Wall hanging in shades of gray

I impulsively purchased some jumbo bulky yarn at the Portland fiber fest last spring. It is so bulky I could not figure out what to do with it. Also, it is merino and feels like it would not withstand much abrasion. After trying this and that, I ended up with a wall hanging.

Pattern: none, just my own concoction.
Weave structure: plain weave
Loom: frame rug loom
Warp: Maysville 8/4 Carpet Warp, in medium gray
Weft: Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Jumbo, in 'Snow Storm', 'Gray Stone', and 'Arctic Cloud'
Decor: Cascade 220 Superwash in black; Ella Rae Classic in red
EPI/PPI: 5/2
Ends: 118
Finished size: 17" x 28" (without extra long ends)


I wove this sideways on the loom, so each pass had a loop on one side and loose ends on the other. Once it came off the loom, I puzzled over how to secure the selvages on all four sides. On what had been the top and bottom on the loom, now the sides, I knotted the warp and wove the ends into the fabric. But what to do for the loops and loose ends? Inspired by Sheila Hicks, I decided to wrap them, in black except for one vertical pair which I wrapped in red, from top to bottom.

I'm leaving the loose ends at whatever length they ended up being, which complicates photographing the piece. I'm still in search of an appropriate rod for hanging. Since it hangs rather lopsided, I may use a branch that will correct the skewing.

Fixed despite the heat wave

The plan was to meet up with Phia, the owner of Little Shop of Spinning, prior to the spinning guild meeting, BUT. The AC in the building we meet in could not cope with the 90+ degree heat that day. The meeting was cancelled. Instead, today I drove out to Roanoke (IN) so Phia could fix my wheel. I also bought some fiber (how could I not?) and cruised the Roanoke Vintage and Handmade Market (did not make any purchases there). So my Ashford Joy 2 is up and running again. Huzzah!

White is Romney, blue is Polish merino

Knitting: Same ol' same ol'. Down to 155 stitches per row on the Habitation throw.
Spinning: See above.
Weaving: The waffle weave towels are off the loom! The stitch pattern looks so lovely, I hate to wash them as they will shrink significantly. The wall hanging (which is in shades of grays) is off the loom as well, awaiting some hand finishing.

My SO and I have been out and about again, this time to a new restaurant on The Landing called Mercado (Cali-Mex cuisine). Then we went to the annual members exhibit at Artlink, where my SO has a photo on display. Downtown Fort Wayne has been transformed from a flood-prone nothing to the most happening place in Northeast Indiana.

Volunteeritis

I'm not one to volunteer very often, and when I do, it usually does not work well. But this year, I volunteered at the Salomon Farm Fiber Fest for the spinning guild - that was fun. And now it seems I am the unofficial "outreach coordinator" for the weaving guild. We've lost dues-paying members over the course of the pandemic and are running low on funds. So I've been searching for ways to raise our profile, attract new members, and earn some money.

Then, at a recent Zoom meeting with the board, the audio cut out at one point and I inadvertantly volunteered to help with a "super Saturday" in August, on tapestry weaving. At least no one asked me to become an officer. At least, I don't think so.

Knitting: Yes, still hacking away at the Habitation throw. Since I need a portable project, I started another 100% That Cowl.
Spinning: Still spinning the Shetland top. On spool #2.
Weaving: I'm almost done with towel #1 - just need to weave the hem at the end. And I warped my big frame loom for a wall hanging and started weaving. (The photo makes the yarn look like shades of brown when it is really shades of gray.)

Usually I avoid politics and religion in this blog, but in the wake of the recent tragedy in Texas, I feel compelled to put in my two cents worth. I am wondering if firearms could be treated like tobacco: sales of firearms and ammo highly taxed (and the proceeds could be used to fund mental health services), elimination of all advertising on all media, "gun-free" zones like we have "smoke-free" zones, age limits on purchases, etc. This action would sidestep second amendment issues while addressing some of the contributing factors of this senseless violence. I've contacted all my legislators, both state and federal, but frankly, I feel very hopeless and helpless.