Venetian Harlequin
Length | slight over 61″
Width | 11″
Fringe | 13″ double knotted

It took a while for me to finish this piece because of distractions (family matters, other hobbies, etc) and brainstorming for the shop. Instead of the three days, I took over two weeks (me thinks)! I really ought to find a way to concentrate on my pieces instead of losing focus and switching to something else like dyeing.

Oh! I’ll say it now - I simple love how the colours flow over! Nil thinks that it’s very Scottish kilt-like even though Scot kilts are more reds and greens than purple, red and yellow. Do you see now why Lapis Lazuli is following a similar weave pattern?

Anyway, this will be up in the shop come September when I have more weaved up for sale then. I’m hoping to come up with at least three more colours for this series, so wish me lots of luck!!!!

…On a completely different note, ever since I got pregnant, these nasty pimples have never failed to show up. I do get an occasional one or two popping up when my period comes a-calling (ah, the perks of PMS) but this is getting crazy!

What’s worse is that they aren’t small but those huge under the crater type which are painful more than anything else. I don’t know if it’s because of my cream, the weather or just the fact that I’ve changed my facial routine a few times over the past few months.

So really, what’s the best acne treatment around? I’m desperate and well, while it isn’t really much of an issue, I still don’t like seeing them pop up, especially around the forehead and sides (where my hair covers and my specs sit - great!).

ARGH! This is so not nice.

Lapis Lazuli
Waft & Weft Yarn | Four Seasons Gründl Sunshine (variegated blue), Manor Home Carina in Dark Blue, Manor Home Jasmine in Royal Blue and Manor Home New Baby Uni in Sky Blue
Reed | 7.5 dpi
Ends | 96 ends

Following the steps of Venetian Harlequin, I decided to do a series of weaves that would showcase checkerboard-like patterns in a variety of colours. I’m modelling them after gemstones and as such, this one is aptly named Lapis Lazuli.

I’m not really a big fan of blue but I love how striking and bright this looks. Am definitely looking forward to seeing it off the loom in its full glory!

On a whim, I thought I’d do a round-up on my crafty WIPs (Work-In-Progress) and what-nots…

Knitting
Pablo Dark Spring and Boyfriend Socks are still on the darn DPNs. I didn’t get to do as much knitting as I would have liked during the vacation because I sprained my pinkie during a hiking trip the weekend before - lets just say that I’m glad my behind which has a bit of fat (and muscle) is really great as a cushion.

Then there are the shawls - I ought to block Rosier de Angelique which is more like a triangular scarf and continue on with an olive green version of Swallowtail.

Weaving
So far, it’s just Venetian Harlequin at work; that’s the beauty of having just one loom and two shuttles. You can’t really “cast on” any projects until you finish the one on the loom. Still, I’ve been stocking up for a series of weaves that I have in mind. I just hope I can keep up the pace!

Spinning
When the Paua shell spindle arrived, I thought I could resist starting a new batch of fibre. It would appear that I have underestimated myself. Now I have 75 gms of Lime Spring and at least over 3/4 of Harvest II to finish up spinning.

Do you think we’d ever get more than 24 hours in a day?

Venetian Harlequin
Warp & weft yarn | Lorna Laces in Irving Park, Bergere de France Barroise (20318), Bergere de France Barroise (20260), and Bergere de France Bergerama (21186)
Reed | 7.5 dpi
Ends | 96 ends

Inspired by a similar piece on Flickr and after digging around the stash to see if I could come up with anything nice, I decided to christen the next project after elaborately painted Venetian masks.

This is my first extremely colourful weave and so far, I’m liking how it turns out. I don’t have four shuttles, just two, so I’ll have to make do with snipping and winding for every 16 (1.25″) rows. Still, I like my progress so far.

I might try this with different colour combinations - blue is awfully tempting at this point but I have just two hands and a loom so patience is warranted.

In the meantime, it’s back to the weave, some movies and the usual cooking. On a completely different note, I wish the rental agency would remodel our kitchen. It’s getting a bit tad crowded and I’d prefer bigger kitchen sinks - yes, plural is intentional.

Vert est jeune
Length | slight over 66″
Width | 11.5″
Fringe | 9″ double knotted

This was another quick weave despite me putting down the loom for nearly 10 days due to the holidays. It was a first, experimenting with the thin creamy stripes and I’m glad it turned out quite well really.

Anyway, I opted again for the double knotted fringe - yes, I love double knots (but maybe it’s also because this is one of the few “pretty” ways of ending a scarf that I know of). I ought to look around for more ideas for finishing though.

The soft variegated colours of the cotton yarn gives this a very spring, lime, fresh feel and I enjoy the feel of the difference in the texture of both the cotton and acrylic-based yarn. Despite my initial thoughts about it, I was surprised by the overall weight - this proves to be heavier than the first scarf I weaved. Perhaps it’s the thickness and make of the yarn that changed everything.

While I was in France, I had the chance to browse through Grandmaman’s old tissage books. Published in the late 50s, it’s meant more for table looms but I loved looking at the patterns and came away, utterly mad over stripes, chevrons, diamonds and checkered patterns.

I have something in mind for the next few projects, which requires a little digging around the stash - yes, I’ll be putting those leftovers to good use! Yes, there just might be more to come!

Vert est jeune
Warp yarn | Schachenmayr nomotta Bravo Baby in 120 (Baby Vanille) & Maxima in 1614 (Light Cream)
Weft yarn | Schachenmayr nomotta Catania Color in 76 (Plantage) & Bravo Baby in 120 (Baby Vanille)
Reed | 7.5 dpi
Ends | 96 ends

Fresh on the loom now is Vert est jeune (Green is young) - a play of some sorts on the words “est” and “jeune”; mispronounce both and you get “et” (and) and “jaune” (yellow)… Okay, so it’s a pretty lame attempt at being funny/smart. Never mind that.

This time, I’m working with a slight striping pattern for the warp and will be planning on incorporating it into the weft as well. The fibres in use are not wool but acrylic and cotton, which gives the scarf a softer feel and slight sheen to its surface.

I’m hoping it’ll turn out just the way I imagine it to be.

In the mean time, it’s back to more weaving and figuring out some mortgage quotes online (it’s an assignment).

Crème aux fraises
Length | slight over 67″
Width | 12″
Fringe | 9″ double knotted

Honestly, I hadn’t anticipated that weaving was a fast thing. Now I see why heaps of weavers out there, even those with table looms and such, love this craft! Weaving this up was fun - the colours change subtly with every line and overtime, I became just fascinated with how the weave pattern flowed on.

Finishing this was a slightly different thing. I started this project with the most basic of instructions - the Ashford colourful booklet, which is fine for warping and all - but it doesn’t give me much idea as to how to finish a scarf apart from tying in knots. The Internet didn’t give me much either so I had to rely on whatever sewing skills I had when it came to hemming. I don’t know what the stitch was called but basically I “twisted” the yarn in with a darning yarn (which is actually the leftover weft yarn) and ended it with a double knot fringe, which I simple adore!!!!!!

Texture-wise, because this is pure wool (both weft and warp yarns are wool-based), it can feel a little coarse but that’s also because I have yet to wash and soften it. I reckon that after a washing & softening treatment, it’ll be soft, airy and light. Actually, right now it’s like that…just a little coarse, that’s all.

Now, don’t you just wish you had one?

Hm…just to side track a little, I wonder if there was a way to do closed captioning for this on TVs back at home?

The loom has been assembled, the warp all set and I have started to weave! HURRAH!

My only complaint is that I have a slightly too large reed for the yarns that I’m using (7.5 dpi or 30/10) resulting is a rather airy and light fabric. It’s still alright for now but I think I’ll have to get hold of a 10 dpi reed soon if I’m going to weave on primarily fingering-weight yarns. It isn’t all that easy though - after spending last night and a good part of this morning going through websites, catalogues (yes, even a furniture catalog or two), I was only down to three sellers, excluding the supplier we got the loom from here in Switzerland.

Anyway, project details are as follows…

Crème aux fraises
Warp yarn | TheSingingYarn sock yarn in Cherry Wood
Weft yarn | Handpaintedyarn.com wool lace in Freesia
Reed | 7.5 dpi
Ends | 102 ends

Right now, I only hope that I won’t take forever to finish this. Lets just say that I’ve got plans for this project…good plans. Oh, in case you’re wondering, that shawl is done but I’ve yet to block it. Am awaiting the arrival of some blocking mats…