I am so excited...I emptied a loom. Not just any loom but one that has been hanging over my head like the "sword of Damocles". I started some linen towels as gifts, and was very pleased with the window pane check of gold on the natural towels. I planned lace centers on the check and also in the windows. It started out so well.
I chose some singles #10 linen and there were a few problems at the first, I had fuzzy bits that developed at the lease sticks.
The warp was about seven yards long and on the second towel, I started breaking the edge threads. Not the very edge but the second or third thread in. I spent a lot of time adding temporary warps, then when they broke, and I added the original edge thread back. I tested several methods to keep the edges better, and wetting the warp and weft seemed to be the best.
As you can see the wet edge and wet weft made a much better edge and the warps were breaking less.
Other things got in the way and I stopped weaving on this loom. I think I was tired of the mess and repairing the warps. The loom reached a sad state of affairs and became a place to put stuff.
The warp had been wound on the beam with cardboard so long that the warp had "crimped".
This week I "cracked the whip" and got myself weaving. The first day I managed to finish one towel, it was number seven. The second day, the second towel turned out to be just a square mat...but it will look good on my table.
I ended up with some tension problems, which was probably part of the reason that I quit weaving and had a hard time getting back to it. Because the lace was only on a portion of the warp width, those areas loosened up slightly and I'm afraid that my last couple of pieces will have some uneven sections once they are washed and hemmed. I only did plain weave on the last two pieces just so that I could get them done.
Anyway the towels fresh off the loom look good. I need to repair, hem and wash them now.
I actually emptied two looms this week. I finished the warp on the PCH loom...and I have another seven towels to repair, hem and wash.
I really am happy with this week's work. I probably should be ashamed, I looked up in the notes and the linen warp went on in December of 2013! But I will not let that dampen the thrill of having it off the loom...!
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| Nice lace and color pattern planned. |
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| I really started watching the cross. |
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| Dry edge, fine thread for hem, and wet edge |
Other things got in the way and I stopped weaving on this loom. I think I was tired of the mess and repairing the warps. The loom reached a sad state of affairs and became a place to put stuff.
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| At least I did not put anything too heavy on the warp. |
The warp had been wound on the beam with cardboard so long that the warp had "crimped".
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| Crimped warp at the back of the loom |
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| I you can see I only had inches to spare. |
I actually emptied two looms this week. I finished the warp on the PCH loom...and I have another seven towels to repair, hem and wash.
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| The picture is much bluer that they really look |
I really am happy with this week's work. I probably should be ashamed, I looked up in the notes and the linen warp went on in December of 2013! But I will not let that dampen the thrill of having it off the loom...!