Making More Lemonade

Now to try some different color choices. It's interesting to see when I use white for one of the colors.....

Making Lemonade

When life sends you float-skips, you just have to make lemonade..... So I will do what I usually do when faced with errors: PLAY.

I am going to just keep changing colors until I find something that I think looks good. This is using red and a purple and then with red and white as wefts. When I use white (it's really an off white) it gives a light purple. Interesting.....

Fiber Arts Gallery

If you  get a chance to come to Missouri to the town of Blackwater, you will need to stop by my friends new Blackwater Fiber Arts Gallery. Opening day is May 11th. 

Float My Boat

Did you ever wonder why it looks so good on the side you are looking at as you weave, but the back side only comes into view after you have woven 22 inches, and it doesn't look so good?????????????????


So I will cut my losses and see if I can salvage enough to do a pillow top or something.... whine, whimper, whine....

Remembrance Continues....

Now that I have my facts, sort of, figured out of where I got this motif....

for this overshot on eight shafts and twelve treadles, I am weaving one motif on the first four shafts in star fashion and those threads on the second four shafts in rose fashion. I am stepping on two treadles at a time to get my pattern.



First pick, Brown is first to be thrown.

When I do this, I want to keep my shuttles in order so I automatically pick up the next one. Because when I am ready for a new treadling repeat, I switch the order I throw the shuttles.  Here is my way of keeping that in order. (after I finish this pattern repeat, I will switch and have the nave go first)

next throw ,Gold goes in the same shed as the brown.

 The reason I am using three shuttles, is that I didn't want to wind the brown and gold on one bobbin..

Next pick,
Now I throw the Navy.

Now I am back to picking up the Brown...until it is time to change the color order.... but gold will always follow the brown, because I think of them as 'one' thread.

 

Remembrance , or Senior Moment

Just to correct an earlier post.... One of my friends says she couldn't find the 'remembrance' motif in the Weaver Rose book that I quoted to you all.... well..... she is not as crazy as we think she is......that motif was found in this book:

and on this page............

Fiber Therapy

A small basket full of fiber therapy! This is Jane's handiwork!!

Guild Meeting in April

 

Day Off

Took the weaving day off. Was hoping my friend would weave a little, but she was too busy checking out my color choices. I think she approves.

Remembrance Again

Here is the overshot motif 'remembrance' from Weaver Rose.... I am using only eight shaft, but twelve treadles. I have tried, but cannot decrease the number of treadles needed without stepping on more than two at a time. But I am lucky that my loom has 14 treadles.

I like these colors. It reminds of a celebration for a golden wedding anniversary.

Hint

Hint for todays post:  LOST IN SPACE TV show.. 1965-68. And it's spelled 'Robinson'....

Error! Error! Danger, Will Robbinson!!!

There were just too many errors. I couldn't figure out how to fix it without re-threading the heddles. I had some repair heddles, but it would have taken to many  (sad)  So this is my 'fix'.

More Loopers

I have found some more uses for those nylon loopers.

I use them for choke ties when making my warp chains.

I also use them to tie onto the front beam.








I use them to tie the raddle down........

Just Thinking!

 

Noah's Ark: Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark. 
ONE: Don't miss the boat. 
TWO: Remember that we are all in the same boat! 
THREE: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark . 
FOUR: Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big. 
FIVE: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done. 
SIX: Build your future on high ground. 
SEVEN: For safety's sake, travel in pairs. 
EIGHT: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs. 
NINE: When you're stressed, float awhile. 
TEN: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals. 

Eye Full

Did you ever wonder why we say that a heddle has an eye? Well I think I might have figured it out!!! What do you think? I wouldn't want to have a stare-down contest with these guys.

Music of the Loom

I am warping my loom front to back and this photo almost looks like the keys of a piano. I don't know how to play a piano, but I do know how to play with thread. And sometime when the weaving goes well, I get into a rhythm and it feels like I am making music.   

 

 

 

 

 

Overshot Re-visited

This is the overshot fun that I am wanting to re-visit. I have been thinking of different colors and how when you cross two colors you get a third. Sometimes you never know, in weaving anyway, what you get. You can do wraps and see side by side colors, but you won't know for sure until they are woven what you might get. The weave structure and sett and other things will also contribute to the overall effect. So let me say the magic word: SAMPLE.  (But I 'think' I am going for shades in the red zone.)

Change of Plans - Back to Overshot

Sometimes when winding warp, your mind can wonder...... well, I will get to that fustian cloth, but I had this great idea to put on my side-by-side overshot and make another runner.

Found the draft, wound the warp, and have started sleying the reed. I guess I wasn't done with overshot.

Fustain Cloth

While playing with Baby, my new loom, I need to get something on one of the other looms. So I am winding warp for some Fustain cloth. According to my notes, this type of cloth was made with cotton and linen. It was a thick twilled fabric with a short nap. I will put on cotton for the warp and use line for the weft. It will take me a while, I want a wide warp.

I have woven this before, at a class I took at John C Campbell Folk School. A couple of wonderful people, Barbara Miller and Pam Howard conducted the class. Wonderful memories and a big jump on my weaving knowledge.

Some threading errors due to operator error. (some samples are just that way).
This is my washed and unwashed samples.

The Twill of Paperwork

    Playing with the new loom....... I think one of my problems is that since my warp is so narrow, I need to be very careful to pull the beater back square to the fell line. Learning a new loom is sometimes just crazy!!! But also fun!!!

 

Getting my CWTW paperwork ready to mail. Work a little, play a little..........

Weaving Words to Weave By

same warp- different denting 

While checking out some of my favorite blogs, I was struck by how inventive the titles are. Here are a few who came up with some great titles for their blog (with my added comments).  I haven't checked them all out, but love their names..................... a weaver knows.

Eager Weaver   ---- we are

A Winding Thread --- we love to wind

Weaver's Words --- we want to hear

A Sweet Thread --- we have lots of threads

Lady of the Loom --- we are, but some are guys

Working Yarn --- it's some work and some not work

Thrumbs --- we all have lots of thrumbs

Thread Tales --- we weave in tales and tails 

Weft Side of the Loom --- we woof and weave and weft

Dust Bunnies Under My Loom --- we all love these kinds of bunnies

Weave Away --- we weave away most every day

Stopping To Smell the Trees

Sometimes you just need to stop and smell the flowers, or as in this case, the trees! I don't really think the tree has a smell, but sure does make me want to go dye something. Well, hey, I think I have some sock yarn that is needing to be just that. And maybe I will find the perfect pink to match the tree! After all, every girl needs a pair of hand dyed hand knit pink socks.

You are the KEY TO MY HEART

I am very please with the drape of this scarf. It's Bamboo warp, Tencel weft with a metallic tabby. Just the scarf for a night on the town! And since it is  D2T (double two tie), you can pick either side as the public side. This will be what I send to my Complex Weavers Tied Weaves Study Group for this years sample.

12 shafts - So I Begin

Just a small warp to test out the new 12 shaft Leclerc Voyageur table loom. I seem to be having a problem with the tension. I will need to 'learn' this loom as I have plans to use it for the Midwest Weavers Conference that will be held in June, 2013.

One Scarf Done

Finished with the fringe twisting and have washed this scarf. It's not all that long, but I think it might be just the right length if worn with a winter coat.

Off the Loom and On the Floor

These are the two scarves that have just been cut apart and are just laying around on the floor waiting to be washed and for their fringe to be twisted.

The top 'black' key is one of the samples that will be going to my CW tied weaves study group. It has been washed and is still wet. The bottom 'white' key is the scarf that has not been washed. Shows the shrinkage width wise. This is also showing you the front and back sides.

Key To My Heart

Glitter and scissors........ goes together like peanut butter and jelly! At least in my book. I have woven all I can on the 'key to my heart' warp.

This is what the silver metallic tabby looks like when you squint your eyes.

This is what it looks like when I am cutting with my baby scissors.
 

Another Wonderful Fun Guild Meeting

Sock yarn from Diane for dying and knitting SOCKS!!!!

Diane models and Carol checks out the Coat that Marilynn has woven.

Marilynn's Tencel scarf.

Jan shares a piece of a coverlet from a family member that now is hers.

Tomi has woven a bag using plastic bags.

Missy shares a hand spun hand woven wool blanket from a distant relative.

Diane cotton kitchen towels!

Carol explains to Marty the different color in  her Tencel scarf.