Confessions of a Novice Weaver--Part Five

I find the weaving part of weaving to be pretty easy once you get going. It’s the terminology that I can’t seem to get my head around. Dirty sheds, sleying reeds, warped looms? Sounds like a B rated horror movie. Of course it’s all slowly starting to make sense as any set of terminology does when you’re learning something new, but goodness.

So it was with much interest that I approached summer and winter. Not content to live life as seasonal extremes, they found a way to be relevant all year long.

Confession # 8

I ended up frustrated because first I overthought my pattern, and then I chose material that was very fine and, therefore, time consuming to weave. Not good choices for a week where I was already feeling time challenged.

This was the project that changed my approach to weaving class homework. I decided that the goal of my weaving class should be to learn the basic techniques. Certainly it’s always good to challenge oneself, but it’s also important to feel balanced. I find so much joy in the weaving process – the creation of fabric from its basic elements. I don’t ever want to lose that feeling of excitement. Next time, in addition to calculating warp and weft requirements, I’m also going to take a stab at estimating time required. I’ll keep track of actual weaving times, and hopefully over time I’ll get a much better sense of how long a project will take.

I wove a separate, plain weave flap for this clutch, folded my sample end to end, stitched along the bottom and up one side, and then attached the flap along the top edge. Finishing touches were simply a button and a quickly knit I-cord to loop it closed. Winter on the outside, summer on the inside.

--Melissa Ludden

Confessions of a Novice Weaver--part four

This is the fourth installment by new weaver Melissa Ludden of our sales and marketing department at Schacht Spindle Company, Inc.

With several weeks of weaving under our belts, Judy took this week to review our progress to date and to teach us how to read drafts. She also gave us the week off from our weaving assignments, so I took the opportunity to reflect a bit and also to work on developing some project ideas.

As a new weaver there are many questions that arise with each new technique learned, project completed, idea discovered. Does being a good weaver mean I have to follow the rules? Does following or even using a pattern really matter? Is there a right or wrong way to weave? It seems to me that each technique I learn gives me a better understanding of my loom’s capabilities, and that the creative possibilities can be as varied as one weaver from the other.

I find myself drawn to the idea of creating cloth which can then be sewn and transformed into objects for daily use or wear – a bag to fit my bicycle basket, a fun skirt to welcome spring, an apron with pockets and loops in all of the right places. As a spinner, I am also intrigued by the idea of integrating hand-dyed and handspun yarns into my weaving projects.

For some time now, I have been collecting images that inspire me – color combinations, textures, scenes in nature and daily life– and I look to these for ideas when planning a new project. And while I may still be a very new weaver, I am looking forward to expanding my creative process beyond the pattern books.

--Melissa Ludden

Confessions of Novice Weaver - Week Three

This is the fourth installment of Melissa Ludden's experiences learning to weave.

As much as I wanted to weave more plaid, it was time to focus on twill. Judy, my instructor, had given us the lecture on floating selvedges and how they prevent floating warp threads when weaving twill, but I was making a scarf for my father, and I wanted the pattern to extend to the edge of the scarf. I decided that if I did four picks each of alternating colors, I could simply carry the colors up the side, which would catch any bits that wanted to stray and eliminate the need for the floating selvedge.

Confession #6

Wrapping every other pick to carry each color I was using up the side of my scarf was a real drag. Certainly it was less of a drag than cutting the yarn after each section of color, but I didn’t enjoy the process. With each week of class that passes, I am feeling more and more certain about the type of weaver I may be. I say may because I am in the very early stages of learning to weave, but I’m also old enough to know a few things about myself. But more on that at a later date.

The nice thing about weaving this scarf was using baby alpaca, though I ended up with tumbleweeds of alpaca fluff all over my craft room. It’s so soft and will be warm enough to handle the coldest winter.

Confession #7

I was off on my warp and weft calculations and ended up not only making a second trip to Shuttles to buy more material, but also integrating some baby alpaca I had in my yarn stash that was almost the same color as one of my original colors because the project was starting to get a bit expensive. I’m starting to feel like a bad example, but at least I learned a lesson or two. Weaving a sample is sounding more and more like a good idea, especially when using a new, not to mention pricey, material. I ended up beating harder than planned and liked the look, thus the need for additional material.

I’m starting to get antsy for class to be over so that I have time to explore weaving on my own terms, exploring new patterns and techniques and using traditional materials in non-traditional ways.

Confessions of a Novice Weaver--Week Two

This is the next installment of Melissa Ludden's experiences learning to weave.

After finishing my first sample, I had the basic concept of weaving under my belt. I decided that a scarf would be a good first project, so I consulted Deborah Chandler’s book “Learning to Weave” for pattern reading instruction. Then I found a nifty pattern in my brand new copy of “The Handweaver’s Pattern Directory” and set to measuring my warp.

Confession #4

I cut my warp in half. I know that usually the method used in measuring a warp is to cut it in two places, once at the end and the other at the cross end. Since I was using warping pegs set at one and a half yards apart I decided to use them as set to measure a three yard warp with the thought that I could cut just once to achieve my three yards.

Confession #5

I’m not much for following the rules. I haven’t figured out if this method of measuring a warp is unorthodox or not, but it seemed like a good idea as my warp was only one color, it wasn’t very long, nor did it consist of many warp threads (my teacher would probably disapprove of this method).

What went through my brain next remains a mystery. I finished measuring my warp threads, and out came the scissors. But rather than making a single cut at the start of the warp chain as planned, they found their way elsewhere. As soon as my scissors began to slice through the threads at the half-way point, I had that horrible, sinking feeling that my brain couldn’t tell my body to stop in time to prevent the ruin of my warp. I now could weave a lovely length of undulating twill that might serve as a short runner (unless I can find someone with a very small neck). Mental note: check twice before cutting.

This week our class topic turned to basic patterns. Judy showed us several examples of the use of stripes, checks and plaid, and we were sent home with instructions to come back with a sample that demonstrated one of these techniques. I decided that there was no sense in not challenging myself a bit, so I gathered up some 3/2 perle cotton in various colors, and set to work on weaving a bit of plaid.

I really enjoyed this project. It wove up quickly, and I am quite happy with the end result. The layout of my final piece is asymmetrical, which I find appealing, and the plaid is quite large. I am now mad about plaid, and once my class is over and I actually have time to weave whatever I like, I’ve got some grand project ideas: bags, scarves, skirts, pillows…

Confessions of a Novice Weaver--Week One

This is the second installment written by Melissa Ludden of her experiences of learning to weave. --J.

The long and painful countdown was finally over, and I was ready to get weaving. I showed up at Shuttles barely able to contain my excitement. My classmates, who span several generations, seemed to share my enthusiasm, and Judy wasted no time starting the program.

The next four hours would be spent taking us from ground zero to actually weaving. This was a lot of information to take in over the course of four hours. I would highly recommend heading to your local weaving shop to check out their selection of books and looms just to familiarize yourself with the basic concepts of weaving and the anatomy of the loom before you start taking a class. Working here at Schacht definitely gave me an information advantage, and I was still zapped by the end of the evening.

Confession # 3

I kinda like warping the loom. This probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows me well. The general impression I had of warping going into this class was that it was a big drag. One would spend a great deal of time trudging through the preparation, and then the actual weaving would be like zipping down the highway with the top down on a sunny day.

What I found is that I actually enjoy the preparation. It is a finite period of time during which you get closer and closer to the excitement of creating something real. And when the loom is warped, it’s a thing of beauty – the moment of anticipation before the party starts. A clean shed is a bit of a thrill.

Two basic things to keep in mind when you’re warping the loom: use enough light and take your time. You’re dealing with lots of fiber and some very tiny spaces. Set time aside to really focus on the task at hand. Put on some music and create your own little world. Rushing the process = icky shed. And icky shed = unthreading and rethreading and perhaps the utterance of a few not-so-savory words.

Next week…mad about plaid.