The January 2016 NYGH meeting was abuzz with excitement! We had a full house to see Peggy Hart discuss how to design a blanket. We had many new faces in the crowd. Welcome!
She brought terrific examples and a fascinating progression of woven samples showing her evolution to final design for a blanket. She starts with color sketches, structure ideas and weaves small samples on warps as short as 42 inches long (incl. loom waste) and narrow, some 6-8" wide. She documents dimensions, washes, remeasures and then calculates the amount of takeup and shrinkage to aid in the decisions for the final throw. The samples also advise on the hand of the fabric, and determine if more sampling is required to reach desired effects. The main message... PLAN, SAMPLE, SAMPLE, SAMPLE. Stay tuned for more info on SAMPLING....
Tips:
a throw (48x72) should weigh about 2.5 lbs.combine drafts
Do NOT use a detergent to wash. Suggestion: Biopac
for sticky warps, try hairspray
it's really okay to weave blankets in strips on smaller looms and join them together, either by hand or with a wide zig-zag
Some of her fiber sources:
Cotton:
4/2 Earth Guild
Mercerized 3/2 UKI - Yarn Barn of Kansas
Wool:
Brown Sheep from WooleryBartlett Yarns, Maine
Green Mt. Spinnery, Vermont
Jaggerspun, Maine
Photos courtesy: Sally Orgren
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