Loom Maintenance Day

05 Thursday Feb 2015

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Top and bottom lamms on the countermarche

I just took warps off of both of my looms. Usually I try to alternate so that I always have a project in progress. There’s an old saying about not leaving a naked loom. However, I’ve been noticing squeaks and creaks in my looms that I hadn’t heard before. So this break is a great time for a “loom maintenance day.”

Looms are pretty amazing machines. There are many moving parts other than the shafts themselves. There are also the treadles, the lamms and jacks which make the shafts move. The cloth beam and the warp beam also move, just not as much. And like all machines with moving parts, you have to lubricate them from time to time. Most looms are also constructed of wood and wood needs “feeding”, especially in the winter when the air tends to be drier.

The jacks on the Baby Wolf

A couple years ago, Tom Knisely, the general manager and weaving instructor at the Mannings in Pennsylvania, came out with a video on this very topic: “Loom Owners Companion.” He covers several different types and makes of looms, discusses how they work and how to keep them working well. It’s a great resource for anyone looking into getting a loom, but also good for those of us who need to keep our looms working well.

Lubricating the shaft channels

First step is to vacuum thoroughly in and around the working parts of the loom. I’m not talking just about the floor – that does get cleaned regularly—but inside the moving parts, between the shafts, by the lamms, over the jacks. It’s amazing how much lint accumulates inside a loom! Once the loose lint is removed, I can get to the joints and lubricate them. Following Tom’s suggestion, I use a silicon spray on the metal parts, especially where the shafts move up and down regularly on the small loom. Then I tighten all the nuts and bolts. Finally, I clean the wood and give it a good rub-down.

Feeding the wood

Now that I’ve cleaned and polished both of my “babies”, I’m ready for the next warps. With a little TLC once in a while, I hope my looms weave smoothly for many years to come.

Old Books, New Friends

21 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by jeanweaves in Craft History, Weaving Inspiration

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Craft History, Swedish History, Weaving, Weaving Books

Old books, new friends

I love old books! It’s a trait I get from my mother, who loves nothing better than browsing through the thrift store book bins, looking for treasures. Whenever she finds anything remotely related to weaving, she picks it up for me. Sometimes these finds introduce me to different techniques, like the Ann Sutton/Pat Holtom classic Tablet Weaving. Sometimes it’s just a really old book that looks interesting, like the 1917 edition of Textiles: A Handbook for the Student and the Consumer by Wollman and McGowan complete with somebody’s handwritten class notes. She got that one for $1.00.

1917 Textiles book with notes

I can get lost in these books, skimming the yellowed pages and trying to figure out the convoluted sentence structure and arcane references to equipment long out of use. But the study is worth it. There are skills these weavers used that we’ve forgotten and I want to glean everything I can from these early teachers.

This past Christmas, I acquired two “new” old books. Our guild’s holiday party includes a gift exchange and I was gifted with Fabric Painting and Dyeing for the Theatre by Deborah M. Dryden (thank you, Patti!), a 1981 study of fabric manipulation for theatre productions. Fascinating what can be done!

Then on Christmas morning, my husband gave me the 1956 edition of Manual of Swedish Hand Weaving by Ulla Cyrus. This is a classic!

Swedish weaving classics

When I bought my Swedish loom in 1993, there were two books experienced weavers recommended: Damask and Opphämta by Lillemor Johansson and Manual of Swedish Hand Weaving by Ulla Cyrus-Zetterström. Johansson’s book quickly joined my library; the step-by-step instructions for damask weaving guided me through many a warp. However, the Manual of Swedish Hand Weaving was out of print. So I waited. Good books are often reprinted at some point. Now my wait is over. I have a new friend!

Since Christmas, I have been poring over the pages of this early edition, deciphering the details of weave structures and studying techniques I’ve practiced without understanding. (I admit to being able to follow a “recipe” without understanding the basis for it.) I hope to glean new understanding as I study this classic further.

New Year, Revisiting Old Techniques

16 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by jeanweaves in Doubleweave, Planning, Weaving Inspiration

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creative inspiration, Double Weave, Handwoven Magazine, Table Runners, Weaver's, Weaving

January holds all sorts of possibilities. Old deadlines are past and there’s time now to consider more carefully what goes on the loom rather than assuming it will be another towel run. This is a great time to revisit those weave structures that I don’t get to work on usually.

Last January I sampled some Finn weave and figured double weave. That was a small project just to see if I could do it. But all through the year, a thought was niggling at the back of my mind: what if I set up the draw loom for double weave? I’ve done it before, although it’s been many years ago. Can I do it again?

Double weave articles abound in Weaver’s and Handwoven.

The first step for now was to review what resources I have on double weave. I have many back issues of Weaver’s and Handwoven. “Colonial Double Weave” by Madelyn Van der Hoogt in Weaver’s Issue 12 has great cross-section drawings of what the threads are actually doing and how to weave an overshot pattern as double weave. Then Weaver’s Issue 17 has several articles on double weave color and design. Weaver’s Issue 32 has articles by Bonnie Inouye and Doramay Keasbey on manipulating double weave drafts. And the November/December 2011 Handwoven has an article by Judith Yamamoto and Patricia Stewart on two different takes of one draft.

A page from a 2002 double weave workshop

I’ve also attended numerous workshops over the years, one of which was entirely on double weave. Ingrid Boesel visited our guild in 2002 to teach about color in double weave. My binder included photos of our round-robin projects along with the drafts. It’s fascinating to see how different colors affect the look of a fabric.

Looking through these articles and studies was just the jump start I needed. A warp of dark blue and medium blues went on my small loom to refresh my memory. I sampled a selection of weft colors, settled on one, and took off.

Double weave sample (lower right) and resulting runner

Overall I’m pleased with the result and am already winding a follow-up warp with improvements. My “light” side doesn’t have to be stripes to match block arrangements; I’m blending the light colors to see how that looks. I’m also going to sett the warp closer (48 epi for 10/2 mercerized cotton vs. 40 epi as in the first warp). And I do have to be careful about weft skips on the underside, but because this is plain weave, the repairs are not difficult. And then there’s the question of whether or not to join at the edges. I chose to join on this runner, but it puckers a little because of that, meaning one layer pulled in more. I’ll have to leave the edges open next time. An ounce of prevention…

Once I get warmed up, my plan is to expand to the draw loom. With my 20 pattern shafts, I think I can weave five pattern blocks of double weave compared to just two blocks on my 8-shaft loom. An exploration of block arrangement and manipulation is in the wings!

The Finish Line

16 Tuesday Dec 2014

Posted by jeanweaves in creating, Weaving Inspiration

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creative inspiration, Finish Line, Holidays, Production, Weaving

I’ve noticed a trend in how winter unfolds in my studio. Through the course of the summer and fall, one warp after another dresses each loom and the hemming basket always has something in it. There’s always another project in the planning stages. November stands out on the calendar as a finish line of sorts; items have to be finished by then to be ready for holiday sales.

Kitchen Towel in Cotton and Linen

In the past, when I had an outside job, any items I wanted to put in our guild’s holiday sale had to be made over summer when I had shortened hours. If they weren’t finished by September, they weren’t going to be in the show. Now that I’m just in the studio, I can weave into October for that event, but I also have other venues to cover. Stocking up is the order of the season. I have to have enough inventory finished to get through the holidays.

However, by the third week of November, the pace changes. The finish line approaches. The towels are hemmed. The scarves are fringed. The runners and napkins are pressed. And I have to admit that the unfinished items – and there are always some of those! – will have to wait patiently for another week. It’s at this point that my mind shifts to home and hearth.

Working at home gives the impression to most people that the line is blurred between home life and studio life, and to a certain degree that’s true. But in order to keep growing as a weaver, I have to discipline my time. My studio is “the office.” I go to the studio in the morning and work until lunch. I return in the afternoons and continue with whatever I was working on in the morning. With the occasional “let the dog in, let the dog out, let the dog in…”

By December, while I do spend time in the studio, I’m also making cookies, creating gifts, and planning menus. As I write, soup is simmering on the stove and bread is rising. In another week, grandkids will be running down the halls and pulling out the old toys.

I’m already pondering what will go on the looms in the coming year, what weave structure I want to learn more about, what market trends are emerging. Winter is a good time for reviewing the past year and looking forward to the next. More on that next time. For now, the holidays are just around the corner and there are things to be finished.

May your holidays be filled with grace, peace, and good times!

Finding Joy in Making

26 Wednesday Nov 2014

Posted by jeanweaves in creating, Weaving Inspiration

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Creativity, Gifts, handwork, Holidays, Making

Works in Progress

As I head into the holiday season, I once again have a list of projects not yet finished –some not yet started! There’s the hat and mitten set for a grandson, a dress-up skirt for a granddaughter, and the “purple sweater vest with a unicorn” for her sister. I’ve thought of other things I could have made if I had started earlier, and things I wish I could figure out how to make.

This is all part of my genetics. I remember my mother’s handmade gifts and how she set her mind to something and pushed forward until it was done. She’s still at it. Just the other day she was telling me about her latest idea and how she probably wasn’t going to finish it before Christmas. That’s my Mom. I’m determined, though, that I’m not going to stress about my unfinished projects. Those that need to get done, will. Those that don’t, won’t. I want to enjoy the process.

Then I read the latest post on Love Those Hands at Home. Kerry writes about making something because it pleases us, and how that wisdom has guided her endeavors. Her point is that we can make something or embellish something simply because it pleases us. Her words hit a chord with me, especially at this time of year.

I learned from both my parents, hard-working farm people, that handmade gifts are worth the extra effort. As far back as I can remember, there was always some project to finish by Christmas. There were embroidered shirts, handmade baskets, wooden play sets. And then there were the cookies–Mom spent hours in the kitchen making a variety of holiday treats because she loves to bake and she loves to share what she bakes. But that’s the key–enjoying what you are making.

So even though I still have to finish some gifts, I’m looking forward to working on them. And that makes the projects worthwhile.

What projects are you working on? What do you enjoy making?

An Uplifting Weekend

10 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by jeanweaves in Weaving Inspiration

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Columbia Weavers & Spinners Guild, creative inspiration, Fiber Arts, Handweaving, Towels

Our local guild’s Holiday Exhibition and Sale has come and gone. What an inspiring weekend! I am always awed by the variety and quality of artwork that all the members share.

Ornaments, Cards, and Felted Playset at the 2014 HES

We had a lot more wall art this year, felted pieces as well as hand-made paper. One of our members needle-felted playsets for small hands — adorable landscapes for ducks, hedgehogs, and turtles. Another member repurposed linen clothing into scarves dyed with rust (yes!) and embellished with stitching; so creative!

And of course, we had a colorful collections of towels that seemed to fly out the door. I selected an exquisite Scandinavian-style linen towel to come home with me. Yes, we some of our own best customers!

Towel Display at the 2014 HES

I am also humbled, knowing that a guild like this is something to be treasured. Not everyone has this kind of support and inspiration, not to be taken for granted. I wish all weavers were surrounded by an inspiring, encouraging fiber family, if not locally, than at least over the net.

May your fiber connections bring you inspiration as the fall quiets into winter. Stay warm!

This is it!

06 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by jeanweaves in Uncategorized, Weaving Inspiration

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Columbia Weavers & Spinners Guild, creative inspiration, Fiber Arts, Handweaving

After months of threading, weaving, hemming, meeting, and planning, this is it — our local guild’s annual Holiday Exhibition and Sale is here!

We’ve been doing this exhibition for 25 years now. Out of a guild averaging 100 members, 20-25 usually submit items to show and sell. Many other members have demonstrated, greeted, answered questions, and generally hung out at the museum for the weekend. We enjoy each other’s company!

Photo by Rebecca Bergfield

And this is one of the ways we reach out to our community to show them what we do and how we do it. Many people have only a vague idea of what weaving, spinning, felting, or paper-making involve. This is our chance to show them. It’s a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.

There’s everything from handwovens (of course!) to alpaca fiber, ornaments to jewelry, baskets to handmade paper. If you are in the Columbia, Missouri area this weekend, stop by to see what we have. Details are at http://www.cwsg.missouri.org/holidaysale We’d love to meet you!

A small selection of handwoven towels. Photo by Rebecca Bergfield

Handmade Paper Art. Photo by Rebecca Bergfield

Juggling Projects

17 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by jeanweaves in Napkins, Placemats, Planning, Scarves

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Handweaving, Napkins, Placemats, Projects, Scarves, Weaving, Yarn

Designing Spot Bronson

The other day, I asked a friend for some suggestions on how to design something in spot bronson, a weave that combines plain weave with spots of lace. I’m not very experienced with lace weaves and I want to make some placemats without directly using a design from a book or a magazine. I have several shades of red mercerized cotton that will shine in a spot bronson weave, so those are the colors in the draft. (That’s one project.)

Point Twill Napkins on the Loom

These placemats are to go with some point twill napkins I’m currently weaving. The warp has enough for 12 napkins. The first four have a blue border, but I will use red for the next ones so they will go with the placemats. (That’s two projects, although this one precedes the placemats.)

The next day when we got together, I launched in with my adventures weaving a mohair bouclé scarf. I usually weave with smooth, finer yarns and this mohair bouclé was a bit out of my comfort zone. (That’s three projects.) What happened to the spot bronson placemats? They are still in the planning stage. And the napkins are still on the loom, eight more to weave.

Mohair Bouclé Scarf in Autumn Colors

It seems I’m always juggling projects, each one at a different stage. There’s the planning stage, then warping, active weaving, and finally finishing.

The planning stage of a project takes lots of thought. I mull over the colors, the pattern, the yarns sometimes for several days. Then one morning, it will pull together and the project is on its way. Usually while I’m pondering, I will be weaving or finishing something else.

I learned this process from Anita Luvera Mayer, a weaving teacher and artist. She said to always have three things going at once: something being planned, something on the loom, and something in a basket waiting to be hemmed.

There will always be something to do, no matter how much — or how little — time I have. If there’s only half an hour before an appointment, I can still pick up a needle and finish a hem. If I get stiff from weaving for a long period, I can get up and wind the next warp, a process that requires lots of arm movement to loosen me up. And sometimes it’s just nice to have something different to work on. It moves each project along and keeps my perspective fresh.

This process works for me. What’s your process?

Production Weaving

26 Friday Sep 2014

Posted by jeanweaves in Planning, Weaving Inspiration

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Creativity, Production, Textiles, Weaving

There are some weaving terms that may mean different things to different people. I think “production weaving” falls into that category.

My Weaving Goal

Sometimes production weaving means putting on long warps to maximize weaving versus set-up time. The longer the warp, the more you can weave before you have to rethread the loom. Other times, it means weaving A LOT of one type of thing. I have come to understand production weaving as weaving with an eye toward time and cost efficiency.

I have friends who put on long warps for towels and then challenge themselves to weave every towel differently. They change the treadling. They change the weft color. They change something in each towel so that they are all related, but different. That takes some planning, but once you get going, it’s exciting to see the warp growing like a flower bed of multi-colored zinnias. And when that warp comes off the loom, it’s fun to see how all the towels work together.

Related but different towels

My mother once suggested that I weave one item in several different color choices like commercial stores offer. In a way, that’s what those long warps do. They produce several different towels, but all related. However, the difference between the handwoven and the commercial towels is the weaver has the freedom to make small changes in increments, whereas textile factories set up each loom to do one thing and one thing only. Small changes cannot be made without significant effort.

Sometimes I will weave related items as sets. I intentionally combine four different but related napkins in a set. Once I wove a long warp all of different napkins and sold them individually so people could choose what they liked. Some liked this freedom. Others wanted sets of identical items.

I am working on training myself to economize on my time: longer warps, tying on when I can instead of rethreading from scratch for every warp, weaving items in batches. But in the quest to become more efficient in my production, I don’t want to sacrifice the artistry that makes handweaving stand out over commercial fabric.

When you shop, do you like to see a set that has identical members, or do you like variety in your “sets”? Tell me what attracts you.

“The Good One”

11 Thursday Sep 2014

Posted by jeanweaves in Planning, Towels, Yarn Stash

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Color, Cotton, Handweaving, Towels

Cotton Lace Kitchen Towel

One of my sons-in-law made me laugh recently. Here’s the story.

Many years ago, more years than I’d like to admit, I decided to make Roman shades for my daughters’ room. I had some commercial fabric with red and blue flowers on a pale pink background. That was my starting point. I chose yarn to match those colors and chose lace as the weave structure. I wound the warp and started weaving, but the colors just didn’t “sing” the way I had envisioned them. Being a new weaver, I thought they would grow on me. Not so. After 11 yards, the cloth came off the loom and still, no “song.” I was so disenchanted that I folded the fabric and stowed it away. The curtains never came to be.

Fast forward to this past winter when I decided to clear some of my stash. At the time, I was thinking about using yarn that had been on the shelf too long, but my curtain fabric still haunted my linen closet.

Because I had used cotton in a lace weave, this fabric was actually a good candidate for towels. So I put scissors to fabric, cut the yardage into several towels and gave them out to my family. They aren’t pretty–the colors still don’t sing after all these years–but they work as towels.

And this is how my son-in-law made me laugh–my daughter has been using her towel and on laundry day, put it in the wash. Her husband happened to be washing up in the kitchen and looking for something to dry his hands, asked her, “Where’s the good one?”

One weaver’s failed project is another family’s “good one!”

Now I am working on towels in the same weave structure, but with colors that work much better than my original ones. Can you hear the song?

jeanweaves

~ Jean Williams, Handweaver

Author Archives: jeanweaves

Loom Maintenance Day

Old Books, New Friends

New Year, Revisiting Old Techniques

The Finish Line

Finding Joy in Making

An Uplifting Weekend

This is it!

Juggling Projects

Production Weaving

“The Good One”