Twill Thoughts

I think that it's time to put the loom puzzle on the back burner and use this week to focus on some real weaving. The time spent weaving will should give me some insight on the workings of my handmade loom.

Here's the plan. 8/2 warp spun cotton from WEBS, Alabaster, sett at 24epi.



Each blanket will be a little different, changing weft colors and/or size.



I have some 3/2 that is the same color as the warp. I was thinking of using that for the one pick of cream and keep the three picks of green the same size as the warp OR have one pick of a thicker green and keep the three picks the same color and thickness as the warp.



I saw this in Dixon's book and I think it gives a sort of cobblestone effect.



I'll probably keep to the 8/2 for this weft but I put enough warp on to experiment at the end and I want to see how 5/2 or 3/2 would look with this draft. It might be a nice placemat weave.



I don't know about you, but I think it's time for a Jackson update!



Somebody turned one last week. He was thrilled with the Elmo cake Mommy baked and Daddy decorated but not so thrilled with the surrounding hordes of singing relatives. To keep from freaking him out completely I sang very quietly!



Since he never had cake or icing before it took him a minute or two to figure out what he was supposed to do. But it wasn't long before he looked like Elmo's twin. Luckily (?) the temperature as in the 90s so it was right into the kiddie pool for a quick clean up before opening presents.



The next day was spent relaxing and getting over the pressure of turning one.

Loom Progress

Thanks to Marie, Jane, and Trapunto I received some great ideas and resources for putting this loom back together and in working order.



I saw Jane's comment in the wee hours of the morning, before going to school. She suggested that I take the cloth beam off and slip the tool over the pawl end of the beam. Despite scrambling to get to school I took the time to run downstairs and check it out. I didn't look like there would be enough room. Then I just pushed the beam slightly to the left and voilá!



I was able to slide the tool in and see how it would be able to engage the pawls.



Now to figure out that chain break.



See that eye screwed on to the base? I'm wondering if I could attach a long spring, like I have on my Macomber, and that would allow for some tension on the chain. And then there's the question of this mystery bolt....



It's not fastening anything, just a bolt, two washers and a nut.

Along with puzzling over this loom I've finally finished winding the warp for the 2/2 twill baby blankets. 912 ends wound in 8 bouts, sett at 24 epi.

Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Crazier

I was dealing with the aftermath of the pool table removal pretty well. I had an all day instructors meeting on Saturday and when I got home everything in our garage was out in the driveway. All the shelving units (ready to collapse at any moment) and one of the two work benches were knocked down and put in the dumpster. The huge dumpster was more than halfway loaded and they hadn't even touched the attic over the garage, family room, and laundry room. I took on that chore and was pretty brutal. There are a few piles to sort through now and then we'll be ready for to plan out the new work space and storage areas.

While this is, ultimately, a good thing, added to the basement organization, end of the year exams/projects/grades, Jackson's First Birthday (Saturday), and taking on two new grad courses to teach this summer - well, let's just say things are interesting!

I have the new loom put together, but I need to pick up some more washers and nuts for the carriage bolts. I also need a reed. Marie tells me I'll need a tensioning device and some spools for the sectional beam, especially if it's strong enough for rugs, but for now I just want to figure out some things.

Like how to wind on the warp and what some things are for. Why don't you take a look? There's a link to a second page with pictures taken after I attached the warp beam. I think that the tool hanging from the front should somehow hook into the pawl of the cloth beam to advance it, but I can't seem to do that.

Two naked looms were a little much for me but I kept getting hung up on all sorts of new things I wanted to try. Last night I just started winding a warp of an old standby, WEBS Eight-Two in Alabaster, for 2/2 twill blankets. I'm winding enough for three blankets and another 1.5 yards for sampling. I want to experiment with using one pick out of the repeat of a contrasting color and with two different size wefts. I'm using ideas I've picked up from Dixon's book and Leslie Voiers' monograph Plain Weave is Anything but Plain.

Be Careful What You Wish For

How many times have I complained, whined, and wept over the room our unused pool table was taking up in my basement studio?



Well it's gone now and here's the problem ......

Holy crap! Where did that stuff come from? I need more shelves or cabinets.

I found one bag of Shetland fleece and two bags of Finn, so it has a silver lining!

So what does any self-respecting fibernut do?



She picks up a new loom, naturally. This is an handmade (1930-40) oak, counterbalance loom. I was hoping that I could use it for rugs, but it appears that the back beam can be folded in. I'm going to see if I can replace the support with something heavier and permanent. That might make it work. I still have to figure out how to attach the warp advancing mechanism and the break. I can see where it goes because I matched up the holes but I will have to fool around with it a bit. I also need to figure out how to tie up the harnesses.

It's All About Me!!!!
Disclaimer: I am the person who broke your recipe chain letter, along with the dishtowel one. However Marie tagged me and I always listen to Marie, so here goes!

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
Hmm, well I had all four children at home. The youngest was fifteen which meant lots of driving, to baseball games, friends' homes, etc. I also had my whole summer off so my gardens looked beautiful and I had lots of time to knit and spin. Dyeing and weaving hadn't entered my life yet.

2. What were five things on my to-do list today (not in any particular order)?
(1) Pick up Jackson after school. Play, crawl on the floor, act like a fool!
(2) Convert console table to shelves for cones of weaving yarn.
(3) Plan dyeing experiments for Sunday.
(4) Do arms routine before flab hanging from my upper arms knocks someone over.
(5) Weed.

3. What snacks do I enjoy?
Mango salsa with tortilla chips. Roasted pepper hummus. Anything salty.

4. Where are some places I've lived?
I was born in Rome, NY. I moved to Japan as a baby and lived there for two years. Then on to the Mojave Desert (Camp Irwin). My father retired from the army and after a quick stay in Oswego, NY we settled in Phoenixville, PA. As an adult I've lived in Phoenixville, Middlesex NJ, Troy MI, Boulder CO, finally settling in Audubon for the past 20 years.

5. What things would I do if I were a billionaire?
Pay off all of my children's student loans and pay for any future educational advancement for my kids and grandchildren. Quit my jobs and spend my time with family and fiber. I would be happy to stay where I am with a few upgrades - like a crew to do the heavy digging and garden prep and a nice sunny studio addition.

Consider yourself tagged! (so I don't listen all that well)

Twist and Shout

My Minimalist cardigan is getting closer to the end. I have 1.75 skeins left and both fronts to do. Yikes! I'm finding that the moss stitch is really torquing but I can pull on the diagonal and it looks good. I'll block the pieces first and then the seams should hold it all in place. The picture is from last weekend, I finished the back last night.



I also started on my last fiber from Anne. This is Oberon - 40% gray alpaca, 30% gray angora bunny and purple/blue dyed angora, and 18% purple/blue dyed silk, 2% purple angelina. I'm spinning this in a laceweight.



I didn't spin when my kids were young. Now that Jackson can get around more I'm learning a few things!



You'll be happy to know that he pushed that car right behind the wheel without actually hitting it!

A Little Bit of This.....

I've been planning a couple of weaving and dyeing projects for the summer. Thanks to Marie's suggestion I visited the COLOURlovers site. What fun! I loved the Orangetip, Bintree Woods. What's really cool is that you can download the palette and you can also click to have the palette presented in a pattern. The plaid shows all of the colors of the palette, some will use two or three colors.

Speaking of Marie, take a peek at the lovely cheese that showed up at my house last week. Even before I opened the package I could smell the smokey scents of the Montasio. We had too much company last weekend (I didn't want to share!) so I held off trying it out.

I got back into quilting last fall, only to pack it away for a few months. I pulled it back out last week and got to work quilting. I'm using a hoop because it's small and I don't have the room to set up the big quilting frame.



I think my thimble has seen better days. Of course, sitting around for all these years waiting for me to start quilting again might have added to the problem. Luckily I found one of those leather ones with the braided elastic to see me through until I can get another.



I'm going to outline quilt all the white on white blocks and then crosshatch the border. I'm starting to get my quilting rhythm back. I'm picking up a little speed but I'm actually trying to get this finished for Jackson's first birthday, but who knows?

Spinning My Wheels

"Thank you for your SOAR 2008 registration. Confirmations will be sent the week of June 9th." I was able to go to the 2004 SOAR retreat - the last time it was held at Pocono Manor. This year I was able to talk my principal into going to bat for me with the superintendent so that I will be allowed to attend the entire event. So why does it have to be this year that SOAR received so many registrations during the first week that everyone is being put into the lottery? Okay, I'll stop whining and think positively.



To increase my chances in the lottery I decided I needed a little spinning karma. I finished the Vermont Maples from Anne. This is 40% brown alpaca, 50% dyed wool in magenta, pink, yellow and burgudy, and and 8% yellow silk noil, 2% bronze angelina. I'm usually not a fan of slubby yarns but the photo doesn't do the yarn justice. It will be a nice partner for the chocolate Humble Hills Romney X that has been patiently waiting for an accent yarn. Once plied I started on Oberon, again from Anne, a lovely pale lavender roving - 40% gray alpaca, 30% gray angora bunny and purple/blue dyed angora, and 18% purple/blue dyed silk, 2% purple angelina



All of my weekend spinning reminded me of my last project, all washed, skeined, and ready for action. I've got about 2400 yards of this squishy 3 ply corrie. So now the question is what do I make? I had planned on a cabled cardigan but now I'm thinking maybe I'll add some other natural colored yarn and make a patterned yoke instead.



Next up? Since I didn't get a chance to go to MDSW again this year, I treated myself to some Hog Island roving. I heard about this breed after Vee showed her Hog Island yarn and told about the historical background of these sheep. Very cool!

Oh, if you tried to post a comment in the last week or two, I realized that in my zeal to block spam I blocked all comments! Doh!