Stepping stones and fiddleheads

Hello, friends. I've finished weaving my first run of "stepping stone twill" kitchen towels. Here are just a couple of pictures!

Spring has gotten me to thinking about fiddleheads, which should show up at our local market soon. I put together an Etsy Treasury today, which features some fern and fiddlehead inspired pieces. Just click on the link to check it out!

Be well, Kate ;)

Stepping stone handwoven fabric

Hello, friends. There is a new fabric on the loom at Nutfield Weaver, and I am really excited about it. This fabric is a point twill design, and the design reminded me of a stepping stone path. The loom is warped in ivory cotton, and I'm using a variety of different colors for the weft. Here it is!

Colonial blue:

Cinnamon:

Black:

I'd love to hear what you think of the colors and the design. Next up are some table napkins!

Be well, Kate ;)

Living with handwovens

Hello, friends. It's been a busy week here at Nutfield Weaver! The loom is just about warped with a new kitchen towel design. It is always exciting to throw the shuttle for those first few inches of weaving. Look for a picture of the new fabric soon!

There were discussions in the Etsy team forums today about "why" people should bother to support handmade work. For me, a lot of it has to do with supporting traditional craft. It is also about making a connection with the person who worked to create an item. I really like hearing from my clients about how they use their pieces. I was tickled pink when a customer told me that she uses my waffleweave dishcloths in her bath (they're that soft!). Here is just one of the many ways I use handwoven textiles in our house:

Rosemary olive bread. Yum. Time for dinner!

Be well,
Kate :)

Plain and simple cloth

Hello, friends. I was reading in Robert LeClerc's book, Warp & Weave (the author is also a prominent loom manufacturer from Quebec) that plain weave is a true measure of a weaver's skill. When one examines plain weave (or "tabby") work, a weaver's selvedges are examined, and variations in beat and shuttle manipulation are made perfectly clear. So, I figured it was time to practice my plain weave!

Here is my latest run of plain weave. This is woven from 10/2 mercerized cotton, sett at 30 ends per inch. As a weaver, I tend not a beat very hard, so my "picks per inch" are very often not balanced with my "ends per inch." I suppose if I were to weight my beater on the loom, I may get a different result. My selvedges aren't so bad, though (selvedges are the outer edges of the cloth - weaver's don't like to see dangling threads or wobbly edges here.)

After I practiced my plain weave, I moved on to lace. This is "spot weave," one of my very favorite patterns.

I will use the lace to make little handwoven pretties. :)

Be well, Kate :)

Spring cleaning

Hello, friends. More snow fell today in Londonderry, but I am willing spring to arrive by weaving up some fresh new kitchen textiles here at Nutfield Weaver!

I'm warping the loom for spot weave lace tomorrow. Threaded at a sett of 30 threads per inch, I will be busy preparing the loom for a while -- but it is so worth it. :)

be well,
Kate