Thought I would take a bit of time to write about what I have been working on.... down in my Loom Room Studio, located in the lower walk-out level of my home.
My studio is filled with three large rug looms, a wide blanket loom, various table looms, and lots and lots of colorful cones of yarn!
I look out the two sets of bright patio doors, and gaze upon the woods and the river for inspiration----
(THE FOLLOWING PORTION IS NOT A COMMERCIAL, BUT JUST TO LET MY BLOG READERS SEE WHAT KIND OF STUFF I DO EACH DAY....)
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Scandinavian Block Weave Rug-
I have threaded up one loom in a block weave pattern for some interesting cotton runner rugs.
It's a fun pattern and being a block weave type rug, it's thicker than a normal plain weave rag rug.
I did a couple in greens and creams..... and now I am working on one in denim blues and cream striped ticking fabric.
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Neon Lights at Night Rugs-
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I whipped up three of these rugs with a new design from my studio. It's a traditional rag rug, but with a little ZING with the colors!
This is a very interesting rug with new heavy black rustic fabric, slightly fringey and stringey for a dramatic texture. Then for the "zing" it is woven with inserts of colorful neon knit pieces that are from factory surplus materials. This keeps a pile of factory textiles from cluttering up the landfills!
The colorful alternation warp colors peek through the rows of rug fabric, creating an image of neon lights twinkling in the dark.
here is another messy project I am working on.... sock loopers!~ They are also factory waste from commecial sock factories. Weavers buy it before it gets tossed in some landfill, and use it to make the most thick lovely textured rugs!
It is messy, so I chain together the loops while sitting out on the deck. Last night, I got two bins full made into chains, enough for 1 big rugs. After I do a batch of these rugs, I bring in the shop vac to clean up after myself! |
Once chained together, I wind them on long stick shuttles and weave them up into rugs on the loom.
I call them my Birch Tree Rugs, because they look like the texture of the birch bark on the trees that grow in our area of the Northwoods of Wisconsin.
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What is BLACK AND WHITE AND RED ALL OVER???
Answer that age old riddle with this lovely textured set of rugs!
Basic colors of Black and White and Red All Over are found in this textured rug with a random striping design.
These fringey style rugs are created from thick cotton/wool/acrylic factory surplus, This is Recycling at it's Finest! After factories create upholstery material, they cut this fringey product off the ends of the rolls and discard it. Weavers have learned that purchasing this clean surplus fiber, we can turn it into something productive!
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The sock machine is always a-crankin' something --these socks are from some custom hand-dyed yarn that a friend Ellen created and sent to me.
Next up on the Project List.....
I am getting ready to rewarp my table loom for a batch of dishtowels. This is what I do to get the cotton yarn from one large cone, into 18 smaller spools. I use a power drill and a tapered paintbrush handle. Easy Peasy!
 Now I am able to wind them all on in each 1 inch section on the back of my table loom. Sure beats winding long long chains on a warping reel.
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There is always something being planned, cut, woven or finished in my Loom Room
And when I am not in the Loom Room, I am in my chair either spinning, knitting or working on my website and blog!
a quick PS note... My fiberholic fun will follow me. One loom comes apart in 20 minutes to a pile of boards that stow in the basement of the motorhome. I also have a portable table loom that rides inside the motorhome, an upright castle spinning wheel that stows in the closet of the motorhome and my sock machine packs away into a tool box and stand folds up flat for storage.
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