Further development.....

After the success of last sample, I am trying out a different colour combination. It is the same black cotton warp, black cashmere weft, and a white silk SS weft. The white will crinkle up and look more like snow.

I am also introducing the highlight colours of the tree and bird but I have to test out what is the most effective way of doing that. 

This first attempt is just adding a new colour on top of the 2 base weft threads.

First idea........

I am back to weaving and I am not really missing the knitting at all!?

Funny how I seem to be in phases with these things. 

I finished the sample, if we can call it that. It measured off loom, 190cm long by 27cm wide and turned out to be a full size scarf.

The piece off the loom looks interesting enough with the gauze-like texture where the silk SS yarn is used. I wet finished it and the texture changes:

The silk SS yarn crinkles up and the cashmere fulls up nicely. The cotton warp remained quite stable and forms a good base for the wefts. I think it has only reduced in width as the overall piece. I will have to measure it properly when it is dry.
I am trying to figure out how it relates to the picture. (See previous post.) The bumps and lumps resemble the snow on the branches, I think it is a textural thing. 
I can see how Meg and Kaz work with the digital images and the translation that results from them but my designs feel more obtuse.
After seeing how this works, I have a couple more ideas buzzing around. They just have to stew a bit in my head and then, maybe another sample this coming week. I think I have another 2 meters of warp left on Chibi.......

Where did this come from?

I have packed away my knitting machine for the moment and am back on track with the task on hand. 

Somehow, this image has inspired the following weave but I am not quite sure how. 

I just started weaving. I have had the cones of yarn out for a few weeks now, just sitting there waiting for me to be ready. I am trying to use stash yarn only for this project. Somehow, I have been diverted from the original idea of woven shibori but I am happy with this so far.

As I was weaving this, I could not help thinking that the curious weaver will be frowning. Kaz is brilliant with colours and KaTe (the 8 shaft countermarche loom) has white warp with white weft on at the moment and now Chibi (the 2 shaft Saori loom) has black warp with black wefts.

The warp is the black cotton warp that came pre-wound on the loom. There is about 4 meters left on the back beam. The wefts are Colourmart lace-weight cashmere and Avril silk stainless steel yarn.
The funny thing is that you can't even see very easily how the pattern is developing without the contrast white paper underneath. I have only placed that there so that the photo would work!
I am just going to weave a scarf length sample, probably about 2 meters as I think that it will be an interesting piece in its own right. 
The plan is that when this come off the loom, I will wet finish it in hot water to wash off the oils on the cashmere and hopefully, it will full a bit and the silk SS will crinkle up.
I am already thinking about a second full sample and that it may have a bit more colour?
Come to think of it, my last P2P project had the silk SS yarn in it too!

Defection?

Lately I feel like I am being drawn to the other side. I have always thought of myself as a weaver rather than a knitter, but I have caught the knitting bug and can't stop.
It is not only machine knitting but also hand knitting. Maybe it is the cold in Melbourne, maybe it is the portability of hand knitting as I have been in lots of waiting rooms recently, or maybe I am just going through a phase......
I am also pleased that I am using yarn from stash, especially the beautiful stuff from Avril.
This amazing knit item is one of Setsuko Torii's designs in her book 'Zoom on Knit Textures'. I have substituted a different yarn for the Pafu (pompom yarn) but using the 3 strands of wool stainless steel yarn.

The combination of stocking and moss stitch in the knit gives this very subtle corrugated texture in combination with the unique characteristics of the yarn.

Some 4 ply alpaca from stash, and I knitted this cowl for a gift. I found the pattern on Ravelry; an amazing place and believe me, I have spent a bit of time there as well. Probably why another reason I have been so quiet on the blogger front.....

I have been trying to put some order to my stash and I was confronted by how much yarn I have in stash. Machine knit is great way to use up odd balls/cones for a quick and beautiful present. I knitted a modified version of Kozue with some possum lace-weight yarn for a friend visiting from Europe. It was a shock for her to be in COLD Melbourne.
Mum also wanted one and I did a cashmere version for her.

Another skill that I have put into practice is maintaining my machine. 

 Some very simple tools and I can look after my relatively new acquisition:

It is an oldie but a good one. It has a light carriage and has been a life saver on my shoulder. It does not have any fancy punch card function but enough to allow me to knit the Kozues, and the part circular shawl.
I also participated in a knit-along for the first time. It was the Kakomu, a hand knit pattern that I opted to knit up on the knitting machine. Yes, I have caught the knitting bug but not so much infected that I would knit miles of stocking stitch.........