Category Archives: Abelene

Another Nine Days (Shawl No.2)

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It is just another one of those striking coincidences, that the days it took me to warp, weave, finish, and photograph Shawl No.2 is precisely the same number of days as Shawl No.1. Despite my best efforts to relax and enjoy the process, I began to focus on speeding up my technique, spending less time fussing at the selvedges, and worked at a frantic pace , and now my whole body is sore, and my arm feels like it is going to fall out of its socket. Abelene models the shawl in a most regal way and was compassionate and quiet today, although she did tell me what great work the wind did for the photos!

♣   Weaving Notes  ♣

I wanted to try big blocks of color this time, decided to weave the full length of the warp, not trying to enforce full repeats, so there is a little strip of gold at the end, giving beautiful asymmetry, and a unique folksy touch.

  • Yarn: Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud lace weight, 440 y = 50g, in Lydia (rust red), Zadie (gold), Willoughby (warm light grey), and Arabella (dark green).
  • Loom: Ashford 32″ rigid heddle loom
  • Warping method:  Easy direct warp method for rigid heddle, 1 end in hole and 1 end in slot.
  • Number of warp ends: 472
  • Reed: 15 dent rigid heddle reed.
  • Width in reed: 30.5″
  • Selvedges: I added 4 extra ends to each of the selvedges, as they tend to get pulled in, and I used a temple.
  • Sett after finishing: Warp 16 epi, and weft 16 ppi.
  • Color Pattern Warp: 118 ends each of Lydia, Zadie, Willoughby, and Arabella, approx 7.5″ blocks.
  • Color Pattern Weft: Same sequence as warp, weaving each color in blocks, but ended in a little strip bit of gold for a folksy touch.
  • Finished: 3″ hand-twisted fringe, then washed and air-dried hanging, and lightly steam pressed. Measures 96″ long (not including fringe) and 29″ wide, and weighs 275g — approx 68g of each color.
  • Yardage:  Total yardage used for finished piece = 2422y, figured from weight of finished piece and not including loom waste.

Nine Days (Shawl No.1)

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Hi, its me Abelene,

Nine days ago the newest member of the crew arrived, the Ashford 32″ Rigid Heddle Loom, and Jen waxed the pieces and put them together.  She then spent seven days weaving an impressively voluminous alpaca shawl. Today, the fringes were hand-twisted, shawl washed and quickly dried in the cold winter breeze, loose ends trimmed and lightly steamed. Finally, the excitement began when Jen brought me out of the closet to model this beautiful piece of weaving . . . the shawl makes me feel sophisticated, moody, and quite elegant with the color rich weaving wrapped around me, like I could live forever in this moment! Jen has got much more alpaca, so there’s hope this winter will find more shawls coming into view.

Ta ta, Abelene & The Crew

♣   Weaving Notes  ♣

Note from Jen:  Woven in the same lovely alpaca that I have been for many months now, but the weaving width is double of that in the scarf series, and therefore a full sized shawl, at 29 x 84 inches.  I have a lot of ideas for this loom, and I mustn’t be in a rush, but let the hours and days, weeks and months pass by at their own pace; with the awe of a child and the patience of an old woman. Adding to my collection of rigid heddle looms, was inevitable, it was time for this loom, and I know I’ll weave on it a lot! Now, for the tech stuff . . .

  • Yarn: Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud lace weight, 440 y = 50g, in Amos (green), Lydia (rust red), and Zadie (gold).
  • Loom: Ashford 32″ rigid heddle loom
  • Warping method:  Easy direct warp method for rigid heddle, 1 end in hole and 1 end in slot.
  • Number of warp ends: 472
  • Reed: 15 dent rigid heddle reed.
  • Width in reed: 30.5″
  • Selvedges: I added 4 extra ends to each of the selvedges, as they tend to get pulled in, and I used a temple.
  • Sett after finishing: Warp 16 epi, and weft 16 ppi.
  • Color Pattern Warp: [52 ends Zadie, 52 Amos, 52 Lydia] x 3
  • Color Pattern Weft: Same sequence as warp, weaving each color in blocks.
  • Finished: 3″ hand-twisted fringe, then washed and air-dried hanging, and lightly steam pressed. Measures 84″ long (not including fringe) and 29″ wide, and weighs 241g — approx 80g of each color.
  • Yardage:  Total yardage used for finished piece = 2120y, figured from weight of finished piece and not including loom waste.

An Auspicious Autumn (Scarf No. 13)

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Hi, its me Abelene,

Jen did not weave on her scarves at all this summer, and now suddenly another alpaca scarf to show for a very auspicious occasion of the beginning of Autumn. Jen rattled through this scarf in the very last days of summer, having left it on the loom since Spring, while frenzied all summer long with other creative textile pursuits, as designing tweed blends, formulating dye recipes, ikat resist patterning and backstrap warp-faced weaving. We (the crew of inanimate objects) came out of the closet for this finishing event, and Señor Mirando and I have come to the conclusion that Jen has got something up her sleeve, finishing this scarf for the Equinox.

Happy Autumn, from Abelene & The Crew

♣   Weaving Notes  ♣

Note from Jen: With this scarf and every scarf I have woven on the 16″ rigid heddle loom, I have been using this simple tensioning tool, and if you would like to see the technical information about it, I give more detail in the post Scarf No.12

  • Yarn: Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud lace weight, in Amos (green), Zadie (deep gold), and Molesley (beige), 440 y = 50g
  • Loom: Ashford 16″ rigid heddle loom
  • Warping method:  Easy direct warp method for rigid heddle, 1 end in hole and 1 end in slot.
  • Number of warp ends: 240
  • Reed: 15 dent rigid heddle reed.
  • Width in reed: 15″
  • Selvedges: I did not add extra ends to the selvedges, but did use a temple.
  • Sett after finishing: Warp 16 epi, and weft 16 ppi.
  • Color Pattern Warp: [40 ends Amos, 40 ends Molesley, 40 ends Zadie] x 2
  • Finished: 3″ hand-twisted fringe, then washed and air-dried hanging, and lightly steam pressed. Measures 82″ long and 14.5″ wide, and weighs 133g. 
  • Yardage:  Total yardage used for finished piece = 1170y, figured from weight of finished piece and not including loom waste.
  • Note to self, recipient was Eleanor

Unassailable Spring (Scarf No.12)

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Hi, its me Abelene.

It is finally warming up, and all the insects are on the wing, and while the meadow grass grows higher by the hour, the days are rolling on like an enchanted pastoral scene in the mountains. Jen is weaving pensively through the afternoons, and the crew of inanimate objects and I are having our usual philosophical debates in the closet. All is in an easy and unfettered mood, the mood of warmth and days growing longer at long last, a glorious and unassailable Spring!

As for the alpaca scarf, it appears to be a Freudian Slip of weaving, as these colors turned out completely Autumnal, being Jen’s absolute favorite season, none the less, it is exquisite, even to be woven in Springtime.

Abelene & The Crew

Note from Jen: A few months back I made a discovery that I really want to revisit, for it has developed and I want to make sure to bring it to the fore, so that others may benefit from it. The improvised wooden piece that I came up with in the post Ikat No.1 ; I have developed its use in every weaving since, essentially becoming a loom “breast beam” as well as a fine tensioning tool. I wrote —

“When I was more than halfway through the weaving, and the front cloth beam was getting pretty packed with woven fabric and cardboard I found the cloth beam to have a certain amount of “squish”, the selvedges conforming to the curve of the cloth winding on irregularly, and not really producing a perfectly flat weave. This I assume is one of the things about rigid heddle weaving, the cloth beam builds cloth and as it does the woven cloth distorts in shape, as well as effects the stability of the tension.“

I have found several reasons why this simple fine sanded wood slat board has made a difference:

  • It is a fine-tuning for tension I found in rigid heddle weaving very much needed, as the tension changes in the down and up shed of the reed. The board moved forward (toward the weaving) loosens the tension – and moved back (toward the weaver) tightens it. This fine tuning of the tension allows better weaving , but also so that I can position a temple, or add cardboard warp separators, and a pulling back of the board tightens the tension, which helps open the sheds significantly.
  • It offers the crisp edge of a proper breast beam, such that some rigid heddle looms do not have as part of their simplistic design, Ashford being one of them. This is especially necessary if using a temple to stretch the weave the full width of the rigid reed, also I have found is necessary for a well balance weave with neat and tidy selvedges. Without a temple I find the selvedge warp threads get frayed-to-breaking, as the cloth can narrow and the selvedge threads rub against the reed, and it is a disaster when a warp thread breaks, especially the selvedge warp threads.
  • My tensioning board is 1/4″ thick and 2″ wide, it should be as long as the weaving width of the loom, so that it easily can support a maximum width warp. I will be making one of these for all of the rigid heddle looms I have.

♣   Weaving Notes  ♣

  • Yarn: Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud lace weight, in Dashwood (med brown), Zadie (deep gold), Molesley (beige), and Lydia (brick red). 440 y = 50g
  • Loom: Ashford 16″ rigid heddle loom
  • Warping method:  Easy direct warp method for rigid heddle, 1 end in hole and 1 end in slot.
  • Number of warp ends: 240
  • Reed: 15 dent rigid heddle reed.
  • Width in reed: 15″
  • Selvedges: I did not add extra ends to the selvedges, but did use a temple.
  • Sett after finishing: Warp 16 epi, and weft 16 ppi.
  • Color Pattern Warp: [30 ends Dashwood, 30 ends Zadie, 30 ends Molesley, 30 ends Lydia] x 2
  • Pattern Weft: Gold & Red dominant pattern: 2″ squares of [Zadie, Lydia, Dashwood, Zadie, Lydia, Molesley] rep length of warp.
  • Finished: 3″ hand-twisted fringe, then washed and air-dried hanging, and lightly steam pressed. Measures 72″ long and 14.5″ wide, and weighs 120g. 
  • Yardage:  Total yardage used for finished piece = 1056y, figured from weight of finished piece and not including loom waste.

Inescapable Spring (Scarf No.11)

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Hi, its me Abelene.

The Inescapable Spring is upon us, and breaking through the rain clouds are streaming in colors of the most vibrantly rich tones imaginable, the colors of apricots ripening on the tree, the gold sun kissed fruits soon to ripen to perfection before being plucked and bitten into. Señor Mirando and I think the Inescapable Spring weaving is definitely speaking of apricots. March has come in like a lion, and with cool breezy days full of beautiful weather still blowing through, Jen says she is going to warp another in the alpaca scarf series, because the mood is still on!

Abelene & The Crew

♣   Weaving Notes  ♣

Note from Jen: What I love most about this piece is that the colors melt into each other, with low contrast on the grey scale. I want to repeat this , the colors really surprised me in the end, I thought it was going to be too much color, but it all gets toned down in the intersection of the colors. This time I was careful to set the loom up correctly for direct warping, and it was easy, and it was the perfect length. The second alpaca lace-weight I have woven on the 16″ rigid heddle loom, and I just love the balanced plain weave, the sett, the drape, and the light buoyancy to the fabric, I still absolutely am loving weaving this series.

  • Yarn: Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud lace weight, in Zadie (deep gold), Bernice (warm pink to apricot), and Amos (moss green), 440 y = 50g
  • Loom: Ashford 16″ rigid heddle loom
  • Warping method:  Easy direct warp method for rigid heddle, 1 end in hole and 1 end in slot.
  • Number of warp ends: 240
  • Reed: 15 dent rigid heddle reed.
  • Width in reed: 15.5″
  • Selvedges: I did not add extra ends to the selvedges, but did use a temple.
  • Sett after finishing: Warp 16 epi, and weft 16 ppi.
  • Color Pattern Warp: [40 ends Zadie, 40 ends Bernice, 40 ends Amos] x 2
  • Pattern Weft: [2.5″ Zadie, 2.5″ Bernice, 2.5″ Amos] repeated length in sequence.
  • Finished: 3″ hand-twisted fringe, then washed and air-dried hanging, and lightly steam pressed. Measures 76″ long (not including 3″ fringe) and 15″ wide, and weighs 121g. 
  • Yardage:  Total yardage used for finished piece = 1065y, figured from weight of finished piece and not including loom waste.

Scarf No.10

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Hi, its me Abelene.

I’m wearing the first finished weave in Jen’s latest series of alpaca scarves; she apparently got a lot of lace-weight alpaca yarn to weave a pile of them, in various colors and patterns, so obviously she’s feeling optimistic for a new adventure. Believe me when I tell you that this weave is so sheer and light and lovely to wear, the alpaca creates a depth of richness that cotton, linen, or even wool, simply cannot, and Jen thinks this is because of the natural luster of the ‘hair’ structure of alpaca, and the color saturation of dyed protein fibers. Hopefully there are still a couple of weeks left of winter in Paris, because that is where this alpaca scarf is heading next, as Jen wants to rush this off to her sister-in-law as soon as she photographs it … on moi!

Ta ta, Abelene

♣   Weaving Notes  ♣

Note from Jen: This time I tried placing pegs around the table, so I didn’t have the warp taking up the whole room, which turned the table into a warping board! I believe I could improvise this way for any amount of warp length within reason. As it was, without having the reference of warping this way before, I accidentally made the warp a little too long … oh well, I’ll do better next time. The very fine lace-weight knitting yarn weaves up into a beautiful light and buoyant draping fabric, I absolutely love it!

  • Yarn: Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud lace weight, in Elizabeth (deep red) and Lydia (brick), 440 y = 50g
  • Loom: Ashford 16″ rigid heddle loom
  • Warping method:  Easy direct warp method for rigid heddle, back to front, double threading from back apron rod through reed, then around pegs on table (a warping board). Wound on to back beam and finally tied off on to front for weaving. Rethreaded to have 1 end in hole and 1 end in slot. I forgot to measure the warp…oops!
  • Number of warp ends: 240
  • Reed: 15 dent rigid heddle reed.
  • Width in reed: 15.5″
  • Selvedges: I did not add extra ends to the selvedges, but did use a temple.
  • Sett after finishing: Warp 16 epi, and weft 16 ppi.
  • Color Pattern Warp: [40 ends red , 40 ends brick] x 3
  • Pattern Weft: 5″ red, 2.5″ of brick, repeated length in sequence.
  • Finished: 3″ hand-twisted fringe, then washed and air dried hanging, and lightly steam pressed. Measures 98″ long and 15″ wide, and weighs 140g. 
  • Yardage:  Total yardage used for finished piece = 1232y, figured from weight of finished piece and not including loom waste.

Things going on…

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Hi, its me Abelene.

There are things going on, and Jen has asked me to chat here a bit, about it being the time of year which demands a lot of work outside, and that Jen is tired, sore, and grumpy. But I am not! I am always cheerful and see the bright side of everything! For one, this lovely softer-than-a-cloud baby alpaca sweater I am wearing . . . it is a sample of more variations to come ( Jen hopes, with all good intention ) in a series of a redesign from an old pattern that was before my time, one of her first, back when her nieces were so young, it was the Chaltén Beret . It happened in the summer of 2014, and since only a few were ever made, she has decided to bring it to the fore and create a collection around it, which will include the pattern for this pullover that I am wearing, and who knows what else, but you can see all the posts past & present in the series Chaltén .

Recently I have been talking in the closet with Jen’s various unemployed looms, about matters of the heart; about cultivating and enriching the muse within, even when it feels barren, and dedication to a work ethic in all things artful, even when it seems futile or meaningless.

Hey, there is a rumor among the looms that one of them has been selected by Jen for another little series happening at the same time as everything else, also involving more alpaca, some gifts needing to be made, and Jen said to me that she thinks I should learn how to weave, to help her out with all the things going on.

Until the next …

Ta ta,

Abelene

Scarf No.9

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Hi, its me Abelene.

In the end, it was impossible to photograph, the colors could not be grasped by the camera. Even after trying a hundred shots, in different areas of lighting, only these few worked out. But Jen told me how amazing this one was to be weaving freely with no measured blocks of color, just changing quill bobbins randomly, and she has a lot to say about the whole project in the weaving notes below, so I’ll just smile and wave. I personally think the Marigold Scarf (no.9) is so beautiful, in its deep and rich gold tones, and I wish you could see the colors as they really are, but this photo out of all the many, captures the colors best . . .

♣   Weaving Notes  ♣

Note from Jen: Yes, this project was difficult, and I must confess I am not all that encouraged about dyeing cotton but am gaining perspective in the concept of “slow cloth”. After the many steps of scouring, mordanting, dyeing, then finally washing and rinsing, the actual yarn, and that is before the loom is even warped. I must ask myself is it worth it? I ponder this because I really love weaving, but maybe the added overwhelm from dyeing the cotton yarns first did add a new level of complexity. I have tried indigo, madder, pomegranate and marigold, and in every yarn the results were dull and almost unappealing as the sheen of the undyed mercerized cotton was lost after all the processing through the steps, the luster was gone. I will not give up, I just need a small break, in order to be fresh for learning again. You can see all posts for this project here.

  • Yarn: Yellow , dark gold , green gold overdyed 10/2 yarn (see this post. )
  • Loom: Ashford 16″ rigid heddle loom.
  • Additional tools: I used a temple and the board I rest against the cloth beam to stabilize and lengthen the weaving surface.
  • Warp:  Direct warp set-up, 1 end in every heddle/hole, and 1 in every dent/slot –drawing out from apron rod to peg is approx 110 inches from apron rod to warping peg.
  • Number of warp ends: 239.
  • Reed: 15 dent rigid heddle 15.5″ in reed. (The loom says 16″ weaving width, but there is only the capacity in the reed for 15.5″ .
  • Sett on loom: Warp = 15 epi,  weft = 15 ppi
  • Sett after finishing: Warp 16 epi, and weft 16-18 ppi.
  • Color Pattern: Warp =  random pattern.
  • Finished: 3 inch twisted fringe, then washed and dried in machine, then pressed. Measures 78″ long (not including fringe) and 14″ wide, and weighs 135 g. 
  • Yardage:  Total yardage used is approx 1250 y, figured from weight of finished piece and not including loom waste.
  • Note to self, recipient was eventually Camille, although it was intended for Nina.

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″
  • Recipient: Sorcha

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.

New parts to an old thing.

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Hi, its me Abelene.  Jen is making A Frothy Thing, the alpaca thing which I am wearing here (wait, um, but does it look like there’s an ice-cream cone on my head?) Jen says that she is happy to have me fill in for Day 1 of February, because she is ever so lost in a sea of frothy knitting, and needs to be continually throwing stitches instead of writing in her blog. What could ever be so important that she is not blogging? Oh, but she says what she is working on is not a new thing, but new parts to an old thing. Right, I know that makes perfect sense, and it will all come clear very soon, whenever Jen makes it back and I’m in the closet again, talking to the inanimate objects which long for a script to follow as I do.  As for elsewhere and other things . . . it is already mid-winter . . . windy, sunny, and even I (a dress form) am longing for the pitter patter of rain on the roof (and maybe a new dress too).

Ta ta, Abelene

Abelene Appears

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Hi, its me Abelene. Its been a very long time since Jen brought me out of the closet, and I must admit, I was more desperate than I let on, when in fact, it occurred to her to give me a try for her latest Finished Thing. Whew, I was glad she did, because if you’re not appearing, you most certainly are disappearing! What she has me trying on here is another Fisher Vest, don’t ask her why she knit four of these beauties, she can’t tell you. I personally think its because she loves the design, because I’m not joking, she’s casting on for another!

Me? I just love the squiggles! Really, it was in order to officially test the latest armscye shaping. Right, she means armhole, and of course, she couldn’t resist another crew neck . Aren’t crew necks the greatest thing ever? But what I really love about the photos below are all the sweet Autumny things, like acorns and fir cone, and oak and madrone leaves, they all really gives me a sense of seasonal bliss. It is afterall, October still.

Jen says she is trying to make a date with her eldest niece who happens to be so very busy, so that she can model this Fisher Vest for some castle photographs, and be given her Autumn Thing which is the original prototype, and which has been folded up in a drawer waiting patiently through the scorching months of summer. Let me tell you fine people, I fully understand that feeling.

Talks are about to happen, dates penned in, moments fleeting and some more memories made. Hopefully very soon she’ll be here instead of me, but quite frankly I’m glad it was me today!

Ta ta for now,

Abelene

ps. Oh, I forgot to mention the techy stuff:

Pattern: Fisher Vest

Yarn: Lettlopi by Alafosslopi, color Ash Heather (0056)

Project details on Ravelry here.

Abelene speaks!

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Hi, its me, Abelene. Its been a very long time since Jen has brought me out of my closet to model beautiful hand-knit things, but there is something really important that she wants me to show you right now . . .

um, something about recreating the original photo . . . what do you think?

After losing all of her lovely lace Fishwives prototypes within weeks of knitting them, and never even getting to wear even one of them in that fateful Autumn, Jen felt that loss almost as dearly as any. But after the wildfire, one of the first things she bought again was another ME, and the dear little hand-made fish shawl pin she had found on Etsy , which I had modelled the original prototypes with. Jen has just been waiting for another Fishwives stole to be completed, so she could put us all together, and here we are !

You see, Jen really wanted to bridge over to recreate the experience of ‘a pile o’ fishy shawls’ . . . and yet although she tried, she drowned herself in new designs to distract herself, which required a lot of knitting different and new non-lace prototypes, and never seemed to get around to making the Fishwives stole she wanted. An important anniversary of the year after the first one brought her to cast on but it sat, in a basket. Everytime she’d pick it up she had to relearn the chart, etc, typical knitterly & nonsensical excuses, which kept it from getting knit. Then very recently a real effort was made, and voila!

Splashing fish tails and waves are the Fishwives Lace Shoal signature theme, do you see them? ((shhh… but Jen is already casting on for another, a second in her pile o’ fishy shawls)) At last Jen has a lovely stole to wrap herself me in , again!

Ta ta for now, Abelene.

♣     ♣     ♣

Pattern: Fishwives Lace Shoal

Yarn: One very sentimental skein of Sweet Georgia Merino Silk Lace, brought with Jen when the wildfire came.

Project details: on Ravelry here.

All fun posts FISHY ! ~~ scroll to bottom of posts to read about the theme.!