Also, weaving.

You would not know it from my blog posts but if you follow me on Instagram (knitncrochet), you'll know that I have been weaving. These Bronson Check Towels were made for a Christmas swap for the staff and teachers at my LYS, Stitch Your Art Out. The pattern came from an issue of Ashford's "The Wheel" magazine, which I found out about after seeing this in one of the rigid heddle forums on Ravelry.  This was a great pattern and a fun project; I would definitely make this again.  I bought double bobbin boat shuttles to do this project (the yarn was doubled) and they required a bit of a learning curve but were a worthwhile purchase.  I have done other projects winding the yarn doubled on a single bobbin and it was a challenge, as the two strands wound off unevenly.  More info on my Ravelry project page.  

Not only have I woven on my rigid heddle but also on a table loom!  My friend Meredith loaned me her Ashford 16 harness 24 inch table loom.

My first project, a 4 shaft disaster, has very little photographic evidence. 

This was to be a scarf and I made a rookie mistake--I threaded and beat it for plain weave but it was a twill pattern and should have been done at a closer sett. As I was weaving, I trusted that the gaps would sort of fill in. Nope.  It was a very holey scarf! Live and learn! Yarn was Cascade Ultra Pima in a 10 dent reed.

My second project on the table loom was a set of towels using 8 shafts.  This was Reversing Point Twill Flowers, draft here. This time I knew to change the sett and beat differently.  Still, I could not get the number of picks per inch that I should have, which was baffling.  I did some reading in Ravelry forums and some weavers said that if you are working on a smaller loom, like a table loom, you should sett it a bit looser if doing twill (can't remember if this only applies to reversing point or to all twill).  Yarn was Halcyon Yarn's Homestead 8/2 Cotton: 24 epi in a 12 dent reed. 

I made some errors on the threading (missed the eye of a heddle, skipped a heddle, accidentally threaded one dent with 4 instead of 2 threads).  I spent a lot of time learning how to fix my mistakes.  It was useful but not exactly fun.

My third project, no surprise here, towels again!  I warped the loom for 6 towels using reversing point twill.  Still with Homestead 8/2 Cotton but the sett is 20 epi and I can get a better, denser fabric. My first project is the Modified Starwork Dishtowel from Webs.  I saw this floating around on Ravelry and was dying to try it.  I finally got to the point with this project where threading the heddles and reed felt meditative and fun.  I wasn't sure that would ever happen so I was pleasantly surprised to have it happen so early on in my weaving career.  Happily, no threading errors (I learned from last time how to get better at checking for mistakes). I can't tell you how magical it felt to weave and see this pattern turn out! 

I'll do a couple of towels with the stars and then move on to 1-2 towels in hearts, possibly this draft.  After that, I will have the fun of picking out what the remaining 2 towel patterns will be.

The bottom side under the cloth beam (red dominant fabric) is what will actually be the "right side" of the fabric.

I am not sure what my next project will be.  There is a summer gamp weave along on Ravelry that I would love to join.  I also had plans to do a cotton/linen blend scarf in Juniper Moon Farm Zooey like this one by DewDropArts on Ravelry.

While visiting my mom in Michigan in May, I had the chance to drive to Heritage Spinning and Weaving to try out a Schacht Baby Wolf and a Louet David.  Both looms were really nice!  I fell in love with the David and am looking forward to having a floor loom in the near future.

And this is only the tip of the iceberg as far as my big plans for the summer, although ironically, my summer this year is incredibly busy.  Do you have big plans for your summer projects?