After fringe twisting 16 scarves of 2/20 silk at 27 epi, my hands are not at all happy, nor is my neck or back. It's just not a good position for me. In the future I will have to remember that fringe twisting needs to be done in much smaller batches.
In the meantime, I've been working on the next warp, also silk. I had been thinking it was also 2/20 or 2/30 silk, but upon opening the bin quickly realized it was 2/60. Plans had to change.
So I crunched the numbers, worked out a new plan, then as the fringe twisting progressed became reluctant to apply that finish to these scarves.
A friend was also doing some 'fine' scarves and deciding on how to dry finish them and realized she wanted hems, and I thought, why not me, too?
Back to the drawing board (Fiberworks) and some adjustments and I now have my final plans (barring anything untoward happening when I weave the header).
It's a fairly simple threading and one that I use frequently, adapting as required. So there is a straight progression at each selvedge, then a run of advancing points (Wall of Troy expanded to 16 shafts), then a run of a four end advancing twill. Repeated for the width of the cloth.
The hems will be woven in white silk, something heavier than the 2/60, because the epi is quite open at 48 to allow for the cashmere to be woven and a little fulling applied to keep the cloth stable. Goodness knows I have silk aplenty!
I also have several different weights of cashmere and can easily adapt the tie up to provide more or fewer interlacements as required. If necessary treadling sequences can change as well.
In truth I have a lifetime supply of fine cashmere AND silk. I've already dug through my silk stash and collected all the dyed 2/30 skeins. I think if I wind the skeins onto plastic spools and blend them thoroughly I can get a warp about 22 yards long or so, which should give 7 scarves.
Anyway, just finishing up scarf #16 - plus the four I wet finished yesterday I didn't get pressed. So, time to get back at it.
1 comment:
I recommend the Pomodoro Technique when twisting fringes, a favourite of people in IT.
Get yourself a kitchen timer - it's named after the tomato-shaped ones - set the timer, and get up and walk around when it goes off. When you're in the flow - writing documents, cutting code, or twisting fringes - it's easy to forget to stop. We all do it!
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