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I’m starting a new club. It’s called I Hate To Needle Weave (IHTNW). Feel free to join me. There are no dues, no meetings, no formality of any type. The only membership requirement is that you, too, hate to needle weave.
I cut 2 baby wraps off the loom yesterday. Post loom there are a few steps that must be accomplished: machine stitch a straight line to prevent fraying, cut beyond that line, hem, and then inspect for any weaving errors. (After that comes labeling, washing, drying, and pressing.)
ARRGGHHH!! One selvedge of my warp apparently had badly behaved threads! I spent in excess of three hours needle weaving corrections to one of the wraps – the second on the loom. The first had many fewer problems because that thread was mostly behaving itself – mostly. It started developing the tension problem about half way through that first warp, and it gradually got worse.
What is needle weaving? It’s using the same thread that you wove with and a blunt tapestry needle to correctly weave any places in the warp or weft where there were threading or treadling errors. Or in this case, poorly behaving threads.
The only way to prevent any needle weaving? PAY ATTENTION AT THE LOOM AND AVOID ERRORS! Sure wish I’d done that!
I had been planning to leave Wednesday morning to visit my good friend from high school, who’s lived in West-by-God-Virginia for decades. The 22″ of snow we got on Tuesday squashed those plans. So we’ve rescheduled and will try again. That’s one of the beauties of being retired from paycheck jobs and self-employed…schedules are much more flexible, for both of us.
This shot of my 4 1/2 year-old grandson will give you some idea of how deep the snow was.
While this snow made my arms incredibly sore from shoveling and delayed my trip away, it was certainly beautiful.
We all know that nature isn’t always pretty. Everything comes to an end. Yesterday morning I saw where a small bird, with all the dark feathers I’m guessing a tufted titmouse, met its demise, apparently becoming breakfast for a larger one, I’m guessing a hawk.
Now, on Saturday, the temperature is in the middle 50s and things are melting. Sidewalks that weren’t previously cleared down to the concrete were so slushy that there was a splash with each of my footsteps this morning, so I quickly reverted to walking in the road. This is when the snow stops being so beautiful and mostly gets gray and unlovely.
But not so everything! I’m finally sharing with you one of my Christmas presents. At my request my talented son, working with one of his colleagues, made some iron artwork for the outside of my house. He was able to get it installed before the storm hit, but I didn’t get a good shot of it then.
 The light spots you see at the top & bottom are where he had to place wedges to keep it stable. They will be replaced with a more permanent and less obvious alternative in the spring. No matter, I just love how it improves the front of the house.
Work progresses. The photo shows me beaming the warp for CT & TS. From left to right in the photo the colors are royal, bleu, peacock, emeraude, lavande, magenta, and mauve pale. The blends going from the royal to the emeraude just pull my eye in every time.
I now have the warp threaded through the heddles and reed, tied on the front apron, and tested for threading and tensioning problems, and in between 4 hours of shoveling today (yes – 4 HOURS – we got more than 18″ of snow between 6AM and 5PM today) have a bit over 30″ woven so far.
Weavers might find something else in the first photo interesting. (Non weavers: you may want to bail on this section.) This is the back beam of my Macomber loom. Some looms have a built in raddle, but not Macombers. And since I always warp back to front, a raddle is essential. I tried several different strategies to hold the raddle on my back beam, none of them great. Then I hit on the solution that makes perfect sense for me – Irwin Quick Grip Mini Bar Clamps. They’re designed to be easy to manipulate with one hand. You can see one on the right side of the picture.
I clamp the raddle to the top of the back beam while I spread the warp. Then when I’m beaming, under tension using my warping valet, the raddle can’t stay there. The rubber bands that hold the threads in the raddle sections chafe and stress on those threads – not good. So I simply unclamp the raddle, slide it down to the outside of that back beam, and re-clamp it. Works like a charm thoughout the beaming process. I leave the raddle and lease sticks in place until the loom is all threaded, then again quickly release those clamps and slide the raddle off.
We all find tools, tricks, and tips that work for us, sometimes from other weavers, sometimes dreamed up from thin air, sometimes, like this innovation, the result of perusing the tools in my basement and seeing something in a new light. I had to buy a second one – a pair is needed – but for the size I use they’re less than $15 each. Since I use them every single time I beam a warp, the investment is well worth it for me. Your turn: what’s one of the unconventional tools you use in your weaving?
Among my indoor accomplishments yesterday I finished measuring all the yarn for CT & TS’s baby wraps. Isn’t this section to die for? I just love these colors, especially when they’re together.
I also took photos of the six finished scarves made from my painted warps. Once again I took well over 45 pictures to get six that worked. I tried them on the mannequin, on the loom, and hanging. The only thing that worked well was on the floor of the weaving studio.
So first the bad ones. These are the scarves with the rayon warp. I loved the warp in the dye studio, and wound as a chain, but it didn’t work on the loom. I’d made the transitions between colors too far apart and the colors too similar. Then I used the undulating twill threading. First up is the first one I wove, with a rayon weft, sett at 21 ends per inch. That purple section looks like a bruise. And I don’t think the weave structure is stable enough to function well, even after wet finishing.
Then I tried a lighter weft. REALLY bad!
As I planned to, I resleyed for 24 ends per inch for the last scarf, and used a cotton weft. I think this scarf is stable enough, but I really hate it.
Now for the good news. I love, love, LOVE the silk hand painted warp! I used shorter transitions and more change in the colors. This was actually the last warp I dyed, using colors left over from other dyers. Not my usual colors at all, but I’m so happy with them. This is a 30/2 silk sett at 36 ends per inch, threaded in a simple 3/1 vs. 1/3 twill. For the first scarf I used a rust 20/2 silk. I really like the treadling pattern in this scarf the best.
Next I used a 30/2 lilac cashmere-silk blend. (Actually, it’s 20/2 on the ends and 30/2 for the rest of the scarf.) The weight and hand is scrumptious. This is absolutely my favorite color combination. I have to say I don’t think I would have even considered using a lilac weft if I hadn’t taken the color workshop.
Last up is another 30/2 cashmere silk blend, this time in burgundy. Again I love the way it feels, and like the looks, too.
Now that I know more about how to achieve the results I want, I am definitely planning to take the dye workshop when it’s offered again in April. I’m trying to get my sister the quilter to take it with me.
With wind chills hitting in the -20s, today was a good day to stay inside. Jack & I walked enough for him to get his job done. This took two trips outside, since he wasn’t willing to stay out long enough to poop this morning, even with both of his jackets on. And we’ll have to go out one more time, before bed, but that’ll be a quick trip, too.
Knowing that this weather was forecast, I ran out and did some errands yesterday. One stop was at Pier 1, a store I haven’t shopped in for decades. I needed to get a frame for a piece of art that I’m bringing to a friend for her birthday. I accomplished that, finding the perfect frame.
They were having a sale – 20% off everything in the store – so I wandered around, needing nothing. Or so I thought. I found the perfect rug for my hallway, which I didn’t even know needed one. 🙂
It’s a wonderful bridge from the living room rug…
…to the rug in the spare room, here strewn with Jack’s toys, as usual.
I got a lovely surprise this afternoon. My daughter, mother of a 4-week old and a 4-year old, sent me roses for Valentine’s day. 2 dozen of them! Aren’t they beautiful?!
I hope everyone stays warm and safe, and has a wonderful Valentine’s day with their loved ones, whether in person or in thoughts.
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