Innholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2023 i Handwoven

Recently, I was reminded of the importance of repetition and hard work. For my granddaughter’s first birthday party, her mother wanted to make macarons, those colorful sandwich cookies. I suggested buying them and even offered to pay, but Malinda stood firm; she wanted to learn to do this. She baked four batches before deciding their oven wasn’t reliable and asking to use our kitchen. One afternoon, I watched as she studied the instructions again, whipped the room-temperature eggs to just the right stiffness, and folded in other ingredients. With each pan, she adjusted the oven’s temperature and the baking time and reviewed her results when the shells came out of the oven. To my unpracticed eye, they looked fine. Malinda, however, saw characteristics that weren’t up to her standards, and…

STRUCTURE Twill with color-and-weave. EQUIPMENT 7-shaft loom, 18" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 2 shuttles. YARNS Warp: 5/2 pearl cotton (2,100 yd/lb; Valley Yarns; WEBS), #2625 Ink Blue, 360 yd; #2576 Celestial Blue, 347 yd. Weft: 5/2 pearl cotton, #2625 Ink Blue, 179 yd; #2576 Celestial Blue, 141 yd. WARP LENGTH 314 ends 21/4 yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 5" for take-up, 27" for loom waste; loom waste includes fringe). SETTS Warp: 18 epi (1-2/dent in a 12-dent reed). Weft: 12 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 176⁄12". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 49". Finished size: (after wet-finishing) 15" × 42" plus 3" fringe. I recently purchased a new living room sectional, giving me the opportunity to clear away some clutter and rethink the room’s layout and…

STRUCTURE Plain weave and huck with color-and-weave. EQUIPMENT Towels: 4-shaft loom, 21" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 2–4 shuttles; 4 bobbins. Optional hanging tabs: inkle loom; belt shuttle. YARNS Towels: Warp: 8/2 cotton (3,360 yd/lb; Georgia Yarn Company), Natural, 1,490 yd. 8/2 cotton (3,360 yd/lb; Valley Yarns; WEBS), #2574 Heather, 72 yd; #6394 Royal Lilac, 36 yd; #8799 Pearl Grey, 54 yd. 8/2 cotton A (3,360 yd/lb; UKI; Yarn Barn of Kansas), #04 Plum Green, 36 yd. Weft: 8/2 cotton (Georgia Yarn Company), Natural 1,288 yd. 8/2 cotton (Valley Yarns), #2574 Heather, 177 yd; #6394 Royal Lilac, 54 yd; #8799 Pearl Grey, 32 yd. 8/2 cotton A (UKI), #04 Plum Green, 55 yd. Hanging tabs: Warp: 8/2 cotton (Georgia Yarn Company), Natural, 16 yd. 8/2 cotton (Valley Yarns), #2574 Heather, 10…

STRUCTURE Plain weave and twill with color-and-weave. EQUIPMENT 6-shaft loom, 11" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 4 shuttles. YARNS Warp: Bambu 12 (100% viscose from bamboo; 6,300 yd/lb; Cotton Clouds), Truffles, 186 yd; Pearl, 150 yd; Emperor Blue, 75 yd; Aruba, Borage, and Cerise, 72 yd each; Lime and Cyclamen, 69 yd each. Weft: Bambu 12, Truffles, 110 yd; Pearl, 87 yd; Emperor Blue, Aruba, Borage, Lime, Cerise, and Cyclamen, 60 yd each. WARP LENGTH 255 ends 3 yd long (allows 6" for take-up, 30" for loom waste; loom waste includes fringe). Note: Add floating selvedges if desired. Barbara didn’t use them, choosing instead to manually wrap the outer warp ends when required. SETTS Warp: 24 epi (2/dent in a 12-dent reed). Weft: 23 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 108⁄12".…

A year or so back, I planned and wove a series of what I called “A Year to Remember Blankets.” If this sounds familiar, it might be because I wrote about the process in the November/December 2022 issue of Handwoven. The basic premise behind the project was to weave a blanket in which the weft color signifies the daily high temperatures in a specific place throughout a special year with each day represented by two weft picks. In retrospect, I am amused by my first attempt at these blankets, a story I didn’t share in my original article. I planned to weave blankets for my close family members—my three adult children, my brother, and my husband. I used their wedding years and locations to plan the color order for the…

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 The “Escences” of Weaving Opalescence, iridescence, and luminescence can make a fabric sing with color and light. We will focus on techniques for creating one or more of these effects, whether with structure, color placement, yarn choice, or a combination of all three. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 Venn Diagrams Based on anecdotal evidence, we believe many weavers are also bird-watchers, gardeners, and great cooks. This issue will be filled with projects and articles that show how our designers and authors express, or perhaps accessorize, their other passions, occupations, and hobbies with weaving. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 Bast and Friends For our first issue in 2024, we will look at bast and other plant-based fibers—alone, in yarn blends, or combined with other types of yarns. The issue will include articles about plant-based fibers,…

Many of us turn to books and workshops on color, not only for inspiration but also to learn how to improve our use of color in our weaving projects. Recker’s latest book, Deep Color: The Shades That Shape Our Souls, takes us to a far deeper exploration of the meaning and messages embedded in color and how these influence our personal preferences and our reactions to art, culture, politics, history, and marketing. After reading Recker’s introduction and the first chapter, “Black,” curiosity made me jump to the eighth chapter in the book, “Blue,” simply because it is my favorite color. Blue invokes a strong emotional reaction in me, whether it be to the perfect blue of a hydrangea flower, a deep indigo-dyed fabric, or a cone of cornflower-blue yarn. Recker…

STRUCTURE Huck lace with color-and-weave effects. EQUIPMENT 4-shaft loom, 19" weaving width; 10-dent reed; 2 shuttles. YARNS Warp: 12/2 cottolin (70% cotton/30% linen; 5,040 yd/lb; Phoenix Dye Works), Iris, 669 yd. 22/2 cottolin (60% cotton/40% linen; 3,000 yd/lb; Bockens), Unbleached, 426 yd. Weft: 12/2 cottolin, Iris, 466 yd. 8/2 cotton (3,360 yd/lb; Maurice Brassard), #1451 Ivoire, 124 yd; #1183 Cannelle, 154 yd. Note: Phoenix Dye Works 12/2 cottolin is discontinued. For a substitute, try 22/2 cottolin (60% cotton/40% linen; 3,250 yd/lb; Bockens), #2055 Iris. WARP LENGTH 365 ends 3 yd long (allows 7" for take-up, 35" for loom waste). SETTS Warp: 20 epi (2/dent in a 10-dent reed). Weft: 20 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 183⁄10". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 66" (33" per towel). Finished…

STRUCTURE Twill with color-and-weave. EQUIPMENT 4-shaft loom, 18" weaving width; 15-dent reed; 2 shuttles. YARNS Warp: Euroflax 30/2 linen (4,500 yd/lb; Lofty Fiber), Marine Blue, 862 yd; Limestone, 858 yd. Weft: Euroflax 30/2 linen, Marine Blue and Limestone, 711 yd each. OTHER SUPPLIES Fray Check (optional). WARP LENGTH 529 ends 3. yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 8" for take-up, 24" for loom waste). SETTS Warp: 30 epi (2/dent in a 15-dent reed). Weft: 30 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 1711⁄15". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 85". Finished size: (after wet-finishing and hemming) three towels, 16" × 25" each. Introducing a contemporary twist to classic motifs is a way to create powerful design elements with minimal effort. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with twill and a mix…

STRUCTURE Shadow weave. EQUIPMENT 8-shaft loom, 19" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 2 shuttles. YARNS Warp: 10/2 pearl cotton (4,200 yd/lb; UKI), #116 Black and #000 White, 900 yd each. Weft: 10/2 pearl cotton, #115 Peach and #027 Purple, 700 yd each. OTHER SUPPLIES 2 yd piping; sewing thread; 1/4 yd cotton fabric for yoke facing; 1 yd hem tape. WARP LENGTH 450 ends 4 yd long (allows 14" for take-up, 32" for loom waste). SETTS Warp: 24 epi (2/dent in a 12-dent reed). Weft: 24 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 189⁄12". Woven fabric lengths: (measured under tension on the loom) lower bodice 50"; yoke 37"; gusset 9". Finished size: (after wet-finishing) lower bodice, 161/2" × 45"; yoke, 161/2" × 34"; gusset, 161/2" × 8". Top after sewing: 42" chest,…

Heirloom Refresh In late 2019, I inherited my mother-in-law’s loom. Soon after, I was taking lessons at the Rochester Weaving and Fiber Arts Center. Then, in 2022, a donated 600-thread, 5-yard warp got me thinking of another heirloom from the same lady: an extra-wide dining room table. On it was a mismatched 80-year-old tablecloth that was plenty long but not nearly wide enough. A modified Handwoven pattern from November/December 2010 resulted in this lovely extra-wide, 120-inch tablecloth with sewn-in woven runner. Just in time for Christmas! —Jane Andrews Color Coding Heddles I just read Tom Knisely’s great article about heddle management (Handwoven November/December 2022). A tip about Texsolv heddles: If you color code these heddles (by dipping them into very diluted acrylic paint), it makes it even easier to see…

In The Enigma of Shadow Weave Illuminated, Rebecca Winter guides us through the ins and outs of this mysterious weave. The book starts with a thorough overview of the history of shadow weave as developed by Mary Meigs Atwater and built upon by Marian Powell. As someone whose historical knowledge of shadow weave was limited to the Atwater and Powell drafting methods, I appreciated this historical context. Winter continues with a detailed description of shadow weave’s characteristics, most importantly the combination of pinstripe-patterned plain-weave areas with feather-stitched areas of two-thread floats. These characteristics naturally lead to several design considerations presented in the next chapter. These first chapters are a joy to read, especially when you can link the information to any existing knowledge of shadow weave. If you’re unfamiliar with…

STRUCTURE Deflected doubleweave. EQUIPMENT 8-shaft loom, 12" weaving width; 10-dent reed; 2 shuttles. YARNS Warp: Nature Spun sport weight (100% wool; 1,680 yd/lb; Brown Sheep), #NS20 Arctic Moss, 132 yd; #NS157 Spiced Plum, 120 yd. Weft: Nature Spun sport weight, #NS20 Arctic Moss, 138 yd; #NS157 Spiced Plum, 124 yd. OTHER SUPPLIES Sharp large-eye darning needle for securing ends (not a tapestry needle); 8/4 cotton rug warp, 5/2 pearl cotton, or similar yarn to use as scrap yarn, 17 yd; straightedge, rotary cutter, and self-healing mat; mild detergent. WARP LENGTH 84 ends 3 yd long (allows 10" for take-up, 40" for loom waste; loom waste includes end and interstitial fringes). SETTS Warp: 10 epi (1/dent in a 10-dent reed). Weft: 17 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 84⁄10". Woven length:…

STRUCTURE Plain weave with color-and-weave. EQUIPMENT Rigid-heddle loom, 20" weaving width; 10-dent heddle; at least 2 shuttles; 8 bobbins (if using boat shuttles). YARNS Warp: 8/2 cotton (3,360 yd/lb; Aurora Earth; Cotton Clouds), Purple, 215 yd; Yellow, 160 yd; Champagne, 100 yd; Empire Blue and Chocolate, 140 yd each; Polo Tan, Cinnamon, and Natural, 80 yd each. Weft: 8/2 cotton, Purple, 163 yd; Chocolate, 151 yd; Polo Tan, 108 yd; Cinnamon, 82 yd; Empire Blue, 87 yd; Champagne, 71 yd; Yellow and Natural, 76 yd each. Note: All yarns used doubled in both warp and weft. WARP LENGTH 199 doubled ends (398 threads total) 90" (21/2 yd) long (allows 6" for takeup, 24" for loom waste). SETTS Warp: 10 epi. Weft: 10 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the heddle: 199⁄10". Woven…

STRUCTURE Shadow weave and huck. EQUIPMENT 4-shaft loom, 43" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 2 shuttles; 3 bobbins. YARNS Warp: Organic 3/2 cotton (1,260 yd/lb; Henry’s Attic; Weaver House), Natural, 1,016 yd. 3/2 pearl cotton (1,260 yd/lb; UKI), #60 Duck, 1,012 yd. Weft: Organic 3/2 cotton, Natural, 865 yd. 3/2 pearl cotton, #60 Duck, 623 yd. 10/2 cotton (4,200 yd/lb; UKI), #79 Natural, 31 yd (or any fine cotton) for weaving the hems. OTHER SUPPLIES Fusible thread; sewing thread in coordinating color. WARP LENGTH 507 ends 4 yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 12" for take-up, 36" for loom waste and sampling). SETTS Warp: 12 epi (1/dent in a 12-dent reed). Weft: 12–13 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 423⁄12". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 96" (48" each…

STRUCTURE Twill with color-and-weave. EQUIPMENT 8-shaft loom, 22" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 2 shuttles; 4 bobbins. YARNS Warp: Euroflax 30/2 linen (4,500 yd/lb; Lofty Fiber), #16 Navy and #59 Cobalt, 476 yd each; #61 Mint and #77 Wasabi, 392 yd each. Weft: Euroflax 30/2 linen, #16 Navy and #59 Cobalt, 386 yd each; #61 Mint and #77 Wasabi, 364 yd each. WARP LENGTH 496 ends 31/2 yd long (includes doubled floating selvedges; allows 6" for take-up, 22" for loom waste; loom waste includes fringe). SETTS Warp: 24 epi (2/dent in a 12-dent reed). Weft: 24 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 208⁄12". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 98". Finished size: (after wet-finishing) 181/2" × 92" plus 3" fringe. I first came across this color-and-weave draft in Tina…

STRUCTURE Twill and basketweave with color-and-weave and clasped weft. EQUIPMENT 4-shaft loom, 8" weaving width; 9- or 12-dent reed; 2 shuttles. YARNS Warp: 8/4 cotton (1,680 yd/lb; Maurice Brassard), #83 Noir, 66 yd; #101 Blanchi, 51 yd; #5116 Rouge Scarlet and #5981 Navy, 17 yd each; #1152 Vert Fonce and #1425 Marine, 15 yd each; #5214 Magenta, 5 yd; #4273 Mauve Fonce, 3 yd. 5/2 pearl cotton (2,100 yd/lb; UKI), #30 Antique, 6 yd. Weft: 8/4 cotton, #101 Blanchi, 42 yd. 8/4 pearl cotton (550 yd/150 g; Maurice Brassard), #P-139 Noir, 55 yd. Twisted cord for handle: 8/4 cotton, #5116 Rouge Scarlet, 15 yd. OTHER SUPPLIES Red cotton corduroy for lining; large snap (dome fastener); buttons; two 1/2" gold-colored metal rings; large bead; Fray Check (optional). WARP LENGTH 129 ends…