Table Runner Sampler: Notes on Dressing the Loom

Notes for my records.

1. Marking the reed as a ruler.

This idea came from Curmugeon Weaves via Michele over at Sweet Leaf Notebook. The reed is measured and marked with scraps of yarn. The center is tied with one color, another color marks out one-inch increments, with a third color for the five-inch marks. This is extremely useful! No more having to count and measure to figure out where to start sleying the reed with a new warp!

2. Tying on the new warp.

Not exactly necessary for a short, narrow sampler warp, especially since I had to re-thread the heddles. But I had two things in mind. One was to reacquaint myself with the technique of tying on, the other was to learn the weavers knot. I tried to learn it back in my pre-YouTube days, but found written descriptions confusing. Thanks to video demonstrations, I managed to learn it. I figured a narrow warp would be easier for learning and practicing on, rather than a big project warp.

3. Weighted winding on.

The goal, of course, is even tension across the warp. With my first table loom sampler and twill gamp dishtowels, I used Deborah Chandler's no-tension wind-and-tug method. That actually worked quite well, but I'm in experiment mode and want to see if the weight makes a difference.

Now, on to weaving.

Table Runner Sampler: Notes on Dressing the Loom

© October 2023 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Encouraging Others

I dug this out from the back of my closet the other day. 

It's a vest I made in my earliest days of learning to weave. The patchwork is from some of my beginner's samples (of which I recall very little, and that points back to record keeping!) At the time, I was excited to be learning to weave and pleased to have done something with my very own handwoven fabric. I wore it to the next weaver's guild meeting (of which I was a new member). No one paid attention, until a small group of the guild's matriarchs approached and one asked, 

"Did you make that?" 

"Yes!" I said, pleased that someone noticed.

Nothing else was said, but the group exchanged glances before turning away and walking off. No one else at the meeting mentioned it, and I never wore that vest again. 

The irony is that one of that guild's stated goals was to attract a new generation of folk to weaving. 

The vest came to mind when I was updating my fiber gallery. I recalled the above incident and wondered, is there something I can do to make it look more polished? Maybe quilt the patches? Maybe add some fancy clasps? So, I pulled it out  and tried it on. No, it isn't designer quality and a more experienced sewer would certainly have done a better job. But looking at it again after all those years, I honestly didn't think it was bad as I feared. I decided I'm going to start wearing it.

We all start at the same place when we learn something new - the beginning. And I'm guessing that most of us worry about criticism about our learning mistakes and struggles. The reactions of others can encourage us, or discourage us. I can only speak to my own experiences, but because of them, I've always wanted to encourage others. 

My piano teacher taught me a lot more than how to play the piano. After I played a piece for her, she always found something to compliment before she went on to constructive criticism. That not only encouraged me, but made me so much more open to what she had to say.

I'm not saying that I think it's my place is to teach or correct others. And I don't mean to say something looks good when it doesn't. So maybe my vest wasn't up to anyone's standards at that guild meeting. But if just one person had said to me, "I love that you made something with your handwoven," I would have been so grateful. And encouraged to keep on learning and trying to improve my skills. And perhaps a little braver to share what I was doing. 

It's funny how little things can stir up thoughts and emotions from long past. I reckon the best thing to do, is to not let them be an influence in the future.

Encouraging Others © 2023

by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Keeping Track of Things We've Done

When I first dug out this blog from beneath the depths of reverted draft posts, I looked through the posts to republish them, and was surprised at how much I'd forgotten. Of the projects, I'd think, "Oh! I remember that." Of the technical aspect, I'd think, "Oh! I used to know that?" (Some of it I'm still waiting to remember, although I may just have to relearn it.) But also, I have things I wove or knitted prior to starting this blog, things that I don't seem to have a record of, other than the object itself. I still have a box of old notebooks to go through, so hopefully project details are recorded somewhere. I know some of my records and many photographs were lost with inevitable computer deaths. 

I suppose one question that could be asked is, how important is it to keep such a record? To some, the answer may be not at all. Or maybe for a seller, just a record of sales. To an analytical person like myself, it's very important because it's hardwired into my personality. That was why I started this journal in the first place. Now, coming back to the fiber arts so many years later, it's importance is all the more clear. It's a record of information that's useful to me. 

Years later, I'm realizing two things. One is that I haven't been very consistent. The second is that things are still difficult to find. That second reason in why I created a project gallery blog years ago. Yes, it showcases my projects, but it also helps me find the particulars about something I have in mind (ha! assuming I recorded said particulars. I'm trying to do a better job.)  

Anyway, I recently pulled out my fiber gallery blog, dusted it off, updated it, and am adding it to the link bar at the top of my blog.

Leigh's Fiber Gallery

Back to  my questions. Do you keep a record of your projects? How? Photos? Notebooks? Blog? Do you have suggestions for organizing them? Feedback welcome.

Keeping Track of Things We've Done

© 2023 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Project Planning Continued: Sample Color Swap

Yesterday, I showed you some graphic samples for planning my next weaving project. Your feedback was very helpful and got me thinking. Valerie mentioned the large solid areas and suggested swapping color order to avoid them. So, I experimented in WeaveDesign. All of them can be enlarged by clicking. As a side note, I have no idea about the cross hatching in the solid areas. Quirky things happened between WeaveDesign, Gimp, and Blogger. They look better when enlarged.

I started with sample #4 from yesterday's post.

First I tried swapping the medium gray warp for turquoise.

Definitely more interesting. Then I thought, well, the turquoise is just supposed to be an accent color. What if I swapped something else?

Next I tried swapping the medium gray for light gray in the warp. 

Then I tried swapping the medium gray for turquoise in the weft.

The thing is, preferences are all so subjective. Next, I definitely need to do some sampling on the loom.

Project Planning Continued: Sample Color Swap

© Sept. 2023 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Related Post:

Project Planning: What's Next?

Project Planning, What's Next?

Even before I'd finished the twill gamp dishtowels, I was thinking about what to do next. And while I have a study project in mind, first I wanted to think about the sample squares in my gamps, choose some of the ones I like, and see what I can do with them. Plus, with gift giving season coming up, I need to plan for that. It's been a long, long time since I've given a gift of handcrafted love.

The first project that comes to mind is a table runner for my daughter-in-law. I have the yarns in her decor colors, so that's a start. 

Her style is modern (contemporary?), so I want something that will compliment her home. Large stripes? Plaid? Classic twill? Suggestions?

I've been doodling on WeaveDesign, to see if anything strikes my fancy.

Sample #1: Random stripes of balanced twill and reverse with different colors for warp and weft.

I like that one, but need to see how the colors blend. I'm thinking the turquoise and light gray are too close in value to present a good contrast. I'm also concerned about the black and white. I confess these can be troublesome for me, because of their tendency to visually dominate. Yet they are very much a part of her decor, so I would like to incorporate them if I can. 

Sample #2: Fibonacci stripes in different colors for warp and weft. The weave is alternating warp and weft dominant twill. I like that this structure features the colors better. (I'm ignoring the errors).

I like the diamond pattern created at the reverse points of the twills. Stepping back, 

Can you see the diamonds? You can click the image to enlarge.

I like the way the black behaves in the above sample, but the horizontal white stripe is distracting. 

Sample #3: Here's one repeating the colors in warp and weft with white omitted. 

Using the same colors in both warp and weft creates some solid squares, but the software doesn't show the texture that would be there. Also, I want to see a larger sample for the overall affect. 

Sample #4: It occurred to me that the white might be more visually balanced if I treated it the same as the black, i.e. use it for warp and weft in the smallest stripes. I tried it alternating with the black.

This is identical to #3, except I added the white stripes.

The grays are dominant in the above sample, with the turquoise secondary. The black and white are accents. That pretty much reflects how she used these colors in her decor. The Fibonacci stripes gives it an asymmetrical look, but how would it look with equally sized stripes?

Sample #5: Stripes are all roughly the same size, except the black and white.

The squares aren't all the same size, but you get the idea.

Sample #6: Color change-up. I put the light gray and turquoise in the warp and the dark gray in the weft. The white and black continue to be accent stripes.

I have no idea where the faint checks in the background
came from. It was something Gimp did on its own.

At about that point I was getting a wee bit bleary eyed and needed to walk away from it. But that's the progression of my ideas so far.

What do you all think? So far, I like #4 and #5 best. I realize this is only a computer drawing, and the real thing will give me a better idea of what it will look like. I'm especially curious as to how the turquoise will blend with the grays. So, sampling on the loom is next. Unless I come up with another idea (which is likely).  

Project Planning, What's Next? © Sept 2023

by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Related posts:

Project Planning Continued: Sample Color Swap

Table Runner 1: Samples 1

Table Runner 1: Samples 2