WARP: Direct warping with Mohair Boucle in lovely pinks. Thank you KD for your help and the use of your warping board! Pics 9-12. Color best in pics 3, 5, 7 and 8. Pic 6 shows a piece of paper inserted after the tie on’s on the front, this so I wouldn’t have to weave or deal with any ‘waste’.

NOTE: I need to mention that this mohair wasn’t very hairy and the boucle was not too big, the warp threads could pass by each other without brushing. That was the reason I tried, assiduously, to avoid abrasion, to make sure those hairs stayed on their threads and did not tangle or hook impossibly to each other.

WEFT: Mohair Boucle (pinks and purples) and Malabrigo (lighter pink) used as main wefts. Pic 7
Added the following for interest and fun…
Texture - Berroco Squiggles, squiggly yarn in pic 7.
Bling - Berroco Lazer FX (sequins): Pic 7 & 8

HEDDLE:#8 Heddle

NOTE: Trying out the TableMate (tilted) for use with the loom until my ordered Schacht ‘table’ arrives. Pics 13 & 14. Works very well! Spent most of my weaving time sitting at a dining table with the loom’s front edge in my lap, however.

31 March 2011: The weather was wildly stormy today, it was a really good day to weave. It went quite fast considering the Mohair Warp. The ‘hairy’ parts of the Squiggle were pulled out with a crochet hook on its rows, I wanted them on the ‘front’. The mohair weft I’d decided to use before I read this, is, using careful measures, proving to be a non issue, thank goodness(see “Things I Learned,” below). Actually, I’ve enjoyed the whole process very much.

I couldn’t resist using picture 6…it shows the old and the new, a TWiT.tv Tech News Today video podcast on the iPad, the Flip loom and add the cup of tea sitting out of photo range and I had everything! :D

1 April 2011: This is so exciting. Really. I’m crazy happy. I do hope nothing untoward happens when it comes off the loom.

3 April 2011: Off the loom at about 2AM! Cool -- it all seems good! Knotted the fringe in sets of four. It just needs a wash. I could not be happier with a first project! It is hard to capture the colors and look of this with a camera. Pic 1 & 2 are off the loom.

6 April 2011: THE BACK - Some people have asked for pics of the back side..see the last two, pics 15 & 16 just added. Apologies for the slight blurriness, the phonecam lens needed cleaning off.

SIZE
Before washing: 13 1/2” W x 70” L, not added into the length measurement is the 11” fringe at each end.

Things I Learned:
To take my time.

To avoid abrasion of the weft yarn -the Malabrigo is lightly spun and delicate- as well as the mohair warp, keep the shuttles side loaded lightly and slip the shuttles through at the widest opening.

I also avoided abrasion and hang up’s of the warp yarn by using the pick up stick in front of the heddle, moving it towards me, as if to beat, to make sure the shed was open and the warp hadn’t hung up on itself. Every now and then I ran the pick up stick through the open shed behind the heddle from right to left and then from the heddle up, towards the back beam, to make sure the warp threads were separated and running true.

Instead of multiple ‘beating’ (however lightly) with the heddle, I simply pressed once with the heddle, and used the pick up stick to beat in a bit more if I needed to on the alternate shed. Pic 17 is back-lit.

I also think this could have been more airy looking if I’d woven the weft even more lightly, so it was less dense looking. Holding it up and looking at the weave it looks pretty even, however and the selvedges look good to me. I liked the back too, with no Squiggle showing. This will be a great project for the BHG Evening Weavers (CO) to critique for me.

PS: After washing this has maintained it’s look, the squiggles look even better and the mohair has softened up. A total success. Last four pics.

CARE: Wash by soaking in a smallish plastic tub, in slightly warm water, with a touch of detergent. Lift shawl and while holding it out of the water (or put it down in the sink) fill tub with same temp water, let shawl down into it, move around lightly and then leave to soak. Repeat and drain water again for one more rinse. Put in zippered pillow cover and into washing machine on “spin” to spin excess water out. Do not wring this, do not handle roughly, to avoid any felting! Hang on hangers to dry, or lay flat on towels. Dried overnight. Last four pics.