Touch of Tui

I was asked by a lovely lady from Tauranga if I could weave her several shawls.

Actually the conversation started something like "Are you still weaving?  I want to catch you before you retire!"  One request was for a black and white shawl, maybe with a touch of the iridescence of the tui.  The tui is a native NZ bird which generally appears black with a white wattle under its beak but in the sun it sparkles blue and green iridescence.

 My loom was threaded in an extended advancing twill which gave the ideal platform for big, bold pattern. I tied on a warp of New Zealand merino.   I chose a plait tie up from my archives and wove with an extended advancing twill weft.

The iridescence is portrayed with several shiny lurex threads in the warp borders and at the beginning and end.

 

And, of course, I never dress the loom with a short warp so chose this wonderful tie up for echoing triangles from Weaver's magazine, Issue 21, an article by Ingrid Boesel for a second shawl, again using an advancing extended twill weft.

Both are versatile garments with the fabric drapey enough to wear many ways.

This triangle wrap is available from the Waihi Beach Gallery.

Denim blue wrap

The many faces of this possum merino silk wrap.  Woven as turned taquete with a navy and taupe warp sett at 36 epi and a blue silk weft.

It can be worn with the buttoned edge down the shoulder as a poncho style garment

or with the buttons down the front.

Note how the lines increase in size to the centre back then deminish again.

Undo the buttons and it is lovely as a conventional wrap

or as a pull through scarf

or regular scarf.

My favourite style with draping on the shoulder.

Wrap available from Waihi Beach Gallery.

Coromandel Seascape blankets

A friend was visiting and, as she walked up the stairs, saw my art and asked for a blanket in those colours for her new home.

She chose one, one is at Waihi Beach Gallery and I still have the darker blue one here if anyone interested.

Possum merino wrap and Infinity scarves

Walked to Orokawa Beach this morning, glorious day and I had done my 10,000 steps before lunch.  Hence time to write to you.

I have the loom threaded with an echo warp so thought I'd use up a prewound warp I've had on the shelf for hur hmmm I don't remember.  One thread is possum merino silk and the other a fine cashmere.  The possum is about 2 1/2 times thicker than the cashmere so wondered how it would work out.  

 Worked out pretty good actually.  This wrap has a 60/2 silk weft in black.  All these luxurious fibres are devine together.

 Above is a double wrap infinity scarf and below a single wrap infinity scarf.  These have an elasticated merino weft which again is awesome, closing the warp threads up.

 The top scarf has a point twill weft and the bottom another version.  What is the difference between point twill and gebrochene - can anyone tell me?

We have a wonderful new gallery opened at the beach called Waihi Beach Gallery.  I took these in to Ana and Andrew expecting them to choose one, maybe two.  If you'd like one they are all on display at the Gallery.

We are going away for a few days to Mt Ruapehu to do some walking.  Well Pete will stride it out, I'll struggle along behind, catching up when he stops for a photograph.  Hence the training walk this morning.  Catch up next week, all gong well.

Blankets, what else!

More blankets heading to Pauanesia soon in gorgeous indigo blue tones. 

I've had fun changing the stripe arrangement in each.

 After the tasseling is complete and before the fulling process every tassel is trimmed.

 A belated birthday gift (late only because of the mail) arrived.  Am enjoying the read and the eye candy.

 And another blanket I made as a stash buster which I called Moody Sea.  Available at the fabulous new Waihi Beach Gallery.