These are the renditions of the patterns I had planned for the blue and white warp. The first, an 8 shaft shadow weave (with a twist of asymmetry) I have woven before but this simulation doesn’t do it justice; you can’t see and feel its interplay of colour.

However I changed my mind and wanted to have a go at Sandra Rude’s wonderful pattern which I’ve modified slightly to have a different pattern in the dark blue stripes. I’ve also introduced a third colour to the weft which I think will give the WOW factor. This also meant I had to re-think the sett of the fabric. The shadow weave required 26epi on the 2/20 silk but the 24 shaft pattern in a twill form will require 30epi.

Having more than 8 shafts is wonderful, but I think the extra shafts are never used as efficiently or with the ingenuity of only 4 or 8.

I’ve finished the threading, now sleying the reed ready to start.