Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Handwoven sweater - the first of many

That sweater I was weaving was quick and easy to make... once I decided on the pattern.  Sampling is the hardest thing and it seems to take more time than the actual weaving.  But it's also nice to take the time to be sure I'm making something I'll enjoy.

And boy oh boy, do I enjoy my new sweater.


I don't think I made any treadling errors for the whole six yards of fabric.  There are a few areas where I beat too hard, but that just adds to the charm of the piece.

The sweater itself is surprisingly light weight, but lovely and warm.

I used Ashford Tekapo 3 ply yarn set at 12epi and beat at 10ppi.  The cloth is quite narrow (14" wide on loom) and is sewn using Japanese Kimono inspiration.  I had the option to leave the centre front open with a button, snap, tie or no closure.  All looked good.  What finally decided it was my desire for another pullover, so I sewed the front shut and I couldn't be happier.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That looks good!

Jani

Josiane said...

Fabulous! It was absolutely worth it to take the time to sample, if it meant ending up with a sweater you enjoy that much. Well done!

Barb R. said...

I know this is a late comment but I am seeing your blog for the first time. When I saw your sweater fabric, I thought..WOW! I have 4 yards of hand woven fabric from a friend of mine. It is wool and silk and I had no idea what to do with it! It is sitting in a closet right now. I want to know how to make a dress or skirt out of it but have no idea how to begin. I have been told that sewing hand made fabric is very different from commercial fabric and that is pretty obvious. I don't want to cut this fabric and make a mistake cause, there aint no going back once the fabric is cut.

How did you design the sweater? What was the process?

bjr