Weaverly

Blue, Red, Green, & a Baker's Dozen

Thirteen new scarves from the rigid heddle loom, ready to serve as samples for the class beginning June 6:

The RH loom can really gobble up yarn stash, with minimal waste. 

Games Day

A random jac sighting in a poorly lighted waiting room. It was so dark there that I had to do some serious processing after I got home. The first one is the original, mostly, with minor adjustment of the levels. 

Then I went crazy with the hue and saturation, and, well, you know the rest.

This is about as much textile fun as you can have without a loom!

(Your mileage may vary.)

Shark's Teeth

Here's the current pattern being woven on a lampas warp.

The primary warp is shades of blue 10/2 cotton and secondary warp beige 20/2 cotton, all mercerized.

The primary weft is wine 60/2 silk, and the primary weft is a gifted gray singles linen (thank you, Nancy!). The weaving is very slow. I do a few inches every morning, and eventually it will get done. Slow but steady wins the race.

A Lazy Afternoon in Ampersand House

A perfect place to weave samples for the rigid heddle class. The lawnmowers are all quiet for the time being, and the birds are providing a merry chorus. Soon it will be 4 pm, and then I'll stop for tea.

 

Still at Sea

More about Two Years Before the Mast, which I spoke about in my previous post.

In this book I was particularly struck by the references to textile pursuits. The ship's crew, in rare spare moments, was usually engaged in rope-making and rope-mending activities, the shredding of old rope into oakum (a caulking material composed of shredded fiber and tar), and the making and mending of their own clothing. Yes, by the end of the voyage, our author was actually adept at making his own jackets and trousers!  Necessity is the mother of...

I guess this is not a great leap - this morning I decided to tackle the hole in an old hammock with cotton cord and wood glue. I splinted the cut ends with new rope, glued all the knots and joins, and wrapped them with more cord. Then I Introduced a few new cords. It's not pretty, but will give this wonderful old hammock a few more years of life, me hearties!

In the lampas department, I settled on a design with a lot of randomness to it. I think it will be good for clothing. No big dinner plates here.

A thoughtful guest has left an interesting plant on my kitchen table. I love the patterns in this specimen. Does anyone know what it is?

 

Sail Ho!

I just finished reading "Two Years Before the Mast" by Richard Henry Dana. It is more than just a glorious adventure story. 

Dana, who had just completed his second year as a Harvard student, had been suffering from a weakness of the eyes, and decided to take some time off from his studies. He signed on as a crew member on the merchant brig Pilgrim,  "before the mast" (the term "before the mast" refers to the quarters of the common sailors, in the forecastle, in the front of the ship). His memoirs of this trip, based on his daily journal during the voyage, are not just a fascinating description of life on board a sailing vessel, but a passionate call for better working conditions of the crews on such vessels. The Pilgrim set sail from Boston in 1834, sailed around Cape Horn, and did extensive trading in various towns on the California coast. The material on early California history, pre-statehood, is especially revealing. 

It's a great read. I guarantee you won't be able to put it down, whether you opt for a physical book or one of the many electronic options. Read this book!!!

I just noticed that the first samples on my new lampas warp look very like little sails. Is it a coincidence or my subconscious at work? Regardless, the primary cloth is a satin-based weave and the secondary is 3-end (jeans) twill. 

Credit for the painting of the brig Pilgrim: painter Joe Duncan Gleason 1881-1959.

 

 

 

It's That Time Again

A new lampas warp. A mélange of blues for primary warp and natural cotton for secondary. It's been a long time since I've used a blue warp. 

Last week I finally got a small tapestry mounted. It's 4" x 6" without the mount.

 

Related articles

Weaverly: Cut Off

Weaverly: End of the Lampas Diary