Happy New Year! Its hard to believe another year is gone - looking forward to a weaverly year ahead. Everyone has been so productive over the last few months - actually all year - good job! Looking forward to all the projects to come in the weeks to come.  Weave on everyone!

Tina

Comments

Thu, 01/09/2014 - 06:27

tien (not verified)

Interesting! I would love to see a photo of your heddle organizer. I have 4000 heddles on my new 40-shaft loom and am about to purchase 2000 more. I'm going to count the heddles into groups of 100, then take them off the shafts. I am then going to color all the heddles (four colors, probably dilute textile paint as it is quick and doesn't fade) and put them back on the loom. I'm also going to mark every 10th heddle with black on top and bottom for use as "counting heddles" - to make counting the number of heddles on a shaft quicker and easier.

 

Anyway, as you can probably imagine, counting, removing, coloring, and putting the heddles back on again is going to be a Herculean and mind-numbingly boring and fiddly task - so if you can post me a photo of the heddle organizer, I'd be grateful. It just might rescue my sanity!

 

(I do have an angelic friend coming over to help this weekend - really hoping the two of us can crank out all the heddles by the end of the weekend! I really really want to get the first warp on this loom. I'm just DYING to weave on it!)

Thu, 01/09/2014 - 13:38

tommye scanlin

I look forward to seeing it progress, Therescac.
Thu, 01/09/2014 - 14:12

MMs-and-OOs-Ha…

I'll pull it out of the garage today and take a picture. It wouldn't be hard to make one. It would be cool if I or somebody could figure a way to "transport" the heddles and load them in bulk on the heddle frames. It is a bit awkward but now when I look at my loom(s) I can see that raising the harness and keeping it up there whilst I loaded it with heddles would give me more room. Ideally you'd have an area to thread and load the harnesses that would give you easy access. I never remove my cloth beam in the front for threading but I think if I had 40 harnesses I might. Do you have the E-lift on this loom? I wonder if this would work better than the textile paint (not a fan), http://www.dharmatrading.com/dyes/industrial-polyester-dyes.html?lnav=dyes.html ?
Thu, 01/09/2014 - 15:07

tien (not verified)

I do have the e-Lift, I think all AVL 40-shaft looms come with it (except maybe the V-series). Otherwise my right leg would become even more overdeveloped (compared to the left) than it is!

 

On Bonnie Inouye's advice, I store my heddles on bag clips - the long Swedish kind you get from Ikea. One bag clip goes through the top parts of the heddle, one goes through the bottom parts of the heddle. Then you just release the bag clip to put the heddles onto the shafts. It's a bit awkward though, so I've been looking for something better. Thus the interest in the heddle organizer!

 

The Texsolv heddles are actually nylon, so would dye using acid dyes. The trouble would be in getting them to dye evenly - you'd have to use very loose ties to keep them together, otherwise part would remain white. I'd rather just use textile paint around the eyes - it's quicker, I don't find it particularly ugly, and the loom lives in the garage anyway. So it won't affect the look of my house (which is a mess!).

Thu, 01/09/2014 - 15:45

theresasc

for all the kind words and encouragement!

Thu, 01/09/2014 - 21:31

kerstinfroberg

Every time I read about all the, hm, work? so many of you put into organizing/counting/dyeing/painting heddles my head swims.

OK, I'm just a dumb Swede (we're famous for that, I believe?), I've only been weaving for 35 years and I only have 16 shafts on my looms (AVL plus 2 generic CMs), so I probably miss the point, but... I think that, IF I had my heddles dyed, I would soon have problems. (I can see a point in having them counted in the off-loom bundles, but woluld soon get frustrated, I think. I don't really know, but I suspect very few of my warps come in nice and even 50/shaft, or whatever.)

I am always moving heddles, taking shafts off, putting them on, moving heddles, adding extras, taking extras off... as my current warp requires. When threading a new warp, I start with what is there, until done (OR until I need to add extras). When threaded, I take the extra heddles off (or not, as the case may be). When I do take them of, I just tie four bows, take them off the shaft and plop the bundle in the heddle-drawer. I own some 4000 heddles, which for my weaving width of 150 cm means slightly over 25/cm. (I do sometimes use higher setts, but so far I've never maxed my width with more than 20 epcm = 50 epi)

From what I can imagine, you-of-the-dyed-heddles need a gazillion of them, so as not to have a mix of all colours on shafts 1&2 for S&W, for instance? Isn't it a lot more work than it is worth?

I do see that, with 40 shafts, one can need something to help find one's shafts while threading. I hear about "treadling the threading" - maybe I'm not inventive enough while making my drafts, but for the (admittedly) few times I have tried that, it has taken me much longer to complete the threading. On the AVL I have the shafts numbered (written on the shaft bars), thanks to Laura. I would never do that on the CM shafts, for precisely the same reason: I take them off, hang them back on all the time - and sooner or later it probably would happen I got them back on in the wrong order. (Also thanks to Laura, I don't take extra shafts off the AVL - but I think it a lot more trouble than it can *ever* be worth to leave empty shafts on a CM, if the warp is more than 3 metres. Maybe that's just me?)

What am I missing?

Thu, 01/09/2014 - 22:11

MMs-and-OOs-Ha…

I have given up ever posting a picture in the comment here. I have no idea how people do it. I have an Ipad and that is probably the reason I can't figure it out. So I posted an entry on my bog, mmsooshandweaving.blogspot.com with a picture of the texsolv heddle organizer that I inherited with my 60" AVL. It would be very easy to make. I generally don't remove heddles on my AVL. I start my threading from the center of the reed and go to one selvedge and the start at center and repeat to the other side. Any extra heddles get corraled on the sides of the heddle frames. I generally don't have "jumpers" and I end up with equally weighted harnesses. I would probably never bother to paint my heddles. I just inherited ones that came that way. When I am threading I can't remember what color I just left. I am more concerned about being on the right shaft. I always thread a section, grab it, and count the heddles by looking at the top of the harness frames, i.e., 4 on 1, 10 on 2, 10 on 3 etc. It is my cross check. Works.
Thu, 01/09/2014 - 22:37

kerstinfroberg

found with Swe looms since, oh, early 18-hundreds?

Consists of three pieces of wood (usually flat, does that count as "dowel"?), drawn by me on my new-to-me software. Tie the bottom ties securely, add the heddles over both "arms", tie a bow at the top. (I don't own one, as I find it easier to make the ties with the heddles still on the shafts)

Thu, 01/09/2014 - 22:52

sally orgren

At least, I cannot from my phone. (I hope that is one of the improvements to come with redevelopment.)

----

A guildmate uses plastic clips that come in different colors to hold heddles out of the way, and I discovered it is a great way to track shafts when threading a deep castle, too. (Walmart, in the office supply dept., somewhere around the paper clips.)

I *hate* counting and moving heddles. I would rather devise a threading pattern where I leave dormant heddles between the threaded ones, spread throughout the width of the warp, than remove heddles. I keep the majority of heddles on shafts 1-4, the next clump on 5-8, and far fewer on 9-12. I will redraft a pattern before moving heddles.

Yep. I hate it THAT much. Not because of my loom. It's because I have a portable shelf built on top of the castle that holds a ton of books. I hate to move all the books off, then remove the shelves, and THEN count and shift the heddles.

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 00:15

ReedGuy

I forget who it was looking at miniature overshot drafts. But a nother book freely availabe in the weaving archive sites like arizona.edu is 'Original Miniature Patterns for Handweaving' Parts 1 and 2. (two PDF's).

file names eje_min1 and eje_min2

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 00:15

Monica Bellas (not verified)

Here are the four scarves, finally finished -- my fingers are sore from twisting all of the fringe.  Note to self: include enough yardage to permit cutting one scarf off as finished to do the fringe.

I started threading heddles for a new scarf, but stopped after I realized I was threading upside-down.  I'll try again tomorrow.

Monica

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 03:47

MMs-and-OOs-Ha…

Battery powered fringe twister. $3.00 at a Dollar Store or Big Lots, or similar store, for putting beads and braids in preteen hair. I use rechargeable batteries. They are available in 2 or 3 prongs. Clip one half of fringe to one prong, clip other half to other prong. Push bush forward to twist in one direction, then backwards to twist and lock in the opposite. Knot and on to the next fringe. Saves the hands.
Fri, 01/10/2014 - 12:09

Artistry

Nice towels Monica! I keep working on " Georgia" .
Fri, 01/10/2014 - 14:22

barleycorn

Hi ReedGuy,  Yes, I have the Swedish Weaving Book. I bought it at Vavstuga. It has a chapter of about 16 pages on Calculations and another chapter on Finishing that is about 36 pages long. I hope this helps. 

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 15:26

endorph

me this week - maybe this weekend - but I have been spinning and knitting. Most of the spinning has been on the spinlde but I am also trying to spend at least a few minutes on the wheel as well to start to get the feel of it. I did use the wheel the other day to ply some spindle spun singles - woohoo - that is the way to go and the lazy kate made it so easy!

I have signed up for a two day wheel basic class in February. It will be a review of what we did in the 1 day intro class including a review of the hand cards. But we will also get a chance to work with combs and do some blending as well as spin.

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 16:36

ReedGuy

Thanks Patty Lichvar for the response. I may pick it up from Halcyon some time. :)

Sat, 01/11/2014 - 04:21

endorph

pics of my spinning - the mini skeins were done on the spindle. The blue skein was spun on the spindle and then plied on the wheel.

Sat, 01/11/2014 - 04:58

Queezle

I am managing to squeeze in at least 20 minutes for weaving each day.  My first twill sample is off the loom, and the warp is re-sleyed at a denser sett.  Might not have made it dense enough, though, its about 20% denser.

But other news might be of interest to Erica, who I got to meet about a month ago.  My son was accepted into Cambridge (King's college)!  Big excitement here. 

All that tapestry - you've ruined me - I always thought i'd never do tapestry but now its all I think of as I fall asleep.

Sat, 01/11/2014 - 10:21

Erica J

I'm so excited for you all! We will have to meet up again when he moves over! We're also happy to be a contact for him if he needs anything. He probably won't but we're here if he needs a bit of Americana during his studies!

I'm also excited to hear you have resleighed your sample for the Weave A Long! :)

Sat, 01/11/2014 - 10:23

Erica J

iOS  does not play with our current system Android devices can load photos on the comment system and desktops shoukd be able to post. This is a main point for the redevelopment! :)

Sat, 01/11/2014 - 11:26

Artistry

Queezle, " All that tapestry - you've ruined me - I always thought i'd never do tapestry but now it's all I think of as I fall asleep ." DITTO, welcome to the Dark Side:) Cathie Congrats on Cambridge, Wow!
Sat, 01/11/2014 - 15:45

rosearbor (not verified)

Queezle, congratulations to your son!  that's really fantastic.

You guys stop with the tapestry stuff!  I have enough to do! (holding hands over eyes, la la la la la)

Sat, 01/11/2014 - 16:20

tommye scanlin

Here's some "salve" to put on the tapestry rash! Links to websites of tapestry organizations around the world: American Tapestry Alliance: http://americantapestryalliance.org British Tapestry Group: http://www.thebritishtapestrygroup.co.uk Canadian Tapestry Network: http://www.canadiantapestrynetwork.com European Tapestry Forum: http://www.tapestry.dk Happy scratching! Tommye
Sat, 01/11/2014 - 16:21

tommye scanlin

...in the post with tapestry links.  That's what happens when pasting from a word doc, I guess.

Tommye

Sat, 01/11/2014 - 18:32

pammersw

I have a new question over on my "fancy herringbone" thread.

Erica, I'm usually here on my Android tablet. I can only link to photos in the comments, not upload them. To show a photo in a thread like this, it has to be posted elsewhere, first!

Congrats to the young man accepted to Cambridge! 

Sat, 01/11/2014 - 18:35

theresasc

another sample for some bedroom curtains.  This will be the 5th sample that I have tried.  This is so beyond my comfort zone - I never sample, and here I am on number five.  Some on-line weaving pals want to know who I really am - LOL!  I tend to be more of a "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of weaver.

I felt the need to get up into the loft and play with my other looms as well.  I have been so immersed in the tapestry that all my other looms are feeling neglected, so it was back to the drawing board this morning and coming up with another draft to try. 

 

Sat, 01/11/2014 - 20:43

ReedGuy

Probably depends on how capable the browser is in the mobile device. Plus there is also javascript, whether or not the device is able to handle that. The only mobile unit I have is a GPS with Windows Mobile 5 that has IE loaded on it. It will display the page like on your laptop. Never tried uploading. But in my case I don't use it as I have to network to my laptop and I only have a dial-up connection on the laptop. I see no advantage of navigating around the web on small screens. :)

Sat, 01/11/2014 - 21:36

Queezle

Thanks all -- and Erica thanks for the very generous offer!  He does have another 16 college applications to places in the US, so its still a wait to see where he ends up.  But Cambridge - can't do better than that.

My daughter just looked at the tapestry images here and declared "when I go to college, you are going to make me a tapestry"...  Actually I'd like her to learn, but we shall see.

Back to weaving the denser sett sample.

Sat, 01/11/2014 - 23:56

sally orgren

No dice on my end for years now. I would **love** to be able to upload in real time from conferences from my phone. I think it would generate eyeballs for Weavo, benefit the conference sponsors, and all the advertisers.

Sun, 01/12/2014 - 01:15

pammersw

My herringbone scarf is finally underway! 

Sun, 01/12/2014 - 01:21

Artistry

Nice Herringbone pammersw! Keep working on Georgia, should have her done next week!
Sun, 01/12/2014 - 01:54

pammersw

Thank you!

I think I'm going to be glad I'm doing this with a floating selvage thread.

Sun, 01/12/2014 - 04:51

sally orgren

The herringbone looks classy, and fun to weave.

I realized I only needed one floating selvedge on the left side of this warp after I started weaving. I have tried honeycomb three times, and this is the first time I have been successful! I am not sure why it was such a weave fail on my previous attempts. I can't wait to wash it and reveal the true effects.

Sun, 01/12/2014 - 08:34

Erica J

Strange that you can't upload on Android. Most of my photos are added to comments on my Android phone, or tablet. Like this one of TJ gearing up for the redevelopment using his "phone" and "laptop"! There is a slight trick, Chrome goes back to the original tab after inserting, so you have to go back to the second tab to click the final insert button. Otherwise it is the same as on the computer. Unless the tree icon is greyed out, you can upload photos. It is still a clunky system which has top priority for fixing in the redevelooment!

Tommye when copying snd pasting from Word, use the button that has the Word icon on it! Again you should only have to use this work around for a little while!

Finally yesterday's progress was threading the 10" of mohair! It went really well only 2 or 3 places where the mohair tried to felt together with other threads!

Sun, 01/12/2014 - 08:43

Artistry

Terrific Sally! Love everything about this, can't wait to see what happens when it is washed too. Working on Georgia and listening to The fifth Juror by Michael Connelly.
Sun, 01/12/2014 - 16:51

Queezle

Beautiful projects coming along!  I'm trying to get my second twill sample done while gearing up for a very busy (work) week ahead.  I will try out uploading pics to this thread from my iphone.

Sun, 01/12/2014 - 17:46

pammersw

Beautiful honeycomb!

Erica, the tree photo icon only gives me the option to enter a url, no browse button, when using my android tablet. It's weird,  very different from other forums!  But as I just discovered how to resize,  it could be user error.  ;)

 

Sun, 01/12/2014 - 18:56

Queezle

I have gone back and forth between my phone and computer this morning.  On my phone, I can enter a reply, but all the icons between the Comment: and the box containing text are missing.  For me, not a big issue, as I prefer using my laptop.

Sun, 01/12/2014 - 19:27

Cadenza

Love the projects going on now! The honeycomb is especially lovely! 

My new warp for some towels is on the loom. Unfortunately my new yarn isn't scheduled to arrive until Friday! I have a little to sample with though, so that will have to do. 

I have an old photobucket account that I've had for years, they have an android app. I upload the photo to photobucket to get the link, then post the link in the image menu.

Sun, 01/12/2014 - 21:34

theresasc

the honeycomb alot.  Great colors that look good in that structure!

I spent my morning helping a friend move around some looms, then came home and unwove almost everything that I wove yesterday on the tapestry.  Its back in again, some improvement but it is still really tasking me.

Sun, 01/12/2014 - 23:51

sally orgren

Still no dice. Because the "tree" icon opens another window, and to add a photo opens yet another window from there, that is where I get stopped with an error message on my phone. Queezle's comment rings a bell too.

I know there are a lot of eyeballs looking, but great reluctance to participate because they can't do it easily and directly from their phones. And they tell me they just don't get the photo loading sequence required here. Too many steps. (At other sites it is much easier I am repeatedly told.) 

Mon, 01/13/2014 - 00:03

La La

I am half way through warping the next scarf. But have to take a forced break, due to a sprained thumb... Drat. It is very hard to thread anything without the use of a thumb...Guess it will wait for a few days.
Mon, 01/13/2014 - 05:05

loomyladi (not verified)

With all the weaving everyone is up to cabin fever does not stand a chance!  Love the honeycomb Sally and Pammer the scarf looks very nice.  I spent 7 hours in the studio today.  My waffle weave towels are being a nightmare.  However the reed is finally sleyed so tomorrow shoule get me weaving (fingers crossed), two visitors to the studio have placed orders for the towels in different colors. My plan is to tie on warps for 6 towels which should be enough variety to keep it interesting and long enough to be productive.  I beamed on a second set of towels onto my 20" Purrington and partly threaded.  I have to wonder why I never took the time to learn back to front warping before!  It is so much simpler than front to back!  Of course having a handy fella with serious loom knowledge at my disposal surely helps.  This evening we came across a raddle that his father made for his mother, it was servicable, but not pretty.  I think it is the raddle for the 20" Purrington that I'm using.  It is so cool to make a connection to the tools of my weaving forebearers.  Went digging through the reed collection and found some misc. tools which will migrate to my studio.  I do wish I had met this amazing woman/weaver.  The only store bought curtains in the house are ones that I hung, and there are drawers full of placeats, napkins, towels and tablecloths.

Mon, 01/13/2014 - 09:21

Erica J

As always great discussion!

I got the brushed mohair on the back beam. I literally had to break out my wood comb I use for my hair, to keep combing out the pilling from the thread. I only have three sets of crossed threads, which were very easy to identify as they really stick together and stick out! :) I can tell weaving this is going to be fun! Would definintely warp back to front next time and would only do it again, if I had an entire day to wind the warp and get it on the loom in the same day! The less the thread sits next to each other in close confinement the better!

As for photo upload fewere clicks and compatibility for common mobile devices is definintely the key criteria there! :) FYI, for IE users, I have been informed that the latest version of IE plays well with Weavolution! This will also be a top priority in the redev, but with IE you can't ever make guarantees as their updates tend to break as many things as they fix! :)

Tue, 01/14/2014 - 02:34

sally orgren

Have you considered submitting a proposal for the Weaving History Conference about one of those weavers you have been researching from your region? Just a thought! 

The guild warping demo went okay. No tears, and no one ended up looking like a spider snack, all tangled up in their warp. ;-) The true success will be evident next month when the warped looms walk in to door!

Tue, 01/14/2014 - 15:21

Erica J

Ahh yes the final touches on the mohair warp are going. It is awfully sticky behind the redd though. Please keep your fingers crossed for me folks.

We are also still hunting for the pattern support bars. If I could only read the minds of the movers, or think the way they do. We have had so much stuff go to random places this move it's comical at this point. 

Cheers,

Erica

Tue, 01/14/2014 - 15:37

ReedGuy

What was your mohair sett? I think it should be an open sett if weaving something like a throw. My throw is 10 epi and very light beat, not packed in tight. The yarn looks similar to 16/2 cotton in thickness.

Wed, 01/15/2014 - 01:10

ReedGuy

Today my end feed shuttle arrived, it's a Leclerc model with 4 extra pirns. I've tried it out tonight, works very well. I used 8/2 cotton and 2 ply Harrison Shetland wool . Both yarns worked well in the shuttle and didn't take much time to adjust the tension at all. Nice simple design. The thread just lays in, a short pull to seat the yarn in the path, adjust tension with the allan wrench for the yarn weight/fibre in use and go to weaving. :) Also got my linen for my scrim weaving.

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