Tie On To An Existing Warp and Beading The Fringe

This is the second scarf in my Network series. This scarf was woven on the same green/blue/grey Tencel warp as the last one. This time I changed the weft to navy blue Tencel and the look of the circles is much more defined. So now it’s time to bead the fringe.These are the tools I use to bead with the most important item being the very fine Japanese beading needles and the “Thread Heaven” which is a thread conditioner to help keep the thread from static curl. This product works like a dream and I can’t thank my gal pal Susan enough for giving it to me! It takes me a bit of time to work out my beading sequence and I find putting it on these quilters pins really help me try out the different combos’ possible. This is the finished fringe, just a wee bit of bling!

I think I mentioned in my last blog entry about this Network Twill pattern how much I love the effect, well, I love it so much I decided to tie on another scarf length. Tying on is not something I usually do but in this case it seemed like the perfect method because the warp I decided to use is handspun silk. This silk is very fragile and softly spun, so I figured that tying on would minimize the trauma to the threads. Here is how I did it. After pulling a three yard warp and securing the cross, I put the lease sticks through the cross and tied it to my front beam. Because the existing warp on the back beam was so short and the rods are heavy there was pronounced droop, so I also secured the back rod to the castle. This allowed me to have the slack in front of the reed where I needed it. Then matching one thread from the reed and the next thread through the lease off you go. I have tried various knots over the years and have found that a basic overhand knot is the fastest and the most secure. After all the knots have been tied, I move the lease sticks to hang loosly in front of the reed. Here are all the knots just ready to be pulled gently through the reed and again gently tugged through the heddles. I have found that working in small groups at this stage works best.Once all the knots are through the heddles you just wind the warp as usual and voilá you’re done! This is the work in progress, my warp is hand dyed and hand spun very fine silk and I have crossed it with navy Tencel. This scarf really shows the dark/light/midtone gradients in the weave.

Over the past few years I have made a concerted effort to eat locally, especially out of my own garden. I have come to the conclusion that I can do without many things, but not olive oil, olives and citrus. I just can’t live without a lemon! So I decided to try and grow a Meyer Lemon in my house. I splurged on a small (make that very small) bush in August and …. My first blossoms. Almost open. Wow, amazing and the fragrance is almost overpowering. This wee bush has more than 30 blossoms on it right now and I am diligently pollinating by hand. Hopefully I’ll get a lemon or two next year!