Pinky Promise

After a series of calming color ways, I felt it was time for an infusion of happy excitement! A long time in the works, this project has come together precisely at the time of year when I need a little boost. The joyful yarns will bring warmth and brightness to my chilly studio in the days ahead. The warp combines lipstick reds and reddish oranges with plummy purples, transitioning through corals and pinks with highlights of tangerine and light peach. It is comprised entirely of my favorite fluffy cottolin. For the weave, I chose the same draft I previously used for the Darwaza Serrure 1. It results in a dense, thick weave that is lush and cushy with a subtle geometric interest.

A new weave and warp fiber combination, I chose to sample it at full-scale before opening this up to semi-custom spots. I am really loving the results and am happy to make the rest of the warp available now!

The sample wrap was woven with a very special hand-dyed merino/silk weft. I have chosen several colorways dyed by the incredibly talented Brenda of Phydeaux Designs that pair wonderfully with this warp. I think you will appreciate the artistry of her yarns. She has a remarkable eye for color and she works with luxuriously soft base yarns. 

Sample wrap with Phydeaux Nectar merino/silk weft

The above wrap is spoken for but there is room on the loom for more. It is a 50 yard warp (30 woven meters) with specific wefts available. Please see below for the options. I will hold a random draw for the semi-custom spots and will draw as many as my warp length will allow.

A closer look at the cotton wefts

From the bottom of the woven sample and left of the pirns: Magenta cotton, Plum organic cotton, light peach cotton, raspberry Egyptian Cotton, mercerized Egyptian Giza cotton

cotton wefts

The merino/silk wefts

From the bottom of the woven sample and left of the yarns: Phydeux Mulled Berries, Phydeaux Nectar (not available), Phydeaux Desire, Phydeaux Pomegranate, Mullberry 50% merino/50% silk

merino/silk wefts

Other wool wefts

second from top of woven sample and on the left is Phydeaux Bougainvillea superwash wool; top of woven sample and shown in shuttle is Mullberry organic merino wool

Price per meter as follows:

cotton weft: $105/meter

organic cotton or Egyptian cotton weft: $110/meter

Mulberry 50% merino/50% silk or Mulberry organic merino weft: $120/meter

Phydeaux 80% merino/20% silk or superwash wool weft: $125/meter

To enter the drawing, please complete the following form. I will accept one entry per person and winning entries are non-transferrable. Entries will be selected randomly. However, as specific wefts are allocated, I will be selecting based on weft preference, as well. The drawing will remain open for 48 hours. After this time, I will contact those whose entries were chosen to confirm preferences. A 10% deposit is required when I am ready to begin weaving. All wraps will be finished and ready to ship within 6 weeks.

*THIS DRAW IS NOW CLOSED.*

Cambria

With Autumn here in full swing the kids are settled back into school and I have some time to reflect on the moments we shared during vacation. It is hard for me to imagine summer without a visit to Cambria, the peaceful seaside village in San Louis Obispo County we returned to this year on our way to Big Sur. Our morning began with a walk along the beach, a toddler wrapped on my back because he was too cold to walk. We braved the fog, wind and chill, descending a steep stairway to hunt for moonstones. We walked together along the shore and as each wave arrived, new treasures would be tossed at our feet. The sea was relentless. We gathered up the stones as quickly as we could. Soon, our collection grew larger than the bag we brought to carry them in. We filled our shoes, the hood of a coat, anything that we could find! Over the weeks since we returned home, our stones have vanished. They were glued to paper, painted, buried in the garden, distributed to friends or just forgotten - having been mixed with ordinary stones. I forgot to keep a single one for my desk. So I've made this wrap instead to help me remember that morning and the time we spent gathering rocks. I hope it can accompany you on your own adventures with your little one and serve as a reminder of a cherished moment you will share.

The warp

In this colorway, I have tried to capture this beloved coastal landscape where scrubby green hills meet the tranquil blue of the Pacific Ocean along a stretch of shoreline dotted with pebbles. Cambria is approximately 95% Egyptian cotton/5% cotton. It combines a dark blueish teal along one rail with a dark greenish teal along the opposite rail, transitioning through steely blue, layers of natural and soft grey and a vibrant mix of greens. Highlights of rust orange, wheat yellow and chartreuse are sprinkled throughout.

The weave

Cambria is woven in a "pebbly weave" with a sett of 24 EPI. The draft can be found in Marguerite P. Davison's A Handweaver's Pattern Book. It is the the Offset or Skip Twill pattern found on page 29 (variation V). The cloth is less dense than my standard twill weave and tends toward a lighter, flatter feel in hand. It is characterized by a lovely stretch and delightful grip. The wraps with a cotton weft are in the range of 280 grams/m^2. The wool weft wraps are in the range of 240 grams/m^2.

close-up on the weave, this one with blue-green EC weft

The wefts

I chose to work with a selection of cotton and superwash wool wefts. There are four different cotton wefts - slate blue cotton (this was a semi-custom), steel blue Egyptian cotton , medium grey Egyptian cotton and blue-green Egyptian cotton. The superwash includes a lace-weight superwash merino wool from Madeline Tosh, in color ways Fir Wreath, Tern and Moonglow. One wrap was also made with fine superwash merino lambswool in Tourmaline. This one is heading to an old friend to wrap his first baby. <3

The cottons, from the bottom of the woven sample (and counterclockwise beginning with the pirn on the left: slate blue cotton, blue-green Egyptian cotton, denim blue cotton (not used), medium grey Egyptian cotton, steel blue Egyptian cotton.

The wools, from the bottom of the woven sample (and from the left of the cones): tourmaline superwash merino lambswool, mallard superwash merino lambswool (not used), mood blue organic merino wool (not used), MadTosh superwash merino lace in Fir Wreath and Tern (Moonglow is not shown).

The Wraps

From the top: the wools - fir wreath, tern and moonglow; the cottons - medium grey, steel blue and blue-green

Cambria Fir Wreath Madeline Tosh superwash merino weft 4.9 meters $612.50

Cambria Tern Madeline Tosh superwash merino weft 4.9 meters $612.50 

Cambria Moonglow Madeline Tosh superwash wool weft 5.0 meters $625

Cambria medium grey Egyptian cotton weft 3.95 meters $434.50

Cambria steel blue Egyptian cotton weft 4.2 meters $418.50 SECOND QUALITY - slight cosmetic flaw 

Cambria blue-green Egyptian cotton weft 4.3 meters $473.00

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Anyone holding a stalk-free pass is welcome to get in touch with me to reserve the wrap of their choice prior to the listing. All remaining wraps will be listed on my website on Tuesday, November 3 at 7:00AM Pacific. I am trying something new with this listing and have added a Paypal Add to Cart button to enable payment with Paypal. There are some details that you should be aware of regarding this. Please go to the Facebook wonder woven love chatter group for more info. Thank you and good luck!

Annabelle Learns How to Weave

For the Fall 2015 Competition of Babywearing Weavers we were asked to find inspiration in children's literature. The charming book "Extra Yarn", written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen, was a natural choice for me. It tells the story of Annabelle, a prolific knitter whose supply of yarn is never exhausted as she works tirelessly to make creations for all the people, animals, and things that surround her. It is a sweet story about generosity and creativity that is beautifully illustrated with compelling combinations of color. I chose to work with a specific color scheme from the book and a simple weave structure that would add interest and texture but allow the play of the colors and the individual yarns to read clearly.

Detail of the warp - shown here in plain weave.

The wrap gets it's name from imagining what Annabelle might produce if she set down her knitting needles and discovered weaving. It also seemed an appropriate name for the first wrap made on my newly acquired AVL 16-shaft mechanical dobby loom. The whole process of building the loom and learning how to use it was such a challenge. I felt like a newbie all over again! 

Chaos in the studio

At least the boxes were fun!

And someone discovered a new activity!

Three looms! Yikes!

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Annabelle Learns How to Weave has a cotton warp and an Egyptian cotton weft. It is woven in a 12-shaft advancing twill pattern with a sett of 24 EPI. It has a puffy airiness to it that I just love. My son - usually disinterested in wraps - has a real fondness for it. He was even a willing model for the pictures! 

The warp

The weave

The wrap

With all that went into this, there are only two wraps that were made. The learning process involved a lot of sampling, yarn waste (oh, the irony in the book's title as I was winding off yards and yards of yarn to fix a tension problem), many false starts, and so, so much cutting. The two that are available will be listed this weekend on my website. They include a 4.4 meter wrap for $411.40 and a 2.6 meter wrap for $286. There will be a link from my FB business page when the listing goes live. I'll post the listing time in advance in the chatter group, wonder woven love. 

I am such a fan of these colors and this weave that I am giving a second chance to the concept. The new warp is also 100% cotton but is a variation on the green and teal shades. It will be in the same weave structure. Here's hoping that I've got this down and that it will be happy weaving from this point forward with more of these lovely wraps to come! Keep an eye on my page for more details. I'm hoping to work on this one in November.

The new warp  

Naiad

In this latest project, a subtle gradation of blues is enlivened by a mix of green, blue-green and silver yarns. Naiad is woven in a pointed twill variation with a sett of 24 EPI. The warp is approximately 75% Egyptian Cotton/25% Cotton. 

The Wefts

The wefts have been selected to provide variety in fiber and visual effect.

Silver cotton offers an frosty coolness that lightens the palette.

Silver cotton weft

A variegated colorway by MadelineTosh in both Superwash Merino Lace and Mulberry Silk Lace creates a variation in shading like ripples over the surface of a deep pool of water. 

MadelineTosh Superwash Merino Lace in Mandala

MadelineTosh Superwash Merino Lace in Mandala

MadelineTosh Mulberry Silk Lace in Mandala

The ever-enticing Lapis superwash merino lambswool provides a wash of teal that mysteriously highlights the greens within the warp.

Lapis superwash merino lambswool

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Now, around mid-way through the warp, I have these remaining weft possibilities. 

Which would you prefer? The choices include (from the bottom of the woven sample and from the left of the cones: an alluring turquoise cottolin, a richly blue Admiral superwash merino lambswool, a variegated cotton, MadelineTosh Superwash Merino Lace in Odyssey, and a lovely, tweedy and nubby cotton-like silk. 

A close-up on the weft samples.

I am opening up a drawing for a semi-custom wrap. You may choose your weft and length - up to 5 meters. (The only exception being the MadTosh - I have four skeins on hand and I estimate it will yield a maximum of 4.7 meters.) Prices for the weft choices shown above are as follows:

Turquoise Cottolin $110/meter

Admiral Superwash Merino Lambswool $120/meter

Variegated Cotton $105/meter

MadelineTosh Superwash Merino Lace $125/meter

Tsumugi Silk $120/meter

If you prefer, you may choose to enter the drawing for a wrap that has already been completed. I have the following three wraps and ring sling piece available for purchase by draw.  You may click on each photo for a link to the listing for a full description and more photos. (Please note that the listings will appear to be sold out. The stock will be updated at the time of purchase.)

Naiad Silver cotton weft 5 meters $498.75 approximately 294 grams/m^2

Naiad Mandala Superwash Merino weft 2 meter remnant $250 approximately 262 grams/m^2 

Naiad Mandala Mulberry Silk weft 5.1 meters $724.20 approximately 253 grams/m^2 

Naiad Lapis Superwash Merino Lambswool weft 4.8 meters $576 approximately 254 grams/m^2 

You may enter the drawing for either a semi-custom wrap or a completed wrap. The winners will be chosen randomly. I will be making an attempt to accommodate as many as possible. I can offer at least two - possibly more  - semi-custom slots depending on length and weft desired by the chosen entries. This may mean that after the initial random selection I will be selecting entries based on length and/or weft desired- but I promise to do this in the most impartial and fair way possible. 

To enter, please fill in the form below. The drawing will occur Tuesday, July 14 around 5 PM Pacific time. If your entry is chosen, I will contact you by email. Payment for in-stock wraps is required within 24 hours. Any wraps not purchased by this time will be listed for sale on the website. Semi-custom slots require a 25% non-refundable deposit - also due within 24 hours - with the remainder due upon completion of the wrap. I expect to have all wraps complete and ready to ship by the end of the first week in August.

DRAW IS NOW CLOSED.

Gaviota (as in the strawberry, not the seagull)

Mmmm...strawberries! Here in Southern California, our farmer's markets have them nearly year-round. But they never taste as perfect as they do in the late-spring/early summer. Our favorite variety, Gaviota, has an intensely sweet flavor without any sourness. For this fresh summer colorway, I have paired a luscious strawberry red with a violet from the opposite end of the spectrum. The warp transitions through shades of coral, pink, lavender and periwinkle - with natural mixed in because who can resist a little cream with their strawberries?

The warp for Gaviota is 100% Egyptian cotton. It is woven with a sett of 24 EPI in a straight twill. 

THE WEFTS

sampling of wefts - some that I used are here, others arrived later.

The wefts are a fun selection of girly colors in a few different fibers. My favorite merino/silk yarn makes an appearance in fuchsia and coral. There is an ecru superwash wool and a hand-dyed mulberry silk/cotton yarn. The rest are yummy cottons in magenta, hot pink, purple and coral pink. I loved exploring the interaction between colors on this warp!

From left: Fuchsia merino/silk, coral merino/silk, ecru superwash wool, mulberry silk/cotton, magenta cotton, hot pink egyptian cotton, purple cotton, coral pink cotton

THE WRAPs

Unless otherwise noted, all the following wraps are available. They are shown in the same order as the wefts above. Please note that lengths and prices are approximate as I am still in the process of sewing.

Fuchsia merino/silk weft 2.7 meters $337.50 approximately 265 grams/m^2. This must be hand-washed.

Coral merino/silk weft 2.25 meter remnant $281.25 approximately 265 grams/m^2. This must be hand-washed.

Ecru superwash wool 3.2 meters $384 approximately 265 grams/m^2. RESERVED

Mulberry silk/cotton 4.7 meters $540.50 approximately 225 grams/m^2. This must be hand washed. 

Magenta cotton weft 4.3 meters $451.50 approximately 285 grams/m^2.

Hot Pink Egyptian cotton weft 3.7 meters $407 approximately 290 grams/m^2.

Purple cotton weft 2 meter remnant $220 approximately 290 grams/m^2.

Coral Pink cotton weft 4.9 meters $539 approximately 285 grams/m^2

Anyone holding a stalk-free pass is welcome to get in touch with me to reserve the wrap of their choice prior to the listing. All remaining wraps will be listed on my website on Thursday, June 18 at 1:00 PM Pacific. Please note that payment on the website is by credit card - I'm afraid my host does not make it easy to integrate Paypal payment. Thank you and good luck!