Weave Dreamer – I

I’ve been thinking about getting around to this post for awhile. With my 4^th project since we’ve moved to the farm almost done, it’s time to tell the world (or at least the 100 or so people who stumble across this blog). I’m a weaver.

In October, 2011 – when we were researching sheep and accommodations at the Whitefish Bay Farm/B&B – we met the proprietors Dick and Gretchen Regnery. In addition to having 130 colored Corriedales and 4 bedrooms to let, Gretchen is a hand spinner and Dick is a weaver. His loom sat in the common room with a beautiful project on it, and our beds were covered with handwoven accent blankets.

Sometime later that fall, I figured if Peg was going to be the spinner in our new venture, then I guess that means I should be the weaver. I did some (little) online research, and came across The Woolery. Table looms didn’t look serious enough for my aspirations. Floor looms are expensive, but I decided on a Glimakra Julia Counterbalance loom. It looked, to me, like a good beginner’s model. I ordered one, wrapped the box in holiday paper, and gave it to Peg for Christmas.

We both knew I was giving myself the loom. It took some effort (and a call or two to the Woolery for clarifications) to put it together, but sometime between Christmas and New Years I was trying my hand at two-shaft weaving. Kate got some cheap wool for me at JoAnn Fabrics, and I did a sampler, trying my hand at plain weave, basket weave, rib weave, and different twills.

Next I tried a scarf.  Pretty simple stuff, but I really had trouble with the edges – not consistent at all.

I pretty quickly added two more shafts, and ventured out to the Wilmette library in search of books that could give me some pattern ideas. I found a great one – The Handweaver’s Pattern Directory: “Over 600 weaves for four-shaft looms.” I loved it so much, I ordered my own copy from Amazon.

One of the first four-shaft projects, if I remember correctly, was point threading over 12, which means the pattern repeats every 12 warp threads. “Warp” in a scarf means the longer threads running the length of the scarf. I alternated between black and purple every block of 12 threads. I used red yarn for the weft, which are the shorter threads that are put on a bobbin/shuttle and moved back and forth across the warp as the shafts are depressed and raised. This one came out pretty nicely, and I sent it to Lori as a surprise. She loved it!

Around this time, Peg asked if I might be able to make a cowl – essentially a scarf with the ends sewn together. I decided to try overshot in a small honeysuckle pattern for this one. I had purchased TONS of orlon thread in several different colors (and did a HORRIBLE job attempting to make placemats with it) and decided to use orlon for the warp and wool for the weft. Using a weft-facing pattern, you really can’t see the orlon warp threads. My first attempt looked GREAT, but I miscalculated how much warp I would need, and it ended up more like a placemat.

Here’s a closeup of that pattern:

I learned my lesson, put MUCH more orlon on the loom, made the cowl only about 8 inches wide (instead of the 12 inches or so for the placemat), and went at it again.  SUCCESS!

And here’s a closeup of that pattern:

Starting to get more confident, after I finished the cowl on the loom, I moved right on to another scarf using the same black orlon warp (without taking the cowl off the loom), but changing to natural brown Corriedale yarn that Peg bought from Whitefish Bay Farm and more of the black orlon for the weft. This turned into my scarf, which I wear out most days when I’m graining/haying/watering the flock morning and evening.

Kate needed a scarf from her dad, too. It also featured the Corriedale yarn. Here it is work-in-progress on the loom:

I finished those last three projects in the spring of 2012. With the big move coming up, the loom sat alone for a month or two before the big move East.

Todd