This was a sentimental project for a friend of ours, who had used to have a very similar blanket when she was a child. For this project I went back to the old standby, the Kromski Harp rigid heddle loom, using a 10-dent reed and a pickup stick to create the lace look.
I used that absolutely gorgeous Tanis Fibre Arts merino/cashmere/silk wool, hand-dyed in bright buttercup yellow. This wool is very pricey (at $32/skein), but it is well worth it for the finished product.
The project actually only took me 4 days from start to finish - - what a treat it is to work with a comparatively thick wool after all of those cotton tea towels!
The pattern came from Betty Lynn Davenport's great book Textures and Patterns for the Rigid Heddle Loom, which is a treasure trove of weaving ideas. The pattern only requires 4 pattern rows:
1. Reed up
2. Reed neutral, pickup stick
3. Reed up
4. Reed down
That's it! For such a simple pattern, the results are stunning. I love this pattern, and in the Tanis merino/cashmere/silk wool, the finished product is super soft and warm. I know the recipient will love this shawl, and I must admit it's one of my favourite patterns, having made it a couple of times now.
Hi Maggie. I love the shawl - and I'm a big fan of TFA as well! But may I ask, how did the yarn behave on the warp? (I'm assuming you used it on both warp and weft) Was it very springy, or did it behave? Your experience would be well-appreciated, as I'm tempted to get onto TFA pronto and order some similar yarn!
ReplyDeleteHi Nicky - I used the TFA wool for both the warp and the weft, and yes, it was a little stretchy, but overall it was very easy to work with and my selvages were nice and clean. :-)
DeleteThanks Maggie - appreciate it :) (although I'm not sure my bank balance will!!!)
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