Hi,  I'm looking at a pattern/draft (?) for a plaid pillow published in the Oct. 2014 Schacht E-newes.  I'd love to weave this and I think I can get the heddle threaded properly but I'm lost on how to "weave a plaid using the same color order as the warp."

Here's the link for the pillow.  http://schachtspindle.com/newsletter/PDF/Newsletter2014-11.pdf

I think I would be starting at the bottom of the pattern when I begin to weave, right?  But how many picks do I weave of each color?

Thank you so much for your help!

Audrey

Comments

Mon, 12/08/2014 - 01:33

pammersw

As many as you have warp threads, to keep an even plaid.

Not looking at the pattern, if it's ten gold, forty red, six green, six red, six green, forty red, ten gold (left to right across the loom), you'd weave ten picks gold, forty picks red, six green, six red, six green, forty red, and ten gold. 

Mon, 12/08/2014 - 22:14

AudreyO

So if I have a total of 40 ends of one color in a row that's the number of picks I weave.  But if the one color is not all in one block but scattered in the row, I still weave the total number of ends.  Is that right?  Thanks! 

Tue, 12/09/2014 - 02:30

ingamarie

I'm not sure I understand your question. But you would weave your weft colors in the same order as your warp colors. So if you have 1  blue, 2 yellow, 6 red, 2 yellow, 1 blue in your warp, you'd weave the same order in your weft. It should be the same number of picks, but that is assuming that you have the same picks per inch as you have ends per inch and are weaving square. Does that explain it?

 

Tue, 12/09/2014 - 12:05

AudreyO

Here is a sample line of the pattern:

purple: xxxx 2 xx 32 xxxx #ends 34

x=other colors

numbers represent ends of purple

My question is this:  Do I weave 34 picks of purple and then move on to the next color in the pattern? 

Thanks for your patience and help!

Tue, 12/09/2014 - 13:01

endorph

You would put in the same number of picks of purple weft as you have purple ends in the warp, the move on and do the same for all the other colors - the weft will follow exactly the warp color order. Make sure you check your picks per inch to keep the plaid even -

Tue, 12/09/2014 - 16:42

planttapestry (not verified)

did you use a warping board or did you direct warp?  that may be confusing you about what color to use next. 

looking at the pattern I would use: 

11 blue 40 pink 4 orange 32 purple 3 chartruse 24 orange 2 purple 16 blue 1 pink 8 chartruse 7 pink  

or in reverse order

Tue, 12/09/2014 - 16:42

planttapestry (not verified)

did you use a warping board or did you direct warp?  that may be confusing you about what color to use next. 

looking at the pattern I would use: 

11 blue 40 pink 4 orange 32 purple 3 chartruse 24 orange 2 purple 16 blue 1 pink 8 chartruse 7 pink  

or in reverse order

Tue, 12/09/2014 - 16:55

AudreyO

I have not warped it yet but I will probably do direct warp.  Thanks for the suggested order of colors.  May I ask:  why did you pick this order?  Thanks!

Tue, 12/09/2014 - 17:08

pammersw

Warp the loom according to the pattern instructions. 

When you get your loom warped, count the threads from left to right, noting what color of each stripe and how many threads there are. 

Then go in the same order, with the same number of picks of each color. 

Does that make sense? 

Tue, 12/09/2014 - 17:13

pammersw

As to xxxx 2 xx 32 xxxx

You would weave whatever those first four x's are first, then 2 picks of purple, then whatever the next two x's are, 32 picks of purple, then whatever the last four x's are. 

You would not do 34 picks of purple right off the bat. 

This will make more sense after your warp is on the loom.

 

Tue, 12/09/2014 - 17:14

ingamarie

I'm a big fan of looking at your loom and learning to 'read' what's going on there instead of instructions. When you have it warped-- your warp will look like stripes-- look at one edge. It doesn't matter which one, just be consistent and pick one to work from. You'll see the first x number of warp threads in one color. Weave that many picks of weft in the same color. Then look at the next color group and weave the same number of picks as warp threads in that color, etc. 

Tue, 12/09/2014 - 22:20

AudreyO

Thanks to all of you who have explained the weaving process and made suggestions for threading the heddle.  I understand how it's done and I am now ready to get started as soon as the yarn arrives.

You're the best!  Audrey

Tue, 12/09/2014 - 22:57

ingamarie

Yay!  Pictures or it didn't happen!!

Thu, 12/18/2014 - 16:35

AudreyO

Pillow project has become placemats!  I have tried repeatedly to get a picture to send you but my camera is not talking to my computer so I have no pic to send.

The colors are beautiful!  The plaid is great!

I have learned so much from this project.  I can now correct too-tight selvages and use fishing weights on too-loose-tension threads.  I read the pattern for the back of the pillow and threaded the heddle without problems.

Problems that remain:  neaten up the selvages and figure out why the warp was not long enough to complete the pieces.

I did not use the yarn used in the pattern but substituted acrylic yarn for the natural yarn.  I used a warp peg and didn't think I was pulling too tight on yarn to the peg but I noticed when I warped for the second piece, the warp ended up about 6" from the peg when I took it off. Both pieces had to be shortened because I ran out of warp so I'm guessing the first piece's warp was also too short. Maybe if I plan a project myself and allow more length to the warp it'll be OK.  For now, that's a puzzle.  Any thoughts?

Anyway, thanks again for helping me to work out the plaid.

Sat, 06/04/2016 - 04:19

Albert Wrigglesworth

 Weave your X colours, then 2 purples, then x colors, then 32 purple, then your x colors. 

Follow the exact order your warp is in. In other words you are mirroring your warp to make the plaid.