Happy Halloween!

So, the scarf is 70% finished.  I am sure it will go to a good home!  Tried to do some weaving despite doorbell interruptions from trick or treaters.  The holidays are coming up and as usual I leave it till the last possible minute to put a couple of "gift warps" on the loom.  I also have an ambitious wedding project to start.  My Niece is getting married in April and I would love to create some linen table-ware for her and her hubby!

Happy Halloween

Tick Tick Tick

Clock's a tickin, Halloweave ends tomorrow (31st) and my usual Mon-Thur workweek with a Sunday all day class means - I'm not done! My scarf is 50 % finished.  I have to say, it got me out of my comfort zone and gave me some new things to think about.  I will probably go on and make a Ruana for myself in deflected double weave.

Sample Finished

Finished sample after wet finishing is now 9 x 7.  The fabric is light and lofty and will make a very warm Ruana.  Not too sure about the light green stripes which means 3 shuttles,  it doesn't add tremendously to the design.

Deflected Double Weave Sample

Using 10 shafts with 2 for selvedge, deflected double weave experiment using 20/2 worsted and Zephyr.  Both set at 16 epi so the finer worsted will close up hopefully causing distortion in the Zephyr.  This is the last project for the Halloweave contest at Weavolution http://weavolution.com

Draw Harness loom

Here are some photos of the almost complete Draw Harness conversion:

Big Lola - Li'l Lola

On my old Blog at Wordpress I wrote about my big girl "Lola."  Lola is rather voluptuous (unlike me) but she wears my goods well.

Here she is modeling my unfulled - soon to be fulled merino scarf.

Now meet Li'l Lola

Standing a stately 3" tall,  cute huh?

Too Tired to Talk

Ok, no pics, but the good news is, I am almost finished with converting the Glimåkra to a draw harness damask loom.  I had the front shaft frame for 75 shafts, I had the 10 shaft Opphamta attachment, lingos, long eye heddles etc. but the basement is tight quarters and not enough height for a 75 shaft system.  Plus I dislike setting up that system.

I will post pictures next week, I am covered in sawdust and my arm muscles hurt!  I can't wait to actually get this up and running!

More Deflected Double Weave

8 Shaft this time, quite a generic deflected double weave but I need to get this project going quickly!

Old Loom - New Topic

Recently on Weavolution there has been discussion of loom conversions for drawloom weaving.  Here are pictures from my old Wordpress Blog of a Varpa loom which underwent a successful conversion to a drawloom:

New Project - Deflected Double Weave

After felting, time for something else, deflected double weave.  It has been a while since I did double weave so this should be fun.  I plan to use 16 shafts and a worsted black wool and zephyr for a ruana.

Merino Scarf Sample

Merino wool scarf

The scarf warp in Shale Merino is on the loom.  It is an 8 shaft design using blocks of vertical/horizontal floats and plain weave.  As the wool is fulled the floats will bind a little and the pattern will become more secure.  Each block consists of 16 ends so the floats are quite long.

It is slow to weave as I have to beat very softly, the floats want to pack down and I need to use floating selvedges.  I plan to weave 80 inches - the finished, washed scarf will be approx 65 inches.

I'm Beaming!

Warp ready to be spread in raddle

Using paper to support the warp chain whilst selecting bouts to be placed in raddle

Spreading the warp - each space = 1/2 inch, 16 epi = 8 ends per space

Warp spread, the lease sticks were removed due to yarn furring together when winding on, I used the portee cross to spread the warp on the raddle, I will beam without sticks until I reach the porrey cross at the opposite end of the warp chain and replace the lease sticks

beaming using sticks and paper (note the snazzy new beam made by moi!)

Once I arrive at the porrey cross I re-insert the lease sticks

BEAMED! (less than 10 mins for a 7 yard warp)

After yesterdays (I'd like to pretend I didn't even do that) experiment, I decided some nice fulled merino scarves might allow me to redeem myself!  I prepared a warp for 2/18 Merino at 16 EPI on the new live weight tension beam.

Threaded

Aprons

The live weight tension beam is complete!  I built up the circumference with 1x2 strips and quarter round.  Later this week I will sew a canvas apron and install.  Meanwhile, I need to plan a warp for this new beam on the loom.  I am thinking a zephyr ruana.

Ouch!

I have spent the past two days constructing a live weight tension second beam for the Liisa, I like to weave quickly so I want to advance my warp with a simple maneuver.  It took a little time, sweat and frustration but I am half way there.  In the midst of this I also had to lower the treadle set and drill new holes in the frame for the main beam.  I am not sure if I will add sectional rails yet.  But now I have heavy tension with the ratchet and adjustable tension where the warp can be advanced with the new beam.  My hands and head are very tired!

I still have to build up the beam with 4 pieces of 1x2 and then quarter round.  Drilling into the steel was the most time consuming (aside from hand sanding to enlarge the holes in the support blocks).

The treadle set now allows me to insert treadle pins through the texsolv and hold on the pins, this eliminates the need for being under the treadles with a crochet hook!

Shadow Weave Classes

As I do not have any store classes this fall I am thinking of opening up a Shadow Weave Study Class.  Students will make a scarf in the structure using 4, 6 or 8 shafts.  Those students owning a small portable loom are invited to bring their equipment.

Class fees will include supplies and will be run from my home.  Watch for more info on scheduling.  If you are interested, both new and prior students are invited to contact me for more information.

REVENGE OF THE SHRUNKEN HEADS!

Weavolution is having a Halloweave function!  I'm planning on leading a team of "shrunken heads."

Let me explain - as a teacher on Weavolution (weavolution.com - see link in sidebar) I am leading a group of weavers to explore fabrics with differential shrinkage or fabrics that require a certain type of wet finishing to obtain a special structural effect!  Join us - it will be SPOOKTACULAR!  Halloweave runs through the 31st October!

New Project

I have been wanting to do a wide project using my double flybox for some time.  Last year I started planning a bedspread in overshot.  Conventional thinking for a coverlet for a King size bed would be to make 3 panels.  However, the repeat is quite large and was not easy to condense to 3 panels without losing a lot of design elements.

So, I have decided to do a 60 inch panel, and then cut a second 60 inch panel into 2 and use a piped embelishment to join the panels.  Below is a sample using the colors:

The yarn is a 6/2 cotton set at 18 epi with the same weft and a Shetland wool pattern thread in brown.  

Tired of Tying!

700 string heddles made.  Waiting for the work to be finished in the basement so I can put on a damask warp! 100 more to make for a total of 1600 heddles (inc the 800 texsolv I have).

Dawn