Finally get stuff done...

The family was hit with a major virus, which slowed everything down, despite the fact that I managed to avoid the worst of it.   I kept staring at that cotton and the metre of sliver left, trying to will it to be spun.  However, after some effort, I'm finally plying up the last of the cotton.  It is a little bit finer than the last skein but I will admit to rushing most of this, in between periods of ignoring it.  It is definitely time to take a wee break from cotton for a bit.  I do love how easily it spins though.  It is well worth the effort of all those hours of practice to get reasonably proficient, just to be able to spin it without a lot of thought.

The design gamp is off the loom.   It is 9 different threadings wide, by 50 different treadlings long.  There was a little extra warp left that I could have used to experiment with some of my own treadlings, but really, I was not so enamoured with this project that I wanted to do more.   As soon as I was done the last pick of the hem, I chopped it off.  I think it would have helped if I'd remembered that I was using a jack loom and treadled the spaces, rather than the shafts marked.  Then I would have been able to see the patterns as I wove them, rather than weaving them backside up.  That made it a lot harder to catch any treadling errors.  You wouldn't think there would be any as I'd used a direct/universal tie up - but yes, I managed.

I've tensioned all 8 shafts and am winding a warp for a trial project.   It will be a blanket, woven in 2 pieces and joined up the centre.  I realized that I'd need 6 colours to get the block assortment that I was hopeing for.   That grey has blue/green undertones, so I was thinking medium blue or green, dark brown and a dark red.  I may have to put a call out for the red,  see what is hanging out in the guild room, or egads, maybe have to dye some yarn up,  since I didn't notice any on the shelf, in the quick glance I gave it.   There is yarn in a bin though, so it would be so much more time efficient, if some red just happened to be sitting in there.

I made a light box from a tutorial on the web - even without enough light coming through, it allowed for a much better photo than just using a makeshift arrangement of white bristol board.  I used white tissue paper for the sides and top.  It is way to delicate, so one day I will replace it with something sturdier.