So the red rug turned out to be "beaten too hard" (just getting used to hula hoop tension) and it popped off the loom like a fibre basket unstead.  but the kids...and the cats it seems...are happy that it works well as a cat bed.

Hula hoop weaving

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Double weave

For the second rug warp, i tried a double weave, which means there are two layers of warp on top of each other. I weave from one warp to the next on one side so a fold forms. Once woven, the finished fabric is unfolded to create a piece that is double in width of the loom. This allows me to weave a larger piece than my loom allows.




Here's what i learned in this first try:
-to use a rag rug shuttle instead of the canoe rattle i've been using for single weaves
-it's hard to enforce quality control when you can't even see all the fabric you're working on
-after throwing each row of weft, slide my hand between the two layers of warp to ensure i haven't goofed by weaving from one warp to the next before i get to the end

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Afternoon

A new rug warp, a quiet sunroom, and an afternoon to weave.



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It is those times that we need creative space the most that there is no room. I understand that in a physical sense these days. Our house has been dealing with electrical upgrades, insulation, and new ceiling drywall. It has felt like ages since I've found the time and the space to do something besides home repairs. Today though, I finished two rugs to bring to next week's KWWS (Kitchener Waterloo Weavers' & Spinners') sale.

Weaver's and Spinner's Sale

After 5 years in the guild, this is the first time I've actually had anything in one of their bi-annual sales. This time, I put in four rugs, the largest of which, in the photo below, sold yesterday.

A new rug

going on the loom

and all finished, with fringes tied.

Rugmaking

The first of the wool weft and warp rugs to come off of the loom:

(these mocs, by the way, were made by my sister in law)

time

the late afternoon sun filtering through the windows of the front sun room yesterday made me wish that i had a chance every day at that time, not just now, when Eily is away. i'm so grateful to be finally warping the loom for a rug. the wool is a mix of blue and green hues, whatever i could find. there's not quite enough string for making the last heddles. but its a start nonetheless.

My last assignment for school, fittingly, involves a woven mat. I used fabric scraps that have significance, such as Oma's scarf, leftovers from clothes made by Mom when I was young, Senegalese batik from Esther, etc to tell the story of my ecological identity. I've seperated the fabric strips rather than blending them while weaving so that they can be recognized each time I step on the mat, which now sits at the threshold of our front door. A perfect fit.

Yay! A successful dye project! I'm very happy to say I figured out the problem of the last one. Because I usually presoak the material to be dyed but don't spin it, water is spread throughout the material unevenly and the dye instantly gravitates to the really wet parts. This time, with Rebecca's advice, I soak and spun it in the washing machine and then dyed it. *The small photo is the before picture; the blanket was the result of a "junk" warp weaving project.

I fear this may be the last entry for a while. School started again this week, and while I have all kinds of project plans, I also have an overwhelming amount of assignments. At this point, anyway...maybe it will start to feel a little more manageable once canning season is over. On that note, it looks like I spilled a jar of plum sauce on Ash and Will's wedding gift. A dye job with ho-hum results though it could be interpreted as intentional. As it turns out, dyeing is a bit of a skill, one that I have not completely mastered.