Inspired Color

Oftentimes, I find a new project is stalled by the process of color decisions. I'm sure you can relate, whether your creative medium is weaving or knitting or pottery or scrapbooking or home decorating or [insert your own].  There are so many color choices, where to start?

 

Let's Spin . . . Romney

I'm planning to weave an Autumn shawl from handspun, so my wheel is busy spinning the fibers for the project.  The yarn needs to be something that when woven will create a lightweight fabric that is airy, yet stable, and has a soft drape.  

 

I chose Romney wool to fit the above wish-list of yarn qualities for my shawl.  Read on and see what you think about my choice of this fiber.

 

Let's Weave . . . Telemarksteppe

I'm intrigued by Scandinavian woven textiles.  I like their bright colors, their motifs and patterns, the intricacies of their weaving with frequent color changes.

I also love the charming names of their weaving techniques - dukagång (an inlay technque), krokbragd (a bound weave pattern), halvdrall (a Swedish block weave), krabba (another inlay technique), and rya (a pile weave).

Shibori - Dye Resist Part 2

This is Part 2 of a two part series on Shibori dyeing.  

 

Shibori is a Japanese dyeing technique that creates dye-resists in the cloth by folding, pleating, and/or bunching the fabric. These folds are then bound with thread, clamps or rubber bands, preventing the dye from penetrating.   

 

In woven shibori, instead of rubber bands or clamps to create the resist, various stitching methods are applied.  

Shibori-Dye Resist

This is Part 1 of a 2 part series on dyeing fabric using Shibori techniques.

Shibori is a Japanese dyeing technique that creates dye-resists in the cloth by folding, pleating, and/or bunching the fabric. These folds are then bound with stitching, clamps or rubber bands, preventing the dye from penetrating.  Any fabric that is exposed and not compressed by the resist will be dyed while the resist area will remain white (or the color of the underlying cloth). 

Let's Spin . . . Lincoln

The next spin in the 'Let's Spin . . . ' series is Lincoln, sometimes called Lincoln Longwool.  The Longwool family includes many of the fiber world's favorite breeds. We have already met another of the longwools, Bluefaced Leicester.

Longwools are a category of sheep, which as the name implies, have a longer staple length, generally greater than 4 inches (10 cm).

Let's Weave . . . Waffle Weave

This is the next installment in the 'Let's Weave . . . ' series.  For a previous post see here.  Today's weave structure is waffle weave.   Waffle weave is made up of warp and weft floats of varying lengths arranged around a plain-weave center.  When the fabric is taken off the loom and washed, these floats contract and form a texture that looks like a waffle.  This weave structure is popular for towels, both because of its absorbency and appearance.  

Customizing My Spinning Wheel

My first and only spinning wheel is a Louet S-17.  As a novice spinner, the reason I chose this particular wheel was I wanted a quality, yet inexpensive basic wheel and the S-17 more than fit that criteria.  Yes, there are fancier and prettier wheels, but I love the simplicity of my S-17!  

Most spinning wheels have a lacquered finish, while some are intricately carved from beautiful oak and cherry woods.  Not my S-17, it's unfinished, laminated hardwood that has been sanded satiny smooth.  Now some might find this unattractive, but I see it as a pristine palette calling me to create something uniquely mine.  And so that is just what I did.

Let's Spin . . . Blue Faced Leicester

Blue Faced Leicester, or more commonly referred to as BFL, is a favorite fiber of handspinners, as well as knitters, crocheters, and other yarn lovers.  Because of its popularity, BFL fiber is fairly easy to find.  It's also one of the most readily available breed-specific commercial yarns.