Cashmere skeins completed

In my blog dated 30 Sep'09 I showed 6 skeins of hand-dyed cashmere that had been prepared for me by Hiroko. After weaving two scarves in each colour I had some left-over yarn. From these left-overs I decided to make two scarves in my "Sunset series". "Sunset at beach" contains 8 colours in the warp, is 1890mm x 210mm and weighs 60g. "Sunset at sea" contains 4 colours in the warp, is 1790mm x 250mm and weighs 52g. They are both very soft, long and wide scarves, and each give you a two-colour option by reversing the scarves.

Sunset at beach

Sunset at sea

Sunset at beach scarf

Sunset at sea scarf

The collection of all the cashmere scarves, except a few sold already, are shown below. You will see more details on each scarf in earlier blogs.

Purple and mauve cashmere

Two interesting scarves have been woven using two hand-dyed coloured cashmere 2-ply yarns, purple and mauve. The two colours show up the two different patterns used for each scarf. Actually the first scarf is using the same pattern as used for the last few single coloured cashmere scarves. The patterns on both sides of each scarf are shown in the photos below. The first scarf is 1380mm x 160mm and weighs 44g, whilst the second is 1460mm x 160mm and weighs 46g. Two very soft and lightweight scarves.

Garnet cashmere

Have now finalised (twisting ends, washing, sewing on label and photographing) my latest two scarves. These are from a hand-dyed garnet coloured cashmere 2-ply yarn and the previously used pattern weave. One is 1460mm x 180mm and weighs 58g, whilst the second one is 1700mm x 180mm and weighs 64g. I show both sides in the photos below.

Cyclamen alpaca scarf

After getting two more cashmere scarves off my loom I have rushed through (in two days) a cyclamen coloured alpaca scarf to be taken to Japan tomorrow. It is the same yarn as the earlier cyclamen scarves (26 Jan'10 blog) but this one is 1670mm x 200mm and weighs 120g. Should look good amongst the cherry blosson in Japan during April. The photos below show both sides of the scarf.

Gold cashmere

This week I have woven two scarves using a hand-dyed gold-coloured cashmere 2-ply yarn. The patterns of each are slightly different. One scarf is 1390mm x 160mm and weighs 46g whilst the second one is 1410mm x 160mm and weighs 48g.

Purple/mauve cashmere shawl

It has been awhile since my last blog entry. This is because I have been weaving a large cashmere shawl, 1800mm x 490mm weighing 168g. I used two colours, purple and mauve, of a 2-ply hand-dyed cashmere yarn in an interesting pattern. The 479 warps, and the alternating colours, made progress slow. But an extremely soft and interesting garment has been the result.

Blue cashmere

My latest scarves are two turquoise blue cashmere scarves. The coloured is hand dyed and the yarn 2-ply. They are both lightweight long scarves and very soft. One is 1760mm x 170mm and weighs 60g whilst the second one is 1960mm x 170mm and weighs 66g.

Black alpaca/silk

I obtained a lovely jet black natural coloured alpaca 2-ply yarn from Alpaca Plus. I was going to use it to weave a shawl 1800mm x 500mm. Unfortunately the yarn kept breaking whilst I was setting up the warp so I changed my plans after a frustrating three days.

I have now woven two scarves using a black silk yarn as the warp and the black alpaca yarn as the weft. The same pattern has been used for both scarves but one scarf is 1470mm x 215mm and weighs 108g whilst the second is longer at 1770mm x 210mm and weighs 128g.

Cyclamen alpaca

Two virtually identical scarves have been woven using a hand-dyed cyclamen coloured alpaca 2-ply yarn. The first is 1520mm x 175mm and the second is 1460mm x 175mm. Both weigh 92g. The pattern is difficult to display but you can see it when the light is at an appropriate angle.

More champagne alpaca

Two further scarves have been woven using a 3-ply natural champagne coloured alpaca yarn. Both have been woven with the same pattern. The first is 1380mm x 190mm and weighs 104g, whilst the second is 1760mm x 190mm and weighs 134g. The shorter one will be donated to the Jazz Club of WA to be auctioned at their Toodyay Bush Fire fund raiser night planned for a Tuesday evening club night towards the end of February. The larger one will be sold via the Alpaca Plus stud farm/shop in Douglas Road, off West Swan Road at Henley Brook.

Yellow alpaca

One scarf has been woven from a hand-dyed 2-ply yellow alpaca yarn. It is 1880mm x 200mm and weighs 158g. The uneveness in the dyeing has resulted in interesting striations in addition to the patterned weave.

Dark brown alpaca

A natural dark-brown alpaca 2-ply yarn has been used for two scarves. Two different patterns using the same warp have been used. The first scarf is 1480mm x 165mm and weighs 95g, whilst the second is 1650mm x 160mm and weighs 104g.

Champagne alpaca scarves

My latest project has been to weave two scarves using a champagne coloured 3-ply alpaca yarn from Alpaca Plus in Middle Swan. The two scarves are woven in slightly different patterns. The first one is 1450mm x 150mm and weighs 90g, whilst the second one is 1870mm x 145mm and weighs 118g. The slightly higher weights are due to using a 3-ply yarn. They will eventually be on sale at Alpaca Plus.

Linen fabric

Have just completed a piece of linen fabric for Hiroko to use for the cross stitching that she does for her handmade handbags (http://members.iinet.net.au/~hiroko/bagshop.html). It is in tabby, or plain, weaving and is 2960mm x 490mm and weighs 378g.