One of those days. Above: a draft for 40 shafts, shaded satins. Oh yes, I've checked them: max float 4. But it's for later. Loom is still sick.
I'm Alice Schlein, a weaver in South Carolina. A few times a week I write about my weaving, Network Drafting, Amalgamation, bread baking, my morning walks, and whatever else strikes my fancy. Thanks for stopping by! Comments are welcome.
Books
- The Woven Pixel: Designing for Jacquard and Dobby Looms Using Photoshop®
Co-authored by Alice Schlein and Bhakti Ziek. 362 pages, many illustrations. Now available for free download on handweaving.net. The accompanying CD with 1400 pattern presets is not included with the free download, but may be purchased separately. Email me at aschlein[at]att[dot]net for more information. - The Liftplan Connection: Designing for Dobby Looms With Photoshop® and Photoshop Elements®
By Alice Schlein. Build your own weave library. Design liftplans for your dobby loom. 157 pages, spiral bound, many illustrations. Now available as print-on-demand from www.lulu.com. - Network Drafting: An Introduction
By Alice Schlein. Break away from the block. Curves for your dobby loom. Originally published in 1994, now available as print-on-demand from www.lulu.com.
Monographs
- Amalgamation: Double Your Dobby
24-pages of text, diagrams, and color photographs, in pdf format for download. Create drafts for 8 or more shafts in half-drop or brick arrangements which would normally require twice the number of shafts. Related to network drafting, this is a technique for intermediate or advanced weavers with dobby looms or multi-shaft table looms. Includes guidelines for amalgamation with three current weaving applications. View on a computer, or print out one copy for your own use. USD$21. via PayPal. Email aschlein[at]att[dot]net and indicate your preferred email address for PayPal. - Lampas for Shaft Looms
Class notes from Complex Weavers Seminars 2016, newly revised and formatted, in pdf form for download. A review of methods for designing your own lampas fabrics for treadle looms, table looms, and dobbies, eight shafts and above. Over 90 color photos of actual fabrics with drafts. Includes info on pickup lampas and a lampas bibliography. View on a computer, or print out one copy for your own use. USD$21. via PayPal. Email aschlein[at]att[dot]net for ordering info. - A Crepe Is Not Just a Pancake
52 pages of text, b&w and color diagrams, and drafts for multishaft tradle & dobby looms. Many color photos of actual cloth. Methods for drafting your own crepe weaves. Annotated bibliography. Pdf available for immediate download. $21. USD. Payment by PayPal. Email me at aschlein[at]att[dot]net for payment instructions. - Echo Weave
Based on the 1996 article in Weaver's, Issue 32. With brand new diagrams and high resolution scans of original fabrics. Pdf available for immediate download. $7. USD. Payment by PayPal. Email me at aschlein[at]att[dot]net for payment instructions.
Categories
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Recent Posts
Links
Other Stuff
- Errata for Amalgamation Monograph 6.30.20
Click here to download errata file. - Errata for Amalgamation Monograph 6.29.20
Click here to download errata file. - Errata for Crepe Monograph
Click here to download errata file. - Alice's Basic Bread Recipe
- Errata for The Liftplan Connection
Click this link to download corrections to The Liftplan Connection.
« November 2013 | Main | January 2014 »
December 2013 posts
December 12, 2013
December 10, 2013
Non-English Blogs
There won't be a lot of weaving happening here for a while, but other weaving-related things are going on. More later. It's all good.
Meanwhile let me tell you about two non-English blogs I check in on occasionally. With the help of Google, I was able to get more or less of the sense of the texts, as I have no knowledge of Polish. But it is the pictures that really shine. These weavers do beautiful work, and they document it beautifully. Also very good tutorials. Take a look at Pasamoniczka and Maniatkania.
And just to keep the hand moving, it's always good to do at least one weave draft per day. Here's one in the latest version of Photoshop CC, copied to pixeLoom. Click to enlarge. So far the cloud version of PS seems to work just the way I've come to expect with earlier versions.
This design is for 40 shafts. The Photoshop file can be downloaded here: Download Turningpages. If you have fewer shafts, you can resize, following methods described in The Liftplan Connection.
December 08, 2013
Light Plays Tricks
I was able to comfortably get two towels out of the remains of the purple warp, and still have enough left for tieing onto. I do love this threading, but I'm not sure yet what sort of warp I want to tie on. I know it will be a variegated warp, with random color arranagements, so I am allowing for tieing on in front of the reed and then pulling back through the heddles, not my usual practice. I normally like to beam first, then tie onto the previous warp in back of the loom, behind the heddles. But not this time.
I washed both cut-off towels and hemmed them. Here they are photographed in my bathroom. The light is much warmer, and the color temperature of the magenta towel has altered considerably! Hard to believe these are the same cloth.
The linen has softened up greatly after going through the washer & drier. The towels feel delightful. Both are officially granite weaves, although the one on the left does look almost like a diamond twill. The hems are a nice tight chevron twill.
December 07, 2013
Found: Magenta
Another goodie turned up in that bottomless pit AKA my stash: a spool of magenta singles tow linen. I think this was a gift from someone who was downsizing several years ago. Not sure. If it was you, thank you! It's a great choice for weft for another bathtowel on the purple warp.This one resembles a diamond twill, but not exactly…
December 06, 2013
Seasonal Changes
All at once, it seems, the deciduous trees have dumped their leaves and now I see this when I look up:
And sometimes this:
And where do they all wind up? Here, of course:
Some few hang on yet, and they make me feel like I am channeling Pissarro:
The pattern-chaser in me loves the designs on the wet streets. I've combined two different views for you:
Sometimes the drainage ditches carry stories:
And droplets on a single leaf always call me back for a second look:
The alternate universe is there, if you're paying attention:
So with all the good stuff available for free, why do some folks add this?
Very puzzling.
December 05, 2013
Fluffy Is Good
For bathtowels, fluffy is good. So is rough. These are both fluffy and rough. Hot out of the drier. They were woven of cotton warp & weft, some mercerized, some not, in granite interlacements, then machine washed & dried. After hemming, here are some quick cel phone photos. Now into the box for scanning for an upcoming class (see sidebar).
December 04, 2013
Reconnecting With Purple
Giving this warp another try. It's purple cotton, and the weft this time is pink tow linen singles. The weave is a granite variation. This should finish up to be a very thirsty bathtowel.
December 03, 2013
Surprise!
Here's the back story. This is my sometimes loom; when things are not going right with other projects, I come back to this loom for comfort. Occasionally I forget what's on the warp beam. Like this one. It was a long purple warp that was so boring to me that I stopped midstream and wound a brightly striped warp to tie onto the purple one. The purple warp was still there, waiting, and forgotten. Yesterday as I was merrily weaving away on the striped warp, I happened to glance over the castle, and lo, what did appear? The tie-on knots and the purple warp. Surprise!
I was able to weave until the knots were about two inches behind the heddles. I pulled the knots through, cut off the cloth, secured the purple warp to the cloth rod, and surveyed the situation. Purple warp now in position for weaving. But I'm in a better frame of mind this time, and am ready for the design challenge.