Sunrise Wrap

I saw this wonderful sunrise and wondered if I could find a color pallet from among my yarns.

 

 

 

 

I like how this looks, but then I wonder what color for the weft. I like doing these color wraps, but never know how - in my head - to transfer it to a woven item. I can see this in plain weave or honeycomb. Texture-Texture. The soft pink is some of my very first hand spun silk. Now you know why I weave instead of spinning.

Overshot Books

Here are some of my overshot books. This is one of the weave structures I fell in love with.

One of the most interesting is "Creative Overshot" by Margaret B. Windeknecht. Shuttle Craft Guild, Monograph Thirty One. There is traditional treadling and then there is fun...........

Weaving Library

Since I know you have gotten a view of the scarf I am weaving in from every possible angel, I will let you off the hook today and show you what else I have been up to. I have been looking around in my weaving library. I can lose all track of time while flipping through these books.

And truth be told, I have lots more weaving books, these were just the ones that were neat enough on the shelf for their photo shoot! I think one of the books I seem to go back to time and time again is the "New Key To Weaving" by Mary Black. I find her book helps me understand a weave structure I want to know more about.

Eye Candy - Sock Yarn

Here is a peek at some sock yarn that has come to live at my house. I just love knitting with this stuff. One of these days, I may even dye my own sock yarn like they do. It's Zauberball (made in Germany)by Schoppel... Love it!

More.. S2T woven On Opposites W/O Tabby

I really like how this looks like up close and personal. Since the light pink is much thicker than the dark pink, I am anxious to see how this will wash up. Will it have a 3D texture?

Moving Right Along with (taquete).

Taquete.

Summer and Winter woven On Opposites without Tabby

Single Two-Tie woven on Opposites without Tabby

What ever it is, I am getting close to the end. Only 16 more inches!!!

Starting Second Half Of Scarf

While weaving away, I was thinking I read in the 'Weft-Faced Pattern Weaves Tabby to Taquete' by Nancy Arthur Hoskins, that there was another way to weave this. An alternate way if you will.

I have been weaving
Pattern A+ tie 1
Pattern B+ tie 1
Pattern A+ tie 2
Pattern B+ tie 2

Her other way would be:
Pattern A+ tie 1
Pattern A+ tie 2
Pattern B+ tie 1
Pattern B+ tie 2

Pattern A is the opposite of Pattern B. I have 5 such pattern combinations. Here are my pattern treadles. Each 'set' has an A an B.

                                                    AB   AB     AB    AB    AB
I am not sure what the difference would be, but maybe I will try that if I have any warp left to play with.

Single Two-Tie Woven On Opposites Without Tabby

Yes, the weaving has resumed.

 

One thing I did do with this warp that I don't usually do is.......... I have two threads in the last dent and the last heddle. Very seldom do I put two threads in the same heddle, but with this thread being so fine I thought it might help with breakage.

 

And - cross your fingers - I have not had a broken edge thread. I did have some when doing the sampling on this THREADING but not on this 12/2 rayon WARP. (I think that is what it is - label gone).

Connecting with Weavers

Connecting with other weavers is very rewarding. Here is a long-distance guild I have joined. They put out a quarterly Bulletin with samples! This is the Winter 2013, Volume 56, No. 4 issue. The sample is "Contemporary Swedish Halvdrall" woven by Roberta York. She says they remind her of  " bows on a Christmas present or the stars in the night sky."

I may never get to Canada, but I can connect to these talented weavers through their guild Bulletin. And their samples are always exciting to get.

Guild of Canadian Weavers.  www (dot) thegcw (dot) ca

Ticking The Day Off

Took the day off from weaving, knitting and fiber in general. But I did have time for a quick nap on my 'ticking' pillow. Look real close and you will see that the weft is red! My little twist on traditional weaving.

Treadle Dancing Socks

Hey, instead of calling these 'yoga socks' maybe I will call them my treadle dancing socks! I dyed the yarn last year. Now we know what it wanted to be!

Another Pair of Socks?

When you can't get to the loom to weave, it is nice to have a handy project too keep those fiber impulses busy. I had some left over yarn from the hat project and I think there just be enough for another pair of Yoga Socks.

(Happy Birthday, Dear Daughter......)

Back to Single Two-Tie woven on opposites without tabby

Now that I have DD's birthday yoga socks in the mail, it's time to get back to some single two-tie woven on opposites without tabby.

 

 

 

And Then There Were Two - Socks

I don't know if you would call them socks. Maybe 'half socks'? Anyway, I knew what my daughter wanted so I knitted them and have mailed them and hopefully they will be at her house in time for her birthday.

 

Here is what they turned out to look like.

Tied Weave Progress

I have gotten to the 18 inch mark... It is not that I don't have time to weave, I just really need to get my DD's present done! Hopefully soon I will be mailing her some Yoga Socks.

I am weaving a single two-tie woven on opposites without tabby scarf in two shades of pink while trying to knit yoga socks at the same time.

I am weaving a single two-tie woven on opposites without tabby scarf in two shades of pink while trying to knit yoga socks at the same time.

I am weaving a single two-tie woven on opposites without tabby scarf in two shades of pink while trying to knit yoga socks at the same time.

There, I said it three times!

Checking For Errors

I have had a lot of trouble with this loom dropping a tie up hook. It's a Macomber 10 shaft loom and is usually a great work horse. But some times I get happy feet and things just jump off. So I have gotten a mirror to help me check the back side. I am still working on my Single Two-Tie Woven on Opposites Without Tabby scarf.  That is a very long title for a very pink scarf.

7 Pounds of Cotton

I had a questions about what I was going to do with all that 8/2 natural cotton I received the other day. It is my go-to size when I am in the mood to weave up a bunch of towels. I have found that "for me" if I dent it at 18 epi it makes a really nice hand to the towels. I know some who swear by 10/2 cotton, but this 8/2 works for me.

And Then There Was One - Sock

Yes, I have one yoga sock finished and have started on the second one. I should get them done in time for DD (dear daughter) 's birthday. I am sure the loom will wait for me a that 11 inch mark I told you about. Unless you know of any one or any thing that might slip into the loom room and weave a bit?

I received an order of 7 pounds of 8/2 natural cotton. Let the towels begin............... after the socks and the scarf, of course.

Handpainted sock yarn from days gone by.

A Little Weaving

Not much progress on the scarf. I am trying to get those Yoga Socks done. But I did do a few repeats to reach the 11 inch mark.

Yoga Socks Continue

It's coming back to me.... knitting in the round. It has been a while since I have knitted a sock. But this is going much faster than a regular sock... no heel or toe! I did have to cast off and cast on in the round. Now that took some time to remember how to do that. (the casting on part). I went with the backwards cast on. What ever works, huh?

Knitted Yoga Socks

I had a request from dear daughter for some knitted yoga socks. So here I go.....maybe I will have them done in time for her birthday later this month.

 

 

I had to find the needles, find some yarn that she can put in the washing machine, and get busy. Not a very good 'girl' color, but they should do well in a washing machine.... 50% superwash wool, 25% bamboo and 25% nylon.

 

Yoga Socks = no heel or toe.

 

Taquete

I continue to weave on my summer and winter on opposites without tabby scarf.

 

According to the book Weft-Faced Pattern Weaves Tabby to Taquete by Nancy A. Hoskins "taquete, a weft-faced compound weave that is also knows as - weft-faced summer and winter weave, weft-faced polychrome summer and winter (without tabby), and weft faced two-tie unit weave." I have a copyright book of 1992, but I believe the book has been re-printed. 

Errors Fixed, Scarf continues

OK, now I am back on track. I am using a mirror to check the back side as I weave. But I will keep my eye on that Polar Vortex that everyone is talking about.

Now I don't want to cause any scarey thoughts, but you need to know that Summer and Winter on opposites without tabby is also called TAQUETE.  Now you know!

Scarf started

Weaving has begun on the summer and winter on opposites without tabby scarf. I kept looking for errors, but it is hard to see them! I am blaming these floats on the Polar Vortex that is dipping down into Missouri and making me cold! And since I didn't have enough of the two blues I was wanting to use, I have gone to two pinks. It should look OK with my gray coat.



See the floats?



This is the side I see when I am weaving. But I don't see the error until it rolls around the breast beam.
A treadle dropped shaft 7 to cause this!!!

Tying Onto The Old Warp

When I have a threading on my loom that you want to explore more of, I sometimes tie onto the existing warp. For me this is quicker than threading the reed and the heddles one-by-one again. I have a denting and threading that I know is without errors. Unless I have a broken thread somewhere, I should be good to go!!

I will pull each thread out, one-by-one.

I am using my 'cross holder' so I have both hand free to tie the knots!

I tie the knot.

Now I am ready to pull through the reed.

I have wiggled and giggled the knots through the reed and heddles and now have it ready to roll onto the back beam. See the old warp already on the beam? That is what I tied onto.

 

 Tooting My Horn:

** The Arrow Rock Guild will be having its annual "Weave In" on February 24, 25, 26 (Mon, Tues. Wed.) in Arrow Rock Missouri at Browns Chapel.  This year we have settled in on a theme or focus on "Summer & Winter" weave structure and having a guest instructor Ann Maxvill, who is a member of Complex Weavers and focused on a study of Tied Unit Weaves. She has numerous samples as her work and as curiosity often gets the best of her and she starts thinking.

Tying One On

Sampling is done and now it's time to weave that summer and winter on opposites without tabby SCARF.  

I have woven some plain weave before cutting off the existing warp, and now I will pull each thread out - in order - and attach the new one.

New Year, New Day, New Color

I was wondering what the new year will bring. I am excited that I will have two articles in the February 2014 Complex Weaver Journal. It's always an honor to be allowed to share some of my weaving ideas and experiments. If not a member, you might check them out. http://www.complex-weavers.org/

I am excited that a Jason Collingwood workshop is coming in June. An opportunity to learn a new technique, and visiting with fellow weavers is always grand.

Today I tried to group my yarns in some kind of order. May work, may not.... but this is what I "gots" ! This is just my cotton yarns.! My bamboo, linen,  and silks are on another shelf. Should we see how long it all stays neat and tidy? ( I think not. After all - I am weaving for fun.)

Red and Pink

Blue

Yellow and Orange

Green

Purple

Brown and Black

lots and lots of white

Samples For CWTW

Working on my CWTW study group samples.I think either side could be the public side. That is a nice thing about summer and winter.

 

This is my study of summer and winter on opposites without tabby. 

2nd Knitted Hat Finished

 

My yummy alpaca/silk/wool sock yarn has made (so far) two knitted hats. This is the second one. I started it yesterday and finished today. I combined a twisted stitch and a rolled rim and then got out the crochet hook and did a popcorn stitch around the edge. So much yarn, so little time!

New Knitted Hat

You know what happens when you knit one hat???? You have to knit another. It's a law. I am sure I read somewhere that you can't just knit one. Or was that you can't eat just one cookie???

And as you can see, I am still using my paper clip as a marker.

I kept thinking I needed some worsted weight yarn until I remember all this sock yarn I have. So I will be wearing my socks on my head.

Finished With Samples

It's amazing the different looks a person can get on one threading. I think that is what intrigues me the most. This is the last of the sampling of summer and winter experiment . Hope you had as much fun as I did!

Happy New Year to everyone!

Let's hope for full bobbins and strong threads in the year ahead. If this new year throws you lemons, make lemon cake.