2013 Sturgeon Spawn in Central Wisconsin

During mid-April to early May, Lake Sturgeon travel upstream to their spawning grounds, giving the public a prime opportunity to see these ancient fish up close.  Jim and I took advantage of this yearly event and spent much of today in Shiocton WI watching them along with 100's of others.  We saw at least 200 of them today all along the rocky shoreline. 

Sturgeon spawning is dependent on water temperature and flow. During seasons when water flow is high and water temperatures rise slowly, spawning begins when water temperature reaches 53 degrees Fahrenheit. In contrast, during seasons of low water flow and more rapid water temperature rise, spawning does not begin until water temperatures reach 58-59 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Wisconsin DNR was there also - tagging 61 of these Sturgeon today.  While we were there they were netting ones that measured between 59 to 67 inches.  One of the Wardens told us that the biggest sturgeon that he has tagged was 8 feet long!

Lattice Scarves

Lattice Scarves - Pattern from Weaver’s magazine, issue 44 Summer 1999

16 shaft draft 
2 scarves

Left Scarf: Steel Warp - Black Weft 
Right Scarf: Steel Warp - Grey Blue Weft

Warp and Weft: Valley Yarns 2/10 Merino Tencel (Colrain Lace)

Number of Warp Ends: 192 = 2 FS (doubled) 

Warp Length: 6.5 yards 
EPI: 20 
PPI: 18 
Width in reed: 9.6” 
Weaving Width: 9.25”

Warp: Steel 
Weft Scarf 1: Black 
Weft Scarf 2: Grey Blue

Black on Grey:

• On loom Measurements: 87” x 9”
• Before Washing: 82.25” x 9” - Fringe to Knot: 5.5”
• Damp: 80” x 9” 
• Dried and pressed: 78.5” x 8.75”

Blue on Grey:

• On loom Measurements: 85” x 9”
• Before Washing: 81” x 9” - Fringe to Knot: 5.5”
• Damp: 77” x 8.75 
• Dried and pressed: 76” x 8.75”

Wet Finishing: 
Soak in warm sudsy (mild wool soap) with light hand agitatin for 30 minutes 
hand rinse and spin in washer 
lay flat to dry

2 Block Turned Twill Towels

Drafts from: A Weaver's Book of 8 Shaft Patterns, #164, 165, 166

I had a mystery 3 yard all white cottolin warp (572 ends only thru the lease sticks holding the cross - wound at 20 EPI)) that came on a new to me loom. I rough sleyed the ends thru the reed at 20 EPI, pulled it forward and rewound back on. Then looked for a draft that would work with what I had available, that would get me a few towels instead of cutting it off and throwing it away. It was a quick 1 shuttle weave.

Warp: 22/2 Cottolin (already on a loom I purchased) 
Weft: 22/2 Cottolin (using up partial tubes in my stash) 
Warp Length: 3 yards

8 Shaft Weave

Width in Reed: 23.5” 
Weaving Width: 22.75” 
Woven length on loom: 34” 
EPI: 24 
Number of Warp Ends: 558 + 2 FS

Hemmed, before washing measurements: 32” x 22.25” 
Washed and final measurements: 27” x 20”

loss of 20% in length 
loss of 11% in width

Another snowstorm in Wisconsin..... It was hard to find color amongst all of the white!

snow on the branches

from the underside of the branch

snow weighted branches

Grandma MacFall makes the Local Paper!

On a cold snowy day - I wound warps!

Lunatic Fringe 10/2 cotton.

Color Order: 

(the numbers in front of the color are part of the color name)
10 Purple Blue
5 Purple Blue
10 Blue
5 Blue
10 Blue Green
5 Blue Green
10 Green
5 Green
10 Green
5 Blue Green
10 Blue Green
5 Blue
10 Blue
5 Purple Blue
10 Purple Blue

Blues and Greens

Draft Info for Both sets of Napkins:

A Weaver’s Book of 8 Shaft Patterns 
Breaks and Recesses: Page 17, draft #47

EPI: 28
Total Warp Ends: 420
Width in reed: 15
Warp length: 4 yards

Heddle Count:
1 - 53
2 - 53
3 - 53
4 - 53
5 - 52
6 - 52
7 - 52
8 - 52

Lunatic Fringe 10/2 cotton.

Color Order: 

(the numbers in front of the color are part of the color name)
5 Purple
10 Purple
5 Red Purple
10 Red Purple
5 Red
10 Red
5 Yellow Red
10 Yellow Red
5 Yellow Red
10 Red
5 red
10 Red Purple
5 Red Purple
10 Purple
5 Purple

Reds, oranges, purples.

Both Napkin warps were wound this morning. The blue / green warp is beamed and ready to be threaded on the new Ideal, which will be it's maiden project. The initial loom adjustments and tweaking will be necessary before weaving can commence.

Finally, in what seems like forever, I'm back out in the Studio weaving!

Draft From: Weaver’s magazine, issue 44 Summer 1999

Steel Warp - Grey Blue Weft

Setel Warp - Black Weft

16 shaft draft
2 scarves

Warp and Weft:  Valley Yarns 2/10 Merino Tencel (Colrain Lace)

Number of Warp Ends:  192 = 2 FS (doubled)
Warp Length: 6.5 yards
EPI: 20
PPI: 18
Width in reed: 9.6"
Weaving Width: 9.25"

How the Linen mangling was done.

It's so difficult to capture the sheen, luster and hand of these bleached linen on natural cotton towels. I was able to have them mangled at The Wool Gatherer's and watching the transformation of the cloth was unbelievable!

Fabric prior to mangling - It's very hard to even see the design in the cloth. 

Here is a photo of the mangle used.

Sara (the owner of the Wool Gatherers) in the process of mangling the cloth.  Notice her jacket - she wove the fabric for it!

My towel fabric coming off the mangle.

   

Linen Towels - Draft 3

Linen Towel #2

24 shaft pattern from:
Eleanor Best - Little Diamond Book - Page 39

8/1 UNBL. Linen Weft with 10/2 cotton (natural)

This is the same warp as the project shown in the posting below.

Linen Hand Towels

Draft from Eleanor Best - Little Diamond Book - Page 32

On Loom

Side A

Side B

24 shaft weave
EPI:  30
Width in Reed:  20"
Reed: 15 Dent - threaded 2 per dent
Warp Length: 8 yards

Heddle Count:
shafts 1 and 24: 13 per shaft
shafts 2-23: 26 per shaft

Warp: 10/2 cotton
Weft:  Linen 8/1 - unbleached

A temple was used for this project.

Weaving Width: 19.75"
Woven Length on Loom: 33"
Finished, hemmed measurements: 27" x 19"

3 drafts are being woven on the Toika Eeva.  Here is the first of 3.

The Last of the Pinwheel Warp...

A Close Up of the Patterns Woven

 Group Shot
 I just finished washing and ironing the remaining towels that were on the Megado. I'm happy to say that there are only 7 more napkins to hand hem, sitting next to my chair to work on. Between the towels and the REP Runners that I hemmed all day yesterday, I think I'm shot for awhile, on the hemming part of this craft!  

More REP Runners

On the Glimakra - in progress

Runner 1 - Side A

Runner 1 - Side B

Runner 2 - Side A

Runner 2 - Side B

Runner 3 - Side A

Runner 3 - Side B 

This runner is a “stash buster” using up some of the odds and ends of carpet warp I have taking up space.

Number of Warp ends: 570
Warp Length: 6 yards
EPI: 32
Width in Reed: 17.75”
weaving width: 18.15”

Warp and Weft: 8/4 cotton rug warp. This was both the thick (8 strands) and the thin (single strand) weft of Oriental Beige.

Colors:

Oriental Beige
Burndt Orange
Gold
Linen

Finished Sizes:

Runner 1 - Finished, Hemmed measurements: 47.5” x 18”

Runner 2 = Finished, Hemmed measurements: 48” x 18”

Runner 3 - Finished, Hemmed measurements: 44.5” x 18”

Bug of the Day

Saw this while on a trip to Michigan - outside a friends door.

REP Runners

Warped and Ready to Weave

The Weaving Begins

67.5” x 17.75”

51.75” x 17.75”

17.75" x 17.75"

Number of Warp ends: 570 

Warp Length: 6 yards

EPI: 32

Width in Reed: 17.75"

Weaving width: 18.15"

 

Warp:  

8/4 poly cotton rug warp from Great Northern Weaving

Weft:  8/4 poly cotton rug warp from Great Northern Weaving.  This was both the thick (8 strands) and the thin (single strand) weft of dark grey.

Colors:  Charcoal, Taupe, Grey, Terra Cotta

The weft (8 strands thick) was wound on the warping reel and then directly wound off onto a narrow rag shuttle to weave with.

Vavstuga 2013 Class Schedule

A few days ago - I received the Vavstuga 2013 Class Schedule postcard in the mail. I called and spoke to Susan Conover, who is the Operations Manager at Vavstuga, telling her that if it would be ok, I’d gladly post a copy of the Class Schedule here on my blog since there are always weaver's stopping by!  With her permission, I am posting the schedule here. Susan did mention that registration begins this coming Wednesday September 19th.

ETA:  I'm thrilled to report that I will be attending the REP Class in July 2013!

Swedish Lace Napkins

Finished Size 16" x 16"
Hemmed on all 4 edges

HERE

Warp: 40/2 Linen
Weft: 40/2 linen
EPI: 30
Total warp ends: 552
Width in reed: 18.4”
Warp length: 5.25 yards
Weaving Width: 18”
Weaving length on loom: 19.75”

Finished Hemmed Size: 16” x 16”
(hemmed on all 4 sides)

This is a 4 shaft weave.

22 picks of plain weave for hems (1 inch x 2)
17.75” of pattern.

Heddle Count
1- 180
2- 180
3 - 96
4 - 96

Upholstery Selvage Rugs - Complete!

36" x 54"

36" x 50"

36" x 50"

36" x 56"

36" x 53"

36" x 57"

36" x 56"

36" x 54"

36" x 59"

36" x 52"

The Kessenich Loom was warped with 30 yards of 8/4 carpet warp - 10 EPI - 38” wide back in April.  Here's the link to that posting on my blog that showed what they looked like as just selvedges, and once the rugs were woven and off of the loom.  They were then set aside to be hemmed as time permitted throughout this summer.  And now they are complete!

A temple was used throughout.

These selvedges were purchased from Great Northern Weaving in Kalamazoo MI.  They are   super linty and dusty,  having to sweep and vacuum after each rug woven just to keep the  mess down.  

I will never buy these again due to the mess it makes in the area where they are woven.  Plus after weaving 10 of these - I think I've had the "selvedge experience".

Woven, came off the loom measuring approximately 37" x 58" give or take with each rug (which does not include tabby for the hemmed edge).  finished sizes are listed with each rug and they weigh in at 5#'s or a bit more.

Thoughts on 8-7-12:

I have to be honest, as I was hemming these the last 2 days the dust and lint here on the tables and floor surrounding me here in the living room was unbelievable!  After hemming 2 more today, I couldn't stand it any longer.  I took each one to the Studio and gave each ones sides a trim to even up the selvedge lengths *(think: your mother trimming your bangs)* and then threw each one in the dryer, one at a time to try to eliminate some of the lint and dust.  I swear - I pulled a large bunny out of the lint trap with each rug!  

Final thought on 8-8-2012:  

I never in my entire life, even if this was the only weft left on earth to weave with, use upholstry selvedges again!