Craft

Weaving Wednesday – Coming to the End

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131119 Dornick Twill (2)Last night I wove a Dornick Twill in 8/2 unmercerized cotton.  This went very fast – 27 inches in less than two hours.  It was mindless and beautiful.  Mindless is quite often just what I need.  The act of weaving itself being totally meditative for me (and the counting, oh how I love the counting).  Yeah, OCD is me.

I finished this towel and moved onto my last one.  I’ll post about that one next week because my phone died before I could take its picture.

Yardage is coming off of the looms each week now and I came home with three of my towels ready for finishing last night.  I’m looking forward to seeing them washed.  I see hemming in my future.

131119 Dornick twill (1)Isn’t it amazing what threading and treddling can do?  How beautiful.

 

 

Weaving Wednesday – Round Robin 8

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131112 Extended TwillLast night’s weaving adventure was extended twill.  The warp was 8/2 unmercerized cotton in a mint green.  I chose to weave it with a dark green tencel and was really pleased with the result.  I had been looking at these towels and different weavers choices in color and I have to say before I started weaving this I was not a fan.  It is a really quick weave though and once I was into it I have to say that it’s one of my favorites so far.  I probably say that every week about whatever I wove in class so take that for what it is.  This one was a little different in the fact that the entire time I was weaving it I was thinking about different ways to change this up.  I’m thinking of doing this with a striped warp and a dark weft, maybe towels but maybe a wool scarf.  The possibilities are endless and having something that looks complicated be so easy helps to get those creative juices going.

We are coming to the end of our round robin and I am pretty sad about it.  This has been a wonderful experience giving me (and I would say many others) the opportunity to weave out of our comfort zone.  The results are beautiful. Only 2 more towels to do and then onto finishing.  I had thought that these would make great Christmas presents but I’m not sure I will be ready to part with them by then.  Maybe a they will go off for birthdays later.

One of the best aspects for me was photographing them as I went along.  I now have the drafts along with the photograph of the finished product and in the long run that is all I really need.

 

Weaving Wednesday – Round Robin 7

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131105 Point Twill (1)In weaving class last night I decided on a Rosepath Point Twill.  This was woven on a Leclerc counterbalance loom (my first experience).  It is warped and woven in 8/2 unmercerized cotton.

The draft for this one was interesting because it gave me choices.  It was drafted with 5 different weave structures and I had to decide how I wanted my towel to look.  I decided to do a 4″ band of one design, a 12 pick band of plain weave and the body in another simpler design (which I modified even further to satisfy my symmetrical OCD).  It was warped in a soft pink color and I chose a chocolate brown for the warp.

All in all I was pleased with the end result.  We are coming to the end of this weaving adventure.  Fabric is coming off of the looms now as people finish it up.  As a sewer this takes on a different feel.  I looked at the 8 yards of towelling that was taken off a loom yesterday, folded and looking like a bolt of beautiful fabric and couldn’t help but think I may have to weave something to make into clothing at some point.  It is just too beautiful to use just for a dish towel.

131105 Point Twill (2)

 

Weaving Wednesday – Round Robin 6

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131029 WeavingThis week I decided to tackle the False Satin Blocks in 10/2 mercerized cotton.  I chose a buttery yellow for the weft.  I sat down at this loom last week and simply could not do this.  I was over thinking to the point where I just had to walk away. I didn’t understand what the selvages were doing, the sheds weren’t opening the way they were supposed to, ugh! (Of course if I had just waited and asked a question or two that might have helped).  I spent the entire week fretting about this whole set up.  8 shafts intimidate me, I’m not sure why.  I think it was just out of my comfort zone right then. I was looking for meditation last week, this week I was up for the challenge.

I sat down and wove this without a single issue this week.  I think having my head in a different place made all of the difference.  I wasn’t distracted.

Pam had to unweave a Navajo rug she was working on because there was a problem with how it was warped.  She was trying to fix and then re-warp the frame.  Her cat, Fred decided he would help her out.

131029 Fred (1)Fred loves the studio.  He is always there, waiting for a pat or cuddle (or food).  He helped Pam read her measurements – we all know tempting any owner reading a paper of any kind is. I think he was just in tune to her frustration and was working on a little comic relief.

131029 Fred (2)He did a very good job.

 

 

 

Weaving Wednesday – Round Robin 5

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131023 Undulating TwillI arrived at weaving class 2 hours early on Tuesday with the idea that I would catch up – I was a towel behind in the Round Robin.  I decided to start with this undulating twill pattern. I remembered being told it would weave up quickly.  Sometimes it takes me quite a while to figure out what color to use for the warp but the person that wove the towel before me on this warp used the same color.  I love the way it looks, it reminds me of vintage fabric.  It took a little less than 2 hours to weave the 27″ for the towel and I wasn’t so fried from a complicated pattern that I moved on to another loom.

131023 Point Twill with HerringboneThis is a Point Twill with Herringbone pattern.  I have to say it was really fun to weave.  The results are . . . interesting.

Both towels are made in 8/2 unmercerized cotton making a nice weight, absorbent towel – isn’t that all your really need?  I am now caught up with 5 more towels to weave.  I can’t wait to have them all off of the looms and start hemming (not).

Living Life as a Creative Person

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IMAG1067

My world consists of creative and non-creative people.  Call it what you will – left brain/right brain, grounded/ethereal – it’s what I am surrounded by.

My everyday life is run through with a thread of creativity.  I’m always, always, observing things of beauty or considering and making something beautiful.  It’s a life of aesthetics.  The act of doing something with my hands that creates something of beauty is what keeps me centered.

I can only speak for myself but crafting/creating is what keeps me alive and sane.  I live with a most analytical man.  He’s the problem solver, he analyzes the information at hand and makes decisions on the facts as they are laid out before him.  Me, I’m a wing it kind of person – I’m much more subjective.  For some reason this relationship has worked for years and years.  We balance each other out.

This may seem a bizarre analogy but hear me out.  When reading the Harry Potter series I was struck by the comparison of the wizard and muggle worlds.  They all lived in the same world but the wizards really have a much more whimsical, creative spirit – they are much more subjective.  I saw the muggles as much more analytical.  Neither faction was any less intelligent, they each just looked at their world in a different way (broadly different but that’s the beauty of the story).

After reading and rereading this story I was struck with the similarities to my life (no I don’t cast spells).  One of my daughters and I are always saying that something must have happened to our Hogwarts letters because we were really supposed to go, we know in our hearts that we are wizards.  Other members of our extended family are definitely muggles, they would not even consider that they could have been a wizard, it wouldn’t enter their mind – it’s not reasonable or logical.  It’s not who they are.

Maybe all of us who are creative, subjective people really are wizards.  We just live in a world of muggles who look upon us at times with amazement.  To them it all looks like magic.

A Weaving Weekend

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131020 Green Crosss

Although it wasn’t totally planned I spent most of the weekend doing something related to weaving (in between cooking, cleaning and loads of laundry).  I make the mundane more pleasurable by rewarding myself with loom time.  I finished the blue and white and moved onto a green variegated version of the Maltese Cross and discovered something in the process.  Being a newby to this craft I didn’t realize what a HUGE difference yarn would make in how the pattern looked.  (Apparently I’m paying too much attention to other things while I’m throwing a shuttle).  The last two throws I have woven in this pattern I used Bartlettyarn Maine Wool for the weft with a warp of Jaggerspun Maine Line 2/8 wool.  I love the feel of the wool when it’s been fulled and finished, it’s a warm, heavy blanket but . . . the crosses in the pattern were more elongated than I had thought they would be.  When I started weaving the green version of this I was using Noro Boku, a wool/silk blend.  Both of these yarns are worsted weight but one is thicker than the other and the less hefty of the two brought the pattern into what I had expected.  Yes, I continue to weave with the variegated yarn even though the judge didn’t like it at the Big E.

Sunday I spent a good part of my afternoon at the weaving studio helping Pam put together a new Harrisville 36″ 8 Shaft, 10 Treadle Loom. The latest addition arrived in two boxes and reminded me of something I might have picked up at IKEA.

131020 (1)Parts, parts, parts, tools, instructions.

131020 (2)More parts.

131020 (3)Okay, I’ve built IKEA before – Harrisville should get some advice from them on their instructions.

131020 (4)Pam’s attaching the treadles.

131020 (5)You have to be fairly flexible to get this job done ( at least be able to get up off of the floor).

131020 (6)About 3 hours later here she is ready to go – well, with four shafts ready to go.  After 3 hours we were fried, so opted to add the other four later.

131020 (7)Set in the new spot with the other looms.

This was a great experience.  I now feel as if anything that happens to my loom I will be totally prepared to repair.  The maple that the loom is made out of is quite beautiful.  I also learned why Pam asked me for help – it is virtually impossible to put this together without an extra set of hands. I also think it was an extension of my weaving education.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weaving Wednesday – Round Robin 4

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131015 Braided TwillNext up on my twill weaving tour is a Braided Twill.  This was done in 10/2 unmercerized cotton on an 8-shaft loom.  My first 8 shaft experience.  The treddling is quite simple and progressive in a way that makes it easy to weave. The results are impressive I think.

Like many of the towels I have woven in this series the pattern isn’t that obvious as you are weaving it.  You need to stand away from the loom or lean back while you are sitting so you can see it at an angle.  This is where photography really comes into play.  For some reason no matter what angle you photograph textiles you always see much more detail than if you are looking at the textile itself.  I’m not sure if it’s the contrast or the fact that a photo is 2 dimensional.  I know if I can’t see what’s going on I take a photo and get my ah ha moment.  That’s the beauty of the instant gratification of digital.

131015 Braided Twill (2)This was difficult to weave evenly.  You really can only weave in the center third of your warp otherwise you can see where your beat is uneven, it breaks up the pattern.  Another problem for little perfectionist me.  I finished up my 27″ in about three hours then toured the studio to see what I wanted to weave next week.  This is so much fun.

Calling My Name

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131005 Maltese Cross

 

Weaving has become an obsession with me.  I warped my loom in Rowe last week.  I was proud to say after 430 ends only one was threaded wrong and I was able to fix it with a string heddle.  I love having an instructor who knows the craft so well she can teach you the tricks that get you out of a jam.

I wound an extra long warp so I could weave three of these throws in succession with different colors.  This is the traditional blue and white.  The next will be with a variegated green/brown combination and the last will be anyone’s guess.  Christmas is coming.  I figure I can have these off of the loom by Halloween and move on to other gifts.

Although I weave during the week at the studio in Brimfield we are weaving cotton.  Cotton is what I started with when I began learning to weave, it gives a beautiful definition to the structure.  For that reason I like weaving with it, especially when I am doing something new.  My last project for the class this past spring was the red and white wool throw and it was revelation.

I love the feel of wool.  I love the way it feels going through my hands. Winding the warp seemed effortless, it had a calming effect. That’s really the reason I love having something in wool always going somewhere.  It’s not just the counting and meditative repetition of the act of weaving, it is also the feel.  This throw is warped in Jaggerspun Maineline 2/8 yarn, it is soft and wonderful to work with.  The weft on this section is Bartlettyarn Maine Wool  which is a beautiful worsted weight yarn.

The other aspect of weaving with wool is the smell – I’m thinking it’s only fiber people that will understand that statement.  It smells like it came from an animal, it’s wonderful.  Don’t get me wrong – it doesn’t smell while you’re weaving but you can take a hank of wool and breathe it in, ahhhh.  It’s in the finishing that some of these remaining oils are washed out and that’s what makes the fiber “bloom”.  There are so many times when I look at the weaving on the loom and think it doesn’t look as good as it should.  Once it is washed and dried a miracle happens and it often looks better than anticipated.

That’s the thing I’ve found with weaving – every aspect of it is equally important to the finished project.  People tell me they love to weave but hate to warp.  To me that is the most important part, otherwise nothing else works.  It is time consuming, yes, but I take it as a challenge.  I try to beam my warp so the tension is even, thread my heddles so there are no mistakes, slay the reed without skipping a space all the first time.  It becomes tedious when I don’t pay attention and have to take it all out and start over.  Throwing the shuttle is the easy part most of the time.  Finishing can be tedious as well but when you do it it’s magic.  What looked just okay on the loom becomes a masterpiece once it is washed.  All aspects of the process come together.

Weaving Wednesday – Round Robin 3

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131008 Advancing TwillI had to travel to Boston for most of the day before weaving class.  The bonus was I was there an hour and a half early so I picked a more complicated twill to work on.  This is an advancing twill done in 10/2 mercerized cotton.  I had been thinking about this one for the past week looking forward to weaving it and the moment when I finished most of the first repeat.  I love that part.  In your head you know what the draft is going to do but when you actually see it in fiber is magical for me.

I wound my bobbin, made myself comfortable in front of the loom and started to weave.  It didn’t look like I had pictured it.  The pattern wasn’t as defined as I thought it would be.  I questioned my use of the white weft.  I’d woven about 6 inches when my instructor entered the room.  I stopped to visit (this pattern required some serious concentration).  I told her I was having trouble keeping track of what I was doing – I honestly just thought my head was not in the game.  She went to reprint the treddling pattern so it wasn’t so small – I walked away from the loom for a few minutes.

When I sat back down I realized that I had been treddling the pattern as if it didn’t have tie-ups – damn it!  I had tortured myself for an hour in my excitement.  Soooooo, I put in a line and started over . . . at the same time I would have started if I had just come to class.

This pattern is quite beautiful when done correctly but I have to say I had to pay attention throughout the whole thing.  It wasn’t one of those patterns that you get into the groove once you’ve been through a few repeats.  I struggled with it the whole time.  I was sure I would have to come back to finish weaving my 27 inches but at 8:50 I wove the close and was done.  It was a relief really.

I always really look forward to weaving class as a meditative time.  This was different, probably due to the error in the beginning.  I can be compulsive in perfection, a serious curse.  Once the project went off the rails I had a difficult time refocusing.  I struggled through it and walked away thinking I will never weave that pattern again.  I’m still thinking that today so my grand plans for that draft will probably never come to fruition.  Of course I have grand plans for every single draft I see.  That’s been the real beauty of this round robin.  I get to weave what are really great samples, something different every week without the work of warping the loom.  It allows us all to really get a feel for the structure of the twills and what can be done to change them up within each project.  Even though the first 6 inches were woven in a crazy wrong way it still looked pretty cool, the pattern just wasn’t as defined.  Maybe this time a wrong was kind of right.