Overshot uh-oh!

I tried overshot on 4 shafts for the first time. I put on a massive 8/2 cotton warp (my first mistake - too wide, too long!) thinking I would have a couple of table runners or plenty of baby blankets by the time I was done.

The threading was somewhat complicated, but I got through that and started weaving.

I don't know, maybe I just don't enjoy weaving overshot or maybe it's a bit of inexperience, but this project became a struggle.

Some threading errors became apparent and then the breaking warp threads started. My progress was slow, very slow!

The errors stick out like a sore thumb, but I still wanted to share these photos, firstly to share the disappointments and imperfections, but also in appreciation of the pattern, which is actually pretty cool. The above piece was woven with black bamboo for the pattern and white bamboo for the tabby.

The back of the same piece. 

This was my favourite piece, I used a hand dyed, variegated tencel for the pattern and a mercerised cotton for the tabby.

The back of the same piece.

And this piece I quite like also. I used a thicker hand dyed cotton (8ply) for the pattern and a white bamboo for the tabby.

So, what did I learn from this humbling experience? That I'm not as good as I thought I was? Definitely. That my slow progress on the floor loom is starting to frustrate me? Uh huh. That I want to do something about it? Yes!

So, I have found a great weaver with a great deal of experience who has a correspondence course. I have a terrible habit of trying to do everything myself, but I bit the bullet and enrolled in the first unit of her weaving course. I'm so glad I did. The first package arrived a couple of days ago and I'm learning new things already, the quality of content is excellent. Ultimately, I want to be the best weaver I can possibly be and I think this course will help me get there.

If you're interested in learning more about the course, Ursula can be found at BB Yarn Supply. She has a good range of yummy weaving yarns too, well worth checking out.