I finally got some pictures of things I've woven (there's more, but I haven't caught them with the camera yet), so I decided to set up a separate page for them.
I've tried to clean up this page a bit, to keep loading time down. I've also tried to sort finished objects by *what* they are, not just when I finished them.
First up, dishtowels. There's just something special about handwoven dishtowels - they are more absorbent than commercial ones, they match my kitchen much better, and, hey - they're fun to weave!
Dishtowels, v.1.0. They turned out great, I love the hand...but I forgot to weave in the shrinkage amount I had calculated. I wove them to 18", which is where I wanted them.....after washing and drying, they ended up at 15". They're still useful, but not quite as big as I wanted. Dishtowels v.1.2 will be woven to 20".
I took the towels up to work to get a better picture - I knew that divider would come in handy some day!
Intrepid viewers will note that there are only 7 towels pictured. Number 8 is in my washer - it got used. Number 9 has disappeared....I have *no* idea what happened to it!
I learned a lot with this warp - 10/2 cotton does OK at 20 epi, but would probably do better at 24 or 28; you have to weave the towels longer to take account of shrinkage (DOH!); 20 epi is not *that* fine; floating selvedages are very useful. My serger finally agreed to work, which made separating the towels a snap, and sped up the hemming process. Sewing thread is a wonderful idea for hems.
I also learned that I really need matching placemats and napkins, and I need dishtowels et al that match my color scheme, and I really, really, really need a handwoven curtain in my studio.
Dishtowels, v.1.2. 10/2 cotton at 24epi, threaded to a twill sampler. I only have 2 towels displayed - otherwise I'd be here all day coding, and I don't feel like it. I did toss all of them (10) on a chair for your viewing pleasure:
You can see a closeup of the patterns on the County Fair page.
Dishtowels v.2.0. 8/2 cotton at 20epi, threaded from a Handwoven Magazine pattern (from their Treasury). What I learned from this warp: 1/2 pound of yarn is not enough to wind 4 towels, even when you make them narrower and shorter. Always buy more yarn than you think you need. Huck is a fun texture - I've ordered more yarn and will be weaving up more of these soon as it gets here.
I really like this pattern, and am working up a similar warp now - I'd like to sell some and make enough money to buy more 10/2 cotton!
Dishtowels v.2007. 8/2 cotton at 20epi, threaded to a couple of huck variations. I ran a 10 yard warp; most of the towels were given away as prezzies, and the only one I got a picture of is this one (the 2007 Fair entry):
Next up, scarves. They are very quick projects, and can be woven on the smaller table looms - less waste! They're small enough that I don't get bored with the warp before I'm finished.
This scarf is woven out of the Shetland on the yarn pages. My author friend has a trilogy, based on the book of Genesis, set in Scotland in the late 18th century. One of the heroines is named Rose - this pattern is Rambling Rose, so it fits. The finished scarf has a wonderful hand, and is so squishy and snuggly! Hope she likes it!
This scarf was my entry in the 2006 Kaufman County Fair - it did rather well! I donated it to a friend's sorority auction.
This scarf was a gift for our church's handyman. He made me some wonderful spinning equipment, and I thought he deserved something handspun for it (plus the cash. I'm not a total cheapskate!) The pattern is Pebble Weave, from 'A Handweaver's Pattern Book':
Shawls....ahhh, shawls. Not as fast as scarves, but lots of fun. The wider width and longer length mean I can play more with color effects and/or patterns.
Here is the first shawl I ever wove. The warp was "fast food for the loom" that I picked up from the now defunct Woolenworks - I love the whole concept of premeasured warps! The weft was the same as one of the yarns in the warp:
Here is the 2007 shawl. The warp was handspun Border Leicester/Falkland Island wool,the weft was handspun tussah silk/kid mohair:
