Happy New Year, everyone.

So, I was missing because I was busy, and I was missing because I thought I didn’t have anything much to say, and then I was missing because I was wallowing in wool. I got a rigid heddle loom. That loom plus my discomfort with our lack of winter weather plus some engrossing DVDs turned me into a complete hermit.

My first project is a simple rectangular shawl made with Kroy socks and Paton’s Classic. I used the sock yarn for the warp and just wove simple stripes.

Notice how I said “just wove?”  That’s a lie.  I bounced and giggled and tried to cuddle the fabric while it was still tensioned on the loom.  I told Kaio to look at the fabric over and over again.  (He didn’t seem impressed).  I actually let Yarrow wallow in the finished shawl–supervised, of course–because it seemed wrong not to.  I love warp-faced weaves, but they aren’t soft.  This is soft, and it has a lovely hand, and it’s not even made from anything truly luscious.  I’m holding off on the really fantastic stuff until I get my head around pattern drafts.

If you look at it up close, you can see how the thinner, variegated warp shows through a little bit.  The overall color of the warp is similar to the teal I used for the wider stripes, which is part of the reason the warp is so hidden.  I love the affect.

All that woolen, sheepy yarn turned me back towards my neglected Wool-along afghan.  I worked up a half dozen new squares once my Christmas presents were finished.

Two are Elemental Effects worsted, two are Shelter, one is Solitude Icelandic, and one is Solitude Tunis/Alpaca blend.  I didn’t need to dye any of these, which is part of why these yarns made it to the top of the pile.  With the two I’ve finished since I snapped this shot, I think I’m about halfway there.  If I really do manage to use all 22 breeds and the yarns I find keep yielding more than one square each, I’m going to have a ludicrous blanket at the end.  Ludicrous.  Yarrow will need a straight-jacket.

And this is my new loom, with a nice wide tabby warp on it.  Notice that the sliding glass door is open?  I do not approve.  It should be too cold here for such frivolous throwing open of doors.

This is more Paton’s, in the same two colors I used as the weft in the smaller shawl.  Honestly, it’s a bit thick to use as  a warp with this heddle, but since I don’t love warping, I’ll muddle through.  This time, I went for more yardage and more width but just one shuttle.

I’m waffling on whether or not I like how this combination of brick red and teal looks.  I think I like it better on screen.  I was toying with the idea of unweaving this teal weft and switching to gray. What do you think?

I’ve also been quilting, which I’ll show you next.

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