Satin Simple

MAFA2025-3917

Needed floating selvedges; also, replaced the cotton floating selvedges with a 2/20 brown rayon as the cotton kept breaking.

Because the silk tussah is a boucle and is “sticky”, don’t use it for warp again. And the silk is a Giovanna Imperial yarn, which is no longer available – it was a happy accident to find the multicolored, bumpy polyester (from Made in America) was such a good substitute in the weft (the warp has the majority of the silk in it).

Used 3 ends / dent in a 10 dent / inch reed which is 10″ wide in the reed. I found the draft in Handwoven; but, changed the fibers used, order of color, sett, treadling, etc.; the only thing original is the satin draft.

Had some major issues with the shed as the shafts were misbehaving (some were rising when they weren’t needed); almost cut it off and threw it in the trash. But, my hubby/loom engineer helped a great deal and we got the correct shafts to raise or lower when required. This was woven on a 2002 24 shaft AVL Production Dobby Loom with a Compu-Dobby III – old but a workhorse. I use an old laptop – not attached to the internet to drive my loom; so I can’t download a wif file from it.

Inspiration was the fact that I have some left over 20/2 cotton (in white and taupe) from a previous project and thought the silk boucle was perfect match; and wanted to try a satin draft. Plus, my daughter found the draft and suggested that she would like a table runner; and, I am trying to use finer yarns in my weaving.

MAFA2021-042

I was inspired by “Twill Illusions with Two and Four Blocks” by Freya van Holst Pellekaan, p. 96 in Best of Weaver’s: Twill Thrills (2004).
Basic threading, tie-up, and treadling for 5-end satin blocks is in Handweaving.net #74464.

Warp color progression, right-to-left: 514 ends plus 2 FS:

1. 12 natural
2. 55 green
3. 10 natural
4. 75 red
5. 10 natural
6. 100 gold
7. 10 natural
8. 165 orange
9. 10 natural
10. 55 green
11. 12 natural
FS: 2 (1 on each side)

MAFA2021-033

Changing the blocks in the tie-up and treadling can produce a variety of designs in the cloth while weaving on one warp. Towel designs are a good way to play with blocks in the tie up and treadling. I wove four different towels by changing blocks in both tie-up and treadling.