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

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 09:05

Erica J

It was originally twisted when I put them on the lease sticks. So I put the twist ties in to preserve the cross. I got the twist out of all the other bouts, but this one looks like there is twist in the threads that go over then under, but not the ones that go under then over the lease sticks. In my mind I know this should be impossible. I can't figure out what has happened, so I am hoping someone here might know how to appease the gremlins and make them put it back right!

I really like the colors as well, my friend has similar taste to mine. The weft will be a deep red-violet, which should be very stunning with the undulating twill. Fingers crossed this all works out in the end! :)

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 11:39

Artistry

Erica, I don't know what kind of mischievous gremlin you have, without really getting my fingers in there, and even then it might remain a mystery! Do you have enough warp of that color to redo that section? Today's the day to go home and face my own mess on the Beast. Already have a course of action. Do it the way I always do it. Get rid of the denting cross, I have the threading cross at the other end, get rid of the valet. Snap that warp to make it behave, tie on the water jugs and let them drag with the warp while I beam. Been doing it this way on this loom for over 20 years why, oh why, change a good thing:) I will save the valet for a different loom where I set it up at the FRONT of the loom! Been weaving 45 years won't let that warp slow me down:)
Wed, 05/07/2014 - 14:28

sally orgren

The three times I have seen a valet demonstrated I believe it was at the front of the loom. I did not think about that, I would assume it would work either way. I DO know that snapping sharply or spanking the warp really helps detangle. One of the trapeze warps demonstrated proved to be a bit sticky, but compared to my water bottle method, even that sticky warp went faster using the trapeze.

Ordered yarn Monday, but I am not sure it will come in time, so I am looking at Plan B (from the stash) as the samples are due in early June. And I will be traveling for the next two weekends. The Weaving History Conference is rapidly approaching!

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 14:45

Artistry

Thanks Sally, a good snapping and spanking it will get. I'm not to worried about it, the tangles always come out in the end:) Good luck with the Weaving History Conference, that sounds interesting!
Wed, 05/07/2014 - 16:52

Erica J

Thanks everyone! I went back to take another look and had another go untwisting it. I also slapped it quite a bit and I'm happier with it now. I probably could wind another bout. I do not have a sectional beam and I'm scared to try replacing just that section. I'm open to advice though!

I'm also eyeing up some wood for a trapeze for the ideal. The roof in the sun room will not hold a valet. :) I also ordered a daylight bulb so I won't have to turn my Standard around. Turning it around would require poor Oliver to move the valet he already installed for me, unless someone knows you can use the valet behind the loom! ;)

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 18:19

kerstinfroberg

I put mine on the front when warping the CM. To me that is logical, as *all* warps come from the front onto that loom: the pre-sleyed reed is in the beater, so there is no other convenient way.

The few times I have used the valet on the AVL it has been on the back, because there is a lot less space at the front end. Those times I have clamped the pre-sleyed reed to the [track? - where the tension box rides] - that works too. (But I usually warp the AVL sectionally)

Thu, 05/08/2014 - 05:07

Weavejoyforall

Cathy sorry I'm late to congratulate you !   I am just getting over a rotten case of bronchitis that has layed me up for a few weeks now.  Congats ! Hope I will be back to weaving soon.

 

Thu, 05/08/2014 - 11:36

Artistry

Weavejoyforall, Thanks and feel better soon!
Fri, 05/09/2014 - 10:52

ReedGuy

Erica, palm up in one direction, palm down in the other. I do this on a vertical mill, which obviously rotates. On my mill, my palms are up as I pass over the bottom turn peg (go over the top, back of hand next to peg) and down when I go over the top turn peg by the lease pegs (over the top, but palm facing peg) . Train yourself, then it becomes natural. Also make the ties at the lease pegs on top or which ever surface so your not confused when put onto the lease sticks and tie-rod. Then I also begin and end by looping the ends of the yarn and slip that loop over the turn peg. I find joining the ends with just a knot makes it confusing and yarn gets twisted by the time I have it on the lease sticks. So say I am milling with 2 ends as a time. I place the two ends side by side, make a loop, then the knot. This loop slips onto the peg. That way both ends go over the top of the peg, and not one underneath the other. It might sound like nonesense, but that's just one of my methods of fending off confusion. :)

Fri, 05/09/2014 - 21:18

Artistry

Spent the whole day getting the rest of the 12 yds. Beamed with a friend . It was truly the warp from you know where. Only 26 hrs. To beam it. Yes, it's true. The good news is the warp looks beautiful, rock solid, nice tension. The upside too is threading the heddles will feel like a breeze. Erica, I relate!
Sat, 05/10/2014 - 02:56

justmekaybee

Today I got my scarf warp on the loom.  I made a mistake on the pattern repeat and had to add some more threads.  I just need to fix a new apron to the front beam and I can start weaving.   : ) 

Sun, 05/11/2014 - 11:44

ReedGuy

Yesterday I put on 7 yards of 12/2 natural linen for a courser scrim. 380 ends @ 10 epi sett. :)

Mon, 05/12/2014 - 10:24

Artistry

Today I start threading 900 ends, 10/2 cotton @ 24 epi. Yippee, so glad I'm threading:) Will probably take a break this afternoon and make some dye solutions.
Mon, 05/12/2014 - 12:20

MMs-and-OOs-Ha…

I think I am on thread 700+, 816 ends, 8/2's cotton. Not so bad, the Ipad is on my music stand, Netflix, public radio, whatever ....
Mon, 05/12/2014 - 13:10

Artistry

I'm with you, I only have a 16S return twill, I can listen to all sorts of things except action flicks, not enough dialogue:)
Mon, 05/12/2014 - 13:52

ReedGuy

I knew I was not alone, listening to music or a DVD while on the loom.

...."Just a swing'n"  :)

Tue, 05/13/2014 - 10:34

Artistry

More threading today. Has anyone ever heard if you take a yarn and it is wound on a cone opposite of it's twist , that is asking for tangling trouble?
Tue, 05/13/2014 - 15:27

augustdragon (not verified)

I can't show you a picture it's too embarassing.  My loom believes I have forsaken her.  For too long I was wrapped up in something else, but no more.  Yesterday I warped the big loom, my weft yarn is on BO for 2-3 weeks.  I have a scarf warp to put on the Baby Wolf, just a simple 4 harness network draft.  I rummaged through my weaving scraps and was totally inspired, and flabergasted at the same time.  I wove some beautiful things and had forgotten all about them. It's like a giant blood transfusion of fiber ideas.  I'm so excited to pick up where I left off so long ago.  

Tue, 05/13/2014 - 15:44

kerstinfroberg

yes - or, actually no. Here (in Sweden) we are taught to take off cottons from standing tubes in an S-direction (counter-clockwise), or we will get into trouble. (This means we are off-loading them while adding ply-twist)

Then there are other weavers/teachers who say the opposite... (of course!) Myself, I think the most important thing is to have all tubes offload in the same direction (I'm often winding 4-6 ends at the same time) - or they tend to tangle at the winding stage.

Once I did some experiments with a very standard 2-ply wool: I wound fly-shuttle pirns in different directions, with the yarn tube in the same direction. Several years (and washings etc) later, I can still see the diference...

- I'm using the word "tube" here, as Swe yarns never come on cones - I guess coned yarn is meant to take off "as is"? (if one hasn't coned them oneself...)

Tue, 05/13/2014 - 18:49

Erica J

I took some time to spin today. My spindle was getting pretty full so I wound off my yarn. I now need to get thjbgs set up to transfer to bobbins, as I plan to ply on my Louet wheel. I haven't used this wheel yet, so I'll need to test it out and learn how to make adjustments.

TAJ decided he had to go out to the studio, he always watches Baby Einstein, so I was able to get nearly an inch threaded on the undulating twill, before he decided he was done. He has started sitting on the bench to watch me, but he gets frustrated quickly when he isn't allowed to help. ;)

Tue, 05/13/2014 - 19:33

Artistry

Kerstin, Thanks for the information! I love Swedish yarns especially 16/2 linen, I never knew that about the twist and the cone for sure, just something in the back of my mind I might of heard once. My cotton that I had so much trouble with came on tubes. I'm sure I wasn't consistent with how it rolled off the tube. I had no problem warping, but as you know the beaming was hard. Also although not problematic, the cotton is still twisting while it waits to be put in the heddles. Your information about the tubes would really explain all this! Do you think this could be the explanation? Cathie
Wed, 05/14/2014 - 02:29

endorph

and getting some woven pieces ready for hemming - here are a couple of my spinning projects

Wed, 05/14/2014 - 02:32

endorph

and getting some woven pieces ready for hemming - here are a couple of my spinning projectsOn the pink an d brown one I am trying fractal spinning. The top pic is the spindle project I am working on at work during lunch time. The fiber braid itself was pretty ugly but it is spinning up like a dream and nice heathery mauvy color. . . . The purple and green the third smaller skein in that colorway for me. One skein I spun on a clunky spindle, one on my favorite spindle and then this one on the wheel. Once wet finished I will compare them as to size and texture. . .

Wed, 05/14/2014 - 05:53

E.A.Y.

Dusted off the loom, checked bolts for tightness, counted heddles to make sure I have enough for the planned project, ordered materials, found the sleying hook and the heddle hook, set aside my favorite shuttles, found my stash of pirns, found the crank for the winder, and dug the warping board out of the back of the closet. Whew.

Wed, 05/14/2014 - 09:20

Artistry

Nothing like getting ready to start a new project E.A.Y.! Tina, Your getting so much spinning done, even at lunch time! Do you have a project in mind ? I'm threading again and also mixing up dye solutions . Happy camper this week:)
Wed, 05/14/2014 - 15:19

MMs-and-OOs-Ha…

I finished warping with the tubes of Bockens cotton 2/8s and made sure that the all of the spools had the little wind on tail at the bottom of the spool. I actually used my oboe stand to hold the spools which is lame. I am in the process of getting a cone rack made with smaller diameter pegs to accommodate these spools. They fit on my spool rack but at about 1/2 lb each they don't wind off very well. So based on the 12+ yard I put on, the yarn came off the spool in a clockwise direction. For whatever it is worth the warp went on the beam easily and my warping chains did not twist a lot. You might want to look at the twist up close and see what direction it goes in. Somewhere, somewhere I read about the twist issue, Peggy Ostercamp, Jim Ahrens, Allen Fannin?
Wed, 05/14/2014 - 20:05

sodenashi (not verified)

I've been doing more handsewing this week...does anyone know of a good resource for improving my handsewing (i.e. a book or YouTube video)? Unfortunately it's not something I have a lot of experience with.  Also, a new blog post went up today with some great textiles from my family's past.  www.westernsakiori.com

 

Wed, 05/14/2014 - 20:17

ReedGuy

Try archive.org I bet there is a digitized book on there with lots of info. And free. :)

Thu, 05/15/2014 - 05:04

E.A.Y.

Made a raddle today. Still sorting through my weaving equipment. Good news is that the 40+ year old electric bobbin winder still works.

Thu, 05/15/2014 - 17:49

Erica J

 E.A.Y. I am impressed it still works. I'm also a bit jealous, I want and electric winder! I enjoyed making my raddle. How about you?

Endorph, you're spinning is beautiful and so well photographed. I did spin some more of the above Merino today. This photograph is of the whirl rather than the yarn. But Wild Craft does such gorgeous spindles, I couldn't resist! ;) Ir's also really the photo for my Spindle Inventory.

Thu, 05/15/2014 - 19:56

endorph

spindle! I am getting together with some spindlers tonight for a spinning bee!

Thu, 05/15/2014 - 22:27

E.A.Y.

Slightly less than half the warp for the baby blanket is through the heddles. That's enough for today.

Fri, 05/16/2014 - 02:58

sally orgren

by way of Delaware...and Winterthur!

We got to see the Downton Abbey exhibit (40 costumes from seasons 1-3), and spent time looking at the historic textiles collected by Marguerite Davison, thanks to Textile Curator Linda Eaton. (I would love to bring my guild mates back for another visit.)

One of my favorites was seeing the actual sample of Huck A Back.

Before leaving, Deb McClintock made us take a stroll through the gardens, which was delightful!

Fri, 05/16/2014 - 05:20

E.A.Y.

Erica J, the raddle is a fine temporary one. This is the first time I've used one/made one so I just used the 2" spacing that my sectional beam has. The raddle is a hunk of pine (left over from last summer's patio furniture project) with indifferently vertical finishing nails stuck in. It is functional but not pretty.

Fri, 05/16/2014 - 17:34

tien (not verified)

What kind of handsewing are you doing? The best book on couture sewing I know of is Claire Shaeffer's Couture Sewing - much couture work is done by hand, so that's the first thing I thought of.

My weaverliness has actually been setting up a photography studio for photographing my textiles! It's in a VERY cramped space between my loom and the garage door...but I think it will work. I have some additional lighting coming today and will be trying again tonight. Currently it's set up for photographing muslins for Phoenix Rising, as you can see:

Tien's mini photography studio

I also got an amazing shipment of lacquered paper "yarn" from Japan:

lacquered paper yarn from Japan

This is paper that's been lacquered (this particular piece likely has some silver leaf as well) and then cut into very very thin strips. You use it as weft, using a long wooden hook to pull it through. (I improvised one by sawing a thin slot into a warping stick.) I bought the paper on eBay and wound up with way more than I expected. So if you are interested in purchasing any to experiment with, let me know.

Fri, 05/16/2014 - 19:14

Missus T.

Tien,

When I saw your flame-colored wrap, my first thought was of the Winged Victory sculpture!  How artfully you have arranged the folds, and the color is gorgeous.  All you need to do is Photoshop the weaving over the original sculpture!

Fri, 05/16/2014 - 19:19

Missus T.

I have my fourth short warp on, another towel kit from the Yarn Barn, and am dying to get up there to weave.  The primary color perle cotton and cotton flake warp is very cheerful...  It's been so busy that I'm pooped and cannot even imagine climbing up on the bench and taking charge of that warp....but the thought of it's being ready to go is keeping me going!  TGIF!  I guess my "daily weaverliness" consists in having good intentions....

Fri, 05/16/2014 - 22:08

E.A.Y.

I've finished threading the baby blanket and have started sleying the reed. Hopefully I can get some more done tomorrow evening.

Sat, 05/17/2014 - 04:21

endorph

my first fractal spinning attempt - it turned out okay but soinning the non-split half of the braid was a bit of a challenge.

Sat, 05/17/2014 - 09:34

Artistry

Got the dye solutions mixed up except a few which the powders were 3 years old and didn't look right so I ordered fresh, waiting for them to come. The heddles are done. Started sleying the reed yesterday will finish that today plus tie on . Then I have to build the files so my AVL knows what to do. By Sunday or Monday I'll be weaving ! YAY!
Sun, 05/18/2014 - 07:41

ReedGuy

Started weaving my course linen scrim. I discovered when I began beating that the ppi turned out just right for the 10 epi sett. It is progressing quite fast. I had one heddle threaded out of place, but just left it in with no ill effects. It's going to be covered anyway. :) I'm using the supplemental on her maiden voyage. I don't intend to use it as the main beam, but I wanted to try it. At the end of the weave I will be setting up the canvas and rods on it to get the last 2 yards without waste. :)

Sat, 05/17/2014 - 23:16

theresasc

I am going back to my roots (rag weaving) and giving the Cranbrook one last try.  I just cannot leave a loom empty and my door has not been broken down with folks wanting to buy my loom:-)  Designed, wound the warp, cut and ironed rag strips and have half the warp threaded for rag placemats. That was all today, so now I need a break, I think that is enough weaverliness for one day.

Sun, 05/18/2014 - 07:49

ReedGuy

Cathie, yes I'm using the flanges. The piece is 38" wide.

Feels like I'm weaving a burlap sack. I am familiar with those since my father was a potato farmer and we filled a good many 75 and 100 lb capacity burlap sacs. They used to ship the empty sacks by the 1000 count bundle, bound with wire. You would literally roll these bundles like a big snow ball. :)

Sun, 05/18/2014 - 07:55

ReedGuy

This time of year I do not have much time. And weekends are usually my rest time before heading back to the bush. I'm waiting for the arrival of a canvas walled tent which was made in British Columbia by Deluxe Wall Tents. :)

Sun, 05/18/2014 - 08:56

Artistry

Resting my wrist AND back today, just have to say going to Columbus to watch our niece play in the Nationals Untimate Frisbee/ Quater finals. Promise to be Weaverly tomorrow! ReedGuy, The Wall Tents from that particular company look awesome!
Sun, 05/18/2014 - 14:58

E.A.Y.

I was weaverly yesterday, finishing dressing the loom. The cotton I'm using is too thick to be practical on my favorite boat shuttles (which I tried anyway and it's been so long since I've weaved, I had all kinds of amusing mis-fires with shooting the shuttle across. Every seen your shuttle come flying out from the center of the lifted shed? It's Sammy the Shuttle Porpoise! Shows daily at 11 and 1!)

So I wound some ski shuttles last night and will go see how my warp will behave this morning.

Cheers!

Sun, 05/18/2014 - 17:27

theresasc

weaving away on the placemats, everything is behaving quite well and I like the colors.  I was hoping for a nice spring/summery look and it seems to be working well.

rag placemats

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