Chenille Crimp in Red

My adventures with loom woven crimp cloth designs (woven shibori) continues with another experiment using a rayon chenille warp with widely spaced, thin stripes of a varigated chenille.  The main cloth is plain weave, the pattern threads are woven in point twill. The weft is orlon.

Visually, I like the way the thin stipes poke in and out of the crimp pattern.  The weight and drape are comfortable for a scarf.  The width could be a bit wider.  This could be done by either making the warp wider, doing a partial crimp, or by doing a looser crimp.

More experiements on the horizon.

More Varigated Chenille

Last year I picked up a number of cones of varigated chenille from a weaving who was moving and sizing down.  Varigated chenille is not something that was on my radar.  But it was high quality chenille at a great price so who can resist.

I am currently finishing up a couple of lap throws using varigated and solid chenilles in a herringbone structure.  The sett is 18epi with weaving width of 40".

The warp looks lovely on the loom.  And the herringbone looks great even though it seems to be obscuring the variation in warp colors.  Am hoping that when it is off the loom everything will come together.  Will post another picture in the future.

Infinity Scarves

A long time without posts does not mean I have not been weaving!  Most recent project was an experiement with some varigated chenille I bought last year.  The colorways were mostly dark with green and orange tones.  (The sample colorway is listed on the cone as: hemp/cognac/forest green/dark brown) The project goal was to determine if using the varigated chenille alone in the warp could result in an appealing scarf.

I settled on a broken twill structure.  Warp was 6 yds sett at 18epi for a target of 3 scarves approx 65" each with a little extra for sampling other colors and fibers.

First up was the coral chenille weft.  It is so bright that I thought it would brighten up the dark warp, while the warp toned down the coral.  The result was my personal favorite.

Next, my color wheel helped me pick out a triad that pointed to purple as a good choice.  Seriously not one I would have picked on my own, but the color wheel did not fail me and the purple chenille is very nice.

Last choice was a very safe one in a neutral beige rayon slub.  Since the slub was so fine, I alternated sections of it singled and doubled to add some visual interest.

The picture shows the colors and overall resultant look.  Definately stripe-y.

Next experiment will probably intersperse more solid color with the varigated.  Maybe just enough varigated to give streaks of color.

Scary Warp

No this is not the scary warp because of the halloween colors.

This is my first attempt at a diversified plain weave.  I warped using chenille as the thick fiber and 20/2 cotton as the thin fiber.  I tend to be a perfectionist and the process of winding the chenille with the unruly 20/2 pushed me to my limits of maintaining order.  Not only is this my first diversified plain weave, it is also my first time using 20/2 in the warp.

A friend and I decided that our summer study would be diversified plain weave since neither of us really understood the structure.  Once we realized that it creates a stabilizing grid, the chenille project seemed a natural.  My friend B does a lot of chenille weaving and is looking for a way to ... well, diversify.

The project will produce two scarves.  The black and orange color choice came from school colors for scarf one.   So the same colors will be used for weft.  For the other scarf I am thinking of using something much redder with the black to tone down the halloween look.

Although as I begin the weaving process it is nice to be thinking of the cooler days of Fall!