Silk scarves - using both beams on the big loom!
Oct 20th to Nov 17th

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Last May I took part in a guild exchange. I received two small skeins of handspun yarn. The goal is to make something in time for our Christmas lunch and give it back to the original owner of the yarn.

I wound the yarn into balls and started knitting - and ripped out two projects that just weren't working. Then a weaving friend suggested using it as a supplementary warp! Ah Ha!!

(18:11:2019)
Two warps have been wound for scarves - one of grey silk for the main warp to make two scarves, and the other a tiny warp (15 ends!) of the handspun yarn for the supplementary warp for one scarf.

Here the main warp is set up ready to start winding on. Instead of a raddle it is passed through a reed which is clamped to the bar above the upper beam to guide it into place. The plastic bottle contains water to provide weight for even tension.

(20:10:2019)

The small warp being wound onto the lower beam. As it was shorter and all in one section I tensioned it by hand.

(20:10:2019)
The two warps hanging from lease sticks behind the heddles, ready for threading.

(20:10:2019)

Threading is under way.

(20:10:2019)
Threading finished.

(21:10:2019)

Here is what it looks like from the back. The grey ends are all threaded on the front 8 shafts, and the extra ends are threaded on the back 8 shafts.

(21:10:2019)
Sleying complete. The supplementary warps share dents (spaces) in the reed with the silk warps.

(23:10:2019)

The two warps from the back of the loom.

(23:10:2019)
Weaving is underway. The loom controls when the coloured ends are on top and when they are underneath. There is also a pattern in the gray part that will show up better once it is washed and pressed.

(26:10:2019)

With just 15 strands of stretchy wool on a 48 inch wide beam, even with the brake "off" the tension was too high. The solution was to manually roll the beam ahead to form a loop and gently tension the warp with some coins in old film cans.

(27:10:2019)
Scarf #1 is finished, and a footer woven to hold the fringe in place while weaving continues.

(28:10:2019)

The supplementary warp is all used up! This was then cut off and pulled to the front while weaving continued on the rest of the warp.

(28:10:2019)
The second scarf was woven with dark purple silk, allowing the pattern to show up more.

(29:10:2019)

Weaving went right to the end of this warp too!

(07:11:2019)
There was room after the second scarf to weave another 30 inches, with a slightly changed treadling pattern.

(07:11:2019)

Fringes twisted, wet finishing and pressing complete - two scarves and a cowl.

(16:11:2019)
"Neil the Bear" modeling the cowl. The ends were sewn together to form a mobius loop.

(17:11:2019)

The "plain" scarf was hemmed. One side is slightly more gray, the other slightly more purple. The pattern is "Bethlehem Star" - #173 from "A Weavers Book of 8 Shaft Patterns" ed by C. Strickler

(17:11:2019)
Grey on grey with supplementary stripes.

(17:11:2019)

Of course no photo shoot is complete without approval from my "helpers."

(17:11:2019)
Neil the bear models a bonus headband made from the leftover yarn to go with the scarf!

(7:12:2019)
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