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.
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.
A traveling project has been finished. Handspun merino from my stash; it was knitted during the final episodes of MadMen, and finally completed during a recent road trip. This morning I blocked it. Feels good to have finished something. Gotta do more of that.
You get to see a lot of local color at an antique motorcycle rally in Chesnee, SC. I joined the photography enthusiasts on a field trip this morning. I offer the following snapshots without editorial comment, except that it was a very hot day and I was glad to come back home and have an ice cold drink. These all have a lot of telling detail. Click to enlarge.
Meanwhile, back in my own neighborhood, this person has left a mysterious streetside message for someone. I know there is a story behind this; I just can't figure out what it is. Maybe I'll have to make one up:
A few inches left on the red warp. Errors corrected. What shall it be? There were several options on my computer screen, but this is the one I decided to weave.
Primary weft black 20/2 cotton. Secondary wefts yellow-green 8/2 bamboo and turquoise 5/2 pearl cotton.
On an excursion to the outdoor store I saw this climbing rope on spools. The individual rope patterns are always fascinating, but seen wrapped on a spool they form more interesting relationships, which look like weaving patterns.
Inevitably, this last one reminds me of a networked draft, with its repeating jagged edges.
Erik is visiting this week from Miami. We took a short drive up to Connemara. It was very pleasant to cool off with a walk around the lake, under the leafy green trees. Bosky, it was.
After weeks and months of working with these lampas weaves, it appears that arithmetic errors have crept in. They hit me right between the eyes yesterday. It was a common denominator type of thing. Aspect ratio stuff. Aargh! I'll tell you about it some day.
But I did get it all corrected. Here is a new sample, based on the corrected information.
This lampas variation has steeper waveforms. Three wefts, again.
Seen from another angle it looks quite different.
And talking about angles—my old jacquard tablecloth, industrially woven, found itself on my breakfast table Sunday morning. I happened to glimpse it by early light, and the shiny white polyester warp appeared to be lit from within. At any other time of day this cloth has a very humdrum personality. The low angle light makes such a difference.
More lampas waves with satin primary cloth and 3-end twill secondary. One primary weft and two secondaries. Networked draft on 16 shafts. Liftplan constructed in Photoshop.