I've come to the conlusion that string is completely unpredictable and will just arbitrarily have bad days and good days. This has absolutely nothing to do with me, I have no control whatsoever. There was no reason for it to just start working on Monday, all I did was unweave it and tighten the knots that were already there to retension it, so really I should've gotten the same bubbles that I did the last time I tried. But I didn't, it just started to work.
It was working fine until Wednesday when I picked it up and two of my knots just refused to stay tight. Every single time I turned the cards, no matter what direction I turned them in, these two same knots just loosened. I was left with twelve cards worth of string hanging slack. So I would retie the knots, beat, then throw the wefts again. Then when I turned the cards those same knots just gave out again. I tried tying them in different ways, I tried holding the cards differently as I turned, but nothing helped. Eventually I gave up and put it away. When I picked it up later that evening, the knots just arbitrarily decided to hold and I had no problems whatsoever.
Tonight is a different story. Tonight I snapped my weft thread. Twice. The first time was a complete surprise, because I'd hardly put any pressure on it at all. Then I couldn't find it. I was pulling it through to the left side of the band, and it snapped right where it had last turned on the right side. I had to move the brocade weft out of the way completely and dig right into the shed to find it. It took ages. But I found it, tied it off and started again. It snapped again on the second pick, and this time there really was almost no pressure on it at all. I don't know if my thread is just flawed and I'm in the middle of a weak spot, but I can't snap it that easily when I want to. I can't snap sewing thread that easily, and that's pretty easy to snap.
I couldn't find the end this time, and I was starting to get cranky at it so it's been put away. I am not going to get anywhere with it tonight, so I may as well stop trying. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day and the string will cooperate. I'll need to decide whether to wind a fresh shuttle or not.
It was working fine until Wednesday when I picked it up and two of my knots just refused to stay tight. Every single time I turned the cards, no matter what direction I turned them in, these two same knots just loosened. I was left with twelve cards worth of string hanging slack. So I would retie the knots, beat, then throw the wefts again. Then when I turned the cards those same knots just gave out again. I tried tying them in different ways, I tried holding the cards differently as I turned, but nothing helped. Eventually I gave up and put it away. When I picked it up later that evening, the knots just arbitrarily decided to hold and I had no problems whatsoever.
Tonight is a different story. Tonight I snapped my weft thread. Twice. The first time was a complete surprise, because I'd hardly put any pressure on it at all. Then I couldn't find it. I was pulling it through to the left side of the band, and it snapped right where it had last turned on the right side. I had to move the brocade weft out of the way completely and dig right into the shed to find it. It took ages. But I found it, tied it off and started again. It snapped again on the second pick, and this time there really was almost no pressure on it at all. I don't know if my thread is just flawed and I'm in the middle of a weak spot, but I can't snap it that easily when I want to. I can't snap sewing thread that easily, and that's pretty easy to snap.
I couldn't find the end this time, and I was starting to get cranky at it so it's been put away. I am not going to get anywhere with it tonight, so I may as well stop trying. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day and the string will cooperate. I'll need to decide whether to wind a fresh shuttle or not.
Yo
ReplyDeleteI was reading through posts on your blog here and you mentioned the need for a silk hairnet. Have you considered Sprang? Interesting technique, creates a horizontally elastic fabric and was ubiquitous for thousands of years without being documented at all until the 19th century in denmark (i think)
Coincidentally, as far as TW goes, I always practice new things on cheap acrylic, it's a very agreeable yarn and it never gives you any trouble.
Also, if you have one or two slack threads you can just cut them and pin them onto the band, the way you'd repair a broken end on a loom. You can darn loose ends in afterwards.
I've heard of sprang, but I was thinking more along the lines of the hairnets on this page: http://www.silkewerk.com/hairnet/hairnet1.html but I haven't really looked into it at all.
DeleteMy slack threads change all the time, they all seem to want to take turns at being slack for a bit. It's frustrating but relatively easy to find the culprit and tighten it :P I think if I started cutting threads I'll end up cutting them all.