learning new tricks

As soon as I knew for sure that I was getting a rigid heddle loom I ordered this book "Weaving Made Easy". My plan was to work through the book project by project in order to learn how to use the loom. Unfortunately due to shipping delays the book didn't arrive until several days after the loom - time enough for me to warp it up and crank something out. And I briefly thought that maybe the book had been a waste of money.

Now that my first project is off the loom I've had a chance to examine it more closely. Can you see the mistakes in the second photo? See those two floats where my weft didn't travel correctly between the warp threads? There are at least a half dozen of these throughout the woven fabric. I was a bit ticked that I hadn't been more careful ... that is, until I found the "Troubleshooting" chapter in the book and the step-by-step instructions on how to fix exactly this. Now it looks like the book was a very wise investment indeed. There are several more tips in this chapter that I'll be putting to good use.

My finished project is 58" x 10.25" after hemstitching each end on the loom and then making a fringe with overhand knots. The fabric is too stiff to make a scarf out of it. And it's a bit narrow for placemats. It could serve as a table runner but I don't have a table that needs a runner. The yarn is a wool/acrylic blend so it's not really suitable for kitchen cloths or pot holders. I am thinking about cutting it into four equal lengths and then practising some hemming techniques. Or maybe cutting pieces and sewing them into bags. Any other suggestions?