Next Rigid Heddle Project

Started 3/30/11.  This is an alternating two strand warp with alternating two strand weft that makes this neat tabby pattern.  This is made of Harrisville Highland Wool,
Fiber Content: 100% Virgin Wool
Gauge: 5 to 5.5 on size 5 to 8
Yards per Pound: 900, 450 yards per cone
Weight: DK
16 epi
Sett: 8 to 12
 In the Blackberry and Straw colors.   

Here is the middle of the tie on, I have to try to remember to take pictures sooner.

 And here weaving begins
eh all the close up shots I took were a little blurry

Overshot Weaving Class day 1 of 2

Saturday I took part 1 of a 2 part class on Overshot Weaving.  What is that you say? http://www.weavenotes.net/overshot.htm gives a good explanation.  The design I chose is called Periwinkle from page 131 of The Handweavers Pattern book by Marguerite Porter

I forgot to take a photo of the warping board counting out the 338 threads this pattern takes.  Here is me starting to thread the heddles

 This is the back of the loom showing all the threads have been wound on the back beam.  This time I am doing "back to front" threading.  I think for my next project I will try the other way around and see which I like better.

 Making progress, see the little bundles of threads to the right.  This loom has 8 shafts but we are only using 4 for this pattern.

 And this is how far I got in one day.  I know, it doesnt seem like a lot but this was about 7 hours work total including winding the warp threads.

The class picks up next Saturday, when I will get this threading finished in short order hopefully then I have to sley the reed, and then I will be ready to weave.  Setting up the loom takes about as long as it does to weave the project it seems!

Ordered a Baby Wolf!

Oh yea, can't wait, should be here in a few weeks!  I am getting the 4 now 4 later setup.  I will add my own photos when it gets here.


http://www.schachtspindle.com/our_products/baby_wolf.php

 

3/31/11

It has officially shipped!  I originally thought it would be here tomorrow but I am not so sure now.  BUT I have a tracking number and will keep an eye on the progress

Pay it Forward 2011

It all started with this facebook post I saw on a friend's wall 


Pay it forward 2011: I promise to send something handmade to 5 people that I randomly choose who leave a comment about this post. Those 5 people must in turn post this and send something to the first 5 people who comment (or are randomly chosen) on their status. The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 5 people in 2011....



The trick is that you have to post it on yours as well.  So the following folks followed all the rules and made my top 5 and here is what and when I have sent them or given them their hand made items

Noreen, Hand woven mat.  Sent March 2011

 Tina, hand woven Linen Inkle Trim sent March 2011

Marcus
 still thinking
Perkeo
 still thinking
Charla
 in discussions; also thinking of linen trim, though I don't have the colors I need.  I will be picking them up at Blackstone Raids

Getting Started

So I thought to start a blog, not sure if I will like this provider or not.  My goal with the blog is to post with progress on my journey in weaving.

 A little history.  I started weaving about 2-3 years ago.  It all began with my first Inkle Loom.  My main focus with weaving on the inkle loom was to make trim for the medieval reenacting that I participate in.  ( SCA.org) Then last year I took a beginning weaving class at a local weaving shop (tabbytreeweaver.com) and  fell in love!

Since then I have gotten a Kromski Harp Rigid Heddle Loom (http://www.newvoyager.com/)  What is so cool about this loom, is that it has a warping board on the back side of it.  It comes with pegs and all.









Here is where I was starting to wind on the warp.  This is some cotton yarn, rather thick to start with. 

 Ah got it all wound on and the heddle sleyed (no my dog Lily was not able to help with that)

 Here is the start of the weaving.  I was so happy with how nice the weaving was going.  I did have a little trouble with keeping some of the warp strings taught, so that is something I need to work on.  I think it must have to do with how I did my warp winding, I tried to do it all by myself.  And the finished project:

 

This turned out nice and I sent it to a friend as part of my Pay it Forward project I am doing.  Will have to start another thread on that.
And had such good luck with that one decided to try wool.  Here is me warping it at the table.

Ok so I need to now take a picture of the fiasco this turned out to be.  This wool was not the right type to to weav with.  I wove about 3 inches of weft before the first warp thread broke then it was all down hill from there.  I think I have about 7 or 8 inches of weft done and have over a dozen warp threads repaired.  I have decided not to keep it and will be removing it from the loom unfinished.  I will tho take a picture before I do that hopefully.