Guild Meeting!

We had some wonderful show and tell at Guild Meeting!   

Rugs.....scarves......coverlet......runners......cocoon wraps.......towels.........sori silk..........natural dying........ cotton........... chenille...........tencel...............linen...........wool............woven shibori....

We even had some hand felted earrings!

Among all this wonderful weaving we had time for a small program on Units, Profiles and Blocks.

Katie- Overshot coverlet, three panels!

Bo- Woven Shibori (one of my favorite techniques).



Overshot Side by Side #4

Here I am trying a dark purple and light green. It's OK, but nothing to write home about. The top one is the same green and 8/2 pink bamboo which makes the motifs a little more elongated. Since I am breaking several rules of traditional overshot, I guess I could break another!

I seem to be determined to use the dark purple as one of the weft colors. I guess deep down I want to use purple-green-orange. But I don't have any orange. Should I order some? I could dye some. It's a good thing that I put on eight yards.... sampling is fun!!!!!!

My end goal is to produce a runner that is five feet long to go on my kitchen table!

Overshot Side by Side #3

Now I am trying a textured hand dyed rayon and a solid darker purple. It looks pretty cool, but the texture is rough. So would not make a very good garment, coverlet or towels. Would work for a runner, I think. I will have to check 'the stash' and see what other variegated colors I have to try.

Overshot Side by Side #2

For this second sample I am trying out two colors of blue. See how the darker blue fades into the background? Very interesting!

The lighter blue is a very shinny silk. I really like it, and wouldn't you know, I don't have anymore of it than what is on this bobbin. Bummer!! But it lets me see that if I use one shinny and one dull yarn, it enhances the draft. This looks totally different than the first sample of the red/purple. Almost giving it a 'shadow-y' weave effect.

Overshot Side by Side #1

I am sampling to see what red and purple will look like on this green warp. I am weaving one rose fashion and the other motif star fashion. I like it! Not sure about the colors, yet. I think this is screaming for some glitz. Don't think I have any, but will keep looking in the stash!

More Progress......

More progress on the overshot warp.
I guess I have been taking my raddle for granted. Just look at all that rust! Time to get out the steel wool and do a little maintenance.




Rose and Star Fashion of Weaving Overshot

While I continue to dress the loom, let me try to explain what I am doing...........................

I have one small 4 shaft overshot motif that I am threading across the loom on either shafts 1-6 or 7-12. I have taken the tie-up area and will weave one Rose Fashion and the other Star Fashion.  You will use tabby, but I have not shown it on these two drawdowns. (hence the 12 shafts you need). They will be woven with different weft colors. One pick will weave a pattern shaft from one of the motifs and tabby for the other, then change colors and weave the other pattern shaft plus the others tabby. (** refer to Sept. 19, 2012  post showing how to the threading works)

So if you have an overshot threading on your loom and want to change the appearance without re-threading the loom, try just changing the tie-up! This will work even if you don't have two side-by-side like I do. 

This is just an example of what I am doing to get star and rose effects side-by-side by changing the tie-up area. I have used the regular 2/2 twill tie-up. (I am showing the threading in black and the weft is white.)



Putting your tie-up in this direction give a Rose Effect.



Turning the tie-up creates a Star Effect.







Progress!

 am making progress.........

Eye Candy for the Eyes!

I have picked a dark green as warp for my next adventure into more overshot. It's a good thing I have a good light, as this is kinda hard to see. And I hope the color is going to work since I put on eight yards.

"What was I thinking?" she said.

"Oh, you will want some to play with." she replayed to herself.

"Oh, yes, that's true. Thanks. Sample-sample-sample!"



This looks like Eye Candy to me!



My Office

At the Office

Some people have a desk and chair. Some people have a long table. I have a warping board where I also attach things so I can find them. I have a sett chart, a list of sizes for woven items (towels, napkins, etc.), the 'sheep' my great-neice made for me, a photo I took I really like of my weaving, and of course some of my friends handmade cards, and also the guilds list of programs for 2012.  Oh and yes, my Weaving Diva things.

This is just part of my office, my looms are the other part, but they are not nailed to the wall! Oh, and then there is the area where I keep my stash, and my books, and.............come to think of it, my office is mostly the whole house.

Don't you love these colorful nylon loopers that I am using as choke ties. Another great idea from my overshot guru - Jeff!!

This warp is going to be the Rosey Star overshot draft that I told you about on my 9/14/2012 post.

Overshot - Fringe Treatment

Hemstitching is but a distant memory. Now onto the next phase - fringe. Some may think this is double work, but I like the way it looks. I almost always hemstitch and twist fringe on the same project.

For the brown runner, I am just twisting the fringe in groups of six ends. This may be all I do for this runner.

Now this purple/red-purple runner is a different story. Because the white fringe seems to much of a distraction from the body of the runner, I am adding some of the purple and red-purple threads in the fringe area.

It's giving me the barber-shop look, but I think it will work. I measure the length I need of both colors, and use a needle to attach it to the hemstitching area. Each braid will have eight ends, four of the white and four of the color threads.

Next step will be to wash, dry, iron and put in the Gift Closet! Let me know if you are on my list. ;-)

Overshot Designs Side By Side

In answer to Thistle Rose Weaving:
I hope this helps explain how I have combined the same four shaft overshot threading onto eight shafts. And you can see why you need 12 treadles. Using just 16 ends as an example become 32 ends.

You use the same weft for both pattern and tabby, alternating from those on shaft 1-4 plus tabby on shafts 11 or 12 and then on the next pick will be a different color to weave pattern from those on shaft 5-8 plus tabby from shaft 5 or 6.

When you alternate your colors pick-by-pick and then switch that order when you start a new repeat, you get two different-colored motifs that appear side by side.

Overshot - Back and Front

Got the warp cut off the loom. This what what the two different sides look like. I think either one could be the front.

I think it's interesting how the colors are working together on the different side.

Overshot - Hemstitching Night-mare!!!!

Why is it that when you are excited to get your project off the loom, that the hemstitching doesn't go according to plan.

Twisting the fringe is going better. I think the purple/red-purple runner will need some colored threads added to the fringe. The change from the body of the runner to the white fringe area is just to abrupt. The brown runner,on the other hand, is 'good to go'.

Overshot - Transition

Here is a close up view of the two different weft colors. This also shows the two picks of the purple picks that ends one repeat and starts another. (look between the pin and 27)

Overshot - Marching On

While I dream of putting the new draft on the loom, I really must finish what I have on the loom now. I should be able to weave to 42 inches for this runner. Then will need to hemstitch this last one before I can cut both the brown/brown and this runners off and see what kind of fringe to do.

Overshot- Rose and Star At The Same Time

I have been playing around with my weaving software, I think I might have figured out how to weave one motif as rose and the same as star side-by-side. (I will change the color order when I change treadling repeats) This way I have different looking motifts with the same number of picks!!!!!

This is from The Joy Of Handweaving by Osma Gallinger Tod, page 225, The Remembrance Pattern.

It looks blurry because I had to enlarge a small file. I am showing a yellow warp with red and blue as the pattern wefts.



I should re-name this the 'Rosey Star'.



Overshot - A Work In Progress

I should have titled this post 'A Walk In Progress'. Since I am walking with both feet across the treadles. Or an even better title could have been 'I Am Dancing The Floor Over You'. But that sounds like a song I once heard.

I have been thinking about finding two different overshot patterns and trying that. But do you know how hard it is to find ones with the same number of picks? I guess I will have to make my own..... That will require some major thinking (on my part).

...................................or, how about weaving one rose fashion and the other star fashion!?!?

Socks

Got the rainbow socks done and have started on a pair for DH. His won't be quite so colorful.

Overshot - Colors Are Blending

Well, I didn't expect this. I was thinking about the red-purple crossing the purple when I picked these colors. But if you look you can see that something is going on in the plain weave areas. Some are 'blue-ish' and some are 'pink-ish'. In the original draft that Barbara Koch did, she used three different colors. Instead of a plain white or off-white warp, she used a color. So the moral to the story................. this is a lesson in blending colors too! Don't forget your warp color when planning a project. If anyone out there knows Barbara, tell her what fun I am having with her article that was in *Weaver's.

*.. this pattern is Orange Peel from Josephine Estes' Miniature Patterns for Hand Weaving -see page 38 of Weaver's, Issue 33 Fall 1996.

Overshot - Double Stepping

Using an eight shaft loom, this four shaft overshot design has been threaded alternately across the loom on either shafts 1-6 or 7-12. I have tied up threadles 1-4 with pattern and 5-6 tabby for one design. The next one on shafts 7-10 are pattern with tabby for that one on treadles 11-12.

My first pick I will step on treadle 1 which is pattern shafts 1+2 for pattern.

(shuttle is there to help you see what is going on)

And then at the same time step on treadle 11 which is shafts 5+7, for tabby on the second design.


(shuttle is there to help you see better)

Now I am ready to throw the pick.  The shuttle carries the purple color for this pick.



The is what it looks like with both treadles depressed ready to throw the shuttle across..

 
The next pick I will step on treadle 6 (tabby on 2+4) and treadle 7 (pattern on 5+6) at the same time and throw the red-purple color. I will alternate weaving pattern + tabby on one pick and tabby +  pattern on the next pick, as well as alternating the colors.

You can use the same design or different ones. They just need the same number of picks in their repeat. But you will need 12 treadles to get the job done.


****Weaver's Project,  TWO FOR ONE by Barbara Koch, Issue 33 Fall 1996

Overshot - New Colors

As you can see, I have finished the brown/light brown overshot runner and have picked two new colors to try. Red-purple and purple. We will see how this goes. It could make a nice runner for a wedding/shower gift table. Or just a festive runner for any event with these colors in the theme.

I have used some window blinds as spacers between the two runners. The ones I have are one inch wide. I have allowed twelve inches between the two runners. I don't think they will have six inch fringe, but that gives me some wiggle-room.  (I will remove the spacers and hemstitch.)

Overshot - 34 Inch Mark

A good day at the loom! Closing in on that 42 inch mark.

Alpaca Fiber and a Meeting



Weavers love soft fibers and Icarus delivers.... Meeting at Morning Moon Alpacas was a fun treat. Don't you just love that face?

The Weaving Divas got to tour the barn and visit with some special friends. This little joy is Mr. Collingwood. Named after the famous Mr.Collingwood of rug weaving fame.
 (the alpaca- not the DH).

We then went into Diane's studio/shop and I was drawn to this rack of hand dyed alpaca/silk sock yarn!!! Yummy! Even this much sock yarn would keep me busy for a while.

We had two great programs and some wonderful show and tell.



Linda shares her sampler and explains doubleweave and doublewidth. Notice the eye candy in the background!!

Rossanna not only showed how to weave Kumihimo on a disk, she gave one to each weaver to take home.

Overshot - 25 1/2 Inch Mark

WooHoo, I am making progress! I am at the 25 1/2 inch mark. I still HOPE to get to the 42 inch mark before Christmas.

As I weave this runner, I switch the weft color rotation after each motif repeat. I will keep the shuttles in this order when I am weaving brown followed by light blown. When I am ready to do another repeat, I have ended with light brown, so I will start the next pick with light brown followed by the  brown and put the light brown weft shuttle in front and the brown in back.

Brown
Light Brown

Light Brown
Brown

Brown
Light Brown................. keeping the shuttles in this rotation order helps keep the errors down, a little.

Overshot - 22 Inch Mark

Making progress on the overshot runner now that I ran out of warp for the summer and winter project. I love how both weave structures look. It would be hard to pick just one to do all the time. But deep down they both are a form of twill.

Here is the 22 inch mark......

Summer & Winter - Single Two-Tie

I am having so much fun with this four shaft summer and winter that I can't seem to stop. Here are three more:

But, alas, I must stop because I have run out of warp. But I keep thinking of different things I would like to try..... polychrome, taquete, more than two blocks on four shafts......

S&W Sneak Peek

I have been working on my summer and winter project. I took these off the loom, hand washed them and now have them drying on the kitchen table. Different colors and tie-down orders, but the same basic two block draft.

Overshot Up-Close and Personal

It's the trees, roses, tables and wheels our eyes go to when we view overshot. Those are the motifs we have been schooled to look for. Those are the things we love about overshot. But if we look up-close at the smaller motifs that connect those aspects of our overshot designs, we see interesting things.

This could be called a leaf motif.



This could be called the football motif.



Overshot 15 inch Mark

Was a good shuttle throwing day. I am getting faster. And I don't think I have any errors.....yet........... I am hoping my good friend Jeff - the Overshot King - will keep a sharp eye on my work. I don't think he has a web presence, but if you attended the MO State Fair, you saw his awesome overshot items. He is my 'go-to' weaver in all things overshot.

I am really enjoying this draft. I keep thinking what other color combinations might be good to try.