The Best Part

I enjoy weaving on multiple levels.  I enjoy the physical activity of sitting at the loom, throwing the shuttle, beating the weft into place.

But I also find the intellectual work of trying to figure out how to make the threads move through the fabric stimulating. 

So when I'm at the loom and things are going well and only surface attention is required, I will frequently mull over up-coming warps.

Right now I have 20 yards (give or take) of warp on the loom with three towels woven...with about another 8 or 9 days of weaving before that warp comes off. 

I also have at least three bins with planned warps waiting.  Two of them already have their drafts ready to go.  The third one I'm still letting simmer.  A fourth is percolating in part because of the draft I want to use and what I have available which may - or may not - be suitable.

In order to get a good fit between draft and planned warp you have to have the right combination of things and I'm not sure I have a good fit left in my steadily reducing stash of 2/16 cotton.

I also have some more linen (thanks to a friend giving me more linen just as I was finishing off my stash!  Um, thanks?)

So I may wind up using the linen for weft on that one, but given about two weeks per warp, I'm still several weeks away from needing to crunch that one while I deal with the ones that are ready to go.

Here is a glimpse at what I work on:  The draft has been turned so that instead of 16 shafts only 8 are needed.  But 16 treadles are required, so suitable for a loom with levers or a dobby.  The stripes are now weft wise instead of warp wise, but yes, it is possible to weave on fewer shafts.