handspun yarns

This project is an experiment in several ways.  First, the heddles used (three of them!) are prototypes of a wider semi-rigid heddle than the "normal" ones -- these are two inches wider than standard -- and I wanted to see how they'd behave weaving a "cloth" rather than a warp-faced weave.  Second, the 2.5 meter warp isn't longer than any I've woven with these heddles, but this is the first time I've woven a non-warp-faced weave with the warp stretched full-length and the heddles suspended on the warp.

The first experiment (trying the wider heddles for weaving "cloth") is a success!  The heddles behave beautifully, and using a lightweight temple, it's easy to maintain an even width in the web.

The second experiment (weaving non-warp-faced on a long warp stretched full-length) is less happy.  It's not bad maintaining warp tension over this length, but the warp sways while I'm weaving (in fact, it sways a lot) -- and even though that doesn't pose a major problem for the weaving itself, it's unnerving!

It's also not a lot of fun -- which is why it's been a work-in-progress for so long.  This week I'll roll the warp and cloth onto sticks and finish weaving it with a backstrap.  That should wrap things up nicely!

Postscript:

Moving the scarf to a backstrap setup was a great idea!  The balance of the weaving was comfortable and pleasant, and the awkward feeling that I was weaving on a tightrope disappeared.  Unfortunately, the "transition" between one way of weaving and the other showed in the final scarf -- but it was an experimental scarf, just for me, so it didn't matter!

There's quite a bit of yarn left over, so I may wind another warp like this one -- but this time weave the entire thing on the backstrap.  It's not too early to think about Christmas, is it?