Tartan Pink

Last month I visited Moffat in the Borders. It was very cold and frosty but the weather for the two days we were there was perfect.
There were many lovely walks and we enjoyed following the river around the outskirts of the town. I  love taking photographs and keep a file on my computer with images which I think might be useful for inspiration  for weaving.  Close up pictures of flowers can transform into colour studies. The texture of tree bark and moss covered walls can translate into weaving ideas.

snowdrops by the river

A moss covered wall

 This lovely little town has a strong weaving tradition and in the local mill shop this loom was set up to weave.

Moffat mill in Scotland

I have just finished the FutureLearn course about Robert Burns so I was delighted to find this information on the outside wall of a pub.

I love tartan. After seeing a shop full of tartan products, I went home inspired to design my own variation.  I decided to use up some of my yarn stash and weave an unusual version of my own.  I chose two colours of wool, pink and red, and devised a pattern. The weave structure is plain weave on four shafts. Using only two colours it is really a check pattern. I used a tartan pattern as the basic outline and reduced it to the two colours.

This weave draft shows 1.5 repeats.  Look at the actual scarf for the pattern.

Drawdown for tartan pattern in two colours

Here is the finished scarf. It was quick to weave.  It has been washed carefully as it is pure wool and will felt if treated harshly. The ends were knotted to form the fringe.

My pink and red tartan.

I like the two colours.It is very bright and cheerful for a cold, dull winters day.

The latest edition of the Swedish Weaving Magazine

I have just received the latest Vav Magasinet.  The editor travelled to the Shetland Isles, Elgin and then on to North Uist and Harris and Lewis.  Quite a trip!  It is a lovely edition with lots of fascinating details about tweed and the people who weave this sturdy cloth.

Happy weaving

Susan J Foulkes March 2016