Thinking Out Loud

 

Here is a close-up of both scarves in the Crackle-Woven-Shibori-Experiment. As you can see, they are both really different even though both were on the same threading, denting, and treadling. Well, the same treadling - sort of.

I had some good questions yesterday.  "Is the end result what you expected? Would you do it again? What did you learn?" Let me try to explain:

I am always interested in what might happen if I do this or if I do that. What happens if I weave an overshot threading with an advancing twill treadling? What happens if I dye a project before I put it on the loom or would I get something completely different if I dyed it after it was woven and off the loom? It's the WHAT IF'S that keep me interested in weaving. So yes, I would and will try this kind of experiment again.

I think I learned that I can take a threading from one draft and by using the treadling - in the woven shibori way-  get a cloth that I couldn't get any other way. It's all a matter of what you like. The woven shibori scarf is now a plain weave scarf. But don't you wonder how the design got there? (I some times tell people that I have a very tiny paint brush that I use.) LOL

And of course, there is the subject of 'dying' your own cloth. Do you do it before? Do you do it after? Or do you just buy your thread already a certain color?  I find that when I dye my projects, either before weaving or after, it's always magic to see what I get. Oh, I can sort of predict what it will look like, but dye, as far as I am concerned, is magic. I don't keep formulas or keep track of what colors or what percentiles of what was used. I want a product that is a one-of. So is the end result what I expected? Yes and no!

I think that is what makes weaving so interesting to me. The field is wide open to experiment but there is also lots of information out there for those who like to be 'cookbook weavers'. Both work. But what works for me is the what if's........ I might start with a cookbook idea and then give it the "hummm, what if I did this instead" treatment.