Yet-Unnamed: Part 1

I should start recording my process/progress on my latest yet-unnamed project/s before I start to forget.

Sometime in early October, I remembered Refinery has two exhibitions early next year to which I could potentially submit weavings; one is RAW and the other is Changing Threads. I looked up due dates, which turned out to be five days apart in February. 

 

I have a few givens. Because I have been experimenting with Summer & Winter, with 20/2 and 60/2 mercerized cotton, I want to continue to work with these. I also have a few preliminary idea of size and shape of the finished piece, and how to hang it. 

 

Remembering the experience of weaving the purple piece, which I started on the day of the last US election, and because I am currently in that precarious in-between place of Level 2 lockdown, (not strict, but not exactly "almost normal",) I have in mind working on themes such as "uncertainty" or "disinformation".

To this end, I thought the cloudy look of my "old wallpaper" (hereafter abbreviated as OW) sample would suit, so I looked for data on how I wove OW, to no avail. However, I found another sample, the only other that I wove on this warp in a similar manner but which didn't wash/finish to look like OW.

After looking over more colorful Summer & Winter samples, however, I wondered if a noisier, more confusing, discordant look expressed the idea better. 

 

After a few days to-ing and fro-ing in my head, I realized I only have one sample with the OW look, and must sample more before assessing which look is more suitable. With no written data, I had a closer look at the sample:

* The warp threads are 60/2 silver blue for tabby, and 20/2 pale blue in pattern;

* The wefts are 20/2 yellow for tabby and 20/2 medium blue for pattern;

* I couldn't tell how many shafts I used, neither for tie-down nor pattern, but pattern shafts appear to be probably no more than four; 

* I have no idea how I threaded except it was random;  

* Tie-down is diamond-shaped. It could have been 1-2-3-4-1-4-3-2-1; I wove this on Klik, so there are enough shafts, but I also think unlikely because of the relative "complexity" of lifting. 

* I also have no idea when I sampled this.

* Sett is probably between 84 or 90EPI, slightly more crammed than 42 or 45EPI counting only the 20/2 ends. 

 

OW probably works when there are not many hues. The interest is in the texture and overall pattern, which may be distracted by many hues. I can see mixing 60/2 to create nuance, but less so 20/2 unless they are very close hue and value. On the other hand, if seen from some distance, as this would be in an exhibition, many in the close hues/values may make the piece appear more intense.

 

I looked at what threads I have on hand. Out of habit I checked for cones of same hue: I have some oranges but no reds in 60/2; I have yellows; I have many 60/2 in what I call "raincoat" colors, pale, indecisive blues and greens, along with one or two pale blue 20/2s, but no gray 20/2 which I prefer. Because of the number of cones in very similar hues, I made a short sample warp in oranges.  

It is possible to weave more than one look, e.g. a blurred, cloudy "uncertainty" vs. noisy, screamy "confusion" or "disinformation". One technical possibility is to use the pattern shafts in blocks, which may allow larger patterns, visible from a distance.  

For the next few days, however, I will be threading this. I'll use only 1 and 2 for tabby and 3-12 for pattern, as I thought using all 16 would make sampling too cumbersome. I plan to weave the real deal on the big loom downstairs.