Learning Curve

I just finished the first scarf on this warp of thick and thin checks. I've used two different weights of organic, naturally colored cotton yarn, a 6/2 yarn for the thick yarn and 20/2 for the thin yarn. This gives a gauzy effect to the squares.

However, for someone who weaves mainly rugs or other things that require hard beating to pack the weft in tightly, this project has quite a learning curve for me. The weft yarns have to be carefully placed in order to square the blocks and the fine yarn is particularly fussy about spacing. I find my neck getting a crick and my shoulders aching after a very short while of trying to get it right. I decided not to get too persnickety about about squarness at the beginning knowing that once I get the rhythm of the beating it will start to work out. If I get too obsessed about it and keep stopping to take it out it will just slow the process of getting the rhythm established. Weaving (or knitting or weeding) efficiently is to a great extent a matter or relaxing and getting into rhythm. Then things will start to look even. By the time I got to the end of the 72" first scarf I was beginning to get it. I think these are going to be pretty.