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November 29 2022, newsletter

Units, Blocks & Profiles – What a year!

None of us can believe that another year has flown by and we are getting ready to launch Season 7, the sequel to Units, Blocks and Profiles. We have covered so much ground and given you so much to absorb but…that’s the beauty of the School of Weaving format. I know that many of my students who have taken “in-house” workshops in the past are delighted that they can now go through everything we learned this year, at a pace that gives them time to absorb all the information.

We started our first project of the year with a bang by taking 8-shaft Twill to another level by playing with blocks and tie-up quadrants. We watched the magic happen! We took what we learned about Monk’s Belt and pushed it up a notch. We learned how to use the unit system for Overshot and how to adapt our designs using Twill shapes in the mix. We learned how to do name drafting, which is so much fun. We finally got to know and play with Crackle Weave, learning how to add layers to this eye-popping structure. Next came M’s & O’s with all the treadling elements you could incorporate in the structure to create a beautiful cloth. We took our first steps into the almost endless possibilities of weaving using Summer and Winter. Before we knew it – we were blowing our minds learning to analyze blocks and then weaving the fabulous Block Analysis/Bronson Lace scarves.

Now it’s time to just enjoy the holiday season and weave with all the knowledge you’ve gained this past year!
Thank you for coming on this journey with me : )
Jane


School of Weaving In-Stock Kits

8 Shaft Twill Block & Tie-up Quadrants

Level of Difficulty: intermediate
Weave structure: Twill Blocks & Tie-up Quadrants
Material: 8/2 cotton
Each kit makes: 12 Tea Towels

Things we learn:

  • ways to manipulate the tie-up box
  • we consider it in quadrants
  • how to frame Lace with Twill
  • how to frame Basket Weave with Twill
  • how to frame Plain Weave with Twill
  • we don’t fret about clean cut lines
  • how to play with graphic and colour.

Monk’s Belt

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate
Weave structure: Monk’s belt
Material: 8/2 cotton & 8/4 cotton
Each kit makes: 12 Placemats

Things we learn:

  • Monk’s Belt uses 2 opposite twill units. A is 1&2 and B is 3&4
  • the number of times a unit is repeated lengthens the pattern float
  • the number of times a unit can be repeated is also dependent on the EPI of the warp
  • it is woven with alternating tabby picks between pattern picks
  • it can be woven on other threadings ie. point twill for a 3-end unit and Huck for a 5-end unit.

Overshot

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate
Weave structure: Overshot
Material: 8/2 cotton
Each kit makes a warp for 3 Scarves

Things we learn:

  • the unit system for Overshot
  • how understanding Twill shapes will help us identify those shapes in Overshot
  • Tromp as Writ, Rose Fashion, treadling on opposites
  • using contemporary graphics in the threading
  • adding other Plain Weave elements to the overall design.


Crackle Weave

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate
Weave structure: Crackle Weave
Material: 8/2 & 8/4 cotton
Each kit makes: 9 Towels


Things we learn:

     • Crackle weave is a twill-derivative structure
     • it can be woven with or without alternating tabby picks
     • how to interpret a Twill threading as a profile draft
     • doubling the units to double the size of the pattern
     • Overshot style treadling
     • on opposites treadling
     • classic Crackle threading, 3 wefts, (no tabby)
     • Bronson Lace treadling
     • Summer and Winter treadling
     • composition of graphic.


M’s & O’s

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate
Weave structure: M’s & O’s
Material: 8/2 organic cotton & 8/4 cotton
Each kit makes: 12 guest towels or 12 placemats


Things we learn:

  • traditional threading for M’s & O’s
  • that we can thread Plain Weave selvedges and we can weave a version of Plain Weave selvedge… BUT, not both… you have to pick which one you want.
  • if you go for the version of Plain Weave we can use floating selvedges to spiff up the selvedge (we are using 4 per side)
  • that we have 2 units that can be repeated with care… I’ll explain in the video
  • that we can treadle: almost Plain Weave, traditional M’s & O’s, honeycomb, a version of Monk’s Belt, a version of Bronson Lace & repetitive sequences playing with all those things.

Summer and Winter

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate
Weave structure: Summer & Winter
Material: 8/2 cotton
Each kit makes: 1 sampler and 8 placemats

Things we learn:

  • the unit system of Summer and Winter
  • what a two-tie structure means
  • how to make your hem exactly like the pattern in reverse
  • how to treadle in pairs X style
  • how to treadle in pars O style
  • how to treadle in singles alternate style (bricks)
  • how to treadle in Dukagang style (columns)
  • how to change your ground patterning by changing your tabbies
  • having neutral warp allows us to bring in any colour we want.

School of Weaving

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JST 2023 Calendar

You now have the option to have the calendar shipped letter-mail to save on shipping. These images will inspire you all year long. Why not give them to your favourite weaving friends 🙂

$5 to ship in Canada and $7 CAD to ship to the USA.
Just click the “letter-mail” shipping option at checkout.


From Our Inbox

We were delighted to see Jacqueline Hitchen’s beautiful sample towels using what she learned in Season 6 – Episode 6 – Crackle Weave. Jacqueline wove them with Overshot and Summer & Winter treadling and we were pleased to see her results woven in her own choice of colours.


We offer FREE shipping on all Louet looms within Continental North America. We also offer the option to pay a $1000.00 CAD deposit on your loom with the balance due when the loom ships out to you. This gives you the flexibility to make smaller payments toward your balance, at your convenience.


Here to Help

Have a weaving question? Find us on the Jane Stafford School of Weaving Forum

and on Weave with Jane Stafford on Ravelry.

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February 1st, 2022 newsletter

JST’s Turned Twill Scarves

Turned Twill is one of my favourite weave structures and the cloth it creates can seem like magic. Turned Twill gives you blocks of colour that can dance across your cloth. So much fun can be had with this structure and we have three lovely kits available. Our kits will weave 2 scarves each, one for you and one to put away as a gift for a special person in your life!


Each kit comes with all the yarn you’ll need and includes the draft with instructions – you just add the fun!


School of Weaving Kits

Our shelves are now stocked with Season 6 kits for episodes 2, 3 and 4!
All kits include the PDF pattern with instructions to be used in conjunction with the School of Weaving episodes airing this year.

Episode 2

8 Shaft Twill & Tie-up Quadrants

For this episode, we continue on where we left off last season with Turned Twill. We will explore new ways to manipulate the tie-up box as we study our tie-ups in quadrants. We’ll frame Lace with Twill, Basket Weave & Plain Weave as we explore so many more graphic ideas & colour palettes. The kit includes all the yarn you’ll need to weave 12 towels.

Episode 3

Monk’s Belt

The first weave structure we explore in Units, Blocks & Profiles this season is Monk’s Belt which uses 2 opposite twill units. We’ll learn how to lengthen the pattern floats and how your warp’s EPI controls the number of times a unit can be repeated. We’ll explore division of space in the weft by playing with block combinations, weaving Monk’s Belt with and without tabby and exploring the addition of inlay in our cloth. We’ll be weaving 12 placemats. You will receive detailed instructions for the 8 placemats in the photo below, leaving you plenty of warp left to weave your own designs for 4 more 🙂

Episode 4

Overshot

There is so much to explore with Overshot that we’re giving this structure two episodes. In this first episode we learn how the structure is derived from the 4 basic twill units and we’ll see how twills influence Overshot shapes. We’ll learn to treadle Tromp as Writ, Rose Fashion and on opposites. We’ll use contemporary graphics to bring the old and new together while adding Plain Weave elements to our overall designs. The kit includes the instructions and treadling notes to weave 5 scarves. However, you may want to create your own designs after watching this episode – so many possibilities!

(All of our silks are hand dyed right here on Salt Spring Island)


Renewals

Are you subscribed to School of Weaving previously known as JST Online Guild?

In April 2021 the JST Online Guild moved to a brand new website and changed the name to School of Weaving. This means you now require two logins, one for janestaffordtextiles.com to purchase yarns and supplies and one for schoolofweaving.tv to watch all the videos.

If you are currently an active subscriber, you’ll receive an email from us on your renewal day to sign up for your next year’s subscription. Once expired, you will need to go through the 7-day free trial and enter your payment details as well as choose whether you want to pay yearly $99.99US or monthly $9.99US. Please make sure your subscription has expired before signing up again, otherwise, it will not accept your renewal. This 7-day Free Trial renewal process is the only time you will have to do this on the School of Weaving site.

If you still have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@schoolofweaving.tv or call us Monday to Friday 9 am to 4 pm PDT at 1-250-537-9468.


From the JST Knowledge Base files

Ask Jane

From my notes on your terrific twills videos, determining epi is clear, however, I am not sure about ppi. You say twill needs 45 degrees for drape, but how do I know when my ppi is balanced…. I always look for the “little square spaces” for plain weave, but does that apply to twill?

The easiest way to see if your twill is balanced is to take a square piece of paper and fold it into a triangle. You will then have a perfect 45-degree angle. I put that on the fabric and check my diagonal. If the angle is low you are beating too hard, if the angle is high you aren’t beating hard enough and if the angle is right on with the paper, you are beating just right. This reads like Goldilocks and the 3 bears. :^) Hope this helps.


You can watch Jane weave a balanced twill in Season 4 Episode 1
At the Loom, Introduction to Twill

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December 15th, 2021 Newsletter

Looking for a Last Minute Gift?

We have Gift Certificates
JST Shop & School of Weaving!

You choose the amount that you wish to give and we’ll email the recipient their JST Gift Certificate. They will then be able to put it towards something on their Wish List.

  Please note that this gift certificate cannot be used for the Jane Stafford School of Weaving.

OR

Give the gift of learning with an all-access subscription to
Jane Stafford School of Weaving.

Choose to give 1-12 months.
We’ll email the recipient instructions on how to sign in to their new subscription.
They can activate it at any time!


JST’s Hand-dyed Tussah

One of our hand-dyed silks made its way into the Handwoven Magazine’s Nov/Dec 2021 issue! Natalie Drummond’s Deflected Double Weave Cool Breeze project uses our 20/2 Tussah silk along with space-dyed Tencel. We were so pleased to see that she had chosen to work with our JST hand-dyed Felicitation! The results are just beautiful!

To view more of Natalie’s work, follow her on Instagram


School of Weaving Kits Season 6 Now Available

Episode 2 – 8 Shaft Twill Blocks & Tie-up Quadrants

Episode 3 – Monk’s Belt

Episode 4 – Overshot


We will be closed for the holidays from December 25th to January 2nd.
The last order for shipping before the holidays is December 24th.
Orders placed during our closed days will be processed on January 4th, 2022.

Here to help

Have a weaving question? Find us on the Jane Stafford School of Weaving Forum and

on Weave with Jane Stafford at Ravelry.