Lamb...on the Loom - Blog

Twisting Fringe Step by Step

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 02:37:03 GMT

Most of my scarves and shawls have twisted fringe because I love twisted fringe. I like the way it looks. I like the way it feels when I run my fingers through it. But making good twisted fringe takes practice and a plan.

I have just posted a video on YouTube showing my process.
By all means watch the video, but I will describe the basics here.
(Click on any photo to zoom in)

Planning for making twisted fringe

Weave a weft protector (also called a header) at the beginning and end of each piece. Use a yarn that is approximately the same size as the weft because it will keep the header area from spreading out or drawing in differently from the scarf itself. Use a contrasting color because you want to be able to see it when you remove it during the fringing process.
When planning your warp, allow enough warp for fringe on both ends of each piece. Allow 2-3" more than you want your finished fringe.
BEFORE your start twisting, trim the fringe at both ends of the scarf to the same length,
NOTE: How many ends you use in each fringe bout depends on the size of the yarns and your personal preference - how thick do you want your fringe? I like my fringe fairly fine, so, for example, when using 8/2 Tencel I usually twist 2 groups of 4 ends together for a total of 8 per bout.

Great tools to have on hand for fringing:

Gridded mat
Masking tape and/or blue painter's tape
Paperweights, heavy books or book ends
Small scissors
Double pointed needle
Comb
Fringe twister - battery powered or manual

Making the Fringe

Carefully remove the weft protector as you work. I like to remove a 2-3" section of weft protector at a time.
Count out the ends you will need for a bout of fringe and divide into 2 groups.

Clip the two groups into the fringe twister and twist clockwise until you have the desired amount of twist. This is a bit of trial and error, but you can get a good idea of what the final fringe will look like by releasing tension on the bouts and letting them twist back on themselves.
Remove the ends from the fringe twister and twist them back on each other in the counterclockwise direction

Knot at the desired length by loosely tying an overhand knot in the ends and maneuvering the knot to the appropriate length. Then tighten the knot.

Tip:
Use the gridded mat to help tie the knots at the same length all the way across.

I continue twisting fringe from right to left until I am about 3-4" from the left hand edge. At that point, I remove the remainder of the weft protector and begin fringing from the left edge towards the right. I twist the first 2 or 3 bouts on the left and then COUNT the remaining groups of threads out into bouts, fudging as needed if there is not an even multiple of ends that I need to finish.

Protecting the Fringe

To protect the fringe in the wash (whether machine washing or washing by hand), cut a strip of iron-on interfacing that is 3" high and the width of the scarf.
Fold this over the ends of the fringe, being sure to leave about 1/2-1" between the knots and the edge of the interfacing, and press in place (follow manufacturer's recommendations for time to press).

Trimming the Fringe

Wet finish and dry your work of art as desired.
After washing and drying your scarf, trim the fringe to about 1/4" from the knots.

Enjoy your finished piece!

Yikes! Artificial Intelligence at Work...

Sun, 05 Mar 2023 15:01:16 GMT

There is a lot of debate these days about Artificial Intelligence. Is it cheating? Or is it a tool? It probably depends on the situation, in my opinion.

There is a tool called ChatGPT that my son introduced me to. He told me to give it a prompt. I asked it to describe how to plan a weaving project for an 8 harness twill for a scarf. About 1 minute later this is what I got back. And I have to say that I was gobsmacked:

Planning a weaving project for an 8 harness twill scarf involves several steps. Here's a general guide on how to plan such a project:

Choose your yarn: Decide on the type of yarn you want to use for your scarf. Factors to consider include fiber content, weight, and color.

Determine your sett: Sett refers to the number of warp threads per inch (WPI) on the loom. The sett will depend on the yarn you choose, as well as the desired drape and density of the fabric. A general rule of thumb for twill weaves is to sett the warp at 12-16 ends per inch (EPI).

Determine the finished size of the scarf: Decide how wide and long you want your scarf to be. Add about 20% to the desired finished length to account for shrinkage during washing and finishing.

Choose your twill draft: There are many different twill drafts to choose from, but for an 8-harness loom, you can choose from any twill pattern with a repeat of 8 or less. A basic 2/2 twill or 3/1 twill are good options for beginners.

Calculate the amount of yarn needed: Determine the total length of warp needed by multiplying the finished length of the scarf by the number of ends per inch (EPI) and adding an extra yard or two for loom waste and fringe. Then, calculate the total amount of weft yarn needed based on the width of the scarf and the number of picks per inch (PPI) that your twill draft requires.

Warp the loom: Wind the warp onto the loom, thread the heddles and reed according to the twill draft you chose, and sley the reed with the appropriate number of ends per inch (EPI).

Weave the scarf: Begin weaving, following the twill draft you selected. Pay attention to the treadling sequence to ensure the twill pattern emerges correctly. Weave until the scarf reaches the desired length, then finish the fabric by washing, drying, and pressing.

Finishing: Cut the scarf off the loom and finish the ends with fringe or hemstitching.

By following these steps, you should be able to successfully plan and execute a weaving project.

Clearly it is not perfect, but it sure was able to describe the process pretty darned well. I have to wonder how it would do if I gave it a more detailed or specific prompt. A project for another day...

Videos, videos, videos!

Sun, 12 Jun 2022 01:07:30 GMT

I am back to work on my blog after a long hiatus. The first thing I want to do is share some videos with you that I have created. Jane Stafford I am not, and I can promise you these videos are not professional, but I think that they do a pretty good job of showing my process for warping back to front. I also think that even more experienced weavers might benefit from a host of tips that I share in the videos.

Over the past two years of the pandemic, I taught a "next step" Weave a Scarf class on Zoom. The class was intended to be for students who had taken a beginning weaving class and warped a loom before but who might not be super comfortable yet going through the steps for getting their warp on the loom. To prep for the class, I created 5 "refresher" videos to help my students get through the process of setting up their looms at home.

I hope you enjoy the videos. Send me feedback!

To view the videos, click on the hyperlink (the blue title) or on the photo next to the video description.

Video 1: Preparing the warp 19:41

Reading your draft
Measuring & positioning your guide thread
Measuring the warp
Counting threads at the cross
Tying of the warp
Chaining off the warp

Video 2: Moving to the loom 17:21

Moving the warp chains to the loom
Setting up the loom for back to front warping
Spreading the warp in the raddle
Winding on to the back beam

Video 3: Threading the heddles 6:24

Getting the loom ready
Threading the heddles

Video 4: Threading the reed 5:52
This is a brief video showing the most comfortable way of threading the reed that I have found.

Video 5: Tying on to the apron rod 8:24
I have tried many methods of tying on to the apron rod over the years. This is the best method I have found.

Bonus video: Knots, knots, knots! 5:00
A review of some of the knots I use when warping the loom as shown in the videos above.

Overhand loop for the guide thread
Slipknot at the start of the warp
Slipknot for joining 2 threads
Overhand knot for joining 2 threads
Twining the counting thread
Tying off the warp chain

Bonus video: Threading a loom/ Threading Tips 7:00
This is a short video that shows how I thread a loom and check my work. This method has been a life saver for me. I count out heddles and threads for a small section of my draft. This allows me to thread, check, and catch my mistakes before proceeding to the next group.

A Wedding Commission

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 03:04:23 GMT

Click on any picture to zoom in

A young woman named Collette emailed me last spring about possibly weaving bridesmaids shawls for her September wedding, I really enjoyed weaving shawls for my son's bride and their bridesmaids a few years ago , so I was definitely interested. Collette and I talked and planned over the next couple of months to make sure the shawls would be just what she had in mind.

First, Collette sent me a picture of the flowers she was that going to use and a picture of the fabric in the bridesmaids' gowns. She wanted to pick up the colors in the flowers and, initially, thought she wanted to use some form of cream, blue, teal, and a deep red.

I pulled some Tencel off my shelf and mailed her several yarn wraps to give her some ideas.

She settled on yarn wrap #2 but wanted to swap the azure for grey blue to better match the dress fabric.

Now to plan the warp.

Yarn wraps

Collette had seen a shawl in my online shop and decided she like the plaited twill in that shawl. So all I had to do was work with the colors in Fiberworks to work out the proportions of the colors in the gradation. We came to an agreement, and I got busy measuring warps, getting them on loom, and weaving color samples.

Strickler pattern #360

4 warp chains ready to be wound on

Warp spread in the raddle

Warp wound onto the back beam

Color sampling

Collette decided on the navy blue Tencel weft. I wove the shawls over the next month. Lots and lots of fringe! Almost 800 bouts of twisted fringe took a few more days and, finally, the shawls were ready to be shipped off to her.

A couple of months before the wedding, Collette reached out to me to have shawls woven for her mother and future mother-in-law.

In September, Collette and Kyle were married at a beautiful setting in New Hampshire.

The bridesmaids and moms wore shawls that I created.

The bride was wearing a gorgeous shawl woven for her by her aunt.

The bride's mother

The bride's mother-in-law

Collette and Kyle. The bride is wearing a shawl created for her by her aunt.

Weaving: Step by Step

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 15:25:08 GMT

People ask me questions about my process all the time. How long does it take to make a piece? What kind of machine do you use to do this? What steps do you go through to get a finished piece? Why is this scarf so expensive? Those are hard questions to answer in 10 words or less.

Obviously it varies vastly from piece to piece. Some pieces are easy to plan and set up and take a long time to weave: we call those slow cloth. Some pieces weave up quickly but the planning and loom setup take a long time.

Below is a storyboard of the steps involved in creating a piece in my studio.

My Studio

I have 3 looms that I do most of my weaving on:

48" 16-harness Toika computer loom
45" 12-harness Louet Spring loom
26" 8-harness Schacht Baby Wolf

Planning

Planning time: 1-4 hours or more

Selecting yarns

Doing yarn wraps

Preparing a threading draft

Calculating warp & weft needs

Sampling for weft selection and pattern

Winding the warp

280 to 1000+ threads

Total time 1-6 hours depending on the number of threads and the number of color changes

Winding the warp on a warping board

Winding the warp on a mill

Winding the warp

Spreading warp in the raddle
Winding onto the back beam
Threading the heddles
Sleying the reed
Tying onto the apron rod
Tying up the treadles
Winding bobbins

Total time 3-12 hours

Spreading the warp in the raddle

Warp being wound onto the back beam

Threading the heddles

Sleying the reed

Tying onto the apron rod

Tying up the treadles

Winding bobbina

Weaving

Total time 2-10 hours per item, depending on the size of the threads and the complexity of the weave structure.

Fringing / Hemming

Total time 1 to 3 hours per item

Fringing takes 1 1/2 hours for a typical scarf, 3+ for a shawl.

Hand hemming towels or runners takes about 45 min. to 1 1/2 hours depending on the size

Fringing in progress

Towels and runners are hemmed by hand

Finishing

Total time 1-3 hours

Hand wash or machine wash
Dry until slightly damp
Press until dry
Trim fringe

Documentation & Internet

Total time 1 to 4 hours

Taking photos
Updating inventory
Calculating the cost of the item
Completing notes & paperwork
Posting on the website
Posting on Instagram
Posting on Facebook

Paperwork, yarn samples and yarn wraps, photos, and samples

Yarn Wraps, Part 2: Using your wraps for design

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 03:13:51 GMT

From Wrap to Warp

A simple wrap
Click on any photo to zoom in

Designing a Warp

Once you have a wrap you like, how do you use it?

Try considering the wrap as a miniature warp, which will have only one repeat. For example, if your warp will be 500 threads, but your wrap is only 100 threads, measure 5 threads in the warp for every thread in the wrap. The final warp will look just like a “magnified” version of the wrap.
Another possibility is literally, thread by thread, repeating the wrap across the warp multiple times.
A mirror image warp could be done by measuring 3 threads for every wrap thread, with the second half of the warp measured as a mirror image of the first half.
The possibilities are endless!

1	Use the wrap once across the warp

2	Use the wrap once across the warp. Use a piece of the beginning (flipped) to balance

3	Flip the wrap and use it end to end Option 1

4	Flip the wrap and use it end to end Option 2

5	Repeat the warp over and over across the warp. Repeat the beginning of the warp to balance.

6	Repeat the warp over and over across the warp, but make the warp symmetrical from the center out.

Repeat the warp across the warp,
but try flipping the wrap end to end as you go.

Tips when designing for a warp

Do at least two repeats of your wrap to make sure the transition will be good from the end of the color order back to the beginning.
For neater selvedges, consider using a color similar to your weft color on the edge of your wrap (warp).
If symmetry is important, repeat the beginning section of your wrap on the end of your warp to “balance” the color sequence or flip the entire sequence to make a mirror image from the center out.
If you do not have the exact color you need, try using the yarns you have to get a blended color.
Single threads of a related color or contrasting color next to a stripe in your wrap can soften a transition between colors or make a transition “pop”, resulting in a more interesting wrap.

Think Weft

Your wrap might be inspiration for a weft faced weave or a tapestry.

Your wrap could also inspire a rug or a boundweave.

Do the Math

How many threads will you have in your warp?
How many threads are in your wrap sequence?
Do you want or need multiples of each thread in the wrap?
How many repeats of your wrap will you need across the warp ?
Remember to allow for that “balancing” stripe on the far end of the warp if you are planning for one.
It most likely will not work out exactly right, so now you need to “fudge” by going back to your wrap and adding or deleting threads here and there to get it to fit into your warp plan.

Challenge

Try doing a few yarn wraps
Choose your favorite and plan a project with it - maybe a scarf, a towel, a napkin...
Then weave that project.
Have fun!

The End - Whew!

-- Pattie Lamb

Yarn Wraps, Part 1: Why, How & Finding Inspiration

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 02:47:42 GMT

Click on any photo to zoom in

Why Wrap?

Important tool in a weaver’s toolbox
Great way to do color studies
Inexpensive way to experiment with colorways for warp planning
Keep as part of your project record

Mechanics of making a yarn wrap

Needed:

Cardboard: 2” x 6-8” strips – preferably white
Double sided tape
Masking tape
Scissors
Yarn

Tip: Use a firm cardboard like a mat board.

Place 3 strips of double-sided tape on the back of a 2 x 6-8” cardboard strip.

Cut short pieces of yarn (1 - 2 yards) of each color you plan to use in the wrap

Secure the first color yarn on the tape on the back side of the card and begin wrapping snugly around the card.

When finished with that stripe, clip the yarn and secure on the back of the card on the tape

Begin the next color by securing it on the tape on the back of the card

Continue adding stripes of color until you have achieved the design you want.

It’s easy to add small stripes in between, reduce the size of a stripe, or take out a stripe and replace with a different color if needed.

When satisfied, cover the back with masking tape to secure.

Color inspirations for yarn wraps

Favorite photographs
Artwork
Scenes in nature
Favorite yarns or fabrics

Designing the wrap:
the artistic part of the work

Stripes can be random
Stripes can be inspired by the proportions of color in your artwork or fabric
Stripes can follow a mathematical pattern:
Fibonacci series: 1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34-55...
Rearranged Fibonacci: 5-1-8-2-13-1-3-8-5-13-21-8-3-5-1-13
Pascal’s triangle: 1-1-1-1-2-1-1-3-3-1-1-4-6-4-1-1-5-10-10-5-1…
Square numbers: 1-2-4-9-16-25-36….

Inspiration from yarns

Evolution of a wrap for napkins

1

2

3

Starting point

Replaced the purple and green with natural and aqua

Removed the white, added medium blue/navy blue combo stripes for dark blue & medium blue stripes, and in the center, added red and yellow accents

Result: 1 warp, 3 wefts, 3 napkins

Planning a blanket
A mixed wrap was made from assorted wool yarns.

Result:
The sample at right was woven with a black wool weft to determine the sett for a blanket.

Inspiration from fabric

From window treatment to wrap

Result: A set of cottolin dishtowels

Inspiration from artwork

Designing a rug
Peggy from the Triangle Weavers Guild was inspired by this painting to do a series of wraps

Result: A rep weave rug!

A class project

Leslie's wrap from a painting, done in a class setting

Result: A sample. In this case, the loom was warped with 2 different colors, and the wrap was woven as the weft!

Designing a napkin
Ruth Ann from the Triangle Weavers Guild used this painting from a calendar and a grid copied onto vellum to decide how much of each color to include in her wraps

Result: 2 wraps, the second of which was used to create a warp for the napkin.

First wrap

Second wrap

The napkin samples

Inspiration from a photo

Result: A cotton scarf

Split complementary color scheme

Fibonacci series used randomly for stripes

Result: a wool scarf

A color study using warm colors and Fibonacci series for the wrap.

Similar colors were used to design 2 ply-split braids.

Inspiration from nature

Fine threads can sometimes be used to “blend” together to get a desired color when the exact color you need is not on your shelf.

Inspiration from fashion

Primary Triad color scheme

Fibonacci series used randomly for stripes
(1-3-2-1-5-1-3-1-2-5-1-3-2-1-5-1-3-1-1-5)

Single threads of contrasting or related color help to break up large blocks of color and make the stripes more interesting.

Color study inspired by a photo

A color study using cool colors and Pascal’s Triangle (1-1-1-1-2-1-1-3-1-1-1-4-6-4) for the stripe proportions.

Using wraps for color studies

Complementary Color Study

Irregular stripes

Value contrast

Color gradation

Free choice

Aqua Blue Color Study

Light values

Medium values

Dark values

Mixed values

Using wraps for color studies

In this case I made a sample first of even sized blocks of colors to test how the colors interacted with different weft colors.

Then I planned a random warp strip for dishtowels using the wrap and the colors in the sample.

-- Pattie Lamb

Knots, Knots, Knots: The Weaver's Knot & Beyond

Sat, 08 Feb 2020 01:18:21 GMT

Knots are a tough thing for some weavers to incorporate into their work process. They can be tricky to tie unless you have a bit of experience using them. It is definitely worth learning a few good knots because they are helpful with the entire warping process.
You will find the following knots described below, so grab some string and practice, practice (click on the links below to go directly to the knot description):

Where I use these knots:
Every weaver uses different combinations of ties and knots in their warping process. The following is simply the way this weaver uses these knots when warping back to front:
On the warping board:

Overhand loop knot on both ends of the guide string
Slip knot or Lark’s head knot to start a color on the starting peg
Overhand knot to join new color to old color at the cross end of the warp (because at the cross end, I want a permanent knot that won’t slip)
Slip knot to join new color to old color at the starting peg of the warp (so I can release the knot before cutting the warp chain loop for threading)
Infinity Tie placed at the cross is twined to count off 1” bouts as I measure the warp.
Tying off the warp chain:
- Infinity Tie secured with a simple bow tie
- Cross ties – simple bows on either side of the cross peg on each of the 4 “arms” of the cross
- Cinch ties (I use shoelaces) comprised of a tight double wrap around the warp secured with a half surgeon’s knot and a half bow. One about 12-18” from the cross and then one every yard along the warp.
- Pantyhose loops attached with lark’s head knots one on either side at the cross post and the starting posts of the warp chain.

On the loom:

Apron rods attached with adjustable closed loop cords formed with larks head knots and secured with overhand knots.
Slip knots used to secure 1” bouts in heddles and reed while threading
Warp bouts tied to front apron rod with half surgeon’s knots and secured with half bow

Sources:

IPad App: Knots 3D ($.99) – great little app shows knot tying in slow-mo, can save favorites.
You-tube videos
“The Weaver’s Companion” by Interweave Press

Lark’s Head Knot
This is the knot I use most in my studio. Can be used to:

Attach yarn to starting peg on warping board when measuring your warp
Attach pantyhose loops to warp chains
Attach apron rods to front and back of loom
Attach closed loop of cord to a stick like an apron rod
Attach warp bout to back beam apron rod for front to back warping
Temporarily attach one cord to another cord
Make an adjustable closed loop from one cord

Larks Head with continuous loop

Larks’s Head How-To Method 1 (use when using an unanchored cord or loop):
Fold cord in half, put loop end around whatever you are anchoring to (stick, other cord, or warp chain) and pull both ends of cord through its own loop. If using a closed loop, put one end of the loop around whatever you are anchoring to and pull the other end of the loop through that end of the loop and snug up.

Larks’s Head How-To Method 2 (when using an anchored cord or loop):
Place your right thumb and forefinger into the loop pointing away from you and spread the end of the loop out to form a triangle. Now bring your thumb and forefingers together around the sides of the triangle until your fingers touch. Use the fingers on your left hand to slide the “sides” of the triangle off of your right fingers to form the larks’s head loop. Insert stick, another cord, or warp bout into the loop as desired and tighten.

EXAMPLE: Closed cord loop attached to apron rod on one end and warp bout on the other – both with lark’s head knots

Larks’s Head How-To Method 3 (use when making an adjustable closed loop):
Fold cord in half with loop on the right side. Form the lark’s head loop as in Method 2. Insert the loose ends of the cord into the newly formed loop and snug up. Adjust your adjustable loop to the desired size and secure with a basic overhand knot with the loose ends (like the beginning of a bow knot when tying your shoes

EXAMPLE: Adjustable closed loop between two apron rods on front of the loom – formed with lark’s head knot and secured with a simple knot (first half of a square knot)

Basic Overhand Knot
Joining two cords or yarn by wrapping one around the other one time – like the beginning of a bow knot when you tie your shoes.

Overhand Knot
Permanent knot that ties 2 lengths of yarn together

Use to join 2 threads as a repair when a smaller knot is not needed
Use to join 2 threads when changing colors on the warping board at the cross end

When warping front to back, use to tie a bout of threads together before cinching to the back beam with a lark’s head loop (if that is your chosen method of tying on).
Use to secure fringe at the fell of the cloth when finishing a piece
Use to secure the end of a bout of twisted fringe

Overhand Knot How-To:
To join two pieces of yarn, lay the 2 pieces of yarn side by side, wrap the ends together around 2 or 3 fingers and pull both ends all the way through the loop on your fingers. Pull tight.
To secure the end of a bout of twisted fringe, wrap the end of the twisted fringe around 2 or 3 fingers and pull the cut end through the loop on your fingers. Pull tight.

Overhand Loop Knot
Knot that can be used at the end of a length of cord or yarn to create a permanent loop

Use an overhand loop knot at the ends of your guide thread on your warping board

Overhand Loop Knot How-To:
Depending on the size of the loop you need, fold end of yarn over, wrap the loop formed around 2 or 3 fingers and pull the end of the loop all the way through the loop on your fingers. Pull tight.

Slip Knot
Temporary knot to create a loop in the end of a length of yarn, for example to attach a length of yarn to a post

Useful for starting a new color on a warping board

Slip knot 2 strands together when changing colors on the warping board
Use to prevent bouts of yarn from pulling out of heddles or reed after sleying. Good practice to tie slip knots after sleying every inch or so.
Any time you need a temporary knot that can easily be untied

Slip Knot How-To:
Similar to the Overhand knot except you do not pull the end all the way through: With one piece of yarn proceed as if you were going to tie a basic overhand knot in the end of a single piece of yarn. Wrap the short end around 2 or 3 fingers and pull the short end through the loop on your fingers, but DO NOT PULL THE END ALL THE WAY THROUGH. Only pull the loop through, and snug up the loop (it helps to hold both the short and long ends while you snug). Now if you pull on the short end you can quickly release the knot.

Half Surgeon’s Knot (a.k.a.Double Overhand Knot)
More secure, non-slip start to a bow or half bow.

Great to use on the warping board for your cinch ties.
More secure start to tying your warp bouts to the apron rod on the loom. For added security, finish with a half bow on top of each half surgeon’s knot after you have tied all of your bouts across the warp.
Good way to start tying your shoes

EXAMPLE: Tying onto the front apron rod

Half Surgeon’s Knot How-To:
You know what you normally do to start tying your shoes – before the bow. This is the same; only you go around twice instead of once.

Half Bow
Used with a half surgeon’s knot (double overhand knot) to secure the knot or use instead of a normal “bunny ears” bow. Easier release than a bow.

Use instead of a bow anywhere you normally use a bunny ears bow.
Great to secure the surgeon's knot when tying onto the front apron rod.

Securing the surgeon's knot on the front apron rod

Half Bow Knot How-To:
Start like you would to tie you shoes (a basic overhand knot) or with a half surgeon’s knot (a double overhand knot). Hold the cord that is in your left hand taut and push it toward the right with your left index finger. With the cord in your right hand, make one “bunny ear” bow around the cord in your left hand, pull it through, and snug it up.

Weaver’s Knot
A tie to join two pieces of thread or yarn. Very secure and makes a small knot.

Traditional weaver’s choice of knot used to repair a broken thread on the loom.
Used for tying on a new warp end to an old warp end
Forgive me if my instructions are not clear (I rarely use this knot). Refer to online YouTube videos or the Knots-3D app for clarity

Weaver’s Knot How To Method 1:
Make a loop in the end of cord 1 and hold in your left hand. Poke the end of cord 2 up through the loop (back to front) and pass it around the loop (over the top, behind and out from the bottom). Now poke the end of cord 2 behind itself but in front of the loop formed by cord 1. Tighten.

Weaver’s Knot How To Method 2:
Make a slip knot in the end of cord 1 (red) and hold in your left hand. Poke the end of cord 2 (blue) up through the slip knot. Pull both ends of the slip knot tight. You should feel a “snap” as the knot tightens around cord 2.

Square Knot
A tie to join two pieces of thread or yarn. A more secure version of a Granny knot. It is this weaver’s opinion that this knot is easier to tie than the weaver’s knot

Can be used to repair a broken thread on the loom.

Can be used for tying a new warp end to an old warp end although some believe the weaver’s knot to be more secure

Square Knot How-To:
Tie 2 cords together as follows. Take the left cord in front of and around the right one. It is now on the right. Take the “new” right cord (in other word, continue tying with the same cord) in front of and around the cord on the left. Snug up the knot. Your Mantra:” Left over right, right over left.”

Counting Thread or Infinity Tie
A single cord that twines in and out of a warp chain to divide into sections. You can use any scrap yarn for this. Shoelaces work well and last forever. Secure with a simple bow or half bow.

Use to section off bouts of warp into 1” sections for warping or ½” sections for laying into the raddle.

Half Hitch
A twist placed in the yarn to create a basic overhand knot when the free end is not available.

Use it to wrap around the bobbin holding a weight for a repair warp thread or floating selvedge – allows easy advancing of thread when needed, while preventing slipping while the weight dangles off the back of the loom.

Repair “Knot”
Nothing more than a figure eight around a T-pin of the loose end of the repair thread. Pin the t-pin into the woven cloth, wind the repair end around the T-pin “figure-8-wise” 2 or 3 times, and insert the end of the pin into the cloth to secure.

A new way to tie your shoes
Bet you thought you knew how to do this! This is a free tip passed on to you by a mom with a medical background who got tired of re-tying her kids’ shoes:

Tie the first pass with a Half Surgeon’s Knot, then tie with a double bow (bow on top of another bow). Your shoes will RARELY come untied! Why should this be for kids only?? I hate bending over!

Treadling for Dummies Part 2 / No Peeking Allowed

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 00:58:29 GMT

No Peeking Allowed - Treadling Tips

Forgive me if I am repeating things I talked about in other posts, but some things bear repeating.

Everyone handles their treadling differently, and that is just the way of weaving: everyone has their own way.
Personally I hate peeking at my feet while I weave. I feel it disrupts my rhythm and flow.
I do several thing to make sure I do not have to peek.

Walking the treadles:
I almost always walk my treadles. Inside to outside. I find it easy to walk left right left right as I treadle. My shuttle is (almost) always moving toward the foot that is depressed. This is ergonomically preferably to using one foot over and over. And it is surprisingly easy to manage walking the treadles with most treadling patterns. My treadles on a 10 treadle loom would be set up for walking as follows:

Notes:

The suggestions outlined below will work as well even if you are opposed to walking your treadles.
Not all patterns lend themselves to walking but I have found that those drafts are few and far between.
I use computer software that would allow me to rearrange the treadles in the draft. I COULD rearrange the treadles in the draft to match the way I have tied up the treadles. But in actuality I DO NOT because I find it much more confusing to follow a pattern with that type of treadling diagram.

Treadling on the LEFT shows a point twill, treadles numbered left to right: 12345678.
I find this easier to follow even though my treadles are actually arranged like the treadling shown on the right.

Personal preference.

Treadling on the RIGHT shows the same point twill with shafts shuffled to the position used for walking. Treadles in the tie-up are numbered left to right: 75312468 as if for walking.
I would have a much harder time following this layout so I do not use the shaft shuffler for this purpose.

Root your feet:
I NEVER move my foot off of a treadle until I need to use that foot again. That helps keep me and my feet oriented` as to what treadle comes next.

Left foot presses treadle 1 and stays there
Right foot presses treadle 2 and stays there
Left foot then presses treadle 3 (moving my foot from treadle 1) and stays there
Right foot presses treadle 4 (moving my foot from treadle 2) and stays there...

You get the idea. Not all treadles are a straight draw, but very few treadlings skip around in random order. Generally you will only have to move your foot to the neighboring treadle or perhaps skip a treadle and move over 2 treadles. This is easy to do without peeking.

Tip!
Lunatic Fringe Jazz Bands (designed for Schacht Baby Wolf and Wolf Pup looms), work really well to add a little tension to the treadles. This helps prevent you from accidentally lifting or slightly lifting a shaft you are not using - even if you leave your foot on that treadle.

Hair bands & treadle divider:
I have hair bands on each of my treadles. In fact I put 3 hair bands on each treadle because I simply can feel them better with my feet. The purpose of the hair bands is to help my feet identify which treadle is which. Depending on my pattern, I slide the hair bands down where I can feel them or up out of the way.
Typically, I am walking my treadles from the center to the outside, so I might move hair bands down on the middle 2 treadles (treadles 1 & 2), I leave the next 2 treadles (3 & 4) in sequence “naked”, move bands down on the next 2 treadles and so forth.

No need to remove the hair bands between projects. Just move them up or down on the treadle as needed.

If desired you can put a divider between the center treadles to remind your feet not to cross the midline.

Tip!
Heavy rubber bands can be used instead of hair bands, but BEWARE: they dry rot fairly quickly and will have to be replaced.

The hair bands and divider for a typical draft would look like this: hair bands on the odd treadles, divider in the center.

Treadles tied up for walking a twill, treadle divider in the center.

Hair bands

Divider made from a picture frame

Weaving tabby and pattern:
When I am weaving a pattern that requires tabby picks to alternate with pattern picks, I will put my 2 tabby treadles (a & b) on the left and the pattern treadles (1 - 8) on the right. I will move a hair band down so my foot will feel it on ONE of the tabby treadles and on every other pattern treadle.

I definitely use a treadle divider in this situation because my left foot has a tendency to need a reminder to only travel between the far 2 left treadles

The hair bands and treadle divider for a draft that requires tabby would look like this

Tip!
If you are weaving a draft that requires tabby and pattern to alternate one for one, there is an added bonus. For tabby a (left treadle), throw the tabby shuttle to the left, for tabby b (right treadle), throw the tabby shuttle to the right. This will help you keep track of which tabby is next if your feet get confused.

Note: Many people place their tabby treadles in the middle or on the outside, but this requires moving your foot off of a tabby treadle to find the next pattern treadle. I personally cannot keep track of which pattern treadle comes next if I do that. If I use my left foot for the tabby treadles and my right for the pattern treadles, I can follow my rule of never moving my foot until it is needed again. I will treadle tabby A and leave my left foot there, treadle Pattern 1 and leave my right foot there. This way when I go back to weave the next tabby, I know I have to use the other tabby treadle (in this case Tabby B). When I go back to treadle pattern, the fact that my foot is already on Pattern 1 reminds me of where I was and makes it easier to find the next required pattern treadle.

Exception: On my Spring loom there are 14 treadles and they are quite far apart. Placing the tabby on one side is pretty uncomfortable, so on that loom, I will put them in the center. When I am weaving left sided pattern treadles, I weave tabby with my right foot and pattern with my left. When I am weaving right sided pattern treadles, I weave tabby with my left and pattern with my right.

Cheat Sheets:
Any complex treadling warrants using a cheat sheet.
I attach the cheat sheet to my castle. If your loom does not have a castle, tape it to one side of the beater.
My cheat sheet consist of a strip of card stock and a large paper clip.
I write the treadling sequence on the strip and use the paper clip to mark my place as needed.
I store the cheat sheet with the notes I keep on each project.

Tip!
When you are first learning to walk the treadles, you can create a second cheat sheet to remind you which treadles are where and which treadles have hair bands on them. Once you get used to this system, you will not need this second cheat sheet.

Examples of my cheat sheets:

Cheat sheet for an irregular point twill. I created duplicate treadles 5 & 6 to deal with the turn in the draft. They are duplicates of 3 & 2. This allows me to walk treadles 123456 ,and that is easier for me to keep track of than treadling 123432

Treadling for a simple advancing twill

Treadling for a plaited twill. The top line of numbers refers to the picks woven with my left foot, the bottom line to picks woven with my right foot. The circles indicate which treadles have hair bands down where my feet can feel them.

Treadling for a block lace weave. In this case I treated treadles 1 & 2 as tabby and tied them up for my left foot. I treadled the pattern blocks with my right foot. So the treadles were arranged like this: 2 1 3 4. Block A is treadled 13132. Block B is treadled 14142. "2A" means repeat block A twice, "8B" means repeat block B 8 times. "8pw" refers to 8 plain weave picks. "END" refers to the final sequence at the end of the scarf.

No peeking:
With my hair bands are in place and the treadling recorded on my cheat sheet, I can walk my feet happily along my treadles, and I never have to peek at those treadles again.

Try it! You will like it!

Added bonus:
I do not ever have to label my treadles with that dreaded tape!

Using Up Leftovers for my Fade

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 03:07:38 GMT

Finding My Fade

1 ½ years ago I made an impulse purchase of a shawl kit. The kit contained 6 luscious colors of merino and a pattern for knitting a lace shawl. Only one problem: I am not much of a knitter, and I had never woven lace before.

The shawl pattern was for “Find Your Fade” – a very popular shawl pattern developed by Andrea Mowry. I arranged the colors from gold to rust to cranberry to a variegated blend to medium gray to light gray and back to gold.

Find My Fade

Within a week, I cast on a few stitches and began the ultimate knitting challenge. Many a bad word escaped my lips before I had knitted up a square inch of the shawl, much to the amusement of my friend Suanne – who is both a weaver and a knitter.

I struggled mightily with this pattern, which, I believe by knitters’ standards, is probably not very difficult – just stunningly beautiful. I learned that I am not very good at counting stitches, not very patient, and that my hands do not tolerate knitting for more than an hour at a time. And trust me I am a SLOW knitter.

The GOOD news was that I quickly learned how to TINK. Little did I know that there was actually a word that means unknitting. I got pretty darned good at it. And if I do say so myself, unknitting lace is not easy. So allow me to pat myself on the back.

Over the next 14 months, I knit, I tinked, I counted stitches over and over again, and chose to ignore a couple of mistakes that I knit right on past. My husband threatened to wear ear plugs while I was working on the shawl. I would put the shawl away for a month at a time, and then I would work hard at it for another couple of weeks. It was slow going, but I did finally finish it. I even like it a lot. Ironically, I can’t wear wool, so what do I do with it now?

Find My Fade

Weaving My Fade

I had finished my knitted shawl, but I had over half of the merino left over. For a change, I decided I would try to use up the leftovers rather than hoarding it in my ever-growing stash. I would weave a shawl inspired by the Find My Fade shawl. Now weaving is something I am more comfortable with.

This would be EASY.

I decided to use the six colors grading from gold to light gray.
I would weave an 8-harness point twill because I wanted something simple to emphasize the color gradation.
I worked up a plan for using each of the colors in sequence in an attempt to use up as much of each color as possible.
I would wind a 3 ½ yard warp, 365 ends, sett at 16 epi
I decided (with a little help from my friend Sue) that rust would be the best color to use as weft. I happened to have some 8/2 tencel in my ever-growing stash that would be perfect.

OOPS, that didn’t quite work out.

My calculations for how much of each color I needed didn’t exactly pan out as planned. As I measured my warp, I came up shorter than expected in the rust and cranberry sections and had to adjust in the variegated and gray sections. Fortunately, I was still able to eke out the 22 ½” width I wanted. But I had very little left over of 4 of the colors and none of the rust. Despite the trials of winding the warp, this was pretty easy.

The leftovers

Weave My Fade

The inspiration shawl and the woven shawl are different yet related. Both use the same colorway, both are soft and warm, and both made me happy, although for different reasons. But just between you and me, I would choose weaving over knitting any day.

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