Klamath Spinners’ & Weavers’ Guild News april 2012
37291 Agency Lake Loop Rd., Chiloquin, OR 97624 541-891-0817
by Sharon email: Ballen004@yahoo.com
website: www.KlamathSWguild.blogspot.com
If you have ads you would like to be put in the newsletter, please send them to me via email or snail mail by the end of the previous month before the issue you would like it in. It will be in the newsletter for 2 months unless I hear from you otherwise. Thanks.
Thank you to Karla for hosting the March meeting. The afghan/coverlet squares that many guild members have woven will now be made into pillows for fundraising!
This Month’s Meeting
This month’s meeting will be Tuesday, April 10th at 10am in the back room of the Klamath County Museum. Karen will be doing a demonstration of the warping technique she uses. It is a modified warping method of Debra Chandler’s that she finds very comfortable and fast. It is a front to back method which utilizes the reed as a raddle to evenly space and tension the warp on the back beam. You don’t need to bring anything. Come, watch and learn!
A Front-to-back-to-front warping method
(Inspired by Debbie Redding Chandler’s book for beginning weavers)
Equipment and materials for demo
4 harness loom with 12 dent reed; chair
Warping board & stand
Threading hook(s) or not
Cone holder
Waste thread and rags for ties and temporary header
Scissors
Brown craft/wrapping paper
Paper and pencil/pen for planning
Warp and weft threads; shuttles and bobbin winder
Calculations
Demonstration of preparing a 5” X 2 yards warp of 3/2 cotton warp
5” x 12 dents per inch (dpi) = 60 ends; length is 2 yards, plus loom waste (this varies from loom to loom).
*Weaving supply thread sources like the Yarn Barn of Kansas give guidelines on what threads work best at specific ends per inch (epi), or you can calculate your own and sample until you get what you want.
*As you plan, remember to adjust for loom waste, draw-in, take-up, and shrinkage depending on your selected materials so your finished piece is in the desired dimensions.
Using the warping board
Guide string on warping board
Tying cross and choke ties
Chain warp
Warping the loom
Wrap chained warp on front beam, cut section ends and ties; hold cross in one hand to thread ends through reed.
Attach ends to back beam, adjust warp tension at front beam, apply brown craft paper to back beam as warp is wound on.
Cut warp ends in front of reed, pull four threads at a time through reed toward back of loom ( heddles are off to one or both sides) and temporarily tie in bundles of four, drop bundles in order along back beam.
From back of loom, thread heddles, tie ends in temporary bundles of four.
From back or front of loom, thread reed, tie ends in temporary bundles of four.
From front of loom, tie bundles to front beam and adjust tension across all threads. (I have begun to use a surgeon’s knot to prevent some slippage of the ends as I work across. This works well with slippery warps like some mohair.)
Adjust loom tension on entire warp. Raise sheds to check for threading errors and correct.
Ready, set…
Adjust shaft tie-ups as needed. For demonstration here, shafts 1 and 3 are together on a treadle and 2 and 4 are together on a treadle for a plain or tabby weave. Also, a twill could be woven, as each shaft is also tied directly to consecutive treadles. Weave temporary header with rags or large thread until ends are in alignment. Check for threading errors and correct. You could do some kind of hem stitching at beginning of weaving if desired.
Weave!
Begin weaving with selected weft and treadling until desired length is achieved, then complete hem stitching if desired, or tie off ends in bundles as they are cut from loom. Release brake and unwind cloth, cut or untie front ends and tie in bundles. Examine cloth for weaving errors and mend.
Finish cloth depending on fiber type and desired outcome.
*Wet finish or steam cloth and dry.
*Some weavers let their cloth rest for a time after weaving and before final finishing.
From the Library
From the guild library by Karen Williams
The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook, more than 200 fibers from animal to Spun Yarn. Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius, Storey Publishing 2011. What a delightful and informative large (438 pages) text! A plethora of fiber animals are reviewed including many sheep breeds, goats and goat crossbreeds, camelids and a well-thought inclusion of “other critters” such as bison, dog, wolf, cat, fur and pelt animals, horse, musk ox, multiple breeds of rabbits and yak. A picture and detailed description of each animal breed is followed by color pictures of samples of fleece, raw and clean, then spun and woven, knitted or crocheted in a swatch. There are many extra tidbits of world geography and useful information infused into a remarkable textbook of fiber treasures.
Something exciting…..
There IS a new Sheep to Shawl team competing at the Black Sheep Gathering this year! Patty Tompkins is heading it up with 3 members of the team from the Red Bluff area and 3 members from our guild! We send them good wishes for a good, fun experience!
Shops with classes around the area
Please visit these shops, call and/or check out their websites to learn more about available classes.
Laize Dayz Yarn and Tea Shop 2617 Pershing Way, Klamath Falls, Ore. 541-892-6856 www.laizedayz.com Classes are resuming with Theresa, Shirley, Kay and Sherry.
Events
Friday, May 18 to Sunday, May 20, 2012 Conference of Northern California Handweavers, Oakland Convention Center, Oakland, CA www.cnch.org
Thursday May 24 to Sunday, May 27th, 2012 Heritage Days at Ft. Klamath, Ft. Klamath Museum on Hwy 62.
Thursday, May 31 to Sunday, June 3, 2012 NWRSA, Northwest Regional Spinners Association Conference, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA www.nwregionalspinners.org
Sunday, June 17, 2012 Living History Day at Collier Park. 9am to 5pm. Come and Demonstrate! Joel can be reached at the park at 541-783-2471 for interested demonstrators to obtain the paperwork to have a name tag. It is suggested that demonstrators wear period clothing, though no specific time period is specified. It is a fun event and there are food vendors as well as other folks there so volunteers and visitors can enjoy the park.
Friday, June 22 to Sunday, June 24, 2012 Black Sheep Gathering, Lane County Fairgrounds, Eugene, OR. www.blacksheepgathering.org
Saturday, July 15 through Sunday, July 21, 2012, Convergence 2012,Long Beach, CA www.weavespindye.org
Thursday, September 6 through Sunday, September 9, 2012 Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair, The guild has agreed to demonstrate Saturday, September 8th. It is a very fun time. www.tvbfair.com
Friday, September 21 through Sunday, September 23, 2012 OFFF, Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival, Clackamas County Fairgrounds, Canby, Or www.flockandfiberfestival.com
Tuesday, September 25 through Sunday, September 30, 2012 ,National Sheep Dog Finals, Kerr Ranch on Lower Klamath Lake Road, Klamath Falls, OR. www.2012nationalsheepdogfinals.workpress.com
Monday, June 17 through Sunday, June 23, 2013, ANWG 2013 Conference (Association of Northwest Weavers Guilds) Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA www.anwg-conference-2013.com
Classified
Sheep Crossing or Sheep Crossing signs for sale. Yellow and Black painted ½ inch plywood, 12” square. $15 each. If someone wants a breed that Kathy doesn’t have and they have a picture, they could email it and for a few extra dollars, Kathy can make one up. Contact Kathy at 541-884-2412 or email: ksevy@charter.net
| |
Funny oddities……
It is impossible to lick your elbow……
The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska.
Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common?
A. All were invented by women.
Burn Tests for Various Fibers
Fiber Melting IN Flame Leaving Flame Odor Residue
COTTON Does Not melt Ignites readily Continues to burn burning paper Feathery gray ash
Smokes, glows, smolders
LINEN, other Does Not melt Ignites readily Continues to burn burning paper Fine gray/white ash
Bast fibers
VISCOSE Does Not melt Ignites readily Continues to burn burning paper Small amount gray ash
RAYON
WOOL Scorches Burns slowly Self-Extinguishing burnt hair/feathers Bead,crushes to gritty
Black powder
SILK Scorches Burns slowly Self-Extinguishing burnt hair Bead crushes to gritty
Black powder
ACETATE Melts Away Ignites after Continues to burn Vinegar Dark, solid bead
From flame melting
ACRYLIC Melts Ignites smoky Continues to burn Broiled Fish Hard, Brittle
NYLON Melts in droplets Melts before Self-extinguishing Celery Beige or gray bead
Igniting
POLYESTER Melts in droplets Melts before Self-extinguishing Sweetish Hard, dark bead
Igniting, burns Continues to burn chemical
With black smoke
NOTE: Animal fibers such as wool, mohair, camel hair, vicuna, cashmere, llama & alpaca cannot be distinguished from each other by burning.
Thanks to Karla and George for this Burn Test Table.
