As the year draws to a close, with the sun setting ever-earlier and temperatures dropping into the frigid zone, we find ourselves spending more time curled up in a cozy chair with a mug of tea close at hand. At moments like these, our thoughts naturally turn to working with wool. What should we make?
We‘ve put together a new eBook for All Access subscribers, The Wonders of Wool, that offers more than a dozen answers to that important question.
It also includes an article that explains wool‘s prickle factor, another that describes how to full your finished items, and a third with memories of meeting an order of sheep-raising Benedictine nuns.
Weaving Ideas
Photos by Matt Graves
Multi-shaft weavers can look forward to weaving the cozy plaid Blanket of Dreams (left), a set of Fulled Mug Rugs (center), or the O‘ So Beautiful Scarf (right). While it may not be obvious at first glance, a “doubled“ theme ties these three projects together.
The Blanket of Dreams is wide enough to keep you snug on the couch because it‘s woven doublewidth. Designer Malynda Allen started off feeling a little intimidated by the idea, but found it wasn‘t as difficult as she feared, and she encourages you to give it a try.
Merriel Miller‘s O‘ So Beautiful Scarf combines sections of deflected doubleweave with sections of plain weave and twill that include raised stripes. If you‘re smitten by the sinuous organic shapes of deflected doubleweave, this is a good project to get on your loom.
Can you tell how the “doubled“ theme applies to Ellen Kardell‘s Fulled Mug Rugs? Would you be surprised to learn that they‘re also woven in deflected doubleweave? After weaving and fulling, they shrink into the graphic and cushy form you see above.
Instructions for three projects created on smaller looms are also included in The Wonders of Wool. Editor Christina Garton shares all about why she loves these small-loom patterns at Little Looms.
Knitting, Needlework, and More
Photos by Matt Graves (left), Gale Zucker (center), Joe Coca (right)
If you‘re looking for travel-friendly ideas, The Wonders of Wool also has one needlework and six knitting projects, including the Jacobean Crewelwork Project Bag (left), the on-trend two-color brioche Brooklyn Mitts (center), and an adorable Flock of Sheep (right). Learn more about the eBook‘s knitting and needlework projects at Piecework.
Or why not try making a pair of Fingerwoven Bracelets (below)? No loom is needed—Carol James shows you how using a pair of chopsticks held down with painter‘s tape.
Photos by George Boe
And if deflected doubleweave or fingerweaving sound enticing, you have just enough time to sign up for Weave Together 2025, where you can take classes to learn more about them (or a broad range of other weaving topics). Don‘t delay, though—the deadline is almost upon us!
Check out all the warm and woolly projects in The Wonders of Wool.