Three days ago, I started weaving again for the first time since my little incident with a rotator cuff injury. I'm back in the studio, and will now be back posting on my blog. I like to keep this blog focused, for the most part, on weaving and related fiber interests.
I'm looking forward to the day when I can weave off a rag rug in 45 minutes, like one weaver I know, not the months it has taken me. I'm still learning to love it, but it's coming easier now and I keep myself focused on what is happening with colors.
I'm also finding it easier to weave the rag rug while standing up, easier to hold the shed open while I "futz" (is that a word?) with the weft before beating, changing sheds, and beating again.
I love the colors in this warp, and the sheets/strips that are blending in nicely,
but decided it was time to add a little ZING, just a few rows, and used a brighter solid Copper or Burnt Orange color picked up from the plaid sheet just before it.
My "design," has the colors reversing at the center. I've redrawn my color plan and measured each color as well as counted the number of rows of each. I'm about 8" from the middle, and anxious to get to the second half of this rug (as well as the next two). There should be a photo of a completed rug on here before long! After several weeks of not being to weave or crank, I want to be DOing again. My upper arm still has a fair amount of pain, but I can use it again, and must, to keep mobility.
I may have mentioned it before, but the next warp will be 8/2 navy blue cotton, with 8/2 cotton in variegated blues. Hhmmm, solid navy warp, or stripe them for more interesting towels? Thinking I might want to get a bit of white, ivory, or a natural linen color (or both) to add in the warp as I have quite a number of large cones of white/natural cotton/linen blends to use, too. It's time to sit down with graph paper and color pencils and work out stripe warp options and see what I like best.
And now? Something has changed on Blogger, my photo shows on the compose page in code so I cannot move it. Posting this, but must find out what changes Blogger has made recently!
4 comments:
Jan, you're off to a great start with your rag project here. (Your rag runners are lovely). I hope you don't ever weave a rug in 45 minutes. The slow ones are the prettiest.
Standing at the loom is good, arrange the rag, then beat. I like to work off the floor, bend down to pick up rags, stand up, stop to cut some more rags. Move around. You should feel good after a day of rug weaving. Good luck!
Missed that earlier tweet about your shoulder injury. Glad you are back to weaving and cranking! Such beautiful rugs makes me want to weave one too. ;)
I love your colors! Please show us a photo when your project is done?
Thanks for the positive comments on my first efforts at rag rug weaving! Very much appreciated. I think the colors are working well together. I will post a photo of the finished rug, and will try to get the lighting better, a challenge in a log home.
I have a quilt top to finish for my daughter and she reminded me she needs a rug (or two) to go with it, which means another warp in bright red/green/blue/orange, etc., very vibrant.
Still a fair amount of pain in my upper arm by late evening, but I'm able to weave and crank again for which I'm very thankful. I'm now several weeks behind in getting things made for the gallery and a couple small art shows, and will likely have to give up the other two I'd hoped to do. I'll get done what I can get done, and still work on going through stuff in preparation for a move. Not enough hours in the day right now!
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