Guild project

I started tonight on my part of the next weaving guild group project - some cotton towels in various twill designs from an old 1926 handbook by Edward Worst.  Starting with an 8 shaft threading in a point twill style and then varying the tie-up and the treadling there are a large number of possible variations.

Some variations of the twill.

The maths carried out at the meeting worked out at a length of 9 yards and 3 inches (there will be a metric conversion for that, but it's been a while!!), and with two selvedge threads either side and an even number of pattern repeats works out to 331 ends, although like every time I do this I will do one more check that everything works out right before I begin the actual warping.

Warp length marked out.

I finished the skein of Clun Forest 3-ply last night - it is a very fine wool - at around 18 wraps per inch, I ended up with a 182 yards and just under 2 oz. It looks fairly even so I think with a few more skeins I will have enough to try some dyeing and then weave up some sample tartan cloth - perhaps cushion covers. 

Clun Forest in NZ

The ultimate test of the loaner spinning wheel was to spin some Clun Forest to 'feel' if it was as easy as it is on the Rappard in the US.  I have plenty of 'muscle memory' from the couple of years spinning of the wool and pretty well know how it behaves under most conditions.  The great news is the Ashford Traditional spins it every bit as well - I had a bit of roving rolled up along with the many batts we shipped home.  That all arrived on Thursday last week so this weekend I tried spinning that roving.

Clun Forest on the Ashford

The singles will eventually go towards some three ply for weaving.  It will be another good test to see how long it takes me and how much per finished skein.

We were able to get to the Wellington Weavers and Spinners guild meeting on Saturday.  A nice friendly group who welcomed Anne and I into their meetings.  We are now paid up members and I took out my first book from the well stocked library (not quite the size of the Washington guild library, but certainly adequate).  At the weaving meeting the members were just finishing a very interesting looking double weave project on the guild 8 shaft table loom.  Their next project will be cotton towls with twill variations.  After running through the maths involved in working out yardage required I took on the job of winding the warp.  I'll have to dig my warping board out of the back of the garage.  We also had a great demonstration of burn testing wool - with a few surprises!  The combined meeting in the afternoon included a 'bring along something different' show and tell - some amazing gadgetry turned up - and with many experts in the group almost everything was identified.

For the time we're here it should be fun belonging to this group

First skein in NZ

Finished the first skein last night - using the multi-coloured singles I have been working on over the last three nights after work.  The plying went very smoothly; the Ashford Traditional is a great wheel and it took no time at all to fill a bobbin - which are slightly smaller than the ones on the Rappard upright in the US.  I haven't yet worked out the yardage and weight but will do soon.

First 3-ply skein from the Ashford

There is enough fiber for at least one more skein if not two - plenty of more work.  This should work quite well as a contrast stripe with some plain Clun Forest white in a scarf.