Friday, May 8, 2009

RETHREADING, RESLEYING, REWEAVING: PART TWO

Posted by Peg in South Carolina

The threading error taught me some things. But it also gave me the gift of time—time to think more carefully about how I am going to weave this piece.

I very much like what I had woven. Technically (well, except for the threading problem), things went very well, much better, in fact, than for any previous similar warp. Aesthetically, I very much like what was happening. And I was even managing to keep really good records (which will help when I come back to that point.)

ASYMMETRY

What is it that I like? The colors, for one thing. But it is the motif designing for which I am most concerned. The threading is asymmetric, which means that the motif design, along the width of the fabric, will be asymmetric.

I have always been fond of asymmetric design. My treadling and use of weft colors tend to be asymmetric. But so far I have not put on an asymmetric threading for crackle. So, asymmetric design along the length of a crackle piece I am familiar with. But asymmetric design across the width of a crackle piece I am not familiar with.

And as I reflect, I realize that asymmetry is not going to be easy. I am beginning to think that I will need to keep the motif design symmetric lengthwise, even though I will be using more than one design.

MOTIF DESIGN AND COLOR

How, also, given this, to use the gold and lime colors for the motif colors? My original notion was to change those colors from design to design. Now I am coming up with plans to change them within the individual motif. And that, of course, makes me wonder if there will be too much going on. Time will tell.

Then there is the matter of the size of the motif designs and the length of the spacing between them. My present feeling is that these should be regular, but I am not convinced yet of how long the spacing between designs should be. I think this will have to be something I work out as I weave.

THE THREADING ERROR

I have not yet investigated the threading error. Part of this is because of some mini-trips Chuck and I have been taking during this second half of the week. Part of this is because I have been thinking more about the weaving I will do when everything is fixed up.

I am hoping that, when I do get to checking out the threading, I will find that it is simply a matter of removing one or two heddles with no re-threading necessary—only dropping out the unheddled end(s), re-sleying half of the warp, and finally tying the warp back onto the front rod. But perhaps I am hoping for too much?

Related Post: Designing as You Go


Rethreading, Resleying, Reweaving: Part Two” was written by Margaret Carpenter for Talking about Weaving and was originally posted on May 8, 2009. ©2009 Margaret Carpenter aka Peg in South Carolina

3 comments:

Dorothy said...

Thank you for being honest about making mistakes!

I like asymmetry, but working without the easy rules of symmetry is an art. Other than the threading error, I like the look of this design, the rest was weaving up well.

Susan B. said...

Ahhhh, I feel your anguish. I had threaded, sleyed, and begun weaving when lo and behold a threading error smack dab in the middle! I wove a little, thinking it wouldn't show or matter. But it does. Fortunately, this is only 60 ends and I only had to rethread 30! I'll follow your lead and give an account on my blog soon!

Peg in South Carolina said...

Hi Dorothy, I am learning just how perplexing asymmetry can be to work with! Thank you for the compliment(s).
Susan, yup it does matter, even though when I went back to the loom this morning I had trouble finding the error.... It sure shows up on the photo,though!