Penland Weaving Projects

My two weeks of marathon weaving have come to an end... and I'm ready to display my work.  I was going to wait until my projects were completely realized (washed and hemmed and fringed, ect)... but it may be awhile before everything is put together.  So while all of this is fresh in my mind I'll show you all the stuff that came off the loom in the last couple of weeks.

It is worth noting that I dove into my projects and spent a ton of time in the studio... like it was my job.  Like I worked in the studio the week before final projects were due when I was in landscape.  It was easy to do:  at Penland I didn't have to cook or clean, I didn't have anyone needing me or relying on me... and, I don't have a loom at home, so I was trying to get as many projects as possible on and off the loom.  My ambition quinched my thirst and I left exhausted with weaving. 

This is the textile I showed in the previous post.  My plan is to make a bag out of this piece, working with the subtle color tones.  I also wove a 1.5" strap to go with the bag.  Will post that piece once assembled.

Pretty excited about the way these came out.  I made a fabric to recover my hand-me-down dining room chairs (they currently have a wicker seat).  The warp is cotton, and the weft is a hefty wool yarn.  I like the red side and I like the reverse... maybe I'll do two of each.  Again, I'll post when complete!

 

I was really, really pleased with the way this project came out.  It's a baby blanket for PK and Mary Brook's first child - a baby boy that will be here in September.  The fiber I used is 80% cotton, 20% merino wool, and a bright baby blue.  I explored a new pattern and manipulated the threading to create the plain weave border.  It took forever to set up the loom - 36" - the maximum width of the loom.  I still need to hem the edges, but it is nearly a complete piece.  The blanket has a great weight, it's washable, and designed to be used.  I completed the project in 2 days... it would have taken me months to knit a blanket this size.  One of the joys of weaving is how quickly you can realize and learn from a design.

This was a fun project.  Scarves for my mother and my mother-in-law.  I made the warp out of a variety of knitting yarns leftover from past projects.  Mixed fibers, varied weights and sizes and spacing.  The weft is a variegated plum laceweight wool knitting yarn by Malbrigo.  I like the scarves because they are open and light-weight, which is perfect for two women who live in the deep south.  Oh, and I just wound a really long warp (5yds) and made two scarves at once... very efficient!  I just spent a day on this project.

This project I completed on my last day on the loom... and I was really reaching my breaking point.  Just really exhausted and ready to get home.  Slightly shorter and narrower, lightweight scarves.  I was frustrated working with these yarns - very soft and stretchy knitting yarns (mixes of merino wool, bamboo, and cashmere) that required alot of care when beating.  Despite my frustrations it came out alright once washed and off the loom.  I was working with really subtle earth colors, playing with color blocks in the warp and weft.  Again, I made 2 scarves from the same warp.  This scarf is for me, the second I donated to the school auction (it brought in $50!).