Happy New Year! Some terrific projects came through here last year. Looking forward to what 2016 brings! Weave on. . . .

Comments

Tue, 01/12/2016 - 22:54

Missus T.

A trapeeze is not going to work with the short, wide warp, like, say a blanket warp.  Any ideas for beaming these warps which would be too short to be flung over a trapeeze?  Another question:  does anyone have a trapeeze design that has an adjustable support for the top bar so that as the warp is shortened by beaming and can no longer go over the top bar that the bar can be moved down a bit and so continue the live tensioning system?

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 02:40

Queezle

I've been wondering if it wouldn't be a good idea to put extra pairs of holes in the uprights of the trapeze - so the horizontal bar's height can be adjustable.  My dear husband came through - my trapeze just needs another light sanding and coat of finish.  And he found a vinyl-coated coat rod that appears to be very smooth.  (not sure why images from my phone end up sideways - sorry!)trapeze awaiting finishing!

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 02:40

Queezle

I've been wondering if it wouldn't be a good idea to put extra pairs of holes in the uprights of the trapeze - so the horizontal bar's height can be adjustable.  My dear husband came through - my trapeze just needs another light sanding and coat of finish.  And he found a vinyl-coated coat rod that appears to be very smooth.  (not sure why images from my phone end up sideways - sorry!)trapeze awaiting finishing!

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 13:09

ShawnC

I don't normally put long warps on. I just tie a loop of really long texsolv (or more than one if wide) put that over the trapeze and add weight. The warp is weighted, but never goes over the trapeze. I'm sure there are other ways to do it.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 15:45

tien (not verified)

I do what ShawnC does and attach a cord to the end of the warp, then tie the weight to the cord. That works for the end of the warp, too.

I finished weaving my second phoenix - this one was beaten on an open shed rather than a closing shed, and it makes a subtle-but-noticeable difference. Beating on an open sheft packs the wefts about 20% more tightly, resulting in better weft coverage. Look at the heads especially to compare.

Phoenix 1 (closing shed):

1st woven phoenix

Phoenix 2 (open shed):

handwoven phoenix #2

Heading off to Southern California today to go visit relatives. Taking both phoenixes with me so I can embroider them while visiting!

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 15:53

ShawnC

They are both lovely!! I can see advantages to both techniques depending upon what you're looking for. Enjoy the visit!

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 16:35

theresasc

I generally put on shorter warps as well.  Before I made my trapeze I was weighing the warp down off the breast beam.  You just have to move from front to back more frequently to move the weights along the length of warp.  Only being able to crank a small length onto the warp beam was why I built a trapeze in the first place. 

Queezle - your husband did a fine job on your trapeze, much more elegant looking than mine.  I just used 1"x3" pine boards (cheap, cheap, cheap) LOL.

Shaun - I am sorry for your loss, I am glad you had your family with you.  Pretty exciting for you to be getting a draw loom.  I am looking forward to what you are able to do on that baby.

Tien - interesting contrast on your phoenix.  When you say "open shed", do you mean you changed to the next shed and beat on that one open, or did you beat on the open pick shed?  I have never beat on an open pick shed, never thought to try that.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:03

debmcclintock

I use cords to hold the weight and wind on short warps and long warps at the end to extend the warp chain to maintain even tension.  Hopefully this photo makes sense.  You can see on the warp chain on the right how I secured the cord to the warp chain.  This allows the continued use of weights thruout the whole process.  I learned the cord extension method from Lao weavers that have very long looms and extend the warp all the way to the back of their heddles.  You can double or triple the loop to shorten it and let it out when you need the length.

 

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 18:09

Missus T.

Wow, thanks everyone for so many ideas and helpful photos!  I like the simple solution of using a cord to carry the weight over the trapeeze bar beyond the end of a short warp.  This obviates the need for uprights with multiple pole notches or rests.  ReedGuy, the breast beam idea is a great one too, and might be the best for me with my 3m warps. 

Tien, your phoenixes are stunning and I can't even comprehend them as woven objects they are so detailed and utterly beguiling!

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 19:06

ReedGuy

Changing the tie-up made a more lacey effect. I seem to like it better in this sample, front and back.



 

Whatcha think? lacier?

Compared to this one.....which looks more floaty to me.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 22:33

Missus T.

Hi ReedGuy,

I'm voting for the top two photos to show a lacier weave!  Neato mosquito.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 22:57

Walkingquail

has made such good resolutions for 2016! And I love seeing all the trapeze designs in use. I don't think I could ever fit one into my rooms but I can see the advantage.

I think my resolution is to find an outlet for weaving sales without me having to be there and weave more for myself, the artist, and not just for sale. I am finishing a small tapestry that has taken just way too long a time. Yesterday I was rushing so today I have it propped up so I can see it. I amm taking much of yeasterday's work out, it just doesn't fit! Haste makes waste??

Thu, 01/14/2016 - 00:36

ShawnC

Thanks, theresasc. Yes, family is wonderful most times, but even more at times like this.

I'm very excited to get the drawloom! I've owned Damask and Omphamta for at least 20 years. Had thought of building my own to save money, but this loom was a real deal. Will be picking it up in April!

 

Shawn

Thu, 01/14/2016 - 01:48

sally orgren

ReedGuy,

The Weaving History Conference held in Clayton, NY is focusing on lace this year. The two day conference is economical and a lot of fun, due in great part by those who attend. 

Hope you can come one of these years!

May 14-15

Thousand Islands Arts Center

www.TIAC.org

 

Thu, 01/14/2016 - 14:55

theresasc

Reedguy - you are right, your top photos are more lacey looking vs the bottom.  How are you weaving this?  Supplemental warp?  The patterns look to be floating over a ground cloth.  Very cool looking.

Thu, 01/14/2016 - 22:10

ReedGuy

Just a one shuttle weave theresasc on a twill tie-up. The lacey areas bend like other lace weaves. I think I have the threading and tie-up the way it's going to be in the final piece now. I've changed my mind now on several designs. I'm using such fine thread that the windows are tiny where the floats bend. I like cotton warp and linen weft I think for this project, mainly to get a color warp that is strong, but also for the hand when used as runners. As a runner I wouldn't want all cotton. Pure linen would be fine to if I could get good colored linen in Canada without back ordering. Brassards have some French tow linen in color I guess for weft, could use irish line linen for warp (bleeched) and reverse my tie-up to get the white dominant on top. I seem to like white on a color background.

Eva Stossel has a great blog on laces and spot weave.

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 14:56

theresasc

for the information, Reedguy.  I really like what you are doing and am looking forward to seeing the final piece.  A person can get lost on Eva's blog for a really long time, she has such great information that she shares there.

Sat, 01/16/2016 - 00:04

laurafry

Location:  Guild Room, 2880 15th Ave, Prince George, BC, Canada

Time:  9am-4:30pm

Instructor:  Laura Fry

Costs:
Tuition:  $595     Materials $65     Marking Fees $160

Registration:  Contact our registration desk at 1-800-661-6537

Sat, 01/16/2016 - 15:33

tien (not verified)

Love your lace weaves, ReedGuy! They look so beautiful and so delicate.

I'm trying to figure out whether to be happy or frustrated. I just finished embroidering the second phoenix I wove (at a higher pick density). I also spent two or three hours tacking the first phoenix to its backing fabric. Then I put them side by side, and realized that the second phoenix is so much nicer than the first that I should really do the piece a third time and use phoenixes #2 and #3 for shows or for myself/my brother, sending #1 to my aunt, who has already said she'd like it.

I'm happy because I found a way to make the piece a whole lot better. I'm frustrated because, well, it means weaving a third phoenix, and I was hoping to be done with it by now! But I would not feel good about sending my brother a phoenix of less than top quality, and I'd prefer to exhibit better work as well. So, another 5000+ picks of phoenix, not to mention dyeing the weft yarns, embroidery, etc. Oh well!

Someday soon I hope to get to my cat placemats/napkins... :-)

Sat, 01/16/2016 - 18:44

Queezle

Tien - you make such lovely - amazing - things, and I believe that its this very perfectionism that drives the quality of your work.  I guess I am not surprised that you have new ideas about how to improve a woven item - rather I am surprised at how amazing your products when I have not seen any sampling.  Bravo on an amazing product to memorialize your mother. 

Sat, 01/16/2016 - 21:41

ReedGuy

Yes, the pheonixes are sites to behold and we know how much work you've been putting into them. I think we all, as well, look to improve on things as we progress. I do.

 

Now I'm on to another lace adventure here. I spent today tying up 122 doups for some leno weave on this template board. I'm also brain storming a way to make a slackener for the doup warp. I think I'm onto a fairly easy way of setting it up for my particular loom. My project will be a table runner once again using a draft from a monograph on the subject. It will be 24" on the loom, but will shrink a whole bunch I am sure.

Doups de loop. ;)

Sat, 01/16/2016 - 22:39

ShawnC

Looking forward to seeing this take shape, ReedGuy! Your photos are amazing.

Tien, in my opinion, all of your work is amazing.

Shawn

Sat, 01/16/2016 - 23:34

tien (not verified)

Queezle, believe me, I sample EVERYTHING!! I wove a ton of samples before weaving (and embroidering) the phoenix. I just don't post my samples here (though I do on my blog) :-).

Sun, 01/17/2016 - 15:28

Queezle

Oh sorry - of course you do.  You are just so prolific!  My samples take a week or more... 

Well, I love your phoenixes, and look forward to the next.

And reed guy - love your lace!

Me, I'm trying to figure out how to put recycled sari yarn to good use, and so will experiment with supplemental weft and - for the MWS study group - Theo Moorman.

Tue, 01/19/2016 - 00:11

tien (not verified)

I've heard of people using sari silk yarn in the weft (with a fairly fine warp) and using the resulting yarn for handbags. It's too stiff for clothing, or so I've been told. Needs to be underlined to prevent bagging.

Please post your experiments - it's beautiful stuff and I'd love to know how to take advantage of it.

I finished embroidering one of my phoenixes, and am much relieved to hear that the deadline for Complexity 2016 (the Complex Weavers exhibit) has been extended to Feb 8. That will give me plenty of time to get the other phoenix ready! I'm even thinking vaguely of trying to weave a different project to enter as well, though that is probably over-ambitious. Besides, whimsical cat napkins/place mats are up next, and I think they'd seem kinda out of place at either Complexity or Convergence.

Maybe I'll do something on the AVL for a change...

Wed, 01/20/2016 - 18:49

Missus T.

Hello my weaver friends!

The past few days I've taken a break from the floor loom and have been going under and over on my upright Navajo-style loom.  Last summer I took a week-long course in this traditional weaving with Carol Leigh of Hillcreek Fiber fame, as it was her last workshop prior to retiring.  I'll post pictures eventually, but it's just a stripy rug in churro rug wool.  There is so much to get used to with this loom that I decided that a stripy rug would be enough of a challenge -- it took me a lot of figuring to truly understand how the twined selvedge cords worked and to find my way toward a comfortable way to position the shed sticks.  There's so much to practice and learn!  Still, it's fun to sit on the floor in my sunny spot and poke my mulberry twig shuttle through the shed.  Today's "aha" moment was the discovery that I could position the batten to spread the shed just perfectly to assist in the snaking of the weft.  I treasure this piece of hard-won knowledge about how the tools work -- technique is not self-evident.  

Between this rug and the mosquito net curtain on the Liisa, I should have plenty of excuses to stay indoors during this weekend's approaching snow blast!

Thu, 01/21/2016 - 12:24

Artistry

Hi Everyone! I've been reading your posts and I feel inspired with all your weaverly doings! 

I'm almost back to myself, 4 really perky hrs. a day:) this is what I've been up to.

I've taken on a student to learn how to design , warp and use my AVL compudobby (24 shafts) . We use to have an ancient 16 shaft compudobby at the guild house that 4people were interested in. ( although I've had mine probably 20 years, this was way older) the  concencus at the guild was it was taking up too much room so they sold it a couple of years ago :( I've been taking a person from the guild who's interested in multishaft weaving and training them on my loom, then letting them have at it when we're gone over the summer and most of the fall. It's really fun for both of us. So I started with my second student yesterday. She should be in pretty good shape by the time we leave end of May.  She's going to sample a 16 shaft Overshot. I'm so rusty on structure this is good for me too :) 

i'm to Beauty again and the never ending warp, lol! She and I are bonded and I imagine she's saying to me hurry up and get me dressed it's f*#~g cold down here! So we're getting there :)

personal note, Ed and I will be gone driving my humurous 92 year old Dad and step mom around Florida 3 weeks in february :) Get this, my dad was going to do this himself, lol, till I got wind of it. " yes, we're going to vagabond, no reservations, I'll rent the car in MIAMI !" they're great, but we offered to go, and they jumped on it :) such good visit time ! 

taking my little tapestry loom with me, for the tapestry study group I'll be leading in February.

good weaving folks!

Thu, 01/21/2016 - 15:29

ReedGuy

I have been messing with doup leno on this warp. It took me a while to figure out the mechanics that work for my countermarche. But anyway here is my start, I have some plain weave up top and leno below. This draft was from an old monograph about leno. My doups are a little thick I think. Next time I will use my Dacron polyester fishing line for the doups. Learning you know. ;)

Thu, 01/21/2016 - 16:52

sally orgren

The month is nearly over, and I have been crazy busy with work and travel. Not much weaving activity to post although more than three looms are threaded as I have been busy sending off entries, proposals, and an article, so we'll see what unfolds as the year advances.

 

I think 2016 is going to be a "social weaving" year for me. I hope to attend a lot of weaverly events and conferences, and we have a trip to Scotland planned: combo backpacking and textile adventures. Fingers crossed the family doesn't plan a reunion this summer, because I'll have no vacation left!

 

It looks like my region won't get nailed with the extreme snowfall anticipated elsewhere. If that is the case, I am hoping to get some weaving done and finish an audio book before the library reports me "deliquent for fines owed".

 

Sigh.

Thu, 01/21/2016 - 18:47

Erica J

You are all doing fabulous weaving and explorations!

Alas, I am still mostly weaving for my certificate studies, so I can't share photos. However, I think I am still on track to finish that by the end of next month, so I can start sharing photos of my work again!!! :)

Thu, 01/21/2016 - 19:21

Missus T.

Last night, the mailman delivered a 15 dent reed needed for my mosquito net curtain and a copy of Warp with a Trapeze and Dance With Your Loom!  I chuckled to comprehend the proper speeling of "trapeze." Oh well, as my grandfather used to say, "it's a narrow-minded person who only spells a word one way!"  :) 

Tien, you were right about this book, which is technically fascinating and full of lots of juicy tips and techniques which are collateral to trapezes.  I did not realize that the book discusses two technologies -- the trapeze is distinct from the live weight tension which replaces the ratchet and pawl system.  Neato.  I could not put it down until I finished reading it. 

I did not realize how poor my posture and form were as a general principle at the loom and I am thankful for this book with all of its tips on optimizing comfort for weavers.  I also had left more than 6-8 inches of warp in front of my heddles and realized that this extra stuff was really slowing me down while sleying.  I had a slow go this morning with my new reed owing to the extra length to fiddle with.

Has anyone tried the "crank" method of tying on -- does it really obviate the need to tie and retie the warp groups at the front of the loom?  If so, I am all in for live weight tension b/c I just spent 45 minutes tying and retying my curtain warp.

This book is a gem!

 

Thu, 01/21/2016 - 22:07

bjr1957

...warp my rigid heddle and begin a gift for a departing clergy member as he is being re-assigned to another parish by our very good bishop.  We are sad to see him leave but the other parish has no leader so, go he must.  We can't keep all the good folk to ourselves.  He will be the 3rd priest to leave our parish and go help other areas who have no one.  God bless you Fr. Check!

2nd!  Monday, I finally, after 2 years, get to finish the referb on my Putney loom.  It needs heddle bars and on Monday, I will FINALLY get to order them and then the 8 shaft loom will be ready to use.  I want some new heddles, but, that will have to wait.  I have lots of old ones that came with the loom so, I will use those until I sell enough stuff on Craigslist to get new ones.

Fabric is the word for 2016. Bolts and bolts of cloth I want to weave!

Barb R.

Fri, 01/22/2016 - 01:09

tien (not verified)

I've heard many good things about the crank method, but have you considered lacing on? That's what I do, and I find it much easier on my hands and also much easier to adjust the tension on the bouts. Peggy Osterkamp has a good description here: http://peggyosterkamp.com/peggys-weaving-tips-tips-lacing-warp/

My weaverliness for today was fixing errors. I "fixed" the warp before leaving on a week-long trip to visit relatives - then got home and realized that the "fix" was hopelessly tangled and there was nothing for it but to redo it entirely. So that took three hours. Then, while finishing the fix, I managed to pull out the other half of the threads in the section. Another two hours to fix. *sigh*

Anyway, I did manage to get the errors fixed, wound my weft skeins (dyed yesterday) onto cones and then onto pirns, tied on the warp, wove a header, and have woven a grand total of 160 picks on the next phoenix. Out of about 5000 picks. After spending nearly six hours working on the loom.

Oh well. I did get a 2.5 gallon vat of chili cooked after throwing up my hands and departing the studio in disgust...and I am well set up to make actual progress tomorrow. One hopes, anyway!

ReedGuy - love the doup leno. Can you show us photos of your setup? I'm interested in how one sets things up for doup leno.

Fri, 01/22/2016 - 12:16

Artistry

Yes, ReedGuy, I'm interested in the Doup Leno too. I've done bead Leno, and I'm wondering about the differences.

Tien, smooth weaving today! Gallons of chili sounds great, hmmmmmm, I think I have everything I need, not for gallons, but for some:)

today, I'm untying something like a double half hitch on 10 warp ends each, for the remainder 1/2 of warp, then when that's done, I can beam up the next couple of yards. That should do it :) Then I can start threading the heddles Tomorrow.

i found a great article in Weavezine by Bonnie Inouye " Flowing Curves: Overshot and Weaving as Overshot " . Fun read , and a springboard , I hope, for the woman using my studio :)

Fri, 01/22/2016 - 17:35

Missus T.

Hi tien,

I'll look into lacing on for sure -- thanks for the link.  Since we're getting snowed in tomorrow -- I'll have a project to look at.  The chili sounds like a good idea -- sounds like quick meals for busy days to me.  I'm planning on making some potstickers as we've recently gotten "addicted" to freshly made dumplings here at home.  I wish I could weave and make dumplings at the same time, but alas....

This afternoon I will retie my warp bundles on the front bar and then I can attend to the tie up below.... Yay!  this warp is 58 inches wide in the reed.  Yikes!  Streeeeetch.

Fri, 01/22/2016 - 18:25

Sue in VT

Your travel plans with the folks made me laugh!  As my mom got older, we switched roles and "Oh, no you're not!" became my mantra.  Your road trip with the folks sounds like fun, and the stuff they make movies about!

Fri, 01/22/2016 - 22:02

sally orgren

I started with crank 'n yank and no tension on the warp, then I migrated to some tension and a sequential tying of bouts: tying the center bout and tightening the warp 1-2 teeth, then tying the next outer bouts from center on each side, tightening the warp 1-2 teeth, etc. progressing to the selvedges in balanced increments.

 

 


Finally, I graduated to lashing. Hands down it is faster and more accurate. When I started asking weavers whose work I admire or well-regarded instructors which method they use, I discovered a fairly common answer was "lashing".

 


That cinched it for me (pun intended! ;-)

 


(P.S. I mean lashing, not lacing - as in using shoe laces. I prefer one continuous slippery strand for lashing. Using the shoe laces is akin to having to adjust individual bouts, which takes more time. With lashing, the tension on each bout "automatically" slides into adjustment when the warp is tightened up.)

 

 

Sat, 01/23/2016 - 00:12

Queezle

On lashing...  One remaining question - is there a recommendation for the single slippery strand?  I have some vague memory of someone saying they had used mason twine (its pretty thin - 3/64 of an inch).  Does that sound right?  Or just any slippery thin braided nylon rope?

Sat, 01/23/2016 - 00:18

tien (not verified)

I actually use a thin twisted nylon rope - I can't remember if it bills itself as mason twine or not - but anything strong and slippery will work, AFAIK.

Sat, 01/23/2016 - 01:15

Missus T.

I'm sold on lashing after all these helpful comments.  My thumbs are already thanking me!  Happy weaving everyone!

Sat, 01/23/2016 - 14:40

ReedGuy

Quite franky I tried it on fine threads to lash on with a braided nylon chalk line cord. It was a failure.  I had to tie my bouts. But there is a method, you do not knot at first, that way you take the tails in hand and adjust as needed and not have to take a needle coaxing knots apart. The yarns simply would not slip on the cord. And now I know why Lundel suggests not to try it with fine yarns. She does show both methods, so she is not biased.

Sat, 01/23/2016 - 21:41

ReedGuy

Doups on shaft 2 threaded and in the eyes of standard heddles on shaft 1. Ideally the ends of these loops should be at the eyes of the heddles when the two shafts are lifted together. However, I find these drop down because of the ground threads on shaft three that must cross over the doup thread. They do this back at shaft three, so you need the doup threads to be slack enough that they can allow the loops to lift to the heddle eyes on shaft one. The ground threads pass by the doups and heddles on shafts 1 and three. It can be difficult to get the slack when the shafts really don't move much distance up or down. Nice in theory, but difficult in practice. A very slim (height) efs is your friend.

 

 

Here are the slacker rods. Ideal some elastic surgical cord is best because it can "grip" at the attachment points. I do not have any and it certainly would not be for sale in these parts. So I used springs, turnbuckles, Texsolv cord and tape so prevent slippage at the attachment points.

 

The weaving. This uses only 3 treadles. I have mine set up for treadle sequence 1-3-2-3. The 2 is the doup twist part. For plain weave it's 1-3, for this threading which uses doubled ground threads, it's not precisely plain weave in the leno areas. The outter 4" on each side are true plain however. Those ends are threaded on shafts 2 and 3 for plain weave. Hard to see the cloth here in the light. The photo below is pretty much useless.


I did a couple samples earlier and I only had 1/2" shrinkage in width which is surprising. The piece is 24" on the loom.

I should add that treadling on 3 before 2 helps the shed when making the doup cross with treadle 2. Treadle 3 only raises the ground shaft (3). This is specific to this draft.

Countermarche tie-up here.

Sat, 01/23/2016 - 17:59

Erica J

I started weaving on my samitum today, and realised, I have a lot of sleighing errors to fix first. I also think, since I used 16/2 cotton for the warp, I probably need to go bigger than 30/2 silk for the weft, even with a 12 epi sett. Ahh well.

Sat, 01/23/2016 - 21:52

ReedGuy

This might be a better photo without all the natural light.

 

 

Have a good weekend. :)

Sat, 01/23/2016 - 23:08

sally orgren

I have had a productive day of weaving. I think we might have 2 feet of snow so far, and it is still coming down like crazy out there! 

The snow is blowing so hard it is sticking to the window. Twilight was very blue outside, but the incandescent light from inside is making the snow sticking to the window appear quite golden.

Sun, 01/24/2016 - 00:16

Artistry

The snow just missed us, really disappointed, I love the sound of crunch underfoot, and the colors.

Thanks ReedGuy, for the explanations and photos. It's a nice looking cloth.

Sue in Vermont, you got it! For people who don't know him , I say think Walter Matthau :) I'm lucky.

Good 2 hrs. With Beauty Today. 

Sun, 01/24/2016 - 13:31

tien (not verified)

Huh! I lash on with fine yarns all the time, without problems. I just poke at the knots to adjust the tension. I don't know if there is more or less friction than with thicker threads, because I so rarely use thicker yarns that I can't compare! But I use a super slick thread, so perhaps that helps.

Thanks for the details on doup leno! Very useful and informative.

Today's weaverliness will be weaving more on phoenix #2, which I'm planning to complete by next weekend. Also doing the finishing work on phoenix #1, at least to the point of getting it ready to hang for photography.

Sun, 01/24/2016 - 16:31

ReedGuy

Yeah, as she describes it for "heavy, strong, or smooth yarns". My fine yarns are cotton, which is not as smooth as silk. Linen would probably also fit the bill. Anyway as I said, I had to start over and do the individual bundle ties. It was just too frustrating. I will however try again possibly with another type of cord. It may have been a little heavy, and I have some finer cord.

Perhaps this cord will be better.

 

I will give it a go with my pinwheel towels on my next warp.

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