Space Invaders Have Taken Over My Loom
A couple of people have asked about the 40th blanket project... It's still a pile of warp chains at this point. Why? Because aliens have taken over my big loom.

This is a project that I put on the loom (mumble-mumble) a year ago, for Lillian Whipple's fine-thread study group. It was the first thing I'd designed for my new 16-shaft loom, and my first-ever Taquete design, so I enthusiastically put on 9 yards.
Problem the first: I hadn't thought through the scale of the project. My warp is 140/2 silk, warped at 72 ends per inch (4/dent in an 18-dent reed). That means that even at 8 inches wide, this was 576 threads to measure and warp.
Problem the second: I didn't consider the implications of Taquete on the weaving. As a double-faced weave, Taquete takes twice as many weft shots to weave, and it's a weft-faced weave, so even using a relatively thick weft (60/2 silk) the number of weft shots per inch (ppi) was 114.
9 yards of cloth, at 114 ppi, takes 36,936 weft shots to weave off. (Loom waste never looked so good.)
If you hate warping, might I suggest weaving fine-thread Taquete? You'll only have to warp every year or so, and will have a wealth of design opportunities to play with.
As for me, I'm (finally!) nearing the end of the warp. Slowly, I'm shooting these alien invaders off my loom. As soon as I'm done, I'll put the 40th blanket project on the loom.
Note: Details and the weaving draft for this project will be published in an upcoming issue of the Complex Weaver's Journal.

Comments
Space invaders!
Holy WOW that is awesome :) I would LOVE to do this kind of thing. The more I read on weaving the more shafts I want on a loom *wistful sigh*
Awesome!
Showed this to Kevin this morning. You're his new weaving hero. Totally awesome!
That is completely awesome!
That is completely awesome! Looking forward to reading about it in CW. I'm taking Lillian's taquete workshop at Convergence this summer, but I'm only attempting it on 8 shafts.
8 shafts
Actually, you can weave the basic aliens on 8 shafts. It was the gun and explosion that took the other eight.
Thanks everyone for the kudos! I was rather pleased with this design. After it's appeared in CWJ, I'll check and see if I can repost the draft here.
Syne Mitchell
WeaveZine Editor
Hmm, that makes perfect
Hmm, that makes perfect sense. The original Atari graphics were 8-bit. You can google "8-bit Invaders are Perfectly Formed" from Fashionably Geek for a tongue-in-cheek representation of the invaders. (I have no affiliation with that site whatsoever, by the way.)
I wonder....I could do this with some lashes that would pick up those rows. That would let me do 8-bit graphics on 8 shafts.
With the rest of your warp, you could start weaving another old classic game --Frogger!
alien invaders
space invaders
I am impressed! I have been eyeing my loom... dreaming of doing some fine Scandinavian table linens... I have never ever ever warped with sewing thread. I have 3 very large dogs.
Please send those invaders here. They can do penance by warping MY loom! Jennifer
Very encouraging -- suddenly
Very encouraging -- suddenly my 6 yards of 40-picks-per-inch weft-faced twill doesn't seem half so intimidating :-)
Glad to help
Gee...Glad I could help. ;>
Syne Mitchell
WeaveZine Editor
Love it!
Congrats on getting through this project, it's wonderful!
Wow, nine yards of aliens! I
Wow, nine yards of aliens! I would be a zombie by the end. :^)
Aliens on the loom
I applaud your courage. I would be an alien basket case!
Syne, I still love your
Syne, I still love your Aliens. However, with that much warp you could design something else on the same threading. Now that you're at the end, it may not matter.
Other designs
True. That is the cool thing about taquete. If I get bored with the aliens, I just might. Matrix letters, anyone?
Syne Mitchell
WeaveZine Editor
Invaders