Weaverly

A White Warp

I hate to see a naked loom; over the weekend I remedied the situation and made a white warp for the erstwhile green-warped loom. This new warp is a combination of three white or near-white yarns: natural hemp, mercerized cotton, and an odd Japanese tapelike yarn composed of four fine threads. The three yarns are held together in the cross and picked at random when threading the heddles.

Warping a loom is one of my favorite activities. Everything about the process pleases me, including using my tools. The hook at the side of the castle holds thread snips, pincushion, and a little bag containing reed hooks. 

This tangled forest scene at the top of the shafts should be familiar to anyone who used Texsolv heddles. 

We are now warped! Here's the first placemat on the new warp. Networked twill. I plan to replace my personal stock of placemats, which has been used nonstop for the past 25 years and needs refreshing.

A closer look. Those reed marks will disappear in the wash. It's an odd denting system, 3-2-3 and repeat, in a 10 dent reed for 26.6 epi. I wanted to go just a tad higher then 24.

And while this frenzy of activity was going forward in my studio, look at what happened outside, while I wasn't looking:

Yes, daffodils. Can you believe it? 

Spinning Again

The OLLI spinning class, delayed because of snow, has finally gotten started. It's a very congenial group, some newbies and a couple of old hands. Yarn is being made. Romney, for starters.

I'm able to get some spinning done, too, during odd moments. These skeins have just been washed and will be put aside for tapestry weaving. California Variegated Mutant, also known as CVM.

Back in the studio, I've finished the green warp and cut it off. I tried to take a selfie with my left hand while my right hand was cutting, but the results are not up to Weaverly standards. I present it here anyway.

Adding a Weft

The green warp is close to the end, and there will just be enough length to weave one more scarf (I hope!).

This time I've added a second weft to echo the original one. 

The warp is green mercerized cotton, and the two wefts are yellow lyocell and dark red wool.

The threading is a networked twill, and the treadling is two networked treadlings interleaved with each other.

Here's the tieup:

Housebound

It's amazing how much time I waste with needless errands. With our two (so far) snow days I've been forced to stay indoors and in the studio. I finished weaving this scarf which had been untouched for several months. Network drafting. Cotton warp, silk noil weft. 

Then I started on this one, same warp, rayon weft.

Of course, eventually I'll have to go out into the world again; groceries, banking, pharmacy, shoe repair, all those things that keep the engine in motion. Meanwhile, nothing to do except throw the shuttle back and forth, and occasionally look out the window at the snow.

 

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Whether It's Weather, or Not

A most uncharacteristic second snow day for the Upstate. 

Among other things, this means that the first day of the OLLI spinning class is cancelled. Durn. All those yummy rovings are packed and ready to go: Romney, Finn, Southdown, Blue Faced Leicester. And the brand new spindles. Sigh.

Downstairs I will go. Warp is waiting.

Currently reading: The Children Act, by Ian McEwan. 

The Stuff of Life, Part II

This is the part where I confront the accumulation of Stuff. After 47 years in the same house, the Stuff is about to overwhelm me. So I am engaged in what some euphemistically term downsizing. In real terms, this means loading up the car every day with Stuff, and driving down to GoodWill. A lot of the Stuff is really good Stuff. Someone else will see it as Treasure. Instead of downsizing, maybe I should use the term repurposing.

In my studio, Stuff is also taking over, and I find it necessary to repurpose some of my equipment. It's perfectly good equipment. It will eventually find a good home with someone who will love it as much as I have loved it. For various reasons — changing physical capabilities being reason number one — it is now time to part company with some of my looms. If you or someone you know is interested in a very sweet TC-1 (all 880 heddles in work!) or an equally sweet Louet Octado 70 with computer interface, please email me privately at aschlein[at]att[dot]net and I will send you more details.

Here is a piece I wove on the TC-1 just a few months ago. Double plain weave, all cotton.