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...