Mat or Rug?

I've been making little mats since the Summer of 2020 with Liz Gipson's Summer Weave-Along: Mini Rugs. I highly recommend her classes. I used my 10" Cricket Rigid Heddle loom and a cotton warp for the first batch. All the rugs are about 8"x10". Cotton warp, various stash wool weft.

This is one of my favorites. All plain weave.

Then I put a linen warp on the loom and had lots of tension problems. Once linen gets stretched out it does not bounce back. The RH loom only moves half the warp ends up and down to create the shed for the weft. I decided to save the cross and transfer the warp to a multi harness loom where all the warp ends get moved. I had much better success. 

Linen warp sett at 6 ends per inch. Bulky Noro weft. Plain weave on a Macomber loom. 8"x10".

I've been asked what it's for. It could be used under a vase. It could be a place to throw your keys. It could be a table center decoration. Anything you want really! The rugs are fun to weave and make great gifts.

Sunrise or Sunset? This little mat or mini rug looks like one or the other depending on how you look at it.

Backstrap Complimentary Pick Up part 2

A quick post to share a band I just finished weaving on the backstrap using complimentary pick-up.

I had a lot of trouble keeping the yarns in the correct pick-up order on the last band. See this post. I finally looked at Laverne Waddington's book Complimentary-Warp Pick-Up to see if I was missing a step. Sure enough, I was not using two swords to hold the pick-up cross. That is the magic step that keeps the yarns in order. I hardly made any errors on this band after faithfully using this technique.

Close up of the band. I wanted to do another 9 thread motif from her book and this mirror image hook was it.

This is the finished band. I'm quite pleased with how easy it was to weave (using the two swords).

These are the two bands with same color yarns in different placement. I plan to use them as the handles of a tote bag. Yes, I'm using the one with all the errors in it because I want to remind myself of the difficulty I had weaving it and remember not to repeat the mistake.

Backstrap Complimentary Pick Up

A week from today I leave with my friend, Kathleen, to attend a backstrap weaving workshop with Laverne Waddington. The workshop is taking place in Sonora, CA at a friends home. There will be 8 of us in the workshop. I can hardly wait.

The topic is Pebble Weave. This weave structure is a type of complimentary warp pick up technique. In preparation, I have been practicing my complimentary weaving.

This is the warp I started with. Plain weave is relaxing and easy to do. Pick up is very finicky. I had to really concentrate to get the pick up portion correct.

I was weaving at Kathleen's a couple of weeks ago and this is how I anchored my loom. I used cork and cardboard to protect her nearly antique window sill.

This is the end of the tape. It looks perfect. right?!? Well, in full disclosure, it took me about half an hour to do each hook motif! I had a lot of trouble picking up the warp yarns in order. Each motif is only 17 weft picks. I was very frustrated. Sometimes the weaving went smoothly with no errors, which was surprising. Then I would make about 10 errors and had to weave and unweave over and over until the motif came out correctly. Arrgh!

As challenging as pick up is, I can tell you it's even more impossible when the warp is upside down and backwards. Laverne tells us to start picking up with the light thread and then follow with the dark thread. Well, Of course I had it set up completely opposite. I had to start with the dark warp and follow with the light warp. I could not figure what I was doing until Kathleen pointed out the backward/upside down warp thing going on.

You can see the errors in the photo below. The top tape has clearly shaped hooks. The lower tape shows lots of twisted spots and specs with no clear definition. I almost gave up. But that is not allowed! With Kathleen's guidance the weaving got easier. Sort of. I still picked the wrong threads. But that's because the yarns wanted to fool me by squishing together and making it hard for my fingers to pick up the correct warp yarn.

I persevered though and finished the tape. I am happy with the results. AND I learned how to unweave on the backstrap. Always an upside. Right!?!

You can find my post on weaving my backstrap here.

My Backstrap

The 2nd assignment from Laverne Waddington beginning backstrap weaving tutorial is to weave my own backstrap. Previous post showed a folded towel doing the job.

I was nervous about working on a wide piece (4+inches) so I decided to weave a slightly wider (2.5 inches) tape first. This photo show the beginning of the tape.

This is nearing the end of the warp. I used a heddle stick and a shed stick tied with a shoelace for my two sheds.

A closeup of the weaving. The two sheds created a distinct alternating bump which evens out when the warp is off the loom and has relaxed around the weft yarns.

Finished tape with fringe. I think I'm going to sew a zippered pouch with a rectangular fabric base. Now I was ready to weave a wider piece.

These are the yarns I chose for my backstrap. Plymouth Yarn Fantasy Naturale. It's what Laverne recommends for the project. It's going to be plain weave but with color stripes.

Warp is wound for my backstrap piece.

I used a small square warping board as I have yet to purchase individual pegs for winding straight warps. It worked well enough.

I got ambitious and wound a few warps. Some are 6 and 9 thread ready for complimentary pick up. The turqouiose one is for a really narrow half inch tape. The middle bundle is for the backstrap. I love how easily you can store ready-to-weave warps wrapped around lease sticks (dowels and pencils).

Again I made a heddle stick for one shed and a floating dowel tied with a shoelace for the second shed. I used a plastic ruler with planets on it for a beater sword as I have yet to buy a bigger one in wood. It's on the list to purchase. The ruler was handy because it made measuring for consistent width easy.

I had been anchoring the end of the loom on my TV stand. But found it creeping across the carpet as I pulled and beat with super firm tension on this warp. I needed more tension on the warp for this width. So I moved to anchoring my loom under my dining table. It was very stable. I did have to use a longer tie for the warp bar so I did not have to crouch under the table.

I didn't really like how the yarn colors were mixing as I wove. Not sure if the colors weren't just right or if the large worsted weight yarn was too bulky.

But when I was finished weaving and I saw the whole piece as one I fell in love.  I especially liked how the variegated yarn made a faux Ikat wave of color in the center stripe. Totally accidental with how I wound the warp.

I braided the yarn as per Laverne's instructions. I twisted some natural colored cotton crochet yarn into a cord for the end loops. Because I had color changes in the warp I had a number of knots at one end to weave into the braids. The other end had easy loops to braid with no knots.

My finished backstrap. I have used it and it is fabulous!

My New Obsession

My new obsession is backstrap weaving.

One of my guild mates weaves on a backstrap at most of our demonstrations and I lurk. I've been following Laverne Waddington's blog for about a year. I have an interest in all things weaving already. Backstrap weaving seems to be the next logical method to explore. It seems so basic and yet so full of variety and technique. It makes me feel connected to history in the same way spinning fiber does. Backstrap weaving is a visceral and tangible connection to humanity and civilization. Where would we be if early peoples had not figured out how to twist fiber into yarn and make clothing with it?!?

Anyway, with help from my best friend and fiber arts enabler, Kathleen, I wove my first tape in November. I'd watched Laverne's intro to weaving lessons online but it was really great to have someone show me in person.

My 3 color warp using 3/2 pearl cotton. I set it up using the complimentary method with 2 colors for pick up potential.

Wrapping my string heddles around my fingers.

Tying off my string heddle bundle.

With a couple of cardboard spacers in place I started weaving. Using my fingers the way Laverne describes on a narrow warp, I really had to work hard figuring out how to manage my body to get consistent tension. I am sitting in a chair here.

A close up of the tape.

I was so obsessed I finished the next day. The tape has no pick up pattern. I just loved how the two colors alternated so cleanly. I had to refer back to Laverne's blog to see how she finished tapes with fringe.

Close up of finished tape.

 I wound another warp almost immediately and finished it within the week.

 Close up of my second tape.

Here is the set up in front of my TV shelving. I attached a clamp on the edge. Folded a towel to use as a backstrap. I even used a bar to do the roll up of finished tape.

My son took this slightly blurry picture of me. I moved to sitting on the floor when I got home from Kathleen's. I found it more comfortable. I can sit in Dandasana (yoga pose) and work my legs! The floor is useful as a work surface too to hold my tools as I weave.

I love the simplicity of the loom being my body and an anchor point. I can hardly wait to start the next warp.

Stuff I Did While On Vacation

At first I thought I wasn't doing much crafting. No real focus. Then I catalogued what I did during the week of Thanksgiving. Turns out I was really productive.

1. Made a new bath robe for my son. Super funny combination of fabrics.

2. Crocheted a small coin purse inspired by something I saw on Pintrist.

3. With help from my friend, Kathleen, I dyed eight 4 oz. bundles of fiber in the crock pot.

4. She also helped me get started on my first backstrap weaving. I've been wanting to do something with a backstrap for a year now. I was so obsessed that I finished the tape the next day.

5. Dyed silk samples for a tie dye class I taught the next week.

6. I demoed how to spin a fun curly textured yarn from mohair locks with my Saturday Spinners.

All of these things will appear in more detailed posts in the coming weeks. Random photo: the big guy below is a resident at a spinner friend's home. He is just about as wide as the sidewalk.

Studio 49 Retreat 2017 Challenge part 5 Finale

The final end to this Polwarth fiber challenge. Lots of pictures below...

Two scarf ends that needed sewing together to make a loop.

I wanted to have a flat seamless invisible join instead of an overlapped hem. I chose to cross opposite ends and loop back to the same side.

Detail of crossed warp end with needle weaving end into fabric.

 Almost done.

Ends all crossed and ready to pull each loop closed flush against the fabric.

The join turned out a little more wonky than I thought it would. It's not as invisible as intended. Instead of pulling two ends in opposite directions at the same time, I should have pulled one side flush then the other side separately. Ah well, lesson learned.

I wasn't confident the crossed ends would be secure, so very lightly, I needle felted the seam.

Then I got to the fun part...beading the fringe.

I chose three tubes of the larger glass beads, put 3 little beads on each strand and started twisting. A bigger glass bead finished off the ends.

After hand washing and air dry, WALLAH! A finished challenge project.

I had lots of little cut ends left over from the warp. I couldn't bear to throw them away. The solution: a pom pom for a keepsake. Which I finished with beads as well.

Finally, I leave today to show off these items at the Studio 49 Retreat.

Studio 49 Retreat 2017 Challenge part 4

I finally wound my hand spun Polwarth yarn onto my 10" Cricket loom and started weaving. Post for part 3 here.

Scarf in progress on the loom. The thick grey line is the BFL hand spun yarn for the weft fringe.

A close up before I took it off the loom. Nice pleasing Fibonacci color sequence eh?!?

Off the loom ready for finishing and beading. I used every bit of the white Polwarth hand spun I had (part 2 post here).

My selection of glass beads to play with.

It only took me a week to weave the scarf. Duh! Now I just need to make time to do all the finishing. Sew in the yarn tails, connect the ends in to a loop, twist and add beads to the weft fringe, and finally wet finish. Doesn't seem like much but I know it'll take me longer than I think.

Lastly, here is a picture from my sister of the yarn I spun for her (see this part 1 post) and the beads she plans to knit into her piece. I can hardly wait to see her finished cowl.

The retreat is next weekend. Gotta finish!