Wagon Wheels Moving On

I have come to the end of this warp. It is threaded to the pattern "Wagon Wheels" from "The Weaving Book of Peace and Patience" by Isadora Safner and Diane Piette. It was a fun project. I only put four yards on so didn't have much to play with. After I wove two different pieces, one green the other red, I went out-side-the-overshot-box. Taking the treadling from another one of their drafts, I treadled "Double Compass Work the Handsome Way." I still have my wagon wheels, but the diagonal line has been broken and give a different look to the area between the wheels.

This is showing the Double Compass Work the Handsome Way while it is still on the loom. Notice the diagonal line is not there.

Now it is off the loom and this is what the non-public (back) side looks like. Or I might make this the public side!

Here are the two different treadlings. Notice the different joining areas between the wheels.

Overshot Notes

 
 
While I am weaving on this overshot draft called "Wagon Wheels", I thought I would tell a little about weaving on the diagonal. Another term is to call it "tromp as writ". A Handweaver's Workbook by Heather G. Thrope says: "This simply means that the harness (shaft) combinations found in the written draft are taken for the tromping of it".




Here I am showing the block that I have just finished. It had 8 pattern picks and 8 tabby picks.



 

The next block to weave is always to the left of the one just completed. It shows me three threads, so I will weave 2 pattern picks and two tabby picks. You always weave one less than the number of threads shown. 

Pattern Between the Repeats

Wagon Wheel from The Weaving Book of Peace and Patience. by Isadora Safner and Diane Piette.

 

It is always interesting to see what happens as you work across your threading draft. You know what your main pattern will look like, but sometimes it is a surprise what the pattern looks like as you join the repeats.

 

This is the joining pattern that is being created as I work across this draft. I would call it the secondary pattern.

This is the main pattern showing the wagon wheels. It would be fun to just weave this  on the bottom of a towel, or apron, or runner, or........

Show and Tell at Katie's House

After we played in the dye pots yesterday we ate lunch, we then had show and tell at our dye party at Katie's house. What wonderful stuff! How about some handdyed M's and O's, overshot baby blankets, huck lace, twill and plain weave. Larry wasn't there, but he made a small warping board for Becky.

You should be able to click on a picture and make them bigger. (I think)

Katie's daughter painted the picture. I just love it!

Dye Party at Katie's House

Some of us got together at Katie's house and did some warp painting! It was a perfect day for it!!

Becky and Jane

Vicki and Shirley C.

Barbara and Katie

Sam supervising Shirley C.

Shirley D.

Since there weren't any pictures of me in action, I thought I would show you what I ended up with.

The colors for this came from everybody. I just went from station to station and dabbed on the colors they were using. They thought I was nuts, but it sure turned out pretty.

Peace and Patience

This new overshot project I am working on comes from some draughts that a mother and daughter used to weave items for their home. The book I have by Isadora Safner and Diane Piette tell me that the draughts date from 1798-1826. The pattern I have chosen to weave is called "Wagon Wheel".  The Weaving Book of Peace and Patience. copyright 1980. It does not have an ISBN number.

I liked the green sock yarn I used first with this draft. I wove it to be a wall hanging. The pattern was not squared but elongated.

For this red version I have used 8/2 cotton for warp, 20/2 cotton for tabby and 2/18 wool for the weft. This lighter wool is allowing me to square my blocks. With traditional overshot you are to square your blocks. If I do end up squaring the blocks, I should end up with a square piece of fabric after I have woven once across the threading.  Time will tell!! 

Back Up and Reverse

Before I begin on another project on the big Macomber loom, I think I will play with the warp I put on the Baby Wolf for my big lecture at MSU. This draft is from a publication by Isadora Safner and Diane Piette. The title is "The Weaving Book of Peace and Patience". They titled it "Wagon Wheels."

I have used 8/2 cotton for the warp and 20/2 cotton for tabby. The weft or pattern thread is 60% alpaca, 15% merino, 10 % nylon hand dyed by one of my friends. She can be found here:  http://www.morningmoonalpacas.com/ . I was going to knit a pair of socks with this yarn, but liked the idea of weaving overshot with some hand dyed yarn. Diane: thanks for the cool yarn!

Name Drafting and Overshot

I have an idea for a new project. I am going to create a name draft using Overshot. I have a computer program (WeaveIt Pro) that will help me create this. I still have to use pencil and paper, but the computer helps a great deal.

I had such a fun time when I gave my lecture at the Ozarks Celebration Festival at Missouri State University (Springfield, MO), that I wanted to create something to remind me of the event. So I am using the words "Ozarks Celebration Festival". It will be a traditional four shaft overshot draft.

First I will create the draft. Decide the size of threads, color, and dimensions. Will I do a small table topper or a long table runner? Should it be a pillow? There are lots of decisions to be made when attempting to do a new project. Sometimes making the draft is the easy part!

Finished Swedish Lace Warp

The wind was howling through the trees and I had only a half a cup of cold coffee to get me through the day. I dug out my favorite sweater and took a deep breath and threw the last shot.

Here is the 10 yard warp cut off the loom and laying on my back deck. I won't know how many towels I end up with until after they are washed. Then I will cut them apart, hem and see how many do not have mistakes!

Swedish Lace from Vicki Tardy's article in the Jan/Feb 2006 Handwoven. Thanks Vicki! I had a great time learning this weave structure.

Back to Purple People Eater

OK, I have finished this towel. I didn't end up weaving the same block for the whole towel. I decided to have the two edges with a different block. As a refresher, since it's been a while since I posted, this is Swedish Lace from an article that Vicki Tardy did for Handwoven magazine (JanFeb 2006). She gave us the draft and several different treadlings so we could play with Swedish Lace!

Ozarks Celebration Festival

I was honored to give a lecture for the Missouri State University (Springfield, MO) during their Ozarks Celebration Festival September 10th, 2014. My topic was "From Taquete to twill to plain weave, it's an old journey to follow from yesterday's weavers." I always enjoy sharing what little weaving knowledge I have and promoting my craft.

Thanks to Dr. Kris Sutliff,  for allowing me to do just that. Among other assorted duties she is editor for the  Ozarks Watch the magazine of the Ozarks . This link should take you there.

Purple People Eater

How about this? I am using purple and the opposite block that I did for the light green towel. I haven't woven enough to see what the back side will look like. I do plan on weaving this same block the entire length of the towel.

Here you can sort of see where the float work is opposite on the towels.

Floating Selvedges

There will be times when the weave structure you are using, like this Swedish Lace I am working on, where you need a floating selvedge. The selvedge thread is threaded through the reed but not a heddle.

Sometimes I will attach the selvedge thread to the back beam and wind it on with the rest of the warp. But for this project, I am hanging if off the back edge and using a big clip to weight it. I do have to go back and fiddle with it when I advance the warp, but that is OK. That is when I do a spot check to make sure I don't have any surprises back there.

A Christmas Towel Tail

Well, maybe a Christmas towel..... I am going to weave the same Swedish Lace block the whole length of the towel. Remember the draft for this can be found in the Jan/Feb 2006 Handwoven by Vicki Tardy, one of my favorite weavers!

I am using a light green 8/4 cotton. I think this towel will be a little thick. But, that is OK, I am just having fun!

Public Side

Or is this the Public Side??????

I will have to wait and see what this looks like when I get it off the loom and washed to figure out which side I want as the public side. I will have to have a public side since I plan on having a hem.

End and Start Weft

There are several different ways to end and start a weft. You can tuck ends in on opposite selvedges. You can leave the ends hanging out on the edges and cut them or sew them in after the piece has been washed. Tuck ends in on the same side. I usually overlap the end an inch or two on the edge. If I have joined a new thread on the left, I try to remember to join the next new thread on the right side.

If there is an area with float work, I might try to hide my join there.

Reed Dance

You know some times we can't see the forest for the trees?

I was wanting to dent this Swedish Lace warp at 16 epi but didn't have a reed that size for this 42" Macomber loom. I did have a size 8 dent reed for the Baby Wolf. Well, it was one of those light bulb moments. I wasn't going to weave a 40 inch wide warp, so why not use the smaller reed and center it. Duh!

That is how I was able to dent this red Swedish Lace warp at 16 epi without buying another reed.

Greetings Weavers

Sorry, but life has gotten in the way of my weaving and blogging. But I do have some weaving news.


On Wednesday, September 10, 2014 I have been asked to give a lecture for the Ozarks Celebration Festival at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. The lecture will be held at the Plaster Student Union starting at 7 P.M.


I will be discussing how I found weaving and what makes it my passion. I hope to allow those in attendance to try their hand at throwing the shuttle too!


For more details, this link will be active for a while. http://ocf.missouristate.edu/Ozarks-Lecture-Series.htm