So, I washed the honeycomb samples. They're dry now, so you get lots of photos - first the right side, then the wrong side of each.
Interesting, eh? I could see making the warp blocks just a little narrower (so the weft floats on the back weren't a little too long), weaving up several related narrow strips, and making a blanket or throw. (Sometimes I wish I weren't so inspired to make big projects.) The MacAusland wool that is the warp and ground weft in all of these is quite scratchy, even when washed, but I bet something like Harrisville Shetland woven in honeycomb would make a very cozy and warm blanket. On the other end of the spectrum, I could see using fine silk and narrow blocks to weave off a colorful scarf. I was surprised at how tidy and stable the selvedges are in these samples; I used a floating selvedge and of course the fulling of the wool helped, but still, they turned out to have a nice, relatively tidy, turned-under edge on either side. With more than 4 shafts, I think you could add a plainweave or basket weave edge to honeycomb and stabilize the edges even more. And can I just say I loved what this structure did for the colors in the warp and weft? I wanna weave more stuff like this!
Next up: a twill shawl in silver Icelandic wool and gray alpaca, like the one I wove for Jesh. You may not get samples from this warp, I'm afraid, as I don't have that much Icelandic yarn left. The warp is sleyed, I wound a bunch of bobbins, and I'm starting the thread the heddles. Progress, in other words!
ETA: I also started pulling together a sample notebook. I think it may need to be a sample box. When I put each sample in its own plastic sleeve, the pile completely filled a 2.5" binder. Hmm....
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