Shadow weave wrap

 The last wrap on the blue and taupe possum merino silk warp.

I was determined I wanted to try shadow weave on the parallel (or echo) threading on the loom.

Shadow weave has a sett similar to tabby so I had to discard quite a few threads at the side and spread the warp out to 20 threads per inch (if I remember correctly).

 I was disappointed that the pattern wasn't bolder with a more defined line outlining the components of the design.

 A versatile garment which looks wonderful with denim.

Navy teal possum wrap

The wheels of weaving wind slowly.  (And blogging even slower!)

I posted this picture on facebook weeks ago and got great reaction but have been very slow to tell you about it.

Slow partly because I couldn't figure out how to finish the ends.  The warp is alternating threads of navy and taupe and the weft a teal.  The tassels just didn't look right.  Took me ages to figure out I could add a thread or two of teal to the fringe and that pulled the wrap together.  The tassels now look like they belong.  I can tell you it took ages to undo the navy taupe tassels.

The fibre is possum merino silk and look at the twist in the untasseled threads; makes me want to try some shibori as it would hold the texture.

Wrap woven as an echo weave.

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.

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.

Scarves for Men 2

Some of the scarves sent to Inspirit Gallery earlier this week in time for Field Days.

Woven in shadow weave based on a threading in "book of 8 shaft Patterns edited by Carol Strickler" but I used 16 shafts.  Woven in merino, cashmere, possum, silk at 20 epi. 

(Pics should be clearer if you click on them.)

Black and bottle green. 

 Navy and ecru was my favourite.

Brown and ecru.

For this one the brown is 2 ply but the ecru possum merino is a singles.  I wound them together on the warping reel, tied on to previous warp at the front of the reed and wound them through to the back beam.  Not a problem but if I'd stopped to think I might have realised that perhaps it wasn't the best choice for a warp thread.

Jenny at Inspirit Gallery is delighted with the design line.

Scarves for men

I've been asked by Inspirit Gallery to design a series of scarves for men in time for Field Days, the biggest agricultural show in New Zealand.  I keep having this vision of a farmer pulling on his "black with two red stripes at the cuff" gumboots at 4 in the morning and saying, Now just where is my Dianne Dudfield designer scarf. 

At the same time as Field Days Inspirit is featuring an exhibition on conservation so I'll incorporate some possum/merino/silk thread into my scarves since possums are one of the biggest threats to our native forests and birds - wear a possum, save a tree.