I give this a good solid grade of B. Structurally, it's fine, although I'd like it a little longer and a little more drapey. It softened up some after washing, but not a lot. I wove 72" on the loom (or maybe a little less; I didn't keep good notes, bad me) and it's 67" plus fringe now after washing. I don't wear shawls well, mostly for lack of practice, but I'm not sure how to deal with this one. I think I'll take it to spinning at SpindleRose's this afternoon and see if people have any suggestions.
As for the color, I'm happy, but not perfectly happy. I think the dark purple stripes are a little measly; I'd like them to be thicker. Also, on the left side of the upper photo, do you see that pale blue stripe just inside the dark purple stripes? I wish that wasn't quite so wide a pale blue stripe and I wish it weren't next to the dark purple stripes. I'm surprised I got that pale stripe; I spun two quite different lots of the colorway and then wound an end from each lot together as I measured the warp, so it's odd all the pale blue ended up in one spot. I'll try to remember to LOOK at a warp once I've sleyed it, and not just plunge onward in a frenzy of excitement.
Now, don't get me wrong - I like this project a great deal and I'm not slighting my work and my talents one bit. I'm just setting my sights even higher, and I think you understand exactly what I mean.
Several things: first of all, I rarely wear shawls, but I find them handy early morning and late evening when I need just something over my shoulders. Rarely out of the house though. I am conscious of the Grandma Look, sheesh.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I like the striping, various lights and darks notwithstanding. Provides a bit of contrast, makes it less of a rag-rug-hit-or-miss kind of coloration. The pale pule draws the eye, surely, but not to a fault: I think it points out the purple stripe well.
But I do know what you mean about getting carried away and forgetting to really look at what you are doing.
I just did a color sample for the book (silk scarf) and loved the colors, was so excited to see it woven off that I ignored the weaving (mostly selvedge issues) in my hurry to see it done. Now? I still like the colors but I made a mistake there too, and forgot to do something I wanted.
Next sample: Monday!
See how these things become a series?
Last: Have you pressed? I press everything damp-to-dry, wrinkles will be permanent after the first dry. Then, I ball up the thing and toss it in a bag, so wrinkles are really never a problem: they are always there!
I have not pressed, I just laid flat to dry. SpindleRose, JJ, and Marcy loved it this afternoon, and once I figured out how to pin it, I liked wearing it as well. So maybe now I think it's a B+!
DeleteMy theory about the best way to wear anything slightly unusual - hat, shawl, stole, whatever - is that you should just wear it. As if it were any other item of apparel. It's yours, you like it, you wear it. Nothing to do with anyone else. Such things only look wrong if the person wearing them is secretly (or otherwise) uncomfortable in them; I cite A, who looks terrible in a hat because somehow his body language says "Oh no, this thing has landed on my head and I don't know what to do..."
ReplyDeleteI like the shawl, I like the striping. I see what you mean about the pale blue stripe, but to my eye the thing that makes that stripe stand out is a) its juxtaposition with the dark purple, and b) the fact that the symmetry of the dark purple stripes make the one broad blue one stand out even more.