Log Cabin Runner

The log cabin weave structure is intriguing because it is woven with plain weave, and the pattern comes from the alternating warp and weft colors.  I found a project in Interweave's Four Free Table runners Publication, called Two on Two.  This project was disappointing because the vertical stripes did not show up well.  Even though the blue and white were the same count, the white was much thicker and so the stripes didn't show themselves.  In addition, the yarn was too fuzzy to work well on the rigid heddle or at least on the size 12 heddle.  There were 5 blocks, each with about 35 or 36 ends, running 14 picks of weft.  I sampled a section with 18 ends and it still didn't work well.  I think this needs mercerized or a smoother cotton to reveal the vertical and horizontal stripes.

Date Finished  February 2012

Loom  Rigid Heddle

Weave Structure  Plain, log cabin

Reed  12

Warp     Fiber  Cotton, unmercerized 

              Count  2.5 oz/120 yds (768 yds/#)

              Color half white and half antique blue

              Mfr  Peaches N Cream

              Source  Walmart

Warp     Width in Reed  15

              Ends  180

              Length  2.5 yds

Weft      Fiber  Cotton, unmercerized 

              Count  2.5 oz/120 yds (768 yds/#)

              Color  half white and half antique blue

              Mfr Peaches N Cream

              Source  Walmart

Beat                       50/50                     

Notes  

Spencer's Baby Blanket

 This project was about stretching my current limits.  Everything that I had been working on since starting up again was in plain weave, twill threading.  Pretty routine stuff and not complicated.  I decided to up the ante by weaving a baby blanket for Emilee and Adam's new baby girl Spencer and had a deadline - due date of March 3.  I had to use an acrylic that would be washable and dryable so it was over to Walmart to see what they have available in acrylic yarns.  They had a very thick acrylic, Bernat Baby Blanket, 100gms/86 yds that I would use for the weft.  I used a Birds Eye pattern from Marguerite Porter Davison's, A Handweavers Pattern Book, because it specified it worked well with thick wefts.  Unfortunately the pattern didn't show up very well due to how thick the weft was.  But it is very soft and full and should keep Spencer plenty warm.  There was a lot of draw-in on the project and one of my future projects will need to be a temple to spread the warp on larger projects.


Date Finished  February 2012

Loom  Newcomb

Weave Structure  Birds Eye

Reed  8 epi

Warp     Fiber  Acrylic Softee Baby

              Count  5 oz skein/362 yds - used 3 skeins

              Color  Antique white

              Mfr  Bernat

              Source  Walmart

Warp     Width in Reed  40 inches

              Ends  320

              Length  2.5 yds

Weft      Fiber  Acrylic Chenille

              Count  3.5 oz/86 yds - used 4 skeins

              Color Yellow

              Mfr  Bernat

              Source  Walmart

Beat                       Weft Faced        

Size  finished about 36 by 42

Notes  Lots of draw in.

Acrylic Scarf

In my early weaving days, I accumulated looms and tools.  I don't know how I did it since I know I did not have a lot of excess cash.  Three looms, the biggie being my 45" Newcomb.  But I also purchased a 25 inch Schacht rigid heddle with a stand which I don't remember using much.  I also scored a $5 loom at a garage sale in Brevard.  It's a 4 harness table loom with a 20 inch weaving width.  The benefit of both of these looms is that they don't waste yarn like the Newcomb does. I easily lose 1 yd to 1 1/4 yds of warp on it due to the distance from the warp beam to the finished cloth and the cloth beam. So I decided to weave a couple of simple projects on the rigid heddle and the table loom to see how they functioned and what I needed to know or have to weave more complex projects,  A two skein scarf was a good project for each loom.

Date Finished January 2012

Loom  Table Loom

Weave Structure  plain

Reed  10 epi

Warp     Fiber  Acrylic one skein of blue

              Count

              Color

              Mfr

              Source

Warp     Width in Reed  10"

              Ends  100

              Length  8'

Weft      Fiber  Homespun Acrylic - 

              Count - 6 oz skein = 185 yds (used 3/4 skein)

              Color

              Mfr  Lions Brand

              Source  Michaels

Beat                       50/50                     Weft Faced         Warp Faced

Size  9 1/2 by 70"

Notes  Also made one in black on the rigid heddle loom using the 8 epi reed and direct warping method.

Flight Wall Hanging

Handwoven Magazine featured this project in Design Collection #8.  It looked like a good project that could utilize one warp for two projects, the denim rag rug and the flight wall hanging.  Not exactly crazy about the butterfly additions.  I had warp on the loom leftover and made a couple of more rag weavings for pillows for the To Be Named Vintage Trailer project. 

Date Finished January 2012

Loom  Newcombe

Weave Structure  plain

Reed  12 epi

Warp     Fiber  8/4 cotton rug warp

              Count  1600 yds/#

              Color natural

              Mfr  Maysville

              Source  Earthguild

Warp     Width in Reed  24 1/4"

              Ends 290

              Length  5 1/2 for denim rug and wall hanging

Weft      Fiber  cotton jeans and some purchased material

              Count

              Color

              Mfr

              Source  thrift shop and Discount Foam and Fabric

Beat                       50/50                     

Size

Notes - the butterflies were too thick and should have been smaller so that they would beat down more.

Denim Rag Rugs

Project Number Two goes back to something that I made a lot of back in the day - Rag Rugs.  Over the years I have accumulated a fair number of Handwoven Magazines.  Some from the early 80's and some recent sporadic purchases.  Looking through the editions for inspiration, making a rug from old blue jeans, sounded like a good second step.  Bigger project, but still pretty easy to warp and set up.  What I hadn't counted on was accumulating, cutting and sewing all those old jeans.  Fortunately, I was able to score old jeans for 50 cents a pair at the local thrift shop.  That just left cutting them into 1 inch strips and sewing the strips together.  I looked into purchasing a rag cutter, but the price of that was pretty steep.  Instead I borrowed a rotary cutter and mat used for cutting quilting squares and the cutting got a whole lot easier.

Date Finished January 2012

Loom  Newcombe

Weave Structure plain

Reed  12 epi

Warp     Fiber 8/4 cotton

              Count 1600 yds/#

              Color Natural

              Mfr Maysville

              Source  Earthguild

Warp     Width in Reed  24 1/4"

              Ends  290

              Length  5 1/2 yds - for 1 rug and 1 wall hanging.  Used about 1.2 pounds of warp

Weft      Fiber  blue jean rags

              Count  1" strips

              Color

              Mfr

              Source

Beat                       50/50                     

Size

Notes  For the rug, could have used 8 epi instead of 12.  Add darker warp instead of all natural.

Remembering how it's done

I have to admit that I am a lapsed weaver.  Almost 40 years ago I bought my first loom and spent several years making rugs, scarves, shawls, anything that I could get on and off the loom quickly.  And then life intervened,  work and family meant little time for warping the loom.  Just purchasing yarn meant a 70 mile road trip to the closest store that sells something that's not acrylic. And the demands of a job with lots of travel has meant not much down time for working with my hands.   But the past several years, I have been looking at the loom (or should I say looms) in the attic with plans and designs in my head.  Two years ago I finally brought the loom out of the attic and onto the loft.  After putting the loom back together, I have been waiting for a little more free time and the right inspiration.

One of the big benefits of having been a weaver in my past life is the accumulation of tools.  I have been amazed at the prices of simple tools that I bought 40 years ago when I was much poorer.  A swedish bobbin winder today runs $130 and a rigid heddle loom like the one I am using runs close to $350.  My main workhorse is a 45", 4 harness Newcomb Studio loom.  My other big benefit is being married to a man who can build just about anything out of wood, including my loom bench, warping board, yarn storage shelves....

Since I have started weaving again, I decided I need to document what I am making, what works, what doesn't work.  Last night I warped my rigid heddle with a project using perle cotton and chenille.  Well the chenille fell apart in the holes of the 12 epi heddle.  So the next time I start a chenille project on a rigid heddle loom, maybe I'll remember the time that it didn't work at 12 epi and go with the 8 epi reed instead.  And just in case I have another 40 year lapse in weaving, I can find what I was up to the last time around.  So my goal is to include yarns, size, sett, drafts and problems and possibilities.

The first project that got back on the bench was a set of chenille scarves designed to be given as Christmas presents.  I ended up making 5 on 2 different warps for Christmas gifts.  At 8 inches wide and sett at 8 epi, they could get on and off the loom quickly.

Date Finished  - December 2012

Loom - Newcombe

Weave Structure - plain

Reed - 8 epi

Warp     Fiber Rayon chenille 

              Count  1000 yd/#

              Color variegated

              Mfr Dragon's tale

              Source Earthguild

Warp     Width in Reed  8"

              Ends  64 ends

              Length  7 yds = 3 scarves

Weft      Fiber - same

              Count

              Color

              Mfr

              Source

Beat                       50/50                     

Size  7 1/2 by 60 inches

Notes