Overshot: Enigma
Winding Bobbins
Winding bobbins is fun! The bobbin is like a big spool, carried by the wooden shuttle…
.
.
Constance Helps
…so the warp unwinds as you throw the bobbin through the warps on the loom.
.
.
Red Overshot
First you throw a pattern weft using the coloured wool…
.
.
Linen plain weave
…and then a plain weave weft to bind it together using linen…(I can see a threading mistake in this picture, but luckily it doesn’t affect the pattern wefts!).
.
.
Treadling pattern
Each warp has to be threaded through the right heddle on the right harness, and then through the right dent in the reed. Then all the harnesses have to be attached to the right treadles. All the threading happened during the set up, now we just have to step on the right treadle in the right order, and then throw the right bobbin to get the pattern to appear.
.
.
Treadling
We could be using eight shafts, but complicated as it seems, this overshot pattern only uses four! We use six treadles in all, the two outside ones are for the plain weave.
.
.
Red and Blue
So far we have woven six Hitty coverlets, a red one, a blue one, a red-and blue one…
.
.
Blue and Red
…a blue-and-red one…
.
.
Light Blue
…a light blue one, and a light blue and pink one. This Overshot pattern is called Enigma…I wonder why? Constance wants me to hurry and finish them, we’ve been having some chilly nights lately!!
.
.
Quimper Hittys 
Weaving is so enjoyable but not easy, you are amazing dear Hitty Lady, I loved the pattern and colour, I do admire your hand works. Thank you, Love, nia
For me the process is very enjoyable! The difficult parts are all figured out by previous weavers, and I just have to follow a pattern!learning to read the pattern books was hard for me at first, but I am very lucky and have a good friend and teacher who is an expert. The most satisfying thing for me is when a problem occurs and I know how to fix it without asking!
This is so nice dear, I do admire always whatever you make. Thanks, Love, nia
It’s almost as if the treadling pattern is the DNA for the design, wouldn’t you say?
I DO agree! The patterns twist and change – a little here and a little there, and the tiniest alteration in a tiny part of the code makes a big difference in the result! It does make you appreciate the complexity of codes doesn’t it? For musical notation, DNA, for computer programming, for knitting patterns etc.etc
Oh my heavens… this is a complicated pattern! (which makes me love my antique overshot coverlet even more!) I fear this is why weaving never “stuck” for me… I always, always, always got lost in the treadling so I could have no interruptions. (not likely in my life… sigh!) Your weaving seems like magic to me! It is so gorgeous!
Treadling for overshot is particularly tricky! I have had to stop several times and “unweave” a few throws, most often because I have sent a linen binding warp through on a pattern instead of plain weave by mistake, and yes the mistakes happen most often when there is a distraction (like a cup of tea appearing, or a bobbin running out at an inopportune time). I do think this is good for my brain! Luckily my friend’s house is generally very quiet, and I very much appreciate the cup of tea! And unpicking a few rows is not the end of the world either!
Wow! Learning to weave must take patience and obviously much muscle memory. Yours and Contance’s work is beautiful. It’s a lovely pattern.
Patience is definitely required and concentration too, and certainly muscle memory. Both hands and both feet are used, like playing a big pipe organ to get a beautiful sound – mistakes are really really unharmonious! I do like this overshot pattern, it has a very harmonious look to me!
So beautiful
Thank you very much – the plan was to make Hitty coverlets with two repeats of the pattern, but after I did the first one that way I decided it didn’t look balanced even though it measured up correctly. Isn’t it interesting how harmony is different to measurements?! I imagine you find the same thing sometimes in your work.
Yes, often I find that something needs to be less than perfect to be perfect 😉. Which is quite handy, really!
It is a good job you have Hittys to help! And they are lucky to get new coverlets. I am sure learning new patterns of movement is good for the brain.
I am always glad of Hitty help – Constance is particularly encouraging and calm in those moments of disaster.
well all I can say is that my Hitty will never have a blanket woven by me!!! My head was swimming just reading the directions. I so admire your talent and creativity!! You are a wonder.
Though your Hittys are gorgeously attired in hand-embroidered finery, as mine will never be…we all have our specialties and interests!
Six Hitty coverlets you two have been busy! Good thing you have a helper 🙂
I am always glad of help – just keeping me company is help, especially Constance since she is so very quiet when I need her to be!