OK. I know it's still early days. When you have planned your warp share it here. Are you planning warp faced, balanced, variable width stripes, log cabin, etc?!

Comments

Sat, 12/27/2014 - 17:22

Flowerfool

Hi,

The group sounds like a lot of fun.  How will the group work?  We do samples of each Chapter in one month's time?  Do we have a deadline?  Of course, I must get my dusty copy down from the book shelf to see what this involves!

Sat, 12/27/2014 - 21:59

Weavolutionary6

We're discussing how we want the group to work in another thread. Feel free to pop over and let us know what you think. Yes so far the consensus is we will shoot for a chapter a month. I started this thread so people can start sharing their ideas about their plain weave samles!
Sat, 12/27/2014 - 21:59

Weavolutionary6

We're discussing how we want the group to work in another thread. Feel free to pop over and let us know what you think. Yes so far the consensus is we will shoot for a chapter a month. I started this thread so people can start sharing their ideas about their plain weave samles!

Sun, 12/28/2014 - 02:56

Queezle

The first thing that caught my attention in this chapter is the example with plain weave and basket weave squares (the pink one on page 13). 

Given the yarn I have on hand, I think I can make a warp with mostly 14/2 or 16/2 cotton (unmercerized).  My thought is to add 5/2 cotton (pearle) separating the plain weave and basket weave.

I think the same warp could produce the striped fabrics in the upper right on page 8. 

Does this sound like a good strategy?

Do we want to share samples, or just photographs?

I am very excited about this structured activity, thanks for organizing it Erica.  I'm sorry to not be meeting you in Cambridge, but my son seems very happy at Harvard :)

Sun, 12/28/2014 - 09:29

Erica J

Queezle,

I did plain weave and basket weave blocks about 3 years ago. It is really fun to weave. I think your idea of seperatng the blocks with a differet yarn is a good one. It shoudl add an even more crisp effect to the blocks. Are you going to weave it on a table loom, or floor loom? I you just got your loom back, so I can't remember what your main loom is. 

I'm glad your son is happy at Harvard. If you're not going to Cambride, Harvard is a good alternative. I've been working on a new webstie for the Cambridge Weavers, Spinners, and Dyers Guild. I was discussing how the name of the guild should appear with the Guild Secretary and asked her if I should use an Oxford comma or not. Her reply was "We are Cambridge my dea, we don't need an Oxford comma." Too classic! I knew that was likely the case as the English oddly don't normally use an Oxford comma.

TAJ says hi and wanted to type a message to you. Here is his message. :) "1:PWE909439/     K4 -,      ro vv             /              "           

My plan is to warp y 4 shaft table looms with cotton. I have a straight draw warp already on the loom, so I think I'll try tying on and resleighing. I'm going to play with irridescence, basket weave, and do a few samples from Tabby to Taquete, which will be weft faced plain weave. I'm planning on getting a lot out of my first warp, but hope to have time to finally do log cabin too!

Sun, 12/28/2014 - 16:57

Queezle

Too funny!  I had to look up Oxford Comma.  It turned out that flexibility was very important to my son, and Harvard gives him wide latitude to explore other diciplines.  I think that the British system has the students narrow down much earlier, and so flexibility is not the issue it is to American students.

Love TAJ's note!  And my thoughts are with Oliver - I hope things are going well.

I have two floor looms - an 8-shaft mighty wolf and a 4-shaft Schacht larger floor loom.  Its my mighty wolf in my new weaving room, so that is the one I will likely use.  However, I keep eyeing a totally stripped baby wolf in the local classifieds.  They are asking for too much $$, considering I'd have to buy all the hardware and spend time assembling, so am considering making a low-ball offer.  It would be nice to have a small loom dedicated to samples and workshops!  Although I have very little experience with table looms, I remember them as difficult to develop a rhythm, and its the zen moment of rhythm and becoming one with the loom that brings me the greatest weaving joy.

Thu, 01/01/2015 - 19:55

Erica J

I plan to use 10/2 Mercerized cotton for my plain weave samples. I am using an 8 color wheel to form the warp and I am warping 2" each at 20 epi to start. I will weave all the mercerized cottons I have in the weft and will weave at least a plain weave (with an eye for interesting irridescence combinations). I will also cut off and resleigh for 24 epi, or so, and weave again with some of the more interesting weft colors. I will finally resleigh at 12 epi to sample some weft face plain weave!

I know this sounds like a lot, but since I'm just sampling each, no sample should take me more than a week. So that gives me this week to warp the loom, one week per sample, with a week left over.

Oh yes, don't tell Oliver, but I ordered some 2/30 Silk from Halcyon Yarn for future samples! I realized I wove 98% with wool in 2014, so 2015 is going to be all about exploring other fibers!

Mon, 01/05/2015 - 01:24

Flowerfool

Hi,

I was looking at all the amazing things you can do in plain weave.  I am not sure why it is called plain - there are so many possibilities!  I was looking at different samples of basketweave to do as my weaving sample.  I have a book called Virginia West's Swatch Book.  She has a basketweave that is a 3/3.  The Mastering Weave Structures says that you should have a sett for basketweave that is closer than plain weave - more like a twill.  Then it says that 3/3 or 4/4 basketweave should be sett even closer than a 2/2 basketweave.  The sett for Virginia West's swatch is 20 epi - using 10/2 mercerized cotton.  She also uses a thicker yarn for the basketweave.  She uses 2 per dent in a 10 dent reed.  When I look at the Weaving Today Master Yarn list - it looks like a twill should be set at 28 using 10/2 cotton.  Where am I going wrong on this?  Can someone help me with this?  Thanks!

Mon, 01/05/2015 - 02:45

Queezle

Hi Susan, I do not think this is an easy question.  I'm planning to alternate blocks of plain weave with basket weave, and I think I'll use about 28 epi for my 14/2(ish) yarn.  I guess this is where sampling helps - we will figure it out.  Certainly I think it will want a tighter sett than PW, as there are fewer intersections.  Can't wait to get started on it!

 

Mon, 01/05/2015 - 10:52

ainz

Hi! It took longer than I thought it would, but I have my table loom set up and my warp ready to go on. 

I am using, for this first sample, a white cotton crochet yarn. I do not know the number, but it wraps round a ruler 26 times per inch. I will therefore try  12 epi.

I have 156 ends: 2x2 floating selveges, 144 for plain weave and then 3x3 end ridges and 2x2 end ridges spaces throughout the warp. I have taken note of the one dent/many heddles issue. I will post a picture as soon as I actually get a bit of weaving done.

Mon, 01/05/2015 - 22:46

Queezle

I decided to give my work schedule a break Sunday and instead measure out my warp.  Here it is, with ties mostly hidden.  My yarn is mostly boring brown, grey and gold, but I've tried to jazz it up with a bit of pink.  A bit of an out-there color combination for me.  warp for plain weave sample

Thu, 01/08/2015 - 04:21

DesertDreamer (not verified)

I am waiting on a yarn order to arrive.  I've never woven with cotton so I ordered some this time and I think I will try my first project with that.  I don't even remember what kind of cotton I ordered.  So it will be next week before I can get started on the warp.  I will probably use my small 4h floor loom.

Thu, 01/08/2015 - 11:38

Flowerfool

Hi Queezle,

Love the colors of your warp!  

Thu, 01/08/2015 - 13:29

endorph

you may think the warp is boring - I think it is lovely!

Thu, 01/08/2015 - 14:40

ainz

Me too! Colors so rich I can almost taste them.

Thu, 01/08/2015 - 14:59

theresasc

to seeing that warp weaving, it is really pretty.

Thu, 01/08/2015 - 19:47

Queezle

You are all so sweet!  I have one more dish towel to weave before I can get to it, and I'm spending about an hour each night working toward that goal.  You can be sure - I will keep you posted.  And to alleviate my color envy, I'm going to place a yarn order.  Just going back and forth between 8/2 cotton and 10/2 pearle.  I like the pearle, but at twice the price, the 8/2 would allow me to order more colors.  *sigh*

Fri, 01/09/2015 - 12:50

Erica J

I agree great warp! I was hoping to finish the previous sample and get my plain weave sample on the loom the same day! This did not quite happen. If my back, which has decided to be twitchy today, allows I will at least sleigh the last 4" in the reed tonight. :)

Thu, 01/15/2015 - 04:25

Queezle

The old (11 month) warp is woven off and taken down.  Yay - now for the pw sample.  I've got all the heddles threaded (B2F), so that is a good start.  Hope to be weaving by Friday.

Thu, 01/15/2015 - 07:52

ainz

I had so many tension problems I decided to cut of the first sample and retension my warp. I guess the dimensions are so different (new tiny table loom: gigantic floor loom) I will need to do some adapting in my method. Let us see what happens this weekend.

BTW, this month is my last month of working and studying full time (yes, both), so starting next month I will have more time to weave and create wonderful samples for this group. 

Thu, 01/15/2015 - 20:41

Oexi2012

Hi ! My warp is thin ( Nm28/2 ) unbleached cotton , 12 ends per cm , that is about 708 ends for ca. 60 cm ( about 23 i ). I still have to weave some huck-lace-samples for my local weaving-group , but I hope I will have enough rest to use the warp for our project here. I tried to insert some photos, but it didn´t work . When I click the button "insert picture" I only can use pictures from the internet , not from my own computer. Can anybody help (I`m working with a Macbook Pro ) ?. Thanks ! Barbara

Thu, 01/15/2015 - 21:00

Queezle

Hi Barbara, Here is what I do to insert photos.  First, I export from iPhoto as a .jpeg.  Then, when I click on the tree icon, a menu comes up with image URL, etc.  To the right of the image URL field, there is a box that, when you hover over it, comes up with "browse".  When you do that, you can upload a photo from your computer.  You have to made a decision on thumb nail size.  The large thumb nail results in a large photo coming into the message, and the medium one is really small.  It would be nice to have something more intermediate.

Let me know if that helps, or if not, where my instructions went wrong.  I'm writing from an iMAC, not my macbook pro...

Leslie

Thu, 01/15/2015 - 22:01

Oexi2012

Hello Leslie , I think I´ve got it . Here is the test.

Thanks a lot ! Barbaradsc_0129.jpg

Fri, 01/16/2015 - 00:16

LindaHahn

I do hope all of you will post pictures. This sounds like a wonderful project. I will be only a lurker this time so will enjoy seeing what everyone does. 

Fri, 01/16/2015 - 15:33

theresasc

Ainz, I hear you, going from a floor loom to a table loom can be such a challenge.  It is almost the one time that I would like to try to warp from front to back because the castle comes right out of my loom and I could just set it on a table. 

Queezle, Congrats on finishing up your long-standing warp!  That is always a great feeling.  Looking foward to seeing your pretty plain weave warp all dressed up and ready to weave.

I have a few more inches to go on my plain weave sampler, but my mini inkle loom grabbed my attention this week.  I would like to try to finish up over the weekend and get it wet finished.