Weaving

My Christmas gift this last year was a loom.  I purchased this handmade one from Wood Creek Looms and was not disappointed with the quality and the character of this piece.  I opted on purchasing the larger loom and now wish I could have the smaller loom as well.  Perhaps someday.  I spent a couple of glorious days weaving.  So addicting, relaxing, and enjoyable.  I followed this amazing tutorial on A Beautiful Mess.  I have been following along as Rachel from Smile and Wave as she put together weaving after weaving and has shared them on her blog and instagram account.  Here are a few of her latest creations.

I grabbed a few of my favorite colors and just started putting them into a pattern.  I wanted something organic with lots of white and some color.  I had worked quite a bit of the weaving before I realized that it was going a bit wonky on the edges, pulling in towards the center.  I'm curious if a smaller piece would do this less.  I was also frustrated with the colors.  I decided to pull it all out and go with neutral colors, focusing more on texture.  

I added some bulky yarn, some thin yarn, some fun ribbon and lace, and some torn fabric strips.  This is when it became really fun.  I wasn't worried as much about pattern as I was about just layering the different materials and focusing on not pulling in on the sides.  It still pulled in a bit, but I was able to pull it to even it out after I took it off the loom.    

I really loved how it turned out.  It is raw, textured, imperfect, and perfectly neutral.  I've been wanting to work on another weaving, something smaller and with color.  Such a fun new hobby to start.  I debated, should I or shouldn't I start something new, but this was definitely a perfect fit for something new and fun.  I keep you posted on my future adventures in weaving.