Yes October has finally arrived and Halloweave is officially started. I can't wait to see what everyone is working on. Remeber the goal is to weave or other weaverly activity every day. I am shooting for a minimum of 5 minutes a day - don't want to set my goal too high! Cool Post pictures and report on progress! I can't wait until I get home from work to start weaving again!

Comments

Sat, 10/17/2015 - 04:04

Queezle

Yesterday's post was the first one I tried from my phone.  Clearly a FAIL, as 80% of the words and the photo were omited.  I spent my sleepless morning getting the warp into the reed, etc, and weaving has commenced.  Tonight I was able to get in about 30 minutes, pushing forward.  This is a sample, and I think its pretty boring.  But that is why I sample.twill sample

Sat, 10/17/2015 - 21:02

endorph

will be mine. Our teacher told us we might want to throw this one away but I think it is turning out pretty goos so I will make its mate and keep this pair for myself!

I finished it - yippee! Ignore the fat ankle. It is tight on my big, wide foot but not too bad. Now to make another one! Bit first some weaving - if I can find my quill winder. It is still hiding from me.

Sat, 10/17/2015 - 23:19

Queezle

I'd keep it, too.

A rainy day here today, and I've spent hours cleaning up my studio, organizng old notes, and - yes - even some weaving.  Still working on the sample, mostly to find a color combination that speaks to me and suits the room.  Its not the sample colors, but I am exploring and learning.

Sun, 10/18/2015 - 01:53

[email protected]

The hours of planning, driving, and shopping at Rhinebeck more than make up for the days I don't get weaverly time.  This was my second trip to the festival, initially inspired last year to catch up with Jeri Robinson-Lawrence of Flying Fibers in Landisville, PA.  Last year, I showed my favorite stick shuttle to Dan Tracy and Stephen Willette.  I was pleased to buy shuttles from both today.  Dan is very approachable about creating and refining new tools with exotic woods.  

I also treated myself to a low profile Bluster Bay shuttle at the sumptuous Just Our Yarn (JOY) Booth.  On the way to checking out, I was offered more to choose from that reconfirmed my pleasure with my original selection.  I was most surprised at the difference in weight between two of the same shuttles made in the same wood! Cathie at JOY has also increased my interest in weaving with Tencel, an improved cousin of rayon that I love in commercial fabrics.

I was amazed to find people in the same spots as last year, including Patricia Bownas of Sheepish Expressions.  I spoke to her last year while she was weaving on a Gilmore Wave loom.  She directed me to the Georgia Yarn Company.  It did not take me long to connect it to Michael White a very active and helpful member of Weavolution.  I was happy to stop by her booth and tell her that I think of her when I read his postings.  

I also spent time at Hansen Crafts.  I would be interested in anyone's experiences with the quill winding attachment.  It would be a lot more affordable and practical for me if it would take the place of an electric bobbin winder.  I even discussed the possibility of using it to wind lace bobbins with Kevin Hansen.  I have pencil roving and unspun icelandic yarn that I would ply with fine thread with a mini-spinner.  It would take many hours for my spinning skills to improve enough to deserve a mini-spinner for spinning!  Spinzilla month might be a goal for me in next year's Halloweave.

Too many beautiful yarns to make rational choices for stash so I did not bring home fiber.  

 

Sun, 10/18/2015 - 03:22

SusanBH

I finally finished winding on the warp.  I didn't get to start threading heddles today, but I will get started on that tomorrow.

Sun, 10/18/2015 - 07:50

paulz

I have been simply nominally weaving until Monday as I was taking part in Spinzilla as well. Still managed to reach that stage of having to sort out the warp of the sleeping rug. Trouble is I started it off with some 10/11 year olds who helped make the original warp. I soon realised they hadn't made it long enough. Someone from guild wanted to do something to help out so I told them it needed to be 48 inches long. They then cut pieces of wool to act as the warp and tied them on. Trouble is the warp is doubled up so still wasn't long enough. Yesterday I finally had time to sort it out. I put some more warp on to make it the correct length. Then the fun started. The person from guild had tied some of them on tightly which was great but some slipped off and I had to re-thread them through with a needle.

What I thought would take 30 minutes took over 2 hours. Moral is I guess do it yourself - but then again we need to encourage others too and I guess the threading and cutting of the originak warp would have taken about the same amount of time.

Now full speed ahead.

Sun, 10/18/2015 - 15:30

Mutz

Tencel scarf

whew haven't posted since day 12. I've been so frantic to get my sister's scarf ready for her birthday (which was yesterday). I wove like a madwoman days 13-16, then at a more leisurely pace on a tapestry yesterday.

the scarf was a huge success, everyone loved it, including me. I did run into a few problems, luckily the sett was not one of them like I feared it might be. I had planned to use one strand of black tencel as the weft, but the pattern wouldn't show, and the warp was buried. I ended up having to run two strands at a time, then it was perfect. I did start to fear I would run out of the black tencel and would have to add stripes of periwinkle weft at the end, but I managed to squeak by with what I had.

today I will start planning for my next project, which might be a pouch to hold my iPad and Bluetooth keyboard. I want something to protect them so I can put them safely in my bicycle bag. I plan to participate in Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) in November and thought it would be nice to stop on my bike rides and get some writing done in the park. 

I might also work on a small tapestry today.

 

Sun, 10/18/2015 - 19:02

[email protected]

Scarf is beautiful!  Came to computer just to say, yeah, 8 shaft table loom is warped!  No tension problems or threading errors.  My space in the craft room worked out great for using the AVL wheel with the Mountain Loom for narrow sampling warp.  

Mon, 10/19/2015 - 02:48

Queezle

Just a little weaving time today, but enough to play with another weft color.  Very impressed by your scarf, Mutz!  Hope you all had a great weekend; we have a teenager's birthday this week, which means extra demands on my time for cooking.  The request: three different dinners all week - tonight was tomato basil risotto, tomorrow my tofu mac & cheese, and then shepherd's pie for the actual birthday, and a fruit tart for dessert.  But I fully intend to get in at least 5 minutes each day. 

Rinebeck sounds amazing, Francine.  I can just imagine the overwelming yarn choices. 

Mon, 10/19/2015 - 02:50

SusanBH

The scarf is beautiful, Mutz!  I bet your sister was very happy with it.

I started threading heddles today, and got about 1/4 of them done.  Unlike winding on the warp this went more quickly than I expected.  I had hoped to get back to it later in the day, but I got distracted with other things. 

Mon, 10/19/2015 - 12:36

endorph

for my quill winder - how does one misplace a quill winder, and my cone of 16/2 natural is also missing - I am sure I will find both of thses items hiding out together! So I guess I will weave on the RH tonight an tomorrow I will go to my LYS and borrow their winder to fill up some quill so I can get back to the floor loom!

Mon, 10/19/2015 - 18:25

Erica J

Saturday, I spent as much time as TJ would let me, weaving and teaching people to weave on a warp weighted loom. It was quite the experience. It was my first time weaving on a warp weighted loom myself! Everyone else was much more enamoured than I was. I had great fun, don't get me wrong, but I was defnintely born to be a drawloom weaver not a warp weighted weaver.

Today I nearly got my overshot threaded, before disaster struck! I am embarassed to say, I grossly miscounted the heddles on the Voyageur, OK off my 6 on 2 shafts and 1 on another. You're never to experienced to miscount right?!

So I had to transfer heddles in the midst of threading, which was quite a trial. But is over now and I'll finish the warping tomorrow. Now to make sure that plain weave is still the odd and even shafts, so I can check the threading before I go to the workshop. I think it is, but this is my first overshot. :)

Mon, 10/19/2015 - 19:24

Erica J

Whew after the long trek back from Ireland yesteray and sleeping nearly 12 hours last night. I had the energy to weave some taquete after TJ went to bed. I think if I can weave a full repeat each night through Dec. 2nd, I can have this bag done before our next big medieval event! Thanks for the continued inspiration!

Alternating dark and light purple checks in taquete.

Tue, 10/20/2015 - 01:08

endorph

productive hour at the loom this evening and made good progess on the fabric on the RH loom. I also found a cone of my natural 16/2 cotton  but still no quill winder. I am running out of places to look for it! THis is so frustrating. Tomorrow I will visit my LYS to wind some quills on one of thier winders.  Heavy sigh. Yell

Tue, 10/20/2015 - 02:30

Queezle

Sampling pays off - I have found a color combination that appeals to me.  It wasn't the one I thought I would like, but it is a color that makes sense.  My warp has white, purple, and a medium grey-blue, and the (so far) winning weft is a navy blue.  It makes all the colors pop and coordinate.  I'm glad to have finally found something that appeals!
 
Endorph - I share your pain!  I am forever losing track of simple things, like scissors, and wasting so much time looking.  I always figure that the thing I cannot find must be hiding in plain sight. 
And Erika - I have also had to move heddles mid-threading, it seemed as if I was courting disaster.  But it sounds like it turned out OK for you.

Tue, 10/20/2015 - 13:02

Mutz

I'm trying to plan my next project- protective case for my iPad and bluetooth key board. I keep changing my mind about what pattern to use. I'm going to have to get serious today or this won't get warped this week. I have 2 more birthdays creeping up fast that I want to make more scarves for, and this iPad case won't get made if I don't hurry.

other than flipping through pattern books, I only wove a few minutes on a tiny tapestry sampler.

Today I plan to calculate my yarn needs, and pick the pattern without being wishy-washy. Really I am.

Tue, 10/20/2015 - 19:34

Erica J

My overshot warp is warped! It seems to be correct! Can it be? Yes I was right that Overshot incoporates normal plain weave, the blocks are set up to ensure plain weave picks, don't ask how I forgot that!

And I wove and entire repeat on the taquete, so far keeping up with my goal! Sealed

Wed, 10/21/2015 - 00:02

SusanBH

I worked more on threading heddles yesterday and today, and will finish up the last few tonight!  Hopefully I'll actually be able to be weaving this project by the end of the week.

Wed, 10/21/2015 - 00:47

endorph

loom this evening. I can see the light, er, the warp, at the end of the tunnel! I am loving my handspun.

Wed, 10/21/2015 - 01:50

Queezle

Brown!  Lovely chocolately brown is another warp color that plays nicely with the white, purple, and dusky blue.  ....sigh of contentment....

I'm only managing about 10 minutes a day, but that is so much more than I put in over the summer. 

I'm also wondering if I am in the mood to finally dip my toe into woven shibori.  Man-oh-man do I have a short attention span.

Wed, 10/21/2015 - 05:24

Erica J

Gorgeous,  Endorph!

Queezle, I am attending a workshop this weekend and will grt to weave shibori. Maybe we will have to do astudy group after Halloweave?! ;)

Thu, 10/22/2015 - 03:41

Queezle

Sadly, didn't pick up a shuttle. I did, however, spend about 5 minutes in my loom room, going through my other 8/2 yarns, and selecting a couple more colors to try.  Tomorrrow is the big birthday, I most of my evening was spent making custard cream and a tart crust. 

Thu, 10/22/2015 - 11:48

endorph

decent progress on the RH warp. Will hopefully finish it off tonight so I can get it washed and ready to cut up for my tote bag. I will work on the floor loom this weekend and next week and see if I can get that warp off the loom as well before Oct 31.

I am so pleased to see such great work being done in here this month. My little archnids have certainly been busy.

Thu, 10/22/2015 - 19:57

SusanBH

I see I forgot to update again yesterday.  I got the heddle all sleyed yesterday,  tied up the treadles and lashed onto the front apron today.  I'm now just tweaking tension and starting to weave some scrap yarn in to double check threading, and I'll be off and weaving!

 

Fri, 10/23/2015 - 02:13

[email protected]

This week is a blur but I have even tension on my table loom warp.  I decided to lash it on anyway to minimize waste.  I think I will end up with bookmark samplers by paying attention to pleasing sequences of weft colors as well as the systematic progression of patterns.  Pixel loom screen shots for initial lift plans in hand.  

I also have started to revisit my woodworking project.  My fabulous husband has worked diligently in his shop to make the tools I want to use accessible.

 

Fri, 10/23/2015 - 02:47

Queezle

I spent a little time with pencil and paper, jotting down some notes for where to take this twill sampler.  One of my favorite processes is making a sample, redesigning, sampling, etc.  I want narrower bands, so the repeats can make more sense -- if you know what I mean.  After taking this photo, I wove off the brown yarn, and wound the bobbin with a light pink.  Don't think  I will like the pink, but stranger things have happened.

8/2 cotton, 3/1 twill blocks. A bit boring.

Fri, 10/23/2015 - 02:51

endorph

get my warp fonished but I can definitley see the end coming up. I had to stop weaving to wind another hank of yarn into a ball. Tomorrow night for sure I will finish.

Fri, 10/23/2015 - 09:27

Erica J

I checked the threading on my loom for this weekend's workshop yesterday. I also managed to weave about 2" of boundweave. 

I am staying home from work today, because I've been a bit unwell and want to make sure I'm rested for the Stacey Harvey Brown workshop this weekend!

I am torn between doing a bit of restful spinning and weaving and resisting doing anything to save my energy. It's even odds as to which would be better. :)

Fri, 10/23/2015 - 11:46

endorph

I think spinning is a good way to rest! I find it especially useful when I need some destressing!Innocent

Fri, 10/23/2015 - 13:43

Erica J

I did start some more spinning. I'm playing with long draw now, it is amazing!

I also did a few repeats of the taquete blocks. With 3"woven so far, 30" looks alomg way off, but I don't need it done until Dec. ;)

Fri, 10/23/2015 - 15:57

theresasc

Everyone is so busy, I feel like such a slacker.

This morning was on the floor loom, finished off one towel, have the hem going on the second.  Walked past the tapestry loom to get to the floor loom, that is all that happened on tapestry - LOL.

Fri, 10/23/2015 - 17:33

Mutz

i did finally decide on my pattern. I sleyed my reed. Today I will thread it, tie it on and hopefully start to weave. 

Yesterday I spent time with the inkle loom that was given to me when I bought the Baby Wolf. I don't know how old the yarn is on there. Some of it is discoloring, especially on the shuttle. Since the woman I bought everything from said it belonged to an aunt who died in 1998, I can only assume this is a very old warp. When I first sat down with this inkle loom to figure out what was on it, I discovered that all the thread must have fallen off some of the pegs. It had all been picked up and slipped haphazardly onto the first peg where the sheds should be formed. Took me a while to sort of sort that mess out. Had to tie a few heddles to make it work out a little better. Anyway, the warp isn't perfect, but I can finish this strap someone started nearly 2 decades ago. Funny thing is the spools of yarn the last weaver used to warp this inkle loom were in the stash pile that was sold to me with the Baby Wolf. And the spools are hugely discolored. I've had to throw out at least 3 spools that practically disintegrated when I tried to look at them. But I'm getting off topic. What I'm trying to say is I wove a huge bit of that warped up inkle loom last night. I almost couldn't get the warp to advance, but the more I wove the easier it was to finally get it slipping over the pegs. Maybe the warp was starting to become one with the loom ha. I think I could finish it this weekend and warp up a strap for the Indian March tote I took off the baby wolf a couple weeks ago.

Sat, 10/24/2015 - 00:30

Mutz

I love looking at the projects here. The hand spun is fabulous and is making me want to weave up yarn I've spun. And I like Quezzles sampler. 

Sat, 10/24/2015 - 01:27

Queezle

Thanks Mutz.  Its a bit boring but I am enjoying the color combinations.  My non-weaving friends think I'm nuts because I mostly just make samples.  They might be right.

Today I wove the pink section on the sample.  Am feeling like cutting it off, even though its not done.  Will resist the urge.  My daily weaving contributions will soon have to turn into old project finishing, as I am traveling to see my mother, leaving mid week next week.

That old yarn must be disheartening, Mutz.  I have some old yarn, stuff I bought 25 yrs ago, and so I should either use it or toss it, I guess.

Sat, 10/24/2015 - 11:17

endorph

Yippe! and since it is raining cats and dogs and the road into the LYS is flooded I won't be able to get quills wound today. I am going to try winding a quill using my power screwdriver and see where that gets me! I only need one bobbin of natural to finish the towel I am on. Heavy sigh. If that doesn't work my weaverliness today wil be tearing the house apart looking for my quill winder! LOL, but seriously, how do you misplace a quill winder?

Sat, 10/24/2015 - 15:26

endorph

is washed and hanging to dry. I lightly felted it.

Sat, 10/24/2015 - 18:04

SusanBH

Endorph, I’m amazed at the things I can misplace.  The key to finding your quill winder is to give up and purchase another.  Then it will make itself known.

I only spent 10-15 minutes at the loom yesterday.  I don’t know if I have explained this before, but I am doing this project on my vintage-but-new-to-me loom.  This is the first time I’ve used it.  I put it together in the spare bedroom that I hope to use as a weaving studio, which is right above my younger daughter’s bedroom.  Until yesterday she had not been home when I’ve been weaving.  Yesterday after I’d been weaving for about 2 minutes she was standing next to me saying, “Will it always sound like that?”  Apparently the falling of the harnesses is shaking her whole room.  She said it sounds much louder in her room than it does standing next to the loom.  I’ve ordered anti-vibration pads to put under the legs of the loom, but for now I’ll have to be somewhat circumspect about when I choose to weave.

The loom is working pretty well.  I’m finding I have to keep an eye on the rear friction brake, to be sure the brake release is holding, but this seems to be a matter of finding the right adjustment.  Also, weaving on a new loom is making my selvedges look like they did when I first started weaving.  I guess this first towel will be for me. 

Sun, 10/25/2015 - 00:04

endorph

unfortunately getting a new winder is not a possibility - not at what they cost! I did manage to find my three missing short stick shuttles nad the missing cone of 16/2 natural cotton. Stupid me I thought maybe the cotton would be with the winder. . . . Still no winder . I did manage to get a fairly decent quill wound with the power screwdriver but it was slow going.

Sun, 10/25/2015 - 03:26

SusanBH

I got to spend enough time at the loom today to get one towel half way done.  Selvedges are getting back to normal, and the loom is working smoothly.  I had fun, and no complaints from the downstairs tenant.

Sun, 10/25/2015 - 06:20

Erica J

So I treid the give up and buy a new one method to make my Complete book of Draftin appear. I figured if I foudn he other one I will just donate it to the Guild Library, so I thought it would be win-win, so far it hasn't worked. The new book has arrived, but the old book is still stuanchly hiding. Ah well.

Yesterday, I wove two small wandering vine sample yesterday and wetfinished them. For the texture, you use really long floats in your weaving and really felt them, to give a bit of an interesting puckering.  I also wove a few inches of woven shibori, which is proving much easier than I assumed it was! I am learning so much and can't wait to show you all my final samples. I will finish my woven shibori and weave stitched double cloth, for texture as well, today. So I'll have 3 samples to share in the end.

It was interesting weaving overshot for texture, when I have only woven about 6" of overshot ever. I am looking forward to weaving a bit of actual overshot on this warp and weave it up for woven shibori as well! This workshop is really interesting.

Sun, 10/25/2015 - 07:08

paulz

I have been restoring a loom. First I had to demolish my old weaving studio (shed built from pallet wood) and build a new shed (studio). Betweentimes I had to store all of the loom to be restored and my wool (72 banana boxes) along with my other paraphenalia. The new shed had to be built around the frame of the restored loom to find out how tall to make the studio.

The shed has been made and is nearly completely watertight. I have found space for most of the fleeces and was thinking about assembling the next part of the loom. I was convinced I had put the shafts between boxes of wool, or down the side of the filing cabinet. My wife kept asking me if I had looked in the loft but I had no memory of taking them up to the loft.

Yesterday I had to go up to the loft for something else and there were my shafts.

Sun, 10/25/2015 - 07:10

Mutz

iPad carry case

Finished inkle strap

well the past couple of days I managed to finish threading and tying on my new project. I should be able to start weaving tomorrow. 

 

 I also managed to finish the warp that was on the inkle loom. The wood underneath that old warp is really light compared to the rest of the loom. 

 

Mon, 10/26/2015 - 02:16

SusanBH

I got the first towel finished today.  The loom is weaving well, I'm very pleased.  I'm hoping to get 8 towels from this warp, then I'll tie another warp to this one and do it all over again. 

Mon, 10/26/2015 - 06:00

Erica J

I did way more than 10 minutes weaving on my 2 day workshop this weekend.

Here is the wet finished sample from day 1. I'll post photos of the other samples after they are finished.

Natural cotton overshot shaped by fulling tge wool pattern weft

 

Mon, 10/26/2015 - 12:12

endorph

for Day 25 consisted in getting a quill wound. Yes it took all day as I had to give the power screwdriver lots of breaks to cool down! The rain has subsided and during my lunch hour I hope to get to the LYS and get some more quills wound. Tonight I plan on putting in at least an hour on the floor loom.

Group Audience
Active Arachnids 2015