Labour Intensive!!!

Labour Intensive is the only way that I can describe today!

This morning I finished a sample that I started before the weekend, however with 4 colour changes in approximatly every 5cm it took a while.  It is however finally complete :)

After completing it I started on my next sample, but decided to add some extra threads into the warp to add a bit more colour to it!  As you can imagine this also took a while however I am very happy with the result and will post a picture of the sample once its complete :)



Knitted tapes update

As I have shown previously I am creating a range of tapes to go alongside my woven fabrics and after a recent trip to Ikea I found this crochet hanger which I may end up using to display them, (obviously for my final show they will be arranged a lot more neatly!!)

The start of my final warp

My final warp is now on the loom after 3 days of planning, warping and threading.  This is my widest to date at 60cm and hopefully I will be getting 6 - 7 samples from it.  

Above: My planning nightmare ...

Above: the face and reverse of sample one

Above : Sample 2 (the back is the same)

Above : face and reverse of sample 3, as you can probably guess, this is still a work in progress.

I have chosen to do a double warp threading on a point similar to my last warp, but have this time thread the point over more shafts to allow larger shapes to be created.  This will hopefully mean that collectively samples done on different warps will still compliment each other :)  

Just Because...

Just a few random bits from the studio...

My yarns packed all nice and neatly into my box (probably the first and last time you will ever see this!)

Curly IKEA tape measure's

A bigger piece of this design coming off the Jacquard machine for my final display.

Knitted Tapes :)

To go along with my main samples I also want to do some thin tapes or trims, both woven and knitted.  My main source of inspiration for this comes from the many shops that we visited in Paris and I feel that it would add variety to my final degree show.  I've begun with some knitted ones as it is very easy to alter the width, more planning will have to be done before I wind the warp for my woven tapes.

Above : Tapes on the machine (10gg dubied)

Above: My knitted tapes so far :)

Making the most of my warp...

I've finally finished my warp! 

Below you'll find some images of my last couple of samples on this warp :)

Below you can see the end of the warp coming round :'( I luckily managed to squeeze in one last sample ( the one above) before I had to cut it off.

And there it is; from this warp I have managed to get 9 samples all approximately 58 x 80 cm.  Now all thats left to do is wash and finish them for display! And to put on my next warp ;)

Some Shima Knitting...

Up until now I feel that I've focused very much on the woven side of my work, however I am a dual speciality student meaning that I also practice knitting.  So just to even things up a bit here are some images from my Shima knitting this week.

The 5gg Shima that I used...

And my yarns.

My Sample coming off the machine, a little loose because my yarns were a little thin for the gauge machine, but this made it easier to produce the pile stitch and the looseness was rectified by rinsing and tumble drying it.

My first colourway.

And my second colourway.

I was very lucky in that I was just as happy with the back as I was the front!

And to finish off some close ups to show the textures :)