Author: vikkihaffenden

Twiddling with twill

On By vikkihaffendenIn craft, weaving, Woven textilesLeave a comment

I am so lucky, I have been given Anne Dixon’s 4 shaft weaving book and am blown away by the number of possibilities with a simple 1, 2, 3, 4 threading. My first two attempts are very rewarding, but messy edges. I was to excited putting the warp on and forgot to pack the edges and add floating selvedges. I tried rethreading the 4 edge heddles but it’s not a brilliant finish. Still it’s only a short ‘test’ warp, and I will do better next time!

Before receiving the book I had worked out how to do herringbone and combine this with stripes. I liked this, especially with a marl hand spun between commercial yarn.

Herringbone and stripes

After getting the book I realised I could work with two treadles at a time and two shuttles.

I love this neater weave using 2 treadles

Now I am playing with colours and have added an extra pick to the pattern. Working this additional pick in thicker yarn increases the surface texture. And although it’s not clear on the photo, both blue yarns are mercerised so make a contrast to the woollier yarns.

Louet W70 loom

On By vikkihaffendenIn craft, Textiles, weaving, Woven textilesLeave a comment

I have just bought a Louet W70 loom to expand my skills. It is a 4 shaft and has a stand. From my internet searches I understand this look to be the earliest version of the Louet Kombo Loom, that then became the Jane. It’s very sturdy and U think I am going to have fun with it!

On the dining room table, the stand is still in pieces…

I mentioned that it would be great if I could pedal the shafts. My son took one look at it and was determined to add those pedals!

Today we spent a lot of time trawling the internet for old instruction manuals and seeing what other people had done when converting table looks to treadle ones. There is one video on Facebook that we found very informative, and so we started. He has so far designed a direct tie-up method for lifting the shafts and is now working on designing the treadles. Meanwhile I have ordered Texsolv cord and clips to make the tie-up easier and so that the pedals can be disconnected to enable folding the loom away.

Testing out the first, makeshift pedal. The dog was not part of the experiment.

Update

The loom is now working. It has four direct threaded treadles and I’m working on it with a short, narrow test warp using some wool/acrylic and a 10epi reed.

It’s taking over the living room, but will be moved soon

Fancy yarn workshop; spinning boucle yarn

On By vikkihaffendenIn British wool, craft, creativity, fibre, hand spinning, hand spun, spinning, Spinning wheels, Textiles, Wool, Workshop, yarnLeave a comment

Yesterday I had a fab time at a workshop learning to spin fancy yarns. We only managed boucle and slub but that was so rewarding. The workshop was organised by the Brighton and Hove Textile Arts Group and hosted by Spring Farm Alpacas in Fletching West Sussex. Ann Dishman led the workshop and provided Blue Faced Leicester tops, still various and other threads for us to spin with.

Although I have spun both types of yarns before, I learned a lot and really enjoyed having four hours in which to practise the techniques. I also found out that Ann had been taught to spin by my spinning hero, Mabel Ross, which made me extremely envious.

Unwashed boucle, Blue Faced Leicester singles and loops, cotton binder.
Unwashed the boucle was a bit lively, but it balanced out nicely after a strenuous washing.

Unwashed soft slub; Blue Faced Leicester singles with a fine industrial wool binder.

I took my Louet Victoria travel wheel and at usual she spin well and reliably, it was the user who made the mistakes!

Rya weave cushion completed

On By vikkihaffendenIn British wool, craft, creativity, fibre, weaving, Wool, Woven textilesLeave a comment

Although it’s taken me a while I have finally finished this cushion.

Front of the cushion. A tufted chequer board that is very tactile and squishy.

The front is Rya tufted and woven with a British wool rug yarn on a linen/cotton warp. The black tufts are Shetland staples and the cream is a mixture of Devon/Dorset staples. Although it’s not that clear in the photo, the squares are reversed; black edging with a cream centre and cream edging with a black centre.

The reverse of the cushion is a faux waffle weave in the same rug yarn that underlies the Rya tufts. Because my rigid heddle loom is only a 20 inch wide, the cushion is composed of four pieces.

I took the opportunity to insert a zip in the centre back seam.

Instead of feathers or polyester wadding, the cushion is filled with a pad of lofty carded wool fleece. I will use this cushion to make my chair extra comfortable whilst spinning at my wheel.

Weaving today for a relaxing time

On By vikkihaffendenIn British wool, craft, creativity, Textiles, weaving, Woven textilesLeave a comment

Today is ‘me time’, weaving with a local group, mostly members of the West Sussex Guild. Although I love knitting, it can sometimes seem like work because of my teaching and writing career. Weaving however, is a new skill to learn just for pleasure. Even though I haven’t heard grasped all the basics I am having fun designing fabrics using the simpler techniques.

Waffle effect in 100% British wool. This will be the having for the Rya weave cushion cover front I have already completed.

Typically I have already acquired two kinds, both rigid heddle type, but perfect for my early steps.

‘Single and Double Bed Machine Knitting; the Designer’s Guide’

On By vikkihaffendenIn books, clothing size, craft, Creative machine knitting, educational, Flechage, Knitted textiles, knitting, knitting machine, knitting machine maitenance, Machine knitting, Machine knitting; knitmaster;silver reed; knitting, making, Passap, Short-row shaping, Short-rows, Textiles, UncategorizedLeave a comment

The advance copy of my new book arrived today, and you can see some pages from the book here.

Meanwhile here is a quick look at the book.

I have made a more in depth video introduction to the book, and if you would like to watch this, please keep on scrolling down the page.

Seamless machine knit socks

On By vikkihaffendenIn craft, creativity, educational, fibre, fibre preparation, hand spinning, Knitted textiles, making, Textiles, Uncategorized, weaving, Wool, Workshop, yarnLeave a comment
Slow and steady is best when demonstrating live!

This was taken at Traditions in the Making, a Heritage Craft event at Stanmer Park, Brighton. With lots of volunteers from local community textile group Woolly Umbrella, alongside the CSM there were demonstrations of flax processing, lace making, weaving, inkle looms, wool fibre preparation (hand and drum carding), embroidery and wool and flax spinning.

The CSM is an Imperia with an 84 slot cylinder and gm here I am knitting a sock in traditional 3ply sock wool; no nylon. This was the nearest we could get that was most like the wool probably used originally on the machine. Although I have knitted on it with hand spun I felt that demonstrating required enough concentration without the worry of irregular yarn!

Two types of socks in the 3 ply yarn, fake rib and true rib.

In a brave, but foolish, moment I decided to try a toe-up sock at one point. It wasn’t too bad at all, and I am quite pleased with the result.

Toe up sock, still waiting to be hand finished