Sample

The sample was cut and I've washed and pressed it. There was very little shrink in both directions and it feels soft and it is lovely and shiny. So, I'm happy to carry on with this sett.

I did not want another sample in the draw so made a little pouch that I can use.

It's in my handbag now with some paper hankies. I stitched it in such a way that the fringes of the warp are still visible. I've used Velcro to close it.

Colour in weaving

I've started weaving the sample. What a joy to be weaving colour!!
To think that I dyed this warp myself.
I'll make the sample large enough before I'll cut it of and will wet finish it to make sure the set is correct.
Here is the first woven inches:

I've tried to make a photo of the back too, not easy just now. But here it is:

Same part at the front looks like this:

Marion was wondering if she could warp a warp like this on her warping mill.
I'm not sure. May be where the cross bars are at the top you could use that and let the threads hang down from the cross bars.

I had dyed on the skein, so when I was warping I think the circle of my warp was twice the length of the skein trying to keep the colours together. I kept my finger on one point to make sure that the colours would not move about as the circle was hanging loose at the bottom. So. if you have 2 points to start making your circle, you can just let it hang down to whatever length it needs to be. Hope this all makes sense.
Ah, but than you have to have something to make your cross............
I warped the 5 coloured stripes separate and all the black stripes separate too, so I had to think every time I started a new part, where to start the cross.

When I dyed the above skein last year, I had taken the colours from this photo:

Picking 5 colours with a photo program and printing these colours and dye as near as possible.
I have a second skein that I dyed at the same time; similar colours but a shade darker without yellow.

That's for another project together with the remainder of this skein. (I've used just over half of the skein for this warp)

New Warp

I've used the dyed silk from last years workshop at Summer School together with black Tencel for a new warp. The latest issue of Handwoven showed a good way of warping with dyed skeins, to keep the colours together.
You warp in a circle, this way you can see how the colours go. When you have finished warping you cut the circle and you have your warp. It was a bit tricky to get the warp on the loom as both ends of the warp were cut now. My normal warping would give me looped ends. Now I had to tie the warp on the loom instead of putting the rod from the back beam through the loops. I did not take any photos making this circle warp as I needed all my attention to get it right.
The warp is now on the loom and threaded. All I need to do now is tie on and I can start weaving.
Photo showing the front:

And this one showing the back:

You can see how the colour changes from front to back.
It will be very cheerful to start weaving with these colours. There is enough for one scarf + a bit for a small sample for wet finishing, to see if I have the sett right. The colours will be woven twill and the black plain weave. For weft I'll be using the black Tencel.

computer fun

I'm a member of Jacquie Lawson
They make the most unusual email cards and also make screen savers from the cards.
But the latest they have made is a desktop widget. So I now have Jack the dog running along the bottom of the screen or he is asleep and you even see him breathing.

Great fun to watch, as he suddenly wakes up and starts running along the screen, with or without a ball. He disappears and you never know when he turns up again........