I thought that this warp would be a good time to try BtoF warping again since I've been away from towels for over two months. I was pleased by how well it went though I did have to refer to the Webs YouTube video throughout. It wasn't until I had woven a bit that I saw this glaring error which had nothing to do with warping and everything to do with operator error.
I couldn't think how on earth I was going to remove and replace that stripe of red with 10 ends and nine yards of the turquoise and then I remembered the Supplemental Warp class that I took from Linda Gettman last year. It made a tricky repair manageable. I was able to do this without referring to my class notes and was back on my way in no time. However it was time for my volunteer shift at the gallery so weaving had to wait until today.
i took this photo from the front of the Bend Art Center in the Box Factory. You can't see the iconic smokestacks of the Old Mill in the distance and my car had a layer of ash.
This is what the sun looked like at 4:00. It's as dark and gloomy as winter and outdoor activities with parks and rec and also the school district have been cancelled. It burns your eyes and throat and you can taste it on your tongue. The hospitality industry which banks on tourism over the Labor Day weekend has taken a big hit. I'm sure the trickle down will be felt by more than just hospitality. I mean who wants to go to the nursery in this or call a landscaper or an irrigation guy or repair the fence or deck that you wanted to take care of before winter. The smoke at this level will be with us into next week along with 100 degree temperatures. I have no idea how firefighters work in these conditions day after day after day, but I'm so glad that they do, and I'm so glad we bought a house with air conditioning. Our Tacoma family visit planned for this weekend is cancelled and if we can get a house sitter, we'll go up and see them instead.
My scarves feel stiff and I remembered Cindie Kitchens telling me that they respond to fabric conditioner, and though I finished weaving these scarves a week or two ago, I couldn't remember to buy the conditioner. I finally got some, washed and pressed these and am really happy with how soft and drapey they feel. I'm now washing previous scarves to see if they respond as well as these did. This was the last warp from my painted warp workshop and I expected to like this one the most and I like it the least, too much contrast in color.
Since I was trapped indoors today I decided to warp Arthur with some of the chenille that I bought from the Yarn Barn mill-end club. I've heard a lot about the yarn and like the way chemille scarves feel so jumped in with two feet. I called them to get their advice on sett because I've heard lots of different opinions on how to work with it. They said to use 15 epi and plain weave.
Because I had warped from the back I felt confident that I could go through the steps without the video this time. I'm so glad I stuck with trying to learn this method. There are more steps but once you get to this stage, the yarn is tensioned while sliding through the lease sticks plus through the raddle with the rubber bands.
The first I encountered the famous "worming" characteristic of chenille was right here and I knew this wasn't going to be as easy as I had though.
This is what "worming" looks like and it's a pill. With every throw of the shuttle I have to verify that the yarn has passed through the shed without folding up on itself and it happens a lot. I had to unweave several times to straighten the yarn and it really slows down the progress.
This is what it looks like and if it's as soft as other scarves I've felt, I think it will be worth it. If not, I have a lot of yarn that I need to figure out how to use. There's always the Guild Weftover sale next July.
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4 comments:
There isn't a lot of news coverage about the wildfires right now...is that a local fire or the one in Canada? That is so sad! Good for you trying BTF. I've only done FTB twice, and I still don't feel comfortable doing it. As you found out once before, that scarf may not be your favorite, but it will speak to someone else!!!!
Are your supplementary warp holders commercially available? Nice striping sequence minus the mistake. Sue in MA
My supplementary warp holders were a gift from a friend. They were made by the weaving studio where she took lessons in SoCal to hold the warp on the front beam for warping FtoB. They proved to be ideal for my repair. If you know a woodworker, they're just a block with two holds bored through for the dowels and notches on each end to hold the tie-on material, which when she gave these to me was an elastic tube that has since given up the ghost. It works just fine tied with the cord. I've taken a couple of pictures and will include them in my next post which will be next month, which is anytime after tomorrow :-)
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