Having set the loom up for boxes some time ago, I wondered what I could weave using the same tie-up. Lazy? Perhaps, but it lead to something worthwhile…

Looking through Carol Strickler’s 8-shaft patterns, and playing around on Fiberworks, I came up with a set of drafts using two colours in both warp and weft, as per shadow weave, but setting the warp at 24 epi rather than 20 to match the twill weave. I completed a run of five scarves in various designs using lime and aquamarine 8/2 tencel, and while I’ve received good feedback, I couldn’t help thinking that some of the patterns were more suited to a thicker yarn where the design would be more evident. Then one stood out form the rest… the moving boxes.

I warped the loom again, this time with spice and gold tencel. On the loom and under the light, the pattern looked more or less square. However, turning off the light, the curves in the weave were far more evident. After taking the scarves off the loom and allowing the weaving to relax, the curves became irregular. Laundering at 40C in the front loader left the fabric soft and silky, and the boxes are permanently “moving”.

The scarves were 72″ x 10″ on the loom, and are approximately 69″ x 9″ after laundering. The woven fabric is typical of tencel: “heavy” enough to hold itself in whatever shape it’s worn in, yet light enough to be comfortable.

I have two more on the loom at present in birch and blue grey tencel. I’d bought the former just because it was different, but it had sat in the cupboard for ages while inspiration came. Not an easy shade to match, but the blue grey seems to complement it nicely. Can I finish these within the next week? On verra…