24/01/2012

Playing with software

How did we ever manage to experiment with strange ("new") structures before there was weaving software?
The answer (true for me, anyway) is: we didn't. Or, at least, I did not do it often – or, at even lesser (probably nor correct English, but you get my drift, I hope!) I did not often experiment with several layers.

This began with Maja, again. Her honeycomb isn't very interesting, except the quality: she used cotton 30/2 for warp anf weft, doubled for the outlines. (Ok, 30/2 doubled is double the thickness, but in most examples I've seen the difference has been a lot bigger than that.)

I have never woven honeycomb. One of the reasons is that I don't like structures with a so very obvious "wrong side". So I started to speculate... what if?
What if I tried to make a "back" – would I still get the weft distorsions?

This is the original draft


First, I tried with making the cell weft make cells on the back where it would have floated (back side to the left, right side to the right):


Only one cell weft, binding either on the right side or on the wrong. I decided I would have to use double outline picks (two each side), or the outlines would never distort. (As usual, the colours are there to make the draft more readable. You may not agree, but I find it easier, anyway.

Then I thougt that perhaps the non-floating weft would prevent the distorstions. New try:


Hm. This will make two separate layers (I think). If I wished two separate layers, I could as easily sew them together.

Another try:


Here the cells occur at the same place in both layers. Both warps, and both wefts float at the same time. To make the layers connect, I used only one outline weft, picking up one end from each layer.

Dear readers, especially those of you who have woven this structure: what do you think of my chances? Will any of these drafts give me distorted weft (except the original)?

And what did they do for the selvages – were they just hemmed? As I have shafts available, I think I will try to get a small selvage. Maybe some basket weave?

5 comments:

Laura Fry said...

You might have to adjust the 'narrow' cells as they probably won't allow the outline weft to distort enough....otherwise, sample, sample, sample! :^)

cheers,
Laura
with a security word of 'futte' - sounds a bit....rude? :^)

Kerstin på Spinnhuset said...

Well, the whole ting will (obviously) be a sample... first try (both warps in place) will be in Majas yarn/sett (cotton 30/2 at 22 epcm in the top layer, so 44 total).
Then we'll see...

"futte" could be a misspelled Swe - futtig meaning "of no importance", which probably sums my idea up?

Laura Fry said...

Well, I thought it sounded ruder than that. :) Will you have the sample ready for the trip?

cheers,
Laura

Kerstin på Spinnhuset said...

I will not ask you how... but: obviously nothing beats being a "native speaker". It took me hours (until now, actually) to associate both (all three?) words to "futile".
I guess this is what a native speaker woulf call a "duh" moment...

(Samples? I don't know... if they are, I'l bring them. After having blogged them, of course ;-)

Laura Fry said...

Nothing like a deadline? :^)
cheers,
Laura