Most of these designs were woven as wearable luxury textiles. If the structure is stable enough to be wearable, then it will also serve well as a throw blanket, woven to the correct dimensions. Cloth is cloth, I always say, and its name is determined by what you do with it.
For the sake of my continued interest in weaving and the appreciation of my buyers, I strive for one-of-a-kind pieces; if there are five scarves threaded on my loom, I vary either the treadling sequence, the weft, or the finish to make each piece unique. These "Sister Scarves" are necessary for me to experiment with and learn the vagaries of each structure as well as keeping my items affordable. There are a few exceptions--those designs that are just perfect in that color, that fiber, and that size--and they are listed under Signature Weaves. These are stocked items available for immediate purchase. For one-of-a-kind items for immediate purchase, be sure to check out What's New on the Loom and its Archives.
Finally for the more adventurous and those who can plan ahead, peruse some of my favorite structures below and consider color, fiber, and dimensions for your perfect custom piece. Allow 6-8 weeks for custom orders, and color cards of the fiber of your choice are available for 5.00.
Yet another member of the Gebrochene family--I love these twills for their stability and intricacy. They lend themselves to any purpose be it a cozy cashmere scarf or a showy throw blanket to accent the living room.
The "Man-Scarf" in Italian Cashmere/Silk on a Black Silk Warp
This 8-shaft Crackle Weave makes delightfully etched floral patterning arranged in rows with connecting stars. The warp is an ivory silk and the fill is bamboo. Bamboo on silk is my new favorite fiber combination; the bamboo is soft and has excellent sheen and drape but is half as expensive as silk.
Four-Leafed Clover Scarves in Bamboo on Silk Warp
This pattern named by my son as he saw it on the loom. The jagged twill patterns reminded him of a bathtub game wherein his hand is a shark fin and he slashes it violently through the water. "Sharkwater" sounded so much better to me than the "Ice Crystals" and "Frostflake" titles I was contriving as I wove. This one is of white fine gauge (Fine?? 12,000 yards to the pound!) silk and is gauze weight. It has a sewn fringe and a sumptuous attitude.
Sharkwater Shawl in Bleached White Silk
400.00
This eye-grabbing extra wide scarf is woven in Starburst Twill with what I call "Confusion Borders". The clear pattern of the star is starkly contrasted against the seemingly random borders. This order out of chaos creates a beautiful piece with lines of diamonds forming within the Confusion Border, drawing everything together. See close-up below:
At the point where the vertical and horizontal borders meet, an all-over diamond pattern forms. I LOVE this, and use this technique often to frame my twills.
Starburst Shawl in Blue Sky Silk
220.00
This beautiful twill is almost three-dimensional in its appearance. Hence, it is splendid in a solid colored arrangement, but I have woven it with dark on light with excellent results as well. I recommend silk or bamboo with this structure, else the delicate pattern might get lost in fuzz.
These scarves were 6" wide x 72" with hand twisted fringes in 20/2 silk.
175.00 in Tussah Silk
The Advancing Twill structures hail from Scandinavia--this particular one from Sweden. The effects are loose airy textiles with excellent drape and etched three dimensional textures. I find these weaves are at their most elegant with same color warp and weft, but different fibers. This one was a silk weft on a silk-wool warp which accented the pattern mainly by sheen; the small wool content moves it from summer to autumn by adding a coziness to the texture. The fringes are hand-twisted and knotted for my favorite finish.
175.-250. depending on fiber content
Another variation on the Scandinavian Advancing Twills, this one is particularly nice in pink. The photograph does not do justice to the metallic threads interspersed with the silk threads which give it a subtle sparkle in the light. This shawl is a generous 36" x 78", not including its twisted fringes. The fringes, by the way, take as long as the weaving of the cloth! I have also made this as a scarf in a paler pink--gorgeous!
240.-320. depending on fiber content
Here is a structure that wins for the "simple elegance" category. It is the most basic of all loom-controlled laces; a combination of basketweave and plain weave create spaces in the web that filter the light at different densities. The surface beauty of the geometric lace patterns is beautiful on its own, but with light behind it (yes, I've made drapes in this structure) stunning! This scarf gets it's shiny richness from 100% fine guage silk and is light enough for summer accessory wear.
150. in Tussah Silk
A photograph can't really do justice to this smooth, subtle twill design. My goal was to make diagonal circles in the weave structure, and I only partially succeeded; the result was a fish-scale pattern which went beautifully with silver silk and mixed with an occasional metallic thread. Some mistakes really work out for the best, and this one certainly did. I would recommend only silk or bamboo for this design since the texture needs luster to be effective. This was 2009's "Silver Scarf".
150. in Silver Silk and Lurex Threads
This beautiful structure lends itself to any use; it has excellent drape and stability. The design in a contrast color is intricate without being busy, and in a solid color--exquisitely subtle. The throw blanket here is in a fine gauge lambswool, but I have had excellent results in cashmere, bamboo and silk as well.
400. in Lambswool Throw
