Triloom Shawl

About a year ago we put our house up for sale and the realtor asked me to clear out a few of my craft items from around the house. "it looks like a lot of clutter" he matter of fact stated, little did he know that all that clutter, is just a wonderful therapy session for my busy mind, but since I wanted to try to sell the house I obliged, under protest of course. The office building I work in is huge we have exactly 9 vacant offices and I asked my boss if I could take the smallest office and put some boxes in it for storage, he agreed and I was happy. I also asked if I could hang my loom in the lunch room so that I could work there during my lunch breaks, he said "I like to watch you work on that thing since I have to earthly idea what the hell its for", jackpot I thought, so I get to play on my lunch break and educate the masses (well the four that lunch with me at least). I've been working on this shawl for about two months now, and am at the point where I need to get it finished and off the loom. I'm at the last 7 pegs and these always seem to be the hardest, they are, by this time really tight to weave over and under takes a lot of pressure from my hands and after 15 mins I get cramps so this this the slowest part for me.
I remember when I made this loom, and I was in the Triloom Group on Yahoo, there were ladies that put these shawls out in an afternoon, I was always amazed that they could put one out that quickly, it's never been that way for me, but I always work at my own pace, since I want to enjoy the process.
This is a close up of the weaving pattern, it's a cut thread shawl with the simplest plaid for some color effect. I have already had a few requests, for it, but of course no one wants to purchase it, they want it as a gift, pfffftttt.. NO, this is going on to the 1kmkt store and needs to be sold, I have to support the fiber habit( hrmm addiction) and this stuff ain't cheap. LOL.. But only other fiber artist understand that bit of frustration, when they are told "oh you could sell that for like $30.00 and make so much money", yeah right, I could just get rich on that.

Once it's is washed the the weaving stabilizes all the unevenness will subside and the shawl will be wonderfully soft and warm. I have to think about the fringe, I'm so tired of the twisted fringe, I need to come up with something else maybe I'll cut it and just let it be this time.

TRI LOOM SHAWL UPDATE

I've made some progress on the shawl this past week. The left pic was taken in Nov. and the bottom pic last night. Since it's hanging in my bedroom and I look at it every night, I finally decided last night I had enough, I need to finish this one and get if off my loom. This was the shawl I was going to give my grandmother, but will not be able to use it. I am considering sending it my husband's aunt in California. We'll see how I feel about it once it's finished. I havebeen thinking of contacting a few vendors in North Carolina and Gatlinburg TN about sending some of my shawls for consignment to see if they would sell, although I haven't figured out how to keep track of the inventory or what prices should be, but I figured it couldn't hurt to try, so I have to finish this one and get started on some more so that I have some inventory to send.

In other news I finished the woven bottom purse, but I forgot to take a picture of it. I'll do that this weekend and post for everyone to see. There has been some really exiciting new on the Loom Knitting home front. One of the most talented ladies in our groups Isela, has an article in Kitty. com check it out here http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring07/FEATloomknitting.html. I'm so proud of her and all that she is doing for our Loomies, it's a great feeling to know that the Knitting community is waking up to us and actually taking notice. I have been told by knitting snobs that the product I produce are not really knitted items, because "they have not been made in a traditional way". I have even walked into yarn shops and had the owners rebuff me because I brought in my loom to see if handspun would work on it. So Isela, you are slowly but surely bringing us to the forefront and for that I say "WAY TO GO, GIRL"!!! "MAKE US PROUD.