Paua blankets

A bunch of striking blankets will be in Pauanesia shop soon.

The brief was for Ruru (Morepork, New Zealand's native owl), but we've decided I missed the mark and Paua will be the theme.

My 8 shaft Nitschke loom is set up for blanket weaving all the time and I tie one warp on to the next.  I've always tied my warps on since I first started weaving for shops back in .. oh ... about 1985.  I remember I was sitting cross legged on the floor in a half built house in front of a table loom thinking how silly it was for me to rethread when it was the same pattern and I only wanted a different colour warp.  Then I figured if I had move that one thread per dent I really needed to keep them in order so put in two rows of tabby as a cross.  (Not saying this is the right or wrong way; its just the way I do it and it works for me.)

This time I must have been generous with the length of each blanket because I cut it too fine and had to pull the knots to the front of the reed to have enough warp for tassels and my cross.

I love them and fun to weave with the different stripes.  Each had to be planned before starting to finish within the designated length but obviously I wasn't accurate enough.