4 Placemats Done

It didn't take long to finish all 4 placemats and I'm happy with the way they turned out.  I ended up removing some of the stitching from the first placemat because I wasn't happy with spacing but we should always do this if we're not pleased with the way our project is turning out.  It took me just a short while to redo it and make it even nicer so it was well worth the trouble.

Now on to the next project!

One Place Mat Done

It always feels good to be started on a new project even if it's a small one like these place mats.  I prepared them over a month ago and even took them to Florida to work on but brought them back home untouched.

Yesterday Faye, Donna, and I started back to our Tuesday afternoon Swedish weaving get-together and I got back in the game.  I'm only doing an easy design on these place mats because they'll be for sale at a craft show so I don't want to put too much time into them.

The fabric was cut to size from some of my ecru remnants (always save your remnants!) and I used a pretty variegated yarn in soft pinks, blues, greens, and creams.  I finished one yesterday and now have 3 more to go.  No rush, though!

When we were in Florida, I cleaned my trailer out of a few more things and one of them was a stash of monks cloth.  There were 2 large pieces of red so I think that will be my next project...Christmas runners.  I'm not ready to get back into doing a full afghan yet but probably will do a few smaller lap afghans once I've had my fill of Christmas runners.

Speaking of Florida, I was sad to learn that no-one carried on with our Thursday morning Swedish weaving get-togethers because I wasn't there.  I guess I was the catalyst that drew the weavers together and that's too bad.  I never thought of myself as the leader, just showed up at the clubhouse at 9 A.M. and did some weaving until the rest of the group arrived.  Maybe it just takes one person to start but not necessarily to lead...everyone in the group was just as good or better than me at the craft.  I'm hoping my health issues will allow me to spend next winter in Florida and it will be interesting to see if we can form our group again.

Now I'm just happy to have a project on the go, one I can pick up at will and work on for as long as I wish.

Getting Ready

I haven't started a new project since I finished Nick and Bev's afghan but I do have something prepared and ready to go.  I'd noticed that a few people at the craft shows asked if I had any place mats but that isn't something I normally do.  And so I pulled out some of my smaller remnants and prepared 4 of them to complete as placemats.  They sit in the bag along with half a dozen different colors of yarn until I can decide which colors to use.

I was away in Florida for a month, along with the supplies for the placemats, but got busy with so many other things that I never started.  Since I got home, I've been doing spring housecleaning and taking care of other business so I've really got to get moving on those place mats.

Swedish weaving is so forgiving of time and space because it's something that sits unobtrusively until you're ready to work on it.  When I compare that to the quilting I used to do (and still hope to do), Swedish weaving is the perfect craft for someone who just wants to pick it up occasionally to work on it.

That all said, I have been sorely missing the feeling of satisfaction as my project is being created so it's time for me to get back at it!

Nick and Bev's Afghan

I wasn't sure I'd enjoy working on this afghan because of the subdued colors but they look so good together that I ended up liking it a lot.  It's for my grandson, Nick, and his fiance, Bev, and the colors in their home dictated that I couldn't use vibrant colors.  The monks cloth is white and the yarns are charcoal, grey, and teal which look subdued but lovely together.  I added teal fringe along the white fringe on each end, too, which I think looks very nice.

The border patterns I used were chosen at random as long as their main points lined up.  This is how I like to create a completely unique design for all of my projects.

I guess it took me about two months to complete this afghan and I know it took one whole day to do the fringe alone.  A lot of love was woven into it and I hope this precious couple can feel that when they cuddle up with it.   

Choosing Patterns

A lot of people ask me what pattern I used for a project and I have to tell them that I now prefer to mix and match patterns according to my whims.  I simply make sure that the main points of any pattern match up with whatever I started out with.

There seems to be a progression of process in the craft of Swedish weaving where the novice starts out with a basic pattern to complete their project.  This is the wisest way to begin.  Even though everyone discovers that Swedish weaving is not nearly as difficult to do as we first thought, beginning with the basics is where we really learn how to do it.  From learning the basics, we can very easily go on to "doing it our own way".

I like to think I'm pretty experienced but one thing I have not been able to master is how to weave letters, numbers, or pictures, and that is on my to-do list for the future.  I tried once and failed miserably and have been unwilling to try again but that will change!

Novice Swedish weavers will already have discovered how expensive the pattern books are but you can get by with just a few of them if you do as I do and mix and match.  Every project will be totally unique and never seen anywhere else.  I like this!

We also learn from our mistakes.  Last year I decided to make a large quantity of Christmas runners for a craft show I attend.  I foolishly bought the cheapest red and green yarns I could find because I knew I probably wouldn't use them for anything but Christmas runners.  Visually they looked fine but they weren't fun to work with.  I enjoy working mainly with "Simply Soft" but there are other good ones, too.  I guess my point is to use your time to your benefit and buy the yarns you enjoy working with.

I'm still working on the afghan for my grandson and his fiance.  She was just the girlfriend when I started it a few months ago but they made the big commitment on New Years Eve.  We are all thrilled with his excellent choice of a life partner!

Well, I hope we Swedish weavers make lots of beautiful creations in 2017 and I hope many more novices join us. 

Started Nick and Bev's Afghan

I started Nick and Bev's afghan a couple of days ago and sort of chose the patterns as I went along.  I love to mix and match and alter to suit my purpose so I'm not sure if I'm finished adding a pattern yet.  What you see so far will be repeated until the afghan is finished.

I chose a white monks cloth with teal, dark charcoal, and medium grey yarn because the colors in their home are fairly muted.  The one major difference is a huge picture of a teal flower which sits above the sofa in the family room.  That is where the afghan will live.

I was a little concerned that the teal color might not show up enough against the greys but it seems to fit in just fine.

I enjoy making an afghan with the recipient in mind because I weave a lot of love into it.  I hope they feel that love as they cuddle in it this winter.

Making a Border Design

I made this little placemat for my make-up table, using ecru monks cloth and a burgundy yarn.  You can make perfect corners if you count the floats carefully but I chose to make do with a piece of cloth I already had prepared so my corners are not perfect.  This was a larger piece of fabric that I cut in half and that's why the fringe on one side has been laundered and the other side won't be as soft until it's washed again.