Supplementary Weaving

When you have more than one loom, it is required to have a project going on each at the same time. No, really! I read that somewhere. With those words of wisdom, I have attacked the Macomber with a four shaft puzzle. Well, it's not really a puzzle so much as a "wow- you have got to be kidding" kind of thing.

I will attempt to trick a four shaft loom (it really has 10 shafts, but that is a different story for another day) into weaving four blocks of summer and winter. We know that there are only two blocks in summer and winter: 1-3-2-3, 1-4-2-4. So how can we squeeze two more blocks out of that? Well, according to Donna Sullivan and her book "Summer and Winter: A Weave For All Seasons" it is possible.

To maintain the odd-even threading (and treadling) a few rules need to be adhered to. You can us the word transitional or incidental, but you will need to add or subtract an end when going from certain blocks to the other. All to be reveled as we go along. 

At 20 epi, the threading begins.

By using different colors in the warp, pattern weft and tabby, you can achieve several different effects. As with traditional summer and winter the tie-down shafts will be used. And the different orders can be picked as you like: 1-2-1-2, 1-2-2-1, 1-1-1-1 and so on...... For this project I will use white warp and colors in the weft.

The Twill of Paperwork

    Playing with the new loom....... I think one of my problems is that since my warp is so narrow, I need to be very careful to pull the beater back square to the fell line. Learning a new loom is sometimes just crazy!!! But also fun!!!

 

Getting my CWTW paperwork ready to mail. Work a little, play a little..........

12 shafts - So I Begin

Just a small warp to test out the new 12 shaft Leclerc Voyageur table loom. I seem to be having a problem with the tension. I will need to 'learn' this loom as I have plans to use it for the Midwest Weavers Conference that will be held in June, 2013.

Help from a Friend

I have gotten my BFF to help me thread this loom. She will help the work go faster and help me check for errors. She is also looking forward to what this BABY can do!

Multi-Tasking

I am sure if you have more than one loom, that you too:  multi-task! Well, that is what I am about these days. Well, most days if you really knew me!  Working for my Complex Weavers study group, I have my project for this year. It was a study to see what I could come up with that didn't take a lot of treadles. Having lots of treadles is something you usually need when working with tied weaves. But for this I am only using eight treadles.

 

And also, I am itching to try out the new loom. Twelve Shafts!!!  Sweet!! Can it get any more fun???
I decided that maybe I would just put on a straight twill. Then I can play with the tie-up. I always admired those fancy twills. Here I have found some handpainted tencel that was just the right amounts of ends. Bookmarks are the order of the day.

Also, I have taken a (sticky) ruler and attached it to the beater bar. That will help me to center my warp. That tip was from my friend DAWN. Thanks Dawn!! (as always, click on photos to enlarge)

Baby is Good to Go!

Looking for my twelve shaft drafts, I remembered they were lost in the last computer crash. So, I looked through some of my books to see if I could find a quick something to try out. Well, I think I had better step back and do some thinking. I have some yummy Bambu colors, but want to do some bookmarks. So I had better try to work up something along that line.

Besides, I am still working on the two-tie "key to my heart" scarf.

So much to do, so little time......................

Setting Up New Loom

Working on getting the heddles on the new loom. I will need to give it a name. Any ideas? Maybe I will just call it "Baby" since that is what http://tandrhandweaving.blogspot.com/ called it ;-) "A lovely baby"!

I have the loom on it's side. They seem to be going on pretty easily. I just wish I had thought to have ordered more heddles. But I did remember to put a few more on shafts one and two as I really like to do single two tie (summer and winter). Once I get the heddles on, I should be 'good to go'.

New Family Member

A brand new Leclerc Voyageur 12 shaft table loom has come to live at my house. Looking forward to seeing what this baby can do.