BB's News / Colour combinations

Merino/Tencel

Merino/Tencel

Dear Weavers
It has been a while and a lot has happened. To be precise it is four months since I last wrote a blog post. That is terrible! I better get going then....
The biggest news is probably that I have finally, finally managed to put the Merino/Tencel yarn online. The whole yarn range with 21 colours is now available and ready to be purchased. I say finally because I promised many people that I would do this soon and then "life" came in between... It always takes quite a large junk of my time to put a new yarn range online with all its colours, photos, examples, prices, tags, description and shipping until everything is the way I want it. But anyway, I have managed and the Merino/Tencel is now there. The Merino/Tencel is quite a special type of yarn. It makes beautiful scarves or fabrics and is absolutely gorgeously soft!!! The yarn is half cellulose and half protein fibre. Which makes it a very interesting yarn to use. The cellulose, Tencel gives it the beautiful shine and the protein, wool makes it irresistibly soft. For weavers who like to dye their yarns, this one will give you a challenge. I used cellulose dyes for my test and of course then the wool didn't really take the dye very well. But instead of looking odd, it gives the yarn a really interesting uneven look, a certain shine comes through. See below
For some unexplained reasons the colours of the Merino/Tencel yarn change quite frequently. Some of the colours put online now (they have an asterisk next to the number) will only be available as long as stock lasts. But the good thing about this is that for every colour no longer available will be a new colour appearing. And I can tell you that I already have received some of the new colours!!! So watch this yarn line carefully, it will change there so often and reveal new amazing colours. But for now please feel free to have a look at the yarn, try it out and experiment. I used it at 16epi. What are you going to do? 
Go to www.bbyarn.com and look for the Merino/Tencel yarn or simply click on one of the above pictures.
Life has been rather busy lately: A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to give a beginner weaving workshop in Maryborough QLD. The workshop was held in the most extraordinary place I have ever given a workshop in. It was in a beautiful gallery room surrounded by amazing artwork. We even had Einstein at the back wall!! If you do not feel inspired to learn a craft in a space like that, then I don't know. I had 7 very enthusiastic new weavers, most of them have woven before just a little bit and wanted to know more. There was only one person which has never woven before and was very happily weaving at the end of the two days. I quite enjoy teaching beginner weaving workshops and showing these new weavers what this wonderful craftmanship is all about. It is not rocket science... only many, many steps to learn from warping to weaving! Here are some impressions:

In other exciting news: I've got myself another loom! Yes, you read right... This one was an offer I simply couldn't refuse. It is basically my dream loom and funny enough I received an email from another weaver asking me, if I know someone who would be interested in that loom!!! Yes, me! The loom is a computerised Toika Eeva loom with 24 shafts. No serious weaver can resist that. Because I didn't want my studio to be overfilled with large looms, I had to get rid of one of my trusty looms. The computerised Mecchia dobby loom 8 shafts is at the moment in pieces back in the little house. I will eventually look for a weaver who might be interested but I needed to see first if this Toika loom would suit me. Not that I really had any doubts, but you never know. I did have to make some adjustments to the new addition, but I have now already woven 3 projects on it and the loom is working beautifully! Extremely happy with it. I'm rather spoilt with shafts now. No more saving and turning patterns to match it with my 8 shafts. I can indulge in an abundance of shafts. It is actually quite a new experience for me. One project I recently did was trying out all 24 shafts using some colours of the UKI pearl cotton, see below.
Winter up here on our hill seems to have evaporated. We did have some cold days in June/July but in August we received an unexpected rain. We had 85mm! Even the creek getting into Michelles road was flooded and we were cut off for a day. From then on the temperatures started to raise and today we had 30 degrees. In August! Very strange. It makes you wonder what the coming summer is going to be like. But nature up here seems to dwell and all the bushes suddenly unpacked their flowers. It is just simply beautiful right now! Grevillea, bottle brushes and wattle flowers everywhere, gum trees are bursting with flowers, bees humming all day long and every single bird is chirping and singing. I couldn't live at a nicer place. Spring is here!
That is all from me. Stay safe everyone and until next time...
Happy weaving
Ursula
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Sample cards

Sample cards

Read all about the handmade sample cards from BB Yarn Supply. Each yarn has its own sample card with all its colours on it. Love colours? You need one of those!
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My dream

My dream

Glui7

 

 

 

Dear Weavers and lovers of a handwoven product 

How does the Abba song go.... "I have a dream...a song to sing" Well I actually do have a dream and maybe even a song to sing. My dream has been brewing for a long time. This idea (ideas) has been in my head for as long as I can weave. Eventually over the last couple of years I collected all the courage I had and started working on it. My thoughts were that if I don't do this now, I will regret it one day. Even if it doesn't turn out the way I want it, I have at least tried. Courage, courage...

So here I am: I am launching my own designer line, my brand of handwoven products called Glui7. This designer line includes all my functional handwoven articles produced on a production level. I call it "Glui7 Uniquely Handwoven".

It is a collection of articles 100% handmade, unique and produced with love. Each article is made by my hands, the fabric woven on my looms and finished in my own studio in Brisbane. All articles are produced with the highest quality and only available in limited editions. Every product is made out of natural fibres and tested for durability and functionality. That is

Glui7

My first product available for sale is the messenger bag made out of handwoven cotton fabric. This is a very modern and functional messenger bag. The bag features are:

  • Colour stripes on flap with matching coloured straps and lining
  • Cable for power bank with USB connection from inside of bag to outside
  • Exchangeable flap and straps
  • Foam padded for extra strength and form
  • Magnetic closures
  • 7 inside pockets including zipper pocket for valuables
  • And lots more

For more information go to www.glui7.com

Bag with rust backgroundBag front

Bag with phone in hand

Bag inside

So here we are, I've done it!

This is only the first article of hopefully many to come. My head is still full of ideas and I can't wait to put them all together to show you. I am truly delighted to produce these handwoven products for you. I want everyone to see, that real handmade products are still here and "the throw away society" can be avoided. Handweaving is one of the oldest craftsmanship and it is still alive. At the end of the day it is also an art form. With my products you will be using and wearing a piece of art with you every day!

Please visit my new website www.glui7.com and send me your comments. I would love to hear what you think. And of course the Glui7 messenger bag is ready and can be bought straight from the website or give me a call on 0402 973 655.

Please stay safe and happy weaving everyone

Ursula

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Bamboo yarn

Bambu 7 spools

BB' s News

Dear Weavers

This month I would like to discuss the bamboo yarn. A lot of weavers seem to be rather skeptical about this yarn. I am actually not quite sure why, is it because the yarn is "man-made" or is it because it is hard to believe that it could actually be a real bamboo plant?

BB Yarn Supply sells a 100% bamboo fibre yarn called Bambu7 TM. It is truly made out of bamboo! Really. The Bambu trademark from Silk City, USA insists on cultivation from sustainable and environmentally-sound vegetation. Bambu yarn is 100% cellulose and similarly produced like a rayon or viscose yarn. It is called "man-made" because the yarn is not spun from fibre. The bamboo is cut into a pulp and then pressed through a very fine jet to produce the yarn. The Bambu yarn is also free of pesticide and chemical fertilizing.

Bamboo is known for its skin friendly abilities. In the shops you can now buy socks, baby ware, T-shirts and underwear made out of bamboo. It is because bamboo has the ability to be suitable for any skin problems. And this is not all, bamboo is also really easy to look after. It can be washed in the warm washing machine with no problems. It might be stiff when it comes out of the machine, but after drying in the shade, all it needs is a good shake and hot iron. The fabric will be back to its normal softness and shine.

Bambu 7 scarves

A fabric woven out of bamboo has a beautiful drape and extraordinary softness. I haven't met anybody who didn't go "uhh" and "ahh" when touching the fabric. It is simply stunning. I always tend to explain to customers that bamboo feels to me like something between silk and tencel.

Can you feel me, yes I love bamboo and I have worked with this yarn many, many times and still not enough. It is one of my absolute favourites.

When I started BB Yarn Supply I always said that I only ever going to have natural yarns for sale. No rayon or polyester. Well I think I still do, because the Bambu yarn is still 100% cellulose or bamboo. There is nothing not natural about it. Let's face it, because it is "man-made" it doesn't mean it's artificial. It is just another way of producing a yarn. Yes, there might have been chemicals involved to produce the yarn. But this doesn't mean the chemicals are still in the yarn. How can it be so good for your skin otherwise?

Baby blanket wrapping

The only thing to be careful with bamboo is the sett for weaving. If you have a too high sett for your project, it can get heavy and you end up with something nice and shiny, but rather heavy. Bamboo yarn has the same feel in weaving like tencel, it is as slippery and flat. There is not much elasticity in the yarn and advise you to loosen your warp, if you not weaving. If you leave a bamboo yarn warp under tension for too long, it will get loose and you end up with tension problems.

My favourite sett for Bambu 7 is 16epi and ppi, a balanced fabric. The yarn comes in 36 stunning colours to choose from. It runs 4247m/kg and a 100g spool goes for $16.90. The yarn is suitable for weaving, knitting and crocheting.

If there is someone out there who is by any chance reading this blog and is not a weaver, maybe a knitter, I would be very interested to hear how the Bambu 7 behaves in other crafts. Let me know at sales@bbyarn.com I would be very happy to have you included into my monthly blog with some productive comments.

Ruthli crackle scarf

Maybe for some weavers this Bambu 7 yarn might be too modern or out of the ordinary. I like to go with the time and try out new things. What is that saying.... if you never, never try, you will never, never know! Have a try and give Bamboo a chance. Click on any Bambu 7 or picture and it will take you straight to the shop.

Happy weaving

Ursula

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Cottolin 20% off colours

Cottolin 20% off

BB's news

Dear Weavers
The old Cottolin range from BB Yarns shop is coming to an end. It is sad in a way, as this kind of Cottolin has been with me for a long time. But it is more exciting to know, that there is the absolutely beautiful and environmentally friendly yarn taking the place of the old Cottolin, the Organic Cottoline range. 
Before we start drooling for the new yarn, the old Cottolin has to go and make place for the new. Out with the old and in with the new. I have now set a deadline. After the 9. 2. 2020 the old Cottolin will be gone and never to be seen again on BB Yarns website.But until then you can get a bobbin of 250g for just $22.50. A bargain!
There are still a lot of beautiful colours left. We still have 
Caramel col.#136
Forget me not col.#167
Purple col.#130
Couch col.#251
Watermelon col.#170
Orange col.#287
Grape col.#168
Teal col.#295
Shamrock col.#327
Looking at these colours, it makes me think of what would I do with them? I would probably go for guest towels or any other hand towels. Towels in Cottolin are very easy to make and they have the right absorbing quality with the cotton and linen fibre in them. Towels in any shape or form are always a great present to bring along for any occasion. Everybody uses towels in their homes. 
My guest towels normally have a size of 40 x 80cm, hem included and I weave it with 20epi (8epcm) warp and weft in plain weave. You could use the different colours and make various stripes through warp and weft. With 4 bobbins (250g) of Cottolin 20% off colours you could make nearly 8 towels, depending of size of course. This would include warp and weft. The colours from the warp will then also be used in the weft. 
Thinking of towels I took the Cottolin 20% off bobbins which are left, out of the cupboard and played with them a bit. I was immediately amazed what options there are. I couldn't stop finding more colour combinations and it made me feel like getting to the board and start warping them up.... But hang on... They are not meant for me, they are for you!  So please feel inspired by the combinations and I would love to see weavers take the opportunity and weave something beautiful.
1.option Cottolin
1. Option: Shamrock, Teal, Grape and Forget me not
2. Option: Orange, Shamrock, Teal, Grape and Forget me not
Sometimes a little bit from the complimentary colour can cheer the colours right up
3.option Cottolin
3. Option: Orange, Watermelon, Couch, Purple and Forget me not
4.option Cottolin
4. Option: Orange, Couch, Purple and Forget me not
This colour combination is option 3 just made a little simpler
5.option Cottolin
5. Option: Caramel, Shamrock, Teal and Grape
My favorite would be option 1, but hang on... option 5 looks really nice too. I also like option 3. Ahh the choice of colours!
The colours don't have to be in this order, they can be in any way you like. 
If you are interested in weaving with those colour combinations, please order as soon as possible. There are not too many of each colour left. Go to Cottolin 20% off or click on one of the pictures above.
I would also like to offer to any weaver who is taking on this challenge to send me some pictures of their work made with the Cottolin 20% off. The pictures will then be posted on this blog with your name on it and promoted on the website and Facebook. The weaver who sends in the pictures will also be rewarded with a surprise gift from BB Yarn Supply. 
Ready to go? Send the pictures to sales@bbyarn.com
Looking forward to hear from you soon.
Happy weaving everyone
Love Ursula
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