Top-of-the-Waves Tuesday...

...and a finished object!

This is Friendship Star:

Specs:
Started 4/10/16
Finished 5/30/16
Friendship Star kit by Laura J. Perin

It was very satisfying to stitch one of her more straight-forward pieces. I still have a bad taste in my mouth from Tucson Twilight. It might take me quite a while to get back to that piece.

Originally my weekend plan was to weave as much as I could. I assembled my bench and attached the Baby Wolf trap. I tried out a few picks of weaving and decided that this new setup would work well.

Before sitting down to what I hoped was several hours of weaving, I knew that I had to clean up my studio. I put away the items that had been pulled out to save them from rain damage and didsome general straightening up. Much better!  I still don't have a clear plan about where to store my loom when it's not in use, but I'm not going to worry about it anymore.

As I was putting away the skirt and top patterns (from the outfit I made), I remembered that I had wanted to make new covers for the mixer and food processor. I don't have enough room in the kitchen cabinets to store them, so they must sit out all the time. The last covers I made for them were at least 10 years old. It was time for new ones.

So rather than weave, I did a fabric stash dive and cut out two covers. I machine-quilted the pieces before assembly. I made them sort-of reversible by making and sewing on matching seam binding for one side. The mixer is the taller of the two, so I made matching seam binding for the bottom edge. The food processor has a more traditional seam. They are done and in place. I haven't taken photos yet.

When I finally got back to weaving, I looked over what I had already done. I did about an inch of the first 2x2 twill in the book, a few picks of plain weave and then a few repeats of the second twill using the same tie-up. Hmmm. I couldn't really see the definition on either pattern. I think is a function of the yarn (10/2 cotton), the sett (10 epi), and the color.  I chalk it up to being eager to start and choosing what I had on hand.

I decided to live with it for now and started weaving. A couple of picks in and I noticed some fraying on the right selvedge. Oh, cr@p! It was just frayed, there were at least two threads broken, and they had broken a few picks down and had pulled out of the fabric. Argg!

I walked away for a while to think about what my next steps would be. I knew that I could repair the broken threads--I've done that plenty on the rigid heddle loom. Given that I had only woven a total of 4 inches on a sampler project of my own design (read: winging it) and the fact that I couldn't really see the pattern, I decided to rewarp the loom in a different, larger yarn that had more contrasting colors.

So I need to stash dive to see whether I have something more appropriate for the 10-dent reed. If not, I'll have to buy something. ;-o

Yeah, just a little bummed.
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