Overshot Backside

It seems as if I can only weave one repeat a day. It's slow going. I have to step on two treadles at a time while I am weaving for both four shaft overshot motifs at the same time. And after each motif repeat , I switch color rotation. Whew! But I think it will be well worth it. Here is that back side, which is really the front side.......

I did decide to put fringe on this runner instead of a plain weave hem. Hem is done, and three repeats have been completed. I plan on getting close to 42 inches long. Not counting the fringe.

More Guild Meeting




More guild photo's!  Awesome things we weavers make. Barbara brought a gourd she had woven on, but I forgot to get a photo of that. 

Katie (a link to her blog is on my blog- Hay Creek Handwovens)  gave an excellent program on how to make a draw-down. I am sorry I didn't get a photo of that either, but the thinking was intense, at least on my part.  

I think between the learning and fellowship, we can't wait until the next meeting.  



Bo- dying with Indigo on wool and cotton



Bo- silk scarves



Bo- silk and  RUST.





Jane- Friendship Overshot Coverlet with crocheted edge.

Carolyn- made on sock machine!



Barbara- Nuno Felting

Barbara- Nuno Felting

Guild Meeting Inspires



Becky-Chenille scarf

Katie- Doublewidth blanket

Another wonderful guild meeting. We had so many great show and tell items, that I will need to show you some today, and the rest tomorrow.

There were so many awsome blankets, that maybe I should try that next?????

Katie-towels



Vicki- Doublewidth blanket

Vicki-Shopping trip at Halcyon!

Vicki- Doublewidth blanket

Painted and woven by Barbara! Will make a wonderful skirt.

Overshot Circles In Shades of Brown

I see circles! I can see the diagonal line too! (small pat on back) Isn't weaving Overshot fun ?!

I am trying out dark and medium brown to see how well they work with the off-white warp. I think this might be a good mix. They are blending better with the off-white warp. The green I picked out to go with the red is to pale. I may re-visit those color combination with different shades of red/green. It's where the colors blend with the off-white warp threads that seems to be the problem.

Overshot Sampling On Eight

For the first two colors I am trying out, I have picked a red and green. I am not to sure they are going to give me the WOW effect I was going for. Maybe the red or maybe the green should have been a darker shade. I will have to look in the old stash and see what I have. ...............But that is why I put on extra warp: to SAMPLE - SAMPLE - SAMPLE!!!

For some reason, the draft must be for a sinking shed loom as I am weaving this upside down. And since this loom isn't that easy to tie-up, I can live with it. I will try to get you a photo once it rolls onto the front beam.

That is not an error between motifs. It is how to get from one to the other. This was intended as fabric for a pillow without a tabby hem. I have chosen to weave a tabby hem for this runner. If I think it will be to much of a distraction, I may go with twisted fringe and forget the tabby hem.

Back to Overshot

OK, back to the big loom and the overshot on eight shafts. I am almost ready to start weaving. I will need to tie-up the treadles and check one..more..time... for errors.

This draft calls for a skelton tie-up of 12 treadles and because this loom is a 10 shaft Macomber, I have 14 treadles. (yeah ! ).     

Summer and Winter (work and play)

WORK

Did a little work on the Summer and Winter project. The green is woven 1-1-1-1 with tabby order a-a-b-b. It is still on the loom, so will look a little different when off the loom. But it looks kinda like waffle weave now. Maybe?

The red is woven 1-2-2-1 with tabby order a-b-a-b. It has been washed and pressed. This is what I think of when I think about Summer and Winter (single two-tie). This is the winter side.

PLAY



 Missouri fish!

Went for a picnic today and had to share this photo. It was a very nice day today. 

Progress on Overshot and Summer and Winter

Some progress was made on the overshot warp. I am still dreaming of the different color combinations that I can use on this warp. Since it will have two colors side by side, I think the first choices will be red and green. But I really need to finish getting this on the loom!

I am also working on preparing a workshop for my local guild. This program will be on Summer and Winter... but as we know, that's referred to as "single-two tie". I am planning on two days to play with this weave structure.

The workshop will be geared to the four shaft loom. Most of my explorations has been on eight shafts, so it's been fun weaving samples on just four. I hope I have a few sign-up, as I think it will be an informative workshop.  

Weaving is Slow Today

DH is golfed out:

Rossanna watches DH while he takes a nap.

I am working on getting ready to teach a Summer and Winter workshop in October:

Threading the Heddles for 8 shaft Overshot

This draft I am threading through the heddles is really two four shaft overshot drafts combined onto an eight shaft loom. You can see the groups of those on the the first four shafts and those on the next four shafts. I am excited to start working on this.

To get a sneak peak at what I am doing, go to the Weaver's Issue 33, Fall 1996, pages 38-39. I have enlarged and shrunk it! It will be the same, but different.

Weavers Like Color

When you have wound a white warp, thread a white warp through the reed, and you are now threading a white warp through the heddles, trust me, you need a shot of color.

Knitting these socks is a joy for the eyeballs! My mind dreams of the different colors I can use with this next white warp!

Off with the Old, On with the New

The old warp was taken off and put into the thrum basket.

It's always one last time to reflect on the choices made and lessons learned. What if I had dented the warp closer, or wider? What if I had used a linen instead of cotton thread? What if I had used a thicker wool. What if I had moved the temple more often? Did the colors work well together. Did the size fit the intended area? Will I try weaving a rug again? Would a different weave structure worked better?

But now onto the next project. The warp has been wound and the reed is 1st.........

...and new questions begin with a new project!

Back on Safe Ground - 10/2 cotton

OK, back to weaving something I am familiar with...... 10/2 cotton sett at 24 epi. I know it's not that small, but compared to the rugs I just finished that were 8 epi, it's tiny! But this size of thread is what I enjoy working with.

I am planning on doing an eight shaft overshot runner. First is winding the warp.

I have wound 150 ends, so far.

Rugs -Done

Well, I have completed my rugs. I have learned lots of lessons, but realize that weaving rugs are a whole 'nuther animal. None of these rugs were beaten tight/dense enough. And that bring up another point. Rug weaving has it's own language too. And knowing what to do with the edges are a puzzle. Fringe - no fringe?? It's all part of the learning process.

But I am happy with what I did and may take up weaving rugs again in the future. Here is the Breakfast Rug at the front door. It still need to have a good hard press. But this gives you an idea what it looks like.

Rug - Edge Treatment

Now it's time to work on the real Breakfast Rug. I mis-spoke when I called the purple/white rug that. I should have called that one the 'Cups and Saucers Wall Hanging'. This rug, with it's oatmeal, brown, and green is the real Breakfast Rug! (Oatmeal with it's brown sugar and butter, brown coffee, and green eggs and ham colors.)

I have turned the rug to the back side and have done a half Damascus edge across from right to left. Now I am darning in each warp end into the rug. Because of where this rug will reside, at front door, I didn't want fringe. I found out how to do this edge treatment in this Weaver's Journal: October 1977 , and it can be found at this on-line archive of weaving and related topics. http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/index.html 

I have gone right to left for the Damascus edge and will now darn in from the left to right.

After I get all the warp ends darned in, I think I will use 'fray check' to help seal the edge.

Rug for Bedroom is Squarer and Rounder

This is the first rug I wove on this overshot warp. I think it turned out OK. Remember, I had to order more yarn? You have to look close to see that.

This one is also woven better in regards to squaring my designs. The circles (wheels, cups) are a little rounder and the squares (tables, saucers) are a little squarer. This one goes with my bedroom colors, so it will reside on my side of the bed.

Weaving and Slippers

My inkle weaving tells that I knit socks. I knit slippers too!!

I sent off for a kit and expected to only knit two slippers. As you can see by the photo, I have knitted six........... and none of them match! This yarn has so many knots in it, that I wonder who the person was that had to stop the machine to tie all the knots. They had a work out that day. I have started on number seven, maybe it will match one I have already knitted.

Work continues on the overshot rugs. Reading up on how to finish the edges...........................

Overshot Rug Becomes Wall Hanging

Yes, the purple/oatmeal wool overshot breakfast rug has turned into a wall hanging!

1. Did not beat firm enough
2. Like the looks of the wool as pattern and tabby
3. Blocks were not squared
4. Like the pattern
5. Did not allow enough warp on each edge
6. Works as a wall hanging, not a rug.
7. Enjoyed weaving as-drawn-in.

Rug - Cut Off Loom

The rugs that I have been working on are from The Weaver's Journal, April 1980, pages 27-39. The name of the article is Designing Rugs for Harness-Controlled Weaving.

The green/yellow rug is what I wove first. It is woven Boundweave Woven on Opposites. Notice that there is not a diagonal line through this design. Tabby is not used.

The next one is three colors and is Boundweave Woven Italian Fashion. I have a treadling error (that I was consistent with) that gives it  a more curvy look than it should have. And with this draft there isn't the diagonal line we normally look for when we see overshot. This was woven with three colors, no tabby.

This last one is the purple/white where I wove it as-drawn-in. I like it the best. But should have used the carpet warp as tabby instead of the white wool. That might have helped my square it better. Because of the four wheels (cups) in the center, the diagonal line appears not to be there, but look closely and you will see that I wove two repeats on-the-diagonal.

Woven: . As-drawn-in, . On the Diagonal, . Tromp As-Writ
Anyway you say it, it was Weaving For The Fun Of It!!

Rug- Do as I say, Not as I do!!

I know you have heard these words spoken at least once: "Do as I say, not as I do." Well, I don't know if the overshot purists are not reading my blog, or are just shaking their heads in wonder.... but yes, I know that this last part that I am weaving 'as drawn in' isn't square. So maybe I am weaving it just 'by the block'.

In a perfect world, I would need to have woven more shots per row to get this table to be square. It's only 2 inches high and should have been 3 and 1/2 inches high. So, if you want to do overshot in it's purest form, you will want to square your blocks, and that in turn should square your design.

Guild

Guild:  friends, knowledge shared, lessons learned, support, encouragement, smiles........

Carol explains Boundweaving on an overshot threading.

Susan explains her overshot game- awesome!



Marilynn dyes, weaves, constructs a kimono.   



Kathy's pillows



 



Kathy explains her weaving trials and triumphs.



Marty dyes, over dyes, constructs a jacket!



     

Wow Factor

Wow, is not strong enough to describe these two rugs from a couple of my friends. They went to England to take a rug weaving class with Jason Collingwood and came home with awesome rugs and lots of knowledge and fun experiences. I will show you front and back of each rug. They had to create their own patterns and choose their colors. My photo's don't do them justice. They are wonderful!!!!!

Marty's rug front

Marty's rug back

Diane's rug front

Diane's rug back