Friday 2 April 2010

FRIDAY 2ND APRIL 2010

Well, its been a very wet and windy start to Good Friday here in Berrow but at long last the rain has stopped and the sun has come out.  We are off to our local riding stables for their annual easter egg hunt.  I have a grown up daughter who is a riding instructor there so we usually take part.  I have packed spare clothes for the younger girls as after an hour of rummaging in the mud and wet fields they will probably need hosing down before returning home.

I have just finished the tencel and mohair wrap that was on the louet loom and I will be adding pictures later.  It has been fulled and is waiting now to be photographed and put into my etsy shop - Purely Inspired.  Pictures below.


The tencel and mohair wrap on my eight shaft louet loom.  The warp is hand dyed tencel from Yarnstopia on etsy and the weft is some mohair yarn that I have had in my stash for a long time however it was bought without labels so I cant identify the mohair content or the producer.



This view shows the colour and weave pattern more closely, the draft or pattern is a twill variation, and is threaded over four shafts.



This is a close up of the pattern of the wrap showing the twill points, it almost gives a 3D effect.

I am very excited as I have just ordered a Glimakra Julia loom from Fibrecrafts.  They are very helpful there by the way, if anyone is interested in weaving and wants to have a chat about it as I know from experience it can be rather daunting when you start off.  Susan Litton who works there is a very knowledgable weaver and has been so helpful to me.  If you are able to travel to their shop then you will be able to try out the looms and wheels before you make a purchase.  Google maps do a very good set of directions.

Anyhow back to the Julia loom, its a floor loom but only measures about 28 inches wide, the weaving width is 26 and a half inches.  It can be purchased as either a counterbalance loom (two corresponding shafts have to be raised at the same time) or countermarche which means that only one shaft has to be raised at a time, although in practise multiple shafts are normally lifted. You start with two shafts, it comes with those as standard and then add on kits are available to purchase with an extra two shafts, floor pedals or treadles and the lamms and the tie up cords included.  You can according to Glimakra put up to eight shafts and treadles on the countermarche style loom and up to six shafts and treadles on the counterbalance style loom.  Have a look at the Glimakra website to see pictures.

Whilst on the subject of suppliers, Wingham wool work are very helpful regarding advice and their fibres are lovely.  I recently purchased a Kromski Minstrel spinning wheel and got a £25 voucher for fibre and purchased 600g of their dyed merino and silk blend.  300g of Jade colours and 300g of Purples.  The Jades are being spun at the moment and two hanks have been knitted up into another scarflette using a pattern by Evelyn Clarke from Fiber Trends.  That too will be in the etsy shop soon.

Well, whatever you are doing this holiday weekend, I hope you have a good one and apparently its going to be sunny on Sunday! 


No comments:

Post a Comment