A new month - if the rest of the year is as productive as January has been for everyone, I predict 2014 to be a very weaverly year. Weave-on all!

Comments

Sat, 02/01/2014 - 14:13

tommye scanlin

But I'll show it today.  It's the weaving I did for the purpose of being filmed while weaving (I ranted on about that last month)... anyway, it is going to the church that's doing the film.  Yesterday, I was filmed while spinning.  It's going to be interesting to see how the bits and pieces of the process are "woven" into the video sermon!

mohair and wool, turned twill blocks

Tommye

Sat, 02/01/2014 - 14:22

Queezle

January was spent making three samples - two twills and a summer & winter.  With 2 teenagers, a demanding career, and a house remodel all going on, I am pleased with this level of productivity.  As always seems to happen, the sample gave me lots of new ideas.  I am pleased with the hand of this sample (30 epi 14/2 warp), but want to try something a bit different for a set of dish towels.  So one more sample to go.  Sample, Summer and winter

On a personal note, though, a bit of sadness.  Two dogs broke into my chicken coop and killed all four of my hens.  Animal control caught the dogs, but that is small consolation.

Sat, 02/01/2014 - 16:10

sally orgren

This looks like the tied weave, Summer and Winter perhaps? It would make great dishtowels. I am finding I like 30 e.p.i. for a respectable dishtowel weight that is thin enough to wipe glassware, not just for pots and pans. I agree — sampling is SO worth the time because it gives me ideas I wouldn't otherwise stumble upon. And then I enjoy weaving off the project even more. Considering everything else going on in your household, this looks most excellent.

Sat, 02/01/2014 - 20:16

Queezle

I find 30 epi a bit daunting, but the back-to-front warping has helped a lot.  And yes, I agree, the summer & winter seems perfect for dish towels.  I signed up the the dish towel exchange, and so am getting my plan together.  Careful analysis of take-up and shrinkage should also help me to get the final size right!

Sat, 02/01/2014 - 21:20

Walkingquail

I was just talking about chickens with someone and how they become pets even if folks didn't at first mean for the relationship to be that way. So I know how sad you must be.

I haven't written in the new year but I have been weaving! I am working on simple dishtowels right this moment where I'll get to try different plaids from the striped warp. I think I prefer making other things but trying some towels for spring shower gifts. I have a deadline for items as my role of guest artist in a local gallery where I used to be a member as a painter. I am trying to have a broad assortment of items available and hope to sell, of course! It's always good to have a goal and I would be weaving anyway! ;)

Sat, 02/01/2014 - 21:49

Queezle

Thanks, walking quail.  Yes, the chickens do become pets, they appear so happy to see you each day, etc.  But what a terrible way to go. 

It must be a fair bit of pressure to be displaying and selling your artwork.  My public persona is a scientist and professor, and I keep my weaving as a private aspect of my life.  Best of luck with it.

Sat, 02/01/2014 - 23:25

La La

I have done some weaving every day, starting the new year off right. Now I have a new loaner loom so I will be working on two projects at once. Dishcloths on the smaller loom and a poncho type thing on the Hammett loom. Should be fun. I am half way through threading now. I did finish a center strip for a long table runner and will post the picture, when I can. It looks awfully sinple compared to everyone elses intricate pieces, but I have only been at this a year. Queezle, Sorry about the chickens..... It's hard to lose any pet.. Meanwhile my dogs spend their time bothering me while I am trying to work at the loom. Crazy little creatures.
Sun, 02/02/2014 - 00:16

endorph

so srry to hear about your chickens - if the dogs are not feral I ope their owners get a big fine over this. As  dog owner I get really mad at irresponsible owners. . . . arrrgh - I will not get on my soap box. . .  On a positive note - your samples are looking wonderful - I was talking to some fellow weavers today and really need to get a warp on the mighty wolf - the RH project is not challenging me. . . . my fault, not the looms. . .

Sun, 02/02/2014 - 03:18

annaraven

I am a fellow chicken enthusiast, so I know how you feel. I lost one girl to a dog and that was awful. Losing all of them would be devastating. 

 

In re weaving: Just finished the weaving part of a bronson lace cotton scarf for spring. Now I need to figure out how to finish it. I don't want to do fringe really. I'm thinking of just folding it over and sewing it on the machine. 

Sun, 02/02/2014 - 08:39

tien (not verified)

A video sermon? How is that going to be delivered? Just curious...I've never heard of such a thing before.

And nice weaving!

Sun, 02/02/2014 - 10:36

Erica J

Well much of January was sldnt adjusting the drawloom. We've mostly got that sorted now. I've done my first bit of damask,which looks ok for a first go. It doesn't look like much, pics toc ome later, but represents a lot of time adjusting the shed and counter weight system! Whew!

Queezle, sorry to hear about the chickens. I think we told you about our first set of chickens. You have our condolances. Hopefully we will all have new chickens come spring. 

Sun, 02/02/2014 - 10:40

Weavejoyforall

 Sorry to hear about your hens... Yes it is very sad to think any creature of God is killed seemingly without good reason!  Dogs are great pets to but they can do real damage when not looked after properly...letting pet anamals roam is not good pet care.    I care for a dog and it would just about make me cry if I found out my animal did such harm. 

Your weaving is lovely !   

Sun, 02/02/2014 - 11:25

tommye scanlin

I don't know how the visuals will be used. I'm supposed to be provided a link and if I have permission, I'll post that at my blog. The weaving has several weft skips--I was weaving mostly in the dark some of the time with lighting placed low at the side and under the warp. Congratulations on your new loom--and I wish you years of challenging weaving experiences with it (until a TC-1 or 2 follows you home :)) ! ) Tommye
Sun, 02/02/2014 - 11:50

ReedGuy

Wow! A new month. These threads are getting long Tina. :D

Onward and upward we go.

Face cloth sampling. :)

Upper side

Lower side

16/2 ground cloth, 8/2 pile, 40 epi

A supplental warp beam of sorts would be ideal for the pile to keep it slack. I have plans to make a roller on a stand with brackets of a sort to keep lined up with the loom and some kind of friction applied, probably a wooden screw so the pile could just slip off free enough that you can just leave it be and worry only about adancing the ground warp. Tension on the pile, once wound with even tension on the supplemental beam, needs to be only taught enough to not interfere with the shuttle when binding the pile with the ground. This short pile warp I simply have tied to a dowel on my smaller spool rack. Not ideal, but good enough to play with. Not sure yet if the ground warp is tight enough, I may increase it some. I will be interested how the cloth draws in and tightens when washed. I may need the pile closer in width, right now there are 6 ends of 16/2 between the pile. I suspect 3 or 4 is more approapriate, but that is just a guess for now. ;)

Love experimenting. :)

Sun, 02/02/2014 - 15:54

tien (not verified)

Wow, ReedGuy! That is really interesting cloth you're weaving there! I take it that you are weaving terry cloth and not velvet (which would involve cutting the loops)? I am fascinated, and can't wait to see it off the loom and wet-finished!

Tommye, thanks! Yes, I too am looking forward to the day when a jacquard loom follows me home...but I suspect it may be awhile! In the interim I think I'm going to get a lot of enjoyment out of my 40-shaft loom.

And I would be very interested in seeing the video, if/when you get permission to post it! I'm hoping you'll announce it here.

For myself, I've been battling a really vicious cold the last few days - the kind where you can't sleep because of the congestion and coughing. Last night I broke out the codeine cough syrup (carefully hoarded from a previous illness) so I actually managed to get some sleep. Feeling much better today, hoping it lasts!

Meanwhile, though, I've gotten halfway through one of two items I'm weaving for the latest issue of Handwoven. Hoping to finish those up today, despite the cold. That will leave me free to dream up the next warp. That will be a color study of some sort for the Designing Fabrics Study Group (a Complex Weavers study group which I chair) - our topic this year is color and articles are due March 31!

Sun, 02/02/2014 - 17:06

ReedGuy

Yes, I can't wait to see this cloth washed either. :) I'm hoping for some drawing together, but very little is required. The key is a slack pile warp (not too slack) and packing those rod tight together so there is almost no gap. I'm now to the point (and have been a for a bit), where the pile warp is far ahead of the ground cloth. To make sure the pile is taught, but not tight, I use a dowel from the spool rack I began with. I place it at the lease sticks and edge the pile warp and sticks forward as woven. I would say the pile warp has to be twice as long as the ground, maybe a bit more. I have not worked that out yet. :) The weave is pretty much a plain weave hybrid, leaning toward a basket weave.

Sun, 02/02/2014 - 16:48

sally orgren

I like seeing projects like this that break the standard "planes" of weaving thinking. And looks like fun to weave-can't wait to see it when washed/finished.

Handwoven had a looped project in the magazine awhile back, maybe the 90's?. One of my guildmates (Marian W) made this lovely potholder with the technique in pickup. 

Sun, 02/02/2014 - 19:30

annaraven

Today, I get to pull my new scarf (bronson lace woven with Riveting recycled jeans cotton thread) off the loom and hem it on the sewing machine. Then start measuring warp for my pashmina. Wool/silk blend satin. 

Sun, 02/02/2014 - 22:25

Artistry

ReedGuy, I think your initial experiment has you well on your way. I think the 8/2 for the pile weft will be good and sturdy and the 3-4 picks in between will pack it in nice and close. I can't wait though to see the present sample washed too! Experimenting is sooooooo great:)
Mon, 02/03/2014 - 09:51

ReedGuy

Before washing and now hemmed.

 

 

Washed and dried. :)

 

 

Came out well. But I do think the pile warp needs to be a tiny bit closer for a little more density. You can see the loops are closer along the warp length than the weft (width). Also I want a single ground thread between the pile warp ends (the pile is paired now, one up one down). I would thread 4 ground, 1 pile, 1 ground, 1 pile and sliegh it at a 48 epi sett counting the pile as 2 ends per thread.  But beat in the same 6 weft picks as I did here. This all means I will use my 16 dent reed, 3 per dent. Then everything will be as one with the universe. LOL :D If I used 3 ground instead of the 4 mentioned in the modification above it would throw the rythm off when sleighing the reed.

Awesome. :)

Mon, 02/03/2014 - 10:52

Artistry

Totally awesome! Good and sturdy. Great reading your comments about the terry cloth weave and what you'd try next. Thanks for sharing all that and the photos!
Mon, 02/03/2014 - 11:29

ReedGuy

.....And not stiff like cardboard. It actually feels like a nice face cloth. :)

Mon, 02/03/2014 - 19:16

sally orgren

I have been sampling crimp cloth intensely over the last few days, and below is sample 3b, which is getting closer to what I have in my mind's eye. I want to let my thoughts about these samples gel a bit while I am awaiting some additional weft materials to arrive.

In the meantime, my 16/2 from Camilla Valley arrived Saturday, so now that the sample loom is clear again, I am switching gears and will be sampling for my color exchange (a weaving inspired by Paul Klee's work), due in March. 

Mon, 02/03/2014 - 22:42

ReedGuy

I buy most of my cotton from them, thanks to Dawn McCarthy for making me aware of them. :) I can't see the photo, but if it was in the Jan thread I may have the photo blocked (and many others) so the thread will load before tomorrow. These threads get long winded. LOL :)

Mon, 02/03/2014 - 22:57

ReedGuy

I see it now Sally, you were blocked from view. :) Looks intersting. If it were May and a little wider at the narrow dimension and a handle, I'd say it was a May basket. ;)

Nice pot holder from your friend to.

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 01:27

pammersw

No weaving this weekend - I was winter camping in our yurt, in a relatively primitive campground (pit toilet,  no water on site). I brought some scarves to hemstitch and twist fringe on, but it was too cold! The insulation layer on our home-built yurt worked well, though. Warm on the inside, and frost on the canvas on the outside! 

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 10:32

ReedGuy

Just add a few more elk hides to your yurt and a nice fire in the middle with a smoke vent throught the peek. Yes, smoke will either go straight out that vent or you'll be smoked hams. This was the principle used with wigwams and teepees. Any pemican along? :D ;) I'm just joshing you. Last year I tented out for work from May to the end of October. I hauled drinking water, but wash water was in abundance from nearby streams. Needed ice every 3 days in the height of summer. Nice little propane heater in the nippy mornings and shower tent, also to dry stuff. Well vented of course, CO danger if not.

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 11:15

ReedGuy

As to pile density, a facecloth has less than a towel. A facecloth is for washing, a towel for drying. Thus the difference in density. Look at your commercial bath linens and the difference is obvious.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 02:47

pammersw

Lol reedguy! Our cover is oiled canvas, and the insulation is essentially muslin comforters! We bought a tent-safe heater, which was heavenly.  Some folks without one had frost inside their tent!

Thu, 02/06/2014 - 16:10

endorph

of the activity so far this month - I am doing a couple of spinning and knitting projects to go along with the Winter Olympics meaning the projects have to begin and end in the same time frame as the Olympics) - anyone here doing some olympic weaving? I am still plodding along on my RH porject. And I keep hoping the warping fairies will stop by my house and wind a warp or two for me - if they would alos then warp the loom I would be a very happy camper!

Fri, 02/07/2014 - 11:06

ReedGuy

Within 5 years I'm replacing this old farm house, it's been around for a long time and needs work. So it's time. In my new home the upper level is dedicated to my loom and loom equipment and storage on one end. I cannot stand how new homes have all that attic space not used, so to maximize this I'm going up 4-5 feet with the walls above the bottom floor. Going to have a nice porch, that way I can weave some and then rock on my porch.

Have a good one. :)

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 02:49

tien (not verified)

ReedGuy, with all the amazing stuff you build, I'll be really excited to see how you choose to redo your house! I'm sure it will be fantastic, and full of beautiful handmade touches, not to mention textiles. :-)

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 03:37

sally orgren

My yarns from Camilla Valley arrived this week, so I have jumped from Crimp to Klee. Here is my first sample, based on Young Moe. I had originally eliminated this draft, but through several votes/comments on my project page, you guys convinced me to try it after all. (I am certainly glad you did!) I hope to get both drafts/samples woven this weekend so I can make a final decision + tweaks, and then weave off the yardage.

(The CCW 2014 challenge is a weaving inspired by a painter or painting.)

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 03:56

Weavejoyforall

 This is grand!  I cannot even think of my doing something so wonderful as this (yet) :] Maybe someday on a loom far far away ...lol   And you say this is only an early sample ???  Oy !   I so new to weaving that I cannot even dream of such work.    But who knows? I might get good at weaving some day and make a stab  = errrrr =   shot at something like this.   (Dreaming in the future ........)      Thanks for showing us this.. gives me hope. 

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 10:26

ReedGuy

Love the pastels, very interesting texture. :)

I've walked away from the loom for a spell and am working on my arm chair build more. Right now I'm modeling the fiddle back to scale on cardboard and how it will attach to the chair. The templates for the pieces will come out of this to then cut on the band saw.A lot of this chair stuff requires manual shaping and carving to the curvatures. Most of the shaping with the band saw and table belt sander.

So if you see no new projects from me for a while, I'm lost in the shop. :D

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 12:29

Artistry

Sally, You have captured it! I should say that's fantastic! I love, love, the dark framing the pastels. To me, you have the right balance of light and dark as in the painting, hard to do. ReedGuy, I'm looking at my chair with the fancy back, all the curves, I think it's a fiddleback. I'm sure that's a challenging project but with your very impressive woodworking skills you'll pull it off beautifully. Have you told us what kind of wood you are using? Sorry, if you've already told us, cut of from the thread right now:)
Sat, 02/08/2014 - 14:46

endorph

its beautiful - love the colors and the illusion - captures the Klee so well

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 16:11

pammersw

Sally- beautiful,  absolutely gorgeous, I love it!

I hope to weave some today. I love how my subtle striped scarf has vertical stripes on one side and horizontal on the other!

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 16:11

pammersw

Sally- beautiful,  absolutely gorgeous, I love it!

I hope to weave some today. I love how my subtle striped scarf has vertical stripes on one side and horizontal on the other!

Sun, 02/09/2014 - 04:28

Queezle

So nice, Sally, the colors pop, just as in the original.

Little weaving during the week (traveled to Chicago and barely got out on Wednesday).  But I am pleased to have solved two issues.  First, I thought my tie-on rod for the front beam was warped, but some careful internet searches revealed a suggestion -- tie on only where there is warp.  I did this, and it looks so much better.  Second, my auto-reed hook was not releasing the yarn.  It was an ebay purchase, and is a generic (not branded) item.  Comparing to others, mine had a really curved hook.  I used a metal cutter to snip it off, then filed it smooth, and now it really works - its a delight. These are little things, but it is encouraging to feel that my weaving is making progress.

Sun, 02/09/2014 - 08:29

ReedGuy

Yes, if your warp is much narrower than your rods, than using cords all the way out the ends of the rods causes bowing, there is no counter force (no warp) to pull the rod ends in.

There are lots of knock-offs out there. One example not related to weaving is a woodsman's or sawmiller's peavey. One brand made in CT has had different outfits try to rip off their design. But in close inspection and use of these knock offs they simply do not perform the task and break easily which could cause serious injury.

Wed, 02/12/2014 - 11:26

pammersw

Finished the subtle striped scarf Monday,  except for wet finishing. Photos in my projects.  One side has horizontal stripes,  and the other has vertical! Very cool.

Wed, 02/12/2014 - 11:38

ReedGuy

So what your saying is, warp faced on one side, weft faced the other. :)

Wed, 02/12/2014 - 13:56

pammersw

It's all plain weave, with alternating colors (light, dark) in both warp and weft. Light matches light on top, which gave me horizontal stripes,  but on the back they didn't match, so it is vertical there.

I thought warp faced was like on a inkle loom, where you don't see weft at all, and weft face, you don't see warp at all. This  isn't that.

 

Wed, 02/12/2014 - 14:39

ReedGuy

Something like satin based crepe you can burry warp with a firm beat, I did a cover for my chair in wool and the warp is completely hidden on one side. Taquete is a weft backed weave using plain weave or twills. Rep weave is a plain weave that gives warp or weft faced cloth.

 

But I was thinking more of dominance where warp covers more weft threads in warp dominance and the opposite for the other effect. Some twills you get vertical color bands on one side and horizontal on the back.

Wed, 02/12/2014 - 15:06

MMs-and-OOs-Ha…

You nailed it. Beautiful. I am not saying it is upholstery but it is inspiration for me, 50s colors,to get something going for my Danish Modern furniture. I have a few recycled pieces and handwoven cloth is made for it, part of the era.
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 20:52

ReedGuy

One recurring theme for upholstering is the use of linen, for especially everything underneath the top upholstery. Linen, silk and wool are common themes for the cover as is cotton. But any cotton I've seen fades and wears bad (balls up) in today's mass furniture production. There certainly is better cotton they could use I'm sure. My mom has changed the cotton fabric on her couch in the sun room once already and contemplating it again, this in just 12 years. Cotton is harder to clean than wool and linen. But linen can wrinkle bad and not take to curves as good as cotton and wool, not as much give. So it's best to mix wool and linen so there is some degree of stretch.  Lots of decisions. ;)

It's a lot like towels, some cotton in towels is inferior and balls all up bad. Lint all through the laundry.

Wed, 02/12/2014 - 21:02

pammersw

Reedguy - I see what you thought.  No, this one wasn't a twill. The four different yarns was enough bling for this scarf.  :)

Thu, 02/13/2014 - 00:08

Weavejoyforall

I think I need more hours in my day.  Our Computer just died last night and we are having to learn a whole new windows system from Win7 to 8 is a bit of a leap... LOL will not be weaving for a bit I think!  Well, a few days anyway.     Talk to you all soon I hope.

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