Tea time

When a project changed my mind

Six tea towels, three 12-harness patterns

I vowed I'd never knit socks or weave towels. I knit socks now so I suppose it was only a matter of time before I confronted my other 'never.' 

The project this year for the South Jersey Guild weaver's study group is....you guessed it. Tea towels.  

I admit to being somewhat disappointed, but wanted to support the initiative. I wasn't exactly unenthusiastic, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money on yarn, either. I looked for the best value--and found one pound cones of 8/2 unmercerized cotton offered by The Lunatic Fringe. (I was unaware of the company until seeing their participation in the upcoming MidAtlantic Fiber Association's 2017 conference this summer in Millersville, Pa.) I ordered three cones.

Towel #1. 12-harness pattern, Ryall pg.364, no.4

Confession

I now admit it. I enjoyed the entire process--from planning through to the finished towels. The colors--peach, molasses and stone--weren't my first colorway choice, but they work just fine together. And I am reminded: They were 'good value.'

Towels #2 and 3. 12-harness, Ryall, pg.363, no.3.
Upper: stone weft; lower, peach weft

As this would be the first project on my new-to-me 12-harness Ahren's & Violette Loom, I wanted to put all the harnesses in action. Planning for six towels, I warped a six yard length in  alternating colors of peach and molasses and dressed the loom with a straight-12 threading sleyed at 24 ends per inch. I had 400 threads (including two threads for floating selvedges each side) and a 16 inch width in the reed.  

Using a sampler in my personal library that I'd woven based on a series of tie-ups from Pierre Ryall's Weaving Techniques for the Multiple-Harness Loom as a starting point, I began to play with peg patterns (tie-ups) and color on the loom. (Ryall is a classic resource for owners of multi-shaft looms.)

Patterns that work--or don't

Towels #4, 5, 6. 12-harness, Ryall. pg. 363, no.4
Upper: peach weft. Middle: stone weft.
Lower: peach, stone and molasses check

As I began to weave the first towel, it was very clear very quickly that the pattern that worked well with different colors on my sampler got lost in the two-color warp. So I  wove it as an evenly-balanced check in the same colors as the warp. It will dry a dish just fine but the pattern is definitely 'meh.'

Much more effective are the two twill variations. Towels two and three were a simple straight twill (Ryall, pg.363, no.3). Four, five and six were based on an advancing twill with wefts in warp or a third color. (Ryall, pg.363, no.4)

The effects of varied weft colors is a reminder how much different colors change the look and feel of the fabric. 

After weaving six towels, I wanted to see how far I could weave to the back bar, so I kept weaving. I cut off the warp with only 12 inches of loom waste on the back end and now have a tray cloth, too!

I was particularly pleased with the towels after washing and drying them. They don't really need to be ironed!

After weaving the six towels, I have about one and a half pounds of cotton left. I think I'll make a warp and....weave some more tea towels.

Getting to know you

How the loom works and key takeaways

Hand towels woven on the AVL

You may recall the "new" loom that came into my life late last fall. Although new to me, it is not new. As the 129th loom made by AVL, it is a 12-harness dobby loom that dates to the early 1980's. 

I must admit that I was a little awed by the loom and tried to find out everything I could about dobby looms. I did online research and bought some books. In some respects, the descriptions made it sound more difficult to set up than it is. (Please note: I am not talking about the construction of the loom.)

Dobby bars showing pegs and holes

My personal conclusion is that setting up to weave is simply a matter of rethinking the process. I got a little bogged down with how to peg the dobby bars. But it is very straightforward. Pegging the bars is like manually operating the levers on a table loom. They're either pegged--or not--and the harnesses either lift--or not.

For me, pegging the bar with the small metal pins was a bit counter-intuitive. A peg keeps the harness from lifting and no peg, i.e., a hole, lifts the harness. So, if I want harnesses 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 to raise, I peg the holes in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11.

Dobby bars on dobby head

Pegging the dobby bars also made me think about how they entered the wheel. If I pegged the bars from top to bottom and inserted them onto the dobby head, my lift plan was reversed because the bars enter the mechanism from the back. Pegging from bottom to top is the right way to peg them.

My dobby bars are worn and some of the holes are stripped. For the most part, I can feel it through the peg wrench when I screw the pegs in, but not always. I haven't found them all yet so I need to carefully watch the shed and the pattern when weaving as pegs fall out. 

Painter's masking tape and 4 inch cable ties are my new best friends. I use the masking tape to wrap the pegs for the stripped holes, to mark the beginning of the lift plan sequence on the dobby bars and to mark harnesses. The cable ties I use to connect the dobby bars, which were originally connected with metal rings.

Key take-aways for my loom at this point in time:

• Pegging and assembling the dobby bars 
• "No peg," that is, a hole in the bar, lifts a harness.
• Peg the bar for harnesses that should remain in place, that is, don't lift.
• Watch for stripped holes and use tape (or the equivalent) to wrap the pegs.
• Peg from the bottom of the dobby bar set to the top. (The AVL manual recommends a set of 20 bars minimum.)
• Mark the first bar of the pattern weave with a small piece of tape. It's easy to get them out of order. 
• If the pattern is not balanced, e.g., 6 and 6, peg the harnesses with the greater number of  lifts. This may put the pattern on the reverse, but it is much easier to weave.
• Connect the chain of dobby bars with cable ties so that the connection is on the back of the bars. When joined from the front, the connector can interfere with the pattern.
• Weaving
• Until I am confident that my pegging is correct and the pegs are secure, I need to pay close attention to the lifted harnesses. 
• I use a small piece of tape to mark the even-numbered harnesses so I can very quickly see whether the correct ones are lifted--or not.



Rachet that advances dobby bars

• My dobby mechanism does not reverse. I can disengage the dobby head, but most times it's easier to advance to the next sequence. (Tape on the bars also useful here.)

At this point, my big-picture conclusion is that although the mechanism and construction of my dobby loom is definitely more complex and very different from jack, counter-marche and counterbalance looms, it's not difficult. It's only a different way of looking at the set-up.

Simpleframe: Part II

Completed project

1x1 ribbing on the Simpleframe

Assembling and knitting

I was trying hard to knit a batch of pussyhats for the Women's March on Washington and needed to speed things up. I had a skein of Lion Brand Landscapes fuchsia yarn that I thought might be good to try on the Simpleframe. 

But first, I had to assemble the Simpleframe. It was simple but fiddley to put together. Lots of little adjustments to get it ready to knit. This is not a children's toy.

Needle size

Unlike standard knitting machines, the Simpleframe uses depth of needle drop to  make a larger loop--and a larger stitch. Clever. 

The kit includes a little comb-like tool that compares the distance of needle drop--or return--to standard knitting needle sizes. Using the tool, the knitter moves the base on the Simpleframe up or down to align the size of the stitches. Once tightened into position, the base allows all needles on the bed to drop the same distance. (You can see the base in the first photo here. It's the piece at the bottom of the needles.)

The fiddliest part for me was attaching the knitting to the roller bar that is in the hollow space beneath the "V" of the double bed. This provides tension to keep the knitting on the needles--just as weights do on most standard knitting machines.

Stockinette attachment, front view

Knitting something

The pussyhat was a perfect project. Four plus inches of 2x2 ribbing, then 9 inches of stockinette, then back to four plus inches of ribbing. 

I started on ribbing. with the Simpleframe sitting on my lap. It was smooth knitting moving the needles down one by one on each bed. My first go on ribbing was pretty uneven, but my second try was much better. Nice, even. 

Stockinette attachment, side view

Next came the stockinette section and I had to figure out how to do it. Knitting stockinette on the Simpleframe requires positioning a plastic attachment that looks like a bar with movable fingers that drop down and sit between the needles. The 'fingers' have an indentation on the back that holds the yarn for pickup by the needles. (You can see the slight angle behind the first needle in the photo at right.) It made no sense to me until I set it up and knit.

Success!

I deemed my first project knit on the Simpleframe a success. Not perfect, but adequate. I can see that a knitter would quickly get good results with practice.  

For knitters who may have one--or may find one in a thrift store--dust it off and refresh yourself with this YouTube video and start using it again. It's a fun little tool that definitely has potential for knitting projects. You just need to learn how to master it!

The Simpleframe

Ever seen a Simpleframe manual knitting machine? 

Simpleframe knitting machine

Unless you're reading this in the U.K., probably not. Manufactured and distributed by Frame Knitting Ltd., Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, the company appears to have gone out of business in 2009. Here is a double bed with 48 needles on each bed. The frame is very well made and can comfortably sit lengthwise on your lap. 

According to blogger and researcher cleveroldstick, it was invented by Dr. Patrick J. Reilly in 1982 after watching his daughter using a Knitting Nancy--you know, those spool-like holders with 4 nails that you probably used to make cord when you were a kid. 

I was doing a lot of weaving and knitting and Kris was somewhat interested. After the Simpleframe was selected as a finalist in the “Prince of Wales Award Scheme for Industrial Innovation and Production" and featured on the BBC television program, Tomorrow's World, I bought one for her.

A query to the Machine Knitting Monthly helpline, notes that when that magazine was launched, it included a Simpleframe supplement with two  patterns a month, hints and tips, news and letters. 

CAD drawing of Simpleframe yarn tensioning parts

I never knit on it and I'm pretty certain that Kris didn't either. The double-bed machine sat in its original bag with the original manual along with a supplement with lots of patterns. I wanted to share it with my knitting machine guild because no one had heard of such a thing. I borrowed it but when I pulled it out, it was missing a couple pieces and one was chewed up. Child, dog, or cat, no one knows.

First order of affairs was replacing the pieces. I found a Simpleframe for sale on eBay, but the bids were too high for  couple of pieces. I checked out 3D printers, but don't have a CAD program to draw to spec. Then I went to the Garden State Sheep and Wool Festival and found Metis Industries. The were using a small 3D printer to make drop spindles. (Full story, here.) Ari was confident he could make replacements. He did! 

Next: Assembling and knitting on it.

Yarn immersion

A family tradition

Exhibition of past Vogue patterns re-imagined

I don't know how many years it takes to make a tradition, but for the past several years, Kris and I have gone to Vogue Knitting Live New York for two days. This year Lauren joined us and it became even more special.

Call it time away from the daily routine. Call it education. Or just call it a fun two-days living and breathing yarn. Whatever it's called, it's fun and an opportunity to  learn new skills, gather ideas, be inspired, and spend time with loved ones.

Learning curve

Kris and I have discussed the learning curve associated with any classes like these. If you're a beginner, the learning curve can be daunting and overwhelming. So much to learn. So little time. But for the more experienced, a foundation of knowledge exists so expectation must be tempered. At this point, learning comes in increments. Not leaps.

We agree that if we get at least one really good idea, inspiration or experience from a class, it was successful. I took two classes that added incrementally--one about knitted edgings with Melissa Leapman and another on pattern writing with Deborah Newton. A success!

Marketplace opens with lots to entice

Marketplace fun

Then there is the Marketplace. I prefer to visit on  Friday evening to Saturday, when the crowds are greatest.
I wasn't a big buyer. I needed a skein of royal purple worsted-weight yarn to make a hat to wear this weekend to the Women's March on New Jersey in Trenton. I found it at Dragonfly Fibers!

My only other purchase was a stemless wine glass from Annie & Co with etched "Three Sheeps to the Wind" just for fun.

And when I have a glass of wine from my fun wine glass, I'll remember the time together with special loved ones.

Hats to go

Pussyhats go to Washington.

Hats bound for Washington, D.C.

I first heard about this initiative through my machine knitting guild, which meets at the Unitarian Church in Lincroft, N.J. A group of 100 people is going to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 21 and the plan was to donate hats to them in gratitude for hosting the guild. 

I immediately downloaded the Pussyhat Project pattern and went to A.C. Moore. I did not purchase the yarn in the pattern as I wanted to donate as many hats as possible and the outlay would be a bit high. The pattern is worsted weight yarn. The color? Pink, of course.

I bought three skeins of Caron Simply Soft yarn and one of Lion Brand Landscapes and went home to figure out how to knit these up as quickly as possible. My main knitting machine isn't suitable for yarn at worsted weight. 

First, I set up the Simpleframe and knit the first  hat. Because I was learning how to use the little manual knitting frame, the ribbing tension was awful on the first section. You won't see that hat because I frogged it. 

Caron Simply Soft hats

Hat of Lion Brand Landscapes

Then I set up the single bed LK150, which I can carry to workshops, and did tensions to figure out how to make a hat the size of that in the pattern. I made six hats from three skeins of the Caron and one from the bulkier Lion Brand acrylic yarns. 

Should you think this was a super-quick knit, don't be deceived. Faster than on needles, surely, but a real pain in the you-know-where because of the need to hand manipulate all the ribbing--as in, un-do and ladder up the stitches. 

Taking it up a notch

Single ply handspun Polwarth hat

My Passap DM-80 is a masterful knitting machine. And it is double-bed, which means it can knit rib. No. It doesn't knit all by itself. It doesn't finish itself, either, but it certainly speeds up the repetitive knitting bits.

I tried knitting a hat of my single ply handspun wool (Polwarth) and I loved it. 
Next, I ordered a one-pound cone 3/8 sport weight yarn from a Vermont company that makes hats. And I proceeded to knit! I got five hats from the cone.

Five woolen hats

Then on to finishing the hats. Minimal, sure, but still a couple of evenings seaming up the sides and weaving in the yarn ends. The seams on the sides of the hats, which are rectangles with ribbing on each end and stockinette in the middle, provide enough substance to allow the corners to stand up. As in cat's ears. Got it?

I'm out of yarn, but have 13 hats for distribution. Four are in today's mail to the church and nine go to my lovely daughter-in-law, who will distribute them among her group from Zeno Mountain Farm.  

(Full details and notations on tension, number of needle and rows is on Ravelry. And, yes, I did gauges on each of the yarns before knitting.)

Pegs and bars

12-harness broken twill sample on a dobby loom

and a dobby loom

My new old pre-AVL loom is a real gem. This12-harness dobby loom is compact and also known as the Witch Loom and the Original Folding Loom. If you missed the story of the 'find of my weaverly life,' it's here. But that story ended with the loom in the door and I promised updates so here goes. 

That first evening, our first reaction was to call in a knowledgable AVL friend, but by the time Monday rolled around, the beast wasn't looking so daunting. 

I had ordered some resources--Hand Weaving and Cloth Design, by Marianne Straub; Handloom Weaving Technology, by Allen Fannin; and Bonnie Inouye's PDF revision to the first part of her out-of-print book, Exploring Multishaft Design--to help me understand the mechanism and awaited deliveries. 

Some minor mechanical issues emerged but almost all of them were related to the disuse. There was a light rust film on the metal parts and they didn't move smoothly. I cleaned  the dobby fingers and other metal parts with a very light, non-petroleum-based oil and added some graphite to the sliding metal frame on the dobby mechanism. 

Ready to weave

When the peg wrench I'd ordered from AVL arrived, I was ready to peg bars and begin weaving!

I put on a warp, pegged some bars for tabby, and started weaving. This was key to my understanding the loom and how it worked. And it was key to seeing what was simply frozen from sitting and what needed fixed.

As I wove, I found that the Texsolv heddles grabbed and didn't slide smoothly on the harnesses. The heddles maintain the harnesses in position but need to move a little, too, so I lightly waxed the harnesses. Problem solved.

Mostly, it was me that needed to become familiar with my loom and how to make it work for me. My main challenges were how to attach the raddle and where best to sit when threading the heddles. But these challenges aren't unique. They're true for any newly acquired loom.

Dobby with bars pegged for a twill weave

Feeling more confident about the mechanics, my next goal was to figure out how to change the dobby bars more easily. They load from the back underside and I found them fiddly. I may be missing some basic know-how, but still haven't found it. I now use a nylon cord to wrap around the first bar to hold it in a depression until I could move it into working position. 

The original dobby bars use metal rings for connections. This requires needle-nosed pliers to connect bars and change configurations. M solved the connection issue with little cable ties. Perfect. Easy to put on and easy to snip off with scissors. (Visible at right between the first bar at the top and the second.)

I am loving weaving on this little gem and look forward to more exploration of multi-harness weaves! The South Jersey Guild has a study program this year--so there will be more about weaving to come.