Full Sized Samples

A shot of the loom showing as much of the warp as possible - the colours go into a deep purple/pink which you can just see if you squint - or click on the photo to biggify

Patient?  Moi?  Um, er, that would be a 'no' I guess because instead of weaving off the last 5 towels on the AVL, I threw the second painted warp onto the small loom last night and started weaving this morning.

I am really glad I did a 'full sized sample' of the warps I was considering having painted.  The first one was made with a larger rayon slub and a 2/8 size smooth yarn.  The second warp was only the smaller smooth yarn, which feels quite wonderful slipping through one's fingers.

However, that lovely feeling appears to be partly due to a slight fuzziness.  This slight fuzziness meant that the warp threads wanted to latch on to each other and started to snag and snarl as I was beaming it.  So, not a good way to go, considering that I want to have a new production line!

Going full sized was a good way for the dyer to test out how much work would be involved and it gave me a good deal of valuable information in terms of the weaving.  So the three scarves off of this warp will wind up being one-off's, so to speak.  I may not offer them for sale but use them for donations.  For several of the shows I do the participants must donate an item for marketing purposes.

The other word for a full sized 'sample' is 'proto-type'.  It's what happens in industry when a new product goes into production.  Making a proto-type is one way to de-bug the process as much as possible so that when actual production begins, it goes as smoothly as possible.

I'm glad I tested this yarn combination before making the committment to weaving lots of warps using it.

Yesterday I ordered the yarn for the other combination and as soon as it comes I'll start winding warps so I can deliver them when I head to Langley early in April - and save the cost of shipping them.  Every penny saved and all that....

Currently reading The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear