Posted by Peg in South Carolina
I took the easy way to begin: playing with my weaving software. I took my basic 4-shaft crackle threading (threaded two units per block, the blocks lined up in twill order) and did all the transformations I could work out with my weaving software. A very simple-minded thing. But, after a lot of unpromising tests, I did come up with something.
I interleaved this threading with an 8-shaft crackle threading (also threaded two units per block, with the blocks lined up in twill order) and got this:
OBSERVATIONS ON THIS DRAFT
1. There are many weft floats that are too long. Aside from the “rule” that crackle allows floats of no more than 3, some of the floats are just too long to be weavable, though at 60 ends per inch on a piece that won’t get hard wear (dressy fabric, for example, or an art piece) this wouldn’t be a problem.
2. The crackle threading is no more. But then, the point of this is not to come up with a new “crackle” design, but to come up with a design that might make for interesting weaving.
3. There are groups of doubled warp ends. They occur because the two crackle threadings are the same size and the units are threaded in the same order. This would probably be less of a problem if the two crackle threading units were of different size and/or if the threadings were in a different order. This is definitely something worth exploring.
4. The final threading has no warp ends on shafts 6 or 7. This happened because the 8-shaft crackle threading was much longer than the 4-shaft crackle threading. This means that both threadings should (at least normally) be of the same length.
5. The new tieup failed to include shafts 5 and 8 in the tieup. They are there simply because I added them manually. I found this a bit strange.
6. This is not a draft to be woven. It is simply the beginning of a journey.
AN IRONY
It is an irony that the weaving software which landed me with carpal tunnel sydrome has now led my straight, head-on, into the wall. Using interleaved threadings, as well as echo threadings, with crackle has been in the back of my head for a long time. But the notion of pursuing it has frightened me because it is such unknown territory, at least for me. To try playing with it would risk lots of failures with no promise of success. In fact, the whole crackle-a-day project was kind of a setup to avoid getting into all of this. And yet, that is right where it has landed me.
But as long as I show up for work each day and take each day one at a time, I will be more OK.
GOING TO WORK EACH DAY
Pressfield, in The War of Art, has this to say about getting to work each day:
Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying. Why is this so important? Because when we sit down day after day and keep grinding, something mysterious starts to happen. A process is set into motion by which, inevitably and infallibly, heaven comes to our aid. Unseen forces enlist in our cause; serendipity reinforces our purposes….. When we sit down and work, we become like a magnetized rod that attracts iron filings. Ideas come. Insights accrete.
(p. 108)
Past experience has shown me the truth of this. And even yesterday, when I had at last begun to take on the challenge, the serendipity began………..and I was once again happy.
PROTECTING MYSELF FROM CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
I have put a timer next to my computer. When I start working with weaving software, I will set it for 20 minutes. I will then get up, walking around, stretch, including some specific stretches for carpal tunnel. I will then return, reset the timer, and so on.
Related Posts:
4-Shaft Crackle Threading Straight Draw
Beginning 8-Shaft Crackle
Resistance to Doing the Work
"Crackle and Interleaved Threading” was written by Margaret Carpenter for Talking about Weaving and was originally posted on April 1, 2010. ©2010 Margaret Carpenter aka Peg in South Carolina
2 comments:
Hi Peg, I hope the carpel tunnel trouble is easing. I use a trackball which I find easier, and I have also learnt to use both left and right hands for mouse work, and to always use key strokes where there is an alternative to the mouse. On one of my computers I actually have two mice installed, one a trackball the other a mini-mouse. I change which mouse I'm using when I feel tension in my wrist, and like you I take lots of breaks, and any moment when I'm not using the mouse I put my hand away from it and stretch my arm, wrist and hand.
Good suggestions. I just installed my ergonomic mouse from 3M and it looks like it is going to be perfect. If they made a left-handed version, I would install it as well because I totally agree about switching hands. Nevertheless, I have to start exercises to widen my chest and unround my shoulders, which is where the real cause of all this lies. And of course, be careful of how long I sit at the computer.....sigh.........
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