I thought you mike like to see some better shots of the Ruana Shawl in made in a workshop with Rbbin Firth of Heartfelt Silks. As I didn’t remember my my camera on the day I’ve done a little photo shoot now.
This is the Merino side embellisehed with dyed tussah silk and BFL fleece.
It’s a lovely mix of blue, purple and green with the silk side as a complete contrast.
I’ve been lucky enough to spend three days this week at a workshop with Robbin Firth of Heartfelt Silks. Robbin is visiting the UK to run a number of workshops and the Ruana shawl is the largest piece of felt to be made during her visit.
First off, Robbin had to contend with irregular sized / too small tables, people who hadn’t brought the right stuff (oops!) and working away from home without all her usual bits to hand. She did an excellent job.
I’d dyed up some silk chiffon but decided instead to go for using the undyed silk paj that I’d also brought with me. You think by now I’d know well enough that I should have washed it first to remove the dressing, but I didn’t 🙁 It still works okay but just meant more rolling for me.
To add interest to the silk side of the shawl I laid down lines of coloured tops in purple and some nepps in purple and blue. The hope was that the coloured lines would show through the silk and that the nepps would add texture.
On top of this I added Merino tops in four shades of blue and finished the edge in BFL dyed curls. As I worked up the shwl I began to add purple into the blues, then to gradually remove the blues until I worlked in purples at the far end, finishing again with the same fringe.
At the purple end of the scarf I laid down blue tops in lines along with more nepps.
Even though we had 4 tables apiece to work on sometimes nothing but the floor would do. Here you see Robbin and her daughter Kirsten helping with Gilly’s shawl.
Sue had to leave early so her shawl isn’t in the group shot, lovely isn’t it?
From left to right : Yvonne, Androulla, Gilly, Louise, Robbin, Liz, Helen, yours truly with her eyes shut! and Kirsten.
Great fun and not long until my next workshop with Robbin on 24th June.