Mary Paren has been very busy and kindly sent in some photo’s of her recently completed projects.
The jacket is “…spun from a Wingham Wool merino blend called Silsden and plied with some black thread for a core.”
The weaving is an intriguing visual effect which Mary worked out by turning the design for a more complicated warp set up around 90 degrees and using the weft to give the design instead.
It was lovely to have Aileen over last week. We tackled some over dyeing of “horrid” yarn, which was actually an ok Terracotta if that’s a colour you like, and some extra colours on some “string” as my husband called it. It was actually dishcloth cotton but let’s not split hairs! So the one dye covered two base colours and we still had lots to spare. Do you ever feel guilty for throwing dye lots away?
Looking forward to seeing what these and the inkle loom will produce!
These pictures are all of a dyeing day at Serena’s earlier this year. We were using madder and lichen; Serena’s special one.
Mary Paren
I enjoy seeing what everyone has been up to and I think that you must too so, under a little pressure from Aileen (who wishes not to be the only one seeming to share anymore) I’m adding my scarf to our Members Projects.
If anyone else would like to contribute (and I know there are wonderful things being made out there) just send me a picture with a few words to describe the project and I’ll stick it on our page for you.
This scarf is a “slow project” but I’m pleased that I managed to spin it (10 merino : 6 alpaca : 1 silk, lace-weight 2 ply), from the alpaca day, and then knit it. I’m not a patient knitter normally so this is a huge thing for me to have stuck at. It’s warm and soft, BUT, I’m told it should be saved for the Highland Show, as it would fulfil the requirements nicely…. Hmm the temptation to wear may prove to great but I have been good and tucked it away in a clean place for now. So now it’s back to the fireside with my wheel as I have a new mission for the New Year.
Aileen writes:
“A pic of my Stay A While shawl pattern by Louise Zass-Bangham. It’s about a 4 ply. Dark purple is Merino and silk. Light colour is a 100gm bag of mixed fluff with a wrap of a thin boulle from a cone. As usual I enjoyed spinning it, and this time I didn’t have to be clever to knit it.”
I’ve been trying in my own way to work out how to use techniques which seem to appear by accident, in an intentional, and eventually creative way.
When I like an effect, I need to be able to do it again! Easier said than done. Tablet weaving seems a bit like understanding computer- code, and there ‘s not a chance of my doing that!
Hand woven on 16″ rigid heddle.
Hand dyed 100% wool pencil rovings (food dyes and a microwave!), hand spun and 2 plied.
