No fooling, it is time for a new check in thread. Everyone is being so productive, keep up the good work. Weave on! Tina

Comments

Tue, 04/23/2013 - 22:24

Woodburner

Oh that does look good endorph!

I'm still faffing around with wire heddles, not even half done.  :(

Tue, 04/23/2013 - 22:32

Walkingquail

I loved the photo of the piled warp, endorph, and it looks even better on your loom! I had to take a little break to give my neck a rest, just one of those every few years spinal freak outs! I don't think I did any one thing wrong to trigger it. I just took 2 tablerunners off my loom and I am preparing to warp my first shadow weaving project with 8/2 bamboo. I am participating in an artists mart in May and lightweight scarves might sell. Here in California, lightweight works well even in the winter unless one lives in the mountains. A scarf can be handy in San Francisco in the summer, where the foggy wind hits you hard but I live where summer is hot and it seems to have already ratcheted up to summer temps. Somehow I'd rather weave clothing than table linens, maybe its the soft hand.

Tue, 04/23/2013 - 22:49

ReedGuy

This time of year I'm out in the yard more cleaning up around the trees. I had to take down a 20" popple tree in the yard and drop in between the house and a barn. It was mostly dead and there's now a million branches to pick up from that thing. :D Oh, and it was 70 feet long. I had European honey bees take up residence in a maple late last summer, but I don't think they survived. I don't want them buzzing me when mowing. :D

Wed, 04/24/2013 - 01:26

endorph

so far one broken warp thread - easy peasy - let's hope that is all the excitement I have with this warp

Wed, 04/24/2013 - 04:34

Queezle

I've dusted off one of my looms, cut off the warp I messed up on when trying to get back about 6 yrs ago, and started over.  A little sample showed I hadn't lost everything, but then when I put on a 4-dishtowel warp, I missed the back beam.  Couldn't figure out why it wasn't working for 2 days.  Fixed it, and am now half way through - 2 towels woven!  I think I'm back....  towel number 2

Wed, 04/24/2013 - 09:04

ReedGuy

Does the back beam pull out so you can place it under the warp without threading it back onto the rod again?

Wed, 04/24/2013 - 14:54

Grethe

I have finish the crepe-fabric. I not quite sure what it will be. It depend how it will turn out when it is wet-finish.

Wed, 04/24/2013 - 17:54

Queezle

No, the back beam does not come off for this loom.  But I was so excited to figure out the problem it was easy to stay up past midnight...  I am a f2b person, and so I just rolled it onto the front beam, untied it in the back, retied it, and rerolled it onto the back beam.  Of course I then needed to retie in the front.  

Labor-intensive?  Yes.  But I'm so happy to be sitting at my loom, and weaving again.  I know I don't need to explain that joy to this audience.

Wed, 04/24/2013 - 20:22

Woodburner

I'm shattered! I was a bit late going to a friends house, to drop off a 'knitters' loom, but was even later coming back! Turned out the last time she had used one (a loaner from our local SWD) it had come complete with intructions . . . and that was a year ago . . . and she couldn't remember how to set it up . . . I've never used one, unless you count my horrible home made rigid heddle box thingy I used once as a teenager (That's well over a year ago, more like well over 30 years ago ;P ) So, while I was hoping she would show me how to warp it up, she was hoping that I would show her!

As it happens, I had been at the guild meeting when they did a workshop on warping up 'knitters' looms, but she had missed that meeting. "Well there you go," she says " You know more about it than I do!" "Errm, I didn't join in the workshop, I didn't even have the loom then, it just inspired me to get this one, but I haven't got round to actually using it . . ." I told her what little I remembered of the process, and she said that was more than she could remember!

Now, I know I have plenty of weaving books, at least one of which would have a chapter on how to warp up a rigid heddle loom, but I was an hour away from home, and petrol "isn't cheap" over here so I wondered if she had any books that might help, but no, only two books and a few "Handwoven"s none of which were any help. Hmm what to do? Then I remembered my other favourite source of info . . . the internet!!! So we spent most of the rest of the afternoon warping up.   And I was a few hours later getting home than I had expected. :D

Thu, 04/25/2013 - 01:24

sally orgren

I can tell you, it happens to ALL of us! It is particularly embarrassing when you have been weaving consistently for more than 10 years, and everyonce in a while, you cannot see the forest for the trees. (I'd say you were BACK, no problem!)

Thu, 04/25/2013 - 05:12

Weavejoyforall

I'm still waiting for a Doc's appointment for this wrist ganglon thing.

Been playing with colors and patterns on paper ... but not sure I should be weaving untill I get the ok from Doctor.  DANG!!  

Going monday to get it checked out and make sure its "JUST" a ganglon cyst. and not something worse ...hope to send a pic of my new warp on loom soon as I get the ok.
" 

Thu, 04/25/2013 - 09:57

Artistry

WeaveJoyforall, Will be thinking of you on Monday , hope all goes smoothly and you get a clean bill of health! I know you're just itching to throw those shuttles!
Fri, 04/26/2013 - 01:13

ReedGuy

Well, I'm ready to weave. I had quite a time threading, a few crossed ends a few sleying errors. Finally sorted out. I need a rest. LOL :D

Sat, 04/27/2013 - 18:35

Erica

I'm itching to get some actualy weaving in next month. I'm contemplating a Tapestry Diary for May. I've done some preliminary reading on the concept.  I would appreciate any general guidelines or advice from those who have tackled this particular design/concept. Obviously there are no hard and fast rules, but if I'm going to do this I only have so long to decide on my concept for the May Tapestry Diary.

I've also offered up a private weaving class as part of an auction for an education scholarship. The lesson was purchased for a women who is recovering from knee surgery. I believe the idea is for me to go along to the hopsital to teach her so she can weave while recouperating. I'm thinking tapestry would be a good idea. I have a small student tapestry loom, which she could use at a table, or I believe in her hospital bed. I thought a tapestry diary might be fun for her to do as well. What do you all think? Too much to design on the fly and learn to tapestry weave? Maybe she won't want to "commemorate" this time?

Cheers,

Erica

Sat, 04/27/2013 - 21:44

Artistry

Ah, a Tapestry Diary! Erica ! There are so many different ways of doing them! I think the first thing is to decide how much time do you want to spend on it daily? A lot of people use the Diary as a "springboard" to move onto other work in their studio so maybe work for a 1/2 to 1 hr a day it depends on the day. remember you set the rules. Some people like to weave one square or rectangle ( shape) a day. Within that shape they try a new technique, or number the day it is, or document the day somehow( a sun for a bright sunny day). Some people weave rather " free form" in let's say blue then change color to let's say red for the next month. I've been doing complete small tapestries each month but will be changing my approach because these are very time consuming. You can do several months of tapestries on one warp, the whole year(!) of course the months will be attached and you can't separate them, or one at a time, which means warping your loom each month. If they are done daily, I don't think a lot of designing goes into it. It's whatever you feel like. Maybe you want to study blending colors for a month. Then that's what you do. It is good to have a theme of sorts, guideline, I think. Like this month I'm going to express something I see on my daily walks, or practice numbers etc.,remember though it's your Tapestry Diary and the guidelines can always be changed midstream to fit your desires! For your friend in the hospital, it's just my opinion but unless you have a fair amount of time to spend with them or they have done tapestry before, I think it would be frustrating. Tapestry is complicated, one can get easily tangled up. I would suggest for your friend a Rigid Heddle where they could weave plain weave. ( Rigid Heddle Weavers, please, please, this is not a put down! I have seen gorgeous things come off a RH! I'm thinking, small, lightweight, lap, and plainweave, maybe pick up?) Erica, I hope I haven't gone on and on. I truly enjoy the Tapestry Diary! I've been doing it for 1 year. I plan on doing it for a long time. It's a great discipline!
Sat, 04/27/2013 - 21:58

Artistry

Erica Just to clarify, when I say If they are done daily(as in rectangles) I don't think a lot of designing goes into it. That's not right. It's a different kind of designing. Decisions are made and challenges arise constantly. But not usually working with a thought out cartoon.
Sun, 04/28/2013 - 06:07

Erica

Cathie, Thanks for the great input. I've looked at the tapestry diaries you've poste they are lovely! I love the colors you use. A few yards ago I would have just packed a rigid heddle loom off to the hospital for this, but I've gotten rid of my normal size rigid heddle looms and only have small 2-6" wide ones left, these are truly taster ones and a bit fiddle. That being said I do have the Ashford tapestry loom, which can be used for up to 4 "harnesses", so perhaps I'll use tha t loom. I was also thinking of using the tapestry bag woven on a box from Handwoven. Do you think tapestry is too. Uch all together or just the tapestry diary concept? For me I think I'm going to practice different techniques each day! I also need to play with color. I'm in a bit of a color rut when it comes to weaving!
Sun, 04/28/2013 - 06:41

swampstew

Hi everyone! I'm new to weaving (since February) and have been working on a plainweave mix of 16/2 and 8/2 Egyptian cotton. I have the yarns alternating in stripes and am planning to use the fabric as a baby carrier. It's 990 ends at 30 epi.

I got the edges to look pretty nice with a DIY temple (paperclips and a weight) and the fabric was looking good, but now I'm having areas of uneven tension, so the tighter spots are filling in with weft more than the looser sections. The last inch or so has been awful. I've woven about 40 inches of it so far, and all of the ends were about the same length, so I'm not sure what has happened. I'm weaving on a 36" Schacht standard floor loom.

No pictures of my problem areas, but here is what it looks like:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn241/swampstew/601808_769630318241_1656420802_n.jpg

Sun, 04/28/2013 - 09:32

Artistry

Erica, First thanks for taking the time to look at my Tapestry Diaries! If you want to see other peoples I think Tommye Scalin may have some of hers posted on her projects page, as well as Kendrick 43(?) not sure of the number. Thank you for the compliment , I do love color! For your friend. I thought about this overnight. If they had a good instructional book with them, they might enjoy the Tapestry Diary or doing a Tapestry Sampler. It would be reassuring for them to hear that everyone gets out of the proper shedding sequence, and you just undo the mistake. Books I recommend. Tapestry 101 by Kathe Todd-hooker, FineFiberPress.com. This book is very strong on technique and has good illustrations, excellent chart for materials, easy to understand. Please p.m. me if you have trouble getting through to them, I can get a copy for you from a local shop dealer or call direct and have it sent to you. The other book is Tapestry Weaving by Kirsten Glasbrook, Search Press. I bring up this book because it has a very nice sampler in it with instructions. Her illustrations are good too. Of the two books, In my opinion Kathe's far outweighs the other but it depends what you're after. If your friend keeps it simple and has lots of pretty colors to play with, they may get a confused e but with a good book and a friend will work it out! Good luck with your own endeavor! It sounds like you have set good guidelines for yourself! I'm going to be doing much of the same probably studying a technique a month. Do post your Tapestry Diary, I'd love to see it and your friends too!
Sun, 04/28/2013 - 09:43

ReedGuy

Swampstew, I'm wondering about two things: 1)the two warp sizes having different take up and 2) whether the tension was even while beaming and if warp sticks or other material was used for packing the layers of warp as you wound? If your not packing the warp, new layers will cause the warp to slip in places and cut into layers below. This will cause slack areas when your advancing the weave.

Sun, 04/28/2013 - 10:24

Artistry

swampstew, I have a feeling from your picture that the bouts have rolled around the beam and are now under the cloth( as should be) but are causing bumps in your fabric , this can effect the tension, thus a wavy line along the fell. On some cloth you don't get this but I've had it happen a few times. put a smooth folded pillowcase over the bouts, then roll up the cloth on the beam If your pillowcase isn't long enough to reach end to end of your project, don't overlap two pillowcases you'll just get another ridge, instead a piece of soft material, not bunched up but smoothed out. Maybe the problem is something else, but this is an easy try.
Sun, 04/28/2013 - 10:31

Artistry

Hey ReedGuy, I really like Goldenrod on Projects. The color choices give it a dimensional look, which I don't know if that was what you were after, it's a nice surprise and beautiful!
Sun, 04/28/2013 - 11:00

ReedGuy

Yes, I do want relief in the fabric and I can see the petals pop with relief when standing off to the side. I think once it's wet finished and fulled it will show more. I know the bedspread fulled well with a little relief in the circle edges. :)

Mon, 04/29/2013 - 14:12

endorph

another month is almost over. Had limited weaving time this weekend but did get about halfway thoguh my apron cloth. I am really loving how it is coming out - will be hard to cut it up but. . . . Think I will be spending more time making cloth for sewing. Everyone is being so productive and helpful - keep up the good work and weave on!
Tue, 04/30/2013 - 03:36

loomyladi (not verified)

Life gets busy and I don't get time to check in and I feel out of touch with all that is going on.  I've come to enjoy seeing what my weaving friends are doing.  Your triumphs and challenges become a part of my weaving journey too.  I was telling a weaving friend this weekend about Sally's towels, and when I had the pleasure of looking at a friends tablecloth I thought of ReedGuy's endeavors.  I've been up to some interesting weaverly things myself.  Prepping for Maryland S&W has taken up a fair amount of my free time recently.  Warped a loom for demo in the Purrington Booth, gave a lesson in using Angel Wings,  and did various paperwork and such.  Somehow I've misplaced a speaker that I need for the Fiber Equipment Auction on Saturday, but I'm optimistic about finding it.  My sound system will be fine if I don't have it, but I was excited to be able to offer my new sound system in stereo.  So will any of you be at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival?
Tue, 04/30/2013 - 04:07

loomyladi (not verified)

The hour is late and having come home from an adventurous weekend it seems only natural to share an experience I had last evening. Standing in the office space of a weaver who passed away many years ago I was able to reach out and touch her weaving life. Literally. Her volumes of sample books and notes were right there in front of me. I had noticed them on previous visits, but had never really done more than give them a quick look. I knew they were there, sitting in the same place they had been since her passing more than 12 years ago. This weekend, I took a binder off the shelf and opened the pages. There was an envelope with a label, "Intro Weaving Class." It was her teaching materials for a weaving class, which she taught in 1972! As I thumbed through her collection of notes, I just shook my head and thought of the legacy this wonderful woman, whom I never met, has left. Tenderly I looked through pads of graph paper that were alive with notations for yardage, fiber, and the drafts and drawdowns. One paticular draft caught my attention, it was actually quite simple, but more than a plain weave, after reviewing her notations I realized that it was the draft for the placemats that I used at dinner just a few hours previously. Today, as I was leaving the home of my friend I carried this binder with me. A loan, for a period of time, to explore her world. I hope and pray that as I work towards telling her story that I can honor her in a way that is honest, pure, and artful.

Tue, 04/30/2013 - 10:10

ReedGuy

Well, thanks for the reflections and remembrances of a past weaver.

I wonder what will become of my weaving "stuff" when I've been planted? Maybe I'll take it with me. ;)

I'm still weaving that table cloth. :)

Tue, 04/30/2013 - 10:26

Woodburner

Sounds like a priceless resource is gathering dust. :S I'm glad you were able to take advantage, albeit temporarily.

The day after my last post, I didn't do anything weaverly apart from mooch on here a bit, recuperating from the previous flurry of activity. Since then however, I have set up and done a modest amount of work on a larger and much finer piece of sprang. I then put that to one side to thrash out how to do . . . now lets see if I can get the name right . . . intertwining sprang. It's taken a fair few botched attempts, but I think I've cracked it!!

Tue, 04/30/2013 - 11:01

endorph

loomyladi for sharing your reflections. What a wonderful story and heritage. I got a few more inches woven on my cloth - need to be a bit more productive the next couple of days in order to get this done and off the loom so I can sew up my apron.
Tue, 04/30/2013 - 13:23

Artistry

Taking stock The Stagazer Lily is coming along it should be done in the next week or so. I'm changing my philosophy about my work with the Flower a month and the Tapestry Diary. While the flowers have not taken any longer than the other tapestries I've done for the diaries, they take a long time 4-6 hrs a day. I've been doing it for a year and I've gotten burned out and stalled! So in taking stock of all this I realize it's a self imposed deadline. A hard one. So someone I know, actually Tommye Scanlin, suggested Simpilfy and Big Changes! It occurred to me to simplify the Tapestry Diary using it as a " warm up" for other things in the studio. Then if I want to do flowers for serious work I can or I can do something else but no deadlines on the big work( unless of course there's an exhibit, but that's a different animal!) So now, I see all this free time! What to do? A Tapestry? Floor loom? I'm a feel a spark of excitement already at the prospect of designing something and taking time with it, sampling, the works! Starting to feel very Weaverly again!
Tue, 04/30/2013 - 13:41

sally orgren

I think having access to another weaver's sample books and working notes (if they were organized) is priceless! This is one of the reasons I love going to Clayton, NY, and spending time in the Handweaving Museum Library. They have tons of sample books and handwoven textiles.

When I become an inert weaver, just invite the guild over to my Weaveatorium. There will be a flurry of feet, dust, scraps of yarn, clumping of gear, and whatever is left when they leave can be tossed to the curb.

My trip to MN got postponed at the last minute due to yet more snowfall last week. (Nothing green to photograph yet!) So the landscape of my deadlines this week has changed dramatically. I took of advantage of the time home this weekend to work on the dishtowels, and weave off the first of my Klee studies. I think after documenting this initial project, I am going to turn the fabric into a small purse. I need to consult a guildmate on some of the construction details. (That sewing thing again. ;-)

Tue, 04/30/2013 - 13:49

Artistry

That's beautiful Sally, I think you've captured Klee well. What could or would you change?
Tue, 04/30/2013 - 14:24

ReedGuy

Yes I have read that it's been cold out there this spring and the Canadian prairies. It's been above normal warm up here for April, 60-70's for the highs. Be mowing here in a week if this keeps up........then bugs. :/

Tue, 04/30/2013 - 23:09

loomyladi (not verified)

They could wrap you in tablecloths! Actually, when it comes to estate planning it is also important to think about your weaving equipment, stash, and records. Those who think this is just "another hobby" would not fully understand the investment of time and resources most of us have in our weaving stuff. I have a friend who has barn loom that has been in the family since it was built in 1830. She knows who owned and where it has been the entire time. It will not end up in a wood pile, arrangements have been made. This estate I'm working with has an extensive equipment collection that was retained by the son. There are no grandchildren so we are working on identifying, organizing, and planning for the next home for these treasures.

Tue, 04/30/2013 - 23:13

loomyladi (not verified)

Does this mean Maryland is possible?
Tue, 04/30/2013 - 23:23

loomyladi (not verified)

I've checked in here and purchased shelf brackets and shelving to put up in the studio.  I have about 10 inkle looms I need to store till the next class.  There is some unused space about 24" down from the ceiling - LOL.  That height will put the shelf above the back of the barn loom that sits in the corner, so it really makes sense.  I'm thinking of painting the shelf blue, then spreading a really lacy cheap curtain that I have and then using spray paint to create a lace effect on the paint.  With the shelf so high it will add some interest to the studio to decorate the underside.  I will probably hang some of my vintagle linens over the edge.  Now, I have to get back to the books.  My last final is due Tuesday and I still have a 5 page paper to write.  I will enjoy my three week break before classes start again.
Wed, 05/01/2013 - 00:47

endorph

that has been my weaving activity so far - once I am off here I am going to weave for an hour or so - or maybe longer - you never can tell - think it is time to put in a MIss Marple mystery in the DVD and weave on!
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