GETTING IN OVER MY HEAD

Posted by Peg in South Carolina

Susan has posted on her blog that when she started her current crackle project, she knew she was getting in over her head. My response was that I find that with each new warp I am always getting in over my head in some way or another. Actually, I prefer to state this in terms of challenges. Each new warp brings new challenges.

I have already had the very large challenge of designing the warp. Go here to read something about that. And even that challenge was not done until I did the final slight redesign when I wound my first bout which you can find here.

The process of winding the warp has also revealed another challenge. A small one, mind you, but a nuisance none the less.

WARPING PADDLE ON THE “WRONG” SIDE

Whenever I use a paddle, I seem to put it on the right side of the warping board. Why? Because that is where I begin winding the warp.

Occasionally, however, I end up starting on the left. That is what happened with this warp. And so I put the paddle on the left.

The paddle on the left has really proved awkward when it comes time to make the cross at the top of the warping board.

I have since moved it more towards the center which didn’t really help. It was not until I was winding the fourth bout that my hands finally taught me what I had been doing wrong. And it was my hands that taught me, not my head. The memory of the body.

MORE CHALLENGES TO COME

Using the paddle on the left side is not going to be the only challenge with this warp. So far I know of three more:

1. Get the bouts on the loom in the right order and facing the right way. I’ve worked on some solutions before for meeting this challenge, but I had better not let my guard down.
2. Work out the weft stripes so that the squares are perfect squares. Do I count? Do I measure? Do I do both?
3. Beating the twill to get a perfect 45-degree diagonal. I have done this before but it doesn’t come naturally and I am out of practice. So I will have to make a cardboard template for checking.

Doubtless there will be other challenges as well, as yet unknown to me. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Sometimes not.

PHOTO POSTCRIPT

Well, again the barrel distortion is evident from the white cone of yarn leaning slightly to the right instead of standing straight up. I shall have to remember to take my close ups standing farther away and zooming in. That easily solves the barrel distortion.

Related Posts:
Warping Paddle
Baby Blanket

"Getting In Over My Head" was written by Margaret Carpenter for Talking about Weaving and was originally posted on October 1, 2008. © 2008 Margaret Carpenter aka Peg in South Carolina