The computer is working, the scanner is working and I have been scanning in samples for tomorrow’s handouts. I love seeing weaves in close-up!
Dreadful news from Glasgow this afternoon: the School of Art’s Mackintosh building is on fire. The amazing building as well as its library and archives are irreplaceable treasures. Very, very sad.
“Weft deflections” was posted by Cally on 23 May 2014 at http://callybooker.co.uk
You might have thought that I had long since finished playing at 4CDW in lambswool, but no: I still had a couple of yards on the loom, which I finally wove off this week. I am happiest with this part…
…which is 4CDW with a plain weave interlacement and the 2/11 lamswool set at 20 epi. I really do prefer the colour effects from plain weave over twill in these samples. I finished these last pieces this morning and right now they are drying flat on a towel on the kitchen table.
In the medley of bits-of-things-on-looms I also had a tiny bit left for more honeycomb sampling ahead of next Saturday’s workshop. I had fun with some thick yarns.
Also washed this morning. So I now have Actual Empty Looms!
Warping up for this was delayed by a lack of yarn – I got a nasty shock when Venne didn’t have one of the colours I wanted in stock – but I was able to buy just enough from Helen at My Fine Weaving Yarn to get me started. It arrived on Friday, so that is now on the plan for tomorrow. And for the rest of the week, I should think. Which is good, because it gives me time to meditate on my ideas for the lambswool. As far as that is concerned, I am in a place of chronic indecision and need to move on to somewhere more productive.
“Actual Empty Looms” was posted by Cally on 18 May 2014 at http://callybooker.co.uk
These colours are so much fun. I am planning the next length of echo weave fabric for Oscha. It is dance-inspired again, and it is going to be packed with Bright.
I posted some photos of samples on Facebook a while back, but I don’t think they reached my blog. What with the on-off status of the various technologies around here, I have rather lost the plot. (I’d mention that, after 10 hours of hard labour yesterday, we do have a working PC again, but that would be tempting fate.)
I tried out two warp combinations and lots of wefts. The red/purple looks rather muted on the loom, but in fact it is very lively when it is moving.
I have the scallop shape progressing across the warp in the threading and a simple advancing point treadling. This makes sense for me when I am weaving on the Delta: I need a treadling I can reliably repeat for several hours without making hideous mistakes! Point treadlings are my favourites, because adjacent treadles are the easiest to find. I started with a larger point (shown in the sample on the loom) but prefer the smaller (shown above), as it gives the scallops more pleasing proportions overall. Pleasing to me, anyway. I think we are going to go for the red option rather than the yellow, but I plan to liven it up with some brighter shades as well as the deep red seen here. Bit more thinking required.
Speaking of echo weave, I have just received my copy of Weaving with Echo and Iris. It is written by Marian Stubenitsky and translated by none other than Margreet Ward. Huge congratulations to them and to the rest of the team for such a lovely, colourful volume – I have now managed to open the package (yay!) but need to find time to sit down and absorb the ideas.
“Shades of Bright” was posted by Cally on 10 May 2014 at http://callybooker.co.uk
Having been warned about the risk of the fly shuttle taking flight off the loom altogether, I was expecting to be picking it up off the floor (or out of the walls) quite often. However, that hasn’t happened at all – it seems to be very comfortable on the shuttle race and in no hurry to leave it. The problem I have actually encountered is one of coordination: my coordination, that is.
A mistiming of my hands and feet, so that I end up launching the shuttle into a not-fully-open shed, results in absolute carnage! I am sorry that I don’t have a picture of the outcome, though it would be nasty viewing for those of a sensitive disposition towards warp threads… I shredded quite a few in my sample warp, but have only had one calamitous collision so far in this ‘proper’ warp. It was quite early on and I fully expected a few more, so concentrated on fixing it rather than documenting it. Slow and steady is the key – treadle, shuttle, beat, treadle, shuttle, beat – and no showing off, even to myself.
More minor collisions occur from time to time when I don’t manage the tension on the cords very well, and end up with the shuttle travelling over its own cord. This, fortunately, is a much lighter offence than, say, running the lawnmower over its own cable, though it makes a surprisingly loud noise! And I get this…
…which has to be disentangled before I can continue. (Sorry that’s blurred – it’s not an action shot, just an unfocused one).
My cough has finally abated, I am relieved to report, but now the (new) PC has failed catastrophically. Just as we managed to get the new-and-failed printer replaced! Why is it that we can’t have a week when everything is working and everyone is well?? Tomorrow we are due to get our aged boiler replaced. It is a tedious but necessary process, and I would simply like it to go smoothly and easily… but I can’t say I am feeling entirely optimistic.
“Collisions” was posted by Cally on 8 May 2014 at http://callybooker.co.uk
A holiday home for the Earl of Wemyss. A day out for the Bookers. We confessed to the girl in the ticket booth that we have been driving past this castle for some 20 years, but today we finally visited. It was worth it.
“Elcho Castle” was posted by Cally on 4 May 2014 at http://callybooker.co.uk
