Solo Warping-Weaving on the ashford jack floor loom second project

I have decided to weave a baby blanket or wrap.
I am using 10/2 mercerised cotton for the warp and weft as our summers are very hot here in Australia.
I have put some notes down on my Ashford Floor Loom page about the project.
What I am wanting to document here is some helpful things that I have read recently about solo warping.
The actual article pdf is free to download and is called Warping the loom alone by Teresa Folts and David Mathieson. It is a revelation and is 48 pages long of the most helpful information I have come across. It just makes perfect sense to me.
Here is a little something about the solo warping using a door knob that we all have access to in our homes and some very strong cord called the tension cord.

The weaver stands to the side to wind that warp on and holds the tension cord firm as you wind on.
You have to line your centre of your loom up with the door knob and the warp that is on the loom for it to be a success the article suggest. I admit I only found this article this morning after I struggled with this warp.
The photo below another tip given for threading the heddles. I call it organising yourself.

This is the back of my loom and the groups of 28 ends on my cross sticks.

 This is a pic of heddles I have threaded so far with half bow knots tied after 28 ends have been threaded. I always do that step , so thats no revelation.

This is the step that I found really helpful. Counting out the amount of heddles needed for those 28 ends and then slipping your warp that has 28 ends after those heddles, so you've only got a thin amount of heddles in between those warp ends and the cross stick. The article states that done in this way  any threading errors will be confined to those 28 ends anywhere on the warp. It reduces those threading errors. I loved the article it is so helpful

This is looking from the back of the loom again. Notice only a few heddles to see around and once you have run out of heddles and ends you know you have done the threading right and you can move on to the next 28 ends.

Still at the back of the loom I tied my bundles into epi  and they stay neatly out of the way until i need them.

I have yet to try the tension cord solo warping yet but i will definitely be trying it as I don't want anymore large object in my room and I can't see myself screwing anything to my ceiling such as a warping valet.
Hopefully if anyone other than myself is reading my blog this may help you solo warp as well.
Okay back to threading the heddles.

Knitted Bib

I have just finished this little baby bib for my niece who is expecting her first baby. I have also knitted booties but have yet to sew them up. I am happy with how it turned out with this colour way.
I have previously knitted bibs for my grandson and they really stop the dribble from wetting their clothes .

Below is the booties that stay on that I knitted for my grandson. In lots of colours to match his little outfits.

Blanket Finished.

The Finished Blanket

I didn't  have any joined together problems but quite a few skipped . No matter how careful you are with sticky wool you have to be more careful. I think it will work out better on the big floor loom now that I understand the principle behind it a bit better. I wanted short fringing and so twisted as usual and then soaked in hot water and then gently washed in a wool cycle then I cut the fringing down and got rid of the knots. It is holding the twist. 

 I love it to death. It is warm comfortable and just pretty.

Anyway here it is 

A sneak peak of my double wide blanket

I think it looks quite pretty. 

Also in between all this and before I started this project, I am going to New Zealand soon on a one weeks holiday first time to new zealand. So because its going to be so bloody freezing and I am a Queenslander through and through I thought I better weave that alpaca scarf and knit that beanie I have been putting off .
Here is the scarf and beanie all knitted and woven in handspun natural colours of Alpaca.

This yarn was made from my first spinning experience and so is a little let me say textured but still beautiful and unique.

I used Patons Dreamtime merino for the warp and all handspun alpaca for the weft. It is 

simply done in plain weave on the rigid heddle.

All Knitted in the same alpaca used for weaving. 

I used a Noro knitting pattern but modified it to suit me and my handspun alpaca.

Double Width blanket on Rigid Heddle Loom

I am trying Double Wide Weaving out on my 80 cm Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom.

Project from Ashfords Wheels and Looms Magazine- Double Delight.
It is so pretty and unusual using novelty yarn and wool I thought i would it a go.

I didn't find it hard to understand how to thread the 2 heddles up at all. I found the instructions from Ashfords Wheels Mag really good, especially about threading the double heddle.

So here are a few things that I have discovered whilst trialling this new to me weave structure before attempting it on the Ashford Jack Floor Loom.

• Firstly each shed has its place in the structure and now I fully understand what shed is doing what function.
• That sheds 2 and 3 have 3 threads on top every time and sheds 1 and 4 have only 1 thread. Am I right in thinking these are the plain weave sheds?

Here are some pictures

Above sheds 1 and 4. One thread from a slot and one shed from a hole- This is why I think these are the plain weave sheds.
And below shed 2 and 3 with 3 ends ( 1thread in the hole and 2 in the slot.)

A good way to check for errors when clearing the shed in readiness to throw your weaving sword.

 Can you see the error in the above photo. 3 threads coming out of the slot. It should be 1 thread in a hole and 2 in the slot. No no no that could cause drama so double check every pick.

and how to double check that impending error. Double weave double width is slow going on the rigid heddle but a great project to fully understand the structure and what it entails. I am really enjoying the simplified use of the rigid heddle. Quicker to warp and start the weaving process.

Here is shed 1-  front heddle up, back in neutral

Here is Shed 2- back heddle in down position and front heddle in neutral position

  

Shed 3- Both heddles in neutral position and pick up stick B forward and on edge

Shed 4- Both heddles in neutral position and pick up stick A forward and on edge

I have tied the pick up sticks thats what the red cotton is for so they won't slide out.

I am also very conscience on my selvages especially on the fold. I am sure it won't be perfect first time round but it at first you don't succeed try , try again. Nothing ventured nothing gained.
If anyone is reading this except for myself I really hope my trials with double width weaving may be a little helpful.

Homemade Treadling Tracker.

So here is the final product. My Homemade treadle tracker.

I have documented how I made it here.

What a constructive mess

What is this going to turn out like and what is it to be become?

I have been racking by brain over the last month and been scouring the internet for some ideas on a way to keep track of my treadling on my loom. I have seen beads used a lot, strung on string and tied to the beater or castle but if tied to the beater i would be worried that the beads would slide around even with a  nice thick string. It just didn't seem that solid of an idea to me. I wanted something more technical than that and more permanent and nothing that could accidentally be touched by little fingers.
I also liked the idea of printing out the treadling sequence and taping that to the castle or beater and may have to resort to that idea for more complicated treadling.
Anyway I think this idea of mine may just work. Next post and picture is of the final thought process and how I made it. If anyone reads this blog other than me it may help you out to or maybe you could improve upon the idea.
Okay enough said  back to working on it.

A link to a really good blog on Weaving

This is an Australian Blog and Martin  of gangewifre. blogspot does beautiful weaving,  He is a very talented man that he has lots of information on his site that is extremely helpful when you are newly starting out on your weaving journey.

Washing Merino Fleece

Here are a few photo's of my merino fleece being washed.
I bought this fleece of gumtree here in Australia a couple of years ago and a white fleece as well.
I thought I would have a break from Alpaca for a while and try my hand at merino as it is so readily available here.
Well this one is very fine and doesn't seem to have a long staple i think it is about 6-7cm long if that.,
but i give everything a go once. I decided to just wash it in cold soaks for a start and it was very greasy, not smelly, just greasy.

 Above was the 2nd tap water soak. Below is the 3rd. I was soaking for about 30 mins at a time.

 My makeshift table to pour the fleece onto. Omg this is back breaking work. I should have done it in smaller portions.

 The fleece drying in my little shed.

 Nope still doesn't feel like i want to comb and spin this , so I will use tantech's wool scour.

 This is after I used Wool Scour. It has come up beautiful . So soft.  Below is the staple length 10cm

 Look at this crimp. It is so fine it feels like silk in your hand whilst spinning it.

Here is the white merino fleece. I should probably scour this as well. I can't remember but i think i have already washed this batch when i first got it but its very hard to comb

and finally after combing and seeing such waste i made some felted dryer balls.

My weaving on youtube.

Here is the link to my youtube channel.
I am documenting my journey of weaving and spinning and if anyone learns anything in the meantime thats great.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnqTbBcWLGelT5FjTnES55w

New Page been added Ashford Jack Floor Loom

I have added a new page on my Ashford Jack Floor loom tab at the top of this page here and my first project on it.