Fibonacci Overlay 2

My second summer & winter Fibonacci overlay experiment is off the loom. Like the first, I didn't match the colors of my warp stripes to the threading pattern.

My threading pattern was the same Fibonacci threading sequence I've been using:
1 unit for block A (threaded 1, 3, 2, 3 making 4 ends for 1 unit),
2 units for block B (threaded 1, 4, 2, 4 making 8 ends),
3 units for A (12 ends),
5 units for B (20) ends),
8 units for A (32 ends),
repeat.

For the colored stripes in the warp, I used a different Fibonacci sequence so that it overlaid the threading sequence. I made it easy on myself and used a sequence of three: 8 warp ends of white, 12 warp ends of dark green, and 20 warp ends of dark purple. My warp is 8/2 unmercerized cotton.

I put on enough warp for three dishtowels, and then used what was left to experiment a little. For each dishtowel, I used different colors in the tabby and pattern wefts, and different treadlings as well.

For the first on I used purple tabby weft (same as warp, an 8/2) and white pattern weft in 6/2 unmercerized cotton. I treadled with the same pattern as the warp color stripes: 8, 12, and 20. You can see these changes in the horizontal bands of the weaving above.

For the second dishtowel, I continued to use the 6/2 white cotton pattern weft, but switched the tabby weft to the 8/2 green cotton. I changed the treadling to be the same sequence as the threading blocks, using 4 pattern picks (each of first tabby and then pattern wefts), 8 pattern picks, 12 picks, 20 picks, and 32.

For the third one I used a white 8/2 cotton for the tabby and navy 6/2 cotton for the pattern wefts. I repeated the 8, 12, and 20 treadling pattern.

After that I had a little warp left and so tried another traditional summer & winter treadling. I used the 6/2 white for the pattern weft again, but this time used an 8/2 navy unmercerized cotton for the tabby weft.

In some ways I think the navy was a better choice for the tabby weft as both the green and purple I used in the warp have blue as a common color element. It had a better visual influence on both the green and the purple, which tended to muddy one another a bit when used on top of each other.

One thing bugged me while I wove was the white warp stripes. I figured that I should have learned my lesson with that last batch of towels as white tends to be very pronounced against darker colors. As I wove, the white kept grabbing my attention and was a distraction. I kept mentally kicking myself for using it in the warp. But now that it's all off the loom and I'm looking at photos of the result, I realize it isn't so bad. Hmmm. Live and learn.

In reading all this over, I realize that one problem with reading about weaving is that it requires a lot of concentration to mentally visualize what's being described. It does for me anyway and I don't know about you, but I'm not always up to it! So if my descriptions are are confusing, just enjoy the pictures. :)

© 2007 Leigh's Fiber Journal

Related Posts:
Fibonacci Overlay 1
My Fascination with Fibonacci
Summer & Winter: Structure and Theory