Hats beta version

So CallMeMichelle and NameMe modeled the beta testing hats. And they turned out a bit small, too fragile, too ready to fray. So more thinking needed.

And I concluded that several changes had to happen: different weft material, tougher, more vivid colors, springtime after all, different, bigger, loom, different warping so as to achieve fringeless finish. I learned all this from Hats One and Two. Sounds like Dr Seuss.

And the result was this setup

Ribbons, same warp thread, cotton, and a round loom that allows for warping with loops at warp ends. Yes, it's a circular saw blade, donated along with a couple of others to the studio by my contractor who thought they might work in mixed media. They're a bit heavy for that, but they're great looms. I made my entire Planet Series on them, most of which lives in collections now.

Anyway, back to hats.

This is the new weaving under way, with a section left unworked as before. I should explain this -- it's so that the two sides can be drawn and stitched together, to form a cone, which you can then manipulate further to a hat shape.

Here's the back of the loom, showing you the loops, the tape being what holds the warp ends im place until you're ready to remove the weaving.

Then the last band of color. This is really for CallMeMichelle because it's her sorority colors, the pink and green, but she's holding on to the test hat for now. You see the first loop released, ready to be drawn through till it snugs into the center.

So Blondie Firstborn generously (!) offered to model Hat Three.

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And I'm now instructed to make four more, all different. So this little idea to whip up a few hats has now become seven hats, two looms, all the ribbon, tape, tiny tools.

But first I'm going for a walk.