February

01.02.25

 

And another month! Back on the paper warp - trying to create 4 levels of conversation.

 

• I think the colours may be pretty, but they distract from the weave,and from the concept. 

• I like the paper warp, but with the paper weft it becomes too stiff - some conversations are very 

• stilted, but I think I want a softer, more flowing version of this conversation.

• Whilst I like the light airiness of the weave, I think I want something a bit more definite and dense.

• Weave again in a softer yarn, with less contrast in my colours.

02.02.25

 

Variation on a theme.

 

• This still feels too busy - as if you can’t really see the weave.

• Not as successful as I hoped at the moment.

• Not really sure how to improve this - I may need to think on it for a couple of days!

• I prefer the simpler colour palette, and also like the middle two layers - the yarns used in the weave on Jan 21st.

• Maybe I need to play with that again - make it bigger, see what it looks like in a larger format. 

• That might be true of a number of these weaves!

• Still threading up my 1000 ends of silk.

03.02.25

 

And a funny little book - what do I think of this one?

 

• Applied PVA glue to the pages to stop them unravelling - this has given them a sheen which I am not sure that I like. 

• I do like the messy frayed edges 

• So what is the story that could be written in this book. I have just been reading a novel about white witchery - and this seems to link with this - a book that doesn’t quite look like a standard book, strands poking out leading to other things (not sure what)

• Does this need to go further, or is it a one off? 

• Does this apply to the PhD work?

• Ruminating a lot on that recently - why and what I am doing this for.

• Maybe stop worrying and just do!

04.02.25

 

Playing with double cloth on a frame loom - slightly overlapping vertical slits.

 

• These could be made into pockets to contain the words.

• On the loom it would be much easier to weave these, but at least it can be done on a frame if I want to.

• Again, the wool is too thick and heavy - try on the paper yarn warp tomorrow.

• I like how these pockets are concealed - until something is put into them you don’t know they are there.

• Could I weave something with both vertical and horizontal  pockets? Why would I want to? What purpose would that serve?

05.02.25

 

Playing around with a bit of twill.

 

• I like the soft colour combination of this - it is restful - and the yarn is really easy to work with. 

• Definitely haven’t got the hang of selvedges on the small frame loom - and just weaving without thinking about counting threads, making the selvedge work etc.

• Equally not thinking about the beat which is erratic and doesn’t give a good weave. Is this something I want to work on?

• Or is my style just careless and messy?

• Or is it that I prefer working in a way that the mess reflects the concept?

• I like not knowing what is going to come out of a process - the ‘happy accidents.

06.02.25

 

Another play with a twill.

 

• Got my selvedges a bit neater - and worked with putting the ‘right’ amount of warp threads on the loom to create this pattern. 

• There is something strangely satisfying about this weave. I don’t know if it is the regularity of the pattern, the way the squares are distorted and run into each other…wondering about taking this further with my fragments work. 

• If I did it on a double cloth I could change the way the houndstooth works, with bigger and smaller squares - reminded of V’s work in the group and her patchwork with bigger and smaller squares.

07.02.25

 

Experimenting with some of the stash of paper yarns that I have.

 

• Unravelled raffia yarn - I love the colour! The yarn looks like nothing much when it is all compacted on the cone but is totally different when it is expanded. 

• And the texture of the paper. I like the ‘crinkledness’ of it. 

• But it is very stiff - wondering what it would look like if I cut the edges rather than trying to fold them over

• To do this tomorrow

• Is there something that emphasizes the contrast between the heavy denseness and the lighter single layer of the raffia, together with the openness of the weave where there are gaps and only the warp shows?

08.02.25

 

Twisted words. Asemic writing on the unfolded raffia.

 

• Interesting how there was a title to this immediately I started weaving it. 

• Makes me think there is potential for this to be a big weave. I like the idea of twisted words. It’s part of an argumentative conversation. 

• Enjoying getting back into the asemic writing.

09.02.25

 

The same but different

 

•  I prefer the black warp with the writing - seems to complement it better, The contrast is less jarring. 

• I would definitely want to make a bigger version of this - make it a bit neater, find a way of sorting out the ends of the weave. 

• Do I want to do this with a different structure - remembering the weave I did with the collagraph plates which used a very complex structure - might try with the ends of the silk loom. 

10.02.25

 

Loving the texture of this paper/linen yarn.

 

• I’m enjoying the simplicity of the weaves that I am doing - I know that I can do complicated designs, but just playing with plain weave is good.

• The focus then is on the yarn.

• Weaving this I found myself reflecting on the ‘squareness’ of a loom weave and the constant battle I have with myself about making neat, orderly weaves, or these messy, more organic and fluid weaves - definitely more my style at the moment. 

• More reflective of how life is - not organised, structured but fluid with unexpected turns when we least expect them.

• Letting the yarn find it’s own path seems to be important.

11.02.25

 

Black paper warp, white paper.

 

• Following on from 9.02 - using the black warp in a random pick up to see if I get the effect of asemic writing.

• On the frame loom it is too loose, and the contrast with the bright white paper is too strong. The warp is set too wide, so it doesn’t give me the effect that I want.

• Painted an existing warp on a floor loom black - see how the denser warp works tomorrow - with random treadling. 

• Reminding of teaching my grandson to weave age 5 where he just ‘played with the leavers’ giving random floats. Echo’s the thoughts of asemic writing that this is something children do at an early age before they have learnt the concept of an alphabet and letters.

12.02.25

 

Woven on 8 shaft loom, warp sett at 8 epc.

 

• Much improved with a closer sett and the dyed paper instead of the white paper.

• I really like this - want to take this further with different structures. 

• I like the fine warp - I don’t want to change that. 

• I might change the colour of the paper, try with a creamier paper..

• I might also vary the thickness of the strips - some narrower and others wider. 

• Feel as if I am getting somewhere with this!

13.02.25

 

The softer white of the recycled paper works well with this - the black white contrast isn’t so stark.

 

• Did a page of asemic writing before cutting it more randomly - not with a straight edge - all aspects of the weave are now a bit looser which I like - fits what I am trying to show.

• Found myself thinking of blank greetings cards where you are invited to write whatever you want - with this the reader is invited to read whatever they understand. 

• Does the intention of the writer come through somehow in the asemic writing/asemic weaving?

14.02.25

 

Think I might have done enough of these samples now! What do I want to take into a finished piece?

 

• Today’s weave a variation on the last two days and doesn’t add much.

• This one uses torn paper strips rather than cut - again reinforces the random nature of the weave.

 

• The ones that are really speaking to me at the moment:

Jan 3,8,13,14,21,22

Feb 4,13

 

• But could I be doing something completely different? Each of these pieces is slightly different from the one before, but could I push myself further? Looking at Anni Albers Haiku and others.

15.02.25

 

And another word weave - crossed words.

 

• Finally a move away from plain weave with this - you get to see more of the words - is there more of a sense of conversation when you can read a bit more?

• Takes a surprising amount of concentration to do this manually rather than on the loom.

• ? experiment with more structures? 

• Reflecting back on the work that I have done over the last six weeks - some successful weaves and some unsuccessful.

• It has taken a lot more time than I thought it would each day - planning the weave to do every day, keeping them all a similar size. 

• The thought of doing this for the rest of the year feels quite daunting!

16.02.25

 

A more random weave - I definitely prefer this way of representing these fragments of conversations.

 

• It’s a very peaceful way of weaving. The simplicity of the process is relaxing, the colours are restful - good at a time when my energy levels are very low. 

• Simple for a Sunday.

17.02.25

 

Lines of communication - paper warp and weft.

 

• Not what I thought I was going to do when I sat down to weave this morning! 

• Can’t decide whether the warp yarns need to have a leno structure - this would stop them slipping into the gaps…

• As I was weaving I was thinking about other ways of doing this - leaving a complete gap in the centre, locking the centre warp in places, locking the side warp in places.

• Initially started with a much heavier weft but I didn’t like this, I liked the delicacy of the finer weft.

• This would be interesting as a multilayer weave. 

• Research is throwing up artists who are working with lots of mixed media - bringing in film, light etc - feels way over my head and I don’t know where to start with this. How can I stretch my imagination to encompass other input? Brings me back to the thinking that I can’t be creative until I understand how a thing works.

18.02.25

 

More lines of communication. Using up all the thrums from another weave - it is worth keeping all those scraps that you don’t have a clue what to do with, but they might come in useful sometime!

 

• Not sure what to say about this one. It is what it is. Fiddly and time consuming to do. 

• I do like the contrast of the stiff paper warp/small weft and the soft cashmere long weft.

• The one from yesterday is more interesting on this warp I think.

• What could I do with this warp tomorrow? I am enjoying having these warps on the loom - it forces me to think about other ways of using them. The warp itself is really simple which makes it more of a challenge.

19.02.25

 

A variation of Spanish Lace weave - inspiration courtesy of Laura Thomas @laurathomastextiles

 

• Really enjoying this spaced warp - lots of ideas as I weave each piece. 

• This weave allows the texture of this paper/flax yarn to be really exposed. I enjoy the stiff inflexibility of the yarn which contrasts with the light, airiness of the finished piece. 

• The warp threads almost get lost in the weave so it seems to hang without much support. 

• These last three weaves are still on the loom, so I wonder what it will be like when I take them off - I suspect that they will all collapse in on themselves - I wonder what that will do to them, and to my perception of them.

20.02.25

 

Variation on a theme with thicker yarn. Reminded me again of the to and fro of a conversation. 

 

• This is ok - nothing earthshattering. I quite like the openness of the weave. 

• I can’t imagine at the moment what I would do with this structure. I think that is one of the benefits of doing this challenge - ending up with lots of samples for ideas and inspiration in the future.

21.02.25

 

Been reading about the red thread of fate - the thread that links an individual with another, that runs through individual lives and stories, that is linked with Ariadne and her thread - which seems particularly relevant to my weaving. 

 

• Sat down at the loom this morning just knowing I needed to weave some red. 

• Added a supplementary warp - but weighted it down far too heavily so that it distorted all the existing warp yarns. But it made an interesting design - looks like a heart monitor.

• Try again with a much lighter weighted warp end - or maybe a couple - and then again with a differently threaded warp.

22.02.25

 

And sometimes it’s a weave just because I committed to a weave a day!

 

• In the picture I like the effect of the unintentional weave.

• The intentional weave is in the warp threads, however in the gaps there is another weave - more emphasised and obvious. 

• Definitely don’t like the white warp with this.

23.02.25

 

A bit of clasped weft weaving. I hadn’t tried this until I started this challenge, and I am enjoying playing with it.

 

• I like the ragged uneven effect that I am getting from the weave, together with the two colours either side of the navy.

• Struggling to get a good tension on the small frame loom. I can’t beat it as close as I would like to. 

• I want to try this at some point on my bigger table loom.

• It’s strange, because I don’t normally like these dense weaves - my preference is for the more open weaves that I get with the paper yarns.

24.02.25

 

This sample looks so flat without the navy to give it a pop. 

 

• Struggling to get the diagonal correct - had to unpick it a couple of times in order to get it write. 

• The colours are very similar in tone - which is why the navy is good - I wonder how it would look with a red/terracotta?

• Not very inspired by this - not much to reflect on. Sometimes the p

• ieces that I do don’t offer much - but I am still keeping to my challenge!

25.02.25

 

Now playing around with these colours on the  spaced warp. 

 

• I like the effect that this weave has when it is not under tension - the loose threads bunch in together which contrast with the weave that is situated within the warp itself. 

• The effect of the blue yarn ‘boxes’ doesn’t come out with the two colours either side - it would be better I think just to have one colour (try that tomorrow).

• The painted warp is much better than a white warp would have been - it tones in with the yarn and becomes less obvious - you have to look for it. 

• Is tapestry weaving something I am going to get into? I like the speed of these little weaves, and the fact that I don’t have to go through a time consuming (although pleasurable) warping up process.

26.02.25

 

Found this yarn in my stash. It hasn’t photographed well - the light makes it look quite pink but it is actually a lovely deep rust colour. 

 

• Using the double, slightly crinkly yarn the effect of the spanish lace has almost disappeared.There are still some gaps in the weave but the yarn has separated out and fills them slightly. You have to look quite closely at this weave to see them. 

• Not sure how I would use this weave in any of my current projects but maybe that isn’t the point of this exercise - I am building up a large sample pot for the future!

27.02.25

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Sample in 2/60 silk, sett 20epc. Woven in plain weave, Floral dance overshot in 2/60 silk, then 8/2 cotton and 2/10 linen overshot, followed by 2/60 silk 2/2 twill.

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• I think my sett is too tight for the flowing, soft look that i am wanting for the CR project. Reduce it down to 15epc or even 10. 

• The overshot was an attempt at mimicking the ayrshire embroidery but  isn’t giving the look that I wanted at all - it is far too small and tight. I need to think about the structure again for this. 

• I cut off half the weave width for this sample, so I will wash the rest and see how that affects the handling.

28.02.25

 

And it’s the end of another month - two folders full of weaves. 

Today I am having a cataract done, and weaving isn’t ideal - so this just offering this piece which I did during the month. 

Something completely different - a sample for a rug that I was thinking of making. 

 

• The colours in this photo of the washed sample look reasonable but in real life they are horribly bright. Reminds me of my old kitchen which I really liked, but definitely toned down. 

• The design is fine, but not exciting - it becomes something that I just weave - it doesn’t inspire anything particularly creative. It’s ok…..