Back on the Bench

Many other fibrey pursuits pulled me away for awhile, but I'm back on the bench again. The weaving bench that is.

Travelling Inlay

I purchased a studio wound vibrant green warp from a friend a while back and it is finally having its turn on the loom. The warp is 6m long, 245 threads, and mostly 5/2 and 3/2 cotton, but with one fifth of it being a single ply of a yarn called "silk cloud". I was a little concerned at first when, within the first few inches of weaving, I had one of those singles break, but I repaired it and have been weaving along with no further issues. 

Ribbon Insertion

I'm really enjoying weaving this warp and that enjoyment is translating into a very fast weave! I'm almost half done. 

In my usual style it is a real mixed bag of weaving techniques. Though I've stuck with (almost) all cotton as my weft the colours are being laid in randomly. I'm using numerous shades of green and ranging into teals and bluegreens. Much of it is stash generously donated by another weaver. It was in small bits and bobs that had been left on the cardboard cores weaving cotton comes on. 

 

In these final few photos you see the progression of a section of Sakiori.

A small piece of fabric chosen for it's vibrant colour, with no concern for the actual print, since it won't show.

The fabric was then torn into random (unmeasured) narrow strips. 

And then woven into the warp interspersed with several shots of the weaving cotton weft. 

My intent is just to use the fabric strips as accents in the weaving, not to create the densely woven fabric usually associated with Sakiori by inserting fabric strips with very little weft thread in between.

More of this warp yet to come. I think in the end it may be made into a jacket or vest.