Aurora Borealis - A Guild Project

I belong to a guild called Weaving Indiana.  The guild is creating an exhibit for entry into the 2011 Midwest Weavers Conference Guild Exhibit competition. The theme for this exhibit is Aurora Borealis -- “Northern lights, ever changing, always in motion, a whisper of color and never the same.”

The guidelines are:

Exhibit scarf/shawl guidelines:
• all yarn used to be 8/2 Tencel
• any width scarf or shawl can be woven
• woven length must be 72” or longer
• fringe or hem as desired
• warp OR weft must be black tencel (purchased, not hand-dyed)
• additional color(s) should be any brilliant hue that can be seen in the northern lights, and can be hand-dyed if desired
• any weave structure can be used (consider using one that shows movement, like an advancing or undulating twill)
• colors inspired by a photo of the aurora borealis
• the weaver will provide the drawdown, fiber information and photo to be included in the display book

With these rules I decided I wanted to find a pattern that would not be too advanced or complex since I am a new weaver, but not a simple plain pattern either.  I wanted something that shows some movement. 
I sort of went at it backwards, I found what pattern I wanted to do first, then looked for a picture that reminded me of that pattern in the Aurora.  Here is the final picture that I found.

 So I had to get the fiber.  The warp is going to be a hand painted warp (no I didnt make this one, but its on my list of things to do in the future) and then weft will be the black tencel.  The colors do not really show well in my photo, so I will link the photo from Tabby Tree Weaver below my picture, where I purchased the warp.  Its a blue/purple/green. 

I then went through quite a few books, of which a few that I have contain hundreds of patterns and narrowed it down to a few, then finally chose one.  In the Handweaver's Pattern Directory I chose a 3/1 twill pattern that I liked.  It shows many variations and I chose the darker looking one on this page.

There were several others I considered, including some from another book that I have, but this one spoke to me and I decided to go with it.

So first step is to slay the reed with the painted warp.   Deciding sett is still very hard for me.  I want to try to make this about 8 or 10 inches wide.  (such interesting items on my kitchen table, hmm)

Day 1

I decided to use all the threads in the bundle, 246 total which will make the scarf just over 10 inches wide if I am calculating correctly.  I threaded my 12 dent reed with 2 threads per dent.  My plan is to use a double thread float on the edges.  The warp is 3 1/2 yards long.  This ends day 1.

Day 2

Today was a long day.  It was threading the heddles day.  It took me several hours, and I had 2 threads break so got to experience that too today.  This time I asked Michael to take some photos for me with my camera so I could be in them :)

I have taken the back beam off and am doing a front to back threading.

 Every single thread has to go through its own heddle.  Just getting started here.

 Got to the very end and realized I miscounted heddles on the third shaft, I was ONE short!  I had to take some off the first shaft and move them to the third one, and mid warp that is not easy or fun.

Finally got all the heddles threaded and am winding on.  This is the view from the top.
You can really see the colors here.  Painted warps are so very cool.  I must take the warp painting class so I can make one.

 Here is a view from the front, about half way done winding on.

And its finally all on the loom, weaving starts tomorrow.

Day 3
I got to work a total of 30 minutes on this tonight because of work.  Here is all I got done.

I thought about it a little while and going with the theme of the Aurora, thought to randomize my pattern a little.  Not sure how I will write that on the draft.

Day 4
Had more time this evening to work on it.  Started measuring how long the finished fabric is.  I finished tonight at 23 inches on loom.  I think it was like about 4-6 inches when I started.  Whew minimum is 72 inches and I have to make it longer to allow for shrinkage when I wash it.

Day 5

Did a lot today.  I added a light and tv tray to my set up.

 Here is a shot of the underside of the weaving.

 I got to about 54 inches today finished.

 Close up of the weaving

 Back of the loom, just because it showed some real neat colors.

Day 6
Unmotivated today, only sat and did weaving for about half an hour.
Day 7
Did about an hour on it today, do not see it being done before Saturday.  70 inches
Day 8
Did about an hour also today, another 15 inches

Day 9
Finished!  Total size 9.25 x 91.75 inches