Weaving Update - Pulling a Few Threads Together

For anyone who stumbles upon my Ramblings for the first time, I should explain that my blog has been going strong since 2009 soon after Gypsies Stop tHere was published.  Of course, the initial rhyme and reason for it was to lure people in and raise awareness of my books.  Click on any book cover and you will zoom straight off to Amazon!  It’s what writers do – shameless, basic promotion.

Now I put no effort into promotion. That belongs to the past. Of course all six titles are still there but my more recent blog posts cover a random, wild mix of topics, whereas before, as you will see if you dip into the archive, there were recurrent themes of Gypsies, other writers and their books, author events, Parkinsons - mostly ideas that link to the four novels. Aside from that, there were some personal outpourings relating to cancer in 2014.


So – with that explained, I think I can truly say that my weaving is not just a phase, or a fad.  Such a simple thing to do that brings me great pleasure and actually opens up lots of creative ideas, is proving to be an enduring pastime. 

Not yet tempted to explore fancy textures the scarves go on because I still enjoy choosing colour combinations that suit a particular person. Here’s one in the making, now finished, for a friend who loves emerald green and her style is crisp and smart. 

For a silver-haired friend who is quite committed to a certain shade of dark lavender or milky purple-mauve (I need a Pantone number for this!) from her jacket to kitchen walls and front door:

This for a daughter to match her brown hair, blue eyes, scarlet coat and fair skin – just about! 

And for other son-in-law and son:

I had the cheek to make some for old friends, a couple who live in Scotland, the husband being Scotsman through and through and probably has his own clan tartan for all I know. Remembering the plethora of shops in Scotland we came across last year stacked high with tartan scarves of every hue, it seemed like sending coals to Newcastle, but at least each of my scarves is unique! 

The colours of her scarf match fair hair, blue eyes, purple heather as a nod to Scotland and hot pink for, as I said to her, ‘whatever you want it to be!’ be it lips, nails or shoes!
And his ended up rather jazzier than I'd envisaged:

Then with three small granddaughters I decided to give them a break from the usual knitted creations I heap upon them and weave them skirts! I hoped it would not be too much like Barbara and Tom in The Good Life who in their self-sufficient lifestyle, got into spinning and weaving and presented themselves in naturally-dyed pea-green jacket and trousers that were quite a sight! If you can remember that you may be as old as I am.


The first little skirt I thought could be a lesson in colours: red and blue = purple, blue and yellow  = green (if you squint a bit) , yellow and red = orange and so on. The second one I just had to make pink with a bit of sparkle and for the third I asked the oldest grandchild for her choice of colours, as she is of the age where I think she probably likes to be consulted. After a few seconds’ thought, she said decisively, ‘dark blue, burnt orange, and hot pink’.  This, believe it or not, is where I got the ‘hot pink’ from!! So with the addition of a little light blue – here we are. Quite a winning colour scheme.

The mistake I made with all of these was assuming that girls in the 3 – 7 age-range have anything resembling a waist. I thought a lightly elasticated waistband would secure it on their hips – except they don’t have hips! Braces were thus ordered to save the day and the skirts falling around their ankles.


Looming large!

Proof of commitment? Well how about getting a loom twice the size of my first one – 32” wide?  So I can make wider scarves!!  No. I can broaden my horizons – to other items as yet undecided but certainly more possibilities are in my head, which I really do look forward to making.  The beast has yet to be constructed so more of that later in the year.

Related posts:
Fabrication not Fiction
B-looming marvellous! - weaving a new story ...

Fabrication not fiction! weaving update ...

My past couple of blog posts have been serious – perhaps too much for some, I don’t know.

Time to lighten the mood then! It’s a while since I issued a weaving update. A few Facebook people politely expressed interested in this so here's more evidence of looming madness - a few home crafted products, as our house and family members are becoming somewhat swathed in various tartans and plaids.  My previous post last year.

I find it sadly therapeutic seeing a medley of colours grow into an item that I know for sure no-one else in the world has ever seen!! Very much not mass-produced!

These carry on from where I left off last time. Yes, we have too many cushions.

After making a pale fine baby blanket I embraced the brightest colours I could find for a lightly padded cot blanket or play mat.

Colours inspired by native American Indian craft. 

... this was the soft, baby blanket with matching, tiny, prem-baby garments.

Now, like it or not, all family members will be receiving for birthdays a scarf to suit their personalities. My lucky son-in-law was first on the calendar and I had thought black, white, grey with a hint of red, but daughter put me right, assuring me that he is a muddy-brown, muddy-green with a hint of mustard kind of guy.

Combined the usual with a length of fabric I had in the cupboard for years - kitchen chair cushions, lightly padded but quite flat.

 oh - another view of the one above ...

 and the blanket of many colours folded ready for gift-wrapping!

 Yeah, for Christmas!!

I like to try and make square cushions symmetrical in design; so unless you have a very sharp, photographic memory, the rows need to be recorded on paper as once you get started the length gets rolled up on the loom and disappears out of sight.

This one is to go with bedroom colour scheme. 

Enough? for now anyway ...

Thanks for bearing with me.

When I see Michael Portillo on TV I'm inspired to wonder if he might like a scarf woven in all his jacket and trousers colourways. What do you think?

B-looming marvellous! Weaving a new story ...

I decided to try something new. In retirement I get phases, little surges of enthusiasm that cause me to dip a toe into new waters and this time it is weaving.

It feels good to take a break from writing novels, even though this is my first creative love; the marketing and selling of books can be all-consuming if you are serious about it. Life is too short!

So here, in pictures, is the story I’ve woven so far on my new passion – my lovely loom.

It arrived in a long thin box. First construct loom!

 

Done!

Now - what to make that has essentially straight sides?

Order wool, and set up the warp.

Actually quite excited at this stage,

seeing the effect of colours melding

and the whole thing growing so much faster than knitting.

Moving swiftly on - the finished product.

Of course a scarf, what did you expect?

Ordered more wool. It's like setting up a paint-box.

Now for something to accessorise the conservatory ...

Not quite wide enough for the cushion cover I planned.

Never mind - this is a ... er ... mat, I guess. A sample.

Now must repeat but make bigger.

Will keep you posted!