I confess that I may be a little OCD because I tend to obsessively count stuff. (Maybe it's why I don't get bored - I'm too focussed on my counting?)
Anyway, this warp is 36 epi - 3 ends per dent in a 12 dent reed with a 4 end threading repeat.
When I got to 12 dents full, I should have had no 'extra' ends left - the repeats (threading and sleying) should have lined up. They didn't. That could only mean one thing. I'd made a mistake somewhere in that first group of dents.
Sure enough, one of the dents had 4 ends in it instead of 3. So I pulled out the threads, fixed the mistake and wahla, everything lined up as it should have.
And then it happened again. What can I say? Dark threads. Fine threads. Hard to see. But my somewhat obsessive counting saved me from discovering I had a couple of sleying errors after I was all done and finished. At which point all my nicely grouped ends (four per slip knot) would have been gone, all the ends would have been 'loose' and it would have been much more difficult to keep the ends in order.
Counting as I do stuff like winding the warp, threading and sleying helps me keep track of 'patterns' such as 'by the time I sley 12 dents there should be an even number of ends in the dents'.
It seems to me that a whole lot of weavers also like to do jigsaw puzzles. I think it's partly pattern recognition, partly because we are process oriented people. What do you think?
9 comments:
OCD = Over Counting Disorder?
Online Connexion Disturbed?
Over Certain Doubts?
...
;-)
I'm not sure I consider that OCD. I count all the time too. But even without thinking about it. I think weavers usually have a highly developed pattern-recognition skill...which means that our brain does this counting/tracking thing more on it's own than as a learned skill. Correlation to jigsaw puzzles? I don't know, but I do love to do them! :-)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, usually characterized by obsessive counting of things. :) Yes, lots of weavers seem to count stuff, I know I'm not the only one. But sometimes I wonder! ;)
cheers,
Laura
hoping for some 'down' time to make some of the jigsaw puzzles I've collected over the past couple of years and had no time to enjoy them!
I count like you do, too. I also count treadles when spinning. I know I'm ADD, and I think it helps me keep on task. I know it really helps with weaving, and my yarns are generally very consistent.
What ever you call it, I think it's a great tool!
Whatever you call it, it's a good habit to have. That's because, as you say, it's easier to fix a problem sooner rather than later.
Counting and controling is important! I work part time in a laboratory, and we count all the time,and establish "check-points" in the sample processing, in order to avoid mistakes.
Have a nice weekend!
I think that working on jigsaw puzzles is a right brain activity, which of course is where our creativity is formed, and it brings very pleasurable feelings. I love jigsaw puzzles, and usually do an on-line one every evening before I go to bed. It's so interesting that you mentioned that.
YES! I count obsessively, but like you pointed out, it saves me from progressing too far from the point of a mistake. Easily fixed, and then we move on (counting all the way).
And I'm a jigsaw puzzler too, though I haven't done one in a long time physically (I do an occasional online puzzle) due to weaving and spinning taking over my entire life. :)
I have felt that I was good at quickly recognizing patterns. So I like your correlation to that and weaving. Also, use the numbers or colors in the warp, etc to make sure that something is coming out right, to be able to spot an error quickly. Messed up on this lately in a pattern that took 64 threads. I knew something was coming out wrong, but could NOT find it at the warping mill. so I went ahead a warped and found it then. Lost about 28 ends good silk 23 yards long because I did not find that mistake soon enough. Dropped it off the back of the loom when threading and but it in the bin at the end.
Teena Tuenge
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