Putting Time at Home to Good Use

As much as I try to be productive and use this time at home to my advantage by weaving up a storm, I have had moments of just wanting to play on my phone and tune out the coronavirus and social distancing. I did that on Saturday only to wake up on Sunday with renewed resolve. I planned my blended-draft towels project, ordered yarn for it, and then I got out my inkle loom.

I’ve woven 2, maybe 3, bands in the past but decided I should use this time to reacquaint myself with inkling. I’m weaving a red and blue dog leash for our puppy Deacon; the leash will look good with his new red collar. I have Schacht Spindle Company’s Inkle loom and was happy that Schacht offers a free PDF download with instructions for warping it. Of course, in my usual fashion, I went over a peg rather than under it for half of my warp ends. And, then, again in my usual fashion, I laboriously moved them all and re-heddled a few ends. I may lose a bit of warp length because of that mishap, but the warp is 8½ feet long, so I’m fairly confident I’ll get the 7 feet I need.

The beginning of a checkered dog leash. I'm still working on my edges. Photo by Susan E. Horton

The PDF download had a few patterns in it, including a checkerboard, which I picked. I warped with red and blue carpet warp and am doubling the blue carpet warp for the weft. In classic weaverly tradition, I feel I must point out that my edges aren’t very good right now, but I’m hoping that after 7 feet, they will be. The inkle loom is highly portable, so although I’m stuck at home, I’m not stuck in the house.

After I finish the leash, I’m hoping my basic skills are good enough to try Ellen LaBruce’s Mountain Sunset Bracelet that was in Easy Weaving with Little Looms 2019. At such a small size, the bracelet isn’t really a stash buster, but it does use 5/2 and 10/2 pearl cotton, which most of us have in our stashes. The bracelet has a little bit of optional pick-up in it and instructions for making a buttonhole, which should improve my inkle skills. I have a slew of hard-to-buy-for nieces and nephews that I think will like the bracelets, and I wouldn’t mind having one of my own. Learning a new skill and weaving some beautiful bands seems like a win-win proposition.

Weaving a bracelet as pretty as Ellen LaBruce’s Mountain Sunset Bracelet is my goal. Photo by George Boe

Here’s to not playing on our phones and using this time wisely.

Weave well,

Susan