2 steps forward, one step back

[stellar_muddle]

So, finally finished enough weaving to be able to make the planned shoulder bag. 38 inches plus a bit. At the stage of debating whether to keep going and use up the length of warp threads available or just stop now.

Stand back and look for a while. Poke with using the same thread for the weft as the warp (previously used a much lighter weight wool. Discover very little difference. Hmmmm. Think about it and come to the conclusion that I have been tensioning way too tight on the weft threads and produced a bit too much of a warp faced fabric. Which is at least consistently that way and will go with the previous too-short-to-be leg bindings woven done the same way.

But one of the reasons to get into this weaving business was to try and do some of the cool woven in patterns such as herring-bone twills and diamond twills etc and if I am weaving things too tight, then I am not going to be able to get those right.

Bugger.

So, in the mean time I will take off the current fabric, wash and make a bag with it. Then I will sit down with the rigid heddle I have and try and train myself to do an even-weave tabby. Then get back to the warp weighted loom and try playing again. If that goes ok then the next stage will be attempting multiple heddles on that loom.

We shall see what happens then. But now it is really too late on a weeknight.

Comments

[astemudfoot.livejournal.com]

I found that I needed to weave with a very light hand when doing twills. I left far more space in between the weft thread than I though neccisary and worked concienciously to not allow the warp to draw in by laying my weft on the diagonal and beating it into place.

The length I took off the warp looked horribly loose, like netting and just strings laid over each other, but after fulling I had a lovely, drapey even peice of weaving that I adore. Much better than my first over-beaten, stiff, thick pieces I was weaving before. :)

I would encourage you to keep weaving on the leftover warp and play with different tentionings in the weft. After fulling you will have a greater idea of the kind of tention required to achieve the look of the weaving you like.

I really enjoy reading your weaving posts! Keep up the good work, it's very inspiring!

[stellar-muddle.livejournal.com]

Have taken the main fabric off, but have tied things off such that I can continue with a smaller selection of the warp threads but on a bar that it is easier to play with the spacing on. That should allow me to play with the tensioning of the weft threads much more easily.