Trapeze, Part Two

 After I posted the blog about the front-to-back trapeze, and posted about it on facebook, I had a few people ask if it could be done back-to-front.  Since I swing both ways (is it me, or does b-t-f and f-t-b sound dirty to everyone?), and I had a naked loom, I tried it. This is a warp I hand-dyed several years ago at a Tuesday Weavers' dye day.  http://tuesdayweavers.blogspot.com/   I really love the colors and the sheen of the bamboo.  But because bamboo can stick to itself a lot, I think if I warped by trapeze again with bamboo, and probably Tencel, I would stick with front to back.  Just using the raddle didn't give enough separation the way it would have if the threads had gone through the reed and heddles.

There was a problem at the end, which I'm pretty sure was my fault.  The cross at the end of the warp made a big fat mess!  I couldn't save it, so I cut it off and grouped the threads in bunches of 24, the EPI I was going to use.  So far so good, and would have been done, had I had the foresight to count my darn heddles, and not run out on shaft 8!  Arrgh!

It did surprise me when I posted on the facebook group, 4-shaft weaving, how many people asked me about it, especially since I said it was my first time, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of information on it.  Some people know how to do it, but I couldn't find a lot of information.  

I am planning to put a warp on the Navajo loom--stay tuned!--soon, so it won't always be available.  If I need a trapeze, I might make one like the one in Leigh Skowronski's video, with the PVC pipe.  It's clever and looks like it'd be easy to store.

I enjoyed the process, and learning about it, though.  The pattern for this warp is going to be from Carol Strickler's book, 8-Shaft Weaving, pattern 445.  It's from an overshot pattern from Bertha Hayes, turned into eight shafts, using 6 treadles.

Time out to tell you how much I hate the updates to Blogger!  As soon as I'm done with this post, I am going to let them know!  The pictures jump all over the place.  You used to be able to load all the photos, and them move them around to the text they showed, but it doesn't work that way anymore.  

Meanwhile, the towels I warped using the Trapeze front-to-back have been going well.  The threads were supposed to be 2 to a dent, and there was one place where they were 1 and 1, so I wove the first towel, cut it off, fixed the reed and washed the towel.  Of course, the threads scrunched up and it doesn't show anymore, but now it won't bother me.

I like the pattern a lot, and I'm enjoying the treadling, just walking my way down the treadles.  The fabric washed up lush and soft, and the pattern is still very visible.  The original is, however, way too big!  I made them 26" by 36", and going forward, they'll be 30" long.  They did shrink a bit, but not enough to keep them from looking enormous.  I wanted a good, thirsty kitchen towel!  I also am loving the way the floating selvedge looks, just a touch of white at the sides.

It's still hot, and this week is going to be hotter, but the zinnias and cosmos and sunflowers are not complaining.  I'm not sure I'll plant sunflowers in the front garden again, but they make me giggle, and that can't be bad.

I hope they bring you joy today!