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Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Humming Along

So what is exactly on the new countermarche loom, Lilibet? It's a 10 shaft point twill and basically all the pattern is in the tie up. It makes for easy weaving and this is what I wanted so I could get used to the loom and it's 'feel'. Here's a close up where I have done some more complex runs through the treadles and the main pattern that appears is a small row of hearts.

The warp is 8/2 cotton and right now sett at 20 epi ( due to my mathmatical error... see previous entry for the sad, silly details). The warp is a blending of colours that repeat every 18 ends: 5 beige, 3 bright pink, 2 salmon pink, 3 melon, 2 salmon pink, 3 bright pink..... and back to the 5 beige. It's fun and fast and I can get a good rhythm going.

I found the draft on Complex Weavers compilation CD and it is credited to Laurie Autio. I like the way it makes such perfect shaped hearts!

I hope you can see the blue version below as it is the treadling I have shown in the towel above. I have another 9 yards to go!

Meanwhile on my other countermarche "Emmatrude", I pulled off the finished warp of the guest towels. Six had been mailed away for the GCW weaving exchange. The four left will be going along with a shawl to a sale in the Shuswap. I am filling the warp beam again. Eleven yards of 10/2 black tencel, 30 epi.

Then wound onto the sectional, one inch at a time:

Here's the draft I created with Fiberworks-PCW :

I was playing around with an advancing 12 shaft twill and with a black tencel warp and then the sheen of , oh, let's say... this for weft. A rich red 10/2 tencel, for starters! I've put enough warp on for 4 scarves so I'll be able to try different options such as silks. Should be interesting!

So I'll be completing the beaming and threading on one loom and weaving away on the other. See you again in a few days....

6 comments:

Sunrise Lodge Fiber Studio said...

Everything looks so wonderful!! What a fantastic color combination on the towels. I can't wait to see the scarves;)

Peg in South Carolina said...

Sob, sob, you give me yet another reason for a second loom.........(grin!) You certainly are humming along. How is the body doing?

Susan said...

Thank you for your kind comments! I am very optimistic about how these projects will turn out. I try to multi task, so do no one thing for any great length of time to spare my creaky body. I do some future project planning, start winding the next warp and some weaving. Finishing such as hemming is something I do while I watch TV. My back is complaining by the time I turn off the studio lights but I feel much more productive of late.
Peg: I always felt that having a smaller second loom was a smart thing as it somehow stimulates you to weave more and you never know when you might get a commission! Most likely when you just put 15 yards for another project on!

Anonymous said...

Oh, that is so pretty! Visually, the stripes pop right out like folksy little embroidered ribbons. I have been following your loom orientation with interest. It seems to have passed the final test with flying colors. Congratulations!

bspinner said...

Susan, these towels absolutely gorgeous!!!!!
What a great pattern and choice of warp colors!!
I agree with you about having more than one loom. I try to keep one warped in a close set with either a linen or cotton warp on and the other a wider sett with wool.
Also what to tell you I sure do like your draw down. Isn't it wonderful we now have so many computer programs to do all the hard work for us. When I started weaving I would sit with my graph paper and work on draw downs for hours at a time.

Lynnette said...

Ahhhh Susan, lovely as usual! Great to see that Lilibet is working well and you seem to be just whipping along. The drafts came through beautifully...