Sample-Sample-Sample

I am still playing around with this double two-tie draft. I have tied onto this threading and am now finding the weft yarn.

This is some sampling on the original painted warp. I was tweeking the pattern some also.

I found this pink-ish bamboo and like the size, but it doesn't do much for me. I tried red too.... nope!

Now this I think I can go with. It is my 'go to' silk. I don't know what I will do when I run out of this stuff. I have put 8 yards on the loom, so I should have enough for sampling and a couple of scarves. 

p.s. Yes, I am still putting the white snowflake cotton warp onto the big loom. Slow and steady!

Painted Warp Scarf

This scarf I have just finished has been a very interesting adventure. First I wound the warp for a dye party. I didn't know how many ends I would need, so just wound 140 of 10/2 tencel. As this was the last warp I had to dye, I ran around to the others stations and used the dye colors that everyone else was using. It was a hit and miss kind of dye job. So the colors you see are the ones we all used at the dye party that day.

Next I wanted to work with a summer and winter draft to see how a painted warp would work with summer and winter, but ended up with a double two-tie draft instead. That is where instead of using just one shaft for the pattern shaft, I have used two different shafts. In summer and winter it is always 1 -X , 2-X... with X being the same shaft. In double two-tie you still have the tie downs on shafts 1 & 2, but your pattern shafts can be the same and different through out the draft.. 

Such as 1-4-2-8. 

 

As you can see here, I have the first unit as 1-3-2-4, the next unit is 1-5-2-6, the next unit is 1-5-2-6, ans the last unit is 1-6-2-7, (the 1-7 on the end is part of the next unit). The splitting of the pattern shafts is why it is called double two-tie.

So I developed my draft and sure enough, I needed more ends. I went to my stash and found some bamboo and added it to the edges. My pattern weft and tabby threads were silks I also had in my stash. 

I think this double two-tie draft does show off the painted warp. And the silk makes the drape yummy! This is going to a high school friend who likes color. 

More Winter Color

Just when you thought it was safe to go out side......

My driveway

Now you know why I needed some color in my head.

Summer and winter on eight shafts. Original design.

Winter Color

I am still pulling the threads through the heddles for the snowflake table runner in the loom room on the Macomber. It will be white on white. But, since there is all this SNOW...... I had to go get some color.

This is a painted warp I have had around for a while. It is 10/2 Tencel. I am using a very soft pale green silk as the weft and a 140/2 silk as tabby with this summer and winter draft. Both cones of weft and tabby were garage sale items so I only have the words on the cones to go by. I know they both are silk, but don't know the size of the pale green. But it seems to be about like an 8/2 bamboo size.

So I will keep threading the white snowflake threads while going to the Baby Wolf when I need a shot of color.

Heddle Eye

The next phrase of this advancing twill adventure continues. I have begun to thread the heddles. This may take a day or two, or three.

It is interesting to me that at first glance this yarn is smooth, but get close up and it's fuzzy. My heddles are showing their age, but since they work just fine, I will keep them as is. 

Weaving Prep Work for Snowflake Twill

So I finally finished the warping and now I have the threads pulled through the reed. I am using 8/2 cotton sett at 18 epi. I have dented 1-2-1-2 in my 12 dent reed.

Looks like I need to replace my ruler on my shuttle race. 

Another thing I need to do before I can throw that first pick is to count out my heddles and get them balanced across my heddle frame. My Macomber loom has hanging heddle frames, so it is important to get a balance on it. 

I have started counting out the heddles I will need for this project. Here I am using a paper clip to hold back the heddles not needed. 

New Project - Advancing Twill

I have never tried to weave a snowflake draft (advancing twill). I was wanting something to weave for my long kitchen table, to use some 8/2 cotton, and weave white on white. This project just might fit the bill. I found the draft in the Nov/Dec 2012 Handwoven magazine. The article is by Lyn Lucas and seems to be very straight forward and understandable. Or at least to "my" little gray cells.

I have just started winding my warp. Here I am showing you how I count on my warping board. When I get 50 ends, I snug them with a looper. This is showing I have 100 ends wound. A group of 50 ends and the other five groups spaced out.  (I am not at the beginning where my cross is, but at the end peg.) I learned this little trick from Jeff the Warpped Weaver!

Oh, and here is the photo in the magazine. I am going to use 8/2 cotton in warp and weft. No sparkling, just using up this 7 lb pound cone of 8/2 cotton I bought last year. I have a couple of other project going, so this may be a 'slow cloth' kind of project, or I might just get in gear and finish next week. Who knows? I weave just for fun!

Weaving and Eye Candy

Another wonderful guild meeting. First the Divas met at a Tea Room for lunch then went back to the studio for a very informative program. Then it was time for show and tell. (my favorite part). So sit back and enjoy.

Kumihimo

Twill

Saddle Blanket

Saddle Blanket

Baby Blanket

This is my hand painted Summer and Winter scarf that I finally finished!

Yardage

Twill

These two were also done on the same warp as the above scarf.

Waffle weave... washed and not washed. Great towels.

Marilynn and another wonderful garment. Her eye for detail is awesome!

A Bit Of Bare Knitting

Not bare .....Bears! !

It's just a few friends I have been knitting and crocheting for a charity project. I am using up some of that sock yarn that has been on the shelf for years. Too much to throw away but not enough to make two matching socks. I could mix and match skeins and get a pair, but I am having fun with my bears.

This little lady has her purse and child and is ready to go shopping.

This little cutie has a baby dear in her purse.

This guy has a blanket and back pack. He is thinking about going on a picnic.