The screen on the left shows my loom computer while I'm weaving; it's showing picks 71-140 of the abbreviated 15-end draft I tried to weave today. Shafts that need lifting appear as a horizontal line. It always shows Shaft 16 at the top to Shaft 1 at the bottom, regardless of the threading.
I turned approximately the same portion of the draft its side at the right; picks 71 and 140 are shown in red. Here, you can see how the draft works with a warp in Shaft 12 vs without.
On the loom computer, you can see Shaft 12 is never lifted because it has a vertical line across the screen; in the draft on the right, it appears as a black line, the color of the weft, in the lower part where Shaft 12 warps exist.
In both, you can also see "rest" picks where none of the shafts are lifted at Pick 89 so I can check the cloth against the draft and backtrack if necessary. On the loom computer, this is a vertical line from top to bottom; in the draft it is a white (warp color) vertical line.
So, Peg, I wondered if seeing these will answers you. It's hard to see exactly which shaft should be lifted in any given pick, but I can backtrack, skip, or repeat sections if I need to. If they are to occur regularly, it's easier to build it into the draft.
6 comments:
You're convincing me I need a computer-controlled multi-shaft dobby, you know. Despite the problems you've been having lately, I'm drooling at your draft.
That is really interesting, Meg. It seems to me that this kind of loom is wonderful for a person who favors structural design over designs formed by texture and/or color. After all, the designs are so beautiful, all you would want the color or texture to do is to support the design. That is quite the reverse of what I do, using structure to support color work. That means that, at least initially, lots of experiments with treadlings and colors are necessary and would be awkward with a computer-assisted loom. But you could easily use a multi-shaft table loom to work this out, since i believe they can come with as many as 16 shafts. Interesting. Don't take anything I say here as gospel! I'm just kind of thinking out loud........ Next question: how do you go about working out your designs?
Geodyne, I have a friend, Ali, who disappeared in France early this year. We all understood she went to learn how to use a jacquard loom and would possibly bring home one. She could still be there, or could be visiting friends/family in UK as Kiwis often do, or she could be back in little old Nelson hiding with her new J loom, because she knows there are at least half a dozen of us wanting to look and touch and drool over it.
Umm... I forgot how Ali tied into computer-dobby saga, but it is great fun when it works.
Peg, my left hemisphere is too developed to take anyone's words without a sack of salt. Suffice it to say that I am currently more into structure and I work with colors to the extent that I want to study more of this shot effect with my gold cottons. However, I have seen examples where the color/texture is so well-integrated with the structure Madelyn's dichotomy was irrelevant, and that's where I'd like to go eventually. So I wouldn't call it "reverse" entirely, but at present, yes, I do have more fun with structures. (Boy, I'm long-winded!)
Ever since I started this blog, I've been looking for the passage where I believe Sharon Alderman wrote "why not both" to the color/texture vs. structure dichotomy. It was years ago, so it's not in the "new" structure book unless she repeated herself, but I cant' find it in the swatch book. Anyway, this would be where I would resume "inevitable cloth" train of thought, but this weekend, I'll skip it because I have to configure the now-almost-cursed mini-exhibit.
And, yes, one could weave any of my drafts on a table loom, (on my Louet Klik in fact) theoretically. I think Bonnie Inouye showed us some 16-shaft samples her friend wove on table looms. But I haven't got the patience.
Meg, my mention of the table loom was only for some initial sampling, when you are still at the stage of basic experimenting and really need the freedom of easily changing your mind. It was not intended as a piece of equipment to weave off an entire piece! My shoulders cringe at the thought. Yes, integrating color and structure. I agree. But the question is, does the color support the structure (which I think it should if you are weaving a beautiful 16-shaft or more design) or is the structure supporting the color. Integration of the two is more complex, in other words, than simply thinking in terms of a 50/50 relationship. Beautiful lace knitting, for example, can be done with variegated yarns, but usually the color changes need to be very slow. And if the lace design is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous, it is best knit in one color--a light color at that, So, throw your sack of salt at that!!!! When you are done with your "now-almost-cursed-mini-exhibit...."!
Nah, I sample on the 16-wheeler, because the looms are so different and the tension, the shed, and a lot else, wouldn't compare if I did it on the table loom. In fact, I do all sampling on the loom on which I'll weave the big piece/s. In the cottons, I have somewhere between 600-2200 picks in a "visual" repeat (more on that later), so, no for this reason, either. Plus, I'm too lazy to warp different looms for what's ultimately the same project.
I guess I've never separated col/tex and the structure to that degree. Or perhaps there is a part of my process that takes place more organically than I had imagined and I decide some things without knowing I am deciding it/them. Imagine that!!
Now, onto the NACME. We were both kind of tired yesterday so I didn't hem and Ben didn't build the "clamp" and this morning we both woke up sick, but we must soldier on! We have only.... 12 hours minus 45 minutes to go!
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