How to do a ”proper hem” (Swedish style)

(or, at least: this is how I learned it, when I was at weaving school)

Let’s start with an ordinary 2/2 twill: comparing the two faces, we see that the twill line goes in opposite directions.

Thus, if we just take the whole piece as is, and turn under, the reverse side with the hem at the bottom would look like this:

If, instead, we weave the hem part “opposite”, what we see on loom would be this:

And, with the hem turned, the reverse side has the twill line going the same way all over:

Going on to a 2-block twill – if the right side looks like this

the reverse looks like this

and therefore the hem part should be woven like this

Note the clean cut(s) between the hem part and the body. It is of no structural importance, but it looks much neater.

And, in parts of the world where the weaving police is active, it is a must!

In those parts, it is also of vital importance that the pattern on the 2-block hem is "correct" - and also that there are exactly the same number of picks on the two hems (of one hemmed piece - or, if one is presenting a stack of towels, for instance, the same # on all the hems).

How do I know? Because I was rejected from a (Hemslöjden) exhibition because there were not the same # of picks. The hems
measured the same, and the pattern matched, but that was less important...
(And no, the primary cause was not my uneven beating - I had used a relatively fat and uneven tow yarn... had I woven one more repeat it would perhaps have evened out. Or not)

Do I always plan/sew hems this way? No, and I even sew my hems with a machine. (Unless they are meant for a Hemslöjden exhibitions, of course.)



The same reasoning can be applied to other bindings (structures) as well.

Here is part of a profile draft for "cat tracks", with the hem at the top:

A small thing that made me glad

On the Tuesday, I was ready to warp up the AVL. Getting near the front, I heard this odd, almost crackling sound. Hmm - or did I? Perhaps I was just imagining. But...

It turned out that it was the sound of a burned-out 'puter monitor. The computer that I use to drive the loom is itself Very Old (might actually be from '96), but I have got at lest one new monitor since then.

Well, no problem, really: I had one in reserve.
Except it did not like the computer: "no signal".

Oh well, there is another monitor upstairs - and I don't have any real use for the 'puter it is attached to, so I can try that. Hmm: "no signal".

Time to come up with a Plan B. (The aforementioned upstairs machine doesn't work very well, so that was out.) But wait: I have this new* snazzy laptop! The only thing needed was a serial-to-USB converter; should be a piece of cake.

No, the nearby electronic-things shop did not have one.
The next-to-nearest one did not have one. And it was nearly evening, too.

BUT: I was going to Kristianstad on the Wednesday - maybe there would be another shop there? Google told me Yes.

So, on the Wednesday morning I went to the shop in Kristianstad: can I have a serial-to-USB converter, please? Sure, they said, but they do not work with Win8. But if you want to try... you can always return it in 30 days.

So I took a chance.

Here it is, AND it works!

That is, I have tried a couple of treadlings (no warp on loom), so at the moment I only assume it works.

Should have started warping today, but instead the furnace decided not to work... hopefully, I can warp tomorrow.


* "new" is relative, I guess: have had it for almost one and a half year now, so I guess it is rather antiquated. Unless compared to the old loom-driving (very stationary) 'puter.

I'm sure some of you have seen this remarkable machine before. I know I have, but I had forgot the name of the creator. So when I happened to stumble on it again - :

The picture comes from class sculptor Andy Paiko's website, where one can also find a video of a woman spinning wool on it. There are also more pics of the spinning wheel - and don't forget to look at his other creations!

Isn't it fantastic!?!
And to think I live in "the kingdom of Crystal"... gives me ideas, it does!

The bad-idea and it's sample

Never mind what the end idea is - I wanted something completely reversible, and it had to have a supplementary weft.
This sounds like overshot (daldräll), so I started with the traditional cat's paw pattern. After adding another "block" and a "turned" tieup, I had this:

Could perhaps be interesting?

Then I made one (of probably several) bad decisions: what if I put it into the fan reed?
Now, the fan reed has 26 dents per fan, so I had to reduce the repeat to 26 profile ends (each representing 2 warp ends). Then I had this:

Still recognizable... perhaps. The treadling can be reduced in various ways, and is perhaps better left until the actual weaving. But wait: I have to have an idea of when/how often to change the reed position... some possible variations:

Now, no doubt you all wonder why I didn't abandon the idea right here? Looking back, I wonder, too. (But is was only some 180 ends, and perhaps it would be interesting, and...)

The end product is (was, for this try, anyway) to be relatively low-contrast, but for the sample I used what was nearest at hand: a narrow white cotton warp and a blue-green already-wound quill, also cotton. (Maybe, but only maybe, it would have looked better with lower contrast...)

(washed and flattened, but not properly pressed/mangled)

I'm sure you all agree that this sample has no future...
(Next try will, perhaps, be a biggish waffle weave. If I can figure out a way to use a discontinuous weft.)

Bonus: with a bigger scale (which of course makes it a dräll rather than an overshot - thus min 24 shafts, preferably 32 or 40), and a natural linen on a white warp, I still think the pattern is "good enough":

Loomsday

I had an idea, but after a short sample it was obvious that it wasn't a good one.

After cutting off:

Three "fans" and a few dents, will probably rethread to another idea...

Loomsday is organized by Meg, and this is the first time I have participated.