Weaverly

How Do They Do That?

This morning, as I was navigating a particularly difficult situation, and getting very angry, I looked down at my feet and saw these pansies struggle to bloom in a patch of snow in the deep shade. 

It served as an instant reset. Point taken.

Another good moment: A friend and I went out for coffee on a very cold day, and as we walked into the coffee shop we were hit by the unforgettable aroma of roasting coffee. Very reviving.

Hereabouts a few samples are appearing on the loom -- 4 shafts, one shuttle, still working this system out. It's great fun.

All that has changed is the tieup. Same warp, same weft, same treadling. One shuttle. Magic.

Nothing new in books today.

What are you reading?

 

New Year, Old Ideas

Old ideas recycled become new ideas. That's what I tell myself. It mostly happens to be true.

A few weeks ago in our back yard there was this:

And just a few minutes ago we had this. I don't think it will stick. But this is for all my friends and relatives who think we are having a snowstorm in SC.

Meanwhile I am playing with some 16-shaft network drafting ideas. I don't know why I do this. I no longer have a 16-shaft loom. 

But I do enjoy the drafting process. These were done with TempoWeave software. Click to enlarge.

Department of Books

I have finished reading The Organized Mind by Daniel Levitin, Flight Into Camden by David Story, Daybook: The Journal of an Artist by Anne Truitt, and The Wright Sister by Richard Maurer.

Puzzled But Not Confused

I just love these knot dice. For a pattern freak such as I they are very addictive.

There's a lot of this around here:

And a jacquard sighting. Haven't seen one of these in a while. I think it might be lampas, but without shredding a little piece, I can't really tell. The management would not be pleased.

Finally got the danged car washed. Now I can see out the front windshield. 

This is an interesting way of marking time:

A new warp is in the making. I know it looks ghastly at the moment. Does Dog's Breakfast resonate? But just trust me on this one.

Department of Books:

I have just finished reading The Theft of the Iron Dogs by JCR Loreac.

Hats Off

Willy is an accomplished fly fisherman and has an impressive fishing hat collection. Over the years he has asked me to weave hatbands for him. The other day he lined some of his hats up for a group photo, and here is the result. 

Best I can recall this was plain weave on an inkle loom, and sported an array of fish buttons from my stash.

Here's the recipient with his oldie but goodie hat.

This band is Nordic style pickup on a Sami rigid heddle and backstrap loom. I remember weaving this one during Covid lockup.

The following example was woven on an inkle loom. I think it was simple hand-picked pattern, but I honestly don't remember.

Following is the most recent band, plain weave on a rigid heddle loom. Another fish button find.

And now for news of a wider warp. After a week of pattern tweaking, I have finished this garment, and I would like to credit the amazing Sarah Howard for her pattern GW2018. Sarah designs expressly for handwoven fabrics from the rigid heddle loom, but I was able to weave a 28" warp on my floor loom and arrange my stripes a little differently. Here is the result. This shirt fits like a dream and has pockets. 

Just read The Adversary by Michael Crummy. Dark, violent, absorbing, compelling. 

More Green

Yesterday morning on my walk the greens leaned toward warmer shades of yellows and browns. 

Here's the view from my breakfast table this morning. What a racket! And the sound of the rain lashing the windows is wonderful. 

By coincidence, there is still this on the 8-shaft loom, naturals & white in the warp and green weft. I'm exploring further variations in this amalgamated draft. It is endlessly fascinating. In fact, I was having so much fun that I totally missed yoga class.

Now something totally different. I'm trying to figure out a way to weave inkle bands without using a backstrap or an inkle loom. Rigid heddle loom to the rescue. 

Instead of winding the warp on the warp beam, I'm weighting it with the same weight I use when warping my big looms. So far it's working. 

It's live tension. I don't have to release any tension in order to advance the woven band on the cloth beam. What do you think? Have you ever done it this way?

Transformations

Just got back from a week in the woods.

There was a lot of hanging out among the trees.

And some walking on lovely trails in Pisgah National Forest ...

...where you find the most amazing things.

Nearby Brevard has some great restaurants, including The Square Root, where I had this memorable key lime pie.

Now for the best part. In another restaurant, Love Eat Thai, the sign on the ladies' rest room door was made of an old bamboo loom reed! True fact. I am speechless.

Back home after a lovely vacation, I went directly to my own loom and reed (metal, not bamboo) and spent an entire day throwing a shuttle. I wanted to duplicate the linen scrunchy scarf of the previous post, only larger. The warp is odds & ends of 30/2 linen, with spaced denting, and the weft is leftover bits of 16/1 linen. All yarns from Lofty Fiber. 

Here's a closeup on the loom.

And here's the piece just cut off but not washed...

...and a closeup, still not washed

And here she is after a brief machine washing and a short stint in the dryer. Still slightly damp and hanging in the bathroom to finish drying. 

It's wonderfully crinkled. 

After it's totally dry I'll try to get a decent glamor shot, maybe even with a live model.

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the satisfying feeling of having finished a "what if."

Department of Books:

Just finished reading Long Bright River by Liz Moore.

Staying Cool

My walk today was indoors, and I did almost manage to log all my steps. By the end of the day I will get there.

I have a fiberish thing to share with you. It is yesterday's drier lint collection. Every time I wash my favorite linen tablecloth (commercially woven), I collect this from the lint trap:

I wash this particular cloth about once a week, and have been doing so for the past four years. What I see looming ahead is the eventual disappearance of said tablecloth. I guess there's a message in there somewhere.

Speaking of linen, I started this little bagatelle. It's a linen warp with a linen/rayon mixture in the weft. The warp is spaced as you can see. Every two inches I do a row of 2/2 Leno. I'm expecting some drama when I wash it.

I like to work with a black cloth under the warp as I pick the leno rows, to make the threads more visible.

Linen yarns from LoftyFiber.

 

Moiré, Accidentally

Look what just appeared on the 8-shaft loom, without plan or warning!

The moiré lines change as you move around the loom.

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And on a different loom, the joys of plain weave. With a little bit of Monk's Belt this morning.

What fun! And here's a rescue from the dishtowel drawer (the weaving, not the model, who obligingly put on his favorite hat for this photo shoot).

How this sample of pickup reverse twill (yes, all done with a pickup stick from a cross-stitch chart generated from a photo, about 45 years ago) ever wound up in the kitchen dishtowel drawer, I will never know. But I'm happy to see the weaving and the model reunited. 

The Power of Color

First of all, Queen Anne's Lace. I was able to walk this morning before the heat set in. There will be construction in this area soon, with big earth movers and other noise makers, but for the time being it is a refuge.

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In my continuing studies of amalgamation in TempoWeave, I am struck by the difference color can make to a draft. I do love the structure view (B/W only) but...

...I am simply blown away by what happens when color is added to the mix. I have woven a few of these, and it is not easy to pick the best yarn colors. What shows up on the screen is not necessarily what happens in RYS (Real Yarn Situations). As always, sampling is best.

Have a good weekend!

Learning Curve

I am practicing amalgamation in TempoWeave. Learning a new program is like learning a new language, but doing one draft a day is helpful. This one is for 8 shafts.

 

I love viewing the cloth this way. 

My 4-shaft project (seen in the background) sits idle. I did take time out to bake a loaf. I am practicing scoring.