Kids Can Weave Too!

I love working with children. And I love sharing ideas and teaching skills. In the past, I have done most of this through teaching piano and sewing, but last fall I decided to broaden my horizons to include weaving. I purchased a very small rigid heddle loom from our local yarn store, The Little Red Mitten littleredmitten.ca and got to work. Actually, my husband got to work first because the loom had to be sanded, oiled, and then put together. (The SampleIt loom is made by  Ashford, a spinning and weaving company from New Zealand.)  After the loom was ready to go, I got the instruction book out and figured out how to warp this fun little loom. I used the direct warping method shown in the booklet and was very surprised at how fast it went. Weaving the first scarf was very fun indeed. I could't wait to show it to some of my students.

Daniella and Pauline were more than eager to get to work!

Daniella is holding the warp threads around the end pin, while Pauline is helping me put the threads through the slots in the loom. The beater in this type of loom has slots and holes; each warp thread must go through a slot and a hole. We first measure the warp by pulling 2 threads through each slot. After the warp has been beamed on, we cut the ends and pull one of the threads out of a slot and put it through a hole.

  Pauline is assisting me making sure there is a thread in each slot and hole. There is a lot that goes on in weaving--- hand/eye coordination being  prominent. 

 Daniella is busy with her weaving. The heddle/beater has been placed in the 'down' position and Daniella is feeding the shuttle with the weft thread through the shed (the opening).

 The warp thread must be placed in the shed at an angle so that the sides don't pull in too much, and then Daniella can bring the rigid heddle/beater foward to put the weft thread in place.

 Now the rigid heddle can be put in the up position and the weft thread can be put through the opposite shed.

 Pauline's turn. 

 The same sequence is repeated over and over until the entire warp has been filled with weft threads. Heddle up, place weft and beat into place; heddle down, place weft and beat into place. When the cloth fills up the space in front of the weaver, the the warp must be advanced. The ratchets at the front and back are released and turned toward the front of the loom. Eventually there is not enough warp to weave with, but the front beam is filled with cloth.

Two scarves completed! Daniella and Pauline help each other on both of their scarves. 

There is nothing like turning balls of yarns into cloth and then wearing it. These pictures were taken at the end of last summer, but the scarves serve their purpose in the cold winter ahead.

The Great White North

Last fall Environment Canada predicted a very cold winter but with less precipitation. As per normal they did not quite get it right. We have a lot of snow here in St Thomas, which is  known to be located at the tip of what is sometimes called the Banana Belt of Canada.

Derk and I are familiar with this kind of cold (windchill factors down to -30 Celsius and more) having lived in Manitoba for nine winters. However my younger brother is experiencing these temperatures for the first time. Last summer he and his wife and their youngest son moved to Manitouwadge. Manito what? you ask. This town is where you can experience the Great White North of Canada. According to wikipedia: Manitouwadge is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in the Thunder Bay District, at the north end of Highway 614, 331 kilometres east of Thunder Bay and 378 kilometres north-west of Sault Ste. Marie.

When you here the words 'winter' and 'Manitouwadge' you should automatically follow it with BRRRRRR!

So....last December, when I heard that they were coming down south for Christmas, I decided that they would greatly benefit from and homespun, handwoven blanket. The yarn was just begging to come off the shelves and jump onto the loom. And here's the thing ---  once certain skeins have been selected to go into a blanket, others start clamouring for a turn as well. The result? Instead of one blanket you actually end up weaving two.

My older brother also lives further north. It is true that Barrie is not as far north as 'the Wadge', but it does rate in terms of snowfall and cold weather. So, in order to stay in the good graces of both these siblings, I wove two blankets in three weeks and was able to gift both brothers and their wives at our Christmas get-together.

This is the Manitouwadge blanket.

This blanket is the first blanket that I have brushed. I usually full my homespun blankets in a toploading washing machine. This makes the blanket softer and less stiff. But I had recently watched a video by Laura Fry on wetfinishing  handwoven items. So I did something new and also brushed this blanket while it was still damp. Doing this raised the nap and created what is called a halo. And presto: the blanket was softer yet!


The Barrie Blanket

These balls of yarn are feeling pretty please with themselves, having made it from skeins, into balls and on the front beam of the loom.

The warp on the back beam ready to be wound on.

Weaving in progress....

Finished product!

The recipients and their blankets. (Unfortunately my older brother didn't make it onto the picture).

Here's to you, Walter and Marsha, and Martyn and Mary: may you enjoy your blankets in the Great White North!

Two Blankets

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a finished project is one that affords much satisfaction. For me this is particularly true when it comes to weaving a blanket that started off in my house as dirty fleece. I do not, as a rule, process fleece into yarn with any particular project in mind. But when my shelves are full of colourful yarn and a particular idea comes to mind, there's nothing better than to just jump in and create a blanket.


Joel's Blanket

Last fall my nephew, Joel, was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma. There was a huge tumor in his chest causing breathing issues, and Joel needed to begin a cancer treatment that would leave him with all the typical, nasty side effects.  I wanted to do something (don't we all) and decided to weave a blanket for Joel.

Joel, is a very special young man. He has tremendous faith. Joel's witness is that he belongs to the Lord Jesus who died on the cross for him, and that no matter what happens, God is good. 
So I decided to weave a blanket that would tell a story.  A blanket with a straight twill weave, warped and woven off without a set colour sequence. The  colours, however,  would reflect Joel's confession of faith. 

It was December, and the colours of Christmas were everywhere. But for me the Christmas colours of red and green have always been combined with brown and white. So as I wove this blanket I thought of the wonderful work that the Lord Jesus came to do on this earth.
The browns reminds me of the Christmas tree, and the tree, the cross that Jesus died on; the red of the blood that He shed for us at Calvary; the green for the new life we have in Him; and the white of us being washed whiter than snow through the shedding of his blood.

You will be happy to know that Joel's treatment is almost completed and he is doing very well. God IS good! 


Gerald's Blanket

This blanket is a 'just because' blanket for a very dear friend on the other side of Canada. It has no special story and was woven for no special reason except that I just wanted to. So I did.
Again it is woven in a straight twill with no special planning for the colour sequence.
 

Here's 2 ewe, Gerald!

A trip to Cold Stream Ranch

It is very special to have friends who share the same interests as you. My friend, Grace, whom you met in my last post has also become a spinner. She says it's my fault, but honestly, all I did was do my own thing and spin some wool when she was over for a visit. She made some comments to show that she was interested, and before I knew it she was spinning a fine yarn. She caught on to the technique more quicly than I did!

Grace has been most helpful in reducing my stash of wool that was waiting to be spun. And when I started running low she went on a google search to find some local fleece. As a result we met two very lovely people, Mels and Ruthanne van der Laan. Mels and Ruthanne run Cold Stream Ranch which is close to Denfield, ON and raise Texel sheep, with a few East Friesians on the side. Both of these sheep breeds are Dutch just like their owner! Mels knows all about his sheep and has won various awards, and both he and his wife are spinners. You can read more about the ranch here: http://www.dutchtexel.on.ca/

On May 2 Grace and I went to Cold Stream Ranch where we a had a lovely visit with this lovely couple. And since Grace and I are also of Dutch background we just HAD to buy some Dutch fleece. The sheep had just been shorn four days before and the fleeces are just wonderful and fresh, very clean and with hardly any vegetable matter. When we put our hand in the the Texel fleece it came out glistening with lanolin. Needless to say, Grace and I are excited to wash our fleeces and see what we can produce on our wheels. We both bought a Texel fleece, and one East Friesian fleece to split.

Of course, a trip to the barn was part of the visit and Mels helped Grace a 'snuggle' with a lamb!

A Warped Friendship

Grace and Russ got married 2 weeks before my husband, Derk, and I did. Derk and Grace had known each their whole lives, having grown in the same church community. Russ and I were the new ones in the mix. It seemed natural that as newly married couples we would start to hang out together, and the last 32 years have made for wonderful memories: camping trips, hanging out Friday nights, and the traditional new year's eve together. Even when our familty spent 12 years in provinces west of Ontario, the friendship stayed strong despite the distance.

But never did I expect that Grace and I would have another bond. We moved back to Ontario in 2005 and when I started weaving in 2009, Grace started watching, asking questions, and eventually admitted that she also would like to learn this craft.

I set her up on a small 22" loom that I had at the time, and Grace was hooked. Grace now owns her own 45" jack loom, and many of our conversations revolve around the latest project. Usually we work on separate ideas, but this past month we decided to weave a tablerunner project from the latest Handwoven magazine. It involved a weave structure that we had not encountered before. Much of the initial planning involved chosing the kind of thread, and the colours. We both chose very different colours than what was shown in the magazine; colours that would fit in our own homes.

I am thrilled to have such a great friend to share such a wonderful craft with. Here's 2 Ewe, Grace Branch! Friends that get warped together have lots weft to talk about!

Grace at work

My Sotis Cloth Runner

Grace's Runner

Mita's Tea Towels and Runners

My friend, Mita, lives across the country in Rider Lake, BC. Mita and I have shared many cups of tea together as we discussed homeschooling, raising children, sewing, spinning, and all things homemaking. Although we didn't meet until 2001, when we moved to the Fraser Valley, we immediately clicked: kindred spirits, as Anne Shirley would say; or  'We both belong to the race that knows Joseph', as Cornelia Bryant would often remark. And although our family moved away from BC in 2004, kindred spirits always remain close.

Mita has a wonderful collection of Boerenbont dishes. This is a traditional kind of pottery from the Netherlands . The distinctive floral pattern is hand-painted with simple brush strokes of red, yellow, green, and blue. On special occasions Mita would pull out these dishes and we would celebrate a birthday or another special event.

Last year I made a set of tea towels for Mita, as well as two runners for her harvest table. One  of the runners is in cotton for summer, and one in  acrylic that would match the cooler temperatures of winter.

Here's 2 Ewe, Mita, my very dear friend!

Ode to the Shawl

Spring is a tricky time of year. The temperature fluctuates between very warm days, warmish days that are a little on the damp side, not so warm days, and down right cool days. So what to wear? Layers are a good choice, but there are times when a sweater is just a bit too much.

One of my favourite clothing articles is the shawl. I have a number of them: some knitted and made of homespun wool, and others are woven and made of cotton, and, yes, even of acrylic.

Most likely when you think 'shawl' you are reminded of the pioneer women with their triangular shawls. Who can forget when Laura asked for horses for Christmas in the book On The Banks of Plum Creek. On Christmas morning "...Ma helped them button up the shoes and she pinned their shawls under their chins. They ran out into the cold". (from the chapter A Merry Christmas)

And, indeed, the first shawls I made were triangular, just as Garth Williams illustrated them for the Little House books. I have several versions of this kind of shawl laying strategically around the house, just in case I get a bit chilled. A favourite one is based on a Danish fisherwoman's shawl. It is also triangular, but the points are extra long so you can tie them behind your back and keep them out of the way, leaving your hands free to do other things.

But shawls today are more than just coverings. They are also fashion statements and can be worn just as well with jeans, officewear, or formal attire.

These shawls are great to cuddle up with on a cool day, a cold winter evening, or to accent your outfit for almost any occasion. Machine washable and very user friendly! Feel free to contact me if you would like to acquire one for yourself or as a gift.

When do you wear your shawl?

Making Tea Towels

I thought perhaps some of you would be interested in the making of tea towels. So here are a few pictures to give you an idea of the steps involved in making these wonderfully soft and absorbent tea towels. I will put a brief explanation under each photo to tell you what is happening.

After I have decided the design of the tea towels, I go to my warping board to wind the warp. The warp consists of the threads that run the length of the tea towels. I usually wind a 5 yard warp that will yield 4 towels plus some extra for a sample of what I have done. The warping board has pegs spaced at a width of 36". I am careful to make a cross at the top of the board where the threads go under and over. This keeps the threads in order when I take the warp to the loom.

 I have taken the warp which consists of 441 threads (each 5 yards long) to the back of the loom. Where the cross was on the warping board, I have put a set of sticks called lease sticks. A lease is another word for a cross. I have also put the back apron rod through the end of the warp.

 Here is a picture of the front of the loom. You can see the bundles of threads laying on the front apron. The orange threads have been tied on the warp in 1 yard increments. This was done when the warp was still on the warping board. The ties make sure that the threads don't slip passed each other.

 The next step is to spread the warp to the width that the towels will be woven at. In this case I will weave at 22". I have 441 threads and each inch will consist of 20 threads. I use a raddle to do the initial spreading. The raddle looks like grill work. It is really a board with nails at 1/2" increments. It is open at the top so that I can lay bundles of 10 threads in each space. After I have all the threads in place I put the top of the beater bar on the raddle so that the threads stay in place. 

 Here is a view from the back of the loom. You can see the raddle still in place at the top of the picture. You can also see the lease sticks still in the warp. I will use the cross later to help with the threading of the heddles. But first I must wind the warp onto the back of the loom. As I wind the threads, I also wind paper in between each revolution. This keeps the threads separated.

 The warp must go on the back beam under tight and even tension. This tension is significant. There is a crank at the side of the loom (sorry, no picture), and after every revolution I walk to the front of the loom and wind 2" sections around a stick so that I can give a great yank on that section of warp. This tightens it on the back beam. After the warp is all the way wound with about 24" hanging at the front of the loom, I am ready to do the threading.

 My loom has four harnesses. You can see the bottom of them in this picture. Look for the 4 horizontal grey bars. On each of these bars are heddels. Each heddle has an eye in the middle of it. The order that these heddles are threaded in is part of what determines the pattern that will be woven. So I put on some nice quiet music (maybe Bach's Goldberg Variations with Glenn Gould) and thread all the 441 threads into the correct heddles.

 Here you can see that all the heddles are threaded and the threads have also been put through the reed. The reed is somewhat like the raddle, except that it is closed both top and bottom. This reed has 10 dents (spaces) per inch. So, in order to get 20 thread ends per inch (epi) I will sley 2 ends per dent.

 Then it is time to tie all the ends to the front apron rod. This must also be done under very even tension or weaving will not go as planned. The orange thread at the front of the weaving will be taken out when the tea towels are done.

 Here you can see the progress of one of the tea towels. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to weave one towel, barring any mistakes or broken threads. What I haven't explained is that under the loom there are a set of treadles. The treadles are tied up to the harnesses in a certain combination. The order that I treadle these treadles also determines the pattern that is woven. When  treadle is depressed ( not a bad kind of depression) some of the threads go up while the rest stay down. This creates an opening, called the shed, through which I can throw the shuttle. After the shuttle has gone through, I bring the beater with reed in it forward and beat the thread into place. Then I press the next treadle and do the same thing again.

 Four washed and finished towels ready to be purchased!

These towels are the same pattern as the brown ones. They were woven to order for my friend, Mita from British Columbia.

If you would like to know more about weaving and you live in my area, feel free to contact me and come and have a look.

In Memory of Eva te Bokkel

My mother-in-law was a very unique person. She was one of five children who, along with her parents, ate tulip bulbs during the hunger winter in the Second World War. This, along with other events in her life, made her a survivor. Despite a long battle with lupus and macular degeneration, she was determined to enjoy life. Lupus is an auto immune disease that can be very debilitating. But it was the gradual loss of her eyesight that was mom's biggest fear: to not see the colours of nature that she loved so much

As a child she was a dreamer, avid reader, and artist. She loved, and I mean, really loved colour. Mostly this was evident in her love for gardening, for the first crocuses in the spring, for the tulips, lilly of the valley, poppies, geraniums....  Most of her watercolour paintings are of landscapes or vases of flowers.

But mom also loved fibre crafts. One of these was weaving. When my sister-in-law, Helena, and I began to clean out her weaving stash, we were amazed at all the bins of yarns, all labled for colour and yarn thickness. Evidently mom had plans to do a lot of weaving.

One bin had an assortment of acrylic yarns that were, as our kids would say, 'Oma colours'.  These were the pinks, blues, and greys that she herself loved so much to wear.

This past week I took that bin of colours and made a blanket in memory of my mother-in-law. I wove it on the 60" counterbalance loom that I inherited from her, remembering her as I wove with her yarns, in her colours, on her loom. The blanket is woven in a straight twill, but the colours are somewhat haphazard in accordance with the way that flowers in a meadow have no particular pattern. The blanket is for Helena, in memory of her mom.

Here's 2 Ewe, Eva te Bokkel 

March 22, 1925 - May 3, 2009

Just Do It!

 When you want to learn to knit, a good teacher will tell you that if you can learn to do a knit stitch with the bump on the back of your knitting, you have a lot of possibilities of what you can create. But if you can also learn to purl, with the bump on the front of your knitting, you can knit anything. All knitting is composed of knit and purl stitches, so we are told.

If only weaving were that simple! The on-line dictionary defines weaving as: Form (fabric or a fabric item) by interlacing long threads passing in one direction with others at a right angle to them. That doesn't sound so hard! But........

There are also weave structures to consider: tabby, twill, crackle, double weave, overshot, and more. You could spend all your time in twill and never get tired of it, I am sure. (The tea towels I have woven fall into the twill category). But it is always good to learn something new.

Overshot weaving has traditionally been used to weave coverlets and you will find many examples in textile and pioneer museums.Usually two thicknesses of threads are used; a finer one is used in the warp, and both a fine and a heavier thread are used in the weft. The heavier thread makes the design and the finer thread stabalizes the woven fabric.

In writing this may not sound too complicated, but I just couldn't get my head around how it really worked and I didn't want to commit to a large project that wouldn't turn out at all. (Being who I am, I don't want to mess something up, even at the first try, but I also want something useful!)
Well, I found the perfect small project in Handwoven's May/June 2005 issue: pot holders! It called for 4/8 cotton and craft cotton, the kind used for knitting dishcloths. Both of these I had in the house, so I was off to the races. You can see the results below.

 The potholders above are called the Rose treadling.  The ones below are called the Star treadling, although I think of them as the X treadling because of the X 's in the corners.

 At the end of my warp I had just enough left for one more potholder. I decided that, instead of using the dishcloth cotton double as the instructions said, I would use it single and see what happened. It made for a more square potholder but not quite as thick. I think I almost prefer it over the other one.
This little project was a great way to understand the basics of overshot, and I am sure I will be playing with this weave structure again.

Oh, and by the way, the first person (non-family members) who sends me notification of the mistake(s) in one of the potholders wins that set.