This is honestly the last table runner I'll make until I get to Florida in January. We're having a baby shower for my granddaughter this month and we know she's having a little boy so I just had to do it! I don't think she really likes my Swedish weaving but she can pass it on if she wants to...once a gift is given, it's their's to choose how to use it. Anyway, I just wanted to make this for my new baby!
The monk's cloth is a medium blue and the yarn is Caron's Simply Soft "spring brook", a lovely variegated that I managed to find. The center pattern is completely one I designed myself and the sailboat pattern is one I copied from someone's project. There is a lot of overlapping in the rows but it turns out well and doesn't look lumpy at all.
I love this and hope my granddaughter can use it as a dresser scarf in the baby's room but it's up to her. I just enjoyed making it!
I love this one and wish I had a little girl to give it to. It's Christine Allan's pattern, "Pine Ridge" but I did add another couple of rows inside the diamond. It didn't need it but there was a slight flaw in the fabric that I wanted to cover. The yarns used were Caron's Simply Soft in orchid and Red Heart Soft in plummy. I just love this Red Heart yarn color and I'm so sad I could only find the one skein.
Just a note: I like working with variegated yarns but only buy one that has short (approximately 4") color lengths. The colors blend so more easier when the color lengths are short like this. When using variegated yarn with long (sometimes 12"+) lengths of color, it seems to end up looking like blocks of the same color as you add rows to your project.
I never worry about producing too many pieces of Swedish weaving because I get so much enjoyment out of making them. If they don't sell at the craft show this month, I can always donate them or give them away. In any case, I'll just continue making them and enjoying the process and the finished project.
I've been doing a lot of black and grey lately so I decided to just grab up a few colors and make up a simple pattern for the top table runner. I used scrap pieces so I don't know their origin but it's done on beige monk's cloth and looks kind of retro to me because of the colors.
The bottom one is Christine Allan's pattern, "Moon Shadow" but I reversed the pattern, using the original center for my border and the border design for my center. I added a bit to the center, also. This is a very easy pattern and I'll use it when teaching a new pupil. The yarn is Caron's Simply Soft in bone. Another thing I really like is tone on tone like this.
The booklet I used is Christine Allan's "Christmas Patterns" and it was gifted to me by my lifelong friend, Donna, who passed away in July. This particular booklet is filled with really good patterns but, because it was Donna's, it will always hold a special place in my heart.
These are two more table runners and it really never ceases to amaze me how much I love the looks of every one I see...even if it's made by someone else.
The first one is from one of the borders shown on "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" by Avery Hill. I often pick just one part of a pattern and use it as the main focus on table runners. The yarns used were Caron's Simply Soft Party in charcoal heather and Paton's pale grey mix and medium grey mix.
The second one is my own pattern using Loops and Threads in fern and Caron's Simply Soft in charcoal heather. I really love creating the pattern as I go, starting in the center and then building on it but I do wish I was able to do that with more complex patterns, too.
I still have a lot of older stock of monk's cloth but I recently was gifted some from my friend who passed away and it's the new stock with the weird salvedge. It's one that just can't be rolled over and sewn down to complete the edge so it has to be fringed. I don't like it at all. Thank heavens I still have enough old stock to last me the rest of my life and beyond. LOL!
The pattern is "Celtic Cross" by Christine Allan. It is on white monk's cloth and I used Caron's Simply Soft yarn in black and Paton's yarn in medium grey mix. For once I followed the pattern exactly because it was just perfect the way it was.
I really liked this pattern and will probably use it again in the near future. I'd like to do it in greens.
I'm never bored because I keep myself busy but I sometimes wonder what I'd do with my time if I didn't do Swedish weaving. It's so relaxing and satisfying that I sometimes put in many more hours than I plan.
The top photo is a full length table runner in white monk's cloth and using Christine Allan's "Serenity" pattern. I used Caron's Simply Soft Party yarns in spring sparkle and red sparkle and also a Red Heart yarn that is a variegate green.
The first placemat was done simply in rows of Red Heart Soft yarns in plummy on Ikea blanket cloth. Working on such a dark color is very hard on my eyes so I opted to do straight rows around the border.
The second placemat was done using Red Heart Soft yarn in waterscape on the grey/black Ikea cloth. It is a great buy for doing Swedish weaving...very inexpensive and just a tiny bit flimsier than the monk's cloth. It only comes in the grey/black and a very light beige, though.
I only do one craft show a year to sell my items and I'm pretty happy with what I've accomplished over the summer and fall. The craft show I do is at the senior center and we really get a lot of customers passing through. I enjoy talking to people and I always have a little freebee yarn necklace to give to the little girls who come by.
I'm going to make one more comment about Christine Allan's patterns. She is very talented at designing them and the diagrams are almost always super simple to follow. Anything that gives me a bit of trouble just becomes a unique pattern with my own spin on it.
I think all (or almost all) of anything done with Swedish weaving is gorgeous. It doesn't seem to matter what pattern or yarn choices are made, the end product is simply beautiful...in my eyes anyway.
I prefer to work with colors but I gave in to the fact that so many people are decorating their homes in shades of grey and have started making a few table runners in greys. They turn out just as gorgeous as their brightly colored cousins.
My daughter confiscated the last table runner I'd made in grey so I quickly made another one and I think this is even prettier than the last one...hope she doesn't grab this one up, too! It's on white monk's cloth and I used Caron's Simply Soft Party in black sparkle, Caron's Simply Soft grey heather, and Paton's pale grey mix (this isn't a variegated so I don't know why the name). The pattern is Christine Allan's "Cobblestone Way" which I reduced to fit the runner.
I think it's beautiful but, then, aren't they all? LOL!
I've decided to stop trying to get decent photos of full length table runners because my camera doesn't show enough detail so now the photos will be of the runner folded in half.
The first runner is Christine Allan's "Flickering Flakes" but I had to eliminate the full pattern due to the width of the runner. It is on white monk's cloth and I used Red Heart yarn in "lavender" and Caron's Simply Soft Party in grey. The grey is quite subtle but does look pretty with the lavender.
The second one is Avery Hill's "diamonds are a girl's best friend" and one I was surprised I'd never done before. I like it a lot! It's on white monk's cloth using Caron's Simply Soft yarns in grey heather and charcoal heather which go beautifully together.
I only make table runners any more because making afghans just takes too long. I've made many and given them away to family but I've found that they don't sell well at craft shows because of the high price. Most of the patterns I use can be extended to make afghans...many are actually for afghans but I alter them for use in the table runners. The possibilities are endless with these patterns. All you need is a bit of imagination.
These are 2 of my latest table runners.
The first one is one of my very favorite patterns, "Paper Dolls" by Christine Allan. It looks far more difficult that it really is. I used ecru monk's cloth and a variety of yarns for this one...Red Heart "painted desert", Phentex "tawny", and Caron's Simply Soft "bone" for my own little design in the center. I try to add something of just my own imagination to every piece I do so that it is truly unique.
The second one is my own design of different diamonds (I can't design whole patterns very well but I do have fun mixing up the diamonds). It's also on ecru monk's cloth and I used a variegated green of some no-name yarn I had in my stash.
Just a note: I started out trying to do just a border with "Paper Dolls" but couldn't get it to look right so I took it all apart and started over. I like to be completely happy with my finished work and it's better to take it apart when it isn't working out.
This has never happened before but the last batch of monk's cloth that I attempted to shrink in a hot water wash failed to shrink a couple of the pieces. I use a washer at my apartment building and am only able to set it for hot wash/regular cycle until the tub is almost full. Then I have to reset it for gentle cycle which only works with cold water so the top part of the tub ends up with a few inches of cold water. I'm assuming this is why a couple of pieces (out of 12) didn't shrink properly. I can't reset it after the wash has started in the original setting.
What I plan to do is soak them in hot water in my sink while I'm doing a regular wash in the washing machine and then put them in a hot dryer with the rest of my laundry. I'm hoping this will shrink the fabric properly.
These are 2 Christmas table runners I just finished, one I love and one I don't like because I misread the pattern.
The first one (I don't like) is Terrice Beasley's "Let's be Merry" using Caron's Simply Soft yarns in Spring Sparkle and Red Sparkle. I stupidly misread the pattern and doubled it in size so it looks awkward to me. I don't know why I didn't just stop as soon as I noticed and correct it but it was a big mistake.
The second one is Avery Hill's "Stained Glass" using Caron's Simply Soft yarn in Red Sparkle and Red Heart variegated yarn in green tones. I really like this one and will do the pattern again.
I had to do some adjustments to the patterns on both runners in order to fit them into the required size.
Something all of us weavers know and should abide by is to do our corrections as soon as possible or we might end up with something we can't live with...like table runner #1.
It drives me crazy how I can't get my photos to show the right colors. While I have all the patience in the world weaving the pattern into the fabric, I have no patience when taking photos. Anyway, the fabric is not purple but a lovely deep burgundy. The yarns used are Caron's Simply Soft Party in Spring Sparkle and Black Sparkle. The pattern used is Christine Allan's "Cotton Candy" but altered to suit my purpose.
I happen to love this particular table runner, maybe because it took forever to finish but also because of the colors...they really do look Christmas festive in real life!
I sell my pieces at relatively low prices at the one venue in December so I don't like to put as many hours into them as I did on this one. This isn't an actual business for me but a way to continue having the pleasure of weaving while still making a bit of money. I probably give away more items than I sell but that's okay with me.
I altered the pattern (which is beautiful in it's own right) by filling in the spaces. I felt it needed to be fleshed out a bit and I like the way it turned out.
I have 2 more Christmas table runners all finished but the photos were absolutely horrible so I'll try again tomorrow when I might have more patience. LOL!
I don't know if others are like me and change ideas on the pattern as they go along weaving. Nothing is ever set until I'm at least 1/4 way through because I just might pull it all out, part of it, or add to it. I guess it's my artistic bent that comes through as I'm weaving that tells me it will look better if I just alter it a bit. I'm usually right, too.
Right now I'm making a Xmas table runner on a piece of burgundy monk's cloth. My plan was to start the pattern with a metallic green and then add in a metallic white but it didn't look quite right so I took the white out. I did some shopping looking for a different shade of green that would look nice as a contrast but couldn't find what I had in mind. I did find a metallic black that I took a chance on and it's perfect...in my eyes, anyway. Where the original idea was for the runner to look Xmasy, it now looks quite elegant as it's being worked up.
Part of my fun in Swedish weaving has always been in altering an existing pattern and making it unique. I've said that I don't have the talent to create my own designs from scratch although I have done a few I'm happy with. I'm content with more or less following the beautiful patterns that the true artists have created and maybe nudging them a bit.
I'm not sure I'll have this latest runner finished before I leave for my family reunion on Thursday but I do plan to take some work with me just in case I have a quiet moment or two to do some weaving. It's my pastime and my peaceful time.
I really should iron these runners before taking the photos but I get too impatient. I will iron them when I attach the iron-on labels.
The first one I'm going to keep for myself so I did a bit more work on it than I usually do. It's Jeanne Tams "Garden Path" done with Caron's Simply Soft yarn in bone on white monk's cloth. The lattice is something I worked out on my own. I love the shade of this yarn and refer to it as golden beige because that's what it looks like to me. I think it looks very elegant on the white fabric but I plan to try it on the ecru at some time, too.
The second one is Jeanne Tams "Hither and Thither" using Caron's Simply Soft yarns in "persimmon" and "sunshine" on white monk's cloth. Try as I could, I wasn't able to get decent pictures showing the lovely colors here. It's much more colorful than the photo shows.
Both of these patterns were fairly easy to do but the "Garden Path" was my favorite. It's going on my diningroom table just as soon as I do the ironing!
I love the looks of this pattern but the name "Butter Cups" doesn't seem to suit it. It's a pattern by Jeanne Tams and I used a very soft blue monk's cloth (sorry how dark it looks in the photo) and Caron's Simply Soft yarn in a lovely variegated "peacock feather".
The center is kind of time consuming but it isn't a difficult pattern to follow. I did alter it a bit for my purpose.
Remember when you're using variegated yarn to find one with short (4") runs of colors so that you don't get large blocks of the same color in one spot.
I went looking in my stash of already prepped pieces of monk's cloth and saw this dark green one and decided to do something Christmasy with it. "Holiday Traditions" is in the little booklet "Monk's Cloth Afghans For Christmas" and one I probably haven't done for quite a while.
I started out with a green with sparkle remnant yarn so I don't know the name and also Caron Simply Soft Party in red sparkle. I was going to add in a white sparkle to the pattern but it didn't look right so I stuck with just the green and red.
The pattern is super easy to follow and one I'd use to teach newbies. I honestly just had wanted to play around with the piece but it turned out so pretty that I almost decided to keep it for myself. Then I remembered the ultra valuable 1 yard of red monk's cloth I bought just before it became impossible to find and that is what I'll make up for myself so the green one will be sold.
If anyone has any red monk's cloth you should include it's tremendous value in your home insurance in case of loss or damage. LOL!
I just spent almost 2 full days preparing 18 future table runners and, after they've been worked on, there will be further finishing time. No crafter considers the time it takes to produce an item for sale because we will never, ever be paid for that full time. Crafters create because we gain our satisfaction from creating.
I remember a lady at a flea market telling me how people complained about paying $1 for one of her dishcloths. I knew that the yarn itself cost her $1 but I understood why she kept on making them...for her own satisfaction!
Yes, the prep time is annoying but it's so much fun to watch your creation come to life as you weave on it. Just don't try to earn a living with it!
Project #1 was done after I made 3 white and grey table runners and needed to work with some color. The monk's cloth is Potato and I used Avery Hill's "Picots and Diamonds" for the pattern. Bernat Satin "Rose Garden" and Caron's Simply Soft "Bone" were the yarns.
The bottom table runner was a little larger remnant that I had so I just worked with it instead of cutting it back. The pattern is Jeanne Tams "Marquis Pillow" and I used Caron's Simply Soft "Peacock Feather" for the yarn on ecru monk's cloth. I never worry about what the original pattern was intended for (a pillow) but just adapt it for whatever I'm making myself.
I just checked my stash of fabrics and realized I had only one piece of white left that has been preshrunk so I'll spend a few hours now preparing the large pieces of white...stitching and shrinking.
I pulled these out yesterday and decided to make sure they were evenly cut and was sort of shocked to see they weren't so I had to trim all the ends. I know I bought these at Joann's Fabrics a few months ago but I do have a vague memory of taking the whole piece instead of having them cut the yardage. Someone there does not know how to cut monk's cloth because I ended up losing a good half yard by straightening the ends.
I don't know if all our Swedish weavers know that they can buy pre-cut and packaged pieces of white or ecru monk's cloth at Joann's Fabrics. It can be found at the back of the store near the yarns and I buy it with my discount coupons only. It is by far the cheapest way to buy monk's cloth any more...the packages all have 2 1/2 yards of fabric, too.
I sure wish my colors would show up more realistically in these photos but it is what it is.
The first one is Jeanne Tam's "Pumpkin Patch" but with my version for the border. The monk's cloth is ecru and I used Red Heart "Aspen" which is a lovely variegated for the weaving.
The second one was actually done on sage monk's cloth and the pattern is Jeanette Coffin's "Grenada Design". I wanted something very soft for this one so I did the weaving with Caron's Simply Soft Party in "Snow Sparkle".
I love using variegated yarns for my projects but I only use ones where the length of each color is no longer than about 4". This way I don't get large blocks of one color in the pattern. You can't eliminate all of these single color blocks but it's preferable to have only 2 rows where the blocks line up. Rarely do I get 3 rows but, even then, they won't line up perfectly.
I just finished using this yarn for a project and will post photos soon.
