SpinnySpinny

So in measuring the warp, we learn a few things. First, it’s more sticky than I’d like. Yeah, I knew it was an issue but it was getting a bit annoying there. The amount of twist isn’t helping, either. Second, the yellow from the canary stain is a problem. When I got part way through winding the warp, I could see color differences that will turn into yellow stripes in the finished piece. Not good.

So I’m going to change the sett to 18 rather than 20, and interleave two sets of warp ends so every other comes from a different part of the ball. That will spread out the color changes and make it less noticeable. I’ll have to do it in the weft too, I think. Well, I can try it and see how it goes (as this involves two shuttles, in the sections where I’m using both yarns, four. Yikes.) It is just a sample after all, so I can do it several different ways.

Measuring the warp isn’t a big deal, make two smaller chains instead of one big one. In this case 76 ends each. (It is far easier to work with even numbers.) Sleying the reed is another matter.

For 18 ends per inch in my 12 dent reed, I need to sley 1-2. That is, one dent (slot) with one thread, one dent with two threads, repeat. But to get 18 epi from two chains interleaved, that means 9 epi each or 0-1-1-1 according to this handy-dandy reed substitution chart. So sley one chain at 9 epi and then sley the second on top of it so the final result is 1-2 for 18 epi. I’m going to have to chart that out so I get it correct. This is, btw, one way to put two colors in a warp. But it’s much easier to keep track of when you actually have two different yarns.

I briefly thought about winding the one ball of yarn into two smaller ones and measuring two ends together. That would solve the interleaving problem neatly. But measuring this yarn two strands together would be a different disaster as they tried to twist around each other and stick. It’s going to try to do that anyway, so why help it. Better to measure singly. I also sprayed the yarn with water and let it dry while still on the warping board, basically blocking it a second time to better control the twist.

I’ve got the second of the set drying on the warping board, I’ll sley them both before I start the other yarn so I can’t get them confused.