weave4fun

Hey there I've taken some pictures of that shawl I was going on about last week. I'm just being a little impatient. I should probably have waited to get a model or use a tailor's dummy or something. Sod it, I'll do it on monday. Anyway, the sun's almost out today, so I took these pictures on the dining table and hanging off the end of the mop handle What ya think? My photoing skills gettin better? I think so. More of this thing next week, when I get back to college Andrew

so I made a warp up of 1/15 worsted. And I did it in plain weave and 4-shaft honeycomb in both 24 and 32epi. The plain weave was better in 24 (more balanced and less sticking, which reminds me I really should learn to make and apply warp sizing to stop that from happening, it makes weaving plain weave in wool a real pain in the backside) but the honeycomb was better in 32, cos it's more weft-faced, innit anyway, here's a pic of the 2. Both quite nice, I'll have to give it a go in the cashmere next week sometime, see how that goes. And this ugly duckling on the right is the cashmere, after going through the wash (big mistake). See, I've been hoping to be able to weave multiple scarves in a single width, but due to a lack of proper finishing equipment, this is proving somewhat unlikely. Also, for some reason, the blue weft yarn in this scarf is shrinking and felting more (much more) than the white. Which doesn't make a lot of sense because they're from the ...

This is the first serious warp on the scary floor loom. Nothing complicated. Took me 4 days to dress the loom in my time after work. It's good getting a rythm going on the loom finally, it fairly clatters off when you get going. there's going to be about 4 metres. Is nice. See that blue line on the right hand side? I thought that was a tension error. Turned out there was 6 ends in the dent instead of 3. So i cut 3 out, and there you go. It's ok now though, so who's to worry eh? I still can't figure out exactly how to put the pictures where i want them, it doesn't make any sense how the program arranges them. Very confusing. I think the left-hand selvedge is at low tension, it's all knackered. oh well, never mind, life goes on.

I recently finished weaving my first finished pieces, a pair of matching scarves for my mother and a friend of hers. They're made with what I believe to be wool, at least i'm pretty sure the white is wool. what the purple bit is i have no idea, but it's lovely anyway, and it seems to work well. So there you have it. It's a 2/2 straight twill, nothing fancy. I'm still in the land of twill variations, they are a lot of fun, but i tend to progress very slowly and spend more time experimenting with colour than pattern, and almost never with texture. I'm just not a very adventurous boy really. Watch this space, however, for more. I shall doubtlessly put up a slideshow or some such thing, if it's possible, of my tablet-woven loveliness, and all the other experiments and fun i've been having with the looms in my house. Anyhow, my first ever finished product. Actually, i tell a lie, this was my first finished product. Well, not a fully finished product, as i lef...