New project, we'll see how it unfolds.

Warbird · March 28, 2012, 09:50:08 PM

Wow. She sure is gonna be twitterpated when she sees the completed project, SD. Nice work.

SwampDonkey · March 29, 2012, 12:06:13 AM

Quote from: Clam77 on March 28, 2012, 09:23:38 PM
:D Spring is here SD... better hurry!! :D

We had a little snow today and some tonight I suppose. That'll calm things down. :D

Warbird · March 29, 2012, 12:02:03 PM

You guys got snow? We had a dusting a couple days ago but then it got up near 40 F, and all melted in a hurry.

SwampDonkey · March 29, 2012, 01:43:40 PM

An inch, but most of it is gone or will be gone today.

Clam77 · March 29, 2012, 09:04:50 PM

Been averaging in the 70's here - unheard of for this early in the year. No snow.. :D

SwampDonkey · March 30, 2012, 01:52:10 AM

Spreading the warp with the raddle (spreader) and lease sticks, checking for errors before beaming onto the back roller under tension. The warp ends are weighed with heavy books when working along. ;)

Never mind about the snow, lots of time to cut brush. ;D

Burlkraft · March 30, 2012, 08:20:25 PM

Wow man.....

This project is more than a project it's a full time job too :D :D :D

Nice work Donk ;D

SwampDonkey · March 31, 2012, 02:46:49 PM

Placing in warp sticks to protect the warp from the beam cords and for maintaining an even tension on the roller. ;D

SwampDonkey · March 31, 2012, 05:14:37 PM

With the beaming done, the ends of the warp are cut and bunched into 8 threads with a slip knot to keep track of the sequence of threads. The lease sticks remain in place with tie-on cord to the back beam to aid threading and hold tension. The raddle is removed.

Jeff · March 31, 2012, 05:27:09 PM

Quote from: SwampDonkey on March 31, 2012, 05:14:37 PM
With the beaming done, the ends of the warp are cut and bunched into 8 threads with a slip knot to keep track of the sequence of threads. The lease sticks remain in place with tie-on cord to the back beam to aid threading and hold tension. The raddle is removed.

Are you sure this isn't a quote from a Gene Roddenberry screen play?

Texas Ranger · March 31, 2012, 05:57:10 PM

Warp drive, Scottie!!!

DouginUtah · March 31, 2012, 06:34:27 PM

Hurry or we'll be weft behind. :D

SwampDonkey · March 31, 2012, 08:01:30 PM

I know Jeff, You'd need a dictionary in front of you for some of this stuff. Weavers have a language of their own. Forestry is bad enough. ;) And yes in deed I was thinking Star Trek to. :D :D

The warp threads, they run the length of your project, like a blanket. That's all them threads are so far. Basically half the threads required for the blanket if the weaving is balanced (warp:weft).

The lease sticks are used to hold a cross in the threads that was created when measuring off the warp on the warping mill. This happens when you make the loop around the turning point (a peg) and return to the start forming a figure 8. The lease has to be tied and always maintained to know the sequence of the threads or it would be a tangled mess of knots.

I put up the shafts here (4, with a pair of bars per shaft). On the shafts are attached the heddles (the eye for the warp threads to pass). The heddles make your pattern or weave structure along with the treadling sequence. This blanket will use a 4 shaft, 4 treadle draft and create a twill weave. Specifically, birdseye twill.

The first shaft is the one to the back, nearest the back beam. In this draft the first thread has to be put through the first heddle in shaft 1, thread 2 in heddle 1 of shaft 2 (the next shaft forward toward the chair). ;D

SwampDonkey · March 31, 2012, 08:51:20 PM

First repetition in the pattern is threaded, each rep has 22 warp ends (threads). Thirty-two reps to go. ;D

Clam77 · April 03, 2012, 10:59:49 PM

:D I'm gonna congratulate you on just being able to build the thing.. makes me dizzy just reading all that.. :D

Be interesting to see what kind of a blanket you end up with though if you're gonna try it with colored threads.. 8)

isawlogs · April 04, 2012, 09:58:22 AM

Ikea from scratch! :P :P :P

SwampDonkey · April 04, 2012, 06:59:45 PM

Birdseye twill. ;D

I have some errors in the weaving, but my biggest issue is crowding in the dents of the reed. I went 12 ends per inch and should have stuck with 8 ends. Also the edges, I would stay in a couple inches on the ends of the reed. And I could have done a better job on the tension. But, some of that issue was having to reglue the roller shaft.

As with anything learn by mistakes and improve as you go. 8) 8) 8)

SwampDonkey · April 07, 2012, 07:47:50 AM

An update picture:

I did finish the weaving on the blanket yesterday. ;)

An upgrade to the loom will be steel ratchet wheels. ;)

Warbird · April 07, 2012, 12:33:23 PM

That is amazing, SD. Seriously amazing. Can we see some more pics of the finished weave? Also, I'd love to see a video of the final piece fully functional while someone works it.

SwampDonkey · April 07, 2012, 07:33:21 PM

The video is just a couple picks with the shuttle. Crowding of the reed prevented a consistent smooth error free throw of the shuttle. I would cut the set from 12 to 8 epi to get a better shed with this weight of wool with a heavier set of 10 ends per inch (epi) for the picks (weft). Also caused selvedge troubles (edges).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJuluEHibE

Finished throw.