Category: Glimakra Emilia

Washcloths

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I started these washcloths thinking I'd make something like the Spa Washcloths that are posted on Weavezine, only I didn't like how they were turning out, so instead I turned to The Weaver's Idea Book by Jane Patrick and tried several different patterns using pickup sticks. On the left is the mock waffle weave  or double windowpane pattern, very easy and pleasing for towels. On the right is the 5/1 spot lace pattern, maybe my favorite.

I used an 8 dent heddle on my rigid heddle loom, but because my only 8 dent heddle is 10" and doesn't fit the Glimakra Emilia, I tied a dowel on it and just barely managed to make these four washcloths. They're all a slightly different length. I did sew a zig-zag stitch on each edge, but more finishing is needed.

Next time, I'll use a thinner cotton, warp 10" wide (instead of 8"), and plan the left and right borders a little bit better. I think I'll also hemstitch the ends while on the loom, then do a sewing hem over them and leave small fringes.

  1. Texture with Warp and Weft Floats (pg. 102)
  2. Weft Float 3/1 Lace (pg. 83)
  3. 5/1 Spot Lace (pg. 91) 
  4. Double Windowpane, Mock Waffle Weave (pg. 100)

 

  • image from www.flickr.com
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image from www.flickr.com

 

 

Log Cabin Strap

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  • image from www.flickr.com
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  • image from www.flickr.com
image from www.flickr.com

I wove a narrow sample of the log cabin pattern on my rigid heddle loom. It's long enough to become a strap for a bag or purse, or trim on something like a bag or a purse. Because I used two similar colors, green and blue, the pattern doesn't stand out clearly but I still like it. To do a log cabin pattern, you simply need to warp the colors in the correct order, followed by using the same pattern in the weft. For example, on this small strap I did BGBGBG and then GBGBGB (repeat). Again, the weft follows the same number and color, BGBGBG followed by GBGBGB. Easy! I'd love to do a wider project.

And then there's this sad Weave-It loom. Marked a dollar, I couldn't pass it up. I wondered if I should try to glue it but then decided that I already have three of the 4" squares, so for a dollar, it can be my spare peg loom in case I ever need parts.

An Awkward Scarf, or Why I Should Never Use This Yarn Again

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In my defense, it was extremely early in the morning when I decided to use up some of the four skeins of Lion Brand Homespun I had purchased a long time ago, probably thinking I'd knit an afghan or shawl. But have you ever used this stuff? It's not easy to knit at all. So, I wondered how it would look as a woven scarf. I warped my loom (again, very early in the morning), extending the warp. I can get exactly 87" of a warp from the back beam of my loom to the far wall, so I extended the warp to the end of my bookshelf, adding an additional 30". That's one smart thing I did. The other was I only warped every other slot/hole to change my 10 dent heddle into a 5 dent heddle. Yes, part of my brain was awake and thinking.

But after weaving a dozen rows, I was terribly unhappy with my scarf. It looks like a muppet, but in a bad way, because most muppets are cute, and this isn't cute. So, I spent at least an hour experimenting with different ways to add in some really pretty homespun (in this case, it's actually homespun) of a plum color with a touch of sparkle. I tried using pick-up sticks, which didn't work well with the spacing of the warp (too wide), and I tried Danish Medallions. I actually think these are pretty, but my silly wide warping is messing up the edges. 

I think I'll let it sit for awhile and come back to it. One idea is to just add in a single strand of the plum color for every three or four of the LB Homespun. My weaving motto: if you don't screw up, you're extremely boring.

Finished: Tangerine Scarf

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I hand washed it this morning and it didn't shrink one bit, so the edges are still a bit bumpy but oh well. There you have it, a bright orange mohair/merino/cotton scarf, washed, dried, ironed, triple fringe knotted, and waiting for cooler days. It was woven on my trusty Glimakra Emilia rigid heddle loom. It's a fun and cheerful scarf, although the pictures captured it in a quiet, rather somber mood.