Just A Note

One of the ladies in our Swedish weaving group came to me with a problem.  She couldn't center one of her patterns and couldn't understand why.  I looked it over and also couldn't find the cause...this irritated me no end because I knew it must be staring me in the face but I couldn't see it.

We tried for a while until I got fed up with it and suggested she bring it to our next get-together so we could have some of the other weavers look at it.  She did and, sure enough, one of the ladies solved the problem.

This is the value of joining a Swedish weaving club.  What one person can't solve, another one can.  We also learn new techniques from each other to further our craft.

I've been kind of lazy this winter and haven't put in much time on my own project.  I took time out to learn how to make infant toques on a little plastic loom I found at Joann's Fabrics.  It's nice to have these little projects to occasionally turn to because making a Swedish weaving afghan is a lengthy process.

Swedish weaving is still my craft of choice and I do enjoy it more than any other but my Florida winters don't leave me a lot of time to spend on it.  I do more Swedish weaving when I'm back home in Canada for the summer.

I'm sure the afghan I'm presently working on will be finished quickly once I get back home but, for now, the Florida sunshine and warmth offers more interesting choices for me to do.

Angie, Sandy, and Betty

It's early days in the park so our Swedish weaving group is small.  It will grow in January when most of the residents return for the winter.

Angie is working on a dark green fabric that we know will be hard on her eyes but it will look gorgeous when it's done.  Sandy just started Swedish weaving last year and is doing a lovely job on her afghan.  Betty is also new at it and also doing a great job.  It's such a pleasure to see even new Swedish weavers created a thing of beauty.

Note:  Betty coils the strands of yarn she's not working on (opposite side) and clips them together so they don't trail all over as she's doing the other side.  I hadn't seen this done before and now will do that myself.

Table Runner In Progress

This is a table runner I'm working on.  I still haven't finished the afghan but felt I needed a small project for a short while.

I'm using a dark navy monks cloth and a variegated plus a solid yarn.  The solid color is close but not perfect match to one of the colors in the variegated but it doesn't really matter.  I really like the subtle colors on the navy cloth, too.

I often switch from working on a large afghan to putting in a few days on a simple table runner.

This happens to be a little larger width of cloth than I usually choose for a table runner but, when I'm finished, I'll simply cut it back a bit. 

Pattern Completed

I've completed the pattern and will continue with it all the way to the finish.  I like it as I like every Swedish weaving piece but it's a little too pastel for me to really love.  Already I'm planning my next afghan which will be for my grandson and it will be in stronger colors.

I'm not making this as a baby blanket but think the colors and pattern would be perfect for one.

Just a note:  One section of the pattern is done with a variegate yarn that I originally thought held all of the solid colors I'm using but it's not exactly the same.  Regardless, it's staying in the afghan and doesn't appear to be clashing with them.

New Project

So here I go with my new project.  I have 2 other colors I might add to it but I often like to make my decisions as I go along, trying out and either keeping or discarding.

The pattern is called "Blue Ridge Mountains" from an Avery Hill book and you'll notice that I've printed out the pattern and put it into a clear plastic sleeve.  I've found that this helps keep our pattern books from falling apart with use.  The books are awfully expensive (overpriced, I think) but I reuse the patterns or parts of them over and over so I guess I get my money's worth out of them.

It will take me months to finish this because I don't work on it every day and sometimes only pick up my monk's cloth for a few hours or a few minutes at a time.  That's one of the beauties of Swedish weaving.  Unlike quilting, you can opt to work on your project for really short periods of time if you wish.

A while back I realized that I was ending up with too many odd colors of yarn because I would buy 1 or 2 at a time that looked interesting to me.  Then I got smart and started to buy my yarn in groups of 3 or 4 that blended well together and I would keep them stored as a grouping.  When I began this project I looked through my stash and found the yarns I'm using now...it was so easy!

Well, off I go and I'll post a photo of the finished project when I get it done!

Swedish Weaving Table Runner

This is a table runner that took me most of 2 days to finish.  Only people who do Swedish weaving understand how long it takes to complete a project and, when we sell one, we can never be paid enough to make it profitable.  I get my enjoyment from doing the work and seeing the completed project.

The fabric is a light sage monks cloth (my photos haven't captured the true color) and the yarn is Simply Soft deep salmon, light salmon, and medium yellow.  I used part of the "Musical Melodies" pattern on page 89 of Avery Hill's "The How To Book of Swedish Weaving and Huck Embroidery.  I use this book a lot and often alter the pattern to serve my purpose.

By the way, you can use huck embroidery patterns for your Swedish weaving.

I also prefer shorter fringe on a table runner as opposed to the longer fringe on an afghan but everyone should use their own judgement and do what appeals to them.

Small Project

Every so often I pull out one of my remnants and just do a small project of Swedish weaving.  I had this piece of turquoise monks cloth that I'd cut off another piece of prepared fabric, not quite square at 15 1/2" x 17 1/2", and decided to finish the ends...you'll notice one side of fringe is different from the other because it was originally washed and dried before I recut it.

I used a variegated purple yarn and did a very simple border, improvising at the corners because the piece wasn't square.

It will make a nice doily for under a plant or vase.

Since I just finished a full afghan today, I will take a few days to decide on the fabric and yarn colors for my next project.