse collection of both aesthetics and skills.  I think there actually might be something in there for every type of rigid heddle weaver.  I'm going to try my hand at Tammy Bast's "Rambling Rosepath." I had no idea you could do that on a rigid heddle loom!  
0 Comments

Sand and Sea Wrap

6/8/2019

2 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
This rigid heddle project was featured in the most recent issue (2019) of Little Looms.  I am very honored to grace the pages of such an awesome publication for weavers of the smaller loom world.  Without giving away too many details of the pattern, which gets legally murky at this point because I do not think it technically belongs to me anymore, I thought I'd share some of the making adventure with you.  And a big thank you to the model, photographer, tech editor, editor, and Interweave for bringing this project to life in their magazine.
This project was woven on an Ashford, 32" rigid heddle using two 12.5-dent reeds to create a fine gauge cloth.  I used the wonderful Vale yarn from Brooklyn Tweed...I love Brooklyn Tweed. Vale is their lace weight yarn.  
The wrap itself features a lovely Spanish lace, which adds the slightest texture to either end.  You have to be dedicated to hand-manipulated techniques to tackle Spanish lace in lace weight yarn.  It takes a long time.  Also, while I absolutely love Brooklyn Tweed, they create yarns with the knitter in mind, not the weaver.  Vale is lovely, but it is sticky and stretchy.  Sticky and stretchy are not your friends when you are weaving.  Particularly when you are weaving persnickety little lace waves with over 400 ends to contend with.  Perhaps a different yarn choice would have been wise, but, as I've mentioned, I just love Brooklyn Tweed.  In fact, I think the yarn of this piece deserves its own photo.  Here it is. 
Picture
Picture
Such nice yarn.  How could I say no?  I couldn't.
I was nine months pregnant when I started this project and my baby was born the day the project and pattern were due.  Ha! But I saw that one coming, so I got it done a little early.  You can see my rather sizable belly intruding on the loom in one of the photos below.  However, even with my let's-get-ahead-of-this-baby-being-born planning, it was a definite crunch to get finished.  Not only was there the delicate lacework, but I also did a twisted fringe.  I really like the look of a twisted fringe, I think it keeps the wrap looking very clean and neat, even after a few uses.  I guess it has a more formal looking finish to me that is not inherently fragile.  The down side to a twisted fringe is that it, too, takes a while to complete.  And I did little bundles.  Why did I do little bundles?  I thought I was going to lose my mind by the end of it.
Picture
Picture
At the end of the day, though, I was really very pleased with how this project turned out.  And while it was not the first project to hit the presses, it was the first project I had submitted that was accepted to a major publication.  It will always have a special place in my heart because of that.  I still feel like a sloppy amateur trying to keep up with great fiber artists, but this project got me one step closer to believing that one day I will be able to count myself among the inspiring in the fiber world.  I really hope people like the wrap and that perhaps someone out there is crazy enough to create their own version of my vision.  That would be the greatest honor of all. 
Picture
2 Comments

Traveler's Secret Pocket Cowl

5/18/2019

3 Comments

 
Picture
I am super excited to say I have a project in Spin Off Magazine.  I have been working on a number of projects that I cannot share until they have been published, and this is the first of the batch.  It feels so nice to be able to share it with you now.  

This particular project is in the Summer 2019 issue of the magazine, focused on "Wonderlust," or rather, the spinner as a traveler.
I'm still experiencing a little of an imposter syndrome.  It feels unreal that I would have a project that is published in a magazine.  I always flip through my fiber related magazines and think how much better all the artists on the pages are than me.  But now I realize that there is likely no better or worse, there is just inspiration.  I am always inspired by the work of others, and hopefully now I can inspire some fiber artists out in the world, as well.  It is simultaneously a humbling and SUPER COOL.  I am honored to be part of a global fiber community.
Picture
And just for fun, I thought I would share with you some of the work that went in to the pattern that found its way into Spin Off. This project started with fluff.  I spun three different yarns to create, what I hoped to be a tweedy look for the cowl.  It was fun, I used three different preps of fiber, as well.  There was a beautiful art batt with a mix of fiber from Purple Lamb, there was combed top, and there was roving. The color palette was warm, with a lot of orange. To give it a little punch, I used some blue. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
This project was designed for a rigid heddle.  It is a plain weave, so it is very friendly for even the most novice weaver.  I like using rigid heddle looms with my handspun yarn, it is much more forgiving.  There is less tension and the the plastic reed is less abrasive.  
Picture
I used my Ashford, 32" loom, but I certainly did not need so much room.  To be honest, I just really like that loom.  I find the reed size is really nice, it gives me a really even beat.  My 15" loom is more practical in size for a lot of my projects, but for some reason, with that loom, I always have one hand that wants to pull the reed more than the other one.  Using two hands to pull my reed always feels a little more natural to me, but I have to switch to a one hand pull when I use my smaller loom to remedy my own fault of unevenness.  
Picture
I really liked the look and feel of then final cloth.  It was fun to create the cowl, which has its own secret pocket to stash cash when traveling.  I hope, if you have a chance, you can take a look at the project in Spin Off.  Maybe even create your own Traveler's Cowl.  I would love to hear your thoughts or see your own projects!  
3 Comments

Receiving Blankets

9/9/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
I am currently 38 weeks pregnant and feeling...well, 38 weeks pregnant.  I am really excited I got these receiving blankets finished, though!  They were my own design- and by "design" I mean the were more or less an experiment in waffle weave on my rigid heddle loom.  I used a 60/40 cotton/hemp blend in 8/2.  Turns out 8/2 is pretty darn fine, so I held it double and used my 12-dent reed on my 32" Ashford for 24 epi (sort of) but warped as a 12 epi project.  This was all good and well except I had to measure out 400 ends for this warp! I don't know about you, but I usually do not think of rigid heddle projects as having 400 warp ends.  Obviously they can and do.  
Picture
Picture
I also held the weft double to keep everything matchy matchy.  This created 12 picks per inch as I wove.  I'm glad I held the weft double, I really like the way the burp cloths feel, they washed very well with a lot of texture and are very soft.  Hemp is supposed to get even softer with use, so I think these are going to be really baby friendly.  I cloth diaper, as well, and know a lot of the cloth diaper inserts also use hemp for its long, comfy ware and its natural antibacterial properties.  But enough about hemp, let's talk about the patterns that emerged.    
Picture
Picture
Picture
I had sampled on my 15" Cricket before I started these blankets.  Even though I did not have a strict pattern in mind, 400 ends are a lot of ends that I did not want to waste.  I discovered there was about a 15-20% shrinkage in all finished fabrics of both my single waffle weave and my double waffle weave.  This was to be expected, though, with take-up and the fiber choice.  I wove a two-inch header that was hemmed under when the towels were finished. 

My first blanket incorporated a 2x2 waffle weave framing a 1x2 waffle weave to create a square within a square.  (When I say "2x2" I mean I used my pick up stick to pick up every other 2 warp threads in the down shaft position and then two repeats of the waffle weave sequence.  For a 1x2, I picked up every other warp thread in the down shed and did two repeats of the waffle weave sequence.)  The 1x2 waffle weave really stands out more than I expected with this monochromatic palette.  This is the blanket shown on the far left.  Then, I tried a larger waffle and did a 3x3.  I really like how it puffed and crinkled for a ton of texture when it was washed, but I feel as though the warp and weft floats are just shy of being too long.  I think the more the cloth is washed, the less this will be an issue, but it wasn't my favorite result for something where baby fingers could get snagged.  Bottom line, I liked the look but maybe the 3x3 wasn't practical for this particular purpose.  (With a little color play, it could make a really nice spa cloth or pillow.) The last burp cloth was a combination of plain weave and a 1x1 waffle.  I really liked how this turned out, too.  The only hiccup with this pattern is that there is significantly more draw-in with the waffle weave than the plain weave, which is to be expected.  But this leads to some undulation along the side of the cloth that looks a little less clean than I typically like.  However, if you keep the stripes small (mine were four inches), the flux along the side is minimized and I do not think it detracted too much from the finished product.   
Picture
Summary: This was a really fun exploration in waffle weave and I love the resulting cloth it made.  To think, with one pick-up stick you can make such varied textures!  It also is not a time-consuming technique but makes a cloth that looks a lot more complicated than what people expect from a rigid heddle.  My biggest tips for creating a waffle weave is to make sure to consider the different draw-in a waffle weave can create and also to be mindful of how long a float can get, since waffle weave is nothing more than combining warp and weft floats in a pretty pattern.  Also, speaking of floats, keep in mind that a weft float on the front is a warp float on the back of your cloth.  Don't forget to consider the back, which can be full of surprises when you pull your project from the loom!
0 Comments

Weft Floats Blanket

4/29/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Weft Float Baby Blanket

Woven on 32" Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom
approx. 28" in 7.5-dent reed
35" woven fabric (not measuring fringe)

Warp:
Yarn Bee Soft Secret in Ivory
Caron Simply Soft in Autumn Maize

Weft:
Caron Simply Soft in Autumn Maize

I apologize for not have exact yarn amounts for you...I raided my mom's leftover yarn stash and used a few partially finished skeins. (There were bits of yarn everywhere in her stash.)  I think two skeins of each would be sufficient to get you through a stroller blanket like this, though.  This project was started on a whim while I was visiting my parents and I am afraid I did not take the best notes.
The blanket was woven using weft floats (which look like warp floats on the reverse of the fabric).  Weft floats are when your weft thread passes over top of more than one of the warp threads at one time.  As a general rule regarding floats, if you are creating something that is worn or handled a lot (like a towel or blanket) it is a good idea to keep your floats to something like an inch in size or smaller.  Larger floats can get caught on things and can quickly become an annoyance if a fabric is handled frequently.  I created a fabric with two stacked weft floats combined in an offset, all over pattern.  I really like the affect it had on the fabric, these little oval shapes were created from the draw-in that I found to be very pleasing.  The weft floats themselves were created using two pick-up sticks in the back of the loom to create faux shafts on the rigid heddle.  (I actually used one pick-up stick and loops on a stick to create a string heddle as my second set of pick-ups. This was just so I did not have to keep removing a stick when weaving.  It is a cool trick that I will do a tutorial on soon.) 

It is a little hard to see, but there are subtle, thick, vertical striped in the blanket created by alternating between the ivory and maize colors in the warp.  I used only the maize color for the weft.  You can see these colors in the fringe of the blanket.  It was purposeful that it would only be a subtle striping in the blanket itself, as the colors themselves were very close in hue.  The photographs below show the blanket before it was finished with washing and a close up of the final texture after finishing.  
Picture
Picture
This is a stroller blanket, measuring 25x40" (with the fringe).  It was woven in acrylic, so there was really no shrinkage after washing, though there was a 10% draw-in from the weaving.  I have two, well, maybe three comments about the yarn choice.  First, as mentioned above, I raided my mom's yarn stash and was grateful for whatever yarn she was willing to part with.  I feel I got lucky, these colors turned out great together and I am very pleased with the look and feel of the blanket.  That leads me to the second comment about the yarn.  I do not generally use acrylic yarn for my projects.  However, for baby blankets I know will get a lot of use and abuse, acrylic is a great choice.  It washes and dries well, it is easy to clean, and it is very strong. I do not like the feel of some acrylic yarns, they are sometimes stiff and almost plastic feeling, but these two yarns my mom had were very soft.  Very soft.  And it was great, after I washed and dried this blanket...they were even softer.  That leads me to my last comment about the yarn.  Acrylic yarns do not "bloom" when you finish them, but these yarns did feel even softer after I washed them.  The blanket also seemed to fill in a little, mostly because the yarn was allowed to relax and re-distribute itself after I took it off the loom and put it through the wash.  (And I literally threw it in the wash with a bunch of other clothes and dried it on medium heat in the dryer.  Like I said, I show acrylic yarns no mercy.)  
Picture
And this project was all woven with another, more precious project in mind.  I've been working on this one for about four months, and while I have a little ways left to go, I am more excited about this one than anything else I have on loom or needles.  
0 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Crochet
    Embroidery
    Knitting
    Sewing
    Spinning
    Weaving

    Archives

    October 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Projects
  • Tutorials
  • Things You May Like
  • Shop
  • Blog