Too much weaving fun



When I needed to explore how to invisibly stitch a 2/2 twill layer to 2/2 basket weave (with "only" 24 shafts) and needing four blocks of double-weave, using panama (basket weave), was all I could do to keep the interlacement similar in the two layers.  This is a test I set up on six shafts of my Baby Mack. With suggestions from Brigitte Liebig, Bonnie Inouye, Pat Stewart, and references by Mary Black, Doramay Keasbey and Sharon Alderman I was eventually able to understand the stitching possible - (on only two of the eight sheds)and decide how best to do it.  Being a bear (er, weaver) of very little brain long with vision problems, this took me far longer than it would any of you reading this.  But I did it.  Then I figured out how to apply what I learned to the 24-shaft draft AND keep the tartan pattern aligned with the block pattern for the cruciforms. The stoles are now being finished with a few hours of hand-stitching.  More pictures later.

 Sure I would rather weave than blog, but I am certainly overdue. And since pictures are more interesting than words, here are some images of what's been happening in my studio and out.

We stayed in Alpena and enjoyed their Independence Day activities.  Here is a very impressive sand castle entry

Another impressive entry, a castle for sure.



After re-sleying closer for the new, finer warp, I was able to test that I had fixed the lift-plan for the basket-weave side. The beat is off of course on the 18/2, but the interlacement is correct. Hurrah!



It is time I gave full tribute to Ethel Alexander, who wove tweeds and had them custom tailored into sport jackets for her husband, a local bank VP.  Mrs Alexander knew I was winning 4-H prizes for my  tailoring projects and when I was only 17 she offered me a piece of handwoven that was too small for a jacket.  The first skirt I wore through high school and all through college.  I remodeled it into a mini-skirt later and still have it - and all the scraps.

Fireworks display across Thunder Bay - about 5 miles from our door.

For the WASOON program, I dug out the very first weaving that I did under Mary Black's New Key to Weaving tutelage using using what I could find - kite string warp, bindertwine and some scraps of knitting yarn.  It is not pretty, but it was mightly exciting to be making cloth! A dream was coming true

A few year back I wove some of his family tartan for our local priest, Greg McCallum.  He has since moved to Saint Patrick's and is taking his first trip ever to Scotland.  My Teenager and I are going too, leaving tomorrow.

While waiting for fireworks on July 4, we have a glass of red as the sun sets behind 'Cement Plant Henge'.  The sun has already moved and is setting way to the left (south) of this.  Summer is short and beautiful in Northern Michigan.

A great Independence Day parade.  I want a ride in this classy hearse - but not yet.





A Michigan tartan scarf to thank 85-year old kaleidoscope-maker Jim Halulaur for making a drive pulley for my Rognvaldson wheel.  All he wanted for payment was a hug. He got that, too.

 

With the stitched double-weave stoles off the loom, I dressed the loom with 33/1 linen when the humidity was near 80%.  Then I discovered two denting errors within a few inches of one another - AND they complimented one anothe. So by clipping only the right-most thread in each dent, I moved it over.  Repeating until the sparse dent was properly filled.  The proofing of the correction created a very interesting section.  Now when the humidity again is suitable, I'm ready to see if I can re-produce the Lithuanian-type draw-patterns I did on a similar warp



My historic Rognvaldson wheel spins flax with it new drive pulley.  What joy.

I was able to weave on the old warp, right up to the knots of the new warp.  What a boon for someone as 'Scottish' with resources as I am.

The test piece for the stitching above looked good - until I cut it down and turned it over.  Then the lift-plan error on the basket-weave was very obvious.  By this time I was getting confident about SEEing the stitching in the liftplan and was able to make the needed changes to fix it.