Rug

This is what I am weaving at the moment. I am so very very happy with how it is turning out, I can hardly begin to tell you. The close up image is quite accurate in its colours.

This is being woven with advice from Peter Collingwood's rug book. It is based on a 3-shaft block weave. It has four blocks, threaded 123, etc 234 etc, 341 etc and 412 etc.

The blocks are either all colour A, all colour B, or vertical stripes of both colours. What fascinates me is that these blocks can be moved about according to the order of the weft colours A and B and according to the lifting of the shafts.

There are three ways to arrange the blocks if you want the first block to remain as colour A throughout, and this is the design I have started to put into my rug. I shall have about 10 inches of the first option, with green as colour A, and then I think I shall have some narrow horizontal stripes in maybe mustard and then red after which I shall probably have another 10 inches but this time with lime green as colour A and the second arrangement of the blocks. Then I shall put in some more horizontal stripes and I shall follow them with the third possible arrangement of the blocks and who knows I might choose red as my colour A.

What do you think? It is not as complicated as it sounds - you just have to read Peter Collingwood's instructions a few times, which are nice and clear and off you go.

The pale horizontal stripe in the photo is where the rug begins, it is a firm base of linen warp yarn for the weft and I shall most likely unpick it when the rug is finished and do a half-damascus edge followed by plaits. I wonder how long it will take me to finish.