No baby monkeys were harmed …

Written By Esther Benedict

My current weaving project is a scarf that includes a fur-type yarn called "Baby Monkey" in the warp.  Baby Monkey is exceptionally soft and entirely faux fur.  

Normally, when I include a fur type yarn in the warp, the furriness is suppressed in the weaving.  For this scarf, I've been raising a the nap of the fabric by inserting a knitting needle into the web and gently pulling some of the fur out. 

Gently raising the nap with a knitting needle

 It's a bit time consuming, but is giving me a faux fir fabric on one side.  On the other side, the structure of the fabric, including a pink railroad track yarn shows up clearly. 

Handwoven scarf on a loom, raising the nap with a needle.
Esther Benedict
I always knew I would weave. From the time I got my first potholder loom as a child I was enchanted with taking thread and making it into cloth. It took another twenty years, though before I finally got myself a real, grown-up loom, and another twenty years after that for me to decide to make weaving part of my livelihood. I enjoy most fiber arts, including spinning, dyeing, sewing and embroidery, as well as weaving. I haven't give up my day job - I'm still a law firm administrator, as I have been for about thirty years. I like working for lawyers - they're smart, demanding people who keep me on my toes. I keep them organized. I live in Oxnard, California with my husband Bruce, a dachshund named Rosie and a Siamese cat called Bijou.
www.belle-estoile.com
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