Blanket Love

I've been channelling the vintage vibe with this traditionally styled check blanket. I just love weaving. It's actually a whole load quicker than knitting and a great opportunity to experiment with colours. Rather than leave the ends as a fringe that's going to tickle half asleep noses, I've bound the ends with some cute floral fabric.

I dragged my trusty Ashford heddle loom out of the spare room and into the lounge and threaded it up with 100% New Zealand wool 8 ply Utuku yarn from The Wool Company in Taihape. Little Miss 4 has had endless trouble resisting the temptation to run her hand over the warp threads. She loves blankets, and can't wait to try out some weaving of her own. She is never very impressed when I tell her that the blanket is to be sold to another family. Though she likes the idea that something created by her mummy is going to keep another child warm and happy.

Ashford have some really good instructional videos on how to thread up a rigid heddle loom.
I used an 8/8 colour pattern and the 7.5dpi reed. Alternating 8 green and 8 pink threads for the warp, and 8 green and 8 pink for the weft threads. I threaded on 192 warp threads in total. Rather than breaking the yarn for the colour change, I wove the alternating yarn up one side of the work by including it with the end warp thread and wrapping the weft thread around at the end of each row.  

I've blogged the instructions for the bound ends in a previous blog. Its super simple and worth the extra effort for the contrasting texture and added cuteness.

One snuggly blanket looking for a cold day and a little companion.