Weaverly

A Different Sky

Many thanks to all the friends who sent messages of concern during the events of Hurricane Florence. I was lucky; my corner of South Carolina was relatively unaffected by the storm and its aftermath. Others in North and South Carolina were not so fortunate and continue to suffer. 

A week and a half ago, when I felt reasonably sure that my studio would not be flooded, we set out on a trip that had been a long time in the planning. We went to northern New Mexico. We hiked among ancient ruins. We visited galleries. We ate good Southwestern food. We reveled in the bluest of blue skies.

Now I'm back. The mail is sorted. The laundry is done. 

Here's an invitation to the opening of a textile show in Greenville, SC, at the GCCA, the site of a former textile mill. My own work will be on display along with that of four other fiber artists. I will be showing jacquard work completed over the past several years. The opening reception is Friday, Oct. 5, from 6 - 9 pm. Y'all come!

People Lived Here, Once

...and their spirits still remain.
Pecos National Monument, New Mexico.

Waiting for Florence

Here in South Carolina we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Florence. In the upstate, where I live, it appears that we are at risk for lots of rain, but the hazards for coastal zones are much greater. So we wait.

Let me wish you all a happy New Year. L'shana Tova.

You might like to see what I've devised for my rigid heddle loom, after I realized that five yards of cloth exceed the capacity of the cloth beam:

By adding a small rod to the breast beam and wrapping just as backstop weavers do, I can route the accumulated yardage to an extra beam suspended from the back of the loom.

After the fabric was cut off and washed, it turned delightfully cushy and drapey. Cotton, linen, hemp.  Plain weave.

The Subconscious at Work

Honestly, I didn't plan this, but look what happened. Yesterday I was shelling beans and admired their colors and variety. Of course, after they were cooked they all turned a light grayish green. No matter. The color memory held.

This morning I was hunting around for the right color weft for this second scarf in a series. I chose green bamboo.

When looked at from a different angle, the red silk is more prominent.

Lima beans, anyone?

Parallels

It's pure coincidence that I was buying lima beans at the farm stand on Monday, at the same time I was tying fringes on the spooled silk shawl, but the parallel between the colors was hard to miss.

The shawl has been washed and steam pressed. It has a delightfully crinkly hand, probably because of the silk noil weft, and a good drape. There's more than enough warp left for another shawl, but I have to pause a bit and meditate on the color of the next weft. I do have some orange bamboo of the right weight. Hm-m-m.

 

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In the book department, I've just finished reading River Town by Peter Hessler, a memoir of the author's Peace Corps assignment in rural China. It's a moving account of cross-cultural attempts at communication and a portrait of a country poised on the brink of enormous change. Hessler was assigned to teach English at a teachers' college in Wuhan, a town at the juncture of the Yangtze and Wu rivers. His students came mostly from rural backgrounds, and he witnessed their reactions to momentous events such as the death of Deng Xiaoping, the return of Hong Kong to China, and the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. The narrative is moving and at times hilariously funny. I couldn't put this book down. Highly recommended.

Of Apples and Tabby

A couple of days ago we had the pleasure of going apple picking with friends. An orchard high in the mountains of South Carolina is a magical place to be on a brilliantly sunny day. And sharing the experience with friends makes it twice as good. Here Patti and I are making a selection of Honey Crisp apples. Yannis was kind enough to take the picture (and carry the apples back). 

Here's a good one. Photo credit Patti.

And one I took. I wasn't standing funny. The top of the mountain really slopes that way.

This heavenly spot is in Flat Rock, NC. Read about it here. And their apple cider doughnuts are divine.

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We head now to the Department of Construction. Did you know that "tabby" has yet another meaning, not just the familiar plain weave, or variety of cat? Willy, our architect son, tells me that tabby is a kind of concrete common in coastal South Carolina. It's made of oyster shells! He provided me with a picture of this example in Beaufort, SC.

Who knew?