Saturday, August 23, 2014

More Swedish Lace

As with other lace weaves (like huck), you will need to remember that what you see on the loom under tension is not what you get when you have taken it off the loom and wet finished it. So keep that in mind as I play with these Swedish Lace blocks.

This towel I plan on weaving the lace pattern on just one edge. The rest will be plain weave.









The threading for this project is from the Jan/Feb 2006 issue of Handwoven by one of my favorite weavers: Vicki Tardy! 

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Rooster and A Red Chicken

My title is just a trick to get you to wonder just what I am doing......The last Swedish Lace towel was in honor of those with roosters as the theme in their kitchens. But it is such a small towel that I thought I would weave the same design but make this one solid red. Then give them as a pair. Like a rooster and his red lady friend.



Or keep them as a pair. I have a very important rule that I always follow: if there is a mistake found in the weaving after it is off the loom, that item is mine! The only exception is when a family member wants it and doesn't care there is an error. So we will wait until stuff is off the loom and out of the washer and dryer to see!




Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Swedish Lace and Roosters

How about weaving on this red Swedish Lace warp with some yellow. I think that some tea towels in red and yellow would look really great in those of you who have roosters as your kitchen theme. You know who you are, you have chickens or roosters on your curtains. Your plates are either red or yellow. You found rooster salt and pepper shakers you sit on the table, but because you are on a salt free diet, they are empty....... Red and Yellow- gonna be fun.



 
I am alternating two different blocks. This is showing off the warp wise and weft wise floats this weave structure is noted for. 

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Red-White-Blue Swedish Lace

More of the Swedish Lace warp........ I am having fun thinking up some different looks for this red warp. Why not use some blue and white and get all 4th of July-ish!

So far I have a solid red towel, and green-red towel, and now a red-white-blue towel. I like this latest combination. It will have a solid red hem, then the white and blue alternated.

I may try another towel using different blocks with these same colors. I usually start thinking about the next combination before I get finished with the one I am working on. I hope that is normal........

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Red and White Swedish Lace?

For my next trick... how about some white on red. This time I think I will alternate two different blocks four times each the whole length of the towel. (I am still allowing for a plain weave hem.) This should go pretty quick. That is if I can get to the loom. Some times it is just to far down the road to reach. ;)

Again, you can find this draft and all kinds of interesting facts in the Jan/Feb 2006 Handwoven. This was a really great article by one of my favorite weavers, Vicki Tardy. Check it out. Or you can go to Cotton Clouds and they have a kit! I am just a fan of Cotton Clouds, so you are on your own there.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

A Little Red and Green

OK, I have a Swedish Lace tea-cup towels that is red on red. How about green on red? I think so too! After all, Christmas is just around the corner. Well, if you are old like me, then the months just fly by.

The hem is plain weave, then a few rows of one pattern.

Now I will weave the center 25 inches the same block.

This is what it will look like on the back side. Or maybe the front side.... green weft wise, red warp wise!

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Red Warp

Glad I picked red to work with. It seems to have brought me out of my lackadaisical zone. (yes, I had to look that word up..... who knew it was such a silly word?)

reed

heddles

raddle

combing out

tensioned and ready to go!!!!!!!!!!!!
 Now I am ready to throw the shuttle. This is Swedish Lace by Vicki Tardy from a Handwoven Jan/Feb 2006. I met her at a Midwest Weavers Conference and her style of teaching reaches my brain cells. She has also done some exciting work with creative overshot too!

Still messing around with doctors and waiting rooms, so my weaving will still be 'hit or miss', so I thank you in advance for checking out my blog.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Back In The Saddle?

Trying to get back to my looms. Knowing my brain is still fuzzy, I thought I had better try to start out slow and so I looked for one of my favorite weavers, Vicki Tardy, to see what some of the drafts she had published in Handwoven might be. I found in the Jan-Feb 2006 an article on Swedish Lace where Vicki has you thinking about learning while weaving towels. And to top that off, I was able to find a kit at Cotton Clouds for the same such draft. So far, so good. Not too much thinking, but I did have to pick white or a color. I picked RED hoping to energize my dull brain cells. So far, I have wound the warp and have started putting it on the loom.