New Project

I started a new inkle band with inspiration from another piece of cloth. I'm in a blue stage this summer and being reminded of the ocean.

Along with the inkle weaving I also started a new bead loom project that will be incorporated with this inkle band. I haven't really worked out all the details, but I'd like to make the beaded portion the focal point of the bag.
I changed the colors of the flowers to compliment the inkle strap's and interior coloring and am having a ton of fun with it. Hopefully the vision I have in my head will work out into something tangible.

inkle purple 002

inkle purple 002, a photo by DEEPENDOFTHELOOM on Flickr.

This is a new bag that I finished and am starting on the strap. This by far is the most fun I've had in a while. I plan on constructing at least one bag next weekend since we have a whopping three glorious days off. Can't wait.

I have been having trouble with blogger for a few weeks. I can't get onto anyone's blog and keep getting error messages. There are time like this one rare moment that I can actually get on to post, so I'll update you on what's been happening in my world.

I purchased two weaving books, one was a gift from my kids and the other one from myself. I'm excited to read them through and start planning some new projects. I gave up and conceded defeat on the scarf, it kept breaking down and I just could not deal with it any longer. I started warping for the simple baby blanket and that should give me some easy work for a bit.

I also had the reeds sandblasted to get the rust off them, after a few months of trying and not really getting to far I decided it was the best route to go. I need to clean them and take a steel wool pads to smooth them out they feel a bit rough. Hopefully I'll be able to use them without any damage to the warp, if not then they will be tossed and I will have to acquire new reeds.

So far that's what I've got going, I hope you all are doing great. Once I figure out what's happening with my access to blogger I plan to visit with everyone for a bit.

Lapping Waves Scarf

For those of you that choose along with Mr. Deepend, well you guys won! (once I reach the end of this scarf whatever is left will be in the navy, maybe I can get a moebius cowl out of it).
I started weaving last night and wove about 8" before I threw in the towel, The mohair was making my arms itchy and I could only get through that length without scratching my skin off. My hands not so much but the fly aways getting on my arms whoa, that was amazingly itchy and uncomfortable, I admire folks who find it soft and wonderful, of course they're not sensitive to it, which is why I'm happy for acrylic, cotton, bamboo, silk, linen, cashmere and alpaca.

I came up with a solution for the weaving session tonight, which is to wear a long sleeve tee. I have a very soft and lite one that will work great without making me sweat, yes it's hot down here already, today's high is 78* and the A/C has been kicking on regularly at night :( I so do miss the cooler temps and it won't be long before we're in the high 80's - 90's ugh!

I like this pattern it's simple to weave and gives an interesting movement to the fabric. I had to drop 5 threads to the end to make the pattern work, I guess I needed to keep a more accurate count while warping. I will next time.

Bit of Everything

I've been searching for a decorative pillow for this chair since I moved into the new apartment. We bought the chair and side table for the living room since we only had a love seat and Mr. Deepend's throne (recliner) for seating it was a challenge when we had more than two guests. As I was looking around in all the stores I was a bit floored by the fact that a 1/4 yard of fabric and some stuffing = $26.00+ pillow. I thought that it seemed expensive and never mind what Mr. Deepend thought, which were along the lines of "pillows, we don't need no stinking pillows" said with a heavy accent (yes, we are talented in recalling movie lines, if you could only hear the Scarface impressions it's scary and not in a good way either).
As I was walking around in Joanne Fabrics this Saturday perusing the fabric section, I found this eggplant fabric in the clearance section. I was so thrilled that I did a happy Snoopy dance in the isle, got some odd looks but I didn't care, no sir no one bit.

A while later and some stitching and we have a pillow that passes Sasha inspection and all, the best part it only cost me $4.50.

After my pillow accomplishment I was ready to start warping my loom has been nekid for a week and that is just too long not to weave. I picked these yarns from the inherited bins. Navy - 100% wool, Country Blue 100% Mohair, Caribbean Blue 75% wool, 25% alpaca and white 75% Mohair 25% wool. I wore gloves to wrap the warping board and to handle getting on the beam. The two yarns with Mohair gave me a bit of a workout since they kept sticking to each other and getting stuck on the lease sticks. I only broke two warp threads and was able to tie them back together.There is no rhyme or reason to the warp, I just picked the colors and randomly wrapped only counted the threads at the two ends for finishing symmetry the middle is whatever I felt like doing at the time.

Since the colors remind me of the ocean I thought this draft would be interesting to work. (blogger has put the pic sideways, ah Mondays they're tough on everyone) I like the fact that the draft looks like waves and the theme just continues. Will it work on this warp? I dunno but I'm planning on having some fun and finding out.

new season, new weaving

Thank you all for the well wishes! I am doing great and thank God can breathe with ease . I've been off work since December 23 and have been resting, knitting and weaving. Nothing like a little R&R to get your batteries charged and ready to start a new season.

Since I had some time off I warped my loom, no easy feat this time around the warp did not behave well and I wound up cutting 1/4 the chain off the loom ( I warped back to front). Once the cotton decided to untangle and get it's act together I threaded the heddles and tied up the lamms for some cotton dishtowels in waffle weave. I got the pattern from the book Mastering Weave Structures that I checked out of the library, very interesting book with a ton of information.

I'm working with 6/2 cotton in beige and 4/2 cotton in red, 15 dpi reed, 4 shaft waffle weave structure. I wove about 7" and decided to put in a 2" stripe as an accent. I like a nice big towel for the kitchen and have decided that these will be 34" with 2" seams, once I wash it I'll figure out how much it will shrink. (need to measure width on the loom and off)

Blogger thought you guys needed some head twists so this one's sideways, but its a close up of the weave structure. I've woven about 18" and think it's going really quickly so I may be able to get these done this week.

On a roll

This is more like it, I found that the issue I was having wasn't due to a treadling error, but that the hook to the lamm kept coming off and dropping the 8th harness skipping a thread. I quickly learned to read the lift so that when it happened a second and third time I pick up on the error really quickly. The problem with it slipping out is that when I press some of the other pedals with a similar lift configuration that one particular pedal stays stuck up pushing the hook up with it and unhooking the lamm, it also doesn't help that there is a joint with the metal lift mechanism at this particular pedal level. I've since cleaned and oiled the pedal grooves and that seems to have resolved the issue.

I wove 18" of the scarf and am really liking the pattern and the rythm of the lift plan. It's simple and going quickly, just what I wanted and needed to finish this warp.

Warped, Threaded and Weaving

I put a new warp on the warping board, if I think I counted right this is 8 yds (?) still getting use to figuring that out. I used my dining room chairs to hold up the warping board, I was able to stand and get this done in about 2 hours. I didn't use the warping paddle since I was only using one cone of yarn seemed like over-kill. I chained the warp up as instructed in the DVD Theresa sent me (loved it was really easy to understand, I can't thank you enough)

Nice and smooth just an easy warping process this time, I got a few snags but nothing that wasn't settled with a quick tug of the warp.

The bobbins were wound with my new Louet bobbin winder, love that thing, works like a dream did these in no time flat, although I still need to get the hang of not creating peaks and valleys as I wind, but practice will take care of that.

Then the change came about, I talked myself out of the 10 harness pattern, I figured it might be too much too soon (actually I chickened out before I started the warp on the board). I search my files and found this pattern and thought it was simple enough with some interesting tie ups and a pretty pattern in 8 shaft.

I started sampling, it doesn't really look like the draft (bottom portion of weaving). I checked the tie ups and the heddle threading, it was all correct. I thought maybe I should beat the life out of it, so I whacked it into place, still not doesn't look like the draft (center tighter portion). I then started a much lighter beat, tap, tap and still I don't see it (top loose portion). Do you guys see it? Even when I squint, which is usually when I see the patterns in weaving, not here, not on this one.

Any suggestions? What should I be looking for?

I'm actually weaving!

Finally I can show you some pictures of actual weaving, not great weaving, but weaving none the less. It was challenging and freakly rewarding once I got it to go, I even have floating selvages because of the pattern another first. The linen/rayon warp is behaving, under and the weft which I think is 100% linen has a lot of slubs and straw, interesting effect on the warp and in the pattern. I made a sample piece and washed it, once I get home I'll have to see what happened there. I was playing around with the pattern and my feet, I still have trouble with the order in which to lift the harnesses, but I know if I practice on this warp, I will get a rhythm going. I thought I had a threading problem and took the yarn out of the reed, recounted and found everything was right. I guess maybe I'm beating too light or hard and not getting a really clear pattern.

Then I found I'd screwed up, in a massive way since I slayed the harnesses from the back towards the front I inverted the order in which I slayed the heddles, well DUH! I was really laughing at myself after that discovery, which felt great. Yeah that was stupid, but what the heck this is the sampler piece and now I know what I can and cannot do when I put the warp on my loom, only next time I'm going to try front to back and see how that works for me. This is the draft I used, Rosepath M&W Above is what I got once I started weaving. After screwing up the pattern I decided to do a simple 1,2,3,4,3,2,1 liftplan so that I could get and see what I would get. I also found a simple Rosepath1 and Rosepath Ascending, that I can follow with the same exact tie up I'm using, which is way too cool. I"ll sample tonight and see which is going to be the final pattern for the short thin table runner. I have a entry table that is perfect for the size I'm working on.

In Between Soumak and Twining

I like this twining better, it's very decorative and for me was easier to do than the first. This is my attempt at Soumak, I think I did it right but by the end of the night I needed a break and was seeing double.

Why blogger posted this sideways I dunno, but these are both techniques within the weaving. I'm in love with the teal yarn. I have to plan some really nice hand towels with it.

I hope to finish the weaving tonight and get it in the wash, after a good press and backing, I will start designing this cover, hopefully, successfully. I had a few questions in the comments I'll answer for you guys in the next post.

New Weaving

I started on my son's bible cover this Sunday and can I tell you, I'm in love with the shuttle! I love the way it moves through the shed, the fact that I don't need to un-weave to get more yarn out of the stick shuttle and it's ease of use. I am though discovering that my selvages on the left side are really loose while the right has a good tension. This is a close up of the fabric it's really the color of the first pic, but I needed to turn the flash off for this pic or it would washout completely. I love the look of the basket weave, although it's not true basket weave but, it's dense and I think will produce a nice sturdy fabric.

I tried the twining from the book, I can't say I love it, I like it but I'm still not sure. It was very easy for me to go from left to right on the teal strip, but going on the brown from right to left was a challenge, I don't know why it was but it just seemed that my brain didn't get the concept of doing it as easily. It was a very interesting exercise.

I need more bobbins, since I want to work in different colors on this, I ordered some from Harrisville and they should arrive sometime this week, as for temp bobbins I took some card stock cut to size, wrapped it around a dowel and taped the open ends to form a tube, wrapped yarn around those and kept working. Not that it's news to any veteran weavers, but some newbies might not know that's a temporary option.

Some Actual Weaving

I warped my RH last night. It really felt great to be active at the loom again, I've been knitting a cropped cardi for myself and finally finished it on Sunday just in time to wear for the strappy summer dresses that I tend to live in when the temps reach 90+ around here, I hate summer in Florida, but at least I can now dedicate some evening time to weaving again.


I'm going to weave a table runner and knit some pot holders for my SIL for Mother's day. I'd decided that she was the only person I would create something for this year and I'm going to stick to it, my mom and aunt want purses but the time crunch to get them done will not work for me, I don't want to kill myself to get it done, so I'm not. My hubby finally convinced me of that, he told me "You create because you love it, once you have to , te pones pesada y no hay quien te resiste" (you get cranky and no one can put up with you) we speak Spanglish with the final part of that very exaggerated hand movements and facial expression, LOL. He's right, the minute I have to produce anything on command or demand, I procrastinate and my creative mojo dries up like a shriveled rose in the hot Florida sun and I do get rather cranky and irritated. I know this about myself, I really do, because when I was in college and majoring in Commercial Art and Advertising, one of my professors Mr. Ink (he would sign his work with an inkblot very creatively unique person) told me "your really good kid, but only when you want to be, and in this business you gotta be good all the time if not, your not going to make it", I'm not good all the time only when the mood strikes me, so he was very observant and wise. I warped some cotton and decided that a I would call this one Sea foam table runner it's just what the colors of the ocean looks like when the waves are crashing into the sand and sun is geaming down on the whole beach scene. I want to incorporate some beads within a leno lace, I haven't worked out how I'll do it but I can play with it. I have extra warp on and will get extra fabric I would like to make a few more tissue box covers, which were the intented gifts this year and I'm sticking to it.



This was as much as I got done last night not much to look at, but it felt good and that's half the battle.

WHINING GAVE WAY TO WARPING

I'd like to say thanks those of you with the great suggestions and for being a sounding board, I appreciate it. Lynn, I'm taking your advice, I'm warping the inkle so when I'm done weaving fabric that's the next loom, then I'll warp the RH and that will be the next project. If I keep that up then I will have a project on the go with no lapse or down-confused time for whining.

This is my new warp for the RH, I'm going to weave fabric, with the intentions of making another tissue cover and maybe a summer bag, and my inkle for some straps with this same yarn. It should be fun to try and weave on it with 4 ply yarn. Easy tabby, simple and colorful, I want to play with some hand manipulated weaves towards the end.

And because I now know how - a close up.

I don't know why blogger uploaded this one sideways, but more practice on the Structo. I love this one and also enjoy the concentration I have to put into weave on it. I've also learned that I don't need to beat hard, a light tap and the weft is in place. After this sample I want to re-threadle the yarn and weave some other pattern getting some mug rugs done. Has anyone put cork backing on rug mugs? I'd like any opinions on trying that out.

Fresh Weaving

I started warping yesterday during the sad and disappointing Dolphin's game as Mr. Deepend was screaming in his official armchair coach position, to start weaving on plain, beautifully simple place mats. It was sheer joy, I know most think plain weave is well boring but there is some comfort in the rhythm of tabby weave I can't explain it but I really truly love the monotony of the up, throw, down throw, it's calming. The warp behaved, the weft slid right through the shed it was utter happiness on my part, especially since I'd been having no luck with my previous weavings. I pickup this new yarn (more on that next post, trust me I didn't break my promise of the yarn ban) because I loved the colors, it's Bernat Handicrafter's 4 ply cotton I don't know the name at the moment, but its something Ombre, of course to me it reminded me of a cottage nestle among tall sea grass like you would see at any picturesque seaside retreat, you know the kind that costs 1.2 M steps away from the surf, yeah that one. The camera made the dusty blue almost grey in color which would be another interesting color choice with this palette. I must contemplate dying some yarn in the next year, I have some color combos in my head that I think would be interesting to put out, but one obsession at a time.

(Really doesn't that just scream beach, surf and sand)

I started weaving after an easy, effortless tie up, I was getting nervous because I had no mishaps, makes a girl doubt her abilities for a nano second.

By the end of the night I'd woven almost 18" and I was very satisfied with the results.

120- warp ends

120" warp length

7.5 dpi heddle

Bare Loom No More

I decided to warp my loom, it's been sitting in the corner of the dining room nekkid, not a good state for such a great piece of equipment begging to be used. So I rummaged, collected and looked through various weaving books, websites, basically weaving eye candy. I downloaded some charts from Handweaving.net and found the weaving draft below, if I could purchase this book I would in a heartbeat since it's all in 2 shafts, but haven't had any luck locating a copy. I like the effect on paper, I'll have to see how it translates to fabric. I'm going to use the Copper Brown Berroco Naturlin and some 3ply cotton in Bridal White, which really is a cream color and weave a table runner for my entry hall. I have to get my books out and figure how to do the lifts in order to get the right results. And yes, I will be doing some samples on this one in the beginning.

Page 169, Figure 8: Orimono Soshiki Hen [Textile System], Yoshida, Kiju
Title: Orimono Soshiki Hen [Textile System]
Author: Yoshida, Kiju
Date: 1903
Description: Japanese Weaving Book
Drafts: 818