A variation on Florencia Campos Correa‘s Scottish Stitch, I made up this pattern because I had a long scrap of yarn I wanted to use. It ran out after I warped 6 strands, so I improvised.
Tri-color plaid.
Last night I figured out the houndstooth check pattern on the Loomette. The Loomette’s pins are not separated into groups of three with wide spaces between, they’re evenly distributed.
The Loomette’s pins are arranged more “conventionally” than the Weave-It’s, but you can do all pin loom patterns on either loom. The Zoom Loom also works, but I don’t have one of those. I prefer looms with numbers printed on their frame’s sides. You can find Weave-Its and Loomettes on eBay. Loomette is a great loom for two-layer warp patterns–probably the best; certainly my favorite.
I explained the instructions for the Weave-it or Zoom loom, in the Part I tutorial. If you missed it, you can find it here: http://windsweptmind.com/2015/05/27/houndstooth-check-pin-loom-pattern/
***REMEMBER: If you can’t see a picture clearly, click on the photo and it’ll show up larger. Click the Back arrow to return to these instructions.
What is houndstooth check? By alternating two strands of one color with two strands of a second color you get this cool pattern. Weaving magic!
Four different color combinations of the houndstooth check pattern.
30 May 2016 Update: I originally learned the “Houndstooth Check” pattern from the book 100 Pin Loom Squares by Florencia Campos Correa. Loved the square, but thought her instructions were insufficient, so I wrote my own–with LOTS of photos. Today I updated the instructions to make them more clear and to make their terminology agree with words and symbols I’ve come to use consistently during the past year of my Adventures in Pin Loom Weaving.
100 Pin Loom Squares by Florencia Campos Correa. The title is misleading. There aren’t 100 different patterns and there aren’t even 100 different color combinations. Nevertheless, the book is still useful.
This photo shows some different color combinations of the houndstooth check.
I’m not going to call this four different squares, but I’ll call it four different color combinations of the houndstooth check pattern.
Me test-driving a Lendrum Original–the wheel I decided to buy.
1) INSTINCT–Ultimately I bought the wheel I wanted. Don’t ignore your leanings. If you favor one brand, or one type, over another, pay attention.
2) EXPERIENCE–I listened to people who said, “Try as many as you can,” but I only tried two different wheels. (I liked both the wheels I tried.) However, I saw several in action at a retreat I attended, and talked to their owners–beginners through experienced spinners. (Note: EVERYONE was happy with the wheel they purchased and I saw almost all the wheels I was considering.) One gal tried three wheels at the retreat and saw no significant difference between them. I was reluctant to ask people to let me use their wheels–I would hesitate to let someone else use mine, for one thing, but also, they had work in progress on their wheels and after class we all wanted to pack up and go back to our hotel rooms. So . . .
Tim Talks–about the Kromski Sonata
3) INTERNET VIDEOS and ARTICLES–I watched lots of videos and read articles and books. The more I learned about spinning wheels, the more I understood. The biggest consideration seemed to be single-drive or double-drive. (I knew I wanted two treadles.) One lady who bought the double-drive Schacht Matchless (price is about $1100) said she bought it because she wanted options–the Matchless can be used as a single-drive as well. When she said she always uses it as a single-drive it seemed pointless to me to have paid all that money.
The Schacht Matchless
4) Does it come assembled?
5) Can you travel with it?
6) Is there support available?
7) Can you easily get parts?
If you want to make your own bobbins, can you buy the necessary inserts for the wheel you’re considering? This was one of the deciding factors for me.
I felt weirdly pressured to buy the Schacht Matchless, but I didn’t want to. It was the first (and third) wheel I tried. I don’t understand the double-drive difference yet–I’m a beginner and I want to get started practicing. Besides, to be honest, I don’t like the name Schacht. When I first saw it I had no idea how to pronounce it, and kept saying it wrong. (It sounds exactly like “shacked.”) While Kromski Sonata is a lovely name, its price kicked it out of the running (although the carrying bag was definitely enticing).
I decided to go with the Lendrum Original. When I used it, I felt like a warm knife in cool butter. I felt relaxed and comfortable when I used it.
Can you sit back and relax? Can you actually look away while spinning with your chosen wheel?
The look of the tilted wheel put me off at first, but it didn’t affect performance and I decided to like its unconventionality. It’s easy to fold down and travel with, though one of the heavier, larger travel models. It comes assembled and finished, so I don’t have to think about doing it myself and forever being sorry I got one that needs finishing. It’s easy to find online help and parts for. And the name reminds me of a word from Watership Down (though, sadly, the lendri are enemies of the rabbits).
I ordered mine last night, at 11:00 P.M. MDT, from The Woolery because they offered me a $25 gift certificate and I was making other purchases from them that Paradise Fibers didn’t have. Today I received this email notice:
Wonder how long I can hold my breath . . .