2024/08/31

Rethreading the Tied-Unit Weave Warp

It's been a low-keyed winter, but I have finally made some progress getting back to the Tied-Unit warp, so I'd better write a few things before I forget.
Over a year ago, I sampled a tied-unit weave warp on my 16-shaft computer dobby. It was meant to approximate the super random tied-weave I've woven on my small table loom, but wider, and theoretically faster. I wasn't happy with the pattern threading. It was done random-ish, but looking at the piece I realize there was definitely a regularity. (This may also have been due to the sample lift plans, which I make orderly at first so I can see the distribution of ends/shafts, and thinking back, I could have made the threading look interesting by making more interesting lift plans, but at the time, I didn't think of it. At any rate, I found making the lift plans nearly impossible as I was typing something I do organically/randomly.)

Instead of using the maximum number of shafts, as I am wont to, I decided to simplify the threading, (and therefore the thinking/lifting;) I have been rethreading with Shafts 1 through 3 for tie down, and 4 though 9 for pattern; that's six shafts, the same as on the table loom. Pattern threading is random, and this time really random. 

Once I got used to rethreading, it became faster, but I also have some problems. Three times so far, I skipped the tie-down shafts and threaded t-P-P. This is not a problem if I had intended to do this, but I hadn't, and I was so annoyed I've been correcting them.
On the table loom, I thread from the front. On the big loom, I sit between the back beam and the shafts, threading from the back. This makes the tie-down shafts fartherest away. When I thread the next tied-unit warp, I might either leave one shaft between tie-down and pattern blank, or thread the tie-down on the back shafts, mirroring threading the table loom. The big loom has a big shed, so this won't be a problem weaving, until the last 30-40cm of the warp.
I weave Summer & Winter on the table loom, so Shafts 1 and 2 are saved for tie down, 3 through 8 for pattern. I thought emulating how I weave here in the lift plans would make life easier; 3-5-7-8-6-4 or 4&6-3&5-4&8-3&7-6&8-5&7, and so on. Long time ago I found this lever arrangement flummoxing and the loom was useless because I couldn't follow written drafts, but once I switched to random Summer & Winter, divorcing the shaft numbers from the shafts felt freeing.

I did a lot of thinking when I made this and another tied-unit weave warp to go on the computer dobby, but I don't like these colors at the moment. I keep fantasizing hot pink, gold, or blues in pattern wefts. I'm keen to start sampling, and unless I make more mistakes, I hope to finish in two more sittings on warm days.

It's been a warm winter, but I've felt the cold more acutely these last couple of years. I can't work in the basement for too long as my lefts get zingy, and if I turn the heater on, only my head/face get hot. I've taken a break from the clasped weft since early July, but with spring starting tomorrow, the basement should start to get warmer longer, and I can get back to that as well. Fingers crossed. 

2024/08/05

An Anniversary of Sorts

Hi, Friends. 

Life has been uneventful the last couple of months; lots of housework, (but taking more time to finish each;) occasional weaving, (I haven't made noticeable progress in the clasped weft piece;) rethreading the tied-unit weave, (yes, I started;) lots of screening and wasting time; but also a lot of time spent weeding, (we've had reasonable moisture so it's been easier than the last couple of years, but as always, there is so much more.) Perhaps life and other stuff another time.

Today was something of a milestone, so I thought I'd share this.
50 years ago, I left my convent school in July and today arrived at the US to start a new life as a student in a public high school in Minneapolis. I started out at West, but transferred to Washburn before the end of the month.

I may return to reflect on it. Or not. But I just thought I'd say... Hi?!