I'm interested in trying satin weave. I think it's a good bet for using some variegated yarn from my stash. I've never tried satin and am looking for suggestions for drafts. My understanding is satin can be done on a minimum of 5 shafts. I have an 8-shaft so any draft suggestions would be greatly appreciated! The warp is going to be at 17 epi and is slightly variegated, the weft is the same weight and is a solid complimentary color.

Comments

Sun, 12/27/2015 - 04:34

Joanne Hall

Thread it on 5 shafts and then tie up 10 treadles, one set of 5 to weave weft faced and one set warp faced.  You can alternate the two sets for variation in the pattern.  Plus you can also find another thread, maybe a one color thread, to use for variation in the warp or weft. 

Joanne

Sun, 12/27/2015 - 09:08

Artistry

Hi Weavin Stevin, Satin is a great way to show off color!if you were to use just 5 shafts and variegated in the warp and wove warp satin, then you would have a single thread diagonal ( higher or lower than 45degrees) of weft showing and the rest would be variegated. warp satin is great also for painted warps. Once you get into turned satin, it gets very exciting with color choices. Painted warps and gradated wefts, or your variegated yarn and solid wefts. It's very much fun to see the many effects you can get! one thing to remember about Satin is that it is a reciprocal weave. Meaning where it is warp faced on the face , it will be weft faced on the back. Or put in another way, a warp faced block on the front , the same block on the back would be weft faced. This can be a fun challenge if you want both sides to remain interesting.

have fun,   Cathie

Sun, 12/27/2015 - 17:15

Sara von Tresckow

The very definition of satin - a weave structure with no contiguous intersections - also gives you a guide to drafting.

Normally satins are threaded straight draw - and the small est requirement is 5 ends (usually threaded straight on 5 shafts). The tieup involves lifting either 1 or 4 shafts depending on whether you have warp or weft effect. (Actually you probably want to lift only 1 thread and weave upside down where you have all warp satin). Then when lifting only 1 thread, you go lift shaft 1. You can't have contiguous intersections, so you go to shaft 3 for the second treadle. The next connection is to shaft 5, then 2, then 4. You simply treadle 1 through 5 and you have it. The rest is color and thread choice. That is a "rise" of 2. The other rise with 5 is 3. You could attach your treadles 1, 4, 2, 4, 3.

This process can also be used with any number of shafts that does not produce intersections next to one another, so 7 end or 8 end satins would also be possible on your loom. Here your rise would be either 3 or 4 on satin, 5 or 3 on the 8.

To maximize the effect of satin weaves, the warp ends need to be much closer together than a twill, so finer threads are perhaps nicer to work with.

 

Mon, 12/28/2015 - 16:51

Artistry

Good point Sara! What are you making? I love Satin and color in Linen or silk, or a wool and silk combination. It really plays up the sheen.

Cathie

Tue, 12/29/2015 - 05:59

Weavin Steven

I'm just going to make a scarf. I only have 440 yards of the yarn.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll get cracking on this early next week.