Emily Starts Weaving a Scarf

A couple weekends ago, the weekend of the big snowstorm, our granddaughter Emily was over, and asked if she would be able to weave a scarf.

She picked out some pretty chenille yarn, and I helped her design her warp.  She picked white, a varigated purple, and mint green, and got most of it on the warping board before she had to go home.

Emily was back over this weekend, so I showed her how to tie her warp, so it could be removed from the pegs without becoming a tangled mess.

Here she is starting to wind the warp on the back of the loom.  She's  learning lots of new terminology along the way.

Here she is with the warp almost all wound onto the back.  Three pound weights helped keep everything under control.  No glitches so far!

I helped her with the threading, with one of us on each side of the loom.  We did half the warp on Saturday night, and then today, we reversed positions, and finished the threading.  It gave her some experience with choosing the next yarn from the cross on the lease sticks, and then choosing the correct heddle and threading it with the hook.

I showed her how to tie the warp onto the front of the loom, but did it myself, since she hasn't mastered the tight knot-tying skill yet.

Here Emily is starting the weaving.  This is an odd little loom (a Leicester Dryad, 4 shaft countermarche), with no brake release. While she got started with the weaving, I set up the live-weight tensioning on the back (note the bar-bell weight dangling down on the rope).  With the live-weights, this has been an ideal loom for the kids, since they can easily wind their work forward without help.

This is an easy weave, with just plain weave, so she can concentrate on learning the proper way to hold and throw the shuttle, and where to put her hand on the beater.

 I'm having her use paperclip temples to help keep her edges straight.  She was able to get about 5" woven before we had to stop for dinner, and go home.  Hopefully she will have it done soon, or at least by next winter!

Removing Samples or Projects From a Long Warp

When I weave a new project design using yarn I might not be familiar with, or want to check the sett or shrinkage, I wind extra warp and weave a sample.  This is a pictorial guide to removing the sample in a way that minimizes warp waste, and doesn't require the warp to be tied back onto the front rod.  This is not my idea, just my photos. 

Weave 1/2" to 1" past the sample.  It depends on the yarn thickness--thinner yarn needs less.  Coat that area with Tacky Glue or equivalent and allow it to dry for about 30 minutes.  While it dries, go do stretches, check your e-mail, run a load of laundry, eat lunch, call Mom and Dad, or any number of things being neglected. ;^)

Cut the sample off, leaving the glued strip on the loom.  It's a good idea to remove any individual thread weights from the back of the loom before cutting.

Pull the rods forward, over the breast beam.

Carefully cut the sample from the tie-on rod.
I have already cut one towel off before this one, so my tie-on knots aren't in this photo.  If this was the first sample, this is where the knots would be.

Slide the rod closest to the reed out of the remaining strip and tie-on cords.  I use Texsolv cord to attach my two rods.  Some weavers lace on.  This warp is only about 16" wide, so I only used three tie-on cords, one at each edge of the warp, and one in the center.  The end cords should be as close to the warp edges as possible.  The rod will bow if they aren't close, and that will throw off the warp tension.

While holding tension on the warp, insert a wide stick into a tabby shed.  This is an extra step, but will make it easier to insert the rod, especially if you are doing it without help. 

Find the center of the warp.

 Mark the center with a pencil, on the glued strip.  If lacing is used, or more tie-on cords, mark the spacing on the glued strip.

Insert the rod into the first tie-on cord and then into the shed formed by the stick.  A bit of tension on the warp, and an extra hand helps.  Bob helped me out so I could shoot a picture.

Bring the rod through the warp at the center mark (or at your first mark if you are lacing or using more cords).  Attach the second cord, and then feed the rod through the rest of the shed.

 







Attach the final cord close to the end of the warp.  Make sure the rod goes through the proper hole in the cord, unlike me, in two pictures above, where I put it in the second hole, instead of the first.  I caught it before I got too much tension on the warp.

  Remove the wide stick, center the rod, and tighten the warp tension.  If you weight your selvedges separately, do so now.

 Weave three picks without beating.  Don't worry about getting them tight against the selvedge threads.  Close the shed and beat multiple times.  The three picks will come together, evenly spreading the warp, and pulling any uneven tension toward you. 

Repeat again, bringing the weft closer to the selvedges.  If it draws in more than the width in the reed, unweave, and do it again.  In most cases, the loom should be ready to weave your project.  I usually weave a few more rows, so I can add my paper clip temples.

I have a lot of baggy warp threads on this piece, because I had been weaving lace with a pick-up design in the middle, so the warp take-up was different across the piece.

The advantages to this technique are:  very little loom waste, no lumpy knots to cover, and the sample can be wet finished before starting on the project.  It can also be used to remove projects before running out of warp.

I hope the photos are helpful.  

Here is a photo of the project I removed from the loom.  It's in taking a bath right now, so the finished project photo will have to come later.  It is Atwater-Bronson lace done with pick-up on a four shaft loom.  The design will show much better after the bath.

Slowly Getting Back to Weaving Again

I can't believe I haven't written anything since the beginning of January.  I think the bears took a lot out of me, so I haven't been doing any weaving since Christmas.

On January 30th, I had a mild heart attack, but even a mild one has affected me quite a bit.  I was too tired to do much of anything for at least a week, and after I started back to work, I didn't have any energy once I got home.  I think my brain finally kicked in to where I can actually concentrate on something for more than a few minutes.

I finished winding the linen warp that I was working on when I had the attack, and got it onto the loom a couple days ago.  I did a little weaving yesterday, checking for threading errors (I found two) and was thankful that my Leclerc Fanny came with a few snap-in repair heddles.  They are so easy to use.

The linen I am working on is for some cloths to use at church for communion.  I threaded an Atwater-Bronson lace, and then designed a cross to weave in the center, using a pick-up technique.  It took a bit of thinking, but finally figured out the treadling sequence for the pick-up.  I have to push two treadles to get a single shaft to rise on my counterbalance loom.  I could have done a direct tie-up, but I didn't feel like crawling under the loom to change the treadles, so what I figured out works for me.

Anyway, here is a photo of the cross, with as much as I could do tonight.  I have about 12 more pattern rows to finish.  It went faster than I anticipated, so maybe I can finish it tomorrow if I'm not too tired after work.

The x's on the design weave plain weave, and the lace is all around the cross and in the center of it.  It will show up much better after the cloth has been wet finished.  The lace threads will migrate toward each other, and leave larger lacy holes.

Here is a larger photo of my design, and a close-up of the bottom of the cross.  Clicking on the photos will enlarge them.

It feels good to be weaving again!

Ben, the Red Bear

Today, my daughter Becky sent me five pictures of a story our grandson Bobby wrote.  It's about his bear that he got for Christmas.

 

 

Bobby had to write the story for school, so Ben got to go to school with him.  I thought it was pretty cute.

Rosie is Adopted

Rosie, the last of the Griswold bears, finally got to go to her new home with 4 1/2 month old Elisabeth, the day after Christmas.  I didn't have any photos to post until today.  Edwin said that Rosie gave her lots of bear kisses when they first met, so I think she was pretty happy to have a new home with someone that will love her.

I think I mentioned in a previous post why I stitched a nose onto Rosie.  Elisabeth did exactly what I thought she would do--put Rosie's nose in her mouth!  Baby kisses are so sweet.

Here they both are getting acquainted with each other.

Elisabeth is still thinking that Rosie's nose looks pretty tasty!


I am happy that Rosie finally has a little girl to love her and have adventures with, as she grows older.

The Griswold Bears Get Adopted

The Bellairs family had their Christmas get-together on Christmas Eve day.  Everyone gathered for fun, food, fellowship, and of course, what I have been anticipating:  the Griswold bears adoptions.  The bears were left under the tree, still tangled in garland, and then covered with a sheet.  We had shoe boxes wrapped for each grandchild with a couple other gifts and a card, introducing each one to their bear.  I uncovered them, and they were able to find their bear according to the description they were given, and then find the ornament each bear hung on the tree.  The grandchildren were all told that they needed to name their bear before taking it home with them, so I could get adoption certificates made in the next few days.

Five bears went to the Michelsen family.

Ian is our oldest grandson at age 19, and thankfully, was very happy getting a Viking bear.  T10's name was changed to Björn Griswöld.

Amber, age 15, named her bear Samwell.  He is perfect for Amber, because he is a little bookworm, just like she is.  His favorite place is curled up under the covers in bed with a book.  He was even caught a few times with a flashlight, reading after lights out.

Emily, age 12, received the prototype bear, T1.  She is the granddaughter that helped with the Teddy bears picnic and pumpkin carving.  She fell in love with her that day, but I couldn't tell her then, that she was going to be her bear.  She named her bear Cheeka Bear.

Davey, age 9, named his bear Othar.  I think it is another Viking type name.  That's good, because they both look up to their brothers.

Bobby, age 6, got the pretty red bear.  He named him Benjamin, but is just going to call him Ben.  Ben is going to look a lot like Bobby soon, because he has a loose tooth.  I bet he will lose it in a few days.

  

The next four bears went home to the Bellairs/Schlegel family.

Trisha, age 14, was glad her bear was made out of her first choice fabric.  Her new name is Sugar.  She is very soft, because her white yarn is a blend of wool and angora.  When I first showed the girls the fabric and told them to tell me a first and second choice, she couldn't pick a second choice, because she wanted her first choice so badly.

Payton, age 12, got the orange angora bear, dyed to her specifications.  She had a hard time choosing a name for her, but finally decided on Truffel Bear.  Truffel is wearing a rayon chenille scarf I also gave to Payton. 

Hailee, age 11, hates to smile for photos.  She was so happy with her bear, that she put on her most beautiful smile.  She named her bear Sweetheart, and she really is.  They both are.

Morgan, age 9, didn't think I gave her the right bear, but after holding her a few minutes, they fell in love.  Her bears name is Hunysuckel.  Morgan wanted an unconventional spelling for her bears name.  Hunysuckel is a fuzzy mohair, so Morgan will have fun brushing her fur.

 On Christmas morning, I got a text message and photo of our grandson Landen just after he opened his bear.  Landen wasn't able to come to our house because he was with his dad at another family gathering.

I think he looks pretty happy with his new bear.  He called me on the phone a little later to thank us and to tell us he named his bear Sweety. 














Sweety is a boy bear, and loves to golf.  He made a few practice shots at our house with his golf set that he got for Christmas.

Some of the bears went upstairs after presents to watch the Teddy Bears Picnic DVD that we gave each family.

Our daughter Rachel, from out in Washington state, was unable to join us for Christmas, so we included her and her boyfriend Nick and her bear, Nilla,on Skype.  Nilla was very excited to meet all of the baby bears.  Here is a screen shot of Nilla taking a look at the sewing machine we gave Rachel.







As evening arrived, the families started to pack up to head for their own homes.  Two of them had close to four hour drives.  We gathered everyone for one last picture of the grandkids and bears.

Front row: Emily and Cheeka, Morgan and Hunysuckel, Bobby and Ben, Hailee and Sweetheart, Davey and Othar.  Back row: Payton and Truffel, Trisha and Sugar, Amber and Samwell, Ian and Björn, and our daughter Carolyn holding Sweety.

The sad part of the day was saying good-bye.  One bear didn't get to be adopted yet and she was very sad.

Here she is with Great-grandpa bear at the window waving bye-bye to the first family to leave.

Thank goodness for grandpas.  They are very good at comforting a sad bear.  We are hoping she will be able to go to her new home with our granddaughter Elisabeth very soon.

Today, after some discussion, we decided that T11 shouldn't wait till she gets to her new home to get a real name.  Because she is pink, our daughter Carolyn, our son Edwin (Elisabeth's daddy), and I decided she should be called Rosie.  She is very lonely, so I found Dolly bear for her to play with.  Great-grandma bear is holding her so she wouldn't be so sad, and Patty Bear and Uncle are trying to cheer her up.  Great-grandma looks pretty good since major surgery earlier today.

My Grandma Gladys Hobbs made Great-grandma and Great-grandpa bear years ago.  Great-grandma had one of her arms fall off and a couple other limbs were also getting loose, so I took her apart and replaced some of the incorrect hardware.  She is recovering quickly, and was happy to give some comfort to Rosie.

Hopefully we will have a picture of Rosie with baby Elisabeth real soon.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!