Jean Lilly is Back

Back to the loom. The scarf I finally wove for the Small Scarf Virtual Exhibit, is too late. But the ongoing exhibit is full of inspiring pieces that were entered this year. Kathleen Aaker's rayon chenille "Houndstooth" looks great there, representing Wisconsin. My too-late-to-enter scarf is a long one (80 in.) woven in unbleached linen and a 16/1 charcoal cotton. The weave is my old favorite Swedish "Myggtjall" or Mosquito Net. It took more than 8 hours to weave it! I began to think the trouble with weaving is that it is so repetitive. But, at last, there was an end to it. I washed the scarf by hand in cool water, and tumbled it in a cool dryer, to soften and move the threads into place. With linen, the more it is worn and washed, the softer it gets. Next year, I'm going to be ready for this exhibit! (Apparently it isn't too late to be gathered in to the fold! Thanks for the link, and the pardon, Meg!)

Barb (from Dell) came to visit with eggs and her weave, "Jean Lilly" in the gorgeous bittersweet chocolate cotton and bamboo I wrote about from our last Kindred Threads congregation. I don't know which I was more interested in. About the eggs: they are different shapes, from her flock of fowl running free, chickens, ducks and geese, with intensely yellow yolks, and with delectable flavor. Mmmm. About the weave: I'm also excited, maybe obsessed. It's just a plain 4-harness pattern, and probably not that interesting to most weavers. I asked her if she plans on making it again, and she shrugged her shoulders, "No, why? There's so much more to pick out of that book" (A Handweaver's Pattern Book, by Marguerite P. Davison). Barb is such a butterfly! I know I'm headed for Jean Lilly now, and if I like it, or, more to the point, if Jean Lilly likes me, I'll be doing it for the next 10 years. And an omelet for lunch!