Category Archives: 20/2 mercerized cotton

Scarf No.8

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Hi, its me Abelene.

The news around here is that Jen finished scarf no. 8, and not only that, but also she says she is finished the 20/2 ulltra fine cotton series, at least for a while. Time to move on. This project is unique from the others because she used direct warping method on the 8 shaft table loom — do read Jen’s note down in the Weaving Notes explaining things, and see all the photos. We, the crew of inanimate objects; a chatty mannequin, all of the looms, Señor Mirando (mirror), ladder, chairs, old wooden ironing board, little antique folding ruler, et al — we ALL respect that this double threading thing is a big deal to Jen, but she’s losing her mind a bit, attempting to avoid convention. We, the crew, are happy to be able to work together photographing beneath the rafters, with beautiful draping hand weavings, in the afternoon light, but we aren’t sure what Jen intends to do now being finished with “the series”. She has been spending time making dye concoctions with powdered extracts of indigo, madder, and pomegranate rinds, and so we think her next thing might have something to do with that, which no doubt in my mind will result in another beautiful drapey thing!

Ta ta, Abelene & The Crew

♣   Weaving Notes  ♣

Note from Jen: For this piece I tried the easy direct warping double threaded through the heddles on the table loom, so was inventing a method for myself, as so far I have only have done this on the rigid heddle loom with Scarf no.7. Take a look at the photos in the weaving notes below and you’ll see that this is not conventional, and I’m only grateful there are no weaving police around. For the weavers who are reading, I’m sharing my weaving notes and detailed warping photos below . . .

  • Yarn: 20/2 mercerized perle cotton, 8400yds / 1 lb, Maurice Brassard, in colors Natural (P-100), and Flax (P-5104).
  • Loom: Ashford 8shaft Table Loom, straight draw threading for plain weave, lifting pairs of odds & evens (1&3, and 2&4)
  • Warping method:  Tested an easy direct warp method, back to front; double threading from back apron rod through reed and heddles, then to peg. Wound on to back beam and finally tied off on to front for weaving. Warp length is approx 130 inches from apron rod to warping peg.
  • Number of warp ends: 640 max plus 4 extra at each selvedge = 644 ends
  • Reed: 16 dent reed, 2 ends in each dent and 2 ends in each heddle (except for selvedges 4 ends each)
  • Width in reed: forgot to measure.
  • Sett on loom: forgot to measure.
  • Selvedges: I did not add extra ends to the selvedges, but did use a temple.
  • Sett after finishing: Warp 36 epi, and weft 26 ppi.
  • Color Pattern Warp: [32 dents of Natural, 32 of Flax] rep blocks across reed until measures 20″
  • Pattern Weft: Wound on to a 30″ stick shuttle for each color as follows: [30 wraps Natural, 30 wraps Flax] repeating sequence.
  • Finished: 1/4 inch turned hem, then washed and dried in machine, then pressed, measuring 81″ long and 18″ wide, and weighs 150g. 
  • Yardage:  Total yardage used for finished piece = 2780y, figured from weight of finished piece and not including loom waste.
  • What I will do differently next time: Raise up the harnesses to warp, thread and sleigh, I found I had to crouch down unnecessarily before I realized! Also I will group in 1″ bundles, having mistakenly miscalculated 8 groups of 4 harnesses, was actually 2″. EACH GROUP OF 4 harnesses is 1/4″. A group of all 8 harnesses will be 1/2″

Scarf No.7

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Hi, its me Abelene

I am happy to introduce to you the very latest in Jen’s ultra fine weaving series, and also my new photo shoot companion, Señor Mirando the mirror, who arrived here weeks ago along with a lovely old dresser, the set being a gift from another weaver (thank you Bea!) Handsome and talented at revealing to you the intricate and complex angles of a drape which I simply can not, Mirando promises to show up for the photo shoots along with our hard working crew the ladder and chairs.

The weaving is remarkable, for it is two threads in warp against one thread in weft. Yesterday Jen washed it and hung it out to dry on the line, flapping in the 100F summer heat, and only took less than ten minutes, and barely more than five, because it is so hot outside.

I think it is very beautiful and interesting how the unique weave structure looks, I wonder if there is a name for this, does anybody know? Anyway, Jen is on to something here, and wants to develop this style of quick and easy warping she says, so she’s going to warp another of this kind of weave on my buddy in the closet, the table loom, but with a finer weave, just because it’s worth exploring. I for one am looking forward to having another photo shoot with Señor Mirando & His Dresser, as we’ve all hit it off fabulously.

Ta ta, Abelene

The note from Jen: I’ve been exploring weaving in a series of ultra light 20/2 cotton, this being the fifth in the series, woven on my 20″ Knitters Loom, and even though the weave structure doubles the warp against the weft, it appears to be balanced. I have been wanting to try the easiest method I can think of, which is double threading one reed, with 2 in the heddle/hole, and 2 in the dent/slot, then single weft. This way no rethreading has to be done. I did this kind of warping before (tablecloth) and I really thought it worked out great, less fuss warping meant more time to enjoy the weaving. And just as Abelene reports, I have another one of these I want to weave next, and it will be warped direct on the table loom, a multiple harness loom with heddles, with the same weave structure, but 32 ends per inch warp, 2 through each heddle and 2 through the dent, completely going against tradition. Thankfully there are no weaving police around here, for surely I would be arrested for attempting this. Be sure to click through the photo slideshow below, and now for the weaving notes…

♣   Weaving Notes  ♣

  • Yarn: 20/2 mercerized perle cotton, 8400yds / 1 lb, Maurice Brassard, in color Galaxy Blue,  and Venne in colors Gobelin Blue, Brass, and Golden Brown.
  • Loom: Ashford Knitters Loom 20″.
  • Warping method:  Direct warp method for rigid heddle loom.  Warp length is approx 115 inches from apron rod to warping peg.
  • Reed: 15 dent reed, 2 ends in each dent and 2 ends in each hole. 
  • Width in reed: 18″
  • Sett on loom: Warp = 30 epi and weft = ?? (forgot to measure)
  • Selvedges: Doubled for 4 ends each selvedge and used a temple.
  • Sett after finishing: Warp 34 epi, and weft 17 ppi.
  • Number of warp ends: 560, plus 4 extra at each selvedge = 568 ends
  • Color Pattern Warp:
    1. 15 holes and 15 dents with 2 ends each (30ends) Galaxy Blue, same with Gobelin Blue.
    2. Same with Brass, same with Golden Brown, then again with Brass. 
    3. Repeat step 1 and 2, switching Golden Brown and Brass; twice,  then repeat step 1 only. 280 dents/ 560 ends, plus 4 ends each selvedge, total 568 ends.
  • Color Pattern Weft = wound on to a 30″ stick shuttle for each color as follows: [10 wraps Galaxy blue, 10 wraps Gobelin blue, 10 wraps Brass, 10 wraps Golden Brown] repeating sequence.
  • Finished: 1/4 inch turned hem, machine washed and hang dried, then pressed. Measures 84″ long and 16″ wide and weighs 129g. 
  • Yardage:  Total yardage used for finished piece = 2374y, figured from weight of finished piece and not including loom waste.

Scarf No.6

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Hi, its me Abelene. 

Here is Jens latest weaving in her ultra fine series! She thinks the attention to drape is really emphasized when the weaving is wrapped around something body-shaped, and not necessarily ladder-shaped, as she had been doing earlier, and so I am the designated weaver’s model, and giddy for the thoughtful attention. Besides, Jen says I’m the new It Girl!

I am trying not to take offense to be calling ” it ” but Jen assured me that an “It Girl” is an attractive and engaging young woman, originating from a 1920’s film all about the British upper-class society. Hey, then I am IT for sure! Mostly because I like to be attractive and engaging. Oh, and Jen thought it best to have a format for these weaving posts, where I get to focus on the dazzling visual affect, then afterward she will explain the boring weaverly aspects in a special note about the project below.

Ta ta, Abelene

Note from Jen: I’ve been exploring weaving in a series of ultra light 20/2 cotton, this being the fourth, and the 20 epi woven on the Ashford Table Loom, set up for weaving straight draw (that means using 4 harnesses threaded 1-2-3-4, which in itself, was a completely new and thoroughly difficult experience, with threads doubled through the reed. Gibberish to my knitting colleagues, but to the weavers who might be reading this, they know this is an absolute basic step to learning weaving on multiple shafts. In fact, the weavers who might be reading this will roll their eyes for the fact that I warped it the same direct method as I do rigid heddle looms – direct warp – drawing the warp from the front apron rod through the reed, and around a peg, and then threaded through the heddles as an in-between step before winding it all on to the back warp beam. I improvised with this and subsequently the warp had mistakes, but not willing to get bogged down with them, I wove the piece instead testing gleefully what seemed closest yet to a perfect balanced weave, with just one light tap of the real swinging beater. This project was first in its own series of multiple shaft fine weaving, and so this very exciting!

♣   Weaving Notes  ♣

  • Yarn: 20/2 mercerized perle cotton, 8400yds / 1 lb, Maurice Brassard, in colors; Galaxy Blue (P-112), Light Beige (P-2), and Blanchi (white) (P-101). 
  • Loom: Ashford Table Loom.
  • Warping Method:  Direct warp, using an extra peg so I could get some extra length in the small space (because honestly , this table loom and stand take up a lot of space in the room. 1-2-3-4 straight draw, and 2 threads in every reed dent. Warp length is approx 110 inches from apron rod to warping peg.
  • Number of warp ends: 360, plus 4 additional each selvedge. 368 ends total. 
  • Reed: 10 dent reed, 2 ends through each dent.
  • Width in reed: approx 18″
  • Selvedges: Doubled for 4 ends each selvedge, and used a temple.
  • Sett after finishing: Warp 22 epi, and weft 20 ppi. Still not perfectly balanced, but could be a situation of beating . I think a closer sett for warp would allow me to beat more consistently and get perfect balance, because with a slightly open weave the measuring overall is more difficult because of variations throughout.
  • Color Pattern:   
    • Warp =  [20 slots with 2 ends each slot (40ends) blue, 20 slots with 2 ends each slot (40ends) light beige, 20 slots with 2 ends each slot (40ends) white] repeat. 20 slots with 2 ends each slot (40ends) blue. 
    • Weft = wound on to a 30″ stick shuttle for each color as follows: [30 wraps blue, 30 wraps light beige, 15 wraps blue, 15 wraps light beige] repeating sequence for the length of the warp.
  • Finished: 1/4 inch turned hem, then washed and dried in machine, then pressed, measuring 76″ long and 17″ wide, and weighs 96g. 
  • Yardage:  Total yardage used for finished piece = 1776y, figured from weight of finished piece and not including loom waste.
  • What I will do different next time:  Warp back-to-front, again direct, but with longer warp needed due to the fact that the table loom has more loom waste than the rigid heddle loom, such as a minimum of 120″ from apron rod to peg for 80″ finished scarf.  Also I need to better organize heddles before attempting to thread, so mistakes don’t happen as easily. I will tie off bundles of 1″ in groups according to epi. 

Scarf No.5

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Hi, its me Abelene. 

Jen has brought me out of the closet where I was suffocating in debate with my new pals, the Ashford 48″ rigid heddle loom and Ashford 32″ table loom, very existential ideas, like about whether or not as inanimate objects, we really exist, and I have been by far the most optimistic among us! Anyway, Jen seems to have forgotten about me, but finally she brought me out to see the spring . . . I am wearing a very light weave that seems to be sticking to my skin all by itself, perhaps from static electricity, as it has been three days of drying wind here.

Jen wants me to say that she had some difficulty weaving this fluffy light sheer cloth, but eventually she found her way and the weaving became better balanced, eventually only a light tap of the reed to keep the structure even and open. This is the 15epi experiment in her series of weaving ultra fine cotton where she is experimenting with different threads per inch. She is super pleased that very light cloth can be woven on a simple little rigid heddle loom with one 15 dent reed, and is hoping to do more just like it. But first to finish her series she wants to weave 20 epi with this same thread, whether threading two rigid heddle reeds together on my pal the big rigid heddle loom, or to warp it up on my other pal, the table loom.  But on the other hand (um, what other hand???) she thinks she might just weave more single reed 15epi samples on the little rigid heddle loom, like this piece was.

So much fun going on here I tell you!

Ta ta, Abelene

ps. Don’t miss out on the technical weaving notes and slideshow below!

♣   Weaving Notes  ♣

  • Yarn: 20/2 mercerized perle cotton, 8400yds / 1 lb, Maurice Brassard, in colors;  Flax (P-5109), Rose Paudreux (P145), Natural (P100), and Blanchi (white) (P-101). 
  • Loom: Ashford Knitters Loom 20″.
  • Warp:   Warp length is approx 110 inches from apron rod to warping peg.  
  • Number of warp ends: 298
  • Reed: 15 dent, warp is 19.5″, full width in reed.
  • Sett on loom: Oops, I forgot to measure.
  • Sett after finishing: Warp 17 epi, and weft 19 ppi.
  • Selvedges: I did not do floating selvedges, but I did warp 3 extra ends per selvedge, which is almost necessary I am finding when using a temple.
  • Color Pattern:   
    • Warp =  [18 ends of rose, 18 of blanchi, 18 of flax, 18 of blanchi ] x 2 . 288 ends plus 3 extra selvedge ends at each side = 294.
    • Weft = wound on to a 30″ stick shuttle ; [20 wraps of rose, 20 wraps flax] repeat the sequence to end of warp.
  • Finished: 1/4 inch turned hem, then washed and dried in machine, then pressed, and weighs 83g. Measuring after finishing 76″ long and 17″ wide (before washing/drying it measured 76″ x 18″).
  • Yardage:  Total yardage used for finished piece = 1536y, figured from weight of finished piece and not including loom waste.
  • General Notes: This weave is open and fairly sheer. I am striving for balanced weave with only a light tap of the reed needed.  If I beat too hard with the reed, even just a slight bit of pressure on the reed, or too many taps, the weft easily becomes compressed and creates horizontal stripes of weft dominant color. For this reason, I had to be very careful, hoping that after a wash and dry in the machine everything would become even, with threads locked together in a firm gauze fabric. The ppi is slightly more than the epi, so not perfectly balanced. I am guessing then that 20 epi will be the magic warp spacing for ease of weaving balanced.

Scarf No.4

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This weaving taught me two new things. One is that I further explored color, using a different variation than I have yet; with two colors in the warp, and four in the weft. The color affect of the check is still lively and interesting, but without warping with the two lightest shades (beige and natural) the result gave a more muted and softened color variation, less dramatic with no light blocks. I would like to explore this idea even more!  

I think the most challenging thing about this piece, and anything I’ve woven to date, is that I did a double heddle threading with two different size reeds. It was definitely another long and arduous threading process, and after discovering I miscalculated the spacing the first time, I resolved there really was no way of going around it, that it had to be done right, and be done over.  Of course, in doing it over I discovered a formula for myself, where I was only guessing at first, and so I have written my formula in my weaving notes.

This is going to be the last of the double reed threading for a while, for not only is it a very intensive warping process, but also if a mistake is made in the warp (as there was one, if you’ll notice the long run throughout the whole weaving) it is just not something I know how to fix and it tests my patience.  Such was the case again, some threads misaligned and right off the start, the flaw was blaringly obvious, but this was merely a sample to test the process. The reed sizes I wanted to thread together in this project were 15 dent and 12.5 dent (per inch), but easier calculated in the metric sizes 60/10(cm) and 50/10(cm) , to get a sett of 25 epi. Its all there in the weaving notes, with technical threading photo gallery.

♣   Weaving Notes  ♣

  • Yarn: 20/2 mercerized perle cotton, 8400yds / 1 lb, Maurice Brassard, in colors; Rose Paudreux (P145), Natural (P100), Light Beige (P-2), and Flax (P-5109). 
  • Loom: Ashford Knitters Loom 20″.
  • Warp:  Double threaded 4 ends per dent on first  reed, then through  a second reed using this method  Using a heddle stand is rather necessary, Jeff made the one I use in tech photos below.  I don’t know how to suggest an alternative, but if one has a couple of heavy objects or uses a bit of cleverness, one could rig a reed stand. Now, with the second reed forward, threading it through in a very seemingly complex manner, but it really isn’t.  Warp length is approx 110 inches from apron rod to warping peg.  See formula below.
  • Number of warp ends: 432.
  • Reed: Two rigid heddle reeds, one 15 dent and one 12.5 dent.   I threaded through the 15 dent reed first, skipping 1 slot after every 4 slots threaded, and the second reed I threaded every slot. End result is as two 12.5 dent reeds, with 25 epi.  See formula below. Note: After both reeds were threaded, I held them together with thick rubberbands as shown in photos.
  • Sett on loom: Warp = 25 epi (ends/threads per inch),  weft =  25 ppi.
  • Sett after finishing: Warp 28 epi, and weft 28 ppi.
  • Selvedges: I did not do floating selvedges, nor did I bother to double up and reinforce the selvedges, mostly because there was so much going on with threading through TWO reeds. I did use a temple.
  • Color Pattern:   
    • Warp =  [18 slots with 4 ends each slot (72 ends) flax, 18 slots with 4 ends each slot (72 ends) rose] REPEAT for a total of 3 pattern reps, and 432 ends.
    • Weft = wound on to a 30″ stick shuttle; [30 wraps of flax, 50 wraps of light beige, 30 wraps of rose, 50 wraps of natural] repeat the sequence to end of warp.
  • Finished: 1/4 inch turned hem, then washed and dried in machine, then pressed, measuring 80″ long and 15.5″ wide, and weighs 105g. 
  • Yardage:  Total yardage used for finished piece = 1943y, figured from weight of finished piece and not including loom waste.

My formula for threading two graduating sized heddles together: All of the reed sizes for the Ashford rigid heddle looms, which many rigid heddle weavers have a size graduation of reeds:

2.5 dpi (10/10cm)
5 dpi (20/10cm)
7.5 dpi (30/10cm)
10 dpi (40/10cm)
12.5 dpi (50/10cm)
15 dpi (60/10cm)

I have most of the reed sizes for my Knitters Loom, but for the sake of very fine cloth weaving with my rigid heddle looms, I am writing down my formula for threading two reeds of graduating larger sizes together so that I can achieve epi’s greater than the finest single reed available for this loom, which is a 15 dent (60/10). I’ll add that It is far easier to use a single reed than to thread two together, so in the case of coupling the lower-dent reeds — I recommend just buying the single 15 dent reed, instead of double threading 40/10 with 30/10 (or two 30/10) reeds to get 15 epi, but for the sake of example I listed all the rigid heddle reed pairings in sequence, in the situation that it applies.

The reed that has fewer dents should be in front of the other, facing forward toward the weaving, where every slot and hole is threaded. The reed with more dents should be behind it, and when threading, skip 1 slot/hole as needed to align to the front reed.  Off of the warp beam there will be spaces in the threading, but the reed facing the weaving is even with no empty slots/holes. Here are my calculations for a balanced threading across the warp . . .

  • 60/10 & 50/10, thread as two 50/10 (thread 5, skip1) same as two 12.5/in= 25epi
  • 50/10 & 40/10, thread as two 40/10 (thread 4, skip1), same as two 10/in = 20epi
  • 40/10 & 30/10, thread as two 30/10 (thread 3, skip1), same as two 7.5/in = 15epi
  • 30/10 & 20/10, thread as two 20/10 (thread 2, skip1), same as two 5/in = 10epi
  • 20/10 and 10/10, thread as two 10/10 (thread 1, skip1), same as two 2.5/in = 5epi

Click 1st photo to go to slideshow…

Scarf No.3

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This ultra fine cloth finished has 32 threads per inch in the warp, and was woven on my 20″ Ashford Knitters (rigid heddle) Loom, which is a fabulous sample loom for all the fine weight threads I have been so curious to try. This particular project is extremely fine cotton, was threaded through two 15 dent reeds, and I have no desire to go finer, this is the limit. Famous last words, eh?

One must look and wonder how all these gazillion threads in the warp can be kept track of, and I for one, can not.  I thought all the threads were there, but as I begin to weave, there’s empty slots where warp threads are suppose to be, maybe one or two were mis-threaded, or broke, and I missed them, but as I weave further, more threads have disappeared, likely in not catching them when I was threading the reeds. I just can’t pull my hair out over it, these are sample weavings, total leaps of faith and hoping for the best, I can’t take it too seriously.

The most impressive thing to me about this piece is that it was threaded through two rigid heddle reeds; double threading is a mind bend at first, but then after my first try using these instructions the process gelled and suddenly I felt like I was born knowing how to do it. So I’m weaving on in spite of the mysteriously thinning warp, it is a thrill to be weaving such ultra fine fabric on a simple, nearly primitive loom, even though weaving 30 epi on the rigid heddle loom means I am having to do the extra work of using a stick shuttle for both passing the weft and beating down to try for a balanced weave, and still it is not. Weaving on the rigid heddle in this way slows weaving down a great deal, and there is a lot to pay attention to.

Once I am finished with this piece I may try another similar double threading sample with a different reed combination, coupling a 15 and a 12 dent together, achieving a 24 epi, and maybe then I can beat with only a tap of the rigid heddle reed instead of having to beat it down with the stick shuttle. I strive to find the sweet spot where weaving is truly balanced, not forced, and ultimately what I want to achieve with plain weave.

A bit about the design; I crave bold block design in a subtle contrast, so developing my elongated big check blocks with or without a stripe, and selecting the two very low contrast neutral colors for the background check, for this piece was an attempt to get a “barely there” colorway, yet it is still bold enough, and I really love it!

♣   Weaving Notes  ♣

  • Yarn: 20/2 mercerized perle cotton, 8400yds / 1 lb, Maurice Brassard, in colors; Natural (P100), Light Beige (P-2), and Flax (P-5109). 
  • Loom: Ashford Knitters Loom 20″.
  • Warp:  Double threaded 4 ends per dent on first  reed, then through  a second reed using this method. Using a heddle stand is rather necessary, Jeff made the one I use in tech photos below.  I don’t know how to suggest an alternative, but if one has a couple of heavy objects or uses a bit of cleverness, one could rig a reed stand. Now, with the second reed forward, threading it through in a very seemingly complex manner, but it really isn’t.  Warp length is approx 110 inches from apron rod to warping peg.
  • Number of warp ends: 600 , or there about, as I lost some along the way. 
  • Reed: Two 15 dent rigid heddle reeds, about 19.5″ width in reed.
  • Sett on loom: Warp = 30 epi (ends/threads per inch),  weft =  ?? (forgot to measure).
  • Selvedges: I did not do floating selvedges, nor did I bother to double up and reinforce the selvedges, mostly because there was so much going on with threading through TWO reeds , but  a real positive thing about such a tight weave and having to beat with the stick shuttle to get the weft in place, there seems to be no draw-in on the edges. After about 12″ of weaving I noticed a little draw-in, so I started using the temple.
  • Sett after finishing: Warp 32 epi, and weft 24 ppi.
  • Color Pattern:   
    • Warp =  [12 slots with 4 ends each slot (48ends) light beige , 1 slot with 4 ends (4 ends) flax,  12 slots with 4 ends each slot (48ends) light beige.  12 slots with 4 ends each slot (48ends) natural, 1 slot with 4 ends (4 ends) flax,  12 slots with 4 ends each slot (48ends) natural, 12 slots with 4 ends each slot (48ends) natural. ] REPEAT for a total of 3 pattern reps, and 600 ends.
    • Weft = wound 60 full wraps on to a 30″ stick shuttle for each color, in repeating sequence natural and light beige. 
  • Finished: 1/4 inch turned hem, then washed and dried in machine, then pressed, measuring 81″ long and 18″ wide, and weighs 130g. 
  • Yardage:  Total yardage used for finished piece = 2405y, figured from weight of finished piece and not including loom waste.
  • What I will do differently next time:
    • Again, I ran out of room on the reed(s) while threading, and had to sacrifice the left 12 threads, but its so fine, that is like a quarter inch I am guessing. Second is I didn’t catch it, but there’s a few threads missing in the slots, and that is okay with me.
    • Glimakra slim boat shuttle actually fit in the shed!  I am so anxious to finally use it, I found I had to use the stick shuttle as a beater anyway, why not refine the movements and wind the stick shuttle with thread and omit the boat shuttle this time… but next time, with 24 epi , using 12 and 15 dent reeds double threaded, maybe it will be balanced.  

(( click 1st image to go to slideshow ))