What, might you ask, is that strange looking thing in my picture? It's a sample that I made to play with double weave and waffle weave in preparation for a bigger project to make a bolster cover.
If you're thinking that it is an item looks like it has been beaten with an ugly stick, well, I'd agree with you. It's a solid white warp with whatever random colors of the right "gauge" were available in the workshop where I weave. But the point of this project wasn't to be pretty -- it was to try some things out and see how they worked and to find out how much shrinkage I would get after I washed the cover so that I could make sure that I had the right dimensions for the bolster.
If you learn more when you make mistakes, then you could say that I learned a lot on this project -- definitely making it a good use of my time.
First of all, I didn't quite thread my heddles correctly -- but I did thread them in the same pattern throughout, so at least I was consistent. And depending on the colors for the warp and weft that I end up going with, it might have been a fortuitous mistake.
Next, it took me a few tries to get my treadling worked out correctly. First I did one half of the treadling but forgot to do the other half. Then I had to rechart when I remembered that if I wanted the waffle pattern facing out, I had to make sure that it was facing up on the top cloth and down on the bottom cloth. And I reversed it yet again, not to correct a mistake, but to see how it would look if the right side of the cloth was on the inside instead of the outside.
After that, there was the moment of realization when I realized that while I had threaded my loom at 28 ep, for double weave, I really need it to be 56 epi -- or 28 epi for each fabric. But that was partially corrected by using 5/2 cotton in my weft instead of the 10/2 cotton that I started with in the warp.
By the time I got to the red, blue and green stripes of waffle weave I had pretty much made my way through all my learning experiences and was on my way to playing with color and working on finding the right beat.
And, of course, it was at this point that I realized that I wasn't sure I wanted to do my original colors scheme for the pattern any more and that I wanted to set up another small sampler (no double weave this time, just a couple of inches of a different options in my warp). So I'm going to set up a second sample for my next project using the actual colors I purchased to use in the bolster before I get started on the main project. I have discovered that I really do like working with the 8 harness table loom that I am on -- a Woolhouse 8 Shaft Carolyn table loom.
Even though this is still just a sample, I found myself much more motivated to work on this project than on my original sampler. I guess I'm not only a product knitter, but a product weaver as well -- I like having an end goal in mind. It helps me focus my thoughts better and helps direct my experimentation. I can hardly wait to sit down and warp the loom again to play with my color sample. One of the things I like best of all about weaving is that the color play is so different than it is with knitting, spinning or quilting. And I love learning a whole new way to think about color!
If you're thinking that it is an item looks like it has been beaten with an ugly stick, well, I'd agree with you. It's a solid white warp with whatever random colors of the right "gauge" were available in the workshop where I weave. But the point of this project wasn't to be pretty -- it was to try some things out and see how they worked and to find out how much shrinkage I would get after I washed the cover so that I could make sure that I had the right dimensions for the bolster.
If you learn more when you make mistakes, then you could say that I learned a lot on this project -- definitely making it a good use of my time.
First of all, I didn't quite thread my heddles correctly -- but I did thread them in the same pattern throughout, so at least I was consistent. And depending on the colors for the warp and weft that I end up going with, it might have been a fortuitous mistake.
Next, it took me a few tries to get my treadling worked out correctly. First I did one half of the treadling but forgot to do the other half. Then I had to rechart when I remembered that if I wanted the waffle pattern facing out, I had to make sure that it was facing up on the top cloth and down on the bottom cloth. And I reversed it yet again, not to correct a mistake, but to see how it would look if the right side of the cloth was on the inside instead of the outside.
After that, there was the moment of realization when I realized that while I had threaded my loom at 28 ep, for double weave, I really need it to be 56 epi -- or 28 epi for each fabric. But that was partially corrected by using 5/2 cotton in my weft instead of the 10/2 cotton that I started with in the warp.
By the time I got to the red, blue and green stripes of waffle weave I had pretty much made my way through all my learning experiences and was on my way to playing with color and working on finding the right beat.
And, of course, it was at this point that I realized that I wasn't sure I wanted to do my original colors scheme for the pattern any more and that I wanted to set up another small sampler (no double weave this time, just a couple of inches of a different options in my warp). So I'm going to set up a second sample for my next project using the actual colors I purchased to use in the bolster before I get started on the main project. I have discovered that I really do like working with the 8 harness table loom that I am on -- a Woolhouse 8 Shaft Carolyn table loom.Even though this is still just a sample, I found myself much more motivated to work on this project than on my original sampler. I guess I'm not only a product knitter, but a product weaver as well -- I like having an end goal in mind. It helps me focus my thoughts better and helps direct my experimentation. I can hardly wait to sit down and warp the loom again to play with my color sample. One of the things I like best of all about weaving is that the color play is so different than it is with knitting, spinning or quilting. And I love learning a whole new way to think about color!
I have loved my 4-harness experience enough that I keep looking for one that I can afford (not that I have space). I love how trying something new makes me more interested in all of my crafts again!
The waffle sampler looks interesting. Is there something that you are going to do with the sample? One of the hardest thing for me (both with sampling and swatching) is to get my mind around not having a product to make with these little bits and scraps.
Nice sampler. It's good that you learned so much from it. I usually have to make myself do samplers or gauge swatches. I agree with Seanna Lea, I end up not knowing what to do with them.
Well, I have no idea what I will do with all my samples, but I think for this one, since it is closed at the bottom, after I finish washing it, I'm going to neaten up the top edge (probably just fold it over and sew it down with my machine) and weave a little strap for it (or make a couple of big Kumihimo braids)and make it into a little purse for my favorite handbag loving small person.
As to the bits and scraps, my weaving teacher had one great idea -- cutting out your favorite pieces, fixing the edges and putting them in small frames to display.
Ugly? I think not! Your first picture reminds me strongly of blackwork (done in color, of course). I really like it.
Thanks -- actually, I am interested in doing a black and white project someday. I like the contrast between the two colors and think its probably a very interesting way to look at many weave structures.