Blocks Rock and Roll-Blog Post
Here at Lunatic Fringe Yarns we believe knowledge is power! By sharing helpful information with our customers, we want to boost your confidence and give you peace of mind to continue weaving projects. One way we like to share is through our Rainbow on your Doorstep monthly subscription service. Each month, we send out 4 cones of Tubular Spectrum™ mercerized cotton yarns, along with a newsletter. Here is a preview of some of the information that we send out in the November Year One Newsletter!
by Katzy L.
We carry a napkin kit designed by Deb Essen called "Blocks Rock". That kit got me thinking about blocks in weaving and how we use them. If part of your warp is doing one thing, and another part of the warp is doing something else with each pick you weave, you have created blocks in your warp.
With a 2-shaft or a Rigid Heddle Looms, you can create blocks by changing the colors in the warp as shown in this log cabin threading. The threading alternates on shafts 1 & 2 (or on a Rigid Heddle Loom: slots & holes) all the way across the warp. 2 colors are used for the warp: Copper and Gold.
Threading Order Matters
What changes across the warp is the yarn color order. Initially, shaft 1 (slot) is threaded with a Copper thread, and shaft 2 (hole) is threaded with a Gold thread. After 4 repeats of this, Copper now gets threaded on shaft 2 (hole), and Gold is on shaft 1 (slot). You will have two Copper threads side by side. When you do this, you have shifted the pattern and created another block. After repeating this pattern 4 times, shift things back to the original pattern with shaft 1 (slot) threaded with a Copper thread, and shaft 2 (hole) threaded with Gold.
Weave the Same Way
When you weave this draft, weave with two weft colors: Copper and Gold. The weft is alternated just as it was in the warp. You weave shed one with Copper and shed two with Gold for 4 repeats. This creates the first treadling block (Block 1). Then, weave an extra pick with Copper so that both shed one and shed two have copper threads. Those two Copper threads together switched the shed that the threads are in and so created a new block in the woven fabric (Block 2). Alternate for 4 repeats with Gold in shed one and Copper in shed 2. Then, weave an extra pick with Copper and you are now back to Block 1. Continue to weave with Copper in shed one and Gold in shed 2.
Add More Color!
If you add a third color into the warp and weft, you can change the way the blocks look again. With this draft, you still have 2 threading blocks. Just the colors have changed so it appears different from the draft with 2 colors that is shown above.
Expand to 4-shafts
You can expand this concept to 4-shafts and the structure Turned Tacquete (aka Jin). On 4-shafts, this structure uses a straight twill threading (1,2,3,4) and changes colors to create the blocks. For one threading unit, Copper is on shafts 2 & 4, and on the other threading unit, Copper is on shafts 1 & 3.
Block A is labeled as a group of threads made up of the threading unit with Copper on shafts 2 & 4 and Block B as a group of threads made up of the threading unit where Copper is on shafts 1 & 3. Then, the draft at the left is threaded Block A, B, A, B, A going across the warp. You can see the places where the blocks begin and end because there are doubled Copper or doubled Gold threads in those spots.
Just like in the log cabin draft shown above, the treadling also has blocks. Those Blocks are labeled as Block 1 and 2. You weave two repeats using treadles 3,1,3,2 (Block 1) and then switch to using treadles 4,2,4,1 (Block 2). Continue to switch between these blocks as you weave the fabric.
Cozy Cowl Example
Blocks really are fun and create so much variation in our weaving! We use blocks all the time when we are designing to get the most out of our fabrics! Our Toasty Turned Tacquete Cowl kit uses 5/2 cotton yarn with a turned tacquete (aka Jin) draft to combine blocks with lots of color changes to make amazing fabrics from just 4-shafts. Blocks are always ready to Rock and Roll!
If you want more information to come to your doorstep each month, sign up for our Rainbow On Your Doorstep subscription services.
And did you know that we have a Year Two Subscription as well? And we are working on Year Three. You can keep the inspiration coming!