We are so lucky to have Rebecca Logan back with another episode on 'Diversified Plain Weave, Pushing It Further'.
This lesson has 4 and 8-shaft towel projects using 16/2 and 8/4 cotton and they are absolutely wonderful 🙂
We'd love to see your completed projects.
Drop a comment or question below!
Season 10, Episode 3 - DPW Pushing It Further!
Season 10 - Thick & Thin
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Jane Too
Great session!
I am however a bit confused how to create the gamp with the squares. Could that be explained a little more?
Thank you! Gwen
Thanks, Gwen!
For the gamps (if you mean the green and blue ones) I applied a selection of different threadings, chose a single tie-up for each woven gamp, and treadled tromp-as-writ, so the treadling was the same as the threading. Each threading section was repeated two to four times, depending upon width. Were I to weave the gamps again, this time I would place contrasting coloured borders and dividers between the different threadings and treadlings.
You can design your own gamp and experiment! They are so much fun to weave.
Jane Too
seniuk
Gwendolyn Penner
I just finished the 6 towels and am just blown away at how soft they turned out. I did make a threading error which I corrected after doing one towel and cutting it off. So glad I did. My friend Nancy said you will regret it if you don't correct it. True friend.
I would like to do a scarf with the rectangular pattern but want to use just one color for the warp (preferably dark like black or dark charcoal) and a more vibrant color for the thicker weft and contrasting colors for the thin tabby tie ins. I would like to use 8/2 Tensel for the warp and perhaps 16/2 Tensile and Alpaca for the weft. Any thoughts or experience welcomed. Jo
Joann,
What are you thinking for thick versus thin for both warp and weft? There is a LOT of stretch differential between Tencel and Alpaca, so that might cause problems in winding a warp. If used in the weft it should be fine, but you'll have to wet finish very carefully to ensure that the Alpaca does not full and shrink and make the Tencel bubble.
Good morning - it’s not “spring” here on the east coast yet, so the gardening is slow but the weaving means another project season 10! DPW EPISODE 3 ON 4 SHAFTS.
Is there a heddle count for this project, have discovered that I will be short heddles (on 1 &2 of course) but have to figure out mid-warping which shafts to steal some heddles from….
Any help would be appreciated.
Happy weaving everybody, and happy spring when it gets here.
Elaine
Gwendolyn Penner is correct with her heddle count. We will make an update to add the heddle count to the pdfs, I should have picked up that it was missing, I'm so sorry!
It isn't spring here in Alberta, either, so the weaving continues. Happy to have you join me!
Jane Too
Thanks so much to both of you, it’s so helpful to have another way to double/triple check that the loom is warped correctly. BTW, it seems like a very straightforward pattern to load.
Appreciate your input.
Happy weaving!
Elaine
Getting ready warp DPW on my Jack loom. I noticed when sampling that when pressing on treadle 2 the other tabby, harness 2 always raises and I need to hold it down to throw the shuttle. Any ideas on how to fix this? My notes from the cotton cloud DPW said same thing. Thanks.
Hi Catherine, I wrote a long reply to you but forgot to hit the "Reply" button. It should be down below. Thanks!
My loom is doing the same thing--are you using a Harrisville? Rebecca's tips helped me as well but it's going to be a slow weave. Good thing I'm having fun!
I use a fireside loom. And yes the weaving was a bit slow, but the results are so fabulous I will do again.
Vicki Forbell
I'm glad you're sticking with it - these towels will be a great (and squishy) reward for your efforts.
Vicki Forbell
I have taken these off the loom, wet finished them and LOVE LOVE LOVE the feel and texture of this weave structure! Struggled trying to keep that shaft 2 down but worth the effort and now I want some big squishy bath towels made with this design.
lorimesser
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Hi Catherine,
If you've checked to make sure you have no crossed threads between the reed and the heddles, then it may just be a quirk of your loom. Try easing the tension down a bit, that might help.
If easing up on the tension doesn't help, I have a rather extreme alternative suggestion. You could alter the tie-ups to instead of always tying up treadle 2 with the pattern treadles on 3-10, try alternating 1 & 2. So treadle 3 would tie up 2 and the pattern treadles, 4 would tie up 1 (not 2) and the pattern treadles, 5 would tie up 2 and the pattern treadles, 6 would tie up 1 and the pattern treadles, 7 would tie up 2 and the pattern treadles, 8 would tie up 1 and the pattern treadles, 9 would tie up just shaft 2, and 10 would tie up 1 and all of the pattern treadles. You would use the same pattern of tying up treadles 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9 as shown in each tie-up box, just treadles 4, 6, 8, and 10 would have shaft 1 attached instead of shaft 2.
Yes, the interlacements would change. But because the tie-down threads are so thin, that wouldn't change the essential nature of the cloth. You'd still have no long floats (I checked with my weaving software). And it might avoid the lifting issue with shaft 2.
Your background colours would alternate, so you won't get as distinct different background colours as the towels woven as shown in the pdfs, but we're doing anything we can to avoid a shaft lifting issue, so drastic measures are being taken. If you try this, let me know how it goes!
Rebecca,
I did as suggested and it helped immensely. The resulting towel is beautiful with the color interaction front and back. I also wove one in the original tie up all 2 but like the alternate 1/2 better. Still have 5 towels to go so no pics yet. Thanks again for helpful hint.
I'm so glad that adjustment worked for your loom! Happy weaving, and thanks for letting me know it worked out.
Vicki Forbell
No fair, Rebecca. : ) I had other projects in a queue for my 8 shaft looms, but was tempted by your episode that I wasn't planning to watch until later -- but I yielded to temptation and became so excited about this weave structure that I jumped it up in the queue and have it on my loom now. I'm really enjoying weaving it and will show off my shawls soon. And I have yarns lined up for tea towels too.
So sorry! Or am I?
DPW is such a great weave structure, I'm happy to share the love. It has a great combination of block design potential, incredibly stable fabric, and fun with colours. One of these days I want to make a shawl from bamboo yarn, as 16/2 bamboo is lovely as tie-down yarn, and I think doubled 8/2 would do well as a thick yarn.
Isn't it wonderful how much weaving can excite the soul? I love this stuff!
Humm. …Maybe I can try the 8/2 doubled. I was thinking about using 8/4 but worried it would make the garment too stiff. Thanks for your continued inspiration.
lorimesser
I am always perplexed by these double sided towel projects to decide which is the "right" side. I just finished my 8H set and hemmed them so the hems are facing in opposite directions on each end. Therefore both sides are "right".
That is such a great idea for these towels, as they do look great either way!
lorimesser
Leslie Green
I’ve threaded my diversified plain weave gamp from left to right as opposed to the way Rebecca seems to have threaded hers from right to left on the assumption that it shouldn’t really affect the outcome. I think I’ve tied up my David using the tie up shown in the video, remembering to tie up the blanks. I’ve checked and rechecked the threading but my points and curves don’t look anything like the ones in Rebecca’s video. I would really appreciate it if you could show the actual tie up Rebecca used for the gamp as this doesn’t seem to appear in the PDFs and it would help me make sure I’ve got it right before I send my poor husband under the loom! I’m hoping that doing the gamp will help me understand how this structure works as I’m struggling.
Hello! I believe the tie-up you are referring to is at the 14:20 minute mark of video 10.3.2. I don't think I can post an image here, so if you contact [email protected], attention Ginette, then Ginette will pass the email along to me and I can send you the tie-up. Then we can trouble shoot over email together.
Hello! I don’t have any 16/2 but I have a ton of 8/2. Can I use 8/2 with the 8/4 instead?
Thanks
Absolutely. You might want to sample at a slightly more open sett, though, as the 8/2 will take up more space than the 16/2. We used 20 epi / ppi with the 16/2, I would make a small sett sample at 18 epi and maybe 16 epi, maybe even going down to 15 epi.
Expect more influence from the colours of that 8/2 than from the 16/2, so make sure you are happy with the colours you choose. And have fun!
sbulmanrmt
Thank you!
Do you have a heddle count for the 8 shaft loom? I can’t see it in the PDF. Thanks. Jo
Hi Joann,
On shafts 1 & 2 you will need 166 heddles each. Then the rest are 17 on 3, 20 on 4, 28 on 5, 30 on 6, 30 on 7, and 40 on 8. Yes, it is heddle heavy for the first two shafts.
Happy weaving!
Thanks so much for the heddle count. Onward and upward. Jo
Unfortunately I was surprised to run out of Forest 8/4 on the last round on my mill. Agh! Do you think (given it’s almost in the middle of the towel) it would be noticeable if I used 4 strands of 16/2 in its place?
My warp is exactly 8 yards so heads up to folks who are just starting this project.
Hi Lori,
We updated the pdf a couple of weeks ago, as you were not the only person to run out when winding an 8 yard warp (we now recommend 7.5 yds, instead). I must have had a generous cone!
You can absolutely use four ends of 16/2 in its place, that is a good idea.
Have fun weaving this one! Are you weaving the four shaft or eight shaft variation?
Hi Rebecca,
Obviously I missed the memo! Thanks for your help!
I am weaving the eight shaft! I can hardly wait! I just have to weave off the warp on my loom and I’ll be ready to go! The old world colours are wonderful!