Are y'all ready to weave along?

 Laverne,

Good to hear from you! I am ready for a weave along anytime!  I have been honing my backstrap weaving techniques during the last week and found that using my RH loom frame works well for a weaver like me who has many interruptions. I have a new selection of 5/2 perle cotton ready for backstrap projects!

Wishing you safe and speedy travels!

Jennifer

Will this WAL be the andean pebble technique?

One will be Andean pebble weave so it won't be a tutorial as my book is out there. What I would like is to propse a project incorporating narrow bands of pebble weave in plain weave to make a small bag or purse or even a key fob if people don;t feel like going too wide-but something useful rather than just sample bands.

I am hoping to get some people thatt I have met on this trip on board to lead weave alongs for other fun projectsmade using techniques that are alraedy included in the tutorials here. I have to chat with them about that. I'll keep you posted.

I want to join this weave along.  I've set my crazy big backstrap project aside for the moment.  I have other big weaving projects and little ones all over the place at the moment.  I'll get back to the big project when I finish the rugs on the big loom.  Oh boy!

I am giving my guild presentation tomorrow evening on weaving decorative trims.  I'll see if there are any other weavers who want to join in too.

I'm def. onboard:>.  Have barely been able to step away from the loom when I'm awake since yesterday.  The pebble weave just gets easier and faster as I work at it and I'm having a blast:>.  Still drooling over the pebble weave/ plain weave bags we saw at Sheep and Wool!

A wider project with bands of pebble weave on a plain weave background is just what I was wanting to do! Thanks  in advance for all of your hard work!

Jennifer

Great! But I also want to say that if anyone has bought my monograph and is feeling a bit hesitant about getting started, you are more than welcome to join in the weave along and weave sample bands. We can all compare notes as we go and help each other along.

BTW I am home!

I would love to be part of a weave along!  I am working (or maybe playing?) my way through the monograph and having so much fun.  I am doing pebble weave on my rh loom, which is working really well for me.

Carolyn

Wonderful! I am thinking of giving people a week or so to see this new thread and get their things together and then I will start posting pictures of some project ideas and we will be ready to start. How does that sound to everyone?

Sounds like a plan!  I have a loom story...took the frame loom outside  to weave.  First I found poison ivy in my weaving tree at my feet as I was weaving.  Then I moved.  Shortly after I started working on the pattern a bloodcurdling scream errupted from behind me!  Loom, pic, ereader, phone, and shuttle went flying up in the air!  A hornet had stung him in the foot!  Emergency is over now and I'm finally back to weaving:>.

Definite advantages to be had weaving indoors in my bedroom! The "him" is Josh or DH?

Josh:<.  Little boy screams are not conducive to weaving!

Oh, that is NOT a happy loom story!

I sure hope your little boy is okay, and your loom too, of course.  I have a six year old son and I can easily picture the situation.  Oh, boy!

Also, hope the poison ivy didn't see you, before you saw it!

I think Laverne is onto something -- weaving indoors does have some benefits, even on sunny days apparently.

Kim

I am quietly lurking and anxious to join the weave along.

Tony

Hi Kim, I'm sure you know how it goes:>.  Lots of tears then he's off playing the wii:>.  It's going to be hard to convince him to play outside for the next week or two at this rate.  I love weaving outside but between the poison ivy which I fortunately avoided and the mosquitos and hornets it's indoors for me:>

Lurk away Tony. I want to give people lots of time to get their things together for the weave along. And I need time to get some photos together for project ideas too!

Laverne.

GOING BEYOND BANDS IN PEBBLE WEAVE...I finally finished the weaving I was using as a demo piece while traveling in the US and have made it into a tool bag by weaving a plain blue band and sewing that on for sides. Here I combined two outer bands of 8 revolution pebble weave motifs with a 22 revolution one in the center.

A better way to start widening your pieces and going beyond bands, is to keep your pebble weave motif small-say 8 revolutions and add in more plain weave. That way you can have a wider piece without an excessive amount of pick up.

Laverne

backstrapweaving.wordpress.com/

www.weavezine.com/shop/monographs/andean-pebble-weave-laverne-waddington

Hurray!  That turned out wonderfully:>.

Ok, we leave for vacation tomorrow.  The first part of our trip is by car to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia and I am bringing along a project that is already on the rigid heddle loom.  I am also bringing my Andean Pebble Weave book, sticks and string in colors I love.  And, I am starting a project on the Tinkle Inkle loom which is warped and ready for weaving in the car for the 2.5 hour trip. 

May I join the WAL?  The second half of vacation we are coming home Wednesday and leaving, by plane this time, for Cape Cod for Memorial Day weekend.  It's not a fun trip, David's mom is turning 94 and not well.  It's a goodbye trip which is quite sad.  But, we will probably have free time and, being portable, the Andean Pebble weave fits the bill.  I have read through the monograph and am ready to get started.  I am thinking about winding the warp tonight before we leave since I know I have what I need to do it here.  How long do you suggest for a starter?

Claudia

I would make a 36" long warp to weave the bands in Lessons 1 and 2- plain pebble weave and introductory patterning. Weave for a while doing manual pick up for the pebble sheds. Whee you feel you have mastered the theory behind pick up, go ahead and install the two string heddles. Use the entire band for lessons 1 and 2 concentrating on making nice edges and opening the sheds cleanly and smoothly-no dragging the heddles about,

If you think you will have time, make another warp to take for the patterns in lesson 3. There are more pattern options for this number of warps so you could weave a whole 36'' band just on lesson three. Again, work on edges and good shed openings as much as on the pick up technique.

Take note that those first lessons are for very narrow warps-don't use a fine yarn . Number 3 crochet cotton would be good-this could do for a hat band.

That should keep you busy!

and don't forget to post photos. :-)

Anyone who has the e-monograph and has been hesitating about getting started, please feel free to join this weave along. We will all be around to help with any doubts you may have and post pictures to help you along.

Laverne

Just throwing out some ideas for projects for wider projects. No need to go this wide if you would rather do something a little more manageable  like a bookmark. You might choose to stay narrow but go with finer yarn for a different kind of challenge....

THis is a scan as I gave the little zippered coin purse away to a lady in Guatemala. The larger bag is passport size. These were both done on the same 36'' warp.

You could make a simpler version of this by doing a band of pebble weave down the center and leaving the rest plain.

Time for a check-in. Would you like to start the WAL tomorrow, mid next week or next weekend? What do you all think?

What are you planning on making? Any questions?

I'm up for starting tomorrow personally:>.  My sprout has gone to the beach with his grandparents so I can actually concentrate:>. 

Great!  What are you planning? Get started and remember to post photos of everything!!

Laverne

Well, I'm going to use some of the indigo, madder, and black walnut wool from Sheep and Wool.  Going to play with some ideas tonight on how to work this up but I believe the weavings from Chincero will inspire me.  I'm having a bit of trouble charting the big pattern and have the smaller one from your book.  I discovered this week that my child's school actually has a trip for the High School kids to Peru including Chincero to see weaving.  Hmmmm, in a decade or so I might sign up to be a chaperone when he gets to that age:>.

I will have a go at charting it and send it to you.

Have I told you lately you're wonderful?  I've been obsessing on this one for what, two weeks?  One of the features I really like is the use of a contrasting/different color down the center of the motiffs.  It visually adds a level of complexity to the design without actually making the design harder.  I'm all for that:>. 

 I am good for starting tomorrow too. I think I'll do a 12 revolution pebble weave pattern - perhaps the bird pattern on the bottom right on page 62. Then maybe a 1 inch plain weave border using some accent colors on the edges. What I really want to work up to is a double (triple?) bird band like the one on page 50.  

Thanks for doing the organizing!

Jennifer

I think I have it charted and will email it to you, Virag. Something doesn't quite look right yet with the color changes. Hmmm...that central design may not be pebble weave  .......

Edit...no, it's not pebble weave...it's this...the same technique as the "rolling river". It's a complementary warp tehnique where you have to do pick up for every single weft pass. The smaller design on the Chincheros piece can be woven in a pebble weave set up but you have to do some tweaking as you can see in my book.

You could chart something very similar for pebble weave but you wouldn't be able to get the colors lined up the way they are on the Chincheros piece.

Welcome Jennifer! That's my favorite little bird. This will certainly help you to work up to the design on page 50. If you want that charted I will send it to you when you are ready.

Your plan sounds great!

Laverne

 Laverne,

I will definitely take you up on that offer! In the meantime, do you think I should do the 3-shed plain weave or the regular 2 shed plain weave on the sides?

It is up to you. I actually find it a lot easier to make neat edges with the three shed version. I was taught that version in Huancayo right from the beginning. I presented the two shed version in the book to begin with for a milder learning curve.

Count me in, in a few days,, but on an inkle loom, I just can't do the backstrap bit any more. Are you working through the monograph from go to whoa or starting at lesson 3?

I would like to start tomorrow!

I would like to make a band wide and long enought to make a little pouch for my cell phone, then do a belt to hang it on. 

I have also "overspun" some yarns and would like to try weaving with them.  I am not sure how that will go, so maybe I should do a 16 warp band with this yarn and then plan for the pouch.

Could the more experienced weavers talk a little about charting motifs?  I am interested in trying to make a little design of a bee at some point, and I suspect that there are many things I should know before plunging into this.

Thanks so much for organizing, Laverne!  You are the best!

Carolyn

I will tell you about charting by pm or email Carolyn.

This WAL is for those trying pebble weave for the first time and I suggest they start at Lesson 1. It is also for those who have worked through some of the lesons and made bands and feel like they want to try something a bit wider or with finer yarns. EVeryone will have different projects and motifs according to their experience.Just be aware Caroline that the pebble sheds don't clear as easily on the inkle loom. Take extra care to check for sticky warps.-strum a little with a fingernail.

Good idea to do a test with your overspun yarns before plunging into the cell phone pouch. I am sure others will be interested to see how your overspun yarns behave too. This way you will get to know the yarn and the width it weaves as warp faced and then be able to calculate well how many warps you will need later for your cell phone pouch.

Hi Everybody,

I am so excited to join your group. I am in love with the Andean Pebble Weave (just got Laverne's book which is wonderful). Not sure I should attempt this Weave along as I don't have a backstrap loom. I just got a Gilmore Little Wave but don't think that's suitable for this weave. Maybe I should whip up a backstrap loom real quick?? 

Thanks,

Cindy

P.S. Laverne, you're my hero :)

hi Cindy,

So, what is a Gilmore Little Wave?

You don't have to start tomorrow on this WA L. We are always here so when you are ready just start-you will alwyas have company I am sure.. You wll see  in the book that there are other options to backstrap looms-if you just got the book you may not have had a chance yet to see all that.

Anyway, welcome and it's great to have you here in the group.

Laverne

Cindy, there is no reason you cannot do this on a Little Wave - I am doing this on an inkle loom. It just requires a spot of ingenuity when warping up, and you should not have too much trouble with tension as you have a back beam with a ratchet and pawl. Its no harder than doing it on a rigid heddle loom. You just need room enough to get your hands and pick-up sticks in front of the heddles.

 I'll be joining in, Laverne.  I've been doing the first exercise in your book - need to continue with it to get competent, but am producing a nice little braid.  I need a lot more hours in the day ...

Ann in the UK

You could adapt it to the loom.  Having warped my loom now in the fashioin you would need and having watched Laverne warp her backstrap loom it's Loads faster to create a backstrap loom from scratch and then warp it:>.  You can definitely use the wave though.  It's two heddles, right?  You'll end up with a four heddle effect if so once it's warped whereas with the backstrap loom it effectively feels like 2 heddles and a fixed point (if that makes any sense).  A picture frame or frame loom could be warped up very easily as well.

Hi Carolyn,

  I will be interested in your bee motif if you are willing to share it.  I guess you haven't charted it yet.  My daughter is a beekeeper by hobby.  She has two stacks of hives at her house and two at mine.  I also have a good friend who is a big beekeeper, and sells honey all over the county.  I would love to weave some bee theme stuff.

Aunt Janet

Welcome Ann!

I am sure you will make some nice things in pebble weave ater having seen your supplementary weft work.

Could you give us some information about what yarns you are using, as you go, - brand names etc... for the UK folks. I went to the US and bought yarn there but I don't know anything about what is available in Europe.

Okay, ready...set....GO!

I am lagging as I got completely distracted by Virag's question last night and was down on the floor with charting paper and pencils.

Then I started looking at the chincheros pieces again for their colors rather than the motifs and decided I would like to try and mix those colors together as they have so boldly done. Claudia showed me a little bag from Chincheros that Alison had given her with the same designs as the piece that Virag posted here and with another arrangement of bright colors. So I warped up with one section of dark blue on orange next to another section of burgandy on green and I am absolutely in love with it!!

So I am going to do my WAL piece in these colors and make some coin purses.

I have another piece warped up as a yarn test. I bought some number 10 merc crochet cotton-Aunt Lydia's- at Hobby Lobby in the US and want to try it out. I got red and white and so am combining them with some black 8/2 that I get here. Aunt Lydia's is slightly finer than the 8/2. So this will be another piece in bold colors. I am getting away from the earth tones for a bit.

So, thank you Virag for posting those picture and asking about charting-you have sent me off on a new adventure!

Laverne

Hurray for experimenting:>.  I look forward to seeing what you have going.  I finally found a picture of one of the mantas (spelling?) that have me really inspired.  I love the depth of colors in this piece.

www.flickr.com/photos/quinet/128429869/sizes/l/in/photostream/

www.flickr.com/photos/quinet/128429869/in/photostream/

Oooh yes! I was given some instant indigo by a lady in California in exchange for some backstrap lessons and I am dying to use it next to cochineal dyed yarn as these weavers are doing-spectacular isn't it?

I have several packs of indigo to have fun with this summer.  I'm still looking for just the right wool though quickly coming to the conclusion that I'm going to have to wheel spin what I really want.  It's not like I don't have enough wool:>. 

Hi All,

Thanks to you all for your advice. Laverne, the Gilmore Little Wave is a small table-top type loom (2 harness, texsolve heddles). I think the drawback with it would be that it's fairly short, so there wouldn't be a big area for manipulating the warp. I think I'll go to Laverne's blog and see what supplies I need to build my own backstrap loom. I'm sure Home Depot should have everything I need.

For all the U.S. weavers - should I start with maybe a 3/2 or a 5/2 cotton for my first project??

Hey, wait a minute.... I also have the Harrisville large Easy Weaver (rigid heddle) loom. You can tighten/loosen/advance the warp, so wouldn't that work too?? It is big so there should be enough of an area for warp manipulation. I just wouldn't use the rigid heddle on it, right?

Woohoo.............

okay, I have seen the Easy Weaver-that would work without the rigid heddle as you say.

Use the heavier cotton for your first project. It may not produce a pretty band but it will help you handle the manipulations and understand the technique. You should then do a sample with a finer yarn to see how that yarn behaves-what width a certain number of warps produces etc-before planning a bigger project with it.

I wouldn't choose pebble weave as my first ever backstrap loom project. Make a plain weave band on your backstrap loom which will help you get acquainted wth the loom and how it operates. You could use that band as the sides of a bag that you later weave in pebble weave. See the plain band that I wove to make the sides of my new tool bag.

Hi Laverne,

All I need to get started are the dowels which I'm going to go buy today. I will start with a plain weave band as you suggest.

Thanks SO much for the help and inspiration!

Cindy

Great Cindy but stay with us here in the weavealong won't you? and show us your progress.

I hope everyone will post pictures of their progress as often as possible.

My dh just made me another one.  One broom handle cut into 3 pieces with the edges sanded.  Also at Lowes you can find metal rods and then saw it in half and sand the edges if you want to mimic the steel dpns that Laverne uses.  It was really inexpensive.  A second thick towel cut in half is nice to have so you can put one piece for the shed roll and use the other to roll up with.  I think it cost us about $15. 

The Easy Weaver is great.  I have one too.  Just several pencils would suit you for setting that up instead of using the rigid heddle that comes with it:>.

 Are we weaving along yet?

I'm ready to start lesson three in the book and I've got a #3 crochet cotton warp on, and I may start trying to do a pickup design tomorrow. I'm going to try a #10 thread in the weft- the #3's so thick and I hope to squeeze in a bit on the selvedges with the thinner weft. I did a wider border and pink and blue for the design area. I hope I can use some thinner warps soon because the color selection (lack thereof) is getting to me!

I've also managed to prepare some wider warps- a mistake- but at least they are usable and waiting!

I love my little heddles on sticks! They come out more evenly for me than loops.

I also put a warp on my big inkle for pebble weave. It has 16 pattern pairs, so I may wait to do pickup on it. Am I correct to think I can switch my background and pattern threads on the inkle? Or is that going to mess things up?

Jeanne

Finally, ready to go to the next step.  Unfortunately the dh is over on the couch moaning about being a weaving widower so I guess I'll have to take a short break before moving onto the next step!

Welcome Jeanne!

Weave away. It looks like you are all set to go.

You can switch your background and pattern threadsand do blocks of colors-a black pattern on a white background and then a white on black. You just have to then think a little in reverse.  Your heddles on sticks are looking good! And I can see my book there on the table-looks good on paper! 

Thanks for the photos. Upload progress ones whenever you can. :-)

That is looking soooo good. Love the red and blue together.

Okay, I'm already confused.... not a good sign :) As I'm making my string heddles, I have passed my string under the warps on the top of the lower cross, wrapped it around my hand, but then am I going between the warps on the bottom or just on the top? Hope this makes sense. I'll go play some more...

Thanks,

Cindy McNewbie

If I understand right...you go around the warps just on the top.

Maybe the sequence of photos here will help. Watch video 2 in the article too.

Okay, so I'm weaving now. My warp is a little sticky, and I can definitely see how this might be easier on an actual backstrap loom. Here's a picture.

Great selveges!

Thanks. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it.

Hey, that's great! I agree with Virag-good looking edges. You have the hang of it alright.

 Hi Laverne

You asked me what yarn I'm using for my first pebble braid.  Its a very smooth quite thick mohair that I dyed in bright colours a while ago.  I thought it would probably work, and it does, as a practice yarn.  For my previous braids I used William Hall's mercerised cotton, 2/6s. Its very good quality yarn, in lots of colours.  His email address is william@hallyarns.fsnet.co.uk.  (He doesn't have a website but will supply samples).  I'll be using it for my next braids.

Best wishes, Ann.

Thank you Ann. We really need that info on European yarns and resources.

Laverne

I had a hunt around some UK yarn suppliers and found this: 

http://www.texere-yarns.co.uk/texereshop/608_Good_Fortune_Cotton.html

It may be of interest to people over here.

Best wishes, Ann,

in South Yorkshire, where we're having a heat-wave.

Thanks Ann. I will also post this information in the FAQ thread on yarns.

So, what are you all up to? Chosen a motif? Warped? String heddles in place? A weft or two passed?

I have the motiffs on paper and ready to go.  I must go back and redo the edges of my heddles.  I forgot to do the pairs on the outsides.  Do I need to do those pairs for that entire first bit of plainweave or just the first two pairs?  After that I have to put up heddle 2 and I'll be ready to weave:>.

They go in pairs if you want to do the thicker three shed borders and solid color areas. Otherwise you could just do regular old plain weave for those areas. Instructions for that are in lessons 1 and 2 in the book.

 I started weaving, but am not happy with the colors or the width (too narrow). Think I will do at least one practice pass of the motif, then make some warp changes. I have used my RH loom frame to tie on to, so I think it will not be too hard to add threads and begin anew. 

J.

I know how you feel! I made a narrow band as a test and loved the colors. Then I warped up for a larger piece and changed ONE color and HATED IT! so I have put that aside and gone back to the original colors. Amazing how one change like that ruined the whole thing. i changed orange to yellow and it was horrendous!

I had an interesting time when I began to do the pickup pattern on my blue-and-pink warp. I'm not sure what is wrong there, but the pattern came out a bit strange.... However, I was undaunted and took a ride to the local craft store, where I got some yellow and red #3 crochet cotton. Came home, made another warp- just like the one in the book, but with black borders- checked everything twice, then again, and started to weave...

Well, it worked! I did 2 whole repeats of the pickup design without checking to see where the true repeat was, but I think it's kind of cute. Now it's gotten too dark out and I can't see my selvedges. So I had to stop.

But this is fun! Guess I'll go back to that old warp and try to figure out what I did wrong-- or maybe just keep going with this one.

Laverne, the book is just wonderful! It's a real challenge to do this, but it's also good to be on the upward part of the learning curve, you know?

Jeanne

Isn't learning wonderful! I like how interesting the narrow warps can look!

Good job on 'getting it'

Sharon

Thanks, Sharon. It feels really great to finally figure things out. I find that I need to check things every step of the way, or I start making really strange mistakes. But it does seem to get a little easier with practice.  I think my next learning adventure is going to be mastering that old camera of mine, so that I can get to zoom in on things a bit better!

Jeanne

It looks good! I like how you created the repeat-that's your own design. As you may have read in the book, I stumbled on the other option on that page by making a mistake in warping!

Laverne, I'll see if I can chart that design so that the double diamond repeats on the right side! Too late to do it tonight, though; I've had a good learning adventure today.

Jeanne

Hot dog.  It took a while but I finally have everything ready to go.  I'm going to weave a few rows before bed just to make sure.  This has been a real learning experience doing it on this scale.  I did seem to get an extra warp in there somehow but I think it'll be ok.

That's a wide warp!-good heddle making practice there with those two sets! It looks good-let's hope that rogue warp doesn't interfere.

Well, it's sticky as heck, let me tell you.  I think I ended up at 7 inches wide.  One of the pebble sheds is doing well and the other is a bit tricky.  I've woven a few rows and am going to stop for tonight.  In the morning I'm going to examine what is going on.  If need be I'll rewarp the pebbles in the morning if necessary.  Should have done this in cotton but I was seduced by the colors of the naturally died wools I picked up at Sheep and Wool.  It'll come eventually:>.

 Here is a my warp as of this morning. It has morphed considerably since I first began and I'm not sure the bird motif will be the best pattern for these colors - I think something more geometric would be better. I'll mull over my options today and look around a bit to see if I can find something suitable. I currently have a 12 revolution center section for the pickup design and two side sections of 4 revolution plain pebble weave. I could make the middle section a tad wider but I don't see any patterns in the e-book for anything between 12 and 24 revolutions.... maybe I need to look again ......

I think it is nicely balanced as it is but if you would like to add some warps to the center to 16 revs you can combine various smaller geometrics from the book to make your pattern. I am working on one now that uses two four-revolution motifs spread over three columns with spacing making 16 revolutions. The star motif here is a smaller version of the 8 rev one shown in the book and is 6 revs

You could also put two 8 rev patterns from the book side by side.

Your warp looks nice and even!  BTW I think the bird would look good in these colors. A lot of the pre-Columbian designs were done in natural brown and white cotton and white and indigo.

 Laverne,

Thanks for your feedback. I had considered putting two eight revolution patterns together... but since you think the colors might be OK for the bird pattern, I might just go back to that. So many options! An underlying factor is to keep things as simple as possible until I acquire a few more skills!

I love the colors in your band - very cheery!

Jennifer

Laverne, that's beautiful. I am dreaming of being able to do that someday :)

Cindy

I have started my 16 warp band with my overspun yarns.  The yarns spun really nicely on my little turkish spindle.  It is a small one made by a craftsman named Jenkins and I love it! 

I wound the warp on a warping board using the method Laverne gives in appendix C (what a time saver).  I tied off the ends and pulled it off the warping board and this happened!!

YIPES!! 

Fortunately  everything straightnened out nicely once I slipped the warp onto the apron bars and wound it on.

The purple and blue yarns are a worsted weight wool  and the green is acrylic.  The wool is really sticky!  But is tamed a little by a hair product which has the added bonus of making my band smell like coconut!  These motifs are from Appendix F.

I really like doing pebble weave on my rigid heddle loom, although I am finding that it is difficult to keep even tension on longer warps.  I have been compensating by stuffing wads of paper towel underneath the warp where it comes off of the back beam. 

I think I might be ready to try something wider on my next project.

This is such a fun technique!  I really like tablet weaving, but I think this is even better.

Thank you so much for writing this wonderful guide, Laverne!  And thanks to all of the wonderful weavers in this group who are so generous with their experience!

Carolyn

 Carolyn,

You are so brave to try this with overspun wool. I would have thought it's be too kinky and snarly! 

It looks really nice.

Jennifer

I am trying out a new inkle loom. (and a wool yarn). The wool yarn is purple Patton's, and the brown and light  is Lion brands "fisherman's wool".  The warp is under extreame tension to weave. Take a scrap of yarn between your fingers, pull it tight, then pull it a litlle tighter "umph" and it snaps. My warp is at the the tight just before you add the extra pull to snap it.

This is 4 warps of purple, and 8 pairs (16 ends) of the light/dark and then 4 warps purple.

I did not overspin the wool, and it is weaving OK, but it is very, very sticky, even with the mechanical advantage of the inkle loom. If I used less tension, I would not be able to weave due to the sticky warp. I scraped a similar project under less tension because of that. The sticks in the first picture is my header to preserve fringe. The second picture is the extra warp wound up on the back beam, similar to what is on a rigid heddle loom. I use popcyle sticks (or coffee stir sticks, or bamboo skewers... whatever is closest to hand at the time I wind the warp).

I wove pebbles and a simple V motif to see if it would show up on the band. Now I can play with geometrics!

This V is not 'right' and I will go back and look through Lavernes' book, with the charts in front of me  rather than trying to remember them by heart.

This post has been deleted by rose Goldielocks

looking good Carolyn. It;s great to have a photo of your curly warp as I have written about the fact that warps with overspun yarns spring to life once off the warping stakes but there is nothing like a photo to really show it. Thanks for posting that. The first time it happened to me I was way too panicked to think about taking a picture. I really like your colors.

I love how much I learn on Weave Alongs especially about using colors combinations that have never ocurred to me. Thank you to everyone who has been participating so enthusiastically so far. :-)

Just checking in. With me, it's weave a bit and then rest the back a bit more. But I'm afraid I started something. Or perhaps I have some sort of "Compulsive Charting Disorder"??

I took the little "mistake" pattern and charted it to balance the left and right sides, and to establish the vertical repeat. Good! That's the chart in color on the left. But then...

I began to try to find the Horizontal repeat! It just grew.

Wow! The middle one is16 threads wide, and the last one is 24. It's not repeating yet. But it is a pretty cool design. Amazing to think how the patterns in those little narrow bands can be really complex!

There must be software to do this somewhere??

Now I really must go do my neglected chores and errands!

Jeanne

Good one! Don't forget to keep weaving! Will that be your next project?

Laverne

 Laverne,

Shortcut two says to use a length of yarn to "save" the pattern shed. When I try to do this, the warp gets all constricted and I can't create other sheds. The yarn is holding the warp together, preventing other sheds from opening. Any idea of what I am doing wrong?

Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,

You may be putting the saver cord in the wrong place. You are doing your pick up up at the cross sticks C and D. Put the saver cord under the warps you have picked up there. This is beyond your pebble heddles and won't prevent you from opening those. When you need to do pick up again, you remove the saver cord and replace it with your hands. Possibly some of the warps that you picked up for the last pattern shed will be repeated in the next pattern shed and, therefore, won't need to be repicked beacuse you have saved them.  Pick up your warps to form your new pattern shed, replace the saver cord and draw the warps down to the weaving line. 

The other purpose of the saver cord is to help you read the pattern and not have to count the warps. If , for example,you are weaving a " V" and you picked up the 4 central warps for the point of the "V" in your last pattern shed, then you will know that you need to pick up the pair immediately to the right and left of those four for the next pattern shed (and drop those four in the center) It saves your having to recount the warps. Of course this becomes most effective when you are weaving large motifs.

See page 30 figure 33 for a picture of the position of the saver cord.

HOPE THIS HELPS. :-)

Okay I started with Lesson 1 and here is my band. I started it my picking with my hands and then I tied on the heddle strings.

Tony

Here are the heddles made from cut down camouflage and Halloween pencils. I also found that the non-mercenized cotton heddles (white) seem to stand up better than the mercenized cotton (yellow). Has anyone else found this?

Wow, everyone's bands are so inspiring!!  I am starting on Thursday or Friday.  We fly to Boston and drive to Cape Cod on Thursday and I am bringing everything with me.  They always search my bag anyway so why not.  I have been reading and warping and am ready to go-like a race horse at the gate.  Seeing what everyone is doing is almost torture.

Tony, love the band on the inkle loom.  I tried to do that on the Tinkle I bought from Spanish Peacock at MSWF but am having trouble just getting all the pegs to stay in and be able to weave the band.  It's been fun but very small.  I'll post pictures later if I can.  Everything is half packed and half unpacked.  We were away for 3 days, back for today and gone tomorrow so it's all in a jumble.

Sharon, pretty colors, and Carolyn, I love the purple hand spun yarn.  No doubt, wool is sticky.  I'm just a novice so am sticking with slippery perle cotton or crochet cotton.

Claudia

I've got to lesson 3 on my mini inkle loom, and no problems so far with sheds - fingers crossed! Photos tomorrow; its nearly midnight here and I'm off to bed.

cheers, Caroline

Thanks Tony for posting these pictures. I love your inkle loom! It has an enormous working space in front to to get those two heddles in for the pebble weave. Interesting what you say about the cotton heddles. I don't hink I ever tried non merc for heddles but then I think someone told me something about white cotton being firmer-Caroline, was that you?-something to do with the processing.

Anyway, your band looks great! and  hope you are enjoying the process. This sample could make a nice hatband.

Jeanne,

Are you using graph paper and colored pencils?  I wonder if the velum graph paper would be useful since it is semi-transparent (could be flipped over if you wanted to reverse the design)?

Carolyn

Oooh....velum graph paper? I must google that. I am a paper and colored pencils gal. Love to sprawl on the floor and chart.

Thanks for the tip, Carolyn!

Hi Seaphish,

The vellum idea sounds nice. Probably more durable than plain paper.  I used plain printer paper. I cut the graph paper to width and copied it to a full sheet because it's easier on my eyes that way; also I can make notes on the margins of the sheet if I want, and keep it in my notebook. I also made the pebble weave markings on the master copy.  Saves tired hands to only need to draw in the design! Any transparent paper that can go through the printer could also work if you wanted to reverse your design. I have done this, but the paper can get stuck, so you have to feed it in very carefully.

I abandoned the colored pencils because they are hard to erase! Went to a plain HB pencil and a nice big mylar eraser!

Jeanne

My first pebble weave attempts on my inkle loom:

Apologies for the bad photo! You can see the first band which was Lessons 1 and 2, and a simple wavy line, and I started Lesson 3 last night. I'm using regular inkle heddles for this as there is not a very big sweet spot for weaving on this tiny loom. The pebble sheds are in the heddles and the background shed over the tension paddle, and it is working very well!

Caroline

I just love all the colors that everyone has been using! I got so tired of tha red, yellow and green in the book but they were great colors to photograph fro insructional purpose. What kind of inkle loom do you have? iam in the process of warping my inklette for the first time now. What kind of yarn is that? It is great that you are trying out all the examples on that one band. Thank you so much for posting this.

I have an Ashford mini inkle, and love it! Its small enough to perch in my lap, and I can still use it for short warps instead of my warping board. The yarn I am using is 4 ply cotton, different brands, but the green is Semco and the orange Milford, both Australian brands, and neither is mercerised. I have had no problem with lint build up on the heddles.

One thing I have worked out with the wider piece is to slack off the tension a little bit so as to allow the warp threads to "bloom" a little - its purely cosmetic, but the warps cover the weft better - its also a 4 ply but a bit denser yarn than the other two.

Picking the pebble shed is not a problem for me, I have small hands and can get my fingers in there easily, but someone with larger hands may have problems and would need to use continuous string heddles for the sheds.

Once I have these lessons under my belt, I want to work with Perle # 5 or 2 ply as its much easier to get hold of and I have a better choice of colours. Its also a lot finer!

Are the Ashford mini inkle and the inklette the same? I have just started weaving now on the inklette and  am down on the floor-where I usually am!-and finding I have to put my foot on it to keep it down while I pull up on the two pebble heddles. I must get Jorge to take a picture of me like this! Tomorrow I am going to clamp it to a table and that should be more comfortable and more civilized (!) but I doubt I would be able to manage in a car with this. The other loom I wove on in the car was Lisa's and it was good and heavy.  I have toned down the tension too which makes opening the heddle easier and means that the motifs are not looking stretched and elongated.

Yes, its one loom and two names. I don't have problems with it rising up because I am using the inkle heddles, instead of a continuous heddle - no pulling sheds open. I can put my hand behind the heddles and manipulate the sheds that way:

I raise the green shed from behind the heddles to create the background, and push the green shed down to create the pebble shed. My hands are small enough that I can create a large enough shed for me to be able to pick out the warps I want to use and drop the others. I am using the shuttle that came with the loom, but could probably do with a smaller one.

Hope this explains it.

Caroline

Yes, thank you Caroline. That explains it perfectly. That is how I did it on Janet's loom that I was playing with at CNCH. I used the inkle shedding system and then just got my fingers in there to make a picking cross and picked the warps for the pattern and pebble sheds. This loom was a beauty and had a lot of room in front to work in. I think this is a good way to set up for pebble weave on the inkle loom when you are making a very narrow band and don't have a lot of warps to pick up.  I got a tiny 2'' shuttle at CNCH too and I beat with a sword. I think I bought it just because it was "cute" but it has turned out to be vey useful.

 Carolyn and Laverne,

I spent yesterday traveling in the car and had taken my inkle loom along to work on a plain band. I was sitting in the back seat with pillows to support the long loom. After about an hour, I got tired of having my body all twisted up, and was holding my inkle loom in my lap and I thought.... what if I used the heddles for the the pebble sheds of an APW band? Up shed could be Pebble 1 and down shed Pebble 2... but how to get (and maintain) a plain shed??? Imagine my surprise this morning to see your conversation! Have you two found any way to keep the plain shed (like what the cross stick does in the backstrap) set up?. I see that fingers can be used for a picking shed, but on a wider warp, say 2.5-3 inches, a more permanent system might be nice.

Jennifer

I have had the same thoughts Jennifer...the pebble shed warps in the up and down inkle sheds but yes, the problem is then making an efficient cross to pick your pattern. You could just pick off a cross made by opening the two pebble sheds but that would be almost as much work as setting up the loom the way we discussed above and the main disadvantage for me is that you wouldn't be able to use the "saver" cord. You may not be in love with the "saver' cord yet, but it is a huge time saver and helps me to stop counting warps and "read" the weaving instead.

For the time being, at least, I find the best way is to just use the inkle as a frame and have the cross sticks and two pebble sheds installed just as I would have it on a backstrap loom. And you need to ease off tension-this is a little weird at first and it takes some time to get it just right but it works. UNLESS you are doing a really narrow band where it would be easier to use the inkle shedding system and just finger pick every shed.

This band has 22 revs so you are picking 44 warps-too many to hand pick every shed. I was  lucky as this loom was the perfect size to fit between me and the front seat of the car nicely propped against back of the driver seat.

Well.... it seems like there should be a way to make it work - the pebble sheds would be so easy! Oh well, I'll let it go - this bird motif is taking all of my brain power anyway! Here it is...

I missed a pickup in his "chest" area, and there is a white line on the back of his head - is that caused by a twisted warp thread? I was trying to be so careful and even unwove a bit to see if I could find a twisted thread, but all was in order. Maybe I didn't go back far enough...

Another question I have is this: When I pick up a pebble shed, the warps are all in order by the string heddle, but if I put my shuttle down at the fell line, many of the threads are back in their plain weave shed order. So I spend an awful lot of time getting the threads back in the correct order. Is there a way to avoid this?

An additional question - mistakes sure show up a lot more on the reverse side which is dark! Would it be a good idea to weave with the dark side up so you can catch mistakes easier?

Jennifer

PS I like the saving shed thread (say that 3 times fast!) now that I understand where it goes! 

Your band is really interesting Jennifer. I have never thought of or seen bands of plain pebble weave done along with a motif-a really original idea and I think it looks great. When you mentioned your plan to do this, I couldn't imagine how it would look.

That warp that is off just got twisted somehow for the one weft pass and now it is straightened out again. It may have been a problem when you made the adjustment for the horizontal line. As you say, maybe you just didn't unweave back enough.

If all your warps are in their correct order in the pebble sheds and the sheds are opening cleanly, then you should just pass your weft and trust that everything is right. I think the warps are just  floating about and looking out of order but once you have your weft passed and have opened the next shed, I am sure that they will all be sitting in their corrrect positions.

Are you having to actually remove the shuttle,uncross warps and then replace the shuttle or are you just repositioning the warps by sliding them around? If the latter is truet, then you don't have a problem. Just pass the weft and trust it.

If you are having difficulty clearing the sheds, then perhaps there are some warps crossed between the two heddles.

As for catching the mistakes more easily on the dark side...I have never given that any thought. Come to think of it, I would say that 99% of the time I weave a white design on a dark background so you could be right there.

And, finally...woohoo! you have really taken to this! Congratulations. This design has a lot of horizontals and is not one of the easier ones.

Funny about you not able to grasp the plain pebble weave on the sides.  The plain bit was totally done out of ignorance and the desire to keep things simple while I focus on the bird pattern. Next time I want to add a simple "wave" pattern to that area.

Thanks for the tip on "trusting" the threads to do the right thing. I'll try that today. I'm quite sure there are no warp threads crossed.

I have room for about 4 more birds on this sample piece, then I'll be ready my "real" project of a 3.5" multi-bird band. 

Jennifer

Just a project idea for further down the track. You can use a small pebble weave strip on a large area of plain weave to make something like this belt shuttle bag. It is folded in half here to show more or less what size it will be but I still have a lot of warp left and will probably be able to get two out of it. I am going to finish it with a zip and a tubular braid.

The pebble weave is three columns of small motifs put together and I made a test band first to see how the colors would look together. I managed to get three key fobs out of the test band.

There are lots of pictures with more project ideas on my blog today.

http://backstrapweaving.wordpress.com/

Laverne

I just love the colors!

This is what i did to keep my Inklette from skittering. The first thing was to simply reverse the bottom piece so that I could clamp it down without the clamp getting in the way. That was great, but then I wanted to be able to sit with it on my lap. So I got a nice sheet of maple from the woodworking store and cut it to the size of the length of the loom, and screwed that to the bottom piece. It's now heavy enough to set on the table and it won't move about too much. But it's still light enough to carry around easily. And it's easier to get my fingers in to warp the bottom pegs.

.The band is a Celtic knot in basketweave background. Need to finish this and get a Pebble weave on there!

Jeanne

yes, you must finish that Celtic band Jeanne-it is so pretty. I must do what you have done to the inklette. It definitely needs a wider base and that looks like it would sit nicely on your lap.

Oh ya, those colors work together!!  I love the blue -- it looks like the shade I get with woad.  In fact all of these colors are very nature-dyed looking, at least on my screen.  Beautiful weaving, Laverne.  Thanks for posting -- I'm headed now to your blog.

Bonnie.

Thanks Bonnie. I am dying to try indigo and cochineal side by side. I must look into woad...

Hi Lorraine, did you make it home yet?  If so, great.  You make stuff pretty fast.  I was wondering what's the best yarns to use for weaving a bag on my back strap loom and I saw photos of the familiar yarns like paton gracie cotton yarns which I see all the time, but hardly buy and the J&P Coats Royal Classic Crochet Thred which is a size 10 cotton thread, but mercerized, and don't forget about Aunt Lydia's Size 3 Fashion Crochet thread or Size 10 Classic Crochet Cotton.

Cookie

Thanks for those other yarn names, Cookie. I wish I had gotten the Aunt Lydia's size 3 to try but as the size 10 is so beautiful, I am sure the size 3 will be too. Now, maybe you can tell me...is there not a size between 10 and 3? That would be ideal. Number 10 is rather fine when one is starting out I think. I think size 3 would be good for  bag. See which yarn, out of the Patons and Coats, you think would stand up better to the amount of use you would get out of your bag. 

After a couple of false starts, I managed to do a couple of repeats of pattern 2 in Lesson 3 last night:

I am still not quite comfortable about doing this pattern, so won't move on until I think I've got it learned.

Very nice Caroline. I think it is great that you keep working until you feel you can do it without referring to the pattern chart. I would love to see what the other side looks like with the orange pattern on blue-but I can wait until you are done!

That looks great, Caroline! I was working on that pattern today too. It took me a while to find the repeat.

But I think it is going well now.

I looked up #5 crochet on the web. You don't see it often in the stores in the US in that size, and then usually in white or natural. Aunt Lydia's makes a #5 in white, natural, and several metallics. I don't know anything about dyeing mercerized cotton, but maybe that's a possibility?

I went to the JoAnn website and they offer the DMC version of #5 crochet in many colors. There's a sale on it, which might offset the shipping cost a bit. That looks more promising.

Jeanne

Yes, the repeat is 16 picks long - for anyone about to start it.  I like the white on red, it might be a bit easier to pick than the green and gold I am using, but I shall get there.

About the crochet cotton: we get #10, #5 and #3 here in Oz, made by various people but I think originating from Coats, and they are different from the DMC stuff, which is FAR MORE expensive, but not necessarily any better for the job at hand. I use the #10 for continuous string heddles, because its easy to get hold of. It comes in white, natural if we are lucky, and beige. I have a big ball of lilac I found at my local thrift shop. Otherwise we have to go to the really fine stuff, whose numbers go the opposite way, starting with #10, which is quite thick, #20, which is about the same as Perle #5, and then #30 and finer, which are for lace-making. Sometimes I can get quite a good colour selection in my LYS but supplies are never guaranteed. At the moment I cannot get it at all, locally,  grrrrrr! But I have a reasonable stash fortunately.

Your band is looking good Jeanne.

I have dyed the thick mercerized cotton that I demo with-the thick stuff that you see in the book and it takes the color well but I have not washed anything that I have dyed yet. I have only dyed it for demo purposes to get colors that show up well in photos.

How strange that the number 5 in the reasonably priced brands is avaialble in so few colors. Thanks for that info Jeanne.

Aunt Lydia's size 5 is between. Not many color choices, mostly neutral and metallics.

Size 3 has more color choices.

Have a good day!

Hi Everybody,

Okay, so after drooling over everyone's WAL projects, I decided to dive in and try the simple band. I'm using some 3/2 I had on hand (colors not real dynamic). I can picture that I'd like it much better in some bolder colors, but at least I'm learning the technique. Not as hard as I thought! Here's a picture......

Nice! And working well on your Easy Weaver by the looks of it.

Yes, it's working pretty well. I'm going to try to get the Little Wave warped up and see how it goes on that. I'm anxious to try another pattern!! I'm hooked :)

I am posting this on behalf of Donna aka prehistoricpa. Here is her first plain pebble weave band woven on a backstrap loom.

Wow! That is really nice and even. That is a great first weaving on Backstrap. Congratulations, Donna!

Here is my weekend's work. I wanted to try out some 5/2 Perle cotton from Halcyon to see how well it would hold up.  It's really doing OK. It has a coarser feel than the crochet cotton, and I've got some pilling on the heddles, but I have been careful not to slide the heddles around, and can get a shed easily, though sometimes there are stickies. My husband has claimed the S's and diamonds for bookmarks (they are a bit thick, but will do). I get the hearts. There's room for one more on the warp so I'll show the heddles when it's done.

Jeanne

Stunning colors! I love it!!

Very few yarns will not pill at all and sometimes you get a couple of stickies but you get to know which ones they are and can keep an eye out for them , right?

Congrats..that's a great looking band!

Here are the hairy heddles. They don't look so bad now that they are off the warp. They are #10 DMC "Cebelia" cotton. I still like my linen heddles best; just was in the mood to try something different. There were lots of stickies, but they weren't hard to sort out. Also, the leftmost red thread was in the same shed as the innermost border thread, and it kept wanting to "migrate" into the border if I let up on the tension; I had to keep after it so that it would stay put.

t.

Think I'll try an 8-rev warp, maybe with some color stripes next?

 Very Nice! I'm thinking about using linen for heddles too. What size/type do you use? I have some waxed linen thread that I was thinking of trying, but don't know if the wax would come off with all the rubbing.

Jennifer

I love the hearts. Beautiful!

lovely Jeanne! and thank you for all the extra yarn and heddle tips. I am so pleased that you are making useful things with your bands. I m thinking of using that color combo for a warp today except I will put the gold on the purple and use the red as borders. I went out especially to get some purple this morning.

Laverne

Hi Jennifer,

There are some inkle weavers who use waxed linen for heddles. They say they re-wax the thread when the wax wears off. I've never used waxed linen, and I don't think Id' want wax coming off onto the warps either!. Maybe it prevents pilling, but I've had very little pilling with ordinary linen. I've used a 10/2 linen with good results on threads from size 5 and larger. I recently got some 16/2 because I'm doing a warp with 20/2 on inkle , and the 10/2 heddles are a little too thick. Besides not pilling, the linen also doesn't stretch much, and that is a plus on inkle, where I use the same ones over and over.

Unbleached or bleached, wet-spun or dry, they all seem to work well. 2-ply is strong enough--there are more-plies out there for rug warps, but I'm happy with 2. If you don't want to spend the $15 or so for a tube of thread, check out Lineco bookbinder's thread- it is unwaxed and a nice size for heddles, though you might need more than one package to make enough. I haven't made any measurements of how much yardage I use up making heddles, but it does add up.

Jeanne

Hi Laverne

Thank you so much for the tutorials and the Pebble weave booklet. I have always wanted to weave these designs and have used Tablet weaving from the Marijke van Epen book for 4 colour pebble weave.

I use an inkle loom and am using it with the normal heddles with the pebble sheds on string heddles. I use Pearl cotton 10/2 and it is great. As everyone has found the threads for weaving are not easy to find here in Australia.  For my string heddles I use freezer bag clips  which come in 4 colours and are so easy to use.

Winnie

Winnie, I have been using Lyscot crochet cotton for my heddles and that  works well with the Semco Perle # 5 I can get from Big W - they have quite a good selection of colours too. Semco/Milford also do a soft 3 ply, which is slightly cheaper than the Perle, and that, much to my surprise, stands up to string heddles,  because its not mercerised, unlike the Perle which is mercerised.

I have found Big W much cheaper than buying Perle yarn at Spotlight or my local craft store, and they do sometimes have it on special, which is when I stock up on colours now,  :-) ! The cheapest place though is my local thrift shop. Crochet cotton and Perle seem to arrive there quite regularly, and as long as you don't mind a half used ball, its a really cheap way to build up a stash!

Cheers, Caroline in Adelaide.

Hello All,

Has anyone tried making reusable heddles from polyester?   Like texsolve heddles only shorter?  I have seen videos of people using what looks like texsolve heddles with rigid heddle weaving and it looks like it might work for warp faced weaving.

I wonder what kind of knot would work for making the loops to slide over the heddle stick?

I like the idea of using heddles over and over, I also wonder if the polyester thread might be both slippery and strong. 

Carolyn

My problem with those slippery things is that they don't hold knots well. I think that putting individual heddles on each warp would just take soooo long on anything but the narrowest of bands. As I like to make my continuous string heddles with the extra security hitch, I prefer merc cottton and just use the same yarn as my warp. I find that the extra hitch which holds the heddle in place just doesn't work with slippery nylons and other string like that. The heddles with their extra hitch grip the stick and I never have to worry about my heddle stick falling out. There is always a bit of pilling on my heddles but nothing which hinders my weaving. Often when I am traveling and have minimal supplies, I pull out my heddle string in one whole piece after having woven a couple of keyfobs and am able to reuse it on the next warp. If there are a few pills, I pick them off with a needle.

Seaphish,

Some folks really like using poly/nylon thread to make the double loop heddles for inkle.  A braided fishing line may do the trick (check out fishing/fly-tying knots). The problem is, you might need to heat-set the ends to stop them from coming loose, with a bic lighter or soldering iron. For the inkle heddles, you don't need to do that directly on the loom,so it's a safe thing to do.

 I guess everyone has their favorite materials, and we'll find ways to make them work. So if you do try nylon or poly, and you find a good knot to secure it, please let us know how it goes.

Jeanne

finished my bags-got two off this warp. I wove a band to make sides for the smaller one so it would be a bit more substantial.

A good size pouch for my belt shuttles and a smaller one for....? haven't decided yet. Getting better at sewing in those zips!

Love the colors!

Looking good!

Thanks to Caroline I saw some knotwork online that I adapted to Andean pebble weave. I would love to make guitar strap with these motifs. I also used two smaller knots and bits to jazz up the pebble weave band on my new inklette which had started out quite plain..

More detais are on my blog....

http://backstrapweaving.wordpress.com/

Laverne

Hi Laverne (Hi Everybody),

I am finally going to get around to warping my Little Wave. I'm thinking about using the regular Texsolv heddles and then making the contious string heddles for the pebble sheds as Winnie mentions. Are there any obvious problems with using the Texsolv heddles?

Thanks Much,

Cindy

Can't help you there Cindy. When I have woven pebble weave on aninkle loom-only 3 times so far and each time on a different model, I have just used the inkle loom as a frame and not used its sheddling system at all.. I am  only guessing that using the regular heddles would be okay as long as you have lots of room in the front of your loom to work.

Hi Laverne

I am using an Inklette loom using the regular recomended home made heddles for the sheds. The string heddles are for the pebble sheds. I  find there is plenty of room to work. I also use my inklette looms for brocaded tablet weaving and the 4 colour patterns from van Epen's book because of their portability. Admittedly only narrow bands can be woven this way.

Caroline thanks for your suggestions for threads. I Live in the Blue Mountains with only K Mart - no big W and rely on mail order threads.I purchace 10/2 Pearl cottons from a weaver in Quensland and I find them satisfactory at this stage. Thanks for posting the article from TWIST - I have been trying to work Kurt Laitenberger's instructions for years- without much success.

Elwyn

Here is a draft of my bee motif.

This is a sample.  I used 8/4 cotton carpet warp for both the weaving and the heddles.  I think carpet warp is not fabulous for heddles.  It is not very slippery and tends to pick up a lot of fuzzys. 

You can see that my original design had a longer abdomen.  I discovered that everything ends up looking a little longer when I weave it than when I draft it, so I shortened it for the latest version.  I wonder if a springier yarn would be less likely to elongate the design?

Next I will try weaving the bee as part of a larger design and maybe make a little bag out of it?

I noticed that the more specific I try to make the design, the wider the warp gets!  I think I should try weaving with some finer, more slippery yarn.  Maybe a 10/2 pearl cotton?

I have been overspinning some acrylic knitting yarn I got at Beverly's.  It still feels pretty stretchy to me even after overspinning, but I will try it. 

Carolyn

This is so cool!! Wait until Aunt Janet sees this-she has been wanting to do a bee too! I think you have done a brilliant job and I applaud you for instantly adapting your design when you saw that it didn't suit you. You could probably avoid that extra long float where the stingger is by not picking up that pair between the horizontal lines. 

This is a really cool study group we have going here!

I am more than happy to share my little bee.  I imagine Aunt Janet will have lots of ideas on how to adapt and improve him.

I don't know why I didn't see the simple solution to the stinger float.  The next version will be improved!

This is an awesome group!  I am learning so much!

Carolyn!  I love your bee pattern.  Can you post the chart?  I have a couple of bee-keeping friends and would love to weave something for them.  That would look great on a bag.  Watch out for that stinger!

Aunt Janet

Hi Laverne,

Help!! I'm struck! I warped my loom for the "S" design on page 37 of your e-monograph. I've got my Pebble sheds tied up with continuous heddles on sticks and then thought I'd be brilliant and make shed savers for the other pattern sheds. When I go to open one of the pattern sheds using the shed saver, they are hung up by the neighboring pattern shed saver. Does that make sense, and what am I doing wrong??

Thanks,

Cindy

You can only use one saver Cindy. You pick up your warps for one row and put the saver under the warps up at the cross sticks. Your next pick up row will most likely involve picking up completely different warps and so you will have to remove the saver, drop and pick the new warps and replace the saver.Now this may seem to you like the saver is not saving anything at all! but you will see the time it saves when you come to do the slanting part of the "s", the part where you are only picking up one pair per row. The saver will save one pair that you picked and then all you will need to do in the next pick up row is drop that pair and pick up its neighbor. The saver's benefits are not so obvious on small warps but you will find it indispensible when you start weaving wider pieces.

So, remember, you only use one saver and it gets remove and replaced with every pick up shed unless, of course, you get lucky and one of the pick up sheds gets repeated in consecutive rows.

Aunt Janet,

I attempted to pm the chart to you, not sure if it worked?  Let me know if you didn't get it.

I am a novice bee keeper as well and love these little animals!

Carolyn

 Here is my first "original" design in pebble weave.

There is room for one more motif on this warp, then I'm planning to do a wider piece. I agree with Carolyn that this is a great group! We are all learning so much, thanks to Laverne!

Jennifer

Gtreat! I am glad you are having fun with it!

Just weaving along.

I think I am going to move along to chapter 4 and get a thicker border. This is #3 crochet. So I think some skinnier threads. I need to make some little bags to hold my music stuff (metronome, recorder). Those are small, but I think I'll try. We're running out of keys to put on fobs!

Jeanne

Yep, you could definitiely go out wider now and make some bags. Just treat all the solid color are as you would the borders.

If you have run out of keys, make some gifts!

Jennifer,

That is so cool! 

Carolyn

Thanks for the info Laverne. I have been struggling with this weaving for days and just couldn't figure what I was doing wrong that the design wasn't turning out like it should. My husband couldn't believe that every time he walked into my studio I was sitting at the little loom with a frown on my face. You wouldn't believe what I did...... I thought I needed to insert a plain shed in between each of the Pebble and Pattern sheds!! Just this afternoon a lightbulb went off and I figured it out. Geesh :)

I too love this group. You are all a great inspiration, and thank you Laverne for all your hard work :)

Cindy

There you were struggling on in silence! Anyway, so glad it all makes sense now. Weave on and enjoy!

Laverne

Yes, I was almost too embarassed to admit what I'd done. ha ha. Someday maybe you could help me with some charting?? I play Mountain Dulcimer and would love to make some bands with little dulcimers and maybe musical notes on them.

Thanks,

Cindy

Sure thing! I have made a tutorial which I can send you.

I would sure appreciate it.

Thanks,

Cindy

I found this gorgeous new color in the merc crochet cotton that I usually use and had to make something with it. So here is one more new knot from Kurt Laitenberger's web page....

Laverne

http://backstrapweaving.wordpress.com/

 Here's my test piece for a band using a motif from an Old Believer band posted on Laverne's blog.

I didn't include enough green/gold warps to make the design on the side, and I though plain pebble weave was too boring, so I'm thinking of just plain stripes that would reverse at the mid-point of the center motif. If anyone has a better idea, I'm all ears!

I see a hugh difference in width between the plain weave and the pebble weave. The plain weave is at the very beginning of the warp and I had no idea how wide this piece would be, so that would explain some of the difference in width. Do the two weaves normally weave at different rates/widths?

I noticed on the pebble weave, that I must pull the weft harder going one direction than the other, because the right side is tighter - weft is peeking through some warp threads on the left. And the right corners of the diamonds look like they are missing one thread. It is there, it's just hiding!

This band is about 4 inches wide - the widest I've done so far. Makes me wish I had longer fingers, but is definitely manageable.

Jennifer

I never start with rows of horizontal bars but go directly into plain pebble weave and then only a couple of rows at most before starting the pick up. To make the bars of gold, I would have to pick up every single warp that lies over the far cross stick and I never want to do that!

I have noticed the problem you have had with the differing widths in the termination area of four selvedge pieces that the weavers here make. When there is very little space to continue weaving, they resort to plain weave and it always weaves wider and puts a bump in the cloth. 

The reason I think this happens is because in complementary warp weaves one color is  sitting more or less above its complementary partner whereas in plain weave they are sitting side by side. 

Good for you for going wide!! Do you have plans to use this for something or is it a sampler?

That makes sense about the different weaving widths. And as to the use, well... I hadn't thought of it as anything more than practice. But since it is on a device with a front and back beam, I could add some warp threads on both sides to make it wide enough for a small bag. Thanks for the idea! 

hello all,

I have been trying to weave wider warps and am finding the heddles much harder to get right!  I will get most of the way across pebble shed 1 and discover that the heddles I just finished are way shorter than the ones I first made.  I am also finding that when I get pebble shed 1 finished and then start on ps2 I find a few warp threads that have somehow gotten twisted?  I guess it is just a matter of practice. 

I have heard of people using some type of straight edge to get the heddle length more consistent, does anyone know more about this? 

Thanks.

Carolyn

 Carolyn,

I do so know what you are going through! I have had the same experience, but I must say, my string heddles are getting better!

One technique I use - I think I read about it in a Harriet Tiball (sp?) monograph - is to use something to as a guide to wrap the strings around to make them more consistent in size. For example, I rest my heddle stick on top of a 1.5 inch strip of card stock which is resting on top of the warp and pull up the heddle strings on alternate sides to (more) evenly gauge the string heddle lengths. I find it really helpful.

HTH

Jennifer

I've been using my ring, middle and index fingers as a height gauge for heddles. This way I can check each heddle as I go along. They come out pretty even. I've seen a video somewhere of a weaver in the far east using a wooden gauge to do this on a wide warp, though if you move your hand along to hold the heddle stick and use the same spot on your fingers to measure, you can get pretty far with just fingers.

The weavers here in Latin America use their fingers or a wooden gauge.

I use neither as I find using the extra hitch really helps. I put a lot of tension on the warp when I am making the heddles. After putting the main heddle loop on the stick I hold the stick horizontally and make sure that the heddle is the length I want it and then lock the string with my index finger on top of the stick. Then I make the extra htich and place it on the stick and pull it tight. ONce you have done that, the string can't move. When I do the next heddle, it is the same. I put the loop on the stick, hold the stick horizontal and adjust the length of the string next to the previous heddle . Having a lot of tension on the warp will stop the warps from lifting and affecting your measurement. Once you are pleased with the length, lock the string with your index finger on top of the stick, put the the extra hitch on the stick, tighten and let go. Do it all very slowly and methodically to start off and you wil be able to pick up speed with practice. I have never used any kind or gauge or spacer.

Carolyn, have you tried the Huancayo way of making the pebble sheds as described in the appendix section? It is a little mind boggling to look at at first but it is a brilliant way to form both sheds in one go and there is no way you can twist or miss threads that way. This is the way I was taught straight away by my teachers. I teach making the sheds separately at first in the book to make the learning curve a litlle less steep. Why not be the first one to try it? :-)

Good looking heddles!

Thanks for the suggestions.  I love this group!

Laverne, I will try the Huancayo method and I will slow down a little.  Is Huancayo pronounced "wan- ka- yo"?

Jennifer, can you tell me more about the monograph you mentioned?

Jeanne, what fiber are your heddles made of in the photo in your post?  They look very smooth and shiney.  I made my latest batch with mercerized cotton and found it to be easier to use than unmercerized.

Carolyn

Carolyn,

Those heddles are 16/2 unbleached linen. The warp is 5/2 cotton. A lot of the shine comes from my camera flash, but they are pretty smooth. Mercerization is a process where the threads are put through a solution (alkaline, I think) which smoothes the surface of the thread. I think it also makes the thread more receptive to dye. I'm making some towels in 8/2 unmercerized cotton and it's very sticky in comparison.

I didn't think to say that I don't actually wrap the threads around my fingers- I actually do just what Laverne does-- her descriptions are the best!-- and just hold my fingers at the back of the heddles to keep myself in line. I'm not always the best judge of when the heddle sticks are parallel to the warp.

Jeanne

Yep, "wan-ka-yo"....the "ka" being more like ki -(like the ki in kite)

Carolyn,

I just happen to making a new warp, and my daughter happened to come by and was considerate enough to take a picture of the string heddle guage:

I make the extra half hitch, as Laverne describes in her book, only using the gauge to help get consistent lengths. I consider this as a learning tool, and hope that, with practice, I will be good enough at making  string heddles to use Lavern's method sans guage. 

I'm sorry I can't tell you where I first saw this idea - I get a lot of weaving books from the library and can't keep track of them all - but I'm thinking it was an inkle weaving monograph by Harriet Tidball published by Shuttle Craft Books. Probably from the 1960's.

Jennifer

Playing with the fun rich colors again. This will be part of the new tool bag set.

 LOVE the colors! You continue to be an inspiration!

Jennifer

I love the colors! I can't wait until the doctor and I have my back an legs in shape so I can try this.

Cindy Jo

I am working on another key fob warp and realize that I have 2 "loose" warp threads. I know how to handle this on a floor, but not on a backstrap loom. Are their some clever ways to tighten up a warp thread after a project is underway?

Thanks for the help!

Jennifer

I usually just put something under the loose warps to take up the slack. It could be a dowel, a bamboo skewer or even something as small as a toothpick if the warps are only a little loose. The stick goes under the warps up at the far loom rod and gets tied to the rod.

 Thanks for the tip Laverne. I am on my forth pebble weave project and consistent warping will be my next focus. So much to learn! I just reread you entire e-monograph and picked up a lot of tips I had missed before. That little book of yours is a gem!

Laverne,

I just love the colors. Is the "purple" the same one you used in the other band with green and gold? If so, it's amazing how it shows up as magenta here. I like the way you have integrated the magenta into the blue design area. Everything here seems well balanced, and while the colors are striking, the design is calming to the eye. Perfecto!

The warp I'm working on has red stripes that are too wide, I think. Guess it's going to take lots of practice warps and study to get things just right!  Maybe some color training too...

Jeanne (who is reading a lot but not weaving along this week because of a hand injury)

It is the same "purple". It looks different next to different colors I guess and in different light. The light color is a honey tone but doesn't look at all like that in the photo. I am not convinced about the blue in there. In the morning I like it and in the evening  don't!

I'm weaving the red, black and white piece I started some time ago and am determined to get it off the loom today. It has the Aunt Lydia #10 thread in it with some of the Brazilian merc crochet cotton I buy here. The Aunt Lydia thread is not pilling at all while my merc cotton is just a litlle. That Aunt Lydia stuff is great.

Which side? That's the thing with Andean pebble weave...you get two sides to choose from and they can look so different. I can get two bags from this warp so I guess I can have one with  each side. I am still in the process of sewing in the zips the smaller one hasn't been done yet.

Laverne

backstrapweaving.wordpress.com/

Laverne,

Those are fantastic!  How wide are the warps?  It seems like it would be really difficult to keep everything even.

I just got done reading "the steps" in your blog and came up with a goofy question.  Is it possible to do supplementary wefts with Andean Pebble Weave? It would be cool to be able to have 2 different complimentary designs in two different colors happening.

Carolyn

I think you need to do both "morning" and "evening" bags.

There's a lot to study in this design--- I've just started reading the Munsell student color book--- and I think having the two different bags will be really useful to you because there's so much to see and analyze and talk about. I have a strong reaction to the purple because it's so bold. While the blue recedes a bit, it's still strong, and the design pops out of it, though it is more neutral in value. Maybe that's what's bothering your eyes? On the reverse side, my eye is drawn to the neutral background of the design, and it has a calming effect. I don't "see" as much of the purple.

Go figure! I like them both, being a purple-blue freak. The Munsell system is interesting and has its own vocabulary (Hue! Chroma! Value!)  With five primary colors  and five sub-primaries, it's a major change in thinking from the red-yellow-blue system we learned as kids. I'm hoping to trudge through the chapters- if it doesn't help me to see things better, at least I will get a bit more conversant about color.

Do you ever try wrapping bands of color around a heavy card to try to figure out stripes? I've been too lazy to do that, and just warp up and see what happens. Sometimes with disappointing results. Sometimes I wish I had several sets of eyes!

Jeanne- who has decided that it is housecleaning and not weaving that is causing a sore hand, and who will weave this weekend in her messy house!

This post has been deleted by seaphish

I have combined techniques a couple of times and was just lucky I think that the take up in both techniques was the same. I combined pebbe weave with supplementary warp patterning years ago just because I had no idea about take up and such things. It worked.

I did a small piece of supplementary weft patterning on a piece that was done mostly with simple warp floats and that worked too. It's hard to say. The good thing is that if it doesn't work, you can just pull out your supplementary wefts and continue on your merry way! I have some pieces here that I bought in Bolivia that have different technique combined...try it!

I understand what you are saying. I like the back side because of the neutral color in the pebble weave section-less blue.I think it's the blue that bugs me.

I  prefer the purple bag with the blue background to the pattern, The paler background looks a bit wishy washy to me, but then I love bright colours mixed together. Bold colour combinations like this don't always suit what we are making, but for this its perfect! Sometimes when we are trying to be subtle about our colour choices, we get too subtle, so the end result is insipid, but for a tool bag that will be taken to conferences and classes, the brighter the better, to show how vibrant and alive these techniques are, and to let the colours emphasise the intricacies of the pattern. It wouldn't work with an all over pattern, but with just the one stripe, its just right.

Sewed the teeny tiny zips into these teeny tiny coin purses. I think I am getting the hang of the zip sewing! but I still don't enjoy it.

I use my wave for bands, haven't gotten to pebble weave yet though.  Still working on translating all of these things on to the warping board.  Sometimes it works sometimes not.  If you are interested take a look at the bands I have done with my wave, and contact me any time if you like.  I would love knowing someone else with the same loom.