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Testing Time

6/7/2016

 
Picture
I slipped off to the canyon
and with me I brought:
books,
​food,
yarn
a spindle, 
​a very old dog,
and a pocket knife.
Picture
Watson-Guptill Publications, New York 1975
In the decrepit orchard I found some straitish apple  branches.

In a drawer I found some chute cord.

On the way to the outhouse I found a rattlesnake basking in the yarrow.
This last is neither unusual nor an essential part of this story,
but it did serve as a reminder to watch my step--
and to start weaving inside where I could keep my eyes on the task at hand,
rather than outside among the sun soaked grasses.
Picture
Warp:4 ply Debouillet hand spun knitting yarn (very bouncy) sett at approx 8 epi
I'd not woven on a backstrap loom before,
but since tapestry is what I know best, 
​II started with that.
Picture
Weft: 4 ply Debouillet hand spun knitting yarn (still very bouncy) and 3 ply spindle spun grey Cormo knitting yarn dyed purple with indigo and cochineal. Also bouncy.
The new position
(horizontal instead of vertical warp
and sitting on the floor leaning against the backstrap),
was astonishingly comfortable--
so pleasant that when the first  warp was done,
​ I put on another.
Picture
warp: 3 ply Brown Sheep Naturespun Fingering dyed with indigo and walnut. sett: approx 9 epi
Finer yarn and a closer sett led to a tidy surface.
My ever-so-slightly increased proficiency led to straighter selvedges.
Picture
weft: assorted hand spun and commercial knitting yarns, 2 and 3 ply, somewhere between fingering and sport weight. In general not as bouncy as the first sample.
Soon, however, I wanted to see what else this amazing little loom could do.
Picture
I turned it around,
shoved the warp closer together,
and tried a balanced plain weave.
Picture
Adding string heddles was helpful
Turns out I'm better at keeping my beat even
and my selvedges straight
with a weft faced structure. 
Picture
warp and weft-Brown Sheep Naturespun Fingering dyed with walnut and indigo. Approx 20 epi.
No surprise there -- I haven't woven a balanced plain weave in over 20 years.
Picture
A little more practice time is definitely in order. 
Picture
warp and weft: singles merino, hand spun and bequeathed to me by my dear friend Nancie who left this world in March 2015.
A few days ago, Summer Larson just wrote a thought provoking blog post about time.
"How," she asks, "will you spend yours?"
Picture
Making cloth, methinks.
​
Making cloth. 
patti kirch
6/7/2016 02:36:36 pm

The backstop loom looks inviting, especially when in the woods! Testing time with indigo, wool and Katazome and BagonaBox, just around the corner, can't wait can't wait, and with you Sarah Swett! Your yarns and designs and your artistic wisdom!!! Yeah for the Palouse Fiberfestival, the Moscow Art Walk and the Prichard Art Gallery!!! Oooh not this weekend, maybe time enough to test a backstrap loom by next. Your instructions are always so clear and tempting!

Leonie Andrews link
6/8/2016 06:31:41 pm

Yep the snake can have the yarrow to itself. Looks like your time was most productive. I stitched some words over the holidays earlier in the year, so I enjoy seeing yours. We often forget the simple approach still works quite well, thanks for the reminder.

Julia link
6/14/2016 02:40:23 pm

How fun to see you weaving on a backstrap loom! And doing tapestry on it. I've been weaving on a homemade backstrap loom for about 4 years now, but almost all of my weaving is warp-faced. It is lovely to see your weft-faced creations.

Sarah
6/16/2016 12:52:32 pm

Backstrap looms are amazing, aren't they Julia? Most of my early research points toward warp faced bands or cloth -- and golly, what a lot there is. How wide are your warps?
This weft faced/ balanced weave thing seems to work wonderfully though, at least so far in my limited explorations, and I can't wait to play some more -- slowly get wider and see how much control I can have. I'll report back when I've learned a little more. So satisfying to be part of the loom.

Julia link
6/16/2016 03:03:42 pm

Oh, yes! It is amazing to see the vast variety and complexity of weaving possible on the simple backstrap loom. My warp widths vary from very narrow (1/4 inch) to the widest I've woven is about 11". Mostly I've woven with cotton, but just recently I've started experimenting with wool. Not handspun, however. That is a ways down the road for me. I would love to weave balanced weave, but I've had trouble keeping my width consistent and my warps evenly spaced.

Sarah
6/21/2016 11:03:56 am

I agree, Julia -- it is hard to keep the warp spacing consistent and the selvedges even (for me the former is more difficult than the latter, at least so far with linen). I imagine both of these would disappear, or at least be less of an issue, if I used a rigid heddle, and I may eventually try one just to see. But for now, I'll keep messing around wtih a simple string heddle pull shed and see if things improve. I feel that wool will be easier than linen for me, but we shall see. At any rate, I hope/ plan to try to find out.

Margaret Stone
6/14/2016 02:44:13 pm

Somehow I missed this post! LOVE the loom and the weaving. Something I have longed to do for years. I am now inspired to try it. PS love that quilt.....

Sarah
6/16/2016 12:55:45 pm

Hi Margaret -- I love that quilt too. My sister passed it onto me as it needs some mending (as do all the quilts I inherit). Now that I'm sitting on it more with this backstrap loom I have had to cover it with something sturdier lest I destroy it before I get around to mending the fragile bits. Of course, if I keep being obsessed with linen, when will i actually get started on the mending?

Ruth Manning link
6/15/2016 11:00:57 am

When I lived in Rochester NY Marilyn was a member of our weavers' guild....she would have loved to read this blog and hear of your explorations. A wonderful woman.

rose-maria helle
6/20/2016 12:11:01 am

Can I ask you which wool you use for warp and weft

Sarah
6/21/2016 10:58:29 am

Hello Rose-Maria! I wish i could answer your question specifically, but alas, these days I am using such a variety of yarn for both warp and weft that I can't point to a single fleece or breed or even type of yarn as being best.
In general I would say that long staple fleeces, highly twisted and plied and without a lot of bounce work best for tapestry warp. For weft, almost anything will do depending on the surface you want, though lower twist singles or plied yarns with lots of lustre and little stretch are probably the easiest to weave with.
But the yarn in "testing time" above goes counter to both these suggestions- it is four ply knitting yarn with a LOT of twist energy and spring and I like it a great deal. Experiment and see. I used to be dogmatic about these things and now I can't make up my mind so am having a grand time playing around.

Rose-Maria Helle
6/21/2016 01:27:15 pm

Thanks you very much. I think it is so difficult to Find the right yarn for tapestry weaving.
And thanks for your inspiring blog.

Patti Kirch
6/20/2016 08:51:49 pm

Testing and whittling, whittling and testing, what a fantastic adventure! Keep onward in/on/around/through/swirl YOUR creative direction(s)! I love how you DRAw us all in!!!! Patti


Comments are closed.
    Picture

    ​Sarah C Swett 
    tells stories
    with
    ​ and about

     hand spun yarn. 


    Picture
    Click for info on
    my four selvedge
    warping class
    with
    ​ Rebecca Mezoff  
    fringeless


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