Weaving the Sea

I was thinking of making a scarf that was weft focused. I had read about the difference between warp and weft focused weaves in a weaving book. I knew that in order to achieve the look I would need my warp threads to be smaller then my weft.

Late last year I inherited a butt load of size 10 crochet cotton in various colors. I had been using them for tatting lace, but realized that I would never get through all that thread in one lifetime. I decided that this thread would be used as my warp.

The color inspiration came from a simple stroll through my local Jo-Ann's. They have a line of yarn called, Buttercream Rainbow Boucle. This yarn is super soft. I used it to knit a couple of shawls awhile back and just one ball of yarn makes a generous shawl. The blue and teal colorway caught my eye. I had been weaving in pinks and purples lately, so I figured this was a good color break. I instantly thought about water and the sea when I saw the yarn.

Dressing the loom with the thin thread was actually easier then I thought it would be. I didn't have any issues with tangles or tension. I have noticed that I am winding too much yarn on my shuttle. The yarn is so thin and soft that I forget about the bulk that boucle adds.

The color changes in the yarn keep the work interesting. I was afraid at first that the amount of green in the yarn would create more of a mossy effect, but that blue and teal has enough pop to keep the scarf from looking too dull.

I hope to have this scarf finished by the end of the week. I have a few other projects that I am trying to wrap up. My hope is to have my knitting and quilting obligations done by March so that I will be able to focus full time on weaving.

And So It Begins...

Well, this is something I never thought would happen. A change has happened in my focus as of late. 2015 was the year that I rediscovered quilting. I have enjoyed my stay in the quilting community and just as I started to think the quilting world was my home, I found myself called into another direction.

Changing crafting directions comes naturally for me. I'm use to it now. Read far back enough in my blog and you will see that I have been a knitter, jewelry designer and lace maker among other things. But this new direction has completely caught me off guard.

A few years back I purchased a rigid heddle loom on Craftsy.com. I don't know why. I never had any interest in weaving before. My mom had just died and I just felt like I wanted to make something. But I didn't. I ordered the loom and there it sat, never opened. For three years it just sat.

Rigid Heddle Loom

This past December I finally opened the box. No actual reason for it. It was there and so I opened it. A couple of Youtube videos later I had the loom put together and the warp dressed. It was a slow process weaving. I had no desire for it. I did a few rows here and there, but nothing to write home about. Actually it felt a bit boring, and I seriously questioned the mental state I was in when I ordered the thing.

First woven scarf fresh off the loom

Then, near the end of December something happened. I was moving the loom out the way to get to some other project when I decided to do a couple of rows. This time something in my brain seemed to shift. Before I knew it I had finished a scarf. That same day I tied off the scarf and dressed the loom for another scarf. Over the course of the next two weeks I would make six more scarves. With each scarf I would shake my head in pure amazement. Weaving was the last thing I ever wanted to do and now I couldn't get enough of it.

Full view of woven scarf

Throughout my crafting life, I have always chosen my next crafting adventure. But this time was different. This time the craft choose me. I'm not sure where this weaving adventure will take me. But for now I walk cautiously into this new territory of fiber arts and making sure to document my journey along the way.