Between Two Pages

I have been participating in the Guild of Canadian Weavers annual weaving exchange now for some years. They are quite addicting and certainly low pressure. Hostess Lynnette gives the assignment in the early spring and then have until October 1st. to turn them in, with minor postage costs. So far we have done: tea towels, card inserts, guest towels, runners and here, scarves and this year the theme is book marks. Design, weave and send in four and get four back. That's it.

I've never woven anything this small before! I dug out all my books on small drafts and weaving miniatures. Not satisfied there, I moved onto looking through my sample binders at actual woven samples for inspiration. Now I love fancy twills. Their simple threading and intricate treadling runs can produce intricate patterns that look impossibly complex. I found my friend Gudrun's draft and set to finding the right materials. I have a nice selection of 20/2 cottons but I spied a small cone of a fine  gold linen that had been absorbed into my stash from somewhere. No size is recorded and its a bit larger than 20/2. I do plan to use the McMorran balance to determine its yardage and size before I turn my project in. { Edit: I snipped away at the thread on the McMorran balance and came away with 39" which you multiply by 100 for 3900 yards per pound. Not certain which size this corresponds to but....   Anyone have an idea? Please leave a comment. }

So here's the draft again. My warp is 3 yards long, sett is 47 epi and is 2 inches in the reed. Edge threads are black 20/2 cotton and centre warp is my fine mystery linen. The linen will give a nice firm quality to the book marks.

It was wound, beamed and set into the raddle all in under an hour! What a treat!

Everything is quite compact and dense!

This is a 20 dent reed and it's sleyed 2,2,3. So all this was done in quick time.... until we get to the tie up!
I have a cranky lower back and I need a 12 treadle / 12 shaft tie up. The Louet Spring is a light loom and we 'cheat' by lifting her up onto crates:

That pile of ties is only half... the other pile is over to the left. I took a few days to get it done doing 3-4 treadles a day. One reason why I'm planning multiple projects from a tie up!

Calli held the carpet down and kept me company. There is a perfect circle of toys around the loom!

Finally I laced on to reduce loom waste and treadled the network treadling and I really like it! So tiny and compact. The pattern below is only half the bookmark and I wove another repeat, then hemstitched.

Then I wove some using the threading as my treadling (or'as drawn in' or 'tromp as writ') and I really liked this version too. During the second half of this warp, I had a linen warp thread part company. Most likely due to tension. I had a heck of a job trying to find the various ends, the heddle involved and fishing in a repair thread. It was a very tight situation and eventually it called for help from hubby and his head lamp 'cyclops' to brighten up 47 heddles crammed into one inch! We finally found it and got it squared away.

It was all woven and done in no time! I took the warp off and gently soaked in in warm sudsy water, primarily to tighten up the pattern. I left them all linked and plan to cut apart later. Linen doesn't like having its cut warp ends washed and they can get ratty.

Next, I used a rotary cutter and cutting mat for a nice clean edge.

Here's a clean edge.  I went on to cutting it shorter by half again as the fringe looked out of proportion.

So here's the final show and tell and they are ready to go on their way later this fall!  They were fun to weave up and it was a quick project. I also learned about miniature weaving and I would like to explore this in more depth at some point.

Woven network style:

Then woven as threaded, or as drawn in.... and also know as "tromp as writ" from very old drafts.

Now I have a habit of resting my shuttle on the project underway and I forgot how narrow my warp was and somehow I nudged the shuttle and it lurched sideways and it fell point first onto the top of my left foot. It HURT and it developed a large goose egg lump right away and my first  thought was "uh oh, that's gonna bruise"
That was an under statement!

First one shows the swelling and the second the lovely evolving colours!

The whole thing over the last week has turned shades of green and purple and its crept right down into my toes. I can walk okay (for the most part) but there is still a sizeable lump where it impacted and its tender to touch. I have woven with either socks in winter and bare feet in summer and been doing this since 1995 with no mishaps. I know that some weave with shoes on or slipper style shoes but I have portions of my feet that are numb (due to my back injury) so I need to really be able to feel the skinny treadles. I think I will carry on in my usual manner but be extra careful about where I place the shuttle from now on!

I have two completely naked looms! Time to get some threads moving!

Out of the Shadows

I've been a member of the Guild of Canadian Weavers since 1997 and for a time, even served as their president. (There are plans for a whole new web page to come soon!) In 2007 weaving exchanges were revived and have continued successfully since and I have participated every year. There has been a wonderful variety: tea towels with a tartan theme,  finger tip guest towels, card inserts and for 2010, a scarf exchange. It started with Carolyn Houlden in 2007 as the exchange coordinator and for the past couple of years Lynnette has been their coordinator.  I dare say getting all those packages in the mail at the deadline must be very exciting!  Sort of like a Weaver's Christmas. (sorry I said that word.... but it is coming....)

This beautiful shadow weave scarf arrived in my mail box a few days ago and I'm thrilled with it! It was woven by Patricia who lives in Ontario and she would have received a scarf as well, (but not mine). It is woven with black and silver  2/8 tencel, sett 20 epi for plain weave and impeccably woven. Check the edges! (click to enlarge)

There were also a clear record of the project and draft:

Now, Patricia is weaver who I would love to visit and spend time in her studio! But as she is way over on the other side of the country so that is not going to happen any time soon unfortunately. The scarf will look wonderful on my black wool coat this winter!

One other participant provided a sample on her technique for the other weavers:

By using a shaped cardboard in front of the regular reed, it mimics a fan reed or 'ondelle'. (not sure if I have that spelt right)   A very interesting technique!

The scarf I sent in? Well, it was the green version of the scarves in this post .

GCW Weaving Exchange: Results!

Big 'thank you' to Lynnette for sending me this photo of all the runners in the exchange!

This is the one I received!

I've been a member of the Guild of Canadian Weavers for some years now and four years ago, a weaving exchange was re-introduced to the members. The annual exchange has seen tartan tea towels, then card inserts, guest towels and this year, table runners. Lynnette has taken on the role of hosting this event for the past couple of years and does a wonderful job of wrangling weavers into a schedule with firm (?) deadlines! It must be fun to have all those parcels arrive and seeing what everyone has woven up.

This year the plan was to weave a runner, then get a runner back. I dropped mine off in person this past September when we were there visiting. So I have had a bit of a wait to see what was coming. I received a lovely runner in soft greys in summer and winter, woven beautifully by Patricia, of Prince Edward Island. It's in 2/8 cotton and I must say that 2/8 cotton has never looked so good! Thank you Patricia and Lynnette.

The parcel also includes the draft and record notes so that you can reproduce the pattern. Below is the runner I submitted and Patricia received and to refresh, it's 2/16's cotton sett 36 epi with 2/30 linen weft. This past week I attended a demonstration on the features of Fiberworks-PCW weaving program by program designers, Ingrid Boesel and Bob Keates. They recently relocated from Guelph, Ontario to Salt Spring Island so are practically neighbours here. I learned a lot about the program and how to use it more effectively for designing. One nice fringe benefit of the demo was on how to capture the drafts and so I can show you them here at the blog. So below is my first effort! Next up is how to make it large enough for you to read :) I'm working on it!

In the mean time they have a free demo program at their page. Its the full Bronze or Silver program and it will do everything except 'print' or 'save'. If you like it, then you pay and get an authorization code. It can be on up to three computers in your home. I have the 'Silver Plus' and enjoy playing with it very much and must say that my record keeping has improved tremendously since using their record template. ( I recommend getting the discs sent to you later and buy the hard copy manual. Crashes happen!) You can see what your project will look like on the loom, try different colours, check for floats, and even view the back of the cloth. Good bye graph paper and coloured pencils!! I'm a happy customer for sure....

Edit: Thanks to Louisa for telling me that if you click on the draft, it will 'embiggen' the tiny draft!

A note to Mac users: they are working on a program for you but it is being written from scratch. They are establishing which versions of Apple / Mac programming to include as it seems you get a lot of upgrades. When its released it will feature many more items that we PC users will have to wait for in a future upgrade. In short it will be worth the wait!

The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay was through our little town yesterday as it starts it's long, long journey to all parts of Canada and ending up at the Games held in Vancouver and Whistler, this coming February. While I was on my way to another event ( post on this next time) it was wonderful to see kids and parents all excited about the relay. The day was glorious and full sunshine on a fall day. On second thought, maybe the kids were more excited because it was Halloween....

Patiently Waiting

You know, looms are so incredibly patient....even when you neglect them for other looms. Try that with a husband! I'm sure mine would claim 'friendly neglect' in this house due to loom affairs from time to time ... (like dinner time. :)

I started a snowflake runner project on my Louet Spring loom 'Lilibet' some time ago but it somehow stopped moving ahead about the time Lynnette came for her visit and then other stuff intervened. Well, I'm participating in the Guild of Canadian Weavers weaving exchange again this year and since Lynnette is the exchange coordinator, I wanted to have the runner ready to travel when we go to the Okanagan in early September. We'll be visiting my MIL and will most likely see the new fire damage to our old neighbourhood first hand. I'll be at Lynnette's for a few days as well and I'm sure that we can find some mischief to get into and friends to visit.

Back to the home front and the studio.... no vacation just yet....
To refresh:

• 2/16 mercerized warp in cream, sett 30 epi, using a 15 dent reed ( two per dent).
• first runner woven with 2/30 natural linen, pre-dampened pirns.
• woven with a temple to reduce draw in.
• two runners woven to approx 38" in length, plus fringe.
• third runner woven with medium grey 2/16 mercerised cotton to approx 42"
• fringe twisted, so completely reversible.
• pattern from Weavers magazine #18, page 20. Draft by J. Evans, GCW masterweaver.

Here are a couple of pictures of the linen runners on the loom.

I've done this pattern a number of times before, most notably five runners as gifts to the weavers in my old guild who lost their homes to the big inter-urban forest fire of 2003. I have noted that this has been another bad fire year and I'm weaving this pattern again. Maybe I should retire it?

This picture below shows the grey 2/16's well under way. I had just about finished the hemstitching. Not as subtle as the linen runners. (Also it is not as dark as this picture shows)

The linen runner going to the exchange was first up on the styrofoam board and the twisting went quickly. I used all three clips and made a rounder, firmer mini cord. (full how to's are here)

The grey runner is on the board now and I'm just about finished the first side. Using three at a time makes it go faster. The last linen runner will most likely wait its turn and be done after we get back from our time away.

So time to 'fess up to a failure. I tried a different weft before resorting to the grey cotton. I have some lovely 2/40 white linen from Ireland that I wanted to use as weft. I wound my pirns and dampened them a day ahead. It started so lovely! I wove for a time, then left it to make dinner. Started again the next day and had to stop to make a call. Then I noticed a line, then another where there was a visible change in not only beat but density of weft. It was nothing that laundering would fix! So I cut away about 10 inches of this lovely linen and choose the cotton instead. So, the 'Lesson Learned' : I can still use it for weft but I *must* weave the entire piece in one sitting. I put what was left of the linen into a marked bag and its now in my freezer waiting for that project. ( It better be soon as my bobbins are running low!)

Here's a close up detail of the 2/40 linen and two other pictures where if you look closely you can see the streaks:

Let's end on a happy note! Here's the finished runner for the GCW Exchange.

I'm leaving Lilibet naked (*gasp*) for now. I have a scarf warp to be wound and beamed on there next. Now I can concentrate on the balance of Elena's shawl.

Fire Snowflakes

My friend Lynnette is the weaving exchange coordinator for the Guild of Canadian Weavers and once again, the annual exchange is a go! This year I'm trying to be ahead of the game and get my warp on early. I know full well that 'stuff' happens over summer and things get delayed. One of my favourite patterns that has stood me in good stead over the years is a snowflake twill. The one I decided to use again is by Jane Evans and you can find it in Weavers magazine, issue #18 Third quarter 1992.

I wove five runners in this stunning pattern in 2003 as gifts for five guild friends who lost their homes in a terrible forest fire that ran into the neighbourshoods surround Kelowna, BC. They not only lost their homes but also their looms, stash...everything! Weavers from all over and even the USA sent them their surplus stash and equipment to get them back on their fibre feet again. I decided to help put handwovens back into their homes again by weaving a runner for each family for when they had a home and table once more. That was a terrible year for heat, tinder dry conditions and forest fires. We ourselves were on evacuation notice three times. Definitely one for the history books!

Anyhow, I digress...the exchange is quite simple. You are given the basic info: cost, planned project (plus size, pattern or other input) and then you have from March to the end of September to get it woven and sent in. This time it's weave a runner, get a runner. Size 14-16" wide by minimum 36" long. My warp is mercerised 2/16's cotton from Brassard's, sett at 30 epi and a 6 yard warp to do two runners and two smaller cloths, for a total of roughly 5 yards. The ends per inch is slightly more open than I would normally used for twills and 2/16's, but I know this sett works in this case. I have put this warp on my Louet Spring (Lilibet) and now have one runner done and the second started. Here's the warp being spread in the built in raddle:

Then here's a tidier looking warp being tightly wound on. The threading went well. This pattern and I are old friends. I swear I could recite it from memory in my sleep! No errors (nice) and then I had to get my weft ready. I decided to go with natural linen against the cream cotton for a softer look. It would also be more versatile for an exchange recipient, and the spares will make nice gifts, or even be used in our home. Now there's a good idea!

Linen can be quite wirey and spring off the bobbins or pirns. A trick I learned some time ago is to use dampened weft. There are rules though:

• if you start with damp weft, do so for the entire piece or project.
• allow to dry before being rolled up on the cloth beam (mildew is nasty)
• keep bobbins in fridge if to be used within 48 hours, and freezer if longer.
• extra bobbins can be stored, with a note to size of linen in the freezer after completion.
• use a temple to minimize draw in and advance frequently.

I tightly wind the pirns with in this case 30/2 natural linen, and then take a clean facecloth and dampen it evenly. Wrap around the pirns and then place in a zip loc bag and leave in the fridge overnight. Take out only one bobbin at a time and rewrap the others. It's surprizing how fast it dries, especially this time of year. I'm going slowly as this is a treadle as threaded pattern so there are some interesting twill progressions to pay keen attention to. I also try to stop weaving at the end of a pirn and avoid starting a new one near the day's end. I don't want to leave it there over night, or cut off to store. Here's some shots of the work under way:


I tried to get the right colours here for you but its somewhere between the two. It's subtle...

Here's another showing my hemstitching and border for the second runner. I plan to twist the fringes to a shorter 2 or 2 1/2 inches so they are reversible. I had hoped to have this finished so Lynnette could take it home with her, but not so. It will have to be mailed later...

Next post will be the placemats which are coming along albeit slowly. It's also time to start winding the warp for the shawl commission too so I'll be doing this as time permits. It will be a busy week though as Lynnette and her hubby are coming to visit. Just a lot of yapping and catching up and the only weaving will be verbal.... but lots of it! Looks like we might be going back to Salt Spring Island but this time we'll visit Treenway... silk heaven!

GCW Weaving Exchange ~ the Results Show

I love linen....the smoothness of it, the sheen, the cool touch.

GCW stands for Guild of Canadian Weavers and my friend Lynnette is the weaving exchange coordinator. I got my parcel in the mail a few days ago and what a treat! I submitted six towels and received six back, out of the nine participants. But we receive information sheets on all nine and Lynnette also produced a CD with all data and photos for every participant. Very professional!

The terms for the exchange are quite generous. We will find out early in the new year what the new weaving exchange idea will be and then we have until October 31st to send it in. Lots of time... We send in a cheque to defray postage costs and agree to produce records of the entries for each item we mail in. So far the exchanges have included: full sized tea towels in a registered tartan, greeting cards with woven inserts ( see them here Dec.9th entry) and this year, the guest towel. The exchange was started to have actual weaving happening within the national guild and to commemorate the Guild's 60th anniversary. I was president at the time and thought it a great idea and it seems to be one that is now benefiting all members as paid up members have been receiving a photographic record of the previous exchanges. As one company says "membership has its rewards!"

The white towel on the top of this entry is one that I wove and chose to keep as a record of what I entered. It's a fancy twill using a 2/16's cotton warp, sett 36 epi and most of the towels I wove had various linen wefts; some had mercerized cotton.

This towel was woven by Yvonne of Prince Edward Island and she calls it her 'country hand towel'. It's a delightful mix of rustic colours, 2/8 cotton, in a turned twill.

I thought of you Peg when I saw this one! It's crackle in rich tones. It was woven by Chantal in St. Gilles, Quebec, using 2/8 cotton. My husband really likes this one. It brings up the interesting talking point about why men won't use a hand towel, particularly if its white! But I think mine would use this and the country towel. ( so why not use soap and you can dry your hands on any colour!?) But this topic has come up elsewhere also and became a challenge for the next weaver.

This 'men's guest towel' was woven by Norma of Windsor, Ontario. She used 2/16 cotton and 2/22 cottolin for weft in this 'turned taquete'. Norma has completed three of four levels of the GCW master weaver program.

Blogger has turned two of the pictures and no matter how many times I try to reload, they come sideways! ( if anyone knows how to stop this, please let me know.... thanks) The pretty towel above was woven by Genevieve ( who I *think* lives in Quebec) using a rosepath threading. She used linen and 2/8 cotton in the warp and mercerized cotton weft.

My friend Louise wove M's and O's using 2/8 cotton warp and a 2 ply line linen weft in a Christmas green. Louise has completed three of four levels towards her master weaver with the GCW. She has the hardest level to do next but I have no doubt that she will do it.

Last, but by no means least, Lynnette's guest towel with cottolin warp and doubled singles linen weft in a pale blue. The pattern taken from 'Worst's Foot Treadle Loom Weaving'. An old stand by that is just as relevant today as it was in the 1920's. I have personally used this draft for towels some years ago and they were snapped up at sales for Christmas's past. Lynnette has completed two of four levels towards her master weaver. She too will reach her goal and most likely well ahead of me.

Hubby and I are off tomorrow for a dinner and theatre package and will be seeing a live play called 'Having Hope at Home". It part of our Christmas gift to each other this year. Should be great fun and I'll share how it went next post.