Six Shaft Crackly Weave - Purple Blot Scarf!

After slew of visitors in the last few weeks I am finally getting my bum down on the weaving bench! I hauled out all of the 2/18 cotton I dyed last year and was staring at it for days and days without inspiration so I packed it away again and decided to weave a silk scarf ~ definitely a comfort weave.  

The silk I chose is hand dyed variegated purple singles that has been kicking around my stash for awhile.  I knew the scarf would be 100 inches long, so I just started making the warp and thought I’d find a pattern after I found out how many threads I had.

Turns out I got 247 ends out of it!  Since it is silk singles about 1/18 grist I have chosen to sett it at 30 ends per inch, so the scarf will be about 8 inches wide.

Scrolling through my catalogue in PCW I found one of my favourite patterns ~ 6 Shaft Crackle Weave which I developed a few years ago. 

This pattern started out as a profile draft that uses block substitution and networking techniques.  I wove on of my all time favourite scarf’s using this pattern, have a look at my Oil Slick Scarf.

I’ve amended the original pattern to increase the ends, so I added an additional motif in the centre.  Unfortunately, this variegated silk doesn’t photograph very well at all, but trust me it is really pretty on the loom.

The warp is a bit sticky, so I have left the lease sticks in while I’m weaving to make sure I don’t get big snarls as it pulls forward.  This is unusual for me, but it sure helps keep an even tension.

I've been distracted by both unusually warm weather and the fires we have been having on Vancouver Island.  The fires have given us days and days of smoke in the sky and very poor quality air, but beautiful sunsets.  This one was just like fire in the sky!

 I love to close with a photo of my garden, but with our drought it is looking a bit sad right now; but the other morning Michael found this beauty in the dwarf pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana 'Pumila').  Does anyone have any idea what kind of beetle this is?  It is about the size of a large man's thumb, huge!