Two new ways to use your Schacht Flip rigid heddle loom

Schacht Spindle Co. recently celebrated their 40th anniversary with a contest, both for spinning and weaving novices and experts. One option was to upload videos to youtube of Schacht products or weaving/spinning contest entries on the Schacht tools... so of COURSE I had to go that route :)

I've been thinking about the contest for a while and tho I didn't feel I had any chance against true expert spinners (I entered my tour de fleece skein and my mohair/silk I just wrote about in the spinning +2 years/expert category), I did think I should use the weaving contest portion as an opportunity to look at my Flip in a different way. You may remember I love using the Textures and Patterns for the Rigid Heddle book as inspiration... hopefully these vids will inspire someone else :)

First, I used the Flip as a frame for tablet/card weaving, and wove a beautiful strap for a bag I wove. Originally I was going to enter the bag into the contest (handspun wensleydale warp and handspun supercoil weft, both dyed by Black Bunny Fibers, but I think the strap was more interesting to talk about in a video.



You may notice this looks nothing like "regular" tablet woven bands-- instead of using several colored warp threads and a pattern, I warped the Flip as if I were plain weaving using the direct warping method and let the pattern emerge from the beautiful yarn. If you look closely you can see the undulating wave pattern from when I turn the cards forward and back, it's even more striking in person.



Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock lightweight in Sunstone, if you MUST know :) I used about 1/2 of the skein for the band? I haven't weighed the leftovers yet, but it's enough for something.

I've always been tangentially interested in tablet weaving, but for reals... I am LAZY. I don't want to measure and wind warps (I know I'll get emails and I'll try it someday, promise!)-- but direct warping and relying on yarn for patterning made for a FAST project that was easyeasy. I love it, I think I'll make a camera strap for my Lumix later... and Kristine will have to make one for her new camera (i know you have some "sample sale" yarns to use up ;))

Speaking of easy... you may know I have a kid who is the apple of my eye :) We work on silly projects together like painting and drawing and those types of creating endeavors-- not really fiber. I always want to get him knitting and spinning and weaving, but his lack of any attention span coupled with his hardheaded nature (who knows where that came from!) means it's mainly been a short adventure. I have been thinking a lot about resist dyeing with wax for ikat-style patterned warp and decided I could modify the idea into something my son and I could work on together-- so I direct warped the loom with heavy sportweight non-mercerized white cotton and pulled out our textile paints. He painted the warp directly on the loom and then I wove it.



I used the same weft as warp-- I thought about dyeing the entire fabric with fiber reactive dyes via low immersion dyeing for even more interest, but haven't decided yet. The fabric will end up eventually as a bag for him, it's stiff but I think once the paints have been heatset they'll be a bit more pliable. I'll wash it in finishing and think the cotton will pull in quite a bit, if not I'll make a bag liner (yay for my sewing 101 class and Kira K! :))

The painting went well...



...we used 7 different colors, but with the "metallic" addins of the Jacquard Lumiere its a bit hard to differentiate metallic purple from metallic pewter in pictures.

I really love it. It was easy enough to do with the boy-- the paintable area of warp in front of the heddle was perfect for a short attention span that returned once I had dried and woven over the painted portion, and he loved being able to pick and choose his own colors and "designs." I'll definitely be thinking about direct warp painting as a "grownup" project-- eventually I want to use some soy wax and tjanting tools to paint soy wax onto the warp and cold water dye the resulting fabric, and use thickened fiber reactive dyes for a more wearable/less stiffened (read: scarves, etc.) fabric. Maybe even break out my vintage wood type ampersand collection and stamp a fine warp.

It was nice doing this as a jumping off point for more possibilities of direct warp painting, especially since my baby started KINDERGARTEN and I'm so ... oh, you know :) Everything! This was our last project before he started school, so even more special.

The videos:

Tablet weaving on the Schacht Flip rigid heddle loom:


Direct warp painting on the Schacht Flip rigid heddle loom:


(unfortunately the white warp is doing some weird psychadelic dancing because of the HD video being condensed down to nothing :( )

birthdays

My mom grew up poor, raised by a stepfamily who really couldn't give any shakes for her or my blood uncle. Consequently, she had to procure what I consider necessities for herself starting at a too-young age-- clothing, shoes, books, toiletries. There's a story my sister and I were told from that time... how mom worked and saved an entire summer for a snow white sweater for the coming school year, and how someone else in the household bundled it into the wash, ruining it before it was ever worn.

I can't say I really understand, sis and I were raised wanting nothing til the end. I can understand the resonance of destruction of work though, in a small way... cos mom keeps felting the hats I make her. Now they don't take me a summer and aren't even something I consider work and to be really honest I don't see them as 'same'... but as much as I love her am constantly amazed at how nonchalantly she tells me that she has another hat for my son since she's passed one of my handknits thru the wash and it won't fit her anymore.

I should have started ages ago but it's superwash all the time for mom now. She had a birthday and I promised to replace all the hats she's felted this year (3? 4?), starting with the now-felted Malabrigo Koolhaas.


Koolhaas hat by Jared Flood
Started and finished: two days in August
Elann Superwash Worsted in Espresso, 1.5 skeins
US 7, 16" Addi Natura

At least I really enjoy knitting Koolhaas. I know that it fits lots of heads (it fits my son's in width but not depth, I'm going to make him one with only 3 repeats and it'll be perfect if a little loose), is easy to read when knitting away from the pattern, and is interesting to knit. I don't know if she'll get 4 Koolhaas hats in different colors... maybe :)

She was kind enough to model the wrap I wove for my sister (ages ago!) who shares a birthday month with mom...


Warp: Tactile Fiber Arts Superwash Merino/tencel sock yarn, "orchid"
Weft: Hand Jive Knits Nature's Palette superwash merino sock yarn, "odd duck 5"
woven on my Schacht Flip

The colors look as if they were made for one another, even from different dyers. I sought out machine washable for sis as well-- I wanted her to be able to use this as a nursing wrap if she wanted and know all too well how those can get messy. My Malabrigo Clapotis I used for a nursing coverup had to be washed much more than any other handknit I've made save socks :)

I also dig that both warp and weft are naturally dyed-- I have no idea if it will appeal to sis but it sure does to me.





So does the sheen of the tencel... I usually don't like tencel blends in sock yarns, too shiny and drape-y for my taste. Here as weft though it's really interesting against the more matte merino warp, and gives it a nice fall when worn. The wrap's one of those things you hope gets worn outside in daylight, but we don't have much control over these things once out of our possession... and I'm starting to accept that.

I double-threaded the warp edges...


(lower left corner)

...two strands on the beginning and end. I don't know if it makes it more stable, but at least it can't hurt :)

I also used simple overhand knots on the edging, but only 2 strands instead of my usual four.



I had planned to use one of the MANY beautiful warp edgings from Interweave's Compendium of Finishing Techniques, but decided against it since this was a gift and may have been too much for my non-knitting, non-weaving sister (who actually is always quite appreciative of fiber gifts, but there can be a taste/technique disconnect between fiber and non-fiber people...) I like how small the two-strand knots are, and the contrast between the color of pure warp fringe against the woven fabric.

One surprise was how little weft I used... I used the entire skein of Tactile's sw merino/tencel (412 yards) but only 222 (of 370) yards of Nature's Palette superwash merino.



No matter, the 40 grams will make a sweet cap for baby or maybe a tiny pair of socks for my bigfoot boy.

I also don't know quite what this will spin into, probably something for the holidays for sis since the colors match her wrap so well.


Tactile Fiber Arts Luxury Fiber Club, July 2009
15.5 micron merino, 2 oz
featured dye: logwood purple

I was lucky enough along with Adrienne to win a 3-month subscription to Tactile's fiber club thru PhatFiber (yes, that little box that causes so much fiber furor!) So nice! What to make is the question though-- socal's not really wrap yourself in wool weather. Maybe incorporate the leftover Nature's Palette in as well...

Oy! Am I talking about holiday knitting already?! :)

Til then, at least after weds. Miss you.

halfway

Everything's halfway done 'round here (glass half full?)


warp: Tactile Fiber Arts superwash merino/tencel, "orchid"
weft: Hand Jive Knits' Nature's Palette, "odd duck 5"

This wrap has been done longer than it took to weave... I want to do something different (read: not overhand knots) to finish the edges but can't decide, so it's just been sitting around waiting to be fulled for almost a week. Really pretty though-- I think once done the tencel blend from Tactile will shine-shine and the Nature's Palette will puff up even more.



I've been almostthere with the "Sunny Side Up" merino/silk from A Verb for Keeping Warm for what seems like ages-- usually I don't want such a fun color to be over, but I was hoping to have something finished to wear to Keep the Fleece/Sheep to Scarf this weekend. Admittedly all my fault (again), I got sidetracked playing Jenga with fleece.



Very little makes me as happy fiberwise as arranging locks for washing when the fleece is as greasy and willing as this one. From Whitefish Bay Farm, "Velveeta."



Buying a fleece from Whitefish Bay Farm is a crazy ordering experience-- they publish their list of available fleeces (no photos) and a time they will start taking orders, and its off to the races. I was hitting redial on the phone for an hour and half trying to order (just!) one, and didn't get my first, second, or even third choice. Crazy thing is, I am always super pleased with what I do end up with. Maybe cos both times, the lamb fleeces from WFB were some sort of magic and shifted color midstaple.



Halfway indeed :)

Miss you, only thing more than half.

simple patterns on the rigid heddle

As much as I loved using the pickup sticks for the float scarf, I think I like how mindless weaving is on the rigid heddle more right now. I set up the Flip with another longlongskinnyskinny scarf, direct warping just like usual but triplethreading random holes in the heddle (3 strands instead of one) for a slight textured effect.


A Verb for Keeping Warm alpaca/silk in Magic Bean

Another view of the overthreaded warp...



I like it so much, but am a little tired of taking pics of myself (even tho jen is rite and i should just get a proper tripod and be done with it :)) so there you go. I should try a little harder-- it is AMAZING how much length and just scarf I was able to get out of one alpaca/silk hank (4.5oz/422 yd). Even had a little golfball leftover!



It was fun (and mindless!) to add the little texture... the next time I try it, I'll also double or triple the weft threads at odd intervals, catching them on the ends and it'll look like a boxy, random plaid. (Textures and Patterns for the Rigid Heddle Loom has details on this.)

Another cheatsheet way for patterning is to use color-- I showed this miniblankie before but am chuffed to show off the satin blanket binding I sewed on it so here it is again, done-done and ready for giving.



Yay sewing!

I used 2 balls each of a lighter and darker blue, directwarped the loom with one peg pass of each color then alternated all the way across the length of the loom (so, one slot + one hole with one color then new color the same... it's terrible but I have no grasp on weaving terminology ;)). Then, the same with the weft in one up + one down shed in one color, then switch.



My sister and I both had satin lined baby blankets from when we were born-- hers was blue and I'm hoping she remembers when she sees this. I still sleep with mine :)

If you're thinking about weaving and you're in the bay area, Kathleen is teaching both a rigid heddle 101 class (where use of the schacht cricket loom is included!) and a textures for the RH class at the Verb for Keeping Warm Workshop this month. Bone up and get something entered into Schacht's anniversary contest! :)

holiday projects

Projects, projects... things to do when everything else crashes down. :)

Child's placket neck pullover, one of many (MANY) intended knits for my nephew-to-be...


Child's placket neck pullover, errata here
Knit Picks Swish Worsted, 3 sks-- delft heather (darker than pictured)
US 9, 5.5mm 24" addis
Started and finished: 3 days in January

I can't remember if I intentionally purchased worsted over the dk Swish, but since my gauge was way off (4.5 sts/inch, instead of 5.25-- both "soft" fabric gauges) I used the smallest size directions and the 3rd size lengths for torso and arms... I ended up with a sweater sized for a 1-2 year old.

It was a nice mistake, seeing as I used less than 3 skeins of Swish for a relatively large size-- I used LMKG's suggestion of knitting the fabric softly and a little more open and the sweater is definitely next-to-skin soft (but a little airy, I'd not use the gauge in a sweater for myself but a toddler it'll be fine for pulling over something). Decided against buttons, partly b/c I hate finishing but also because mom insisted I send this one *right away* (so sister has something now, instead of a pile of sweaters later...) I don't get it, but it's just easier to acquiesce than to pick it apart and try to understand.

I also finished another baby project-- this time a small 20x30 woven blanket. I still need to twist the fringe (takes forever!) and wet finish it-- but I'm pleased with my first attempt at using color for patterns. A pic of the edges-- you can see the lower edge where I carried the colors alongside, and the upper 'plain' selvedge edge. They'll look better once washed up.



I had 2 balls each of Lana Gatto Wool Gatto in blues (4 total). I used 2 to direct warp the 25" length of the loom-- one slot in color a, the next in color b, the next in color a, etc. Then for the weft I used one up-down shed in color a (2 passes), one up-down combo in color b, one up-down in color a, etc. The effect is almost houndstooth-- I am planning to do this color pattern again in some contrasting yarns to really have it set out. (More pics of this little blanket to come after edges and washing done).

I also got a little spinning in, haven't spun much lately but Kristine gave me a gorgeous gift of mushroom-dyed fiber and mycophile I am-- couldn't resist. I alrernated spinning lengths of Finn and yak/silk into a soft single, and then warped my Flip with some white Henry's Attic Carrera (silk/wool). I practiced some pickup stick techniques from Textures and Patterns for the Rigid Heddle Loom and came up with a pretty float pattern that really shows off the mushroom-dyed weft...


(left and middle "right side", right "wrong side")

I love how the same dye looks against the 2 different fibers, how they shift. My favorite though is how the yak/silk glows in the sun, and how you can see the energy of the single held in place...



I also couldn't resist weaving another simple scarf for myself. This time, I went skinny and long-- WAY long.



Wrapped 2x around my neck, the fringe still falls to my knees. I dig it a lot, it's really different. The color gets me too-- I used 2 balls of Rowan Felted Tweed in "ginger", warping 12' long (!!) and 4.5" wide. I'm already weaving another (same dimensions) in A Verb for Keeping Warm's alpaca/silk... SO nice. I love the tweed though, orange always has me in its corner.



til then, weaving to keep the world away! :)

up and then down again

Not for nothing, but my Flip has stolen most of my blogging thunder :) I sit down to write and am like-- I used to write about knitting, then spinning... but maybe weaving is too large a leap to make here? Still, the worry hasn't slowed me much and I have a grip of new scarves to show for it.


Socks that Rock lightweight, "Fred Flintstone"

I had slowly started getting rid of many of my multicolored sock yarns, opting to stash the semisolids instead. I held onto this skein for a while, being an orange and red girl, but I just didn't feel the pull of socks in its destiny. I think it does look fun woven up though...


6.5" width, ~60"length excluding fringe
10dpi reed, 72 ends, 9rpi

A random plaid in some places. I think the tight twist sock yarns make it harder to make a neat selvedge than a softer yarn might... I have some beautiful Zen Yarn Garden sock yarn that I want to test that idea with in a few. As much as I like the colors, I don't know if I like the scarf (I'm leaning towards slightly thinner, slightly longer ones lately)... I see myself accumulating a pile of these scarves, destined either for gifts or my etsy store.*

A fun experiment with this handspun cormo...


Hester, fleece from Cormo Sheep and Wool Farm
spun from batts, 2-ply heavy aran (90 gm, 88 yd)

I originally spun this testing for a heavy yarn for one of the Fine Fleece beauties... I later decided that I didn't want to card the cormo for that project, and still had this really soft, squishy, super fat yarn that seemed maybe even too short for a hat. Enter the loom and...


5" width, 57" excluding fringe
10dpi reed sleyed every other (so, 5dpi), 42 ends, ~7.5-8rpi

This one was fun for a few reasons... first, I can use handspun as warp! Everyone always tells you to be super careful about it, but this heavy 2-ply did well (and I put it under extreme tension to test the question out). I also was excited that alternating every other slot/hole on the heddle essentially "gave" me another 5dpi heddle-- I have been thinking about buying new heddles for heavier handspun yarns in the stash, and will eventually, but being able to use the 10dpi with the loom means I can put that off a little longer (they're expensive at $46/each, and can't be swapped with the less expensive Ashford heddles like they can on the Kromski Harp...)

Also, it was neat to see how the yarns reacted differently under tension and not-- the warp on the loom looked like an entirely different yarn weight than the weft as I was weaving, and I could see the warp gain some of the bounce when I was finished and cut it off of the loom. Fulling the scarf gently to really make the yarn pop and puff seemed to work as well.

This is easily the softest scarf of all-- maybe not just for the cormo content? The fulling? The heavier weight yarn? Dunno-- but I really like it. I found several batts of the same fiber I had carded up a while ago stashed in the back of my closet that I really wasn't interested in spinning, now I think I may spin up a few more heavy skeins of yarn for weaving.

This one was the most fun...


Hand Jive Knits Nature's Palette, granite and medium indigo (naturally dyed)

I bought this pair of skeins as a baby boy bootie project at the same time I bought the twin bsj yarns-- never got around to knitting them, even though they are really nice. I planned for a colorwork project... til my son said *he* wanted a scarf. The idea of weaving a 4" project on the loom didn't really appeal... til I wondered if I could do two of the same scarves at the same time. And I did! :)



Oh, my odd stick shuttles? Thomas the Tank Engine train tracks. My shortest shuttle is 15", then 21" so no way was I using those at the same time :) I had planned on letting my son weave one and me the other at the same time... but honestly couldn't stop once I had them warped after his bedtime and had them done by the time he woke the next morning.



The fabric on and off the loom is beautiful. But I don't really like the solidness of the color... I keep looking at the loom as the beallendall solution to "my! yarn! is! POOLING!" of multicolor yarns-- maybe I need to open up to the possibility that solids on the loom will be okay too.

As much as he protested he wanted one, no TWO and swore up and down he'd wear them...




4" wide, 44" long
10 dpi reed, 44 ends, 9rpi
(staged for your benefit :))

...he has worn one once and said "no thanks, maybe tomorrow" every day since. Oh well. Mine now.



Seriously though, these little-length scarves are cool for tucking into jackets where you don't want a bunch of bulk against your belly trying to keep your neck warm. Doubling up in two different colors is really pretty too, if I say so myself. The Nature's Palette is also really great feeling woven up-- not a super tight twist but really soft.

Well, there has been a little knitting (who forgot to tell me the holidays are coming and I needed to get cracking on my grandma's afghan?!) but it's just not as interesting as the fun I'm having weaving... so those pics and details will have to wait.

Til then! :)


*I'm heading home for a week or more and will be putting my etsy stitch marker store in 'vacation mode' while I'm gone-- no orders and no shipping during that time. I'll be shipping orders til this Wednesday and have added gift certificates to the shop with free shipping if you're looking for holiday gifts for the knitters on your list (and I can ship directly to them!)... If you're local, you can also find zero stitch markers at A Verb for Keeping Warm's retail store, The Workshop, starting Dec 6th (the day of their grand opening!)
Yay! :)

Rigid heddle weaving on a Schacht Flip the Folding Loom

I've been dancing around buying a rigid heddle loom and finally succumbed to the 25" Schacht Flip folding loom. Mind you, aside from weaving on a weave it I'd never touched a loom before, nor seen the one I wanted in person. If you're thinking about the twentyfive incher, it's big. With a 7"+ scarf in progress...



Okay, instead of a coke zero can for scale, how about my Schacht Matchless?



Coolest thing about this picture? My Matchless is 20 years old, and made from the same wood as my new-to-me Flip. Excited thinking it'll honeypot up over the years :)

As with each of my tools it seems, I bought it gently used with the stand. I wasn't planning on buying the stand, but am glad I did-- the loom, like I said, is huge! It really would be unwieldy on my lap leaning against a table's edge, and takes up more than half of my already-taxed dining room table. I thought to myself that I really would like the Flip, one of the reasons being I could fold it to put it away. Honestly I haven't in the week it's been here-- the loom's attached to the stand by four screws, two of which need a screwdriver (read: I'm lazy) and I'd still need a place to store the stand. So, it's been out and about, enjoying the living room instead.

For the size, perhaps if I saw it in person I'd have bought the 20" size instead. No matter... I've already found a creative way to use the length up (for a later post). I really do like the loom, no matter the length. Like I said, I was looking (erroneously?) for a folding version, and was torn between the Flip and the Kromski Harp. Initially I wanted the Flip, just for my happy relationship with my Matchless and the whole made in the USA thing... but I did ask opinions on Ravelry and got several good answers about the differences, including a link to a very helpful blog post side-by-siding the nonfolding Schacht + the Flip. Finding this one used sealed the deal for me, and I'm glad I went with my gut.

I love it. (Did I say that already?)


Sheep and Wool Co. Plain and Fancy Sport, "Fall Foliage"
(a gift from Margene I'd been hoarding!)


used and warp and weft


for a scarf.
7" wide, 6'+ long not incl. fringe (76 ends, 10dpi reed)


leftover waste, reminiscent of that shaving time

I immediately warped (using the direct warping method, no need to fear warping time w/ a RH loom) after cutting that one off...


Regia Bamboo, another gift! from retroknit


detail of fabric


another scarf. 7.5", 6'+ excluding fringe
(80 ends, 8 rpi, 10 dpi reed)

I love woven scarves so much. Too much. Committing stuff white people like atrocities like scarf + tshirt much. They're just different from handknit scarves-- thinner, not squishy, have a body and hand that wants to stand and be molded. Oh, did I mention they took me about 2 days each?

!!!

I'm really enjoying the loom though. It's very plug and play-- with a single copy of Hand on: Rigid Heddle Weaving (only reading the first chapter ;) I was impatient!) I was able to crank these, plus more, out. Weaving won't replace knitting for me, though-- it's not portable, limited in fabric shaping and items able to be made. Still, there are a lot of exciting options out there with a rigid heddle-- using pickup sticks to create patterns like in Textures and Patterns for the Rigid Heddle Loom, or patterns with more than one heddle like in The Xenakis Technique I don't see myself outgrowing the rigid heddle anytime soon.

If you're in the Bay Area/East Bay, both A Verb for Keeping Warm and Article Pract can order the Flip looms for you :)

Off to warp for some more scarves :)



ps... Schacht is doing so well with their folding rigid heddle Flip version that they're discontinuing the 25" non-folding model... so there are a few retailers out there discounting them for sale (from $199 to $140-159-- here's one, here's another, here's one on SF craigslist with a stand...). It doesn't fold, isn't equipped with the second heddle block standard, a few other changes (Schacht can tell you exactly the differences), but still-- buying it + a stand at $160 would be $300-320, $35-55 more than the 25" flip with no stand. I might have gone this way had I realized I wouldn't be folding Flip up much as it is :)