Weaving error 2

I have been noticing a small spot of color in the ‘wrong’ place in sashes, and have finally put two and two together to see a rather elegant solution to a common problem:

The arrow and lightning pattern requires the weaver to count and regularly change the weft across the face of the sash. A common error is a mis-counting, or just plain forgetting to change the weft.

 

weaving too far

Here I notice I’ve woven too far. I am wanting to have a green thread to switch with the pale colored thread. The red should have been switched away 12 threads back. I could un-weave these last 12 threads … or …

 

 

the beginning of the 'weaving too far' solution

Change of weft, red for pale, and then bring that red thread back to where it belongs.

Red and green threads trade places

The red and green threads have traded places, and you may now resume weaving as if nothing has happened.

 

Green now changes weft for pale

You now have a green thread for the change of weft with the pale thread. Carry on weaving normally.

Note that you will have to be vigilant on the very next row:

 

 

 

Pay close attention on the next row

Make sure that the red thread is back in place for the next row. It may have drifted back toward the green thread that replaced it.

 

The only telltale of this misadventure will be a tiny red ‘blip’ seen in between the green and pale lightnings, and very slight extra thickness where three threads passed as weft instead of only one.
If this red blip bothers you, then repeat it two more times. According to accepted theory, when something happens three times in a row, then it’s a design element. Tell people you did it on purpose … make it into a signature.

Weaving Help

So, I finished up my travels, and am wanting to share with you some of the insights gained.
Examining sashes closely, human error is in evidence. What I am wanting to disseminate is a sense of hope: very skilled weavers of the past have done this before me. Because errors are in evidence in museum sashes, and indeed rather clever corrective measures were taken to get the pattern back on track, why should I hold myself up to a standard higher than ‘museum quality’?

A very common error is in evidence when the center of the arrow wanders off to one side. This is not always the sign of a real problem.

center wanders off, but this is not a problem

This weaver worked on one side of the sash forgetting to turn the work over. One side of the arrow grew ahead of the other. Note the start of a new row of lightnings on the right and not on the left. This is not really a problem. The weaver must only turn the work over and work on the shorter side for a few rows to bring things back into order.

A more serious problem is afoot when the lightnings on both sides of the arrow attest that the weaver has indeed been working both sides equally.

 

center wandered off to the right, a more serious problem

In this image the center has wandered to the right, but the lightnings on both sides of the arrow are at the same stage of development, two rows left to go before ‘adventure disappears’.
Many weavers have experienced this would-be-disaster. Often as not it has been building up over many rows, even over several pattern repeats. No, you do not have to rip back 30 rows to make this right. Here’s a simple solution, seen in many an historic sash:

 

 

a quick, easy, and historically accurate solution

The next time you are ready to start a new patternrepeat, count the threads in the central arrow. Find the very center by counting. Start your weaving by selecting your weft here. Count threads at the center for the next few rows to be sure of your choice of weft until you’ve re-established your center.

 

 

The center back on track again

Say to yourself, “I am human. To err is human, to forgive myself is divine.”

Sightseeing

Buffalo, it seems, is very near to Niagara Falls. Some of my friends and I decided to take a bit of a sightseeing excursion on Saturday afternoon and made it to the Falls, both US and Canadian views.

Niagara Falls from the US

And then from the Canadian side:

Niagara Falls from Canada

Society for the Arts in Healthcare Poster presented in Buffalo

 

Carol at the Buffalo Hyatt, Society for the Arts in Healthcare Annual Conference

The whole purpose of this trip was to attend this conference. I contributed a poster, which told the story of my recent Heritage Weaving Project in the Atrium of the St Boniface General Hospital:

Braiding and Weaving relaxing, creative, meditative

Introduction
“Spinning and Weaving are the highest forms of Meditation”
Mahatma Ghandhi
The project described here, one of several undertaken at the
St Boniface General Hospital Atrium in Winnipeg, Manitoba,
produced 8 Fingerwoven Samples for The Manitoba Museum.

The type of weaving selected seemed appropriate to the setting:
-Fingerweaving is low-tech, no noise, easily mobile,
quick to set-up and take-down daily.
-The project was very time consuming,
but also easily interrupted,
the weaver is able to interact with the public.
-The method used is culturally very significant
to the demographic served by the hospital.
-Perceived as a disappearing art,
it generated much interest.

Slow but measurable progress over a period of 10 months,
allowed for a rapport between weaver and atrium visitor:
-Hospital staff regularly visit the atrium on break time.
-Visitors enter and exit the hospital through the atrium.
-The atrium is accessible to hospital patients.

The variety of patterns in the samples were based
on articles in museums across North America.
Sash samples will be used by the Manitoba Museum
for future education & display purposes.

Previous weaving projects
received much anecdotal support,
I decided to institute a method
for generating concrete measurement of success.

Purposes
Humans reach to their heritage
in times of crisis in search of healing.
Repetitive creative activities
draw the individual into a mental state
in which they access their personal resources.
Weaving is a metaphor for teamwork:
Alone we are fragile, together we are strong.

Methods
In-house advertising was done
through the hospital newsletter.
Poster announcing my presence
was on display in the Atrium.
Weaving took place in the Atrium,
3 days per week, 11AM to 4PM,
November 2007, to July, 2008. Materials were made available
for visitors to try fingerweaving.
These numbers are countable.
Knitting, crochet, and quilting assistance
also offered.
Brochure outlining the program
was available to visitors.
Brochures taken is countable.
Guest book was offered
to visitors for signing.
Book signatures are countable.
Designs were chosen in consultation
with Manitoba Museum curator.
Samples were woven according
to the fingerweaving method.

Outcomes
Weaving in the Atrium of the St. Boniface General Hospital contributed to a healing environment.
On the basis of comments left in the guest book, individuals expressed the impression that:
-The sight of the sash speaks a welcome
to local ethnic groups.
Number of brochures taken and read: 972
-Weaving provided a diversion and relaxation
for staff, patients, and visitors.
Estimated average 50 per day, watching.
-Craft was promoted as a means to personal re-sourcing;
Individuals reported that looking was nice,
but doing it themselves was even better.
Number of individuals completing a small sample: 172

The Manitoba Museum received 8 fingerwoven pieces
for education & display purposes.
Conclusion
Weaving is an effective remedy
for the stress experienced in health care settings.
Acknowledgements
Manitoba Artists in Healthcare
Manitoba Culture Heritage and Tourism
Musée de St. Boniface Museum
St. Boniface General Hospital
The Manitoba Museum

Royal Ontario Museum

 

Royal Ontario Museum, South Entrance

 

 

 

Tuesday, April 21 I was privileged to examine sashes in the collection of the Royal Ontario Museum. In all I looked at nine fingerwoven sashes and two sprang sashes. Amazing pieces all. How to put into words all the things I saw is a challenge right now. I will make this information available to you eventually. Among the details viewed are the recovery from the situation where the center of the arrow wanders off to one side, recovering from weaving too far, short rows near the central arrow, and interesting plaiting technique linking the fringes and preventing them from tangling, evidence of splicing in new threads, and another detail that created an interesting ridge at the change-of-weft. All this is inspiring me to write up a set of ‘problems and solutions’, expanding on the ‘trouble shooting’ section in my book.
Eagerly awaiting the photos taken by the curators.
The word to fingerweavers of the world is not to sweat when mistakes happen. There is clear evidence that this even happens to the experts.
Many thanks to Karla, Christine, and Anu for their patience and support.