Monday, September 30, 2013

Working on Projects - Tied Weave (summer and winter) Scarf

The fringe is twisted, the scarf ironed. Boy oh boy, this sure does have the nice drape I was going for. My edges could have been a bit better, but all in all I think it's OK.

 
I have used 10/2 Bamboo from yarn.com (Webs) for the warp and pattern weft and 140/2 silk for the tabby from Lunatic Fringe. Both have been in my stash for a while.


 
This would be a lot better if I didn't take it's picture on a yellow tile floor! OH, Well... it's just for fun, anyway!!

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Working on Projects - Lap Blanket

I have my fringe twisted on the S2T scarf and it's drying on the back porch.

So now while I wait for that, I will show what I ended up doing with the green coverlet fabric. It ended up just too narrow to work for a coverlet without doing another strip or putting on enough for two edge pieces. So with my two panels, I have made lap blankets. And to help pretty it up it has a crochet edge on three sides.

This was a learning experience of weaving a Weaver Rose draft, weaving yardage, and matching a center seam.

The reason I am calling it a lap blanket instead of a baby blanket is I may need it sooner than later.


Saturday, September 28, 2013

Working On Projects - Ticking

I am still winding warp for some ticking I want to weave. My draft calls for 786 ends!!! So I am taking my time!!

I just love using these nylon potholder loopers that my friend Jeff told me about. Almost as good as cream in my coffee!!!

 They don't slip, slide, and they keep my warp tidy.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Another Tied Weave Scarf Almost Done

Got the scarf off the loom and now will work on the fringe. Then will need to wash and press and see what I've got! 

 
front and back view

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Samples of Non-Repeating Tied Weave Scarf

Some times I do my sampling before I do a project, some times after. For this project, I have waited until I had my scarf, and now I am doing my samples. Since I tried not to have a repeat, I thought I would show just what the different pattern blocks looked like.

From the top down, I have woven four units of each pattern treadle. Pattern treadle four is 1st, and pattern treadle eight is last.


 

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Hemstitching

Ta Da!  Hemstitching being performed on a loom near you.

I call this my 2 X 4 hemstitching. I go in two rows and around four ends.  



Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Oops! Operator Error!

As I have said before, this single two tie I am working on requires me to throw the shuttle in a certain way, or rather a certain order. If I don't, then an error shows up. I should be weaving:

tie down 1 plus pattern shaft 5
tabby a
tie down 2 plus pattern shaft 5
tabby b
tie down 2 plus pattern shaft 5
tabby a
tie down 1 plus pattern shaft 5
tabby b

I think I used the tied down order 1-2-2-2 to cause the error!!

Do you see the error?
error!!!
 Do you see where I have fixed it?
corrected

Monday, September 23, 2013

Another Side Trip - Hearts

OK, I think I am putting a dent in my 'samples' basket. How about these cute hearts? They are different on both sides - the one on the left is showing it's taquete side and the one on the right is showing a plain weave side. They are poising on a handwoven towel by Dawn.

 
 
My friend Becky found this little child's song/game from 1902. It was sung to the tune of Nelly Bly, a popular song in the late 1800's.
Over one, Under one,
Over one again.
Under one, Over one,
Then we do the same.
Hi weavers! HO, weavers!
Come and weave with me!
You'll rarely find, go where you will,
A happier band that we!

Sunday, September 22, 2013

New To Me - Coverlet Book

I don't know why I waited this long to get this book (2 volumes), but just got it. If we happen to get snowed in this winter I will have a really good book to read!

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Just Two More

Single Two-Tie and Twill . . . . . .

More Pin Cushions

I think I am hooked on these little pin cushions. It's the perfect project to work on while watching golf on TV.

One is crackle, one is single two-tie and three are overshot.

Friday, September 20, 2013

20 inches to go!

Some progress made. I only have 20" left to weave, then I will hemstitch, twist fringe, then wash!

I haven't thought of a name for this scarf yet.... Maybe I will call it "The Non-Repeating Scarf" ?


Thursday, September 19, 2013

Ground Cloth and Double Two-Tie

When you are using more shafts than four you are able to make your back ground or foundation structure something other than plain weave. Of course the number of shafts greatly increases. This is still a two tie unit weave. See how the background is not plain weave. It is 2/2 twill. Over two, under two.


As you can see by this draft, I am not using a single two-tie unit. I am using a double two-tie unit. 1-3-2-4 is one of the units, 1-5-2-6 is the other unit (or block).

DOUBLE TWO-TIE : In this example: my unit is still four warp threads 
Two different shafts ( one and two) are reserved for the two tie-downs and two different shafts for the pattern warps (shafts 3+4 and 5+6). 










Don't Forget To Vote For Thistle Rose Weaving

Let's show our support to another weaver. Don't forget to vote today for Martha - Thistle Rose Weaving.

Martha has entered the Martha Stewart American Made 2013 Contest and hope to be recognized as a maker who is helping to revive lost art forms and a person who is helping to push the American made movement forward.  Martha is in the running to win $10,000 which Martha plan to use to upgrade her looms and open a working studio where she can demonstrate and teach weaving.
Vote 

You can view her entry at:

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

More Tied Weave Motifs

I won't know until I an finished if I have repeated any motifs with this single two-tie scarf. I am sure there will be some since I only have five pattern treadles to work with. Here are a couple more motifs and a look at the back side. It didn't photograph well. It's not as dull as this shows.



back view

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Tied Weave Half Done

Yep, I have woven to the mid-way point on this scarf. I only tied up for five different blocks, so trying to not do a repeat has been interesting. And for the record, someone thought that the photo of the "bug?" looked more like Santa. I am not sure what I see here.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Left Overs and Stockings

Just when you thought I was going to get that scarf done you find that I have been playing around with my samples. "Some times you just got to do what you got to do!" And these pin cushions will make great stocking stuffers come December. I was excited to see that I remembered how to crochet!!

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Do You See What I See?

Designing at the loom is lots of fun. You never know what you get until you take a step back and squint your eyes.
How about this bug?

 


Hoot Owl?

Flower?

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Single Two-Tie Weaving Order

These samples are not the project I am working on, but they shows you the different looks you can get with the different tie-down weaving orders with single two-tie on eight shafts. (Click to enlarge photo's.) I don't show any examples of mixing up the tabby orders, but that will also make a slight difference in the look you get!

These tie-down orders work on four shafts as well as five or more shafts!

The weaving tie-down order is 1-1-1-1.  You get these columns. You could have used 2-2-2-2.

The weaving tie-down order is 1-1-2-2. Staggered blocks. Could have used 2-2-1-1.
The weaving die-down order is 2-1-1-1. Stacked blocks. Wonder what 1-2-2-2 would look like?

What about 2-2-2-1 , 1-1-1-2 ????????
a-a-a-b,  a-a-b-b,  b-a-b-a,  ???????

All three together.
 

This is just for fun! Normally you would use the same thread for tabby that you used for warp..... here I have used a metallic multi-colored thread as my tabby. Be sure and click to enlarge and maybe you can see the glitz.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Poem


 
IF
 
If you can wind a warp
And never miss the cross,
If you can thread the heddles one by one
And never suffer loss,
If you can reed the threads
And never miss a dent,
And smilingly repeat your pattern
And never once resent
An interruption or a muttered curse
From workers by your side,
If you can start to weave
And find the threads you thought were tied
Are loose; if you can cheerfully retrace
Your steps and do it all again,
Then call yourself a weaver, friend;
Your patience has no end.
(anonim)

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Tied Weave Progress

Making progress on this S2T scarf. I am trying to weave without a pattern repeat. Designing at the loom is fun!

Now I have told you that I am weaving this in 1-2-2-1 pattern order with a-b-a-b tabby order.

Well............................................

There is lots more you can do to get slightly different effects. Here are the different orders you could use if you wanted to. One of the big laws says which ever order you decide to use, you MUST use it throughout your project.

Different tie down orders:
1-1-1-1 ( you do not use tie down 2). this is called dukagang-fashion
2-2-2-2 also dukagang-fashion
1-2-2-2
1-2-1-2
1-1-2-2
2-2-1-1

And if you didn't think that was enough to think about, you can also do your tabbies in different orders too:
a-b-a-b
b-a-b-a
a-a-b-b
b-b-a-a

If you are still interested in single two-tie, you might want to try to find the book "A Weave For All Seasons, Summer & Winter" by Donna Sullivan. I don't know if it's still out there to purchase, you might need to check your local guild libraries. Also for those who are members of Complex Weavers, that library has it.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Tied Weave Inspiration Secret

Did you wonder where I got my inspiration for this single two-tie scarf? Some of my friends think I wake up at 3 a.m. every morning to ponder the secrets and mysteries of weaving.

Single two-tied (front and back) bookmarks .

Single two-tied scarf.
 
Nope..... I sometimes take a year to perfect an idea. Sometimes longer, and sometimes not so long.
 
Here is one of my secrets: I know a lot of you out there - you know who you are - don't like to make samples. Well, I have found that if I put on a warp for bookmarks, I not only get "bookmarks" but I also have a place to go for ideas for larger projects. I worked up this draft last year and wove a bunch of bookmarks, and so when looking for a scarf design, I just tweeked my bookmark draft and "VOLIA" a scarf draft appeared.
 
 
 


Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Weaving Tied Weave

I just love the up-close look of this tied weave scarf. The little bits of "ticks" that show up between the pattern areas look like tiny beads. Click to enlarge and see if you agree.

 
 
For this cloth, two shafts are used to carry the tie-down warps (shafts one and two). For this reason it is called a two-tie unit weave. It is also called "single two-tie unit weave" because I are using only one shaft for the pattern.
 
Shafts 1 + 2 carry the tie-down threads
 
All the other shafts carry the pattern threads.
 
But since this is a unit weave and four threads make up that unit..... you use the same shafts for the pattern threads. 
So your unit could be: 1-4-2-4,       or 1-5-2-5,       or 1-8-2-8 .....see what I am getting at? 
 
Single using the same shafts for pattern....
Two tie....using tie-downs on two separate shafts. (In this case - shafts one and two.)
 
Or you can call it Summer and Winter if you want to.... but single two-tie is better, I think.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Weaving and Warping - S2T and Ticking

While I continue to weave my single two tie (S2T) scarf, I will also wind a warp for the next large project. I had such fun with the dimity, I thought I would try weaving some Ticking. This was another weave structure I was introduced to when I took my class at John C Campbell Folk School way back in April 2007. I always thought it would be fun to weave some ticking.....
Showing washed and unwashed samples.

The cross.
 
I will weave some single two tie and wind some ticking warp..... makes for more fun if you have several projects on the stove at once. 

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Tied Weave Scarf and Repeats

Now that I am weaving again on this single two-tie scarf, I will take the advice of Maryse and weave this 'without repeats'. I think that is a wonderful idea. Thanks Maryse!!! {check out her web page here:  http://www.fiberexpression.com/ }

But I will try to keep track of my treadling, just in case. After all, I do want this to be a 'one of a kind' scarf, but I might need to know some day what I did. You never know.

Just like when we learn to do tabby without thinking, I will know that I will always step one or two treadles to weave in the correct order I have chosen. Stepping on two treadles at the same time become routine. I use a skeleton tie up because I don't have enough treadles to tie up the complete treadling.

1-2-2-1 pattern order, a-b-a-b tabby order
 

          For Example on this draft:
tie down one + pattern treadle ..two treadles used
tabby a  ..one treadle used
tie down two + pattern treadle 4  ..two treadles used
tabby b  ..two treadles used
tie down two + pattern treadle 4  ..two treadles used
tabby a  ..one treadle used
tie down one + pattern treadle 4  ..two treadles used
tabby b  ..two treadles used

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Diva Guild Meeting Show and Tell, part 2

More show and tell items from our guild challenge:
Theo Moorman Technique

Felted wool and silk and beads!

Double-faced plain weave

placemats and rags (really- nice fabric)

Felted Wool

Woven, felted, beads, trim

Friday, September 6, 2013

Diva Guild Meeting Show and Tell, part 1

One of the great things about guild meetings is the wonderful show and tell stuff that we share. At this time last year, a challenge was put out there. A challenge to ourselves - to weave something we had never done before, to study a 'new to you' weave, dye some fibers, work with different fibers, felt something, weave with rags, to "go outside your box".  Here are some of the items from our challenge: