Nancy T included this summary of the experience doing
Olds Master Weaving class as part of her homework. I asked if she would allow me to post it to my blog.
My Journey from Olds to Final
Project
This
has been a journey of learning, disappointment, achievement and
frustration. Weaving with wool was my
first challenge as I had never woven with wool until I arrived in Olds. I thought the comparative book report would
be the death of me; I seemed to get over that hurdle, then there was the
weaving.
My
next plan of attack was to wind one warp 8 yards long which would weave 2 yards
of plain weave and two yards of twill along with the six sett samples. I found a very nice Peruvian wool, which I
enjoyed working with. I was very pleased
with the sett samples, and the 2 yards of plain weave. With a square at my side I wove and measured
and unwove and rewove and remeasured, cut off samples, washed samples, resleyed,
wove, measured, unwove as I tried to achieve a 45 degree angle for the 2 yards
of twill. I was at the point of settling
or declaring defeat and walking away from the remainder of the homework. So I settled and that is what I submitted.
With
my remaining warp I moved on to the weft faced sample which I wove 3 times and
was satisfied with the third sample. Finally
I reached the warp faced sample; only to discover that I couldn’t get an open
shed as the friction of the yarn that was sleyed and threaded so closely
together was impossible to pry apart. I
tried this sample with a reed and without a reed and was unsuccessful. I was very discouraged as I would have to
start again with the sett sample exercise using a different yarn as the
instructions indicated that the same yarn was to be used for all sett samples.
I
had woven beautiful samples that I couldn’t use, I was disappointed.
I
decided to change gears and weave the value gamp. I thought the book report was bad, how hard
can it be to weave a value gamp? It was as if I had never woven a thing in my
life. My edges were so bad, they were
like nothing I have ever woven. After
weaving samples and finishing them it appeared I had figured out the sett and
ppi and was ready to go. Again I
couldn’t master the final product to achieve 2 inch squares so I settled, not
pleased with my work again it was decision time to continue or declare
defeat. I dusted myself off and thought
I’d better see if I can achieve a warp faced sample using the remaining warp
from my value gamp. A true test to myself
to achieve this weave structure would be to use the rust yarn for the weft in a
warp that contained the six colors of my value gamp. I did it!! Finally there
was something positive to build on so I would wind another warp to redo the
sett samples along with the weft faced sample.
As
I worked through the sett samples I liked what I saw with the colors which got
me thinking of the final project which I had decided long ago, it would be a
scarf. Through the finishing of the sett
samples I was pleased with the hand and drape of the 9 e.p.i. so I was quite
sure that would be the sett I would use for my scarf. One additional sample was woven at 10 e.p.i.
just to confirm that 9 e.p.i. was what I wanted, and it was so I completed my
final scarf project.
I’m
very happy that I have become very proficient and oh so comfortable in
threading, resleying and dressing looms. I have learned so much throughout this
journey. I’ve learned how to place yarn
instead of beat it, how lightly dyed yarns have more spring than darker dyed
yarns which was most likely the reason for the uneven tension in my value gamp;
about keeping better records, what fibres can and can’t do and how they react
when finished; what I can and cannot achieve, how determined I am to continue and
hopefully succeed, and how important it is to weave with your heart. Nothing that I have woven throughout this
journey was done by my heart (with the exception of my final project) it was
woven with a tape measure and square being used every ½ inch to see if I was on
track and if not it was unwoven. I’m
sure I unwove just as much as I wove.
When
it was time to weave my final project, and with the luxury of it being my own
design, I put all that I learned into play but with no “rules” I wove the scarf
with rhythm and enjoyment and most of all the way I like to weave, from my
heart, it was a joy to weave and I am very pleased with my final product.
Without
the support of a fellow classmate I’m not sure I would have made it to the
end. Through all of the trials and
tribulations I was never turned off of weaving, to which I am thankful and
happy. I’m looking forward to weaving my
next project using all that I have learned and once again weave from my heart.
At
the end of it all I am looking forward to returning to Olds to take the Level 2
course.
