More loom use

 

Here’s a quick picture of my set up with the 3-D printed loom Tim sent me. I like the ability to have space between the warp and the frame. That makes using a shuttle much easier. I found I needed to anchor the bottom loop of the warp with something other than my hand. Passing the final warp pass behind the frame, catching the loop, and then anchoring the warp end did the trick. The extra warp passes allowed me to rest my hands and stretch. It also allowed me to use both hands to tension the tallies. A win all around!

Thank you again,Tim!!!

I’m ready!

The workshop starts tomorrow and I’m ready. I’ve dressed the loom. It took 2 tries at beaming, which is NOT recommended, but with this warp was necessary. The biggest mistake: I read 16 as 10. That threw off my math which threw everything off. Corrected now. And ready to go!

Remember this?

Ice Drop by Diane Cadamartori

In case you’ve been AWOL: http://www.georgiaseitz.com/2017/patterns/dianedpurplefudgeicedrop.pdf

Ice Drop in Spring Flower Lizbeth

I’ve been tatting up some Ice Drops in spring colors as a thank you. I’m pleased with how it looks. 

For those AWOL, I’ll be joining you for the next few days, except I put in my paperwork. I’ve got leave to learn and soak up as much as I can at Asilomar enjoying CNCH. See you when I return!

How is that Possible???

I seem to be drawn to activities that seem impossible. Like keeping a tidy, organized house.

No seriously, I’ve learned a few tricks in my time:

Playing the piano and organ.

Juggling,

Weaving, tatting, loom knitting, etc.

My nickname for a madrigal group was Legerdemain. They gave me that because I always seemed to be producing something that was needed just as someone realized we needed it. It wasn’t hard. I had sung with many small groups and knew the ropes. I wasn’t particularly thrilled. Part of the definition is deceit and trickery. Not my style!

Remember the pin loom I found in a box at a silent auction? I’ve been working through the directions posted by eLoomaNation . Thank you!!!! You can see where I forgot to weave in the final row and things unraveled a bit.

The weave structures are not hard to grasp except for one point: Much of the directions for warping the pin loom have you wind ½ the warp, ½ the weft, and then the rest of the warp. Yes, I wrote that correctly.  So, how DOES that work?????

Knitting uses loops of fiber to create cloth. Tatting uses knots. Weaving used intersections (the over/under you see). How can you get over/under if you only manipulate ½ of the weft?????

Well, I still haven’t wrapped my brain completely around it, but I have learned to predict where to weave in every other row for some of the weaves. Twill is easy. Rep weave made sense also. Color weaves were fussy, but worked. I’ve decided to leave it aside for a few days and see where my imagination takes me.

In the meantime, I could use some legerdemain with the clutter in the house. Maybe if I wiggle my nose?

aha

The smoke is bad today. I’ve a headache from that and just the tension of thinking too much about it all. Sigh! Don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful that I’m safe. I am thankful that the fire crews were able to get the fire 50% contained so far. The weather has been favorable for fighting the Sobranes fire; and favorable for those living in our neighborhood. Just today it’s bad.

Weave-It loom warped and ready to create with!

I had several “aha” moments yesterday. I realized that the Woods organ is likely missing the mechanical part of one of the stops. It’s relatively common and easily replaced. Just a bit disappointing.

I basted the edging on in preparation for sewing. I have a clearer idea how I want the piece to end up. Satisfied sigh!

I played with the Weave-It loom I was gifted. Some yarn from the stash that came with it has provided just the right weight to figure out a good technique. Not bad for a first try.

I also realized why I like some of the Vierne pieces. They are pretty as written on the page, but if you use the registration the composer asks for, they really shine. Kinda like using the size bead/thread combination the designer intends. Use a smashing color combination and you have created beauty. Play the piece on an organ voiced for the music and it’s just beautiful.

“aha!”

LeClerc loom sample

Nilus LeClerc F series

One of the benefits, among many, of connecting with the Carmel Craft Guild is access to resources. There is so much information and knowledge shared. Members encourage each other, hold each other accountable, and generally network for Fiber. 

Recently, I agreed to store a floor loom for the Guild. It was built by the Canadian company LeClerc Looms around the same time as the house we live in. It seemed to settle in and say, “I’m home!” 

I decided to refurbish the parts enough to use the loom for the Beginning Weaving class. Success! 

sampler from Chandler book

It’s just about impossible to get a good picture of the sample I wove, but here’s a detail of the twill sample. 

The idea was to weave plain weave with balanced, weft, and warp faced sections; then weave 2/2 twill with balanced, weft, and warp faced sections. I learned a lot, I still need to get a few more parts replaced, and I need to improve my techniques gobs.

The musicians among you probably already have seen where the 2/2 twill sections will lead. Can I weave 4/4 and then add some tatting to represent the melodies/harmonies and other details?

As the muse strikes and the world turns

The days have been full of creativity. I’ve re-fingered a Brahms Chorale prelude. Now it fits under my hands better. I’m using the version E Power Biggs came up with that has the chorale in the pedal. It sounds about the same and that means that I can share what Brahms wrote for organ more often. A worthy outcome!

I have some sketches of tatting to work up for a couple of the bells. I’m not sure when they will become the important task and get worked on, but they sit in my to-do chest.

The loom parts are installed, the warp sleyed and threaded, I’m ready to beam and then have fun creating cloth. Pictures will follow when the sun is shining. Just about every morning lately it has been foggy. The loom sits in a room of the house that is darker unless the sun is shining. Yesterday, the furnace kicked on while I was threading the headless. Really. It’s June and the furnace was running because it was cool. Like below 65 F. Really.

All this cooler weather has brought my mind to the folks who voted last week in the UK. I’ll confess I didn’t realize how emotional and incendiary the Brexit issue was. I do hope all parties will calm down, make a cuppa, and work together to make the world a better place.

Off my soapbox now. Back to shuttles, keys, and a walk on the beach.

Back on the loom

I’m back at the loom. Partly because of a project one of the Tatting Tuesday Study Group participants is working on. She used her loom to weave up a hanky. Very nice work! Now she’s tatting an edging to go with it. Perhaps she’ll let me snap a picture someday.

I love Doubleweave and have been intrigued with the process of using a chart, like cross stitch or needlepoint use, to weave up a design. I have a chart for a small cross stitch of an organ with BACH on it. I’ve always wanted to weave up a sample.

You remember the flag I’m working on? Well, I’ll be finishing it to look like a flag from the era our house was built. Another story. Anyway. I got the idea to use a ring & chain pattern similar to the flag to represent the pipes. Then I thought, if I weave the chart Doubleweave, it’ll be like a black and white photo. Then I could add the tatting on top to give it some texture. Like the edging to the hanky.

So, I’m back to the loom……

Interrupted progress

Well, yet again, the house took over my life. Don’t get me wrong. It’s all good. Just not what I anticipated working on when I woke up yesterday. But then, that’s life. I won’t bore you with details. If I could make it all sound humorous. I would spend time trying, but trust me…it’s nothing that important.

I did spend some time sorting through what’s on the shuttles. I’ve made good progress on the flag. I’m close to finishing the edging for the overshot sample. The next step in the angel is cleaning the thread. And, I’ve made good progress getting the computer sorted. (I like that word for the activity. It sounds much better than filing which I associate with scraping away.)

So, I need to set aside time to work a plunger on a toilet today. Then, to figure out what the treadling for the twill sampler will be. Oh, and design discussion. Better get to it!

an edge to a sample

A big advantage of this house is that I can spread out and have room for all my projects. Well, not all, but I’ve set up the loom, 

ready to warp

moved an organ in, 

ready to play

set up a tatting room

ready to tat

and a computer room.

ready to document

Hee heee. I’m using everything. Really.

I’ll be taking a workshop in November on Doubleweave.
More on that later.How am I working that into my tatting? Well, I create this sample of pick up on plain cloth:

Unknown cotton thread for warp and weft (probably 10/2)

And will add an edging tatted in the dark blue thread. 

Chain Reaction by Mary Konior

It should all come together Thursday.