All The Trimmings

Day 101: I'm frequently asked, "What do you do with all those bands you weave?" Well, here's one example. I didn't have enough 3/2 cotton to finish out the warp I'd hung for the King's Flower coverlet, so I grabbed a skein of heavy cotton variegated craft yarn from my knitting/crocheting supplies and was able to get two perfectly-sized placemats out of the remainder (visible behind the vertical portion of the band in the photo). I thought they needed a little extra touch, and I was fortunate to find colours which came close to matching among my weaving cones. This band will be applied around all four sides of the mats when it's done. Quilters will understand what I mean when I say that it takes a lot more material than you might think to put a border around an item. I warped ten yards to be sure I would have enough trim for both mats. If there's any left over, it will go on a bag, a towel, a throw pillow, a table runner, or whatever else strikes my fancy.

Fiber Manipulation 2021

Day 80: If I was asked to write "How I Spent 2020," the largest chapter (indeed, perhaps 85 percent of the essay) would be on fiber arts. I see nothing to indicate that 2021 will follow a different course. I'm already off to a grand start with one towel finished since Christmas and another well on the way (a project done on my big loom, right), and besides having knitting projects on needles and on the rake, cardweaving (above, left) plus a piece of sprang, a quilt, spinning, kumihimo using yarn and a crocheted tablecloth all going presently, I am anxious to get started on a hand-manipulated piece for rigid heddle and am just waiting for the supplies to arrive. I have my maternal grandmother to thank for initiating me into many of the ways one can create textiles, and for instilling in me the patience to see such long-term projects through to completion. Admittedly, I'd have preferred to spend more time outdoors, but on the same hand, I am enjoying my adventures with strings of all sorts.