Color - Color Everywhere, And Not A Drop To Drink

It boggles the brain to know there are almost endless possibilities with single-two tie. The color choices alone could send you right to the nearest straight jacket.

So now, I am trying out two colors in the weft and tabby a different color than the warp.

I have tired 1st color green, 2nd color purple with orange tabby. (that is the sample with the orange thread on it) The color order stays the same the whole cloth. If you have thought far enough ahead, you may have chosen another color for the warp instead of white. That also is something to use those brain cells for!

I hope this is close-up enough for you to see the tabby in the background. As you can see in the top photo the color combinations:  1st color is purple, 2nd color is black with green tabby. 

I find that when working with more than one shuttle that after the shuttle leaves the shed, I place it nearest to my belly button. This helps keep the colors in order so you don't have to think "Now what color was next?" I wish my Macomber loom had a 'baby wolf trap' to hold the shuttles when working with more than two.......  someone invent that-please! LOL

I Am Playing with Single-Two Tie Polychrome

Trying out colors and color order. This is some polychrome with 1-2-1-2 and 1-2-2-1 orders.

 So much to decide, so little time!

1. Which block to weave
2. Colors to use
3 Which order to use the colors
4. What color for tabby
5. How long to make blocks
6. What order of tie-down to use
7. Use all blocks or just one
8. Follow original pattern or weave twill or point twill or broken twill
9.  Add a fourth color in rotation
10. Change tie-up and answer more questions..............................

One part of this has pink tabby woven 1-2-1-2 order while the other has light green tabby woven 1-2-2-1 order. . 

Sampling Single Two-Tie

Sampling single two-tie (known as summer and winter in some circles).

I have some S&W Polychrome and Taquete going on here. I am limited on my colors as I am just using from my stash! I plan on messing around with this for a while..... It is a long warp.

Playing with Summer and Winter

I am working with single two-tie (summer and winter). This example is using the 1-2-2-1 tie-down order (with tabby).

I love the little circles! 

This is a draft that was originally an overshot on four shafts that I turned into a six shaft summer and winter draft. I know how to do this, but I let my weaving software do it for me. Soooo much faster and less chance of mistakes. I use WeaveIt Pro.

There are a lot of good programs out there, just use the one that works for you. They most always have where you can save a file in 'wif' that will go from your software to other software programs. I find my weaving software program is a great help when designing drafts.

And So It Begins

Yes, so it begins. ( a bit slowly, but going I am!)

I have 10 yards on this warp and will be playing around with single-two tie (summer and winter), S&W Polychrome and Taquete. Right now I am trying for a delicate pattern using 20/2 for the pattern weft and 30/2 for the tabby. The warp is 12/2. This is traditional summer and winter using the 1-2-2-1 tie-downs. I just love the little "O's"! But if you turn it over you get the "X's".

It is all about what "you" want sometimes and not what the traditionalists say. If you want to use 5/2 for pattern and 8/2 for tabby on a 10/2 warp... go for it! If you want to square your blocks...go for it! If you want an elongated look...go for it! In other words...Have Fun!!! Playing around is how we learn.

12/2 warp, 20/2 pattern, 30/2 tabby.

For the first few rows of sampling I tried a thicker weft using 20/2  doubled, but I want a more delicate look, so I will use 20/2 singled.

S&W , Polychrome, Taquete

It seems as I work with single two-tie (summer and winter or double two-tie, or taquete, or S&W polychrome)...... that there just seems to be more and more that can be done.

Here are my two scarves plus all the sampling on the back porch trying to dry. The scarf on the left is woven in 1-2-2-1 tie-down order as regular summer and winter. The next scarf is woven in polychrome. That is S&W using two colors of weft plus tabby. The samples are my experiments with taquete, polychrome and regular S&W. I had already tied onto this warp once, so now it is time to stop and get ready for a workshop in June for this loom.

Things I have learned: 1. Weaving with one pattern weft and a tabby same size as the warp gives your scarf a nice drape.  2. Weaving with two same sized weft threads and a smaller tabby thread your fabric is a bit stiffer. 3.  Weaving with three wefts of the same size in Taquete produces a stiff fabric.

I think I could have helped the taquete drape if I had used only in the weft one large sized thread and two small ones. That "might" have helped the drape. Also with the polychrome the choice of weft size is important.

The main thing I learned is that you can put on one long single two-tie warp and have many-many different looks by changing the tie-up and/or treadlings.

Painted Warp

OK, I have gotten distracted from overshot to my painted warps. I still hope to weave the name drafted overshot some time in the future. But onward and upward.....

 

As you can see, I have found the reed I need (12 dent) and have added some black rayon to get the width I want. I worked up a single two tie draft I think will help show off the painted warp. This is the warp I painted at Katie's house.

 

I am weaving with black bamboo as pattern weft and polyester black sewing thread as tabby.