Begin As You Mean To Go On

 

I was expecting to have a rather quiet day, but in my email this afternoon was the digital version of the spring issue of WEFT.  Of course I had to immediately stop and check out 'my' article...(ahem)

I have probably mentioned previously that when the brain bleed hit I was about halfway through weaving the samples and beginning to write the text for this article.  What I had been doing was a pretty deep dive into what happens when you take some fine threads, bundle them (*not* spin them) and then try to use the bundle in place of a spun yarn.  What was a fairly complex question turned into an even more complex job of taking a badly injured brain (the bleed hit my speech centre - hell for a teacher who has aspirations to write) and then try to comb through the sinkholes in my brain looking for my words.

It was enormous support from my alpha reader and then the technical team at WEFT that I managed to produce something that doesn't 'solve' the mystery of bundling vs plied yarn, but will - I hope - encourage others to approach the subject with a bit of caution.  Because the two 'yarns' do not behave the way one would expect.

So it was with some trepidation that I caught the article in the stages of being edited, tried to provide the information they wanted/needed, and have it make some kind of sense.  When it does not follow the 'myth' of being able to take 4 strands of 2/20 merc cotton and treat it as though it is going to behave like 2/5 merc. cotton.  Because it will not.

If you want to do this for certain reasons, be prepared to sample.  More than once, if need be.  Then make sure you wet finish your samples to find out the quality of cloth that has been produced by using a bundle of fine threads instead of a spun thicker yarn.  

Maybe it won't matter for your project.  But if it does...don't assume!  

The issue has been sent out to people with subscriptions for the digital version of the magazine and the print copies will be mailed shortly.  (It is a holiday season, after all!)  If you are interested in the depth and breadth of topics being covered, do consider a subscription.

For myself, having the magazine arrive today - the first day of a 'new' year - well, I was reminded of an old adage - begin as you mean to go on.

I'm still fighting with my body, trying to keep it going when it doesn't wanna.  I see a counsellor in a week, which I'm hoping will help with some aspects of living with chronic pain.  And I have begun a new supplement which is supposed to help heal damaged nerves.  Who knows, I might find myself in a more comfortable place in this brand, shiny, new year?  Eventually?

Doug has managed to bring home all my inventory from the guild sale events over the past few months, and I've pulled an order that I hope we can get into the mail on Monday.  Once the rest of the tea towels have been put away (on the shelves which *used* to hold the rayon chenille), I will be able to set up the small lever loom again.  Over the holidays Doug cut down a reed so that I can weave my samples for the next WEFT article with the reed I want to use.  I did one sample at 24 epi, but as suspected it was just too dense.  So, 20 it will be.  The samples are small, but will show a technique for weaving using pick up in order to increase the patterning capabilities of a smaller loom.  It's a technique I enjoy quite a lot, and I have tentative designs for the samples for the article.  

Tomorrow I will finish the current warp and dress the loom with one more tea towel warp, and whatever is left of the singles 6 cotton will be donated to the guild.  Or a weaver who really wants to play with 'energized' yarns.  TBD.

I had a lot of doubts about my being able to continue.  I was feeling like a burden to the WEFT technical team, and finally confessed my difficulties.  They were incredibly supportive.  And, since I DO still have things I want to write, I have signed the contract for this article, and hesitantly submitted an idea for the one after.  

I see so many new wannabe weavers, confused, dazed by the deluge of information that is needed to get comfortable with the craft.  

All I can really urge them to do is to learn.  Learn as much as you can.  Learn how to read the language of weaving, and the 'codes' that we use to convey concentrated bursts of information.  And please stop expecting perfection on your very first warp.  Weaving is a *skill*.  It takes time and mindful practice to master.

As I look forward into 2026, I have no idea what will happen to my health.  But if I can keep writing articles to document my explorations, and try to explain some of the 'mystery' of working with thread to create cloth, I will do my best to share what I've discovered.  

With the help and support of my alpha reader and the technical team at WEFT, I'm hoping I can continue creating content for a while longer.  Because I'm still learning.  And still fascinated by how threads rather 'magically' turn into cloth.