Pinwheels

Pinwheels or Houndstooth?

Prior to weaving I knew the two tone, black and white fabric as houndstooth.  When I started looking at weaving drafts I learned that it is generally called pinwheels in the weaving community.  

What is the difference?  The traditional houndstooth was woven using a 4 shaft loom. It is 4 threads white alternated with 4 threads black in both the warp and weft.

When you introduce more shafts to create the design it offers many more possibilities for changing the design.

Using an 8 shaft draft the traditional houndstooth starts to look more like a pinwheel.  It is now warped using 8 white then 8 black threads. The threading is a straight draw or 12345678.  The weft is also alternated 8 black, 8 white.   What is nice about this threading is that there are many ways to change the tie-up and treadling to create a different design using the same warp.

With a change to the threading fancy pinwheels are created.  Here are a few examples.  Just click on the picture to increase the size.

Mixed greens

I just took a shawl off the loom so I am using the same threading for my next project.  I tied on to the remaining warp and beamed the back beam.  Since I was using bamboo on the last project I had a 10 dent reed on the loom.  I decided to use Tencel this time so I needed to change the reed to a 12 dent and sett it at 24 EPI.  

This warp I mixed 3 colors of greens, light yellow, and orange.  I used a warping paddle for the greens and put an orange thread after every 15 greens.

I decided to use the undulated twill draft to highlight the warp colors.  I did not want a fancy pattern; as I thought the colors of the warp should be dominant. 

I started the first scarf using a medium green.  I am very happy with the results.  
The only thing I would do different next time is to space the orange warp thread to hit where the design changes direction.

Also on this project I started using an end feed shuttle.  The selvedge is much better with this shuttle. I'll go into the difference at another time.

Cowl Neck Scarf

Have you noticed the new trend toward infinity scarves and cowls?  It seems everywhere I go I see them.  Usually knitted and often in chunky yarns.

Personally,  I prefer the refined look of woven scarves.  The various pattern intrigue me.  I thought the idea of a cowl in handwoven fabric would be the best of both worlds.

I love to wear scarves, but have to admit, I was never sure of how to tie them.  I have found a few ways that work for me.  I am fairly active and the problem is that the long ends of  the scarf get in my way.

So I've started weaving cowls or, what I call, Collar Scarves.  They are basically a short scarf about 26" long and about 10" wide.  I sew a snap to keep it closed.

 I have considered sewing a button whole, but I am not sure how the button whole will stand up to washing on a handwoven fabric.  (Something that I will need to try).

Next I sew a button or fancy large bead to make it look like there is a button closure.  Usually I add some small beads to the edge of the scarf, near the fringe, and add a few more beads to the fringe.

Only one end gets the fringe and beads.  The other end is hand hemmed.

 

 

These Collar Scarves work great.  I love them when I travel.  It is nice to pack fewer tops but change their look by using a different scarf.  I usually weave them form Tencel which makes them light weight and good for many climates.

My Etsy Store

I've been busy.  I recently decided to open an Etsy Store so I am weaving and finishing items to put in the store.  Although I would have liked to have more things to put in the store before opening it, I decided to get started with what I have.

It is Christmas time and I have been weaving gifts so I don't have a surplus of items right now.  Today I spent most of the day twisting fringe and hand sewing beads to a few things I took off the loom yesterday.  Hopefully, I will get them listed tomorrow.

I found Etsy a very easy sight to get up and running.  They have a lot of information about starting a business.  Everything from photographing your products to marketing and even info on shipping.

I even had my first sale today!  It was to a family member to give as a gift to her sister, but it was a sale and gave me the opertunity to see if everything is working in my listing.  So far, so good.  It really was easy.

Now I need to keep weaving more to get my store fully stocked.

If you have a chance, take a look at my store:  DMJacobsDesigns.etsy.com

Texsolv Treadle Ties

I spent some time this weekend changing the ties from my treadles to my lams on my loom.  Wow, why didn't I do this sooner?

I purchased a new Harrisonville Designs 8 shaft 10 treadle 36" floor loom earlier this summer.  I love this loom.  I had read on Ravelry that others had changed the chains to Texsolv  I thought about it but decided to give the chains a chance.

I found it difficult to hook and unhook the chains from the treadles.  I also found that the chains were very noisy.  They constantly rattle, clank and hit the treadles as I weave.  From hitting the treadles the chains were leaving black marks on them.

There were 4 chains per treadle.  Sometimes I needed more per treadle so I planned on getting enough Texsolv to put a tie on all 8 lams for all 10 treadles.

So I purchased the Texsolv and installed it on my loom.  It is so quite and easy to change the tie up, it works great.

If  you are not familiar with Texsolv here is a link for information.  In addition to lam tie ups they also make heddles. Link to Texsolv website

White Warp

For any non-weavers, In weaving cloth, the warp is the set of lengthwise yarns that are held in tension on a frame or loom. The yarn that is inserted over-and-under the warp threads is the weft. 

I have just threaded and beamed a new 9 yard warp entirely of white cotton to weave some Tea Towels.  As I work with the warp I keep asking myself, why white?  What a boring color.  I think to myself that I wish I was working with some exciting colors, a bright pink or sunny yellow; why white?

My answer is, white is like a blank canvas waiting for the colors to be applied.  Threading and warping the loom takes a lot of time to do so I like to use a long warp so I can weave several items from the same warp.  A white warp allows me to choose any color I want, knowing that white will work with all colors.

It is so exciting to start weaving with a color that exposes the pattern as I weave.  When I finish one towel I start another color and the excitement begins again.  Each new color makes me happy and wards off the boredom of weaving 9 yards of the same thing.

After a warp of white I do switch to something colorful for my next project, but you can't beat a white warp for it's versatility.  The possibilities are endless.