I painted a warp for the first time a few months back as part of our groups Something New Challenge. The warp is a fine wool, sett at 36epi and threaded in a combination of straight and advancing twill, and I wound sufficient length for two scarves.
For the weft of the first scarf, I used some fine Toorallie wool yarns from my stash – I didn’t have exactly the right colours, though, so it was definitely an experiment and learning experience. Because the weft yarns were finer than the warp, I used two strands and could therefore mix colours to assist with the shading from one to the next. Although the greens in the middle of the scarf came out beautifully, with the shading progressing without lines, it’s not so smooth in other areas – partly due to my limited choice of colours to use, and partly to using two picks at a time of each colour when changing, instead of one alternating.
However, I’m quite happy with the result of the first scarf, as it was quite an adventure for me, and I’m looking forward to weaving the second. In the stash sorting the other day, I came across a couple more shades of fine wool yarn, and I have dyed a small skein of yarn to a dark mauve, so I will have more colours to blend, as well as the knowledge of alternating single picks for a couple more pattern repeats for each colour change.
Hi Bronwyn,
Your scarf looks just stupendous! Congratulations!
It must have been quite a challenge, and quite a bit of fun, to pick those wefts so the warp painting would be well used, and you sure succeeded. And one can imagine how great this fabric must feel. I’ll be looking forward to your other postings 🙂
Also… I too work in distance ed.
Thanks for visiting, Celine! (I MUST find out how to type accents)
Yes, the fine wool has a nice soft feel to it. The second scarf is progressing, and so far the colour-blending is a bit smoother, due to the extra colours I found.
Amazing that you work in DE, too 🙂 Are you in France? A colleague and I have put in a paper proposal for the EPAL conference in Grenoble in June although it’s likely only he will go, as I’m hopefully going to the US in July. Mind you, if I can do both, I will!!
Hi Bronwyn,
I am in Montreal, Canada. I used to go every year for some conference or other in Europe while in a research lab doing my Ph.D. Now, I work mostly contracts, lots of which are with community organisation. This means much less money for traveling (though I went to Iqaluit up north in December), but I like it a lot.
I remember a Researcher visiting from Australia, but I have yet to retrieve her name or what U she was working with.
Hope you get a chance to go to these conferences 🙂