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February 22, 2011

Weaving, weaving and weaving

 The Master Spinner 2 course homework is all boxed up and ready to send off.  I just have to actually get to town to do so.  I was putting away the spinning supplies, equipment and a few small leftovers from the 2 course.  In doing so, I found several un-hemmed tea towels from ages ago.  Deciding not to let these tea towels seccumb to that sad fate,  I put together a few sewing supplies, ironed the hems of the Log Cabin tea towels and dragged them around with me to meetings.  I got so much done that way that I only had a few hems left to do at home.  All six tea towels are hemmed and totally finished.  Two have been added to the household inventory.  Two are for gifts and the final two are waiting for me to figure out what to do with them. 

A friend asked me if I could photograph some weave structure samples for him as visual aids for a talk he's giving in April.  Of all the samples I have, I didn't have the two he particularly needed, so I'm weaving them up quickly.  This is a 3/1 twill.  I was told I couldn't do it on a counterbalance loom, but it is working just fine.   I think though I'll try to borrow a table loom for the double weave samples.   My first thought was to just add a second warp to this project, rewinding it to tie it on the back and then rethreading both the heddles and reed.  However the sheds were pretty small with the 3/1 twill sample and I'll need that same tie up for double weave.  A jack loom might be easier to do this one and a table loom would have much less loom waste and I wouldn't need to dig up as much waste yarn for the project.  That does however put the sample weaving on hold until I can actually get hold of a table loom.

Pretty colours of wool from a remnant sale at a nearby carpet manufacturer. Only a few people can go at a time for any given appointment.  I lucked into a last minute available spot because the group split into two.   My friend wanted me to pick her up some but after being told there were 1000's of colours, I felt uneasy about it.   I have enough of a time choosing my own when presented with a wide colour array and this was so last minute that I didn't have time to get colour swatches from her.  I was told that was the only way one could get someone else to shop for them.  After seeing the gazillion shades they have available, I can believe it!   The bottom row of cones are all wool/silk blends.  I've no idea what the percentage is of each but it soft and silky..   The rest are 100% wool.  It's a little coarser than I normally use but should make lovely, bright blankets and maybe even some yardage for a jacket.

3 comments:

  1. Your weaving is beautiful! I just started to weave and I mean just started. I have my loom wraped and I'm hoping is right!

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  2. Good for you for not believing what "they" say! I'm not all that familiar with counterbalance looms, but what fun to explore their potential.

    The wool cones look like a lovely find. Great colors. A jacket would be fantastic!

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  3. Oh man, would I love to have access to end cones like that - wonderful opportunity! It looks like you use a traditional shuttle as I do, or do you. So many weavers are using end-feed systems $$$$$. And yeah, I've come to peace that I'm trapped in eternal jackloomdom.

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