I've been weaving for a couple of months, mainly scarves. I use 16/2 cotton with 20 epi sett which gives me quite loose tabby that I use as a background for some heavier rosepath patterns. I'd like to weave some more scarves for spring/summer and try using other yarns for warp. I've accumulated quite a collection of 16/2 cotton colors and I want to keep using them as weft but I'd like to exchange the cotton warp for something that would give me better drape (I had great results with twill with this cotton but now I need more drape with plainweave) and develop some nap so the final fabric is more cosy and soft. I think what I need is 30/2 linen, but I am not ready to weave with it. I only own a table loom and I'm not skilled enough to deal with broken threads frequently. Would a mix of silk/linen work for my purpose?

Comments

Tue, 03/21/2017 - 14:18

sandra.eberhar…

Linen tends to be hard and stiff, and gives a fabric that is crisp and smooth, even with fine yarn. By "nap" I am assuming that you want some fuzz on your warp yarn. You would get this most easily with wool, alpaca, cashmere or something similar. Linen can be hairy, but neither silk nor linen is fuzzy. For better drape, you may want to consider a rayon; bamboo and tencel both drape very well. A fabric that is slightly warp dominant usually has better drape than a completely balanced fabric, and twill has better drape than plain weave. Think about the fibers these yarns are made of. Linen is made from long, smooth, hard fibers, cashmere from short, soft, crimped fibers, cotton from shorter,twisted hard fibers. You can also get sample cards from mail order suppliers (Halcyon, The Woolery, Yarn Barn of Kansan, Camilla Valley, etc.) that will show you what the yarn feels like. Blends of these fibers (cotton / cashmere for example) can be interesting and can give you some unexpected results. Fuzzy warp can be challenging to get a shed with. You may want to stick to your cotton warp and go to softer weft.
Tue, 03/21/2017 - 15:15

susanlois

Hello,

I am a brand new weaver. I have been given an old Douglas Andrew Canterbury UK table loom but I can find nothing about it on the internet. The loom was in an attic for over 30 years. The string heddles were perished so I have cut them all off, cleaned the loom and had a go at making some heddles and warping 32 lengths, all through Youtube demonstrations. Not perfect by a long way but it's given me a rough idea of basic weaving.

I have been spinning for over a year, hence the joy of weaving to use some of my yarn and I am in a spinning and weaving guild so will be able to ask for help but not until the next meeting and I just can't wait. Any comments, ideas, things not to do would be much appreciated.

Regards

Sue