Purple Columns and Peacock Feathers

Can I admit that I love weaving?

I suppose if you've been reading the blog for a little while, you may already know this, but I do love weaving. One of the aspects I enjoy the most is experiments. Last August I warped up a loom with brown rug warp set at 7.5 epi. The plan was to do tapestry work on it.

It didn't work out.

But, this past week, I finally finished the warp.

Cotton Warp; Wool Weft
The photograph above shows my first experiment with wool weft. I've used wool and cotton before, but it ended poorly due to a run through the washer. I wash my clothes on cold/cold; Mom does hot/cold. Wool doesn't mix well with hot water and soap. When I plan to felt something I usually enjoy the results. When I don't plan to felt something, it always winds up bad.

The pattern is two up two down repeated. The photograph below is the same warp with a different weft (teal in this case). The pattern is once again two up two down, but I alternate the pattern.

Cotton Warp; Wool Weft
You can see the pattern alternating in the photograph above whereas on the purple warp it goes up in columns. The end results would be quite different. As I said before, I wash my wool in cold water because it provides enough friction without felting it completely. This way, the pattern contracts, but it doesn't shrink. In fact, I only loss the one and a half inches I normally lose after a wash.

Purple weft; washed cold
 As you can see, the columns created a beautiful check pattern. The contrast between the purple and brown is pronounced, but pleasing. Below, is the teal weft with the alternating pattern. It's result is also striking. I feel the end result is reminiscent of fish scales or peacock feathers.

Teal weft; washed cold
The next project uses a purple cotton warp with a variegated wool weft. The overall combination is less distinct so it will provide a subtle variation once washed. With these two projects, the distinction will be noticeable regardless how the scarf is worn; with the newest project, it will be only noticeable when light passes through it.

Once the project is finished, I will post photos.




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