Honey, I Just Adore Honeycomb!

Any weave that has hidden surprises for you has to be worth trying. There are so many out there to try but when I first layed eyes on the honeycomb pattern I knew that I would fall in love with it and want to weave it over and over again. Its a type of double weave which doesn't actually take shape until you cut it off of the loom. You have to wait for the surprise ALL the way through the scarf until that final moment when you cut it free and VOILA! You have an amazing three dimensional weave that feels wonderful and looks fantastic!

Because honeycomb is a double weave, the only thing connecting the two layers is the main honeycomb wool. This yarn needs to be a lot thicker than the warp and main weft yarns; that is, if you wish to have a more dramatic honeycomb effect. You can use any yarn you wish for the honeycomb effect but the thicker they yarn, the deeper the cells will be when the weave is cut from the loom. As seen in the photo on the right, the honeycomb yarn is much thicker than the other two (it is the multi-coloured pink wool shown at edge/salvage). With honeycomb, you also get a completely different pattern on the opposite face of the weave. It does not show the cells at all but the basic weave which forms the base of the textile. If you had a loom with a high number of shafts (maybe 8+) I am sure you would be able to weave a double honeycomb, connecting the two scarves together with the same honeycomb yarn or, with one of the other weft yarns. I am only proposing this theory though, I do not know if it would actually work. I am trying to go through the possibility in my head...It seems plausible but I am not sure which yarn would be the connecting yarn (whether weft or honeycomb). I'm sure it would make for one hell of a scarf though!! Extremely thick and textured!!

Colour schemes are fun to play with using honeycomb as well. My favourite project was a bright green honeycomb with thick pink wool. The main warp was a sort of lime green, very bright and wonderful. For the weft I used a dark forest green which contrasted beautifully with the lighter, lime green. The honeycomb wool was the same as the pink scarf shown on the right above; very thick and spun using a variety of pinks and analogous colours. I sold that scarf at a craft fair in Altrincham, Manchester November of this year. It was a Christmas present for the purchaser's sister. I hope she was pleased. It would be wonderful to spot it somewhere in the public! I wonder if I will ever see it again...

An Ode to Log Cabin

One of the best examples of a simple weave with fantastic results!!! Log cabin is one of the most basic weaves with the gift to look fairly complex. It can be a dramatic pattern when given contrasting colours while also able to be quite delicate and subdued with monochromatic or analogous colours (like red/orange or blue/green).

The set up is so basic and so fast that it is tempting to make every scarf a log cabin! It is completely straightforward and only varying from a basic weave by the fact that you are working with two alternating colours at once! The stripes run vertically (in the warp) and horizontally (in the weft) in single lines (pin-striped) which is what keeps it crisp and clean. You can make the actual squares varying sizes (depending on how many lines across and vertically you make them), which I have experimented with quite a bit (examples in photo directly below).

There are also log cabin variations, which can alter the visual effects quite a lot. The basics of the weave are kept the same (pin stripes of colour vertically and horizontally, with basic threading) but you can vary the treadling. Take for example the Log cabin twill....instead of squares of stripes you get stripes of zigzags. You can also vary it by treadling basket weave as well. If you want to see, visually, what I am talking about, check out this link to All Fibre Arts!

http://www.allfiberarts.com/library/bldraft/bllogcabin.htm I think my next project might be a log cabin twill! Any suggestions for colour? I have some AMAZING merino wools in bright red and deep purple. I reckon that will look quite swell indeed! hmmm.....Kind of makes me want to start on it right now!

The ONLY problem I have come across with log cabin is making mistakes. One little mistake stands out like a catastrophe! Well, maybe not that bad...One missed thread can really project itself in the weave, which can make for an angry weaver if not spotted! If you would like to take a look at some excellent weaving drafts you should visit

http://www.handweaving.net/DraftsHome.aspx Handweaving.net is one of my FAVOURITE weaving websites. It is a weaving goldmine. You can keep a collection of your favourite drafts to refer back to whenever you like as well. They call it your "clipboard" and if you sign up (which I think only entails giving a name and password) you can keep a saved collection of your chosen drafts. How great is that? I have quite a dynamite collection right now.

Well I hope this has been inspiring and somewhat informative. Please leave links to your log cabin projects in my comments box and I will gladly add them to this post!!! Thanks for reading!

The Houndstooth Twill

NEWEST PROJECT...STILL ON THE LOOM!

I've seen this pattern everywhere in the last few months. It seems to be a popular weave for fashionable jackets this season. The most dramatic colour scheme being black on white, which usually dispays the pattern best on most weaves. I chose to work with some beautiful yarns I just recently purchased at my suppliers. Silver grey cotton with a local English, washable wool. The wool is a fantastic, soft, and durable wool that compliments the silver fabulously.

The weave is kept quite loose which gives the scarf a really cozy feel. Once finished it will be perfect for the end of winter/beginning of spring when it's still cold out, but bearable. This photo to the right really displays the pattern nicely. The silver grey cotton really give the scarf a nice shimmer. Almost a soft glow. It was difficult to obtain the right compression at first. I was compressing it too much which altered the pattern quite a bit. Instead of aquiring a balanced checkered look, I was getting a basic twill stripe (for each row of colour). I couldn't understand what I had done wrong. The set up was correct, the treadling was correct...what had I done? Right.....tension and compression. If you are interested at all in purchasing this scarf, please contact me at my etsy shop. There is a link at the top of the page. I will set up a purchase for you and reserve it for you! I am also open to commissions if there is a different colour scheme you desire. I always need more projects!!!!

Thanks so much for having a look! I will be posting some more of my previous projects next. Maybe one dedicated to Log Cabin. Oh how I love the Log Cabin weave!!!! Come back soon!!

Owl be with You in a Moment...

Owls have a certain enchanting and magical quality to them. They have been used in tales and legends throughout time, connecting a mysterious ora around them. I personally have been fascinated with them for years but have not expressed this fascination until recently. Today I finished my 10th owl portrait. Part of a series I have been working on for little under a year. They are painted on canvas using acrylic paints, capturing a unique personality in various owl species.

This post is not about my paintings though; I may dabble into that realm latter on. This post is about my various card projects, some of which include curious woven owls. The project came to me while still embedded in the owl zone (having just finished nine owl paintings). I wanted to expand my field of projects and decided that handmade cards are always a nice added touch. I never knew how exciting and masterful the projects could become! Stitching on paper has to be one of the best sense stimulators. My lovely boyfriend bought me an amazing sewing machine last Christmas which has proved itself most worthy of the task. It has a selection of 30 odd stitches including my all time favourite vine stitch. As I was stitching a basic woven square onto the card, the corners of the square started to shift upward. It instantly reminded me of owl ears. As I had a box of buttons beside me, I dappled with idea of adding them for eyes. Who knew how many possibilities that one action would muster. They have been my bestselling cards and my most charming...

A Simple Task

I call it a simple task because this was the quickest weave I have ever done! White on black basic weave with no tassles...ie: no hassles as well! I think it turned out quite lovely in fact. Stitching the ends on my sewing machine guarenteed no loose threads. I had a wonderful time letting my mind wander while I whisked away through the project. There's no strenuous, heavy concentration needed when a very basic weave applies which allows your mind to relax and enjoy the ride...

I was given this commission by a workmate who had previously purchased a scarf off of me. She really loves the dramatic contrast of black and white (as her other scarf was the same colour scheme). I am glad that she was so pleased with it!

Swapping One Lovely Handmade Good for Another...

I will begin the blog entries with the newest and most exciting projects.
This is a scarf I made for the wonderful and lovely Mariee Sioux. She is an amazing singer/songwriter from California who I happened to come across on myspace. Mesmerized by voice and acoustics, I had to somehow claim a copy of her album Faces in the Rocks. I wrote to Mariee and asked if we could revert back to the days of old and possibly swap craft for craft. She willingly obliged and sent me her album. This was the project that manifested through her fantastic music. The pattern is stripes of broken twill juxtaposed with stripes of basket weave. I hand embroidered (a first attempt) a feather into the scarf for an added unique characteristic to the scarf. She still has not received it but when she does I will make sure to post a photo of her wearing it!! hehehe. If you would like to take a sneak peek at her music visit http://www.myspace.com/marieesioux She will be greatly appreciative of any newcomers :) Don't you love when people are as trusting and audacious as you. It makes wonderful things happen. This landed my scarves in yet another country, now embedding themselves in England, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Australia, Canada, and now the United States. Its wonderful to see your craft being sent to other sides of the world. Whether or not I get there myself is another story!

Welcome!

Something new and exciting...

Thank you for stopping by to read my blog. I will try to make this as up to date and interesting as possible. The first few may be a bit labourious but let me get into it first :) I want to make sure that everything I do (craftwise) is published on this blog so that curious passersby will want to become keen inquirers of the craft.

Weaving is an amazing and exhilarating craft that has been lost through years of constant technological upgrading. It is the craft of our great ancestors and the creators of the textile industry we have come to alter and electrify daily.

Back to the basics...........................enjoy.