Its so lovely to learn new skills even when you get to pension age! I've had a very rewarding 10 week class at The Weaving Rooms in Darlington learning to weave on a tabletop loom and today in my tenth week, I managed to finish my first big piece of cloth... I had previously made a sampler for practice and to learn basic weaving techniques, never having been on a loom before - see earlier post. And then, with the expert guidance and patience of Becky, I embarked on a larger more substantial - allegedly 'planned' piece of cloth with the intention of using it to make something 'useful' with.
I had looked at various projects on the go around the class for inspiration. Most of it way beyond my capabilities! One person came in with a lovely bag she had made using a pattern called a shadow weave or 'log cabin' and I decided I would like to try doing something similar.
I picked two contrasting colours and under tuition I warped up the loom (daunting) and commenced weaving. I committed myself to making a piece of pattern to an exact plan for at least 20 inches and then of course I just couldn't resist starting to play! Once I had conquered the pattern I felt experimental urges overtaking me... and started to use the two colours and different patterns to see how they would work. This time I was disciplined enough to write down what I was doing in case I wanted to repeat it somewhere along the line.
Some of the experiments worked fine and I liked them very much some were not quite so interesting but still they all flowed into each other building an ever growing interesting and detailed piece of fabric... I continued to use a plain tabby weave technique and the two colours, just changing the basic pattern and doubling up threads and colours to see the different effects possible, but, it wasn't long before I sneaked another colour in - I had been feeling a need for deep pink for some time and eventually the call became just to compelling to resist.
What I love about this pattern even just with two colours is how when you weave the colours merge and change depending on which is the most dominant and this changes again depending whether that dominance is in the warp or the weft. This means the fabric has an ever changing surface and texture. When a third colour is added this adds yet another completely different dimension to the ever changing colour wheel - in this circumstance the cerise yarn looking very pink sometimes and then deep purple in other places, and the tones of the blue and green changing as well. Its really very lovely watching the colours emerge.
I also learnt some technical mending skills and solutions as well. One of my warp threads broke - soon easily - when you know how - fixed, some overlooked mistakes were also rectified with short cuts shown and a steady hand! Even when I thought I had broken the loom being over enthusiastic it was all soon put to rights and finally yesterday I reached the point when I could no longer weave any further and I cut the threads and pulled my first piece of fabric off the loom! I used 100% Shetland wool and have a piece of fabric about 20 inches wide by 2 yards all woven by me!!!
Once loose, the loom looked empty and I felt a little bereft in a strange way- fabric finished, class finished, that quiet absorption time gone for now, ... but my piece of cloth was a wonderful prize.. I took it home and washed it, which made the pattern and threads 'settle' and the wool soften. Then I sewed all the loose ends in and tidied the ends into tassels and for now its a shawl... but that is because I am marveling at its entirety and I cant yet bring myself to cut it - but I can imagine this lovely fabric becoming a skirt in the not to distant future!!
I've got clear and present instructions on how to warp up my loom lurking in the garage. that's my next project hopefully next week before I forget what to do! I wont be returning to weaving classes until the new year as I have to be sensible and I start my degree again in September but I have plenty to think about and practice with at home and look forward to doing just that!
The possibilities are endless - even with simple weaving - I can see how these lovely home worked fabrics can be worked into with embroidery, or additional applique, printing, machine work, - there are no limits, I'd better get going!!!!
Awwwww.... this post brought back so many unexpected and very happy memories for me. I used to have a table loom when I was a young 'un. I got it as a christmas present one year, probably due to the fact that my uncle married a Finnish lass, and when we went to visit their house in Sheffield, one room was completely given over to a full size floor loom, and we watched and listened as she sat at the loom weaving fabric. I was captivated by the clickety clack as she controlled the mechanism with her feet and passed the shuttle backwards and forwards building up the fabric... hypnotising and magical. My table loom produced basic wall hangings and scarves, and I absolutely loved it! Thrilled you have got into weaving :) xx
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