Weaving Updates

During the summer months, I wasn't weaving quite as much. I did get a couple of rounds of towels woven up though. Here are the latest ones off the loom. 

I love how these turned out. The center stripe in each towel is a hand dyed yarn I did myself and it changes color along the length every 10 to 12 inches. These will be added to my etsy shop soon.

The next photo shows a new warp I'm winding for some future towels. I have wanted to try a random warp with many colors like this and now is the time. I am using up partially filled bobbins and yarn cones to wind this warp.

This next set of towels I wove earlier this summer. They were made as my entry in a towel exchange that I was participating in. We were to choose our yarn colors based on some photos that were posted in the group. Once the towels were done, I shipped four to the exchange coordinator. 

And below, are the towels I received in return. It was so much fun to participate in the exchange. I love seeing (and touching) what other weavers create. I will definitely consider joining another exchange in the future.

New In My Etsy Shop

I now have available in my Etsy shop, some of the handwoven items I've been making over the past few months. Towels and placemats are what I've added today and I hope to get a few other items in there soon.

Creating Away

Hello friends! It's been a while. I guess I was taking a bit of a blog break. While being absent here, I have been keeping very busy. 

If you regularly read my blog, you may remember that last fall I purchased a loom. That loom, a rigid heddle loom, awakened a new creative journey for me. Rigid heddle looms are a somewhat simpler loom. It didn't take me long to realize that I wanted to do more than that loom could offer. More in the way of patterning and consistency in woven fabrics. So when a "can't pass this up" opportunity happened my way, I bought another loom. One that would do what I wanted to do. 

I purchased the second loom, a Schacht Baby Wolf 4-shaft, in January from a local friend who had gotten herself a new loom. I've been weaving away ever since. Below are several of the projects I've woven since January. They are all towels with the last photo showing some placemats. I've been learning some new weave structures and tweaking my weaving techniques in order to learn how to create well made and error-free products. Many of the towels below are not hemmed yet as I'm waiting for my new labels to arrive so I can sew them in while I'm hemming.

I've also been doing some painting lately. Here are four of my recent ones. They still need a coat of varnish/sealer on them.

I do still make quilts. In case you were wondering. In fact, I'm ready to get started on one today. I've printed my pattern out and it's ready to tape together.

Kitchen Towels

Why yes! These are not scarves. Ha! I had to try something different on the loom. I used a 100% cotton yarn that was recommended for kitchen/tea towels. Both of these towels are from the same warping on the loom and I wove each one differently with color placement.

Things I learned from this first towel experience:  I need to weave them slightly longer so that they have adequate ends for hemming. Warping the loom for this project takes much longer than warping for a scarf. I love bold, bright colors!