Final Weaving – Martha Cryan

The warp of my weaving is mostly bright yellow, but includes a purple stripe through the middle. Starting from this color scheme, I created a palette of bold yellows and purples (and a hot pink) which was tempered by soft pinks and greys. I didn’t want the colors to be overly regular, but generally I tried to allow for an alternation between the two main colors of purple and yellow. I wanted to create a cohesive piece, and I felt that the color palette was essential for this.

In terms of materials, I mainly used yarn, but I also included multiple kinds of ribbons. I also included a found object (red square with circle cut out) as a small accent.

One of the techniques / patterns that I used was danish medallions. This is a motif that I explored in several ways, but as I tried to create cohesion in the piece, repeating patterns felt important. Other patterns and techniques used weren’t as commonly repeated. I skipped certain warps in order to create striping, and I also skipped certain warps to expose the colors of the warp. In one area, I tied ribbon around bare warp.

I found planning this piece challenging – one of my priorities was to explore texture, and while I was able to experiment in the first weaving assignment, I worried that I didn’t know the textures well enough to plan my weaving well. Ultimately, I found repetition to be helpful in iterating and allowing for exploration instead of creating something that is very carefully planned.