Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom Weaving Progress

 Probably two months ago I began weaving on the 16” Ashford Rigid Heddle loom we acquired (for a great deal of money!) in July. I had committed myself to completing several knitting projects before starting the weaving. Well, I did start weaving then came up with a question about the space between the cloths that made me stop weaving.

Back story—many years ago a good friend in Vermont brought me five large leaf bags full of yarn. You can imagine my delight. You can also imagine Dear One’s despair!!! Three of the bags (as I remember) were full of Sugar and Cream cotton worsted weight yarn. I used the Bond Incredible Sweater Machine and the Ultimate Sweater Machine to make a huge blanket. Did not even make a dent in the yarn. 

Since that blanket I have hand-knit many many dishcloths. I love them and others seem to love them, too.  My hands are beginning to object to hours of hand knitting so I decided to weave dishcloths with that yarn.

This is where I am. 

What you are seeing is part of the warp and weft between dishcloth two and dishcloth three plus the space between them where I tried to do hem stitching.

Today I finally sat down and attempted that hem stitching between cloth two and cloth three. 

After the weaving brought up a question back last month (how do I know when the cloth is the size I want it to be so I can add a space before weaving the next one?) I had stopped weaving for a while. Somehow I put away the bobbins to a very safe place.  As often happens!  And they did not turn up after somewhat extensive searching. So, as any edgy weaver would do, I ordered more bobbins from The Woolery. They arrived last week and today, after this poorly executed hem stitching was completed, I wound the new ten bobbins which are now ready to use in the boat shuttle I am using for the weaving picks.  Almost certainly the lost bobbins will turn up now…!

The warp on this project is a multicolor yarn in pinks and the weft is the plain bright pink.  I think the ball band is Bernat yarn. The first one off the loom will go to a very kind gentleman.  I hope he does not mind pink.