Project Planning

While I'm finishing up mending, garden seed shelling, and my crackle sampler notebook, I'm thinking about my next weaving projects. With two looms, I can plan two projects!

On the Glimakra, I next want to weave a coordinating runner rug in the same threading and yarns as my Dornik Herringbone throw rug. The lap robe used the same threading with a different treadling, and the runner will tie on to the same threading again. But I have a completely different look in mind. I'm reluctant to start on this, however, because this room will likely be our next renovation project. 

The brickwork is the back of our masonry stove, but as you can see, the entire wall needs finishing. I'm especially looking forward to remodeling the closet.

Removing the tongue-and-groove boards will open entire closet from floor to ceiling. As it is now, I can't fit anything of size above the shelf at the top of the small closet door. Yet there is a lot of storage space above that shelf, which I can't use because I can't fit anything through the opening. The plan is to remove all the tongue-and-groove and put in by-pass closet doors with a large roomy shelf above. 

All of this renovation promises to be a very dusty project, however, hence my reluctance to put a new warp on the loom.

Of my table loom, I had already planned to further explore some of the samples from my sampler. I'm thinking I might start with the pictorial manner of weaving and do a snowflake and pine tree table runner.

Mary Meigs Atwater's The Recipe Book,
Series I, "Coverlets," Recipe No. 12.

The tree sample I wove didn't have the correct threading, so I wasn't impressed with it. I'm thinking to adapt the above coverlet motif for a Christmas table runner.

So, thinking is going on, but that's about it. After the holidays I'll have a better chance to get serious with some planning.

Project Planning © December 2024

by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Crackle Sampler Notebook

As helpful as my blog journal is for recording information, my notebooks are truly invaluable. I love having books of relevant notes and accompanying samples. Looking back at some of the online workshops I participated in, I wish I'd made more notebooks. I wish I'd done a better job of making copies of the lessons and discussions. 

My current 4-shaft crackle sampler notebook catalogs the various manners of weaving crackle and will help me with future project planning. It's lovely to have a collection of real samples and how-to notes available.

It's a bit tedious to run off copies of the blog posts. I only need the text to accompany the live sample, but to get it seems to require a two-step copy and paste. Once off the blog to a text editor. Then from the text editor to LibreOffice, where I can turn it into a PDF to print out. I don't have a printer, so I do these when I make a regularly scheduled trip to the library. 

The reason for the intermediary step of copying to the text editor is to remove all the hidden formatting code in the copied text.

It's been a somewhat slow project, but it's giving me a chance to figure out what I want to do next. 

Crackle Sampler Notebook © Dec 2024

by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Related posts

Crackle Weave Study Part 1: Manners of Weaving

Crackle Sampler Washed & Pressed

Of Finished Objects and What To Do With Them

I have an old wooden "trunk" that is filled with my handwoven projects and samples. Lots of samples, and lots of scarves and dishtowels, with a few table runners and mug rugs, plus some yardage. 

Once upon a time, Dan and I had an Etsy shop for my handwovens and his pyrography. I think something like this is a logical conclusion for artists and artisans. We create because we love to and then have to figure out what to do with it all. We tried craft fairs and then Etsy, but either way we sold little and eventually dropped it. What can't be sold is either given as gifts or packed away after walls and wardrobe are filled to the brim. 

After sorting the trunk contents for the umpteenth time this year, I decided to start using some of it as Christmas gifts. My daughter-in-law and granddaughters are getting scarves for Christmas! 

Christmas scarves in log cabin weave

The two scarves in log cabin weave are for my granddaughters. I alternated black with a variegated yarn of red, white, and green. It is reminiscent of both log cabin and plaid. Ish.

Christmas scarf in shadow weave

The shadow weave scarf is woven with novelty yarns that have fine ribbon plied in. It will be a gift for my daughter-in-law.

I don't even know if they'll like them, but I've got so much stuff in that trunk that I don't care! LOL Time to spread the wealth around. 

Of Finished Objects and What To Do With Them

© Dec 2024 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Related posts

Log Cabin Color Effects 

Shadow Weave Samples 3

Lap Robe Done

Finished at last, the Lap Robe I've been working on since July.

I'm happy with the way it turned out: the colors, the pattern, and especially the selvedges. I made one treadling mistake when I missed a reverse, but it's close to the end so I'll call it a border if anyone notices. Which I doubt because of the visual movement of the pattern. 

It's quite heavy, but I think it will be warm and suitable for its intended purpose. Best of all, it's finished in time to get it off in time for Christmas!

The Particulars

• Yarn: Yarn Bee acrylic
• warp variegated
• weft solid
• Warp tied onto my Dornik Herringbone threading
• Sett: 8 e.p.i. 
  
• PPI: 16 
• Width
• on loom: 37"
• finished: 36"
• Length
• on loom: 60"
• finished: 56" (excluding fringe)

Lap Robe Done © Dec. 2024

 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Related posts

Tie-On Project: Lap Robe 

Lap Robe: Weaving at Last 

Lap Robe Off the Loom

Crackle Sampler Washed & Pressed

Samples #1-4

I ended up with 34 samples from my 4-shaft crackle manners of weaving sampler. Now that it's off the loom, washed, and pressed, I'm getting a better idea of what each manner of weaving has to offer.

 

The sampler particulars:

• warp
• 10/2 cotton
• 160 ends
• 20 e.p.i.
• 10-dent reed threaded 2 per dent
•  weft
• 5/2 (or 10/2 doubled) cotton pattern weft
• 10/2 cotton ground weft
• Some samples used a 10/2 pattern weft
  
• See introduction for profile draft, threading, and tie-up.
  
• Width in reed: 8 inches
• Finished width: 7 inches 

Shrinkage makes a difference, of course, both in fabric size and the look of the fabric. For example, sample #6 which is a twill treadled without tabby.

Sample #6 before washing

Sample #6 after washing

The summer & winter treadling was one I was interested in. If you recall, this is one I thought might be a contender for dining room draperies, to coordinate with my Blue Willow china. Wet finishing made a wonderful difference . . .

Samples 11 (top) & 12 (bottom), summer & winter manner of weaving

Sample 12 looks like it might do very well for that project and deserves a larger sample.

The woven as lace samples also improved with wet finishing. It's difficult to appreciate in a photo because the pleasingness of the effect is textural. Same color warp and weft makes it difficult to photograph. It needs the angle of light to see it in a picture. 

Samples #13, 14, and 15.

Bottom to top: samples 16, 17, 18

The shadow effects samples also interested me on the loom. The one on the bottom (on the right), #16 is called "Shadow-y." It doesn't have good color contrast between warp and weft, so I find it more difficult to appreciate. I'd like to try it again with contrasting colors. 

The middle sample, #17, Shadow Blocks, is okay, but doesn't inspire me, I think because it's flat looking compared to the top sample, #18.

#18 is Mary Snyder's Shadow Blocks and is much more interesting. I think this is because it has a more crackly look to it. Plus, using more colors offers more opportunity for color blending (which is what drew me to crackle weave in the first place). I chose two neutrals (dark gray and brown) for my two color wefts, and I think brighter colors would be really fun.

Another sample that I was curious to see wet finished is #27, lengthwise stripes. Here it is below, before and after wet finishing.

#27, lengthwise stripes on the loom

#27, lengthwise stripes after washing, drying, and pressing

I like that the stripes pop out more after finishing and I'm happy that the little background stripes remain. This one would be fun with various stripes being different warp colors.

Samples #29 - 32

I wove a lot of samples, and amazingly, I didn't exhaust the catalog of manners of weaving for crackle. But I've got a good collection and I'm getting important information about my yarn size and color choices. Some of them I'd like to weave again, to explore them on a larger project. Sampling is good to a point, but doesn't necessarily tell me how the fabric will behave on a larger project. 

My next step is to sew the edges of each sample to prevent fraying. Thankfully, I made good notes in my blog posts, and each of these will be printed out for a sampler book. Each sample will be secured with it's information and notes. I'll use the new photos to update my Crackle Manners of Weaving page. 

Between all that plus some sewing and mending, I have plenty to keep me busy for awhile.

Crackle Sampler Washed & Pressed

© Dec 2024 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Related post

  Crackle Weave Study Part 1: Manners of Weaving