I've been dragging my feet a little on this project ... warping the loom is always such a big multi-step project that takes several days I have to take it in little steps.
Still wrapping my head around how to do this project ... When I dyed the warp, I expected there to be more bleeding at the edges of the ties. The way it came it, the dye goes straight across all -- I was hoping for a more dynamic effect. Patience, Grasshopper. All will be well!
One way to get around that is to stagger the bouts. Some weavers flip some of the warp threads. But I need to figure out how to do that if the cross is only at one end ... [Didn't need to ...]
This is a relatively short warp at 3.5 feet, so it's not all that long, and should not be too hard to flip. Ah-- the best laid plans. When I roughly tested the flip, it seems the colored parts were going to be roughly the same spots they are now. So not worth doing the flip. I think things might shift enough on their own once I get it all tied on.
I sleyed the reed last week. So far so good. Had enough ends in the dyed warp to do an extra inch -- so 12 inches on the reed, not the original 11 I had planned. 12-dent reed sleyed 1-2-1-2 for 18 epi.
Yesterday, I threaded the heddles. Takes concentration. Take it slow. 1 set at a time. Check your work. Take breaks.
Pulling it all through to warp the loom ... Such pretty colors!
Today, I tied onto the back beam and wound it on. The moment of truth!
It went mostly well ... 2 broken strings, but the bouts shifted nicely to bring some ikat-like interest to the purple parts. I dyed this with Wilton's Delphinium blue a few weeks ago in the crock pot.
Here it is wrapped on the back beam. Nice color breaking from Delphinium Blue!
Using my simple tension device to wind on ... Only 2 dowels for this application, not all 4.
I am trying something new this time, that I heard about on some of the weaving FB Groups:
I am using Jaggerspun Zephyr wool / silk mix. It's fine and strong, but I still worry about broken strings and esp. selvedges. Hoping this fishing line selvedge method hung over the back beam will mitigate any problems.
I am always amazed at how much there is to do before you get to actually throwing a shuttle ... Once the loom is warped, you still have to tie up the treadles, set the treadle beads, spread the warp, wind bobbins, check your sheds, check your threading -- Yes, I had 1 crossed thread, but easy to fix at this stage.
And finally, I can start weaving again!
At this early stage, I can experiment a little. It's gray on gray here, but in the blue/purple part, the gray will show up nicely.
[That ugly brown is the junk thread used to spread the warp, and test for errors. It will be easily visible and different from my real project that it should make pulling those threads easy.
There are only 16 steps to this treadle sequence -- It seems way too short compared to the 72-step overshot I was working on not so long ago!
This yarn is so fine, I think I was beating it too hard in the first few rows. After that, I started just gently laying the threads in place, rather than a usual beat.
I'll have to do a little research on that -- I know the Anne Dixon Book [The Hand Weaver's Pattern Directory] has some recommendations for beating a balanced weave vs. warp-faced or weft-faced.
Here's what she says on page 17:
"Table Loom: Balanced Weave: Insert the weft at an angle and hold the shuttle without any overt tension so that the weft just fits against the far selvedge. Beat very gently until the weft is almost in place. Change the shed and beat again into position.
Floor Loom Balanced Weave: Work as for table loom, but close the shed before beating and open the next shed as you push the beater away from the fell."
I will practice this technique and see if it helps the pattern look less squashed.
I also have treadle beads / patterns for a slightly different pattern, using the same threading, so I am planning to mix things up a bit in this scarf.
Here it is from the underside. The light was a little strange ...
This is the weave structure, worked up in my iWeaveIt App.
I will post again once I move to the purple / blue sections. ;-)
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