Patiently Waiting

You know, looms are so incredibly patient....even when you neglect them for other looms. Try that with a husband! I'm sure mine would claim 'friendly neglect' in this house due to loom affairs from time to time ... (like dinner time. :)

I started a snowflake runner project on my Louet Spring loom 'Lilibet' some time ago but it somehow stopped moving ahead about the time Lynnette came for her visit and then other stuff intervened. Well, I'm participating in the Guild of Canadian Weavers weaving exchange again this year and since Lynnette is the exchange coordinator, I wanted to have the runner ready to travel when we go to the Okanagan in early September. We'll be visiting my MIL and will most likely see the new fire damage to our old neighbourhood first hand. I'll be at Lynnette's for a few days as well and I'm sure that we can find some mischief to get into and friends to visit.

Back to the home front and the studio.... no vacation just yet....
To refresh:

• 2/16 mercerized warp in cream, sett 30 epi, using a 15 dent reed ( two per dent).
• first runner woven with 2/30 natural linen, pre-dampened pirns.
• woven with a temple to reduce draw in.
• two runners woven to approx 38" in length, plus fringe.
• third runner woven with medium grey 2/16 mercerised cotton to approx 42"
• fringe twisted, so completely reversible.
• pattern from Weavers magazine #18, page 20. Draft by J. Evans, GCW masterweaver.

Here are a couple of pictures of the linen runners on the loom.

I've done this pattern a number of times before, most notably five runners as gifts to the weavers in my old guild who lost their homes to the big inter-urban forest fire of 2003. I have noted that this has been another bad fire year and I'm weaving this pattern again. Maybe I should retire it?

This picture below shows the grey 2/16's well under way. I had just about finished the hemstitching. Not as subtle as the linen runners. (Also it is not as dark as this picture shows)

The linen runner going to the exchange was first up on the styrofoam board and the twisting went quickly. I used all three clips and made a rounder, firmer mini cord. (full how to's are here)

The grey runner is on the board now and I'm just about finished the first side. Using three at a time makes it go faster. The last linen runner will most likely wait its turn and be done after we get back from our time away.

So time to 'fess up to a failure. I tried a different weft before resorting to the grey cotton. I have some lovely 2/40 white linen from Ireland that I wanted to use as weft. I wound my pirns and dampened them a day ahead. It started so lovely! I wove for a time, then left it to make dinner. Started again the next day and had to stop to make a call. Then I noticed a line, then another where there was a visible change in not only beat but density of weft. It was nothing that laundering would fix! So I cut away about 10 inches of this lovely linen and choose the cotton instead. So, the 'Lesson Learned' : I can still use it for weft but I *must* weave the entire piece in one sitting. I put what was left of the linen into a marked bag and its now in my freezer waiting for that project. ( It better be soon as my bobbins are running low!)

Here's a close up detail of the 2/40 linen and two other pictures where if you look closely you can see the streaks:

Let's end on a happy note! Here's the finished runner for the GCW Exchange.

I'm leaving Lilibet naked (*gasp*) for now. I have a scarf warp to be wound and beamed on there next. Now I can concentrate on the balance of Elena's shawl.