Friday Roundup #34-20

Another week, another dollar. Tonight I noticed, really for the first time, the nights drawing in. Not that I mind it too much. I have to admit I like to see welcoming lights in a house and as we get closer to Christmas, all the twinkling lights on trees, glimpsed through the windows.

However, we are not quite there yet, although I could be tempted to switch on the tea lights in the hall, or light a couple of scented ones around the house.

Yes, I use those battery powered ones. There is only so many times I am willing to burn my fingers, dropping a lit candle into those holders.

Enough meandering, on with the round up from this week.

Clasped Warp Weaving

So, this was fun! I mean it. Well, mostly. Warping the loom seemed to take an age, but the upside is I didn’t need to thread all the holes, as it was already done.

A rigid heddle is comprised of slots and holes. The holes perform the action of lifting or lowering warp threads to create the shed, through which the shuttle passes. The slots do nothing except allow the non-hole threads stay where they are. Unless you manipulate them with pick up sticks.

So for clasped warp, you warp with two yarns. One at the far end around the warping peg, and the other from the rear of the loom. You thread the heddle hole and slot, one by one, and in each threading you pass the rear warp yarn through the loop of the front warp yarn, so it is clasped.

I hope that makes sense. Unusually for me, I didn’t take a picture. But you can get the idea from this one I shared in the week.

A couple of things I found out as I warped.

• Firstly, I miscalculated on the amount of warp needed. I didn’t double up enough. Each hole and slot has two threads, instead of one. I doubled for warping the holes, but not the two threads in each.
• Secondly, I started to realise I may not have enough yarn to weave and finish.

Last thing I wanted to do was buy more yarn.

So I started of weaving. I didn’t hem like I normally would, to save yarn.

I decided to rely on the waste yarn, used for spreading the warp, to hold it when off the loom. Then I’ll zigzag stitch on the machine.

I really enjoyed seeing this evolve. I was trying to think what it reminded me of. Then I remembered, it’s like the computer language in The Matrix where the letters and numbers tumble down in lines.

Here we are at the other end. Partway through, (near the start!) I realised I would have a tension issue. Maybe I should have released it all and rolled it back on again before weaving. But I carried on regardless.

Now when you have tension issues, you use small weights to gently pull the yarn taut again. I have no weights. But loom at that terrible tension.

Ooh look. It’s like the history of my waist size! I will point out the 40 and 44 are jacket sizes and only one is mine.

Who am I kidding? It’s probably mine now!

Well, the coat hangers helped, even if it did need regular attention particularly towards the last stretch. But, we got there and with one and a smidge balls of yarn. I think I had about 10 inches remaining.

And here is the finished object coming off the loom.

And here stretched out on the floor. If I had these colours in a thicker warp, I would make it as a runner. That would be cool.

And some stills.

The length is 77 inches and the width circa 19.5 to 20 inches.

You may be wondering what it will be. It is destined for chopping in half and stitching. But more on that next week.

In other news…

I made more jam. Another box of strawberries in which half were overripe. Again!

We also met some curious sheep. They took a couple of steps forward each time. I tempted one with some grass, but despite sniffing, no bites.

And the baby blanket is done. Kinda. I used all the yarn and played yarn chicken and added a row of single crochet. I had 5 inches remaining. 🙂

But, I had some more light yarn and thought it might be nice with another round. And I think it does, but I ran out. So now I’m thinking whether to buy extra or use this blue shade. Thoughts?

As usual the blue has not come out well. Think more like a pale sky blue, rather whatever that colour is. The blue is not many shades removed from the light green you can just see.

Anyway. It’s in debate at the moment.

So, that is this week done. Onto the weekend!

Have a good one.

PS. If I seem a bit sassy, it’s because we just watched We’re Here. I must be channeling drag queen! 😉