Border Collie from the "Woof" Collection Sampler Part 2

Finished Cowl
Now if I only had a border collie, we could coordinate!

When I finished the first sampler scarf, I had a lot of yarn leftover. I had no idea how much so I decided to make a short warp the same width as the first project and just see what I'd get.

I warped the loom, lining up the blocks of black and white just like I had done in the scarf sampler.

You can see by the shuttles how much of the black and white yarn I had to work with after warping.




Here the black weft begins covering the jagged edges of black warp threads
where it begins to moves to white.

Almost immediately the little patterns begin to emerge.

Looking down at the jagged area
where the section of white gradually becomes black.

Next, I mixed it up by weaving with two shuttles in the white section; one pick black, one pick black and white. That was interesting.

White stripes appear wider apart than if I was using only one shuttle. 

I switched to one shuttle to weave with the last of  the black and white yarn.

Once again those little lines appear in this section

I finished it out with a section of black weft.

So there it is. Just long enough to make into a cowl. I loved this project on so many levels. Just going with the flow and playing with techniques is always my favorite way to work. And then the yarn. This Ancient Arts Yarns superwash, 3-ply fingering/sock yarn in merino was soft and yet not too stretchy to use in the warp. After wet finishing it was even softer. The fabric drapes nicely. I will definitely weave with this yarn again.

Border Collie from the "Woof" Collection Sampler Part 1

In January I traveled to the San Diego TNNA (The National Needle Arts) Trade Show where I hoped to find inspiration for new designs. I wasn't disappointed!

At the Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts booth I discovered a line of yarn inspired by rescue dogs and cats called  the "Meow and Woof" collection. Colors are dyed to match various breeds. And even better, a portion of the proceeds of this yarn is donated to charities benefiting stray and abandoned dogs and cats. How cool is that!

I decided to experiment with the Border Collie color way in 3-ply fingering/sock yarn; 80% Superwash Merino, 20% Nylon. And experiment I did! I loved working with this yarn and my sampler scarf turned out beautifully. If you're interested in how I did this, keep reading. Keep in mind, none of this was planned. It just happened. This is my favorite way to weave/play.

After leaving San Diego, we headed out to the Arizona desert in our motorhome. Under the big blue sky with desert creosote and palo verde bushes in the distance, I set up my temporary desert studio.

Winding the skein into a ball.

Setting up my Cricket Loom

As I placed the warp threads on the warping peg, I adjusted them so the blocks of black and white would line up as much as possible. As you see, it's impossible to get straight lines between the black and white sections, but that's what makes those wonderful little jagged areas much more interesting than straight lines anyway.

I've woven many projects with this ikat-like effect using color blocks in the warp, using a solid color in the weft. But this time, I used the same yarn for the weft as the warp because I was curious.

As I wove, uneven sections of stripes appeared due to the different lengths of black to white in the weft threads. Keep in mind, the striping effects will be different depending on the width of your project. This was sett at 12 epi and 6 3/4 inches wide.

 

And here it is in the white section.

When I got bored with this stripy pattern, I pulled out Jane Patrick's The Weaver's Idea Book, for inspiration. I chose a pick-up pattern with warp floats in groups of three from Page 97. 

And then I couldn't help myself. I went a little loopy! I picked up these long loops with the width of my pick-up stick. You'll find the description of how to pick up loops on Page 44 of Jane's book.

Long loops at the top and warp floats in groups of three.

And here's where it got really interesting. . .

Plain weave at the top where the warp color moves from black to gray to white.
Center is warp floats in groups of three in a white section of warp. 

When the weft yarn crossed the jagged areas in the warp of black to white, it created vertical and horizontal lines. If you've ever woven a color and weave pattern such as a log cabin, you've seen how this happens with much planning, I might add. When the alternating dark and light warp threads are crossed with alternating dark and light weft threads, changing the sequence of the color order you get visual lines. This is exactly what's happening here with no effort on my part, and using only one shuttle. It looks like a complicated plan, right? But it's all in the progression of color in the yarn. So easy!

Here is what it looks like through the jagged area where the warp color moves from black to gray to white.




I really love this section where the colors in the warp threads were very uneven!

And then I wondered, what would this look like if the weft was a solid black? I didn't have a black yarn with me on the desert so the project waited several weeks until I was in a real town with a real yarn store where I purchased my compatible black yarn.
I started  weaving the solid black weft about half way through the scarf (where the scarf folds in the picture below) and wove until I got bored with this. I added another row of loops, more of the black and white weft, and finished it with the solid black weft on black warp.

I loved the simple effects I was getting with the black weft so much that I decided to use what was left of my Border Collie yarn (yes I still had some left) and make another scarf. Well actually it turned out to be a cowl. I'll write about that in my next blog post and tell all about how lovely this yarn was to work with and my wet finishing results.

It's About the Journey

Transitions, moving into the unknown. This is my life and my work. I moved my studio from Virginia to Denver in 2000 and ended up traveling around the West in an old RV for a year or so, taking my studio out on the desert to see where it might lead me next.

Transporting a rented loom in my little convertible.

Weaving on the desert somewhere in
Southern California 2002

This has been the story of my life, following the "invisible thread" wherever it might lead. And then I landed in Roswell, New Mexico with the perfect little stucco studio.

Orange flag was my open sign

Warm and cozy studio.

And it's here I learned to spin

And I faced my fears and taught my first weaving class. Which opened up a world of new opportunities!

Thank you Roswell for encouraging me.

It's been a great five years with lots of good memories. But the time has come to move on. To where? I don't know. I'll be traveling once again in an RV with my husband and dog. The RV is a much newer model this time towing a Smart Car instead of a convertible.

For awhile my studio will travel with me until we find another place to land. And there will be many more adventures along the way. So the journey begins again. After all, it's not about the destination, it is about the journey. 

Follow my journey on Facebook ZoZo FiberArts

Judi Vest

Since I first started teaching weaving on the rigid heddle loom, I've wanted to  create a garment pattern for those new-ish weavers who are tired of weaving scarves and table runners and are limited to a 15-inch rigid heddle loom. The most common size purchased by new weavers.

I decided to offer the pattern as a class to help test the idea with my students. Their vests all turned out so beautiful, don't you think?

And now the pattern is up on my Etsy store. Included with the pattern are worksheets to help each person customize the sizing and calculate exactly how much yarn they will need for the project. There are lots of photos to walk you through each step of the process from warping the loom to taking that first cut into your new fabric and sewing the simple pieces together. I used the lovely Tandem yarn by Tahki Stacy Charles with 3/2 Cotton. Cotton Classic, by Tahki could be substituted for the 3/2 Cotton. Next up will be a version of this vest for multi-harness weavers.

Zoom Loom Garments using Tahki Stacy Charles Yarns

It was just last summer that I designed the Harlequin Vest using Zoom Loom squares.  I attended The National Needle Arts Trade Show in Phoenix in January of this year wearing my vest, you can imagine my surprise when I was stopped by none other than Stacy Charles himself of Tahki Stacy Charles Yarns asking me if my vest was made using their Filatura di Crosa Tempo yarn. Well of course it was!

So he challenged me to design more garments made with the Schacht Zoom Loom using TSC yarns. There's nothing I love better than a challenge. And trying out new yarn is always a welcome treat. Before long I had four new designs ready. Currently they are all in my Etsy store available as PDF downloadable patterns and most of them are also available as a kit packaged with full color printed pattern and yarn; or a kit which also includes the Zoom Loom.

Harlequin Vest with Filatura Di Crosa Tempo Yarn

 

 Lacy Vest with Stella and Flora Yarns

 

 

  Tabbard Vest with Nina Yarn

 Spring Jacket with Portofino Yarn

Since most everything I weave ends up as something to wear. I imagine there will be more to come in the future. But in the meantime, check out these patterns and kits. They will be perfect to pack along on a summer vacation or an ideal way to while away those upcoming hot summer days sitting on the porch with a glass of ice tea and your Zoom Loom.

So Zoom away . . .

Photos by Stephanie DeFranco Photography

Free Pattern - Stellar Cowl with Zoom Loom and Tempo Yarn

  

I love that I can take my Zoom Loom from Schacht anywhere I go including the local coffee shop here in town, Stellar Coffee Company where my Tuesday afternoon knitting group meets.

Last week I headed over to Stellar Coffee to meet my knitting group thinking I'd just relax and have a coffee.

At the last minute I threw in the squares I'd just woven on my Zoom Loom using the fabulous Tempo Filutura di Crosa by S. Charles yarn in one of this season's newest colors, Tangerine Dream.

I wanted to do something quick and easy with no thought needed. As I l laid the squares out and started to stitching them together, a cowl evolved. Even better, it was made from only one ball of this fabulous Tempo yarn. 

This cowl can be worn many ways. Spread it out wide or fold it in half. It's short enough that it doesn't interfere with your work. Best off all, it's fun to wear. 

 


















And now it's available as a FREE PATTERN at Schacht Spindle Blog. So buy some Tempo yarn, grab your Zoom Loom and head on down to your local coffee shop and make a Stellar Cowl.

 

Thanks to Alice, Barista at Stellar Coffee Co. for modeling my new cowl.

Sisters In Craft: The Natural Dye Project

I was asked to design a garment and towels for a kit for rigid heddle weavers. I would be using the very same packaged yarn as the Friendship Towel Kits, sold through Cotton Clouds. This is where women in Guatemala learned to dye the yarns with natural dyes through the support of Mayan Hands' Natural Dye Project. Right now these kits are only for 4-harness weavers. I immediately loved the idea! Being a part of this amazing project to help support the women in San Rafael, Guatemala, makes me happy and I'm so honored to be a part of it. 

But oh my, I wasn't prepared for the impact this project would have on me. In each step of my process with these hand-dyed yarns of beautiful natural colors, I found myself wondering about each one of these Guatemalan women; who are they, what are their lives like and whether they thought about us, the women who would receive their kits and make something beautiful from their yarn? I felt an amazing kinship and connection. It warmed my heart to think of them as "sisters in craft" so to speak.

Direct warping method for the vest.

So for my first project, the vest, I used my favorite method of warping directly on my 15" Flip loom. I love color and this warp did not disappoint. For weaving, I chose a simple warp and weft pick-up pattern from Jane Patrick's Weaver's Idea Book, for texture. Really, this vest is so simple to make and the construction requires minimal cutting and sewing. You just add some fun buttons and it's ready to go.

See how happy this vest makes me!

And then there were towels to make. In my 20 years of weaving, I've rarely made towels. Those who know me, know I love to make things to wear. And my sister would tell you I'd do anything to get out of the kitchen at dish drying time. So you get the picture, domestic chores are not my favorite things to do. Oh yes, did I say I love clothes? But I dutifully designed and wove the towels.

By the fourth towel, I couldn't help but think how wonderful this fabric would be as a jacket. So, I cut the towels off the loom and hemmed them and then I couldn't help myself. I started pinning the towels together and there it was, a jacket. Because, after all, who wants to be in the kitchen when they can be trying on clothes, right?

Very versatile and one size fits all.

And it has pockets too!

So now, there are three options for rigid heddle weavers; a vest, a set of four towels or a jacket. Not only are you making something wonderful for yourself but also supporting our "sisters in craft" in Guatemala. What could be better than that! Order your Towel Kit,  Jacket Kit or Vest Kit now from Cotton Clouds, who is selling these kits at near-cost so that the profits will go to help these women of San Rafael, Guatemala earn a fair living wage. 

Jacket pattern will be coming soon to my ZoZo FiberArts Etsy Store