October Meeting with Judy Hilbish

 Reno Fiber Guild had a slow start to their regular guild program year because of a recent fire near Mt. Rose.  However, we were rewarded with a nice October meeting in which Judy Hilbish was our guest speaker.

Judy is a weaver with over 50 years experience.  Her focus for many years has been weaving rugs and assorted weft faced, summer and winter pieces on Heidi, her much adapted counter marche loom.  Judy studied the shaft switching device devised by Peter Collingwood in his book, Rug Weaving Techniques:  Beyond the Basics and set about to make one for her loom.  She revised the instructions and decided to make a device for half blocks.  This allowed her 180 blocks on her four shaft loom.

 

Judy explained that  the technique she uses allows her to make curves (see the rug she is holding in the photo), but not circles.  The half block system allows smaller steps when making a curved design.  In the photo above, her cat approves the design and feel of a newly woven rug. Judy says he claws almost everything except her rugs - so he has great appreciation for them too!

 In an arduous trip to view some petroglyphs near Virginia City, Judy, her husband and their guide got stuck in mud.  Her rug (shown below) reflects the memories of that day with the tire tracks around the red motifs in her design.

 If you would like to learn more about shaft switching, you can download the Peter Collingwood book in pdf format for free.  On-Line Digital Archive of Documents on Weaving and Related Topics  (The link takes you to books with authors last names starting with C.  Look for Collingwood.)

 Another excellent resource is a DVD done by Jason Collingwood.   Rug Weaving:  Block Weaves and Shaft Switching.  You can find this at a variety of online weaving stores and sometimes on E-Bay.

You can buy Judy's wall hangings, table runners, etc at third Thursday sales at the Generator in Reno. 

Shadow Weave Study Group Part Three

 This is a continuation of projects that study group members did as a results of their study about shadow weave.  

Ingrid K. took a twill line and used a Fiberworks' feature to create the parallel threading on 16 shafts..  Her tie up reflects the Lang & Voolich method described in their monograph, “Parallel Shadow Weave”.

 

 

I (Beryl Moody) did my experiments on a draft from Marian Powell's book 1000 (+) Patterns In 4, 6, and 8 Harness Shadow Weaves.  My processes have been recorded, along with photos of my towels and drafts, on my personal blog, Banner Mountain Textiles. 

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Resources for our Study.

When our guild has a study group topic, we try to gather all of the available information we can find so that our  group members can pick and choose what makes the best sense for them individually.  This study was no exception.

Available Information about Shadow Weave

Our group talked about the new book The Enigma of Shadow Weave Illuminated by Rebecca Winter and then pointed out the fabulous FaceBook group "Color-and-Weave (formerly Shadow Weave in color) that is moderated by Rebecca.

One resource that I found very helpful was the Long Thread Media "Introduction to Shadow Weave" video course done by Jannie Taylor.  Her explanations about how to convert a profile to a thread by thread draft and her worksheets that I downloaded were invaluable.

Two books that have great chapters with information and  shadow weave drafts are A Weaver’s Book of 8-Shaft Patterns edited by Carol Strickler and Eight Shafts: A Place to Begin by Shelp & Wostenberg.

Exploring Woven Fabrics by Janet Phillips has a whole section on Shadow Weave.  She also has a pdf document on the subject  that you can access through this link. https://www.janetphillips-weaving.co.uk/articles

A last resource, which is very inexpensive, is Heddlecraft, May/June 2016.  An individual download, including wif files, is $4.50.  This is certainly a great place to begin and the shadow weave article written by Linda Hartshorn is an excellent  overview about the subject.


Good Information about Shadow Weave (but hard to access)

There is the illusive and very hard to access  monograph, Parallel Shadow Weave by Lang and Voolich, which we found could be checked out through an interlibrary loan.  
 

Marian Powell's book, 1000(+) Patterns In 4,6, and 8 Harness Shadow Weaves, is also difficult to find and afford, even if you do find a copy.  I believe you can also borrow this through an interlibrary loan and many guilds have a copy.  Armed with the profiles and explanations on how to draft shadow weave from a profile, this book gives you enough options to last a lifetime. Many of Marian’s drafts have been published in Handwoven magazine.

Summary

I found that even though I thought I knew all I needed to about Shadow Weave, I was certainly mistaken.  I spent hours translating profiles with a variety of weaving software programs into shadow weave drafts.  None of the programs that I used would translate a profile (that changed direction as in a point) would get the shadow to appear correctly in the thread by thread draft..  WeaveIt software, did have a fascinating translation for Lang & Voolich, which was instrumental in leading me down that path.

I hope that our study has inspired you to do your own explorations.  Feel free to post your comments and certainly feel free to share your experiences and insights.

Beryl Moody, Reno Fiber Guild

Projects From Our Study Group Part Two

 The article that follows is from weaver, Anne Shyjean of Grass Valley, CA.  She doubled her efforts using both the RFG study group and Complex Weavers Study group for Early Weaving Drafts and Manuscripts.

 

Background and Processes in Weaving Shadow Weave from an Historical Document                                                                               by Anne Shyjan

 I am in the Early Weaving Drafts and Manuscripts study group of Complex Weavers. For my sample this year, I am interested in working up one or more samples from Franz Donat’s 1907 publication entitled “Die farbige Gewebemusterung“ which provides drafts for various color and weave patterning effects. The publication includes several patterns that Donat describes as “schattigen Bindungen” (which Google translates as “shady bindings”). Remarkably, some of these “shady bindings” appear to be the same as what we now call shadow weave. I would like to contribute what I learn from that work to this study group, to the extent relevant.

The Donat publication is in the German language, which adds an extra layer of complexity. Drawdowns, weave structure and the warp and weft color are shown in Donat, but not threading, tie up, or treadling. The drafts are also found on Handweaving.net, so it’s easy to just use that. But I also want to derive some of them myself so that I can see how it is done. Once I get a better understanding of shadow weave, I think deriving the missing information will be straightforward.

It is interesting to me that both Atwater and Donat seem to have independently derived this weave structure 35 years apart, and that Atwater’s name for it is very similar to Donat’s description.

I have some results to share also. I wove multiple pieces on one threading, and experimented with using thick and thin in the weft.

First I wove a few pieces with the same yarns used as warp. An example is shown in the first photo.  The pattern is as expected with typical shadow weave. I did notice that from some angles the horizontal stripes seem to pop to the foreground, but from other angles the vertical stripes appear to be in the foreground. This happens even when looking at just one side of the fabric. Maybe this visual shifting contributes to the “jitter” effect.

 

I saw some patterns in Handwoven which used either thicker or thinner yarns as weft. It occurred to me that if I use one thicker dark weft and one thinner light weft, the stripes might be more visible in either the horizontal or vertical direction. My second photo shows the result of using that combination. 

When I was weaving the thick dark/thin light weft piece, I noticed that the thin weft almost disappeared, and I wondered if I could get an even more dramatic result using thick dark and thin dark. This would not really be shadow weave, since all of the weft is dark. However, the sample made with this combination was very striking and the pattern very visible without being jittery. At least it is another option when you have a shadow weave threading, if you feel like trying something different. (Note that if you use all dark or all white yarn of the same size in the weft, the pattern is practically obliterated.)

I also liked the fabric from all of these. I expected the pieces with 3/2 cotton weft would feel stiff, but they are quite soft.

Details:
Draft = Handweaving.net #63892, which is a 12 shaft shadow weave from a 1907 Franz Donat manuscript.

Warp: Bockens 22/2 cottolin in dark blue and 8/2 Brassard cottolin in natural; 20 epi
Weft 1: Bockens 22/2 cottolin in dark blue and 8/2 Brassard cottolin in natural (same as warp)
Weft 2: dark blue 3/2 cotton and white 16/2 cotton (dark thick and light thin in the weft)
Weft 3: dark blue, teal and purple 3/2 cotton and a very thin dark blue merino blend 13200 ypp (dark thick and dark thin in the weft)

This is a portion of draft 63892.  See Handweaving.net for the full draft.

Some Projects from our Summer Weaving Study Group, Part One

Reno Fiber Guild and some CNCH guild members have been studying color-and-weave and shadow weave for the past five months.   I thought it would be nice to see the fruits of our labors over the summer. 

The first projects were woven by Karen W. from Foothill Fibers in Nevada County, CA.  These are a  series of color and weave towels. See what Karen says about her project.

My color and weave project was a set of kitchen towels inspired by the May/June 2023 Handwoven Mid-Century Modern Runner by Merriel Miller. This is a 7 shaft pattern which has repeats of the same color warp on the same shaft, and the weft in the same pick to give it strong definition. I wove it in 8/2 cotton in black and natural sett at 24 epi.

 

 This is towel number one.  As you can see the front and back of the towel are very different.

The original drafts that these towels were based on appeared in A Weaver's Book of 8 Shaft Patterns, edited by Carol Strickler on page 27.  If you compare the draft in the book with the draft above, you can see the double threads in the threading and treadling, giving a pronounced black bar in the cloth.

To try other variations, I put it into weaving software and varied the treadling.  Here is the next one I wove.

 

The third one I wanted to design using more prominent enclosed units, so I varied the treadling between the first 4 shafts and last 4 shafts, doing a double pick at each reversal in the treadling.
 

 

The additional double picks (every 4th pick) made an interesting pattern but also
made the hand not as soft.

Learning New Weaving Skills

Weavers are always looking for new skills through workshops or self study.  New weave structure, new loom, new technique, new color combinations; the list goes on and on.  

This post is about members who put in the extra effort and allow themselves to be beginners again. 

Note - you can click on the photos to get a better look at the details!

Suzanne W.

I thought I’d share a photos of my finished Swedish Art Weaves (Scandinavian (Skane) Folk Art Sampler from a workshop with Joanne Hall at CNCH 2023 Cal Poly.  Although the workshop was August 2023, I didn’t get back to any weaving on the project until February 2024 as I needed more yarns and the recommended book for in-depth instruction.  Three months later, I completed two panels and turned it all into a Tote Bag!

While this sampler was woven on a 4-shaft floor loom, all PATTERN WEFT pics are pickup with 3 to 4 pics of plain weave between each row of laid weft.  Granted, weaving Heirloom Folk Art isn’t whack weaving; but I did enjoy the challenge and process creating these geometric designs.

My woven sampler includes various designs of:  Krabbasnar/Krabba, Rolakan Tapestry, Halvkrabba, Dukagang, Monk’s Belt and combinations thereof.  The warp was 16/3 linen at 10 epi and the weft was 6/1 Swedish wool (Faro) tapestry yarn. 

Inside view of tote bag

Paulie F.

The tapestry is a commission.  Completed it will be a total of 24 inches long by 52 inches wide.   I’m learning a great deal while I’m completing it.  Blending colors has got to be one of my favorite things I’m learning, as well as twining for the outlines.  I’m amazed at how the colors change by using these techniques.  (ed.  Paulie also made her own loom for this piece)

 

 

 

Sculptural basketry techniques program

 

Our March meeting was led by guild member Jennifer Jay.  Jennifer was awarded a scholarship to attend CNCH 2023 and her choice of class was one led by Polly Giacchina - The enhanced twined form".  After Jennifer had practiced the various techniques she had learned in the class, she challenged herself to share them with guild members.

 Jennifer brought two techniques to the hands-on-class.  Coiled basketry and knotless netting.  She made little kits for everyone in the class with materials suitable for learning the basics of both of these sculptural forms.  In the photo above, you see a vase covered with knotless netting and a little dangling basket using the coiled basketry technique.  Also, in the center of the vase is tree branch, covered with wrapped yarns that mimics the coiled basketry technique.

Most, if not all of our group was pretty new to these basketry ideas.  Jennifer explained how to look for materials that were unusual and combine them in different ways.  The pieces she had on display showed just how broadly the different techniques could be expressed.

We all got down to the nitty gritty of starting our little coiled piece.  Here are a few of our first attempts.

 

I know that I speak for all of the members who attended this meeting, that we appreciate Jennifer sharing her knowledge with us.  It was a grand way to spend the evening and we all walked away with new tricks in our fiber bag.

Christmas Party 2023

This year's party was especially welcome since we had to cancel the one last year because of bad weather.  We also changed our gift policy from a raffle basket(s) in which just one, two or three people won a basket full of gifts, to an old fashioned exchange in which everyone who brought a gift, received a gift.

 For this year's gift exchange, the theme was to bring a handmade fiber gift.  You didn't need to have made the gift, as long as it was handmade.  

 

Anni tries on her new knitted cap, made by Shereé.

 

Paulie's gift was made by Anni.  The wreath was made using spinning roving, so that when you are finished with the holiday season, you still have roving for long hours of spinning pleasure.

 

 

Baxter is new to the gathering and really enjoyed the extra attention and treats.  In the photo below, he is receiving lots of love from Mary - his new best friend!

This was Faye's first RFG party.  Her gift was from Paulie, a handwoven Christmas towel. It will be the first handwoven towel in Faye's kitchen.  I don't think it will be the last one, though.

Felted snowman, made by Shelley, received by Igor

Zip purse made from handwoven and commercial cloth by Mary, received  by Polly.

Shelley received a handwoven towel made by Kathy R.

Shereé showing gift from Lorene to her.  Lorene bought this delightful elf from a vendor next to her at a Christmas sale.

Naturally, this is only a fraction of the handmade gifts.  And, I really should mention the food - a fabulous pot luck enjoyed by all.  Looking forward to next year's gathering already.