As you so rightly point out, Lynn, it’s May. The good news is that this means we’re smack in the middle of Q2 and I’m not yet totally hosed when it comes to getting things done. And, with the added revelation that my two article pieces aren’t due until July 1st, I’m breathing a big sigh of relief.
I’m going to go ahead and put the project notes for Ply here, with a mind toward keeping a virtual record and having a link to which to point people if they end up asking about it once the magazine comes out. And, here’s a picture of the finished piece:
Ha! Fooled you, didn’t I? I’m such a stinker that way. On the other hand, I can show you a picture of this:
an empty loom. I cut the finished piece off yesterday morning before heading in and the only thing left to do before finishing it is twisting the fringe. Initial plan was to borrow the fringe twister from the shop yesterday but I forgot it – so that’s on the list for tonight. I did, however, wash the sample and I couldn’t be happier. It feels magnificent and I think it’s just lovely. So, for posterity, here are the details:
Yarn: 2-ply point-of-twist-spun English BFL combed top
Colors: Warp left natural, weft dyed light turquoise to match the “mood board”
Grist: approx. 5,000 ypp (roughly 18/2)
Sett: 30 epi, three ends per dent in a 10 dent reed
Beat: 30 ppi (as much as possible!)
Warp Length: 3 yards
Warp Width: 200 ends, 6 2/3″ in the reed
Woven Width: 6.25″ on the loom, 6″ off the loom (unfinished)
Woven Length: 72″ on the loom 69.5″ off the loom (unfinished)
Sample post-finishing: 5 3/4 – 5 7/8″ width. I think 5 3/4″ is where the FO will end up.
Pattern is a 4-harness “Fancy Twill” that is a mixture of Network and Advancing Point twills. Treadling is all Advancing Point twill. I’ll be supplying a .WIF along with the article text. The design was a compromise – but I still wanted to give 4-harness weavers a nudge. Jeane called the design “sophisticated”; I’m mentally transferring that to “complicated”, but I don’t think that’s true. We’ll see how it goes.
Separately, Jagger called me back this morning (still processing a lovely female voice attached to the name “Chuck”) and they’re popping yarn in the mail today for the vest. I’m going to say a bit more about it here because it’s not finalized (colors are, but still) and the planning stage is important! We’ve settled on an 8-harness plaited twill from A Weaver’s Book of 8-Shaft Patterns. There are a few that are related to crepe weave and that should yield a good fabric for sewing. I’ll do a short sample warp to make sure I’m happy with sett and then off to weave. A test-drive in Fiberworks gives this:
I’ll most likely turn the draft once I settle on a fabric because I want something that’ll be quick to weave off and not prone to mistakes. A complicated threading is fine; but straight treadling makes for quick work! The warp will be two colors, wound together and threaded semi-random.
If I get the fabric done quickly, I’ll head down to Palm Springs for a weekend with Jeane and we’ll sew together. She gave me high marks on the first vest, and a few tips for improving the finishing, but they require pattern modification and I’m a bit loathe to do that on a piece that has a deadline. I’m totally happy to just make what I’ve already made, with a minor improvement in execution, but it’d be nice to update the pattern in general.
So, that’s where things sit. This week will be weaving off that loooooooooooooong towel warp so that I can reclaim the Gilmore and, hopefully, put on a cotton warp for an origami shirt. I need to make that so that I can test-drive for my Summer Project.
All this weaving has made me deliriously happy. I can see real improvements over where I was even six months ago – and that is chalked up to actually making stuff. Don’t tell Sara, but I think she’s right. Even if it’s not perfect, it needs to get finished. Because that’s when we really start to learn.
And it doesn’t take all that many finished warps to get that improvement, either. In the past six months, I bet you’ve woven off fewer than a dozen warps, yes? And yet, wow – look at how far you’ve gone! Good on ya!
I do not really understand beginning weavers who are so afraid. Afraid of what, exactly? Afraid of the frustration of things not working? Well, I certainly get my share of that frustration, and it’s really painful, but still – I want to weave and so I keep pushing through. Are they afraid of wasting good yarn? This isn’t a cheap hobby overall, so I don’t understand why some people will eagerly spend thousands on a loom and yet get hung up on the possibility they might screw up $50 of yarn while they’re learning. Plus, the world keeps making good yarn, as you may have noticed. Are they afraid of producing something that’s imperfect? Well, I don’t know about you, but nothing I’ve woven has been perfect. Some of it has been better than other stuff, some of it has been better than I expected, but none of it has been perfect. Not even close.So, what is the fear about? About appearing not to know everything? I don’t understand.
In other news, help me resist a 120 cm used Glimakra countermarch – 8 harness, I think – for $800 two hours away. Or not. I could sell the Norwood, the Norwood I’ve never used, for twice that.
First, let me say: ahem. And Yay! For good cloth :).
Next let me say to Lynn: Norwood? Never used? Why not try it out and see if you like it, and if not move it on. Glimakra? Can you buy it and store it until you know whether you want it or the Norwood? Always a market of course, for either. If you want, that is, to go through all the trouble.