Sunday, July 06, 2025

Big & Little Brother Blankets: Design Ideas

While waiting to get more yarn, my mind began to explore design possibilities. My first idea was using the variegated yarn for stripes, matching the yarn colorways so that by starting with the same color on multiple skeins and pulling them out to wind onto my warping board together, I could have roughly matching stripes. The solid green would separate these. This would work for the warp, but the weft would have to be one skein at a time so that each weft thread would be a different color. Not good or bad, but I'm trying to figure out if I could keep the weft stripe colors together like in the warp to create a more block-like look. I might could do it if I used multiple shuttles, but eek. 

Another idea I'm entertaining is shadow weave, alternating the colorful variegated yarn with the solid green. Interesting patterns can be created, although the color changes would be unpredictable. 

Then I'm thinking about log cabin; similar to shadow weave but creating a specific pattern looking like woven ribbons. What I learned from previous experiments is that the overall effect of using variegated yarn for log cabin depends on the frequency of the color changes. 

I did find the store shelves restocked with the colors I needed, so no problem there. Now I just need to settle on what I'm going to do with them. I probably ought to do some samples! Since time is not on my side (so to speak) in the summer harvest and canning season, I may have to decide these will be Christmas presents, rather than for the late July family birthday bash. No sense rushing myself and then not being happy with the results.
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Monday, June 23, 2025

Big & Little Brother Blankets

 This is a project I've had in mind for my grandsons. The "big" brother is 3 years old and the little brother is 1 month old. I doubt either one will actually appreciate the gesture, but a handwoven gift from their grandmother is something I want to do! And with the Glimakra set up with a new treadle tie-up system, I'm anxious to see how that goes.  

I've done my yarn calculations a bit backwards. Rather than start with a finished size, I'm starting with an on-loom size. I have an idea of the draw-in and shrinkages, and the final size really isn't technical; in the ball park baby blanket size will do.

Warp
  • on-loom width: 40 inches
  • sett: 8 e.p.i.
  • on-loom length: 40 inches
  • crochet edges so no fringe: 3-4 inches between blankets
  • loom waste: 28 inches (I'm never sure about this with the Glimakra)
  • Total warp yardage: 2960 yards
Weft
  • length for each blanket will be same as width, 40 inches
  • on-loom width 40 inches x 8 p.p.i. = 320 inches for 1 inch of fabric
  • on-loom project length: 80 inches
  • 320 x 80 = 25,600 inches = 712 yards
Total yarn for project (warp + weft) = 3672 yards

Not included in the above yardage is the crochet edging. I will edge each blanket in a different color, so I'll wait on that.

I want to use Hobby Lobby Baby Bee Sweet Delight because it's cuddly soft and washable. And this week it's on sale for 30% off, so now's the time to buy. Hopefully, I can find enough skeins to pull it off.

© 2025 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

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Sunday, June 08, 2025

Treadle Tie-Up From the Top: Installing the Texsolv Cords

8 bunches of 10 cords each

This will be the last time I will have to get down on the floor and hunch over to thread the treadles and lamms! Once I'm done, the cords will be a permanent fixture and easy to arrange from the top on a comfortable seat. No more backache!

Each cord is threaded through the bottom of each treadle hole, where the pony bead secures it.

up through the lower lamm holes, 

then up through the upper lamm holes, and knotted at the end so they don't slip back down. 

Here's what it looks like with all the cords in place.


Next, I need a warp on the loom to try out my new tie-up method. I have a project in mind, but harvest and canning season is heavy upon us. Warping the loom will have to wait until I have some free time. 

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Thursday, May 29, 2025

Treadle Tie-Up From the Top: Preparing the Texsolv Cords

 To set up my 8-shaft Glimakra for tying up the treadles from the tops of the lamms, I need 80 lengths of Texsolv cord. The first step was to determine their length. 

The measurement from floor to the top of the upper lamm is 23 inches. Then I need to allow for knotting the cord at both top and bottom. Using the Vavstuga idea of securing the cords under the treadles with pony beads . . . 


 . . . requires about 4 "buttonholes" of cord, which is about 2 inches.

I'll also need to knot the cord at the other end, to keep it from slipping back down through the upper lamm hole. That takes about 1.5 inches. The other option would to be to put a peg into the end buttonhole, which could be moved if the lamm was needed. Anyway, I added 3.5 inches to my measurement of 23 inches. Plus, I need enough cord to grab it and work with it, so it looks like Jean's measurement of 28 inches per cord length sounds about right. 

If I make my cord lengths 28 inches, then my 55 yard spool of Texsolv cord will give me 70 lengths. My partial spool gives me 4 more. Scrounging around in my box of Texsolv cord scraps, I found the remaining 6 that I'll need, so I'm good to go!

To measure and cut the cords, I used a board with two finishing nails as a jig. 


Total length is 28 inches, which includes half a buttonhole on each end.

Both Kati and Jean tell you how to mark the jig for marking the cord to pin for each lamm. Since I used Jean's 28-inch measurement, I also used her marking recommendation. You can see the chart at her website. 


The placement of the marks is for anchor pegging the cords to the lamms, which I'll show when I get to that step. After I mark each cord, I'm attaching a pony bead to the treadle end.

I'm cutting 8 bundles of 10 heddles each. Then I'll secure a pony bead on the end of each one and can begin to insert the cords through treadles and lamms.

The other thing that occurred to me is that I don't actually need an anchor pin for every hole on both lamms. Each treadle is tied to only one lamm, either the upper or the lower, so technically I'll only need 80 anchor pins. It would be convenient to have a set for both upper and lower lamms, but this way I won't need to buy more. Nor will I need to get push pins. I can live with that. 
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Saturday, May 24, 2025

Treadle Tie-Up From the Top: What I'll Need

 Even though I understood the concept in my head, the particulars of the "from the top" tie-up (aka "Top O' the Lamm") were a bit puzzling at first. I have both Kati Meek's Complex Weaver's Journal article and Jean Elizabeth Studio blog post (see my resources post for details), but even though they were both using Glimakra Standard looms like mine, their measurements vary just a bit. 

The first thing I did was to measure my loom from the floor to the top of the upper lamm.

23 inches from the floor to the top of the upper lamm.

The idea is to cut the Texsolv cords so that if a treadle is resting on the floor, there is still enough length above the top lamm to pin the cord as needed. Kati cut her cords at 25 inches, while Jean cut hers at 28. 

The next step was figure out how much Texsolv cord I'll need. The cords will run from the bottom of the treadles, up through the lower lamm holes and then the upper lamm holes, with enough cord to secure each so that it doesn't slip back through. I have 10 treadles with 8 holes each (one for each shaft) so I'll need a total of 80 cords cut the same length. 

If I go with the 25 inch length, I'll need 55.5 yards of Texsolv cord. I have a new, full spool which is 55 yards! Sheesh. But I also have a few yards left on an old spool, so I should be good to go there.

I'll also need 240 Texsolv pegs (pins).

Texsolv "buttonhole" cord and anchor pins. They also make an
"arrow" pin, but these are the ones I have so that's what I'll use.

I'll need one for each of the treadle holes, lower lamm holes, and upper lamm holes. After removing all of the old treadle cords, I find I have only 105! At $16 per 25 anchor pegs, I'm considering alternatives for at least some of them.

Jean used pony beads to secure the cord under the treadles (see her blog post for photos). If I do that I'll only need 160 anchor pegs. But also, I found a video on how to use push pins to make substitutes.

Texsolv Cord Pegs - Weaving Hack! Alternative to Pegs

Push pins are certainly less expensive, and there are a number of places I can substitute them. 

After I get some pony beads and push pins, I'll be ready to get started. 

© 2025  by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

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