Friday, January 25, 2013

Hot drink and Wood-stove Appreciated Today!

The forecast for today is freezing rain, sleet for this  morning, and for this afternoon,  it could turn to just cold rain if the temp rises a bit, but then again it could fall, and we would be left with, you guessed it more sleet and freezing rain, or maybe even an ice storm.

The wood stove is blazing and I can't tell you how many hot coffees and teas I have had this morning!  I worked on taxes this morning, unfortunately a sedentary occupation, so I felt the cold a little more than usual.  This afternoon I will be upstairs in the Studio, moving around a lot more so I think I will be much more comfortable!

This week I have begun to wind the short bouts of 8/4 carpet warp that I had pulled from the 45 Leclerc to make room for the Bread Cloth order.  I am loading it onto Lillian's back beam, she is my go to loom when it comes to the Baby Blankets, turns out the warp isn't as short as I thought it was. There has got to be about 9 yards of warp there!  I was thinking 5 or 6 yards max.

It may look like a mess, but every chain is numbered and in order.  I borrowed Kathryn's breast been to sort them out.  I take the chain that I need, load it onto the tension box, and wind it on!  It is taking a little longer than usual since I have to load the tension box each time, but I am pleased at how it is going.





I made it almost to the half way point on Wednesday, and I expect to finish up this afternoon, and I would love to start the threading.  I will be threading a new version of the Cat Tracks and Snail Trails this time around.  It seems that last time I threaded this loom I used the threading from the miniature version.  I had used it for mug rugs, and I forgot to check the other versions!

I have looked at the larger versions and I have found that if I follow their threading, I will end up with only 3 pattern repeats on the Baby Blankets, with the miniature version I had 12 repeats.  I have compared the two versions and I have come up with a version that will give me 5 repeats across, I think that is a happy medium.  I will have to check it out on the weaving program, but that computer is in one of our cooler temperature rooms, so that might just have to wait a day or two!

I am doing something a little different this time.  I am needle weaving a tiny cross into each bout.  Just as the warp chain is about to end, I put a knot in it so that there is a bit of tension between the tension box and the sectional beam.  Then I get down there and weave a tapestry needle among the 24 threads that are in each bout.  I think it may help me since I will be threading a new design.  I don't know if this will become part of my normal way of sectional warping, but you never know.



The icicles are dripping from the porch, the trees are covered in ice and I am snug in my chair as I type this post.  I hope that you are all staying warm and that you can pass what might be an extra day at home, because of the storm, in happy fiber pursuits.  I know I will!

Until next time, Happy Weaving, Tina

4 comments:

LA said...

Weaving is on my list of things to do today...I'm not going anywhere in the car!!!

Linda said...

I went out to see the mailman. He brought my yarn order. I wore my yak trax! I had to go get the yarn right? The ice is pretty thick here. Breaking branches sound like gun shots! I hope Carol has power!

Bonnie said...

A perfect day for staying in and getting things done.

Theresa said...

Sounds like a perfect day! I kind of like when Mother Nature makes up my mind for me once in a while. Nothing to do but stay inside, and weave or sew. ;)