rosepath – Garngalleriet Mikrofarveri

Udgivet i 22/02/2014 af Birthe P — Skriv en kommentar

Just Blue – Blot Blåt

I am a relatively new member of the knitting society “Seriøs Strik For Sjov”, which means “Serious Knitting For Fun”. Every year the members are encouraged to knit/crochet/craft something for a travelling exibition. This years theme is “Just Blue”, and that simply means that only blue items are allowed.

The deadline is on March 1st, but I handed in my blue item the other night when we met at Silkeborg Museum, as usual on the third thursday of the month.
Before I let go of my blue thing, I took a few photos. Our chairman Hanne has given permission to publish photos, so here it is:

The top is knitted in two long panels that goes over the shoulders, each one dyed in two blue colors. The idea was to knit with exactly the number of stitches required for the color change to find place in the middle of the panel. It meant that I had to pay great attention to gauge – I litteraly had to count on every row, allowing for some drifting – but not much.
The two panels were joined front and back with mattress stitching, and the sides are mesh panels.

I like how the two panels that make up the front and back are so different. The dark blue/turquoise panel gave name to the top: The color shifting looks kind of like the equalizer-panel on the stereo..

Apart from finishing my Equalizer Top I have been weaving. Soon I will be ready to cut down the two rugs in Swedish Rosepath-pattern. They will be approximately 2 meters (80 inches) long, the first one a little longer than the second. The weaving width is 80 cms (32 inches), but I expect the width to crawl in to about 70 cms.
Here is a look at the pattern of the second rug:

Cutting down will be very exiting! It will happen in a few days.. I’m curious to weigh the rugs to find out the amount of yarn that has gone into them – I have used nothing but stash yarns.
Yes. I have a serious stash..

Udgivet i 06/02/2014 af Birthe P — 6 kommentarer

Rosepath Rug #2

About a week ago I finished the first Rosepath Rug on my Finlandia loom. It still sits there on the loom, because I have to weave a second rug before I cut down and finish the work.

I really like the look of Rug #1. I hope it looks good also when it’s off the loom and on the floor. Now it slowly dissapears from my eyes as it rolls onto the clothbeam..
For the second rug I first started out doing some weft-changing over the width, in order to create a rug with four color zones from left to right. I happily started working on the idea but it didn’t work out quite the way I had envisioned it. Gave it up. Then I took a break for a few days to think..

This is what I ended up doing:

The ground weft is a light gray wool yarn and the pattern weft is multiple strands of brown, red and purple yarns. I also altered the threading sequence to make this pattern – I like the way it looks – kind of old-fashioned. And Swedish.. 🙂
Take a closer look:

I would love to hear what you think! Does it look okay? (No, I will not show you my selvedges.. There is something to improve regarding those..)

Udgivet i 13/01/201413/01/2014 af Birthe P — 4 kommentarer

Weaving project started.

So, I’m off!
This morning I began weaving the first of the two (maybe three) rugs that I’ve set my loom up for. Have a quick look at this very beginning:

At the bottom you see the hem. This is to be folded and sewed – no fringe for any rugs in my house, because the vacuum cleaner robot chokes on it..!
On top of that is the rosepath patterned rug fabric. For the tabby ground weave I use a beautiful 2-ply yarn of gotland sheep wool. Dark bordeaux. I use 4 strands as one. Actually I have plyed and then cabled the yarns to make it easier to get an even tabby-weave.
The pattern yarns, on the other hand, are just laying side by side. There are 8 strands of yarn held together, all different qualities and fibers. Only “rule” is that the yarns for the pattern weave has to be white, natural, tan og grey.

There are many many pattern possibilities with rosepath, but this first rug is just gong to have this diamond pattern, all over. For the next one I might get a little more adventurous and play with the threadling sequence.. 🙂

Udgivet i 11/01/201413/01/2014 af Birthe P — Skriv en kommentar

Now: The Loom

I want to weave. Now.

It’s been much too long since I’ve done that, and my beautiful Finlandia Loom has been standing naked in my studio for more than 1 year. The latest items I wove on the Finlandia were two twill shawls. These beauties. Back in August ’12!
Yesterday I suddenly decided that it was time to dress the loom. I made a warp of cotton carpet yarn, for rugs.

I am going for a weave structure called Swedish Rosepath. It is woven on 4-shafts and ties up into a ground tabby and the rosepath pattern. 6 treadles. I have an idea of using grey wool yarn as the ground weft and several strands of left-over yarns for the pattern. Hope it will work out the way I envision it!
I really have enormous amounts of left-over yarns, whish makes this project look very usefull and practical – at least in my head. I can’t wait to weave a sample, so I better get going.. The loom is warped but I still have a lot of setting-up to do before I’m ready to go.