On the loom — RailReed - adjust warp density while you weave

Reedless weaving allows the weaver to play with warp density. Here is one way to do it.

My warp is cotton and as weft I use a woven ribbon, leftover from our shoelace factory.

For beating down the weft I tested two tools: one is a part of knitting machine and the other-- an aluminium tube with nails-- I built myself. Nails are better.

To adjust warp groups to form white verical lines now and then, I used washing-pegs. It was possible to gather warps from 5 cm area in a bundle.

Now it is off the loom, I am pleased.

Flooded forest II 24.07

Erna Janine is organizing an exhibition in Craft Central, London. We are preparing.

Second part of Flooded Forest by Marilyn came off the loom. Feels suitable to hang the fabrics in the graphic studio for viewing.

The idea is to use the weft floats to create black areas that create rythm with RailReed wandering warp lines.

Author Marilyn Piirsalu (@marilyn_weaving)

Flooded forest 11.07

Marilyn cut off her first "Flooded forest" piece. She uses black linen as weft.

On the loom.
Marilyn and her "Flooded forest"

RailReed with cotton warp 03.07

56 ends of cotton warp per one RailReed module and 16 ends between the modules. Warp groups that change their position create "RailReed calligraphy"

The threading and tie-up enable to weave now and then module-wide weft floats. It creates horisontal movement on top of railreed drawn warp groups. We are preparing a set of textiles for an exhibition in London, organized by Freeweaver Saori Studio. Marilyn Piirsalu is weaving with her touch of a graphic artist.

Reedless weaving with "grasshopper" 23.06

Inspired by Erna Janine and Saori weavers who use reedless weaving, I tried it out too.

Reed is used to determine the warp density and beat down the weft. So in reedless weaving I separated those functions
1) built "weft mover": a metal "comb" (drilled 2mm holes through aluminium tube and inserted nails through the holes)
2) Grasshoppers. I built 5-cm long metal combs to push warp apart where needed, to make warp lines move like with RailReed but even with more freedom. The logic of this is little device is that you insert it between warps under angle and then turn it parallel to weft (thus the warps move wider apart) and fix the position.
With first experiments I fixed the new position with long legs, so it reminded me of grasshoppers. Long legs to fix the position to the lock (just a heavy metal stick) are better than short, then I can see the change at once.
Nexts wefts secure the position of wefts and then I removed the grasshoppers to the new position. The photo shows how grasshoppers changed the warp lines.

The sample after washing. The warp lines keep the deformation. Merino (black) and heavier woollen (white) warp and UpYarn carpet yarn.
Next I will experiment with different fixing system for the grasshoppers, but proof of concept is here, isn't it?