Always - always check the numbers

Today is a bit of a weaving update, but not as much has been done as I hoped. I am weaving - the first project on the Loman loom since adding a Texsolve tie up. I began by thinking about what I wanted to make, and then to see if I had enough of any one or two cotton 8/2 thread to complete the project. I didn't so ordered some more- not a lot but a few more colours.

I didn't grab a photo of the newer ones - but here they are amonst  my modest stash of weaving yarns. Mostly 8/2 cotton, some 10/2 and some 12/2, I am planning to experiment and see what I like best.  I have a preference for Blues and Greys and I am trying to combat that with some yellow and greens. These are called 'tubes' - at least in America, something which amuses me. At $30= per 'tube' it take a little 'investment' to build a coherent colour palette - and a weaving project can wipe out 2-3 of these in one go.

 So .. playing safe, although not as safe as a white or cream warp I decided the warp would be a light to dark gradient - still fairly safe but one that allows me to play with lots of different colours  in the weft - this is planning for a batch of tea towels.

I am beginning to feel comfortable using the Ashford warping mill - finding that sweet spot with just enough push to make it rotate enough to wind the yarn from top to bottom - or bottom to top in one smooth motion.  The guide thread was a strong bright orange and I loved the way it popped against the black thread. I think I will be back to the yarn suppliers looking for a tube of that orange. 

At that point I discovered I am a beginner, this is probably only my 6th weaving project. I began to 'sley the reed' (gotta love the weaving terminology) - and realised that I had a warp for only half the width I needed. I had downloaded a warp/weft calculation spreadsheet and trusted it - a quick manual check of the calculations revealed one of the formulates wasn't working. I don't blame the sheet - it was excel and I opened it in Apple Pages and may have accidentally broken it while working out how numbers worked. End result one half of the warp I need - I have updated the calculations and will make the  other half the warp and then work them onto the loom. 

And Frank slept through the entire thing... 

na Stella