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

A Slice of Pink -OR- Don’t Try This at Home

Oops!

It was late at night and I was in a hurry to finish. This is one way to add to my personal collection of kitchen hand towels. But I wouldn’t recommend it.

As soon as I took the last snip it was clear what was wrong. All the way up through the scissors I could feel the difference between single and double layers. Alas!

If not for the purple borders I could have salvaged this towel by hemming it slightly shorter. Oh, well. We will use it here at home and it will serve as a reminder to me: Slow down, be careful and get more sleep.

This one is a "keeper"

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Departures

Departure #1: A new technique

Each year my guild hosts a summer meeting. Topics vary but it is always a chance to gather with friends and learn something new, perhaps a bit tangential to weaving. At last summer’s program I learned Locker Hooking, an easy and satisfying technique in which fabric loops are pulled up through a canvas and locked into place by way of a cord running through the loops. After the program I was inspired to hook a larger piece.

When I finally managed to find a large piece of canvas I eagerly began hooking a piano-key border in black and blue strips cut from tee shirts. The single knit fabric makes a nice cushy structure and I was pleased. But once the border was in place I could not decide how to proceed with the center/main design area of the rug. I wanted to hook detailed images but was afraid because this was my first stab at Locker Hooking a big project on my own.

Locker Hooked Pond Rug

Please permit here a slight departure. Over the past summer my husband and I have been working to redesign our back yard. We increased the size of our little Goldfish Pond from 150 gallons to 300 gallons. It is only a stock tank sunk into the ground but we like it. With twice the space our fish are flourishing and we have employed new technologies for fighting algae. In the past Raccoons and Great Blue Herons have decimated our fish population but we decided not to add a protective cover mesh on the new pond. Instead we built a camouflaged hidey cave on the pond floor. Five months later the water is still clear, our fish are survivors and we can see and enjoy them better. Knock on wood!

Chart on page 141 inspired
my Pond Rug design

Anyway, ponds and fish had been on my mind when I finally came back around to Locker Hooking. Searching for inspiration I scoured my library for charted needlework designs. In “The Filet Crochet Book” by Chris Rankin I found a design of fish and flowers breaking through borders. Adjusting the figures to fit my canvas, I added the water lily leaves and bud and then filled the background to look like water. There was a bright orange tee shirt in my rag stash – perfect for either Goldfish or Koi. It all came together nicely and I spent many hours over Christmas and into January happily hooking.

Departure #2: Time Away

The entire second half of January I was away from home. Somewhere in my travels I caught this year’s dreadful cold/flu. Four weeks later I am still coughing and wheezing but feeling grateful to be improving every day. I finished my pond rug the night before I left on the trip but haven’t had time or energy to post about it until now.

Return: Home Again and Back to Weaving

The Pond Rug works well in front of our refrigerator where it catches errant ice cubes from the (ridiculous and messy) in-door dispenser. It makes me smile every time I step in the pond!

While I was away my husband bought me another package of the hard-to-find hooking canvas. Further pond ideas are dancing in my head. Maybe they are “swimming” in my head? But those will have to percolate in my mind for a bit because these days I am back at my loom and Waffle Weaving away. It is all fun!

May you stay well.

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!

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Waffle Weave – Sample #5

This time of year is always complicated but this particular year has been even more so than usual. 

Since Thanksgiving we have had a week of hardwood flooring repairs and installation. Then Swedish finish fumes sent us out of the house for several days. During that process, our garage-door opener quit working. At 22 years old, it wasn’t a huge surprise but the timing was not optimal. To top it all off, this week I was called to Jury Duty. Fear of a prolonged Christmastime trial evaporated yesterday when I finished my service without being chosen for a pool, much less a jury. Hooray! Finally, it’s back to waffling.

Front and Reverse of Waffle Sample #5
Small swatches on top
Variegated threads make great details on front and reverse sides.

Here is the final sample for this year’s Christmas towels. For this one I used natural and dark teal 16/2 cotton sett at 35 e.p.i. The variegated highlight is 10/2 perle, which was a bit too heavy. The difference made each little cell slightly rectangular. Even so the cloth is light, colorful and textural – a happy result.

One swatch - Two pieces
Left: Machine washed and dried
Right: As it came from the loom

My first weaving teacher, Barbara Doyon, suggested weaving a short sample at the beginning of each warp. Once off the loom, the sample is cut into two equal pieces warp-wise. One is finished, the other left as is. Kept together with written weaving notes, they record valuable information about yarns, structure, shrinkage, etc. I have been a weaver for many years and this is the first time I have followed Barbara's advice. Silly me!

Now I think I am ready to tackle my Christmas towels.

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Side by Side Swatches, detail
The little dots of color peeking out from the center of each waffle cell make me happy.

Waffling Away – Sample #4

My exploration of waffle weave drafts continues. This time I chose to use more of the 14/2 machine knitting cotton in an eye-popping green and navy blue. The sett is 35 e.p.i.

The draft is my own modification of Strickler #388. Floats in my previous samples (#1 & #2) seemed too long for towels. Snagging on rings is my primary concern since I plan to weave hand towels. So I merely shortened the floats by shortening the “V” of the waffle cells in both threading and treadling, omitting shaft 8 and treadle 8 and adjusting accordingly.

Variegated ends that peak out from the center of each cell add interest. The changing colors work well on the reverse side making for a lively surface grid. Both sides are nice.

Top left: Unwashed and unfinished sample with sewing thread weft for hem
Top right: Navy blue sewing thread for hem weft, machine hemmed, machine washed and dried
Lower: Reverse side, machine washed and dried

This cloth is rather satisfying. As well as being great for hand towels, it would be fantastic for baby blankets. I am on the right path but there is one more idea to test.

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Weaving Waffles -OR- Never Look a Gift Yarn

Several goals combined to send me searching for a great Waffle Weave draft. The hand towels in my kitchen are showing wear from many years of hard use. My handwoven Cottolin towels are particularly worn which is no surprise since they are favorites. Christmas is coming and I always like to send handwoven kitchen towels as gifts. And there are yarns on my shelf.

Early attempts at Waffle Weave
Top: Cottolin sett at 24 e.p.i.
Bottom: Cottolin sett at 18 e.p.i.

Detail showing wavy Waffle Weave hems

Waffle weave with its superior insulation and absorbance has always attracted me. And it is a magical and beautiful structure. Years and years ago I wove this little piece (tan one above) of Waffle using Cottolin, sett at 24 e.p.i., for both warp and weft. Machine washed and dried, it shrunk a bunch and the hems went wobbly. Next I tried weaving the same structure with (white) Cottolin sett at 18 e.p.i. I hoped a less dense sett would improve the hems. The problem with that idea is the waffle structure suffered. So I shelved that goal. But I  have been meaning to get back around to waffle weave for the longest time. Now is as good an opportunity as any.

Over time yarns from various friends, studio sales, estate sales, and such have worked their way into my stash. One late weaving friend in particular was an ardent yarn hoarder. Sorry to write it but she did very little weaving and a whole lot of yarn collecting. Anyway, one way or the other my shelves hold yarns that I did not particularly seek. They arrived without plan or purpose.

Not meaning in any way to dwell on the morbid, I intend to use my yarns—to use my stash while I am able. If the good Lord wills it, there will be plenty of time to achieve this goal. Going forward I aim to use, as far as possible, yarns already in hand, even if they are garish colors, unknown fibers or difficult grist or ply.

Sample #1
Orphaned yarns somehow make their way to me
The larger sample here has not been washed
This portion of the sample shows variegated perle cotton ends
 centered in the plain weave sections.

Sample #1
Top left is the unwashed portion
I tried several different colors and yarns for weft

With a few cones of 16/2 cotton on hand but wanting to save those for the actual towels, I decided to combine gift yarn of a similar size (pink and orange 14/2-cotton machine knitting yarn) to weave samples. Love for variegated yarns has kept several skeins of what appears to be space-dyed linen singles in a very fine size on my shelf. The pink and orange are eye-popping. Aside from the color it is beautiful, soft yarn. If only those yarns could tell me their tales!

Attempting to weave waffle without wavy hems, I am trying drafts that combine waffle with plain weave. First I tried draft #388 from Carol Strickler’s "A Weaver's Book of 8-Shaft Patterns". I like this draft because it combines a six-end waffle with three ends of plain weave in each threading repeat. Surely the addition of plain weave sections would help even out the hems.

Sample #1 sett of 24 e.p.i. was far too loose. For Sample #2 I tried 30 e.p.i., a big improvement but still not ideal. Later I re-sleyed to weave at 35 e.p.i. Also, using sewing thread as weft while treadling the waffle pattern for hems kept them nice and flat.

In the first few of these samples I tried to use a few widely spaced ends of the variegated among the cotton ends with disastrous result as it immediately began to break. (Predictable—what was I thinking?) The ones that survived eventually frayed away. Really, I ought to have expected problems. The second time around, I tried using my spinning wheel to ply the linen single with one ply of sewing thread. The thread held but the linen still broke and frayed. Back at the drawing board, I replaced the problem yarn with variegated perle cottons.

My friend Sue at The Willingham Weavery weaves lots of waffle weave so I asked her what she does about the hems. She told me she uses sewing thread for the hem weft. Another hint she gave was to weave in two "gathering" threads at each hem fold line. So far I haven't tried the second hint but it's good to know and may come in handy.

Sample #2 - Spaced dyed ends plied with sewing thread, alternating coral and pink in threading repeats, variegated ends are centered in the waffle cells
Top: Sett at 35 e.p.i., machine washed & dried
Middle: Sett at 30 e.p.i., machine washed & dried
Bottom right: Sett at 30 e.p.i., not washed, lower portion shows sewing thread weft for hems

Sample #3
Kerstin's draft from an IKEA towel
I gave up on using the linen singles.
This sample shows 10/2 variegated perle cotton instead.

Yarn skips in the 6-end waffles seem too long to be practical as kitchen towels. So now I am trying a draft from Kerstin's Extras blog. She analyzed an IKEA towel and came up with the draft. This structure is far more stable. The sewing thread hems worked well. But I didn’t like the way the waffle areas do not weave to square and I’m still not certain this is the way to go for my Christmas towels. The blue 10/2 perle cotton variegated ends are very pleasing in these samples. This draft will be worth coming back to another time.

Kerstin's draft makes a very stable structure sett at 36 e.p.i.
Here you see the sewing thread weft hems
 both before and after finishing

My pile of samples is growing. But I am learning lots and lots. Maybe all this pink and orange will be consumed and then with the 16/2 cotton I will begin again at square one. Waffle square, that is.

As for my goal of using Cottolin . . . I guess it will wait. And there are lots of other yarns on my shelves.

Warp On/Weave Off,
RepWeaver

Where Were We?

Summer this year was warm and dry. My husband and I have been busy outdoors with several yard projects so weaving has taken a back seat.

Next weekend is the Seattle Weavers’ Guild annual sale. I have been busy playing catch up. Maybe it wouldn't be such a rush if one of my table runners had not appeared on the publicity poster. In a bit of a panic I have been banging away at the loom to produce some more of that particular runner. Here is the poster. And here are the new runners. There are a total of six of the blue/purple ones and five of the green/turquoise ones.

Rep Weave table runners
8/4 carpet warp sett at 40 e.p.i.

As crazy as it may seem, these are woven using 8/4 cotton carpet warp sleyed four to a dent in a 10-dent reed for a sett of 40 e.p.i. Each warp end was threaded in it’s own heddle. I know I ask a lot of my Glimåkra Standard loom, but the result makes me very happy.

In the odd moment, I’ve sampled a bit of 8-shaft waffle weave. So far the results have been a disappointment. But I am not discouraged, only need more time to play with it. Before then, there is the sale. I need to get busy and put together my inventory.

My little Rep Runner inventory with SWG Sale Poster

If you happen to be in the area next weekend please stop by for a dazzeling display of handwovens and purchase something truly unique and wonderful.

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Blue detail

Green detail

Top sides

Reverse sides

Beginning and Improving

Rep Rugs
One of these is destined for a wedding gift

"We've Only Just Begun", sung by Karen Carpenter is playing in my head.

Here is my latest warp of rep rugs. Their sizes were dependent upon my supply of certain types of rags. The smallest one is with teal colored wide wale corduroy of which I had a limited amount. The beauty of that teal with this warp just sings. The happy combination more than compensates for the rug's small size. One of the longer rugs is destined for our dear friends' son and his bride.

As of today, the young couple has been married exactly two months. This gift rug will be in the mail to them far before the honeymoon glow has dimmed. For some couples that glow remains steady through decades and decades. That is our wish for Alec and Sarah. The rug should serve them well for at least the first couple of those decades.

These rugs are woven in Rep Weave using 8/4 cotton carpet warp sett at 24 e.p.i. The rags in two rugs are mostly old bed sheets. The other two have wide wale corduroy as the thick weft.

My experiment with floating selvedges in Rep Weave continues. Even though weaving with them is slightly slower, the method agrees with me. An extra opportunity for a splash of color adds to their appeal. Floaters greatly improve the selvedge edge on hems. This particular adventure will continue. Who knows the twists and turns to occur in subsequent chapters?

A floating selvedge in a contrasting color adds punch

The fuchsia-colored floater enhances these rugs

Life is a journey. Weaving can also be seen as a journey. In the studio and at the loom many discoveries are possible. Some things remain the same. But who is to say a new thought, new experience, new venture isn’t just around the corner? Even weaving an oft-repeated draft can spark a revelation or two.

Rep Rugs showing both sides. These rugs are reversible.

Time passes and every living thing ages. It is said that some things improve over time. Wine comes first to mind. Rugs age, may they do so gracefully. Marriages can mellow and bloom. I pray this is the case for Alec and Sarah. May it also be the case for their rug, a small token of our best hopes and wishes for a long and happy life together.

Warp On/Weave Off,
RepWeaver