more samples
June 13, 2013
8 harness samples finished, cut off and washed
they have answered several questions
you can use up odds and ends in the weft stripes and they don’t look like leftovers
right – the white and yellow stripes are paper
the main weft is handspun hemp singles dyed with madder
the 3/1 twill areas sit on top of the fabric almost like ribbon
light coloured wefts are effective – and yes, I know there is a treadling mistake in the center white stripe
on the left, pattern weft is handspun silk singles – dyed with indigo stems (soft blue/grey), madder and silk hankies painted with Procion MX before spinning
it is the overspun elastic silk weft
that is the winner
it gathered when washed
I can’t wait to weave the remaining warp in this technique for a silk scarf
6 Comments
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onesmallstitch.wordpress.com 
Your plaid samples are little works of art. So handsome!
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Alice – thanks, I enjoyed weaving them and I think that’s what counts.
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jean, that is brilliant, that overspun silk, creating amazing texture. yes, indeed!
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Velma – the cone of elastic silk sat on the back of the shelf for several years, and there’s a cone of black, too. magical stuff!
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so elastic isn’t overspun silk…it’s actually silk and elastic?
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Velma – this one appears to be silk fibre spun on a core thread of silk that is so fine I could only see it under the magnifying glass of a linen count. together they are no thicker than a human hair. the only elasticity is how extremely overspun it is, no way to dye it as it needs to to wound onto a bobbin directly from the cone. I’m considering trying to produce a similar yarn by overspinning on my wheel – a winter project, I think.
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