Inspired by...

Sally's architectural challenge (another version here, I took this photo while waiting for the library to open:

Back home, I played with it. Some examples:

(I used the blue and turquoise to ensure I got the structure I wanted. All of the above are completely reversible)
The fat yarn could be, well, a fat yarn, or a bunch of finer yarns bundled together.

My idea is a lot less thought-about than Sally's, though...

I left the piece of wall for another day. It is a sort-of-cousin to the "damask fence" - maybe they can be used together?

Matching stripes!

Laura's summer top mk 1:
(click for bigger and better view of the matches)

And the next one is cut (and serged):

Summing up

What have we done, then?

We have: visited several historical textile sites, some with working machinery, none of them "in production". (Cromford mill, Masson mill, Paradise mill, the knitting factory of Johnston’s of Elgin (in Hawick), Quarry Bank Mill – maybe I have forgotten some places…
We have: met with several weavers, Belinda, Sam, Ashleigh (and several others, who may also have websites - sorry), Cally, Andrew, Stacey.
We have: been to Handweaver’s studio, the Fashion museum and the V&A.
We have: bought some yarn (and I have bought some fabric)

And I have heard a new-to-me weave structure name: double-sided damask (said to be "the same technique as used for cloth of gold"). The museum ppl (at the silk museum in Macclesfield) did not know how that differed from ordinary damask, and only one side was displayed. The 'net is of no particular help – most of what I find just states that cloth of gold is cloth made from gold. Well - . (This article (on page 8 ff) from Complex weavers is interesting, but does not help with the "double-sided" question)
So: does anybody know about "double-sided damask", and how it differs from "ordinary" damask?

Homewards

In Harwich, the flags were all backwards. And a backwards welcome must be a good-bye?

While waiting for embarkation, it started to rain. Some come prepared:

(the wifi may be slow, but nothing beats the waiters...)

On my morning walk

A "damask" fence!

I suppose both surfaces can be called warp faced, but they are a perfect illustration of how light reflection makes one colour seem like two.
Every other surface has the planks like this: /////; in the other sections they go like this: \\\\\

Fabrics, fibres and Fasset

from early to late:

In other words: a long day in London.

seen in Derby

It did not help. The silk mill in Derby closed, too - and is still closed, even though it has signs saying "museum".
(Click to make bigger)


The entrance to the Guildhall (now market) is paved with wooden "cobblestones":

Some things never change, do they?

And – just to prove Laura is not the only one:

All this from here

Essentials?

And: they are for sale! (Unfortunately, the shop was closed...)

(Another draper)

More sightings

One of these days I may be able to get a picture of a live animal?

Sightings

A strange sign:

("Evil"? What evil?)


We haven’t seen any pixies, so these will have to do:

This mangle is out of it’s normal environment (but is now well travelled – it has come with us from Sweden):

I hope it made a good impression...

History looming...

A few pictures - Masson mill, near Matlock, founded by Richard Arkwright

In the weave shed, one whole wall was filled with saved threadings:

And who knows how old this sign is?

(I really, really need to learn the weaver's knot. Or maybe not?)

To show that we have some other interests, we are overnighting in Haworth (of Brontë fame). But I see more textiles in our near future...