Hello! I hope everyone is healthy and safe as we move through the pandemic and come to terms with the results of systemic racism in our country. Remember the old Chinese curse May you live in interesting times? I certainly think that applies to 2020. Stay safe people, wear your masks and think about how your actions and assumptions affect other people. We need to come together and work this all out.

I recently launched a fine art website, LindaFarrellyArt.com. Since that site has a blog page, all further fine art blog posts will be posted on LindaFarrellyArt.com/blog. I have copied all the fine art posts to the new site and will continue to use Blogger to post about weaving, spinning, knitting, etc. So, if you are interested in fine art check out the new page. If you subscribe to my site, you well see new art before anyone else does.

8 shaft huck curtain fabric

On to weaving! The 10 weeks I was on furlough were weaving heaven! I have all four looms in almost-continuous use, warping a new project as soon as the finished warp is cut off. I finished 6 yards of 8 shaft huck lace curtain fabric. I still need to sew the curtains, but I am very happy with how the fabric turned out. There are a few errors, but not as many as I figured there might be.

4 shaft goose eye twill scarves

On the 4 shaft Dorset, I am currently weaving two scarves in goose eye twill. The warp is multicolored rayon slub and the weft is Jaegerspun Zephyr. The first scarf I used the color Curry, and the second one I am using Copper. Since the rayon is so slippery, I have worked hard no to beat in too hard. It's a bit uneven so far, but we will see how it washes up.

Rigid heddle scarf in progress

The most productive loom lately has been the rigid heddle. I am still working through my sock yarn stash weaving Series 1 scarves. The loom is so small and light it often follows me out onto the porch, so it gets more attention than the others. It is naked right now, but that will change this weekend. Here's one of the recent scarves from the rigid heddle using Sockotta (sadly discontinued) and a bit of olive green (mystery sock yarn) for the warp and a doubled strand of Silk City extra fine wool for the weft. I love how the colors shift in the Sockotta!

My goal for this blog is to post every Friday. Enjoy, and we'll see you next week!

Series One Scarves 1-8

Series 1 Scarves 1-8

Since January 2019, I have been exploring the design possibilities of my rigid heddle loom. Sounds hifalutin, I know.  But really, it’s simple. Here are the rules. I have a 10” wide rigid heddle loom and a bunch of sock yarn, both full skeins and smaller amounts. Each sock yarn is wound into a 3-yard warp. However many ends I get, that’s it. Some warps have only 5 or 10 ends, others can have more than 100. I can combine different yarns to make a wider scarf, but I must use all the ends. The weft yarn, however, can be anything.

Each warp or combination of warps presents a unique design problem. How to arrange the warp threads? Random? Gradated? Striped? I do enjoy doing the math, figuring out a pattern that fits the number and type of warps. Once the loom is set up, I get to play with weft threads. 3 yards is longer than I need to weave a scarf, so there is plenty of room to experiment. A heavy yarn, maybe? A solid or a pattern? Maybe a fine yarn. And what color? Shall I use a color from the warp, or maybe try a contrasting color? Light or dark? The only way to know for sure is to weave a few inches. Once I find the right weft, I weave to the end, cut it off the loom, wash it, and see what I’ve got.

It’s fascinating to see how the fibers, colors, patterns, and textures interact. Each scarf challenges me and adds to my knowledge and informs the next scarf, gives me ideas for what to try next. As exciting as it is to see the finished project, what I truly love is the process of discovery that brings each scarf into being.

Warp 1.1

 Although I love the colors and the feel of the finished cloth, there were tension problems in the warp. Did not have a long enough mistake-free length to make a scarf, but I will use the good sections for something.

Scarf 1.2

This one was a success! I love how the sky colors came together, very simple and quiet. There was just the right amount of variation in color and tone. And using a strang of KidSilk Haze paired with a very fine wool for the weft made it feather-light and buttery-soft.

Scarf 1.3

I enjoyed this one very much. Using a variegated yarn in warp stripes and a solid color between them made for a bright and lovely combination of early fall colors. Available at lafarrelly.etsy.com.

Scarf 1.4

For this one, I wanted to see what a gradation between a variegated and a solid yarn. I love the effect! Definitely a spring scarf, with flower colors blending into green. Available at lafarrelly.etsy.com

Scarf 1.5

I had 2 colors I really wanted to use together. Smaller stripes worked well, gave it a classic look and showed off the colors without becoming loud. 

Scarf 1.6

Using the narrow stripe idea again, the variegated yarn is the background, undulating just under the surface. This one reminds me of sunflowers! Available at lafarrelly.etsy.com.

Scarf 1.7

A turquoise yarn with black and white flecks serves as a backdrop for narrow variegated stripes in blues and grays.

Scarf 1.8

Pairing a navy solid with a variegated blue, brown, and ivory yarn, the shifting stripes make for a jazzy scarf with colors that go with anything. I did not realize until now that I never got a picture of the finished scarf. 

The next 3 scarves are off the loom, waiting to be wet-finished and hemmed. That's on my list for this week, so it should not be too long before they hit Etsy and the blog.