Next project, please!

The challenge is off the loom, and just as nature abhors a vacuum, a weaver abhors a naked loom. I've been staring at Issue 12 of Weaver's Craft, the Lace issue, for at least 2 months now. I read it at breakfast, trying to get my wee small brain to absorb the details and warnings and processes involved in Mexican Lace, Leno and Brook's Bouquet. I am planning on making hand towels from bleached 8/2 unmercerized cotton, each one using a different lace, or at least different patterns of the 3 laces. I have a 12 yard warp wound and am just about to start sleying the reed.

The challenge was fun and educational, as usual, and I feel as if I won the jackpot by getting Tina's beautiful looper rug, with the warp of the challenge yarns. It goes perfectly in my bedroom, as if Tina had planned to match my dark purple walls--Nairobi Dusk, according to Ralph Lauren-- and my chartreuse Flamingo quilt. It's soft and gooshy and warm to step on while I decide what to wear in the morning. My towels that started out as a tapestry rug, only to be thwarted by misread drafting and time constraints, came out fine. Not exciting, but fine! We've decided to not skip a year, but go right ahead with a new challenge, and I'm looking forward to that. I'll try not to wait until the last minute to finish it this time! Really! I will!

Weave on!

Maggie

I Challenge You......

In days of yore, a Challenge might have meant bodily harm. Our Challenge will not cause bodily harm (unless you get stuck under the loom) but, it does create some mental stress! Our Challenge is to weave two of the same item using at least three of the four threads provided. We can use one other element...but only one! And, since it is a challenge, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and see what I could do.
The colors reminded me instantly of my daughter...Fall colors. OK...I'll weave something for her. What to weave? I had gotten an issue of Jean Scorgie's Weaver's Craft, and I was intrigued by one of her projects. But, I wanted to use my 8 shaft Baby Wolf. Out comes Carol Strickler's 8-Shaft Patterns. I'm still not totally comfortable threading 8 shafts!!! After I got Julia threaded, I tried several of the patterns to see which one I liked the best. I got to play a little with color and pattern with my project. (I almost got stuck under the loom trying to tie up the treadles!) Several of the treadlings did not work for my item since they had longer floats, but I finally settled on a pattern that was pleasing to me. After washing the cloth and letting it dry, I discovered that one panel did not match up with it's sister! I had left out one of the repeats!!! I'll weave another panel for my daughter, and take the one that's finished to our Christmas party to exchange on Tuesday. I did take a picture of the project on the loom....the shuttles are placed just so..................
Gee, that sounds like a racy picture, doesn't it???
I'll post the finished projects on Tuesday afternoon after our get-together. I can't wait to see what the other folks have created!
LouAnn