Tuesday, June 22, 2010

My first rigid heddle weaving project.

I mentioned a while ago that I was taking Weaving 1 at The Yarn Tree. It was 10 weeks of how to set up and weave on a rigid heddle loom. The store owner and weaving teacher, Linda LaBelle, uses the Kromski Harp for her classes. She loans you the loom so you don't have to purchase anything. I already had a loom because last year I had acquired a used 24" Kromski Harp Loom from Craig's List. It sat around under a pile of yarn and fiber until this year, April 2010. I finally took the plunge and signed up for the 10 week class. I can tell you that I do not regret it.

We made a sampler using acrylic yarn. She taught us weaving patterns and techniques for 4 weeks. It was a lot of fun just to practice and not worry about the finished product. After the 4 weeks, we began our final project. For the final project, it was going to be a scarf. After learning that I spin, she suggested I used my own handspun yarn.

This beautiful roving is Pigeonroof Studios Extra Fine Merino. I think it took me over 6 months to finish it. But only because I wasn't actively working on it. When I knew that I was going to be using it for my final project, I sat down and cranked it out. It was totally worth it because the finished yarn was amazingly soft and springy. And I adore that deep red color.I ended up with 2 skeins of a different gauge yarn. Totally my fault since I let too much time lapse in between working on it. I started spinning it thicker when I decided to finish spinning it because I couldn't remember how fine I was spinning it. The earlier spinning was very fine. Luckily for me, my teacher said that gauge didn't really matter with weaving and I could still use both.
She had everyone use the same yarn for the weft. It's called Tussah Fleck and it's a beautiful natural color silk. It's great to work with because it's super strong. There was no worries about it breaking. It's also amazing that all the students used the same warp, but we all ended up with different scarves. She let us bring in any yarn we wanted for the weft. The Tussah Fleck is neutral enough to go with any color. I plan on using it for future projects when I get a chance.Look at the final scarf! I love it so much. After a soak in Eucalan Wash, it bloomed beautifully.I used a combination of techniques I learned on this scarf: Leno, Warp Face, Weft Face, and added Weft Protector (aka hem stitch) for some texture. For the fringe, it’s a twisted fringe.We were encouraged to not follow a pattern. Just do what we wanted at any point of the scarf. For me, that was hard. Though I did the best that I could to free myself up from being rigid. The great thing about the yarn is that it did a lot of the work for me. I chain plied (aka navajo-plied) it so the colors would stripe like that. I love it!

It took me a week to complete this scarf. Which was 3 weeks earlier than I was suppose to . Um yeah, I think the other students wanted to throw their shuttle sticks at me when I came into class with a finished scarf. So what's a girl to do? I started and finished 2 more scarves before the last class! The last class was about fringe techniques.

I will be starting Weaving 2 this weekend and I am very excited about it. The whole 10 weeks will be dedicated to working through the book, Textures and Patterns for the Rigid Heddle Loom by Betty Davenport, from the first page to the last. There will not be a final project for this class because it's technique based. But I can only imagine the the textures and patterns I will be able to apply to my weaving when the class is done.

Stayed tune for my other woven scarves and other fun things I have planned. There will be 2 book reviews and giveaways coming up soon.

21 comments:

knithound brooklyn said...

Your choice of fiber/yarn is perfect. I simply love that scarf - I can only dream that my final project is as nice!

Jennie said...

So pretty, love the colour =)

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

Oiyi, that is a beautiful scarf! You are just learning how to do so many wonderful things and doing well at each and every one! Congratulations.

Micki said...

Stunning scarf! I've been thinking about getting a Harp, and now I want one even more.

LaBean said...

The scarf is gorgeous!! I'm glad you're enjoying the weaving process. It's the one yarn craft I won't try only because I just don't have the room. Can't wait to see what you do at the end of level 2!

hetty said...

What a beautiful scarf! I just love the yarn you used. Can't wait to see what Weaving 2 will have you making. You are one talented girl!

Natalie said...

WHOA! That's stunning!!! I'm so glad you're enjoying your RH loom!!

Anonymous said...

Wow! It's goergeous. And that colour... wow.

LittleCanoe said...

Oh my god. So so so beautiful. I love it! You did an incredible job.

Spritely Stephanie said...

absolutely beautiful. And now I think I want to learn how to weave!

kim said...

That is gorgeous--the color and the scarf! I would love to get into weaving now. And how could you not finish that early? I'd be so happy with the progress and it's still fun and new, so I'd speed through it, too.

Can't wait to see more.

Anonymous said...

You do such beautiful work! I was checking out your blog and saw the stitch markers you made - the whisk and the bird's nest. They are so cute! Do you sell them on Etsy or anywhere else?
-Sarah-

joyce said...

That's beautiful. I love it!

Yarny Days said...

That is gorgeous! My favorite red!

Rebekah said...

This is amazing! You are so talented and it looks like you learned so much in your class! I wish we had such a talented teacher in our area so I could learn a thing or two about weaving :)

Loretta said...

Very Impressive!!! From spinning to weaving -- a beautiful scarf.

Jeanne said...

That really is a gorgeous scarf - and I've seen your other ones on Ravelry and they are all amazing! I really wish a store near me would offer this class...

craftivore said...

ZOMG, the spinning, the weaving!! You did that fiber justice for sure, it's beautiful.

Sam said...

Gorgeous! I love that colour.

Hannah said...

Your yarns are always so incredible... Makes me wish I could take up spinning, too!

T. L. Howl said...

This is so gorgeous, I've been trying to avoid picking up weaving until my budget's all cleared up, but this is making it hard!