Here we go again. April showers bring May flowers and unstable weather patterns and tornado season in the US. . . . but here in Central Texas we have actually had a spring of sort and the wild flowers have been amazing this year. I am keeping fingers crosssed that the severe weather stays away. The pink and purple phase is moving into the red, orange and yellow phase which should last for a few more weeks until really hot weather arrives. I have been impressed and amazed at all the wonderful work that has been accomplished so far this year - you are all so inspirational. New techniques, new looms, experimentation, spinning, dyeing, moving, traveling - wow! Keep up the good work and weave on!

Comments

Thu, 05/01/2014 - 15:58

tien (not verified)

I actually did a little bit of weaving! Here it is:

lacquered paper weaving

This is woven with lacquered paper. The paper looks like this:

lacquered paper for weaving

The paper has been lacquered and then cut into very thin strips (about the width of 30/2 silk, 7500 ypp). To weave it, you break off a strand from the sheet, then use a long wooden hook (my improvised version is in the first photo) to pull it through the shed, being careful not to twist it and to keep it right side up.

Very slow weaving but I really like the results. This was a small test section to see whether weaving it would drive me crazy. I have the opportunity to buy quite a bit of it at amazingly low prices and wanted to see if it was something I'd like to weave.

My conclusion is that yes, it is very fiddly and very slow, but I like the results, so yes, I will probably buy it.

Thu, 05/01/2014 - 17:08

endorph

such interesting things Tien - this looks amazing - not sure I would have the patience for it

Thu, 05/01/2014 - 19:16

sally orgren

The sun popped out today. Finally! I had to resort to the long johns yesterday, it just got too cold and damp and I was out in the weather for most of the afternoon.

I just placed a yarn order today, which sounds crazy as I am going to Maryland Sheep & Wool within 48 hours. I am refining a S&W draft I need to get woven before the first week of June. Did you ever consider you can draft half blocks? (Thanks to Sherrie Miller for mentioning that on the phone yesterday!) I kept trying to reduce the overall motif size by using finer and finer threads, and eliminating repeats from the blocks, but I still wasn't happy with the results. I really hope my final half-blocks work as expected!

Fri, 05/02/2014 - 01:47

Artistry

So psyched ! Got 3 tapestries juried into the Michigan League of Handweavers 18th Biennial Fiber Show, Holland , MI Found out today!
Fri, 05/02/2014 - 02:31

tien (not verified)

Wow!! Congratulations, Cathie!!

Fri, 05/02/2014 - 02:38

endorph

Cathie - that is very exciting news!

Fri, 05/02/2014 - 03:36

tommye scanlin

Whoo-hoo! Wonderful, Cathie!!
Fri, 05/02/2014 - 11:21

Artistry

Thanks ! I'm so pleased! Will finish threading my tablet loom today and start weaving!,
Fri, 05/02/2014 - 13:15

pammersw

I finished the last scarf I will do on the rented Baby Wolf last night - it's the next to the last of the planned gift scarves. The final scarf will be made on my new Pendleton! 

Fri, 05/02/2014 - 14:14

tommye scanlin

I made a 6+ minute video of myself weaving on the current tapestry yesterday.  I posted it to You Tube (first experience with doing that--lots to learn, I can see!) and then put that at my blog:  http://tapestry13.blogspot.com

No words or music--just the "music" of the bobbins touching the mylar of the cartoon as I wove.  My husband watched about a minute of it before he looked at me and started laughing.  "Yes, I know" I said "... like watching grass grow."

Oh well... but it's how I spend my days!  Growing the tapestries.

Tommye

Fri, 05/02/2014 - 14:22

endorph

great progress! And how exciting to be getting ready to use your new to you loom.

Tommye, thanks for the video - I guess I like watching grass grow cuz I found the video interesting! You make it all look so easy and effortless. . .

I am looking forward to the weekend. Tomorrow my knitting group is having its monthly meeting - okay to be honest we get together to do a little knitting crocheting or spinning, and a lot of talking and catching up with each other and lots of good food. I think we are doing pot luck lunch tomorrow to take advantage of the beautiful weather and being outside before it gets too hot. I have decided on my next weaving project - some simple Swedish lace dish towels - I am going to do an all white warp and then put in some simple weft stripes in various colors. Each towel will have a lace pattern in the center.

Fri, 05/02/2014 - 14:37

weaver1126

I got yet another rag rug started.  My husband has fallen in love with them and orders a new one for each appropriate place in the buildings that we have on our farm.  I am getting close.  A few more to go and I can move on to making something else.

Fri, 05/02/2014 - 15:24

theresasc

Cathie - good for you!

Tommye - great video.  Your hands and mine move much differently in handling the bobbins and yarn.  Your way makes a lot more sense - LOL!

I have a failure on one of my looms - modified a rep-weave rug pattern for placemats and am not happy with the results.  Had to wait to get my new computer until I could re-work the draft on my software.  Unweaving a dense warp in 8/2 unmercerized cotton is not fun.  Might just bite the bullet and cut it off.

Fri, 05/02/2014 - 15:36

Artistry

theresac, Thanks! To bad to have a weave fail but it's one way we learn frustrating as it is. Your next one will turn out much better because of it:) Tommye, Wonderful U Tube. I loved watching you handle your bobbins. I noticed you use the tips to beat the warp down . Do you ever use a beater? It's a beautiful video and I really enjoyed watching it!
Fri, 05/02/2014 - 17:05

tommye scanlin

Cathie,

I very rarely use a beater.  Most of the time packing with the bobbin tip is all that's needed.  As you know (and saw in the video) I work by meet and separate and build shapes.  As you also know, I think, I base the way I work mostly on what I've learned from Archie & Susan through the years, with modifications to suit my way of handling the weft.  

Tommye

Fri, 05/02/2014 - 17:47

Artistry

Tommye, I have Archie and Susan's DVD Workshop, I'm not all the way through it but what I've seen is very good and I've learned a lot.
Sat, 05/03/2014 - 20:46

sodenashi (not verified)

I love seeing what everyone is working on!

I got a new blog post up this week with some current FO's - http://westernsakiori.com/  Just samples for now.  I have some more interesting projects coming soon.

Amanda

 

Sun, 05/04/2014 - 11:33

Erica J

I finished winding the commission warp! I have decided to wind a new taquete warp. I think I'll try chaining off the linen warp and tie onto it, but then again maybe not. This linen may just need to be a dog warp! Opinions welcome. Sarah, I am considering your suggestion to learn taquete on a single harness loom, but I'm considering simultaneous to the drawloom taquete. As you tried to tell me before Becker is not certain if the early Taquetes were woven with heddle rods or on a drawloom. The linen definitely is not playing ball with the pattern harnesses so I think I'm going to switch to cotton on tge drawloom.

Ok that was a bit rambly, perhaps this is due to the fact that it is lunch time! :)

Happy Weaving everyone!

Sun, 05/04/2014 - 12:06

Artistry

Erica, You've been / are busy! Did you tell us about your commission? What is it? Would love to know! I'm still in Michigan working on the tablet loom. It's my second project on it. I tackled a rather ambitious pattern and didn't fully understand what I was doing so have ended up with an interesting design! Not intended but fun anyways. One day I'll understand the other. 16/2 linen.
Sun, 05/04/2014 - 12:12

Penny Skelley (not verified)

I am taking Rebecca Mezoff's new online tapestry course. I got the Mirrix loom warped yesterday and hope to get time to start some weaving today. I've taken a tapestry class before, but was using a table loom which, of course, is far from ideal. Now that I have a Mirrix, I think I'll find it much more fun.

And I joined two of the Complex Weaver's study groups--Structure and Computer-Aided Design. I think, I'm probably in way over my head in both of them.

And I have Laverne Waddington's backstrap class coming up here in Austin in two weeks. This will be my third class with Laverne, but I'm going to need to do some reviewing before that weekend. I seem to always be the remedial student in her classes.

Penny

 

 

 

Sun, 05/04/2014 - 12:18

Artistry

Penny, Wow, you're busy! I think you're really going to like the Mirrix. I have two and weave on them all the time and they are so portable! Rebecca's online class sounds so exciting, do let us know how it's going! Enjoy all you're doing!
Sun, 05/04/2014 - 12:49

Erica J

Cathie,

This is the long standing commission I was sampling for bavk in Nov/Dec. The recipient is a Vetrinarian, so getting our schedules to sync up to show her the samples and discuss took a LONG time. Sge also disn't have a firm idea of what she wanted so the journey to a final decision was long, but fun for me. I hope it was as fun for her! ;) The end result will be 15" wide 4 yard long "tabard". It is a simole stripe oattern, green, blue, purple mirrored. Green stripes are 2", blue 5", one purple stripe 7" wide. I hope to thread it today as well and will upload a photo.

The structure is an undulating point twill on 4 shafts, treadled as drawn in to create a really interesting pattern.

Sun, 05/04/2014 - 14:23

Queezle

Tien's suggested book - Synthetic Dyes for Natural Fibers -- arrived, and I am thrilled.  This out-of-print book is perfect for science-minded weavers, and it has all those details that are needed for understanding the process.  Now it will be me who is at fault for any failures - lol.

No weaving or dyeing for me right now - today Ikea delivers my kitchen in 269 boxes, but assembly and installation must await floor installation, which starts on Wednesday.  But meanwhile, I have my homework in reading and -- yes -- still more hemming.

Sun, 05/04/2014 - 15:39

Penny Skelley (not verified)

Interesting. Is the weaving going to go into a clinic or is it for personal use? Just being nosy as I am also a veterinarian, although I'm not in private practice. I'm looking forward to seeing your photo.

Sun, 05/04/2014 - 15:41

Penny Skelley (not verified)

I watched these videos yesterday afternoon. Even my husband watched a bit. It's amazing what they accomplished in such a short amount of time.

Sun, 05/04/2014 - 15:54

Artistry

Erica, The Tabard sounds beautiful ! Sometimes commissions do take a long time! Queezle, Do you have a favorite place to get scientific equipment such as scales etc?
Sun, 05/04/2014 - 18:45

Erica J

Penny,

It is for medieval re-enactment, so personal use. It is enjoyable.

I only got tge warp beamed today, so no photos yet. I've used my valet on the last few warps on my Standard, drastically underestimated time it would take! Ah well, it's just too bad I have to go to work tomorrow. I'm excited to get going on this one!

Queezle, Dye books and Ikea boxes you are living the dream! ;)

Mon, 05/05/2014 - 03:49

Queezle

Cathie - luckily for me, I am a professor and have a research lab with scales, etc.  However, what might interest you is that most Universities have a "surplus" department for cast-off equipment.  I know people who have purchased decent microscopes for their children from University surplus, and I've managed to get some pretty good water baths (heated). 

For a scale, I don't think you can do much better than a kitchen scale, I have a $20 cheapo that does a great job weighing out grams or ounces. 

And Erica, I don't know if its a dream (or nightmare), but its a busy and somewhat stressful time.  Nevertheless, a new kitchen will eventually materialize, and if it isn't fabulous, its the designer's fault (and I am the designer). At least we've turned the corner - positive progress rather than demolition.

Itching to get back to weaving.  I am reading Sharon Alderman's Mastering Weave Structures.  It would make a good study guide if only I had the time and self discipline. 

Mon, 05/05/2014 - 05:48

Erica J

I woke up about 15 mins before TJ insisted on getting out of bed. I was able to get the lease sticks in my 20" warp. 

While getting ready, I had an epiphany. I am so used to making sokid warps, for re-enactors, I wpuld this as individual stripes. It would have been easier to ensure the warp bouts weren't twisted if I had just done 10 2" sections regardless of whether it included 1 or 2 colours! ;)

Mon, 05/05/2014 - 11:47

Missus T.

Yesterday I wound my 4th warp; all cotton flake and perle cotton stripes from a towel kit.  I've finally got the hang of using a warping mill and the easy-to-undo knots that are used for color changes.  I even had all of my warp ties from the last round ready to go -- pink ties for the top, green for the bottom, and really strong thread for the choke ties.  The crosses are tied with a long, finger-crocheted tie that makes a loop through the cross that is long enough to spread the warp bout out in the raddle while leaving the tie in. 

Queezle, I am also reading Mastering Weave Structures, which I checked out from a library.  Sending a friendly vibe.  I love the clear explanations of weave classes, which I've had a hard time understanding from the older weaving library books which my aunt passed on the me.  Alderman's book is a good gateway!  I wish I'd read the summer and winter part before trying my summer and winter towels.  When I cut those off the loom, I noticed a treadling error that was more obvious when looking at the back of the cloth rather than the front.  Arg. I guess it wasn't "real" to me how to see summer and winter cloth as it's being woven.    My unartistic eyes need to learn to see!  Ah well, I'm sure there's a use for "boo boo towels!"  Anyway, after 3 days in my kitchen, who'll notice the flaw?

Mon, 05/05/2014 - 12:28

Artistry

Queezle, Thanks for the info. I had been ordering from a scientific supply house which was fairly reasonably but still thought there was a more economical way to go. We have so many universities here! One in particular is know for the sciences and pre med, so I might have scored big! Thanks:) My neighbor has an ikea kitchen it's looks really nice and it's functional, she's had it it 5 years still looks great! Good look with all those boxes! I threaded my tablet loom to the pattern Rams Horn OR I thought I did! At any rate I'm twirling it like Ram's Horn and am getting a pretty design but it sure doesn't look like the picture in the book! I'll post a picture when I get home. It's lots of fun. Missus T, boohoo towels are still good towels! They get the job done!
Mon, 05/05/2014 - 13:42

sally orgren

recently dug out my Mastering Weave Structures book. Did you know Sharon produced a swatch sample book that went with it? 

Also, I keep a mirror next to my loom and I always check the underside of the fabric as I start weaving. Hope that helps make boohoo towels into woohoo towels in the future! 

Mon, 05/05/2014 - 13:57

tien (not verified)

Do you mean A Handweaver's Notebook? That's an excellent book - swatches from her Handwoven columns, with details on each swatch and an explanation of why she chose the threads, structures, etc. for a particular result. It's my favorite book on swatches, though Magic in the Water is a pretty close second.

What kind of mirror do you keep next to your loom? I've tried the mirror technique before, but generally had trouble making out anything useful.

My weaverliness for yesterday was dyeing yarns for my next project, and winding more weft skeins for the current one! The yarns are a lovely foam green and deep emerald green - I hope they come out okay! They are done in very fine yarns, and I think I might have made the skeins too large (90 grams and 180 grams), as they tended to clump up. I wound up having to open up the skeins a bit by hand in order to ensure they dyed evenly - hope that doesn't tangle them too badly. The 90-g skeins are 120/2 silk and the 180-g skeins are 60/2 nm silk/cashmere blend.

This morning I'm working on my book again - I took the chapter on visual design completely to pieces and rewrote most of it. I've just finished rewriting the last section, and am starting to think about designing the examples. Once I complete the rough draft (with examples), I'll start showing it to the friends who are critiquing it for me. Fortunately (?), my main critique partner is in Peru right now, hiking the Inca Trail, and won't be back until mid next week. That gives me some extra time to work on the revision!

Mon, 05/05/2014 - 14:03

sally orgren

Sharon produced a limited edition of 200 boxes of swatches that accompanied the book when it came out. My guilds obtained a set, and I was lucky enough to get one of the last boxes. (Signed, too!)

Yes, I have all of Sharon's books. I have been a student and fan for years, and even got a chance to see her home & looms when I was in Salt Lake for a conference several years ago. When the book came out, one of my guilds did a study, each member wove something based on one of the chapters, and we made a display for our regional conference. That was a pretty fun exercise. It would make the basis of a great round-robin/self study for a guild.

Mon, 05/05/2014 - 14:45

Missus T.

Sally Orgren,

Thanks for the mirror tip!  Time to get warping...

Mon, 05/05/2014 - 14:54

sally orgren

Cheap mirror, nothing fancy. The trick is probably getting the right light. I block the light coming thru the web, and angle the mirror, sometimes check from both selvedges because something subtle may not show up from one side, but I'll see it from the other.

Another variation of this idea that just occurred to me is to take a digital photo from underneath. I know several times errors became apparent when looking at a photo that I did not see when sitting at loom. It never occurred to me to take digital photo from underneath for the purposes of checking what is happening! 

Mon, 05/05/2014 - 15:33

Erica J

Well, I got the tabard warp on the beam. I used a raddle and kite sticks this time.  I haven't used this method in a while. Result, twist in the warp. :( I think the best thing to do is to thread and sleigh,  wind the entire warp carefully onto the cloth beam and rebeam onto warp beam. Now I see the draw to presleighing a reed! Suggestions welcome. I'm feeling terribly out of practice. 

On a better, I mostly reread Alderma's book recently.  It is a great reference.  It would be an excellent study guide.

Mon, 05/05/2014 - 23:27

endorph

just reading through this thread and it only May 5th! I have been spinning - here is my latest skein 217 yds of Polwarth woolAnd here is what is on my drop spindle - this is the second spindle - hoping to finish the singles tonight . . . 

And wound a plying ball from the spindle at work during lunch - it just needs to be plied.

Tue, 05/06/2014 - 08:29

pammersw

Here is my new loom. I'm the second owner. It was made in the late 70s by Mary Pendleton's husband, of the Pendleton Shop Handweaving Studio, in Sedona, Arizona.

Note the "what I had on hand" weaving "bench"! :) 

 

 

BTW I tried to add it as a loom, but Weavolution did not recognize "Pendleton" as a brand, and said I did not have permission to add it as a brand.

Tue, 05/06/2014 - 06:32

Erica J

I realised last night the best way to fix my problem is to do it before I thread the heddles! So I'm brainstorming ideas on how to quickly and easily keep the lease cross while taking twist out of some bouts!

Tue, 05/06/2014 - 11:01

endorph

the weaving bench - I had one that looked just like it when I was learning to play piano a million years ago! BTW beautiful loom.

Tue, 05/06/2014 - 14:21

Artistry

Tina, Your spinning looks great! I love the colors of the first one, so gorgeous, what will you do with it? Pammersw , Congrats again on your loom! Can't wait until you're on it and can give us a full report how what a dream machine it is:) Erica, You will get it right. My last day in Michigan so Twirling Girl and I are going to make some time on the bookmarks.
Tue, 05/06/2014 - 16:34

sally orgren

Better than using it as an adjustable plant stand, no?

Tue, 05/06/2014 - 17:50

endorph

wicked twist Erica - is is just in the purple or on the other colors as well? At least that is what I am assuming you are showing us!

Tue, 05/06/2014 - 18:01

Erica J

Yes, I got all the other twists out, but that one. If I turns the bout one more time the twist moves to the other half of the threads.

Tue, 05/06/2014 - 19:43

pammersw

It's adjustable,  so I think it will work well. :)

Tue, 05/06/2014 - 20:41

Queezle

but the colors in that warp are stunning, Erika!  And Pammersw, I'm looking forward to following your weaving adventures. 

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 01:21

Artistry

Erica, Are you sure it didn't get twisted when you put it on the lease stick? It looks to me that's what happened. The colors are tremendous!
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