Math and Me

Math has never been my long suit - not even simple arithmetic.  Every once in a while I make a truly magnificent oopsie.  Weaving dishes up another serving of humbility pie!

Knowing that I'm not good at crunching numbers, I actually worked through the equation of how many ends I needed for this warp for the Big Project several times.  Seems like I simply repeated my mistake, several times, because I was short 16 ends.  I double checked my threading, using my system of grouping ends in their constituent repeats and confirmed that my threading was, indeed, correct.  I was really and truly short 16 ends.

Stopped and thought about it for a while.  This warp is, after all, for samples, right?  Could I live with the fact that one selvedge would be radically different from the other?

Much mulling produced the answer - no.

So I wound another warp chain of 16 ends, threaded it through the appropriate heddles, ran it around the back beam and up and over the warping valet.  Messed about with various weights until I got the right amount to provide sufficient tension and started weaving.

It's not a pretty sight, to be sure, but it's working - well enough. 

For curious minds, it took about 2 pounds of weight for the little chain.  And the really nice thing about the warping valet?  By running it over that, the yarn package is nice and close and the 'drop' is much longer than if I just weighted it off the back beam - no constantly running to the back of the loom checking to see if the weight needs to be dropped. 

I've got over a yard woven so far (the warp is 9 meters long).

Currently reading Raisins and Almonds by Kerry Greenwood

Threading

threading for huck lace with plain weave 'borders'

first section of 24 ends (plain weave) threaded - each group of 4 ends is tied in a slip knot, then the 6 knots are tied in a big slip knot seen at the right hand side - on the left is the first repeat of point twill

next repeat of point twill established with the 6 heddles set out ready to be threaded - each orange section is knotted together as it is completed and then...

....one entire repeat is bound off when completed

Thought I might share how I thread a more 'complicated' threading although this one isn't particularly - it actually breaks down nicely into manageable chunks.

If you look at the draft, I've used an orange marker to show the major divisions of the threading - the first mark (top right) shows the plain weave border.  The next orange marks show the major sections of point twill separated by ends of plain weave.  The green marks show the smaller chunks that get threaded and tied first. At the end of the chart, I will repeat from the beginning which will make huck lace boxes surrounded by plain weave 'borders'.  So the first repeat has been done.

I don't actually mark my drafts like this any more because I can do it visually, but I did this when I first started.  I also used various other methods to keep track, and still go back to those depending on how complex the threading becomes.  Usually I print out the draft in its entirety and as each section is completed I'll mark it off with a pencil or coloured marker as I go.

Some people really love to colour their heddles.  I don't find that works terribly well for me because then I have to 'translate' the numbers of the shafts into which colour the shaft is.  It's a lot easier for me to just follow the numbers in the draft.  For this four shaft loom I don't number the shafts but I do have the shafts on the AVL numbered so that I can make sure I'm pulling the heddles from the correct shaft.  I've probably got a photo of that in my blog somewhere but I think you get the idea.

For extremely complex threadings, some people find that if they 'treadle' the threading, they reduce the mistakes.  Some people treadle one shaft (heddle) at a time, others do it in groups, e.g. an advancing twill with a 5 end advance might be threaded (treadled) with each group of 5 ends (1.2.3.4.5 then 2.3.4.5.6 and so on).

Changing My Mind

I wasn't terribly happy about combining the plum with the greens and a quick rummage through the stash revealed a lighter greyed plum that will look much better, as far as I'm concerned.  So this combo is next in the queue for the small loom - as soon as I thread/sley/tie on/weave the lace sample awaiting me on the Leclerc Fanny. 

Just now finished cutting the towel warp off the AVL - and only just in time as it looks like my yarn order arrived today.  However I was parked much too far away to pack the parcel to the van so I opted to leave it until tomorrow when I can maybe get closer to the door.  Unless someone has sent me a present.  :^)  The card doesn't say what the parcel is, just that I've got one to pick up.

But it's also time for me to pack up the class materials for John C. Campbell Folk School and get them into the mail so I expect that some of Thursday will be spent deciding what I want to weave/demo while I'm there, wind whatever warps are necessary and get it ready to go into the mail soon - just to make sure it arrives in time.  I'd rather it got there much too early than a day late!

I also realized that I only have one more weekend before my company arrives so I am going to have to clear enough of the rubble away that they will not feel as though they've entered an episode of "Hoarders"....

Currently reading Death Before Wicket by Kerry Greenwood (a little too much information about cricket, but I'm ignoring that....)

Food For Thought

Simon Winchester seems to have a talent for finding interesting 'characters' and telling their stories in an informative and engaging way.  I've read several of his books and will look for more of his titles.  I'm fortunate in that my local library has quite a few of his books.

In this one we meet Joseph Needham, scientist, researcher, writer and ultimately, historian.  His fascination with China turned into the opus Science and Civilization in China - a task so monumental that it continues long after his death.

In the Appendix of Winchester's book he has a list of some inventions developed by Chinese minds and their approximate dates - some of which far pre-dated similar developments in Europe.  Unfortunately it is only a partial list and doesn't have weaving inventions but does include these:

Silk, earliest spinning of:  2850 BC

Silk reeling machine:  AD 1090

Silk warp doubling and throwing frame:  10th century AD

Spindle Wheel:  5th century BC

Spindle wheel, multiple spindles:  11th century AD

Spindle wheel, treadle-operated:  1st century AD

Spooling frame: AD 1313

Trip hammers, water-powered (as in a fulling mill):  AD 20

In other news, I've received confirmation of the workshop at the Sutherland Weaving Studio in Asheville, NC (A Good Yarn) and Sarasota is still looking for more participants for their two workshops (The Efficient Weaver 1.5 days and A Good Yarn 1 day). 

The trip is shaping up nicely and I'm looking forward to visiting with a friend on the way home in Seattle area and attending the March meeting of the Seattle Weavers Guild.  I'll be gone a month, which Doug isn't terribly happy about, but I'm looking forward to very much.  If nothing else, spring should be arriving by the time I get home and the days, which are lengthening nicely, should be much longer.  Although we have had a few brilliantly sunny days in Janurary, there have been all too few of them.  Today we are back to overcast, blustery wind and blowing snow.  And temperatures that are far too mild!

A good day to stay home and maybe finish that towel warp? 

Refining Technique and Weaving Boot Camp?

Weavers learning my 'method' of beaming sometimes get very nervous about the part where the loops of the warp need to be transfered from the 3rd stick to the apron or cord at the back beam.  I realized that it would be a very simple matter to utilize the 'angel wings' as a 3rd hand.

3rd stick with warp loops - stick is tipped upright so that it is easier to see the loops

apron rod being interleaved with the loops of the warp and the apron

apron rod fully inserted into the warp loops

3rd stick removed - warp is now completely installed onto the apron rod

a couple of minutes (at most) and the pigtails in the loops are smoothed out and the warp is ready to be beamed

warp travels under the breast beam, over the valet and each chain is weighted with a jug of water - elapsed time from inserting rough sleyed warp in the beater to the warp completely beamed and ready to thread - about 20 minutes - the warp is 9 meters long, 544 ends at 24 epi (about 22 1/4 ")

Purrington's angel wings are not required for this - any method of supporting the stick would make the job of transfering the loops much less stressful.  I just happen to have the angel wings installed on this loom.

Pam Howard and I have been discussing my returning to the John C. Campbell Folk School next year in January.  She has suggested another week long course but a different topic than The Efficient Weaver, which we will have given twice after my trip there in March of this year.

Thinking about what I could offer I wondered about a Weaving "boot" camp where people could come and rather than have a set curriculum, they would let me know ahead of time what they wanted specifically to learn and I would act as a weaving coach.  Lectures would be given to reflect the needs of the students.  For instance, perhaps people wanted to know how to read and design with profile drafts.  Or there was interest in fibre characteristics and how to choose yarns wisely for the intended purpose.  Or there was interest in wet finishing, generally, or for shrinkage differential (more commonly known as fabrics that go 'bump').  Or people wanted to know more about how colour acts in woven structure.

The week long class would allow people to hone in on where they wanted to improve and give them an opportunity to focus in a concentrated manner on working towards mastery.

What do you think?

Confidence

warp for Big Project #4 ready to be rough sleyed

Confidence:  Firm trust; assured expectation; self-reliance; boldness, impudence; telling of private matters (as a secret) etc...

Have been thinking today about why I started blogging.  The answer is a rather long list beginning with the thought that, in August 2008, I was over my health issues and finally on the road to recovery.  How wrong I turned out to be.

At any rate, I started blogging partly as a celebration of life, partly because I wanted to share my weaving experience with others without running afoul of those whose experience differed from mine, partly as a boost to my confidence which positive feedback provides.  Blogging also allowed me the freedom to post photos, drafts and diagrams along with my text which chat groups (be they on yahoo or elsewhere) doesn't.  It allowed me to ruminate upon other things going on in my life than just weaving - e.g. sharing what I am currently reading.

I knew that some people valued my experience from feedback received while I was travelling to teach so I had confidence that those people would welcome my pithy comments.  Blogging also allows me to share things in this semi-private forum that I no longer share in public forums (like how long it takes me to do some of the processes involved in weaving).

Ultimately my blog became therapy as I did the cancer detour and badly needed the support of more than just my family, who were stressed out enough as it was without my turning to them when I felt weak, helpless as they felt already.

But just because a person is confident in some areas of their life doesn't make them confident in all areas.

Most recently I 'published' a booklet on my experiences dealing with the marketplace selling my textiles.  It was with a certain degree of trepidation I pushed the 'send' button and I have been kind of waiting with bated breath for feedback.  One person said that it was 'thorough', which pleased me because I tried to at least mention everything I could think of about being in the business of selling hand woven textiles.  But the email I got this morning from Karen Donde of Sutherland Weaving Studio really warmed my heart:

"Ok, opened the file and couldn't stop reading. Goose bumps. I sure hope we get some time to talk in person in March.

Thanks for sharing all this experience. The download was $8.95; the lessons learned...priceless.


Karen"

There are still spots available in the one day workshop A Good Yarn being held at Sutherland Weaving Studio March 17.  I'm looking forward to meeting Karen, her weaving partner Barbara and weavers in the Asheville NC area for the first time.  :)

When Things Go Wrong

Got about half of the warp woven this morning and everything is fine.  It's not 'perfect' - but then what in life is?

I have always been the kind of person who when things go wrong looks for a solution.  This has been particularly valuable in terms of weaving because, quite frankly, things are all too frequently going 'wrong'.  When they do, there is no point in gnashing one's teeth and weeping (although a little venting is sometimes required).  A few explicatives may be used, but then it's onwards to find a fix that will allow one to carry on.

This is a lesson that is important in life, too.  This past week has held its share of 'bad' things but life happens and you just have to get on with it.

Perfection is a journey with lots of lumps and bumps along the way.  All we can do is keep on trying.  Even though these place mats are a little 'off' in terms of what I intended the end user won't know that.  They will just judge the mats on their merits and like them - or not.