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Archive for September, 2006

Sep 9

Seeking Objective Beauty

I really need to drive my compu-dobby loom better….so I’m reading and re-reading everything I have on Pattern Drafting. Starting with a thorough read of my Fiberworks PCW manual which makes me more efficient at the software. Then going over the Complete Book of Drafting for Handweavers by Madelyn van der Hoogt, and Network Drafting by Alice Schlein.

An why! To create textiles that provoke deep feelings of well being, harmony and beauty in another. I think this is always my aim. And although this is not only found in complex weaving it is where I want to explore it in some form.

I have always thought that beauty is subjective, how else can I explain ugly buildings etc., but according to architect, Christopher Alexander, it is objective. He maps out 15 (see them here as a review) properties of beauty, which include alternating repetition, positive space, boundaries and local symmetries. All of which can apply to a textile, its design, texture and function. He also doesn’t focus on the architectual blueprint as a plan which cannot be deviated from when the building is being created. [Sample Chapter 3 from the Nature of Order 3]

So I think it’s OK to change my mind about that shadow weave from my last entry. I changed tac and will now do a networked twill derived from Sandra Rude’s wonderful pattern WIF file at Complex Weavers.
Threading with the ‘plan’
Threading the ‘eyes’ in the heddles

Sep 1

1 Comment

Weaving Calcs are NOT that difficult!

Weaving calculations are not that difficult….buy why am I continually making mistakes?

On my new shadow weave warp, I thought I counted manually and on my computer weaving program (pcw Fiberworks) 82 ends to a shadow weave pattern, but somehow I made an error in the threading pattern (it was supposed to be 84 ends) and was two light ends short AFTER warping.

The only sensible solution was to insert those extra two ends within each of the five shadow weave repeats, which I managed to do.

This silk warp will be for two blue/white shadow weave drapes which will have shells and pom poms added as embellishments. I’ve made the pattern before, for a commission, in a rich purple/yellow which turned out beautifully. The two colours mixed visually from a distance to make a lovely natural brown tone.

I’m using 20/2 mulberry silk, sett at 26 epi. which has been hand dyed in two tones of blue and a selvedge of purple.I intend the pom poms to be yellow and purple, and perhaps some green.
Putting in extra, forgotten warp ends
Tieing a threading cross
The warp ready and calculated correctly.
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