This 'n That

Its been a busy weekend around here. I have worked in the studio all weekend as we plan to take Monday off and go shopping.
I got busy with threading the 10/2 tencel warp which consist of 246 ends over 12 shafts and will be sleyed 30 epi. ( 2 per dent in a 15 dent reed). I'm using a 23" shorty reed as these are to be narrow 8" scarves. Skinny dents and a black warp.... and quickly fading daylight. These old eyes simply can't be trusted! So I got out my new toy that I bought at Woolhouse Tools in September when we were in the Okanagan.


Right at this minute, I can't recall it's proper name ( or who makes it) but I'm calling it the auto reed hook. Slip it into one dent *ahead* of where you want to start and push forward till it 'clicks' then slip the yarn ends over the bottom hook and pull back through the reed. The ends simply drop off and the tool moves forward into the next dent as if by magic. Honest. I never took the hook out the entire time and every dent was filled!

Now what it doesn't do is ensure that you have two and not three ends in your hand and later when I had to unlace the warp the bouts again for the second time, it didn't help me with the crossed ends behind the reed. Geesh. I haven't done that in very long time. In my defence, it is a black warp.... and its tightly sleyed. That's my story.

The draft for this project is in the last post and I'm starting to realize how ambitious it is. 12 shafts and 12 treadles... okay. But the treadling plan is 'tromp as writ'. Take a look at that draft again. There are 83 ends to the main pattern, with an additional 39 for the centre bit. Okay, no phone calls and no talking to anyone. If someone comes in, their hair better be on fire! These are my cheat sheets for treadling. There are another two for the start and finish of the scarves as well.The pattern does runs in threes, but *backwards* and the odd one or two thrown in for added confusion. It means you are glancing at the treadles to see where to place your feet all the time. So for the first time ever owning this loom, I placed large number stickers on the treadles to increase my success rate. I normally can keep them worked out by simply placing a thick rubber band ( like you get on broccoli) on the mid point. My foot feels that and knows where it is in the scheme of things.

I must admit the pattern is stunning and the scarf is going to look wonderful. Here's a sideways shot of the early portion. Blogger has turned my picture sideways for some reason. The hemstitching is done every 4 ends and I plan to twist the fringes every eight. It will be a fine fringe and be a bit more 'lady like'. I may add beads if there are any in my bead stash that will be just right. We'll see about that later... much later.
There's a lot of shine with the tencel and I'll try to get another shot to show you.

On Lilibet, the heart pattern towels are coming along. I'm on number four now and using a muted purple. The pattern doesn't jump at you quite as much as with the bright blue but really nice just the same. I must agree with Lynnette about the cloth beam filling up quickly and it does look like ten yards will be the limit using yarns this size. Never thought to ask about a thing like that when we were buying the looms. Fortunately for me, I get bored quickly and so ten yards should be plenty.

On my other loom, I have a sectional and so not dealing with sticks or paper. Just some sticks to help ease the bumps on the cloth beam for a turn. Having paper unrolling at the back is annoying as the treadles bump and hit it. So I hit upon a solution to the rustling paper. Two mini bull dog clips from my hubby's office supplies.

I'm going back there to unroll floating selvages anyhow......

So my mind is starting to turn to what's next after the towels are done. I'd like to try some spider weave or cannelle. I'll play with some drafts and get back to you....