After the Sulk

So, after my previous posts on how much I was in love with my Loom, we recently fell out... BIG TIME :(

I'd just started a new project, and as I was tensioning it all after winding on to the fabric beam, something snapped, and it all unravelled into a pile of sadness on the floor. 

I was having a particularly black day at the time, so this didn't cheer me any. 

After a quick inspection, I got straight onto the phone to Ann at Spinwise. I ordered a replacement ratchet and pawl set, in metal, (as opposed to the flimsy, plastic one that was on there) and when that arrived I got it all fixed and retensioned. But, whilst re-assembling it, the warp and fabric beams both developed splits (insert a few choice swears here).. GGRRRR! ! !

So I fell out with it for a bit, hahaha :P

Apparently this is a common problem with Kromski Harps... not that it made me feel any better!

Last week, I decided to stop sulking and just get on with weaving something so I could use the warp up and get cracking on a new project, as I got some lovely new heddles for Christmas and my Birthday...

So this piece of fabric is called 'After the Sulk' and it was very quick, as it's a plain weave. I just used some black aran for the weft, as I'd used some rather bright hand-dyed aran for the warp.

It grew really quickly, and once I'd taken it off the loom I was unsure of what to do with the fringes, as I felt knotting them would not do the piece any justice.
After much deliberation, I decided to twist them, in pairs, then hand-felt them.

For those of you wondering how to to this, I made a little video tutorial :)

Once both sides were done, I trimmed them so they looked a little less straggly. Took me about two hours to do it, over two days as it's quite labour intensive and hard on the hands!

The extra time I spent finishing the piece was totally worth it, and I am thrilled with the result!!