Saturday 30 March 2013

Not quite finishing warping up

The last two days have been spent winding on  32 sections of the warp. I have now finished  (not got as far as winding on and threading up yet - that's still to do) and have been thinking - not that you can think while winding on with the AVL warping wheel because the counter has gone again. I replaced the original one  two or three years ago and it was very expensive to start with and then I had to pay duty and VAT on the cost of counter plus the shipping charges. So I am unkeen to do that again. What I did this time was count revolutions (four per thread) then put the thread through the cross and move on the counter manually by four. I could go on doing that but I might call in a favour and ask a mechanical engineer on my acquaintance to look at it.

An alternative which has occurred to me is to use a ghost warp where possible. The last three weavings were done on a ghost warp and took no time at all to tie and wind on. The problem is the sleying or rather the threads per inch. This one is 60 epi and 24 inches wide. The maximum usable width on the Megado is 38 inches so if I wanted to use all the threads as a ghost warp, I would have to restrict myself to a yarn which needed not less than 40epi. I can see a life in which I list Megado projects in decreasing epi and throw away the edge threads when I resley with a thicker yarn. Feasible. 

I don't have to decide now. The current threading is a straight draw on 32 shafts and certainly that would do for the next weaving. A bit of planning is required here. What must be done on the Megado? My current plan is to finish the warping up and weave enough to make samples for the Fine Threads Study Group, then depart for foreign parts and weave the rest when I get home.

The other job I have to do this week is to acid dye a lot of spun fibre. More about that and photos when I get going. I haven't done it so far because it has been too cold in the garage but I must have this finished this week so it will be done in the kitchen. With enough plastic sheeting down, it should be okay and all teh utensils will be dyeing utensils from the garage.

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About Me

I am weaver and - -. I dye my yarns with acid dyes, I paint my warps, put fabric collages and stencils on my weaving. I have three looms, a 12 inch wide, 12 shaft Meyer for demos and courses, a 30 inch Louet Kombo which is nominally portable but has a stand, two extra beams and a home-made device containing a fan reed. And last a 32 shaft Louet Megado which is computer controlled, has a sectional warp and a second warp beam and I am the proud owner of an AVL warping wheel which I love to bits and started by drilling holes in. I inserted a device for putting a cross in. I have just acquired an inkle loom and had a lesson from an expert so I can watch TV and weave at the same time. I am interested in weaving with silk mostly 60/2 although I do quite a bit with 90/2 silk. I also count myself as a bookbinder with a special interest in Coptic binding.