So... Winter's long gone but I wanted to show you my first ever weaving work: a winter scarf inspired by the snow and frost of winter. More specifically all the beautiful crystal-like forms of snowflakes.
Here's some pics of my process:
Here are my early stages of planning. I was looking for color-schemes via Adobe Capture and this black-blue-white colorworld just seemed to draw myself towards it. I keep thinking maybe it was me being excited for a beautiful winter weather - which by the way didn't come by anywhere near the time I was planning this scarf. Oh well, I guess rain can fit the color-scheme too. The Finnish flag is blue and white as well. Blue and white, to me, also feel like clean colors, radiating purity. Maybe because it's like clean blue water, freshly washed white cotton sheets, untouched white drawing paper. The colors are also widely used in skincare products etc. that market for "cleanliness". Anyhow typically these exact colors together are something I despise. I always end up using them together despite that.
THEN YARN! Drops Baby Merino 50 g ordered from Wetterhoff. Colors: 42 (Petrol blue),01 (White) and 21 (Black). I don't even remember how I decided to choose this yarn, but I think it was a good choice for its so soft, not scratchy and REALLY lightweight. After all I think the colors are quite pretty... Not going to lie.
Then we have some designing pictures. So the yarns: black for the warp and petrol blue and white for the weft. I think the pattern in English is 'herringbone weave', maybe, might be completely wrong with it. A quick google check made me think it looks similar, the one used in this scarf is just not the easiest version considering the heddles. I had eight shafts and eight treadles... In Finnish: "ruututoimikas".
So I was thinking of different ways to use the petrol blue in the scarf and tried some stripes in the ends, gradient in the other end, gradient in both ends, gradient in ends and in the middle... In the end the actual decision wasn't made until I had already woven 90% of the scarf. So I first started the weaving thinking I was going for the gradients in both ends, but when I started I realized I didn't like how it looked at all, and also my skills developed while weaving the scarf so the start of the scarf was looking quite wonky. Thus I made the decision to make a "dip" of petrol blue at the end of the scarf. I think it was an okay decision. The pattern itself is quite graphic so to have had the gradients on it as well, I think it would've been too much. Now the subtle design on the colors kinda balances it out. I think?
After designing I waited for the yarn to arrive and then started to make the warp! That was my first time making a warp too... But I survived!
The teachers said: "No black warps and wefts for your first weaving projects, please!" and I said we'll see about that...
Now onto the weaving!
At this point I was ready to start the actual weaving after preparing the loom.
After weaving the whole scarf and using the excess warp I finally got to take it out of the loom.
And after that it was time for finishing touches.
Voilá!
In retrospect I would've made the scarf a bit wider and maybe 10 cm longer so it would be a little bigger. Just a personal preference, I like to have my scarfs hug me. Like carrying a whole carpet on my neck. Yes, that's the right way.. Just kidding. I think this is very cute as a smaller scarf too, it'll just take a little from my noggin to style it. It seems like a statement piece with the pattern. Maybe the Finnish everyday outfit: black-on-black-on-black will work with it. I'll name Finland's 2021 Eurovision candidate Blind Channel -band my outfit inspo!
Oh, btw I realized mid way making this scarf that the colors are the same as in a mitten project I had in secondary school minus the black. Back then I was already into handicrafts, but I had 0 patience so I didn't enjoy it so much. Not that I have got more patience nowadays... I'm still quite impatient.
Oh ugly ducklings!
TP