I had just begun working on this table runner when my daughter brought me the "odd run" fabric from Ikea. I rushed to complete it so that I could work on the "odd run" fabric.
It's dark green monk's cloth and I used the same pattern I used on the last one, "Celestial Flare" by Christine Allan. I love all the possible color combinations you could use with this pattern and will use it again some time in the future. I used Caron's Party yarn in red sparkle and spring (medium green) sparkle.
I was going to wait until I worked on this fabric but worried Ikea might run out of them. My daughter washed and dried mine but I forgot to tell her to wash on gentle cycle so there was a lot of lint. Something else I'd suggest is to cut off the fringe before washing because I think that's where most of the lint came from.
Anyway, I was just thrilled when she brought it to me because, if it isn't actually monk's cloth, it's the nearest thing to it. I bought 2 but cut one of the throws into 3 pieces because I want them for runners. If I leave them as is, the runner will be extra long (I didn't measure but I think it's maybe half again as long as monk's cloth). I'll decide once I start working on it.
I paid $15 Cdn...they're $12.50 U.S...so each runner will have cost me $5.00 for the fabric. They come in very dark grey (almost black) and a slightly off-white. I have the dark grey and plan on using white and light grey yarn on the first one I do.
I have tons of fabric already so I'm not going to buy more of this but I advise all Swedish weavers to get on over to Ikea and buy some before they're gone. They are with all the other throws so not hard to find.
Update: I started working on it this morning and have discovered a flaw you need to be aware of. Monk's cloth is extremely forgiving when a strand is pulled out of shape but this fabric is not. I accidentally pulled a couple of floats and was unable to get them perfectly back in shape. I'll keep trying. The photo below shows how similar the fabric is to monk's cloth. The color is actually darker than the photo shows, though.
Shows knotted ends.
Super glue I used.
Ends cut back before applying super glue.
Runner left to dry overnight.
Completed table runner.
Hemmed ends...kind of bumpy.
I made a terrible mistake when I bought this beautiful yarn...and then bought 2 different colors which I have used. Patons Metallic is not for Swedish weaving. It's properties are so bad that I can't believe it can be used for any craft.
I don't like to waste anything so I proceeded to use my second color (burnished rose gold...but it looks more like mauve) on a table runner for myself. The finished product looks lovely but the underside finishing isn't up to par. The yarn ends fray in long strands so can't be used for fringe. Luckily, each end of the strand can be knotted and still slide through your fabric.
On my first project using this yarn, I burnt the finished ends before hemming the end of the runner. This time I decided to super glue those ends but wish I hadn't. First, I was very afraid of super glueing my fingers. Second, it took forever to dry completely. Third, it dried hard and I actually broke a sewing machine needle when I was hemming the ends of the runner.
Now for the good part...I used Christine Allan's "Celestial Flare" pattern which I absolutely love and can't wait to use again. The pattern was a little large for my fabric so I chose to close it up by one float between each pattern. I decided at the very end to change the final row to suit myself and realized I hadn't needed to close it up but it was done.
The runner is lovely and will go on my dining room table. I will never, ever use that yarn again, though.
I'm pretty sure I got that name right. A few people from the Swedish weaving groups I follow informed us about this throw. It strongly resembles monk's cloth and is sold at Ikea (14.99 in Canada). I don't have it with me at the moment because I gave it to my daughter to wash and dry for me so I don't know the measurements buts it appeared to be a full size bed throw.
It comes in 2 colors..very dark grey and an off white. I bought the grey. The fabric looks amazingly like monk's cloth but not quite as heavy so I'm really excited about getting it back from my daughter and weaving with it.
Monk's cloth has become very expensive so trying this out will be a fun experiment. Results to follow!
This is a perfectly beautiful table runner but one I'll never repeat because of the yarn I used. Unlike the photos, the yarn color is a rich variegated copper metallic and I just loved it when I bought it...but not after using it.
Paton's Metallic in the copper alloy colors doesn't weave particularly well...I had to pull out one row when the strand itself began to unravel. It definitely doesn't lock in well at the end of the row. I knew I couldn't use it as part of the fringe because of it's terrible unraveling so I wove the ends back in and actually tried to knot them to prevent further unraveling. It doesn't appear to be working so this runner will definitely have to be hand washed carefully.
Each strand is variegated in color and in thickness which makes for a beautifully textured design. And that's where the good part ends. I love the finished appearance but not the worry of future unraveling.
Unfortunately I bought 2 skeins of this yarn, the copper alloy and a gorgeous burnished rose gold that looks more like periwinkle to me. I guess I'll use it on a runner just because it's so pretty.
The pattern is Christine Allen's Cobblestone Way and I only changed the border to simplify it. I've used this pattern before and love it!
Update: Donna gave me a really good idea on how to secure the ends of this yarn. She suggested burning the ends so they wouldn't continue to unravel. I used to make floor mats with very thick ropey yarn and that's how we secured those ends. I haven't tried it yet but will take photos when I do. I'm actually getting ready to start a new table runner using the yarn (I was foolish enough to buy 2 skeins) so I sure hope burning the ends works!
Update: I cut off a piece of the yarn to burn the end...didn't want to start burning it on the skein in case it flared right through it...and it worked perfectly. For some reason I thought it might leave a glob on the ends but it looks very small and neat.
I was horrified to read that one of our Swedish weavers actually keeps track of how many hours (days, weeks, months!) it takes her to complete a Swedish weaving project. I have an approximate idea how long it takes me but I don't know exactly...and I don't want to know exactly because that might take the fun out of weaving. It doesn't matter one bit to me how long it takes when I'm making something for family or a friend but I try not to think about the hours I spend making an item to sell.
People who do crafts for sale will never get paid properly for their time and we accept that. We hopefully get our enjoyment out of creating...I know I do. I get further enjoyment out of seeing a stranger look at my work with admiration. Thankfully, the few pieces I sell are not an important part of my income or I'd starve.
It's been gratifying to me to find more Canadians who actually know what Swedish weaving is. Most have never heard of it because the supplies are atrociously expensive in Canada and that's why I buy most of mine in the States.
My hint for today, though, is for weavers to put to the back of their minds how long it takes them to complete a project. Just weave and enjoy!
I discovered this yarn by accident while shopping at "Len's Mill Store (not sure if this chain is only in Ontario). I bought it and a lovely plain lilac color because I loved the sheen. I found out quickly that it unravels on the ends just like the Simply Soft Party so I knotted it in the same way and was happy to see that it slipped through the floats easily.
Unfortunately, one of the stands began to unravel right in the middle of a row so I had to remove it and start again. This means I won't buy this yarn again. It's pretty but too unstable. The yarn is a beautiful variegated rust color called copper alloy and is also variegated thicknesses along each strand. I love the effect and hope it doesn't cause me too much trouble finishing my project.
Another problem arose at the end of each row where I normally weave the ends back into the runner or leave them as part of the fringe. Because this yarn unravels in a sort of ugly way, I chose to weave it back in but then wasn't sure how to end it. I had to knot 2 pieces together to feel safe that it won't unravel during normal washing. Again, it's beautiful but not suitable for me to buy again.
