Changing bobbins

This video clip shows how I change a bobbin and start a new thread. It is another clip from CD Weaver. Using the Leclerc shuttle, I flip the empty bobbin up with the index finger of my left hand, slip the full bobbin on, thread it through the hole, snap it into place and continue weaving.

About Shuttles

With all the thinking I've been doing about ergonomics and efficiency, I thought I'd discuss a little bit about why I use the shuttles I weave with.





Since I don't want to be fighting with my equipment, I have chosen shuttles that have spindles that stand upright rather than being mounted with a spring that prevents them from moving completely out of the way of the shuttle cavity.

It takes just a flick of my left hand index finger to flip the spindle upright in order to slip the bobbin onto it.



With the bobbin upright, I can easily thread the weft yarn through the opening in the side as there is plenty of clearance and lots of room to see the hole.




A quick snap and the bobbin is seated and ready to go. No fumbling, no working artificially slowly because the equipment gets in the way of doing the job that needs to be done.

Now someone might very well say to me "But Laura, it doesn't take all that long to put a bobbin in a shuttle with a spring loaded spindle." My response is that when you do this task many times in a day, if it takes even 15 or 20 seconds longer those seconds add up to minutes and minutes add up to hours. Lost minutes that mean I don't get paid as much for what I'm doing because my equipment is inefficient.

One reason I can weave quickly and produce as much as I can during the day is because I have targeted equipment and processes that are needlessly inefficient and changed them to things that allow me to work as effectively as I can.

Very early on in my career I realized that while I can make more money, I can never make more time. Buying equipment that allows me to work as efficiently as possible has always seemed to me to be a wise investment.

For more info on how I hold and throw the shuttle, check the video clip label.

Next Towel Design

What this photo doesn't show very well is the darker blue in the middle of the cloth. If you squint, you might just be able to make out the colour shift to the far right and left sides.

When I say 'darker', the blue is pale so it isn't very much darker than the white. Perhaps it will show up better off the loom and after wet finishing.

The good news (?) is that I've found enough fine cotton to do another warp without buying more yarn.

I've been thinking a lot about issues of efficiency lately. It seems that the topic is coming up on the chat groups with more frequency, and people are becoming more interested in working with less fuss and bother.

Personally I don't like struggling with my process, equipment or materials. If something isn't working smoothly, my approach is to try to find out where the problem is and fix it. Sometimes that means modifying equipment, or replacing it with something more efficient. Life is short; time precious. This past year certainly brought that to my attention in a big way. :}

Unfortunately if a new weaver is only ever exposed to one type of equipment they don't know that there is anything else, so they wind up struggling with what is available. :( Even worse, when muscle memory has been formed, changing becomes more difficult than if one learned how to do it with more efficient tools in the first place. Most people simply don't bother to try to change because they don't like the feeling of being less than competant than they are used to.

When a person doesn't know what they don't know, they can only do the best they can. But we can change when something better is shown to us. Sometimes going back to the beginning can wind up being very beneficial.

I can weave very fast. The reason I can do so is that I have found the processes, tools and equipment that work well for me. I have refined my technique over many years until I can do the varioius steps with the least amount of hand movements. My goal is to work smarter, not harder - to accomplish more by doing less. Not all of the techniques I use came easily or quickly, but I could see the potential of saving time by taking the time to learn them. So I wallowed at the deep end of the learning curve until I became proficient.

One of the things that causes grief for most weavers is threading. Our bodies are in a posture that is uncomfortable and the longer it takes to thread, the longer we have to stay crouched in that posture. Even though I was considered fast at the time I took a workshop with Norman Kennedy, who showed us a different way of threading I took the time to learn his method and my threading speed increased significantly. Learning how to sley differently recently made that task faster and easier because instead of large arm movements, I now sley with smaller hand/wrist movements.

Now that my health appears to be stabilized, I am looking forward to being able to weave for many more years. Weaving is labour intensive. Whatever I can do to lessen the time and effort required, I will do. Even if that means wallowing at the deep end of the learning curve, erasing and building new muscle memory all over again. :)

(I show people my 'tricks' in the seminar You Have to be Warped, and on CDWeaver.)

The Never Ending Linen

I've reached the 1/4 mark on this warp and the fine linen just keeps on going, and going, and going............

This is not going to be the final warp. I'm going to have to do at least one more longish warp to use it up. :(

The problem is I've used up so much of my fine cottons there isn't a whole lot left to choose from. I'm going to have to get really creative, dig deep into the corners in case there are any more cones hiding, or - gasp - order more yarn!

I think I may put something else onto the loom after this warp while I ponder my options, and maybe order something in. My supplier doesn't take too long to ship things, but will they have what I want in stock? And then wait for a week for it to arrive.

At least the linen was a tiny bit more co-operative tonight. Perhaps it's had a chance to absorb some of the humidity out of the air........or maybe it's started to warm up as promised.

Currently reading Princeps' Fury by Jim Butcher

Back to the Loom

Spent the morning winding bobbins for the lace show and share tomorrow but needed a break from that so went down to the loom and wove off a towel.

Unfortunately the cold weather has brought lowered relative humidity, and the linen is being a spoiled brat. :( It's sloughing off the bobbin and wrapping around the spindle on a regular basis so I'm getting a bit frustrated with it. The humidifier is running, but still can't get the humidity over 48% so the linen is pretty dry and snarly.

I really don't like fighting with my yarn (or equipment) but can't fight the conditions any more than I am currently, and since the results are rather nice it's grin and bear it time. :D

The fabric similar to this that I've wet finished turned out really nice so I know this will be nice when it's done, too.

The weather is supposed to warm up beginning tomorrow, so I'm keeping fingers crossed the linen will be better behaved from now on. In the meantime the sun is shining brilliantly so I'm really not complaining............too much. :^) With the warmer weather will come more humidity, yes, but also grey skies and snow/rain. And I'd much rather have the sun and linen that needs to be coaxed a bit.

Besides, this warp should see the end of this extremely fine linen, and that is A Very Good Thing!

Bobbin Lace Show and Share

Friday I'm doing a lace show and share again but of course I had something started on one of my pillows so before I can prepare the pillow, I have to finish my little bookmark. :)





I'm using thrums left over from a warp I did months ago with some of the 2/20 mercerized cotton. The main threads are dark blue with green under tones, and some bright emerald green for workers on the fans and running down the centre.



It's turning out well and I'm pleased with it.

Doesn't look like I'll get to the loom today, though. I still have about half an hour left to finish the bookmark and then get 3 pillows ready. I'm just using the pricking for the little bracelet we made at the Show and Share in January again.

I think our lace group is meeting Sunday. I'll be able to start a new project since this bookmark will be done. Not sure what I'll do. We had talked about doing some stars or snowflakes that we can mount in a bangle for a Christmas ornament. Or I may make some more bookmarks. It would be nice to have some to tuck into Christmas cards.

Book Review - The Intentional Spinner

About 18 months ago I took a spinning workshop with Judith MacKenzie McCuin. I warned her when I arrived that I was not taking the class to become a better spinner (it had been 20 years since I'd done any kind of spinning at all) but because I wanted to become a better weaver. I wanted to learn more about fibre characteristics and how spinning a fibre can change, or perhaps I ought to say modify, those characteristics.

During the class she announced that she had a new book in the works - The Intentional Spinner. My copy arrived while I was on holiday, and while I haven't had a chance to read all of it, I want to urge all weavers to rush to read it.

For many years I have recommended my favourite resource A Guide to Textiles for Interior Designers for fibre and fabric characteristics, but that is an expensive book and not everyone wants to add a pricy book to their collection. The Intentional Spinner is much more economical at about $26 US a copy. It doesn't have the breadth of information contained in the Guide, but it covers the basics for natural fibres that most weavers prefer.

It has the added benefit of discussing in much greater detail than The Guide the mechanics of spinning and how those will affect the yarn and therefore the fabric constructed from it. The two books together make a great platform of essential knowledge weavers need to know.

Weavers need to understand the basics in order to make appropriate choices for the textiles they wish to weave. Judith includes information on both woven and knitted constructions which makes this book an invaluable resource for both weavers and knitters.

The extent and depth of Judith's knowledge takes my breath away. Her writing style is clear and concise. At times I have to simply stop reading in order to absorb the concept and information contained in one sentence.

She includes information on the newer regenerated fibres which ought to help dispel some of the assumptions that people have made and allow weavers to make intelligent choices about what fibres they will and will not use. She also points out that these regenerated fibres have been around since the early 1920's and '30's and are only now becoming economically viable as petroleum products become more and more expensive. The regenerated fibres are also bio-degradable, while the petroleum fibres are not. With an even hand she lists the advantages and disadvantages neither promoting nor denigrating any yarn allowing us to determine what we need in order to create textiles to suit our purpose.

The two day class I took was filled with nuggets of information. Now that I have The Intentional Spinner, I feel like a little piece of Judith now lives in my studio. A most welcome addition. :)

Who knows, I may even take up spinning again. :)