Summer is such a busy time with family and friends visiting and around here fire scares! Weaving just has to be put on the back burner it seems. I have finally, whew, finished what I’m calling my Hot Tamalé tea towels. I used 2/8 cotton from my stash for the warp and used the last of the orange cotton from the warp to weave 3 towels; then onto a yellow/orange 2/22 cottolin for 3 more and finishing up with raspberry 2/22 cottolin for the last one…. I won’t talk about the blue one, yuk….that’s mine, but the rest are really vibrant! Thank goodness my daughter Ngaire helps by posting her weaving projects too or this blog would be very few and far between!
These towels are in one of my favourite 8 shaft patterns and were supposed to be a quick weave to center myself. I’m sure you all have a weave structure or pattern that has rhythm and allows you to reaffirm good weaving habits, well, this is mine. Unfortunately I just couldn’t stay inside and weave….you know fruit to freeze, jam to make, tomatoes to pick!
Today I got the towels washed and machine dried, now only hemming and entering them into my inventory is left. I keep my stock listed on an Excel spreadsheet which helps me price and track what sells and where it sells.
I’ve started putting my next project on the loom today. I’m giving Turned Taqueté a go. I took a seminar from
Bonnie Inouye in June at the ANWG in Spokane WA, and this is a weave of which she spoke enthusiastically. It is very similar in many ways to Echo Weave, but has different tie up and treadling. I’m using 2/8 tencel in maize and silver alternately with black borders. The weft will be black 2/20 tencel. I’ve put on enough warp for two scarves, so I’ll have fun with the treadling.
Last week I met some lovely folks; retired production weavers in Penticton when I drove up to buy some of their stash. Mr. Barr was very generous and gifted me with this amazing Leclerc bobbin winder. It’s huge! The ratio is amazing and it seems that only a few turns fill the pirns. My husband just tightened the drive band and it works a treat!
11 comments:
Your towels are "HOT"!!!!
The bobbins winder is very large and intersting. How do you like working with it?
The bobbin winder makes more noise than my small Leclerc, but it sure saves time. Less than half the turns fills up the pirns. I really like any tool that saves me work! I'm not sure how old it is, but what a pretty tool to look at!
Hmm, I got LeClerc bobbin winder with my loom but have never unwrapped it. Maybe I should see if it does a better job than my Schact.
I seem to always be befuddled. You have 2/8 yarn. How is that different than 8/2? Is this an insider girls club and I'm always going to be on the outside??????
Love your towels. The pattern looks familiar but its a bit small to make out in the photo. Is it an 8 shafy huckaback?
I am envious of the way you manage to bump into weavers and get hold of good yarn and equipment. Weavers are few and far between here.You are so productive...spurs me on to get warping.
What an amazing winder! That's a real treasure... a keeper.
I love old tools as you know so if it goes 'missing' after our stay, I just can't say. :)
The towels look cheery and bright. A nice splash of colour in the kitchen. I can see the one you gave me hanging on the stove handle as I write and it always gets comments from visitors.
Weaving time this summer has been hit and miss. A lot slower than I'm happy with but summer is only here a short time!
I love the warm colors and the pattern of the tea towels, which binding pattern is it?
This bobbin winder is amazing, I have never seen anything like it!
I look forward to se what the turned taqueté looks like. Your bobbins do not look like mine and I have a electrical bobbin winder that I am so happy that I have, it saves a lot of time.
Hi Deborah, The pattern for the tea towels is not really a huckaback in it's true form. It is blocks of plain weave and basket weave. The origin is a variation of Mary Atwater's Standardized Baby Blanket Recipe, Series VI No. 1 in her Recipe Book.
It is threaded 2-1-2-3-4-3-2-1-2
6-5-6-7-8-7-6-5-6 repeated. If you'd like the pattern just send me an email and I'll send you the complete draft.
Hi Deborah,
I love your towels, I think it inspired me for a shawl..... and I think it will be woven on that saturday that lasts seven days ;)But I really got inspired, to me it looks like the sunrise over my neighbours house earlier this morning.
Silly me, I ment 'Hi Lynette'
I found your site while searching for bobbin winders.
It seems you have a commercial bobbin winder. From the picture I guess-timate the ratio of large crank wheel to bobbin drive wheel is 8:1 (it may be larger- 10:1, perhaps)
In simple terms one full revolution drive (big) wheel equals 8-10 revolutions of the smaller drive wheel- it would make short work of most things. If hubby has an old bit-and-brace drill- compare how small the gear ratio is for that, in comparison.
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