The first weft I tried was the purple from the small stripe. Let me say that I've just learned I'm not a fan of little stripes. The purple didn't work for me so I unwove it.
So then I tried the green, and I tried it in a twill which was way to fiddly for my taste. I unwove it. Tencel isn't all that forgiving and the weaving was hard on it.
Then I decided to weave it in simple plain weave. I figure if Sara Lamb has made a weaving reputation as the Queen of Plain Weave, that's good enough for me. The selvedges are out of control. I had floating selvedges since I started in twill and decided to lose them both.
I fought with the green selvedges and then realized that I need a sample of handwoven fabric for a class I'm taking at the Conference of Northern California Handweavers next month. Guess what I'm taking for a fabric sample. Moving on to the next scarf, I went to the pink and I think the predominant color in the warp makes a much nicer weft.
Again, the selvedges weren't playing nice. The left side is perfect, but the right. Oy! It wasn't until I changed my beat that it began to resolve. I know you're supposed to beat on a closed shed so I was trying to follow the instructions. Finally I decided to beat on an open shed, which is what I do for towels. Problem solved. The last two inches here look pretty good to me. Ignore the color. My camera is a liar and is going to go to camera hell very soon.
I finished my skein of art yarn and I'm more interested than ever in learning how to make my own batts. I realized that the book Rae Stuart loaned me several months ago on spinning art yarns is by Lexi Boeger and last night I discovered that she's an instructor at the weaving conference I'm attending next month. I was able to make a class switch today and will be attending one of her sessions.
This is the commercially prepared batt I spun made by Cottage Creations. I'm sure I can make up something equally messy from all the stuff I've managed to acquire over the years. I'm taking a bag full over to Mim's tomorrow after lunch and get her take on this whole thing. She took a class from Lexi last summer.
I've knitted a hat from the yarn which is tame compared to the stuff in Lexi's book. Still it leaves me wanting to make my own batts and see what I can come up with. There's always something else to learn. I'm trying to get my head around how I would weave with this. Obviously I can weave with it, but I guess what I'm looking for is how to weave to the highest and best use of the yarn.
5 comments:
I think it's interesting how we adjust our weaving to the item that we are weaving. I've also noticed that after wet finishing, my selvedges straighten up a bunch! Your art yarn will make great weft for a scarf!!!
Every project is a learning experience.....and I object to the rule about beating on open or close shed...I think you have to find what feels right and works for you.
with rugs, I beat twice. once open, change feet, once closed. It's fast, TAP Change TAP.
it is so funny that you posted about beating with the shed open or closed. when i first taught myself to weave from books, my natural instinct was to beat on a closed shed. i have done it that way forever.but i was watching a weaving video a few weeks back and noticed they were weaving on an open shed. i immediately wondered what the difference would be and have been thinking about a one shuttle towel warp to practice on. when i read your post i chuckled and thought...either great minds think alike or you and i both fell through the weaving rabbit hole together! keep me posted on your observations while i plug away on my 10 yard overshot warp.
I like the green yarn best in the weaving.
That batt looks like some fun spinning and I love the hat.
Playing with a carder is lots of fun and there are so many different combinations you can do with them to make some fun yarn. I can't wait to see what you do with one.
Selveges are a booger. I realized that I do different things with the shuttle on the left and right. When I consciously do the same thing, the selveges are the same. Turns out I was lifting the shuttle straight up on the left, and up and back on the right (as the shuttle exits). So now I try to go up and back on the left as I beat, and they're better.
Tencel is a booger, too. Very slippery slidey. I've only ever used a rayon slub, which isn't as bad.
Like the colors, though!!
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