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 :)

A bit more weaving....

Work on my warp has been slow this week, mainly because I've been busy doing different things like the Bradford Textiles Society Competition and some work on the Shima (pics to follow) but here are a few bits to be going on with

My shuttles, fondly nicknamed "the caterpillars" because of how big I wind them.

A section of a sample.

And finally, (it was bound to happen eventually) the first broken ends of this warp, fortunately it was nothing that couldn't be fixed!

A long week winding and warping.....

So for the past week I have been winding my second warp ....

And using a up a big chunk of my yarns!!

Despite this I managed to finish them and wind my warp onto the loom (a 24 shaft Texel)

Threading up...

And pulling it through the reed.

But I finally got to start weaving :)

And I'm really happy with how it is looking next to my knitted tapes!