Weaving 202 Class, April 27th. 2012 -- Pick-up Patterns
Instructor: Joan (excellent, very clear and organized)
Location: Knit ‘n Knibble Tampa, FL
Weft faced and Warp faced floats, as a sampler, done in class. A second page of similar patterns given as “Homework” for further practice after class is finished.

HEDDLE SIZE: 8
SETT: 8 epi.
ENDS: 48
WARP: 6” Wide x 2 1/2 yds Long

YARN: Cascade 220 Lilac Warp most accurate at the very top of pic 1. Has more blue than is showing, not as pink.
--The Fox Brand Heavenly Crepe is a very old yarn 78% Acetate and 22% Nylon in a blush or intense peach color, that looks very orangey in the pics.

Picture 1: Bottom of pic., are 2 Weft faced float patterns. (Weft floats look like bars running horizontally)

Picture 2: Middle section of practice piece shows warp faced floats (running vertically above the base weaving) Very top of piece is a combined pattern, with both weft face and warp face floats.

COTTON LOOPS TIE-ON
Pictures 4 & 5 & 12: I direct warp onto the back apron bar. To alleviate extra stress on my neck and fingers while warping I’m trying a new idea. I’m using Harrisville Designs Cotton Loops (lime green) on the front apron bar. The Harrisville Loops seem pretty consistent in size, so the finished tension seems relatively even.

HOW TO PUT ON THE COTTON LOOPS:
The top of the green Looper loops are put around the apron bar by simply looping them around the bar and pulling the tail through the looped Looper. (pic 12) The tail faces the back of the loom.

For the next step tie the warp threads, in small bundles, to each green Looper, using one half hitch knot per loop. After tying, pull the tails down towards the front so they will be out of the way.

Wind onto the front bar, as normal. Be sure to space the loops out so that the warp threads line up perpendicular to the beam and don’t accidentally pull in and narrow the width of the warp, or pull wider and widen the intended width.

So far, so good. Thank you Jeen for this great idea, even if it was inadvertent. :D

NOTE: Most likely, yarn that is more slippery than wool will require more than one half hitch knot (or the standard tie on knot -- a bow) to keep it steady.

If you try using the cotton loop tie-on (or something similar) please PM me with your experiences, be they positive or negative. I’m interested in knowing how well it works for you, or if it doesn’t. Thanks!

HOMEWORK PAGE
15 May 2012: Homework Page. Started work on this page of patterns. It lists five more patterns with weft and warp faced floats, and one combination, to try.

17 May 2012: Homework Page
Pic 6: (Starting at the bottom of the picture)
--Above the large blue-green section (used to separate the Class patterns from the Homework patterns) is the first Pattern, a Weft Faced Float.
NOTE: You can see that the warp is starting to pull tighter (widthwise) as I beat a little heavier with my fork.

Pic 7 & 8: (Starting at the bottom of the picture)
--Above the same blue-green section is the same White Weft Faced Float section as Pic 6.
--Then, separated by a three row blue-green section, is a white 5/1 Weft Faced Float pattern.
--Followed by another blue-green three row section is a 1/5 Warp Faced Float section in a slightly orangey toned crepe yarn weft.
--Again separated by a three row blue-green section is a blue section (Saucey) that is a Combined Pickup Pattern of both warp and weft floats.

Pic 9 & 10(Starting at the bottom of the picture)
--Then separated by the 4 row plain weave seafoam green color crepe yarn (after the blue patterned section) comes the white weft of the Warp Faced Pickup pattern.
--After the next 4 row blush color plain weave is the next white weft of a Weft Faced Float Pattern. It has a mistake in the first repeat. which is separated, in pic 10, from the second correct pattern by the metal point of my pen. I will be repeating the correct pattern in the next section.

Picture 11
--Last white woven section between orangy plain weave and last blue rows. This is a correction of the mistake shown by the pen point (in the second repeat) in picture 9, of the last Weft Faced Float Pickup Pattern. The mistaken section is at the bottom of the picture, the corrected one at the top. I liked weaving this pattern, nice and rhythmic once I got going.

UNANSWERED QUESTION: Why did the width pull in so much as I worked along?
POSSIBLE ANSWERS:
1) Not letting the weft yarn make a big enough angle up and away from the fell line towards the heddle.
2) Beating harder (using the fork) as I started to feel better.
3) Patterning will pull in the sides more than just a plain weave.
4) Combination of all of the above.

CONCLUSIONS: This was fun!