Serving Seattle Since 1974
For the love of fiber
This installment in the Weaving with Handspun series is really more of a show-and-tell than an instructive post, since the project idea comes straight from another blog, and needs no improvement!
And, as usual, jumping right into a weaving project results in unexpectedly learning a thing or two, answers some questions, and leads to more questions.
If you have been a spinner for any substantial length of time, no doubt you have a box (or two!) of lovely little bits of handspun. Whether from sampling a new fiber or technique, or leftover from larger projects, these wee skeins are too precious to get rid of, and too small and varied to become larger projects. May I humbly suggest tapestry weaving as a way to use all the small bits, and enjoy them thoroughly the whole time.
Being a handspinner and a weaver seems like a perfect pairing of skills. So why am I terrified of weaving with my handspun yarns? (spoiler alert: it's the cutting)
I invite you to come on a journey with me.
Oh, that delightful time of year when we can shed our layers of woolens and wiggle our toes in the grass! These first sunny days can make us feel a little giddy here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, as though anything is possible (and we also know that "june-uary" could be just around the corner, so Carpe that sunny Diem!).
The big, giddy plan when the sun came out last weekend was to dye a Giant Tub of yarn and fibers outdoors, using the heat of the sun.
You know that moment when a new skill you have been struggling with suddenly makes sense and becomes a whole lot more fun? I recently received a bit of advice that led to this AHA! moment for me, regarding spinning silk hankies.
Their name can be deceptive: silk hankies are not fabric, but rather a filmy square of stretched silk cocoon fiber. Naturally a glowing pearly white, they also take dye beautifully, and can contribute to beautiful nuno-felted pieces, or be spun into yarn.
