Why RepWeaver?

Rep is one of my favorite weave structures and I have woven lots and lots of Rep.

An alternate allusion is “repeat” or “repertoire”. The second usually refers to a stock set of plays, songs, etc. performed on a rotating schedule. 

For the most part I weave each of my designs three times, tying on to the first warp twice. This way I can try a variety of colors and make slight design changes on each subsequent warp, learning as I go.

Results of my Waffle Weave adventures
6 Harness Waffle Weave (far left to right) light blue, olive, red
7 Harness Waffle Weave (center left to right) dark teal, pink, dusty plum

In my waffle weave adventures I wove two variations: one on 7 harnesses, the other on 6 harnesses. Both were warped with three different color versions. Here they all are.

Fall is coming - my favorite season. It's a great time to switch gears and seek new adventures. Time to get back to Rep Weave.

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

Teal Waffles

A cone of 16/2 dark teal cotton found its way to my stash. It sat on the shelf for a long time. I have not been using 16/2 and since I haven’t used it I haven’t collected many cones of this size. Recent waffle adventures were the perfect chance to use what little 16/2 I had.

The "right" side of Teal Waffles hand towel

The lighter stripes in this warp are actually a lovely pale grey. I expected the bright colors in the variegated yarn to really pop where they peek through in the center of each waffle cell. It seems the teal yarn has a bit more loft than yarns in previous warps. It bloomed slightly in the wash and now the colors barely show at all.

The "wrong" side of Teal Waffles hand towel

The reverse side is nice though. That is where those colors really sing. When the towels were all finished and washed I wished they'd been hemmed to the other side making the reverse the "right" side. 

The nice thing is, when drying hands, both sides of the towel are easily visible and enjoyed. And besides, there is always the next warp.

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

A Sweet Stack of Waffles

A great waffle stack
Towels from four warps beginning with the first one on down

Look at that sweet stack of waffles! These are what I still have of four separate waffle warps. There are fewer left of the top two because they were the earliest. Additional Waffle Weave warps have come off my loom since my previous post when I whacked the pink towel. My fifth waffle warp is off the loom and waiting to be cut apart and hemmed. There will be more about the latter warps in future posts. I am having a lot of fun weaving waffles. Can you tell?

The latest addition to our back garden
We look forward to warm weather
 out in the new Gazebo.

In the mean time the great outdoors has been calling and keeping me busy. Yard work is fun in spite of frequent pouring rain. We dodge the drenching when we can and put up with the damp when we must. Going outside and thinking about growing things (things other than weeds!) is invigorating. Often even if I don’t feel like it, I head out there thinking of doing a specific small task or two. Before I know it I am enjoying the work and making real progress. My husband and I look forward to warmer, dryer weather. We look forward to leaves on trees, colorful flowers and fresh vegetables in our own yard. All the toil is worth the resulting satisfaction and enjoyment.

It can be like that with weaving, too. Sometimes it seems so pointless. Why am I doing this? It takes so much time. Perfectly acceptable commercially woven towels, rag rugs, baby blankets, etc. are available at discount stores. Yet, there is a difference. Having beautiful and useful handwoven things in our home is satisfying. Cloth of my own making speaks to me of who I am and what I have accomplished. Working at the warping mill, the loom, the sewing machine is what I do and have always done best. Color, proportion and design speak to me. A long list of ideas and goals spurs me on to create. Even repeating a draft can be an adventure. There is always another color arrangement, another yarn combination, another end purpose. The possibilities are endless and fascinating. The end product gives me satisfaction; the process brings me joy. And giving handwoven gifts is a unique way to express my love for friends and family.

Detail, Pink 7H Waffle Weave Towel
16/2 Cotton, Sett: 36 e.p.i.

Detail, Reverse side Pink 7H Waffle Weave Towel

Lately there have been some distractions and distresses in my life. But somehow, even if it’s late at night, I find time to weave. I create unique gifts, beautify my home, and feed my creative spirit. I weave. What could be better? Sunny weather, maybe??? Ha!

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

Meant to be Together

Three yarns for my 2017 Christmas towels came from three different sources. The 16/2 cotton in Natural came as a WEBS mill end several years ago. The 16/2 Bockens cotton in "Dusty Purple" came my way via the free shelf at my weaver's guild. An unidentified person brought several boxes of yarns that had belonged to her grandmother. Apparently none of the family chose to take up weaving and grandmother's stash was of no use to her heirs. The third, variegated yarn came from the estate sale of a former friend and fellow guild member. Although the rather large cone of this yarn is unmarked, I think it is 20/2 cotton. These yarns came to me at different times from different sources. I did not have a use in mind for them when they arrived. But with these towels it seemed clear that they were meant to come together in one cloth.

Large cone of variegated from an estate sale
Bockens 16/2 Cotton in "Dusty Purple" from someone's grandmother's stash
Mill end 16/2 cotton in Natural from WEBS

The time spots of color inside each waffle cell are a little too subtle, probably because that variegated yarn is a bit finer than the other two. The changing colors show far better on the reverse side where they form a surface grid. Even so I find the colors and the arrangement pleasing.

Waffle Weave Christmas Towel, detail

Waffle Weave Christmas Towel, reverse side detail

Using yarns from my stash, especially those that once belonged to other weavers, makes me happy. Perhaps these yarns waited a very long time specifically in order to become part of this very project. It's impossible to know the reason why the original owners had these yarns or what they had in mind for them. In my imagination it is nice to think they would be happy that yarns they held have become useful and beautiful hand towels.

Here's wishing you a very Happy New Year, a year filled with exciting and satisfying new weaving adventures.

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

2017 Christmas Towels

Merry Christmas, everyone!

This year's Christmas towels are a wrap. Perhaps they have been opened already or are still waiting beneath a Christmas tree. By now there isn't much chance of spoiling any surprises.

Waffle Weave Christmas Towels

Using my own 7H version of draft #388 from Carol Strickler's 8 Harness book, these are woven in 16/2 cotton sett at 36 e.p.i. If you think you are seeing a bit of yellow, you are right. Next time I will post a photo of the yarns I used as well as some detail shots so you can better see the structure.

We had a very rare dusting of Christmas Eve snow during the evening so it looks like a White Christmas is in store for tomorrow. Mostly I wanted to write a quick post before I go to bed to send my best wishes. Merry Christmas!

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver