Feb
18
Filed Under (Weaving) by jennyk on 18-02-2007

Anne Dixon visited our guild this weekend – a very entertaining and informative talk yesterday which focussed on the history of inkle weaving, then a workshop today.  One of the great things about going to follow-up workshops is that you get a chance to look at the tutor’s samples in much more detail than after the talk.  Another is the chance to work alongside friends, swapping ideas and having fun though working hard.  A bonus this time was that Anne is a friend too, through the Braid Society and through other workshops at which she was a fellow student.

Today we were given a choice of 2 warping plans.  I chose what she calls Baltic-style pickup, a technique used all around the Baltic Sea – Scandinavia, Latvia and so on.  I’d already pretty much decided to choose that one, but seeing her samples yesterday confirmed I’d made the right choice as I loved her Baltic designs. 

 I warped up my Ashford mini-inkle loom last night using 3 colours of #8 pearl cotton.  (The third colour was white - you can just see a line of it on each side separating the borders from the main pattern area.)

 Baltic-style inkle sample 1

 Yes, that tiny sample is all I have to show from a 6-hour workshop, but I am still very pleased with it.  I wove enough to convince myself that I now understand the technique, and that is what I needed to do today.  I spent a lot of the time there watching Anne demonstrate other techniques on the other warping plan, but I couldn’t try any of those on this warp.  I also spent a long time looking at her samples, and making notes of things I want to try later.  Overall, a very enjoyable day!

Comments

Opal on 19 February, 2007 at 4:50 am #

Your weaving is gorgeous! I’m glad you had such a great day. :-)


Judy Read on 19 February, 2007 at 4:30 pm #

I knew Anne was talking to you over the weekend, but to see a report posted within in 24 hours – well done. I am impressed. Do you like your mini inkle loom – I need a new one and was considering it, but does it hold its tension properly ?


jennyk on 19 February, 2007 at 6:50 pm #

Judy, I am just as impressed that you found the post so quickly. I haven’t had the loom long or used it much yet, so it is hard to say. So far, I have not had any problem with it. The large shaped knob makes it easy to tighten and there is washer to protect the frame. I like that it is small enough to use on my lap, but it isn’t very stable when used that way. The table at the workshop was just the right height for it to be easy to use.