Zigzag twill kitchen towels

Hello, friends. After coercing a long warp onto the loom, I have starting to weave more of my popular zigzag twill kitchen dishtowels. I love the pattern, and it is a good fit for both brightly colored weft yarns and for neutral yarns. Here is a new mocha and white towel:

There are orange, turquoise, and slate colored towels all set to go. I got a yummy cranberry red cotton this fall, too, but I think I'm going to pair this up with some ivory.

Happy Fall, everyone.
Be well,
Kate

Windowsill visitor

Hello, friends. One of the best things about living by the conservation area is the abundance of wildlife that lives around our home. Here is one of our marshy neighbors. He looks like he wants to come inside for a spell:

My son, Andrew, held a quarter up to the inside of the window so that you can see how tiny this little fellow is:

Isn't he sweet?

I have some 600 8/2 unmercerized cotton threads destined for the loom today. It takes a long time to wind twelve yards of warp when using fine yarn! I'm excited, though. I haven't had a run of zigzag towels on the loom for a while now, and the time is right.

Be well,
Kate

Zigzag twill coasters

Hello, friends. I am taking a short break from weaving with fine threads and trying to work through my yarn stash. I decided on handwoven coasters made from mercerized cottons:

I really like this twill; it is the same pattern that I use on my zigzag dishtowels, which, indicidentally are next in the queue for the loom!

Hoping you are enjoying your first day of Fall...
Be well,
Kate

New handwoven table napkins

Hello, friends. What a busy week! I am so excited about my new table napkins. I am thinking about keeping these for our family (or at least making a new set for the four of us). Here is a picture:

These are made from unmercerized cotton in crepe weave. I am very fond of this weave structure -- it has an interesting pattern that creates a nice drape.

I'm winding a very long warp for more zigzag towels and have some new coasters in the works. (I needed a break from fine threads and close setts!).

Happy Fall.
Be well,
Kate

New Hampshire in September

Hello, friends. September is lovely in New Hampshire. Our gardens are producing well. Today I'm just sharing a few photos of some of our plants (and an animal).

Rosa rugosa. My husband is the rosarian at our house.

Our dog, Ingrid, looking very guilty as she licks her chops next to the tomato bed.

Concord grapes. Yummy.

Off to work on a new warp for zigzag twill dishtowels in orange and turquoise.
Be well,
Kate

The case for keeping a tree stump

Hello, friends. September activities are ramping up. We watched our son play his first soccer game of the season on Saturday, and the boys are knee-deep in homework. The dehydrator has been whirring away steadily, and my herb garden looks so terrible that I've already sketched out plans for improvements.

My husband and my Dad took down a dead oak tree in the Fall of 2007. The tree was too close to the house to take any chances, and after a series of ice storms and high winds through the years, we have not been sorry that the tree became firewood. The stump has remained and is an occasional nuisance. Now, however, it seems that the stump will have to stay since there is a new homeowner:

Isn't he cute?

Be well,
Kate

Garden delights

Hello, friends. I've been tinkering with my photos again for my Etsy shop. Some of my favorite props to use for my handwoven kitchen items come right from our own backyard. I've been re-tooling the photo for one of my handwoven farmhouse plaid dishtowels. We enjoy gardening in our family. Here is sampling of what we've been doing this summer:

very yummy Concord grapes and...

Roma tomatoes and herbs.

How many people can say that they get to eat their photo props? Tomato and goat cheese tart tonight. And I have to pick more grapes before dinnertime.

Be well,
Kate

A garden visitor

Hello, friends. Just wanted to share some of the photographs that I took on Monday (Labor Day). Don & I were gardening in the morning, and these monarch butterflies kept us company.

Life is good.

Be well,
Kate

New handwoven table napkins

Hello, friends. I've been tinkering on a new table napkins for my autumn line at Nutfield Weaver. Today I took the first sample piece from the loom, and I am very excited about how the cloth is shaping up. Here is a sneak peek:

These are about 12 inches square and are made of easy-care unmercerized cotton. The weaving structure here is crepe weave, which utilizes all 8 shafts of the loom. I will be offering these in sets of four and have warp chains ready for sets in ivory/natural and red. What fun!

Happy Labor Day, everyone!
Be well,
Kate :)