Friday, June 24, 2016

Leno Iridescence?

My summer project is to do some more experimentation with leno and gauze weaves.  One thing I wanted to try is to push the boundary of how light and airy I can go with this structure, so I am trying some very fine silk yarn.
I also thought that with all the different angles the yarn takes, it might be a candidate for iridescence.  The real proof will be when I get it off the loom, but I think it is happening: here are photos of the fabric on the loom from two different angles.  One angle is showing the reddish weft more, and the other the blues in the warp.  This fabric is plain gauze, with each pair of warps twisting the same direction at the same time.
 

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Weaving at the senior center

I've started going over to the senior center in town, where surprisingly they have a weaving room, which has accumulated a half dozen floor looms, most of which are sitting unused.  I thought I'd come hang out and see if I can lend a hand at getting the looms operational and in use.  One of the looms has had an abandoned cotton and linen warp sitting on it for a few years, so I fixed some errors and got it tensioned and weaving after a fashion.  I'm told it was to be a tablecloth.  I chose some various whites and off-whites and a turquoise accent to complete the windowpane check.

You can see one of the apron straps had frayed and finally broke, which we'll have to replace.  I'm wondering if anyone recognizes this loom.  It has an interesting side-tie-up system.  It's also missing its ratchet handle, which makes it difficult to tension, so I'm hoping we'll come across it and can get that back on once I get this warp woven off.  The loom will be pretty much impossible to use by someone without much grip strength.

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Cool colors for a hot project

Painting a warp for some gauze scarves in fine silk.

Monday, June 6, 2016

Master-inspired palette

The artist-inspired pallette I used a couple posts ago resulted in this double weave and sprang piece. The painting from which I took the colors is "The Pink Cloud" by the neo-impressionist Henri-Edmond Cross.

The scale is really too large for my taste.  The fabric is about a yard high and even bigger in the width.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it.


...but whatever I decide, I do have a series of coordinating scarves to go with it.