Camping Towels & Re-threading the Loom

I decided that the very colorful 10/2 perle cotton color blanket warp (for the color-blanket-that-won't-be) shouldn't go to waste even with a shredding black segment of the warp. It's 30" wide, you know.

I cut off the sampling web and put another reed in the batten. Instead of using a 24-dent reed, I put in the 10-dent and am sleying it 3-2-3-2-3-2-3-2-3. I've re-sleyed about 1/3 of the warp so far in 45 minutes of precious free time two nights ago.

I've been looking at possible tie-up and treadling combinations for the overshot threading. It should be *easy* to find one I like. But, I'm probably going to weave off one towel at least in the overshot pattern without tabby.

I picked some really lovely tropical beach towel colors in unmercerized 6/2 cotton (and some 8/2 cotton) that I had in my stash of yarn. I'm going to weave one towel in bright turquoise with some lipstick red and deep plum highlights on the ends. Maybe a couple of shots of orange in there too. If there's enough warp, I'll do a second towel with the deep plum and turquoise, light blue, and orange highlights on the ends.

I'm thinking about weaving a nice plain weave (even weave) for an inch or two on the ends so that I can embroider names on it after the towel comes off the loom and is washed.

I haven't been this excited about weaving in years. The idea of making something useful is like catnip. And I love working with cotton. I'd probably be happy enough just weaving plain old common dishtowels forever. (in uncommon colors and weave structures)

Camping Towels

It's camping season again. The camper has been de-winterized. Our daughter is eagerly expecting to run wild at the lakes. And I've been prepping camping supplies.

Towels. When camping, using kind of thin, easily drying towels is key. Our towels for camping are basically old household towels that are fraying and worn a bit. They still take quite a bit of space.

I was thinking last night when drying a glass with one of my handwoven dishtowels that it would be perfect to have a really big handwoven dishtowel for a camping towel. My handwovens wear like iron. They are thin and light. And they have a nice hand feel.

I was thinking about structures. Like a nice plain striped plainweave towel with log cabin ends and a striped body. I almost think that they'd be too thin, so I am musing with the idea of sampling some doubleweave towels and crepeweave towels. See which dishtowel has the best hand.

But that's the kind of useful weaving project that would be fun.

Almost finished with "Norm's Cafe"

Several years ago I decided to create and stitch some of my own needlework patterns.

Well, we see how well that's been working out. I haven't finished even a full graph in the 7 years that I've been working on this piece.

I've almost finished the stitching on most of the big areas. That leaves backstitching and fiddly bits to complete.

One of the lessons that I've learned while working on this is that working on my own creations is Not Relaxing. When I stitch someone else's needlework patterns or weave someone else's drafts, I can put my mind on hold and just concentrate on the zen of stitching. It's meditative and a bit like prayer.

But when working on my own, I'm constantly evaluating and critiquing. I can't just let go and stitch. It makes working on my own pieces excruciating at times. And when I'm stressed, I can't do it.

After 7 years, I've nearly finished Norm's Cafe. It's a simple cafe scene with a painting of a Mediterranean fishing village in the background. Very simple lines.

I stitched it on Aida, something that I almost never work with anymore. But as I get older and my eyes worsen, I'm appreciating Aida's popularity.

I graphed the stitching into a chart, but the computer I was working on crashed without a backup. I lost the chart. I'm entering it again in the computer stitch by painful stitch. It's taken an eon to re-learn the software interface to graph, though truthfully it's a very simple interface and should be a snap. (It's me, not the tool)

Shredding a Warp

I have an 8-harness loom that is warped up right now with 24 epi 10/2 mercerized cotton in a color blanket warp. Most of the thread is very tight-spun. The black cotton that I have threaded, though, is a much softer spun yarn. Didn't really notice that as I was warping.

I thought I'd get my first use of my 24 dent reed. I warped up and tied on and started weaving all happy.

Uh-oh. 10 inches into the weaving, the black thread section of the warp is shredding. The abrasion is too much for it. I'm sure that if I kept on, within the next 10 inches the rest of the colors would start shredding.

Live and learn. Give the yarn a bit of room to move. I'll save the 24 dent reed for the skinny silks and skinny cottons that I'm weaving. I'll slap a 12-dent reed into the mix, re-tie, and salvage the effort.

Crafting as a Theoretical Pursuit

Usually I can natter on-and-on about one of my hobbies. I have not been giving much attention to my crafts in several years now.

There are a lot of reasons for this:

Space for the loom was a problem. I should say looms --I have quite a few of them.

Time. My daughter was born and suddenly I just didn't have any time anymore.

Competing crafts. Needlework, weaving, kumihimo, polymer clay, fine furniture woodworking, sewing, and I write stories. It's a balancing act.

Family Activities. Kind of a time thing, but really different. I have so many obligations to family that it makes craft time a very guilty pleasure.

I'm sure that many other crafters who are still in their working years are in the same boat. So, I'm creating this blog simply to chart my crafting activity. The blog may not get much in the way of action, but I'm using it to try to measure goals and jump-start my craft time.