Replacing an "Old" Rug

After the marathon with the 24-shaft samples, I decided to do something simpler. One of my early projects, probably 18-20 years ago, was a rag rug. It was 8/4 carpet warp and t-shirt weft.
It was pretty easy to weave and the rug wore like iron. Until the warp threads started to fray near the header.


So, I browsed through the t-shirts I had and my husband's drawers for shirts that had seen better days. I decided on purple and white for the 8/4 cotton carpet warp, since I had those colors and my bathroom is purple. The pattern is a color & weave play on log cabin. Threaded dark-light-dark-light for two inches, then light dark-light-dark for the next two. At the intersections, there are two threads of the same color next to each other. The sett is 12 epi.

The white t-shirts were cut around the body of the shirt, giving a long continuous weft. (This isn't as hard as it seems since you fold the shirt and cut it with a rotary cutter on a pad.) I cut them about 1 inch wide. The shirt strip naturally curls. This makes it easier to keep most of the cut edged from showing. They are alternated in the weft with the purple warp yarn. The color pattern changed when two shots of the purple yarn are through in succession. The weave structure, threaded on 8-shafts, is plain weave.

This is going slowly since I am limiting myself to about an hour a day of weaving. The heavy beat needed to pack in the weft can be damaging (to me). So easy does it.

24-Shaft Twill for Samples

Right after the table runner came off the AVL, the next project went right on. This time I used all of the 24 shafts on the loom. It's pretty far back there - I'm not sure how people with 40 shafts tell what's going on...





This loom has a "backwards" raddle. It sits on the far side of the back beam. I warp back to front, but the warp actually is wound from the really back of the loom - rather than coming from the front, resting on the shaft frames. It is a bit awkward - made even more so by the exercise bike immediately behind the loom...


The warp is threaded to a point and woven as threaded. The uniqueness of this is that I designed it by just selecting shafts to raise in the tie-up box. So starting with a 24x24 grid, I filled in boxes. The maximum float was 5, but with 10/2 pearl cotton, that's not too bad. The warp and weft are 10/2. The warp alternating natural and champagne (yellow); the weft willow green.

I had more color errors than I wanted in the warp, but figured I had plenty of warp to weave the necessary 34 2x2 repeats I needed. And I was under a severe time constraint. I started weaving using the design I put together. This involved lifting 12-14or 15 shafts at a time. After 2 feet, I used the "Change Face" feature in Fiberworks PCW and had only to lift 8 or 9 - 12 shafts. Much easier. After taking way too long to thread, I wove one day for 10 hours. Not straight, but pretty continuously. The dobby, the shafts and I got tired, but I was able to catch most of the mistakes in the weft (or in the raised shafts) early enough to easily fix them.

This is definitely a design that I like. For the next round of the study group, I am thinking about using 20/2 yarn and a network type threading. And starting earlier...

16-Shaft Table Runner

Finally finished weaving most of the 20/2 warp last month. I wove some tabby at both ends and left plenty of warp for fringe but might decide to hem it. The tabby is a little bit wider than the twill protion - of course - didn't think that one through enough...

The length was about 72" before I cut it off, not counting the fringe. I haven't measured it again now that it's been washed.

Weaving off on 16 Shafts

I'm weaving the warp from the 16-shaft napkins I put on the AVL loom probably a year ago.

I wove two napkins for an exchange, but lost interest.

I need to do another project to be finished by mid-February, so I am weaving this as a table runner instead of napkins. A little faster and possibly useful.

This is 20/2 cotton, so progress isn't very fast. I've woven about 3 1/4 yeards so far. I am trying to decide how long to weave it. Unfortunately I put on plenty of warp.

Christmas is Over???

I just finished all of the Christmas tree towels I had warped. Yes, the holiday is over, but I'll have these for next year.

I tried some different color variations. On this particular one, I forgot the star - Oh well.

With this 12/2 warp, I used a trick I got from Susan D using cardboard tubes and Ziplock bags to keep the waro orderly while I wind it on.

Next projects are for the two Complex Weavers study groups I joined...

Christmas Tree Towels

I've moved on from pumpkins to Christmas trees. These are threaded the same way as the pumpkins - 8-shaft rosepath - but the treadling and pattern weft is different. Still using #5 perle embroidery floss for the pattern.

I will be at Winterfaire this weekend - Oct 23rd and 24th from 10-4 both days - at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, Main Building, Gate 1, selling these towel (yes they will be finished by then) and baby blankets.

Halloween Before Christmas

Before I got to Christmas towels, I thoght I would try some pumpkins in rosepath. The top line of pumpkins looked a little too fat, so I decided to go with the smaller version.

The warp and weft of the towels are 12/2 unmercerized cotton.

The decoration in size 5 pearl embroidery floss. This works well and generally doesn't run. This sample has been washed.