Hi,

I have decided to try my hand at Bronson lace to create a panel that will cover a long skinny window next to the front door.  My fiance does not like that people can look into the house through that window and I thought the light shining through would be ideal to show off a lace structure.

I would like you expert opinion on my choice of material and sett.  I have a nice spool of mill end white slub cotton that is 7.1/2.  I have used it before for towels and it worked as a replacement for 8/2 albeit a little thicker.

1) Is slub cotton a good choice for lace or will the combination of the slub thickness variation distract from the lace patterning?

2) I am planning to sett this at 16 epi and use a light beat.  Does that sound about right?

I will post the draft when i figure out how.

Thanks!

Erik

Comments

Threshkin (not verified)

Here is the link to the draft.

http://weavolution.com/draft/bronson-lace-windows

Erik

lkautio (not verified)

Hi Erik, Laces are my favorite weaves!  You have a nice draft and it should work well as a classy privacy curtain.  From experience, the slub cotton will obscure the lace.  I would sample it as lace to see if I liked the look before committing.  There's not much point in doing a fancy pattern if it disappears in the irregularity of the yarn.  As an alternative consider 5/2 mercerized cotton sett at 15-16 epi and beat square.Have fun!

Laurie Autio

 

Threshkin (not verified)

Thanks Laurie,

I had a nagging suspicion that the slub cotton would not be a good choice.  I tend to add "one too many" design elements.  I have to keep reminding myself to simplify!

I just checked my stash.  In the shades of white that would work I have un-mercerized 8/2 and mercerized 10/2, 12/2, and 16/4

The 16/4 might be interesting.  Because it is so round the threads should slide around nicely.  I used it before in towels and it worked well but the cloth wrinkled very easily. In a window treatment this should not matter though.

Should I increase the sett a bit, say to 20 epi since the yarn is both smaller and slicker?

Erik

lkautio (not verified)

I like the 10/2 at 20 for curtains, though some prefer 24.  I'd try the 8/2 or 16/4 at 18-20ish, and the 12/2 at 22-25.  I fight the same problem, re adding one element too many. or alternatively expressing that extra element too subtlely.  This is not to say that you can't use a slub in a lace, but that anyone should sample to see if they like the results first.  It might be that more color is needed to make the pattern show up, or to use a more reflective smooth weft yarn (or pattern warp and weft yarn) on a slubby warp (or tie-down and tabby).

Laurie Autio

Threshkin (not verified)

Thanks Laurie!

I will tweak the design a bit to accommodate the increased sett and then get warped!

Erik

TinaHilton (not verified)

Hi Erik.  I tried downloading your draft but it looks really weird in both my weaving softwares (WeavePoint and PixeLoom).  Is it just me or does it not look right to anyone else too?

lkautio (not verified)

It looks fine on my screen here but is coming into Fiberworks oddly.  It looks like it lost the tie-up and is considering each pick as a liftplan lifting a single shaft.  So, the second tabby, which should be shafts 2,3,4,5,6,7,8 lifting only shows shaft 8 lifting.  Which program was used to create the wif?

Laurie Autio

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