Amazing Weaving Draft

I have had this pattern saved for a while. It pops up on Pinterest every other day or so, so I guess other people like it too. On Handweaving.net you can find it as:

Weaving Draft: xcooo81, Crackle Design Project, Ralph Griswold, United States, 2004, #14103. 

I've been planning to do this in an 8/8 cotton, but I waited for over a month for the order. I couldn't wait any longer. I bought 4 skeins of Cascade Ultra Pima and threaded it at 8 epi. I did 3 repeats of the pattern threading. Various DK weight knitting yarns were used as weft. 

What a great pattern!!!! Using these yarns and this sett, was, as I mentioned, not what was originally planned for this project. Because my sett was so open, the design is a bit different from the original, but still very awesome. After threading the warp, you'll have the pattern in your head. After a few repeats of the pattern with the weft, you might not even need to look at the draft anymore. 

As luck would have it, when I was finishing the last bit of this warp, the long awaited cotton finally arrived. I guess I'll just have to weave it again 😀here

Baby Blanket in Cotton - Finished!!!!!

It's done!!!!! Here's the blanket being hem stitched on the loom.

This was the 1st time I used a temple and I can't imagine doing an extra wide project without one. I was nervous about jabbing the teeth into my weaving and also about having to move the temple every two inches, but I got the hang of it in no time. 

I nearly ran out of warp at the end of the blanket. I had to finish the last 5 or 6 inches of weaving while standing so I could get enough force to produce a shed. 

On the loom, the blanket measured 36"x50". Off the loom, before wet finishing, it measured 34"x44". 

Next, it was into a sink of hot water with a little bit of dish soap to soak for about 15 minutes, then onto the dryer. 

Though the blanket was woven in plain weave, I threaded the heddles in a straight draw (1,2,3,4). Since I was threading that many heddles, I planned on tying on my next warp. As the heddles are already threaded for twill, all I have to do is wind a warp and start tying. 

I tied the rear apron bar to the frame of the loom so the threads don't pull out of the heddles. 

And here is the finished blanket!!!!

I'm very happy with it and I hope it keeps Baby Donovan cozy this winter. Congratulations Mike & Amanda!!!!!

Happy Weaving!

Baby Blanket in Cotton

Biggest project I've undertaken so far! With 540 ends, this baby blanket is the entire width of my 36" loom. 

After sleying and threading all day yesterday and most of this morning, I'm ready to weave!

I'm pleasantly surprised that my only threading issue was 4 pairs of twisted threads. No broken warps. 

I hope the blanket comes out as good as the draft. 

(This is a close up of one corner of the draft)

Well, wish me luck. I'll post pictures of the finished blanket in a few days. Baby shower is on Saturday so my shuttle needs to fly!

Happy Weaving!

What the Huck - Huck Lace in 8/4 cotton - from warping to wet finishing

For the last few months, I've been weaving on my 36" Nilus Leclerc loom with a 25" 5 dent reed. Wanting to weave finer cloth, I ordered a 36" 10 dent reed. While anxiously awaiting my new reed, I tried to decide what to weave.  I had purchased blue and grey yarns for a baby blanket but wanted to test them out all together so I chose to weave Huck Lace. 

I wound a warp of 8/4 cotton in 3 colors. The blue sections are 32 ends each and the 3 grey sections are 50 ends each for a total of 214 ends. I sleyed the 10 dent reed at 15 epi, threading 1-2-1-2 per dent across. 

Here is a copy of the draft....

Here is the fabric on the loom.....

Size on loom- 14 inches at reed, 12.75 inches on beam. 

I LOVE this fabric!!!! I am so happy with the results. 

In addition to the beautiful, textured simplicity of the lace weave, another amazing feature of Huck Lace, is that it can be invaluable as a color study tool. 

The weave structure of the Huck Lace combined with tabby has the ability to show you how different colors play off each other; as well as the different weaves, in interesting ways. Change the weft color as you go, and the possibilities are endless!!! I am now of the belief that every weaver needs a Huck Lace gamp in their favorite yarns. 

Here are the 3 fabrics I wove including a small sampler with all the different color variations for the 3 colors I chose...

This is before wet finishing. I decided to let the two larger pieces rest overnight before wet finishing. As you can see from the selvedges, there is some serious rippling. I need to twist all the fringe on the larger two pieces before they can be wet finished. 

The small sampler went right into the washer on a gentle cycle, low spin. Then it was onto the dryer for about 15 minutes, removed while still damp, then let it dry flat.

Here is the finished sampler or gamp. 

As you can see by the unfinished edges, the cotton doesn't only fray when washed, it fluffs. You can also see the tracking - the marks made in the cloth by the spin cycle. The measurements of the sampler before and after wet finishing are as follows:

Before - 15.5" x 12.75"

After - 14.25" x 11.75"

Based on how well the sampler turned out, I see some 8/4 cotton kitchen towels in my loom's future ;)

Happy Weaving!

 

Draft of the Day - 9/14/15

Here's a draft I'm working on right now. The example shown is 10 epi (2 threads per dent in a 5 dent reed)

Happy Weaving!