I finished my scarf! I had previously made a scarf as a gift that I liked so much that I decided to make a narrower men's version for myself. I've attached pictures of both for comparison.
This weave was pretty loose to get the pattern I wanted. As a result I had to be very careful with it off the loom, and also fix a few picks that were out of place.
I ended up washing this in hot water and agitating it quite a bit, because I wanted it to full and shrink a bit into its final form. #weaving
I recently ordered a small package of fabric labels so I could add a simple "Handwoven by Kyle Rankin" label on things I made for others (you can see an example on the wider scarf at the top of this thread).
I'm torn whether I should add the label to something I've made for myself. I mean I already know it was handwoven by me, but perhaps it would be good to add it for posterity decades from now?
Those of you who label your projects, do you label projects you make only for yourself? #weaving
@kyle Absolutely. It's only yours until it isn't. Then someone else has it and you won't think to go back and label it when you give it away or lose it.
@kyle I’d add it to every piece. A blacksmith does the same and marks every piece - Maybe in 2 generations it’s still around and someone cherishes it
@kyle I would absolutely label something that I made for me. Mostly because I never know when I'll come across someone where I go "oh, I was just holding this for you" because sometimes projects are like that. 😆
@kyle Definitely label things you made for yourself. As a former museum worker, I would have appreciated such labels on handmade items in the collection.
@kyle Absolutely I do. Especially after discovering that my mother put a label on the ryijy wall hanging she wove for herself when she was in her twenties. It’d been hanging up in my parent’s living room almost all my life but I’d never looked at the back of it! After she passed and I inherited it, I saw that label there. It gave me such joy to see it!
@kyle The labels are a nice touch. Your scarves are lovely. What type of loom did you start with as a beginner? I love handmade items, but I’ve never tried weaving.
@FizzyDaisies Thank you! I started out a year ago with a 32" Kromski rigid heddle loom and around two months later found a free floor loom on Craigslist.
I recommend a rigid heddle loom to try out the hobby before investing in something bigger. There are a lot of books and large community around rigid heddle weaving and with 3 heddles you have the equivalent of a 4-harness floor loom.
@kyle That’s helpful. Thank you! I saw your handloom video. It’s awesome. What an amazing find. Congratulations :)
The ayes have it! Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I sewed a label on my new scarf.