Roger in a tangle… 🧶
Busy in the warping shed setting up the creel for some new throws.
If you look closely, you might spot one of our new Skye wool colours in the background 👀
Really happy with how the new lilac pairs with the blue and our natural light grey!
#skyeweavers #behindthescenes #weaversofinstagram #warping #weaving
More colourful Skye wool 🧡 This shade is inspired by Xanthoria parietina (‘sunburst’) lichen, which we find all over our rocky seashores. It's dyed ‘in the cone’ to achieve a deep, solid and consistent colour. The other method is ‘in the fleece’ which gives a more variegated effect – see previous post.
Our Skye wool is dyed specially for us by Jason at Ettrick Yarn Dyers in the Scottish Borders. Fun fact: Jason’s dad used to work with renowned textile designer and colour supremo Bernat Klein. Now that’s an impeccable colour heritage!
#colour #color #yarn #textiledesign #inspiredbynature #inspiredbyskye #madeinscotland
✨Skye wool✨ What a lovely line-up! We’ve introduced two new colours this year: a purple/lilac inspired by the wildflowers (devil’s-bit scabious) that brighten up our hill meadows in late summer; and a pale green inspired by the wispy ‘old man’s beard’ lichen (Usnea) that thrives in our clean island air. We’ve also had dark green and dark blue spun for us again, plus our usual selection of natural greys.
These coloured yarns are all dyed ‘in the fleece’ before spinning. Find out more about this process in our colour blog: /blog/colour
Pattern card take 2: The Insta gremlins took over the other day so you missed out on seeing the moving parts of our unsung hero. So here it is ... the pattern card in action, and colourful baby blankets coming soon!
Throwing a spotlight on an unsung hero behind every weave: the pattern card. This hole-punched tape determines the order of the weft colours on the loom. Here it is in action on our colourful baby blankets.
We make our own pattern cards with a ratchet press hole punch. The mill ticket, where we note all the information for each weave, tells us how many holes to punch and in which position. When we’ve finished the pattern card we glue the ends together so that that it runs in an endless loop – repeating the colour pattern with every revolution.
We’ve amassed quite a collection of pattern cards over the years!
#weavers #weaving #textiles #skyeweavers #behindthescenes #madeinscotland
Up close with our new Lightweight Wrap Scarf Atlantic. We used an irregular ‘slubby’ yarn in the weft to create a beautifully light and organic texture.
Our wrap scarves are wider than a standard scarf so they’re super versatile. Drape it over your shoulders like a stole or wrap up and keep your neck cosy - the choice is yours!
#scarf #stole #accessories #weaving #textiles #woveninscotland
Roger at the mending table with our Lobaria Throws. You can't speed up this job! We meticulously check every inch of finished fabric for the tiniest fault. It's quiet, slow and focused work - perhaps we should rebrand it Mindful Mending?
#textiles #weaversofinstagram #craft #artisan #madeinscotland
Our Lobaria Throws have made it to the loom! Woven from local wool and inspired by local lichens - swipe for the inspo. Visit the Coming Soon section of our website if you'd like an email when these arrive in the shop.
#weaving #weaver #SkyeWeavers #inspiredbyskye #inspiredbynature #poweredbypedal
A peek behind the scenes in the warping mill. Roger’s beaming off our Lobaria lichen-inspired throws. This is the process of transferring the warp threads from the big warping wheel to the warp beam that goes into the back of the loom. It involves tying the yarn ends on to the warp beam then watching out while the wheel turns to ensure everything transfers evenly. Followed by some heavy lifting!
Visit the Sheep to Tweed section of our website (under ‘About’) to find out more about what goes on in the warping and weaving sheds.
#behindthescenes #weaversofinstagram #madeinscotland #madeinskye #skyeweavers
We’ve got another lichen-inspired design on the go. No wonder I’m looking so pleased! Preparing the warp for new throws. The lichen in question is lobaria pulmonaria (tree lungwort), which thrives in our clean island air.
#behindthescenes #weaving #weaver #skyeweavers #inspiredbyskye #inspiredbynature #madeinscotland
✨N E W✨ Introducing our new shawl in luxuriously thick, supersoft lambswool. We are completely in love with this one! Hope you are too. The design is inspired by patterns on the beach at ebb tide.
#shawl #stole #accessories #limitededition #woveninscotland #isleofskye
On the loom with our colourful new baby blankets. Swipe for some close-ups showing the huck weave structure.
Want an email when these arrive in the shop? Visit the Coming Soon section of our website to register your interest.
#woven #woventextiles #weavingloom #naturalfibres #weaving #madeinskye
