Inkling on.

Last year I bought Laverne Waddington's book, Pebble Weave. I belong to her backstrap group on Ravelry and I wanted to learn more about it after helping my weaving teacher, Mary, teach children backstrap weaving in the summer.  

My first piece in pebble weave was this band which I loved making on the backstrap and managed well following Lavern's wonderful directions.

Unfortunately my hip does not like the backstrap however much I love the results. I found myself trying different kinds of inkle looms over the next couple of months. These Christmas bands were made on a inkle floor loom which I enjoyed using but I found that bending over it was not agreeable either.

I made Christmas cards with the book markers. My friends and family really enjoyed these gifts as most of them are bookworms!

It is traditional for our family to decorate the house on the 16th of December where the Bobbin Monster was turned into the Hippy Bobbin Monster with a festive headband. He made us all smile when we walked passed.

As he is in the dining room where I spin, he created several diner topics. People seem to be amazed that I decorate my house with unfinished projects...

The next loom was a table inkle which I confiscated from a friend who had never used it and believed it did not work. I wove the book markers and the twisting Christmas trees. It has been returned, with a woven Christmas card and I will be helping her warp it in the New Year.  This loom gave me an inkling of the kind of loom that works for me. 

Thinking I would much prefer a much smaller loom, Mary produced this out of her stock of looms and I brought it home to try it. 

The loom is an old tired lady who has seem much use and the pegs bend with the warp which then makes a bid for freedom, creating a tangled mess. I wonder how I know that...

I finally tamed the beast with elastic bands to hold the warp in place and managed to weave a lovely band which has yet to decide what it is going to be when it grows up.

Then I decided to attempt pebble weave on this loom which was really hard because of the tension issues. I could not pop the treads up that I needed for each shed. Even though I produced this pretty band, I had decided that I would not be attempting this again. I would stick to plain inkle bands. They can be fun too.

The pebble weave band decided what it wanted to be when it grew up. This happened over the last couple of days while the Saint was around to carry my ten ton sewing machine around for me. I cut and joined it to make a little bag that shows both sides of the fabric. The button is a ceramic button which I love.

I have been looking for something to store my 40cm round needles in to keep them all together. It was perfect.

All sealed up and safe. I am very pleased with it.

There is a happy ending to my story. The Saint who had heard some VERY colourful language while I was using the old inkle loom, decided that an Inkle loom would make an excellent surprise Christmas gift for me. It was waiting under the tree for me. We built it together on Christmas Day and when he went off to watch rugby in London on the 27th I warped it.

It is a delight to use. The warp stays where it should. The tension is great and it is making me dream of those pebble weave patterns which I love and have been longing to make. I am enjoying it immensely.