I have now finished another of the Baltic patterns in the Weaver’s Pattern Directory. And this time the book let me know it was indeed from Interweave Press. I find it so hard to understand in our day and time how a book can go to press with mistakes in it. It seems that with all the paraphernalia that goes along with the business that between people and machine that a book could make it to press without mistakes. At least I would be so incredibly embarrassed to work on a book and send it out to the big wide world with problems.
Enough of the side trip, back to the band. I really liked what happened with this one. First I picked out some colors from my meager bag that I have with me. A thinner thread and a thicker pattern thread.
Some of my favorite colors
I love these colors and probably why I have so much in this realm of the color wheel. So on went another Baltic pattern that has 13 pattern picks. Being that there were thirteen again, this band took much longer than the last one. One reason is because there are more threads to pick up and drop down but also it was a more detailed pattern. I did not memorize it so always needed the book at hand for each new row. But diligence paid off, and I made it to the end – and I even think it has pretty wonderful selvedges.
The finished band before taking off the loom.
The front and back sides of this pattern are both very detailed and interesting. Though I must say I like the front best but who could really pick one over the other. In the picture the bottom row is the back up and the 3rd row is the front facing up and so forth to the second and first rows here.
Alas back to my disappointment with the book.
The pattern in the book.
You can see on my first pass through the pattern I immediately found a problem with the X. I must admit that I was rather proud of myself in that I figured there was a problem in the draft before I even wove this pick. So figured out the two missed pick ups. Alas I didn’t mark it at that time. So next round I am merrily going along and wove right past it and then had to take it out and do it again. I then quickly found a pen and got the book marked properly.
Alas that wasn’t the end of it. Right near the end of the weaving, I suddenly realized that the draft and the pictured band have one pick up different. If you see the middle of the diamonds there are small lines. In the draft the area is checker boarded completely with them and the sample leaves the center one empty. Hmmm… Upon studying the result on my band with it full compared to the sample band, I think I like it as the draft has it better. Now one reason may be that my band is not so compact as the sample is. The sample may loose itself to looking just like another diamond if it had that one pick in it where mine gets the checker board effect nicely.
So I am happy with the band and do think that as I have progressed through these I have improved my weaving greatly. It probably helps that it is the only loom I have so I am not weaving one every once in a great while but can practice and improve as I move along without forgetting what I’m learning.
And per the errata of the book? I did go look for one as I have two other books from them with extensive errata that I marked through them. I found one and there were only three pages with errata on them. And guess what? This page wasn’t one of the three. They didn’t even get the errata right. Sometimes somethings just have to make one wonder about our modern world and whether or not all our mechanization and technology really is so wonderful.
Weaving a History
Weaving a History 