Weaverly

Moving On. Spring and All That.

First of all a big Thank You to everyone who tuned in to Textiles & Tea. I loved your comments, and I love being part of this great big warm inclusive funny messy community. To those of you who posted comments on my blog requesting publications: Please email me privately (email link is in the sidebar to the left) and include your contact information. I can't process your requests without an email address! 

And now a brief report from the outdoors.

Yes, spring is here, with a vengeance.

The area of the trail that was cleared of fallen trees is slowly being tamed, so that I can get through it without mud up past my ankles. All of this debris will be covered eventually by new growth. 

This pile of old vines and branches gladdens a weaver's heart.

And here's a nod to all you Formula 1 fans out there. I didn't know there were so many of you! 

A new warp is being wound on to the dobby loom. It's wool and tencel, end and end.

What would we ever do without lease sticks?

Beaming on.

Now a few weft samples. 

I finally chose some peach colored soy silk from my stash. This fabric is oddly iridescent. It changes appearance as you walk around it.

I'm seeing people here! That's a surprise.

Textiles & Tea

On Tuesday, March 29, at 4 pm HGA’s Kathi Grupp will be interviewing me via Zoom on Textiles & Tea. The broadcast is free, but registration is required in advance. Here’s how: 

 

Go to https://weavespindye.org, click on Member Programs at the top, then click on Textiles & Tea, then click on March 2022 (pink box), then scroll down to March 29 & you’ll see my picture, then click on Register. You will be sent a link.

 

I hope you can join us. It’s going to be lots of fun, and even I don’t know exactly what Kathi will be asking me. So grab a cup of tea and sign on!

 

 

Rainy Day

While waiting at the pharmacy this morning, I scanned the magazine rack. My favorite knitting mags are now $9.00 each. When did that happen? No thank you. 

It's a gray and rainy day, perfect for weaving. The hemp towels are coming along. I have this funny dance I do with the shuttle to keep the snarling under control. It gives me plenty of upper body exercise. I look like a crazed yoga instructor.

I like the way the cloth looks in black & white. The texture certainly comes through here.

How about blue?

In the Department of Books -- I just finished reading Julia Otsuka's The Buddha in the Attic. Extraordinary. Highly recommended.

The View From Here

Today's magic word is stripes. 

The weaving has begun on the striped warp. The weft is 3-ply hemp, and quite ornery. It snarls as the bobbin overspins.

Last night I put some filled bobbins in a baggie with damp paper towels and stuck it in the fridge. This morning they're behaving a little better, but still require extra attention. Be in the moment. Yes, indeed.

These will be bath towels, and will look a lot different after the necessary wash & tumble dry. Click to enlarge.

The draft is a crackle variant. I used only two of the possible four blocks on 4 shafts. Tabby for the hems.

And a heads up - I will be interviewed on Tuesday, March 29, on Textiles and Tea via Zoom. Click on the link and then scroll down to March 2022, then scroll down to March 29 to register. See you there!

Begin Again

After the rain, in the woods, the new growth smells so good.

At the farm, planting is underway. If you are a fan of grids (you know who you are!), this one's for you.

Back in the studio, I have just about finished using up the half-filled bobbins and this warp will be cut off.

Done! Now it's rewarping time. My new raddle makes its maiden appearance C-clamped to the back beam.

There are four warp chains, and each one has its own weight hooked onto the end. The weights are dragged across the floor as the warp is beamed. After beaming, the warp is flipped around over the back beam before threading the heddles from the front.

Fair warning: it's best not to visit me while all this is going on.

Chaos

Chaos. What do you do when the world seems incomprehensible? Wind another warp, of course.

And the next picture is not related to the previous. It's for a warp in the planning stages, and may never make its way to the loom. That's OK, sometimes playing with the software is a good exercise to clear the mind, like a certain unnamed puzzle everyone is playing these days. You know the one I mean.

I have just finished reading We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, by Karen Joy Fowler. This is the one about a little girl who was raised from birth alongside an infant chimpanzee, as a psychology experiment. Outrageous and compelling.

I'm also in the middle of The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy. This is a heavy going, as it is quite long, but I can't put it down. I'm learning a lot about my own family history here. 

Further Stash Reduction

It so happens that I have no more empty bobbins. This is a supply chain issue. Weaving comes to a halt until I do something about that.

Fortunately, I have a lot of yardage left on the natural warp on my 4-shaft loom. I took all the half-full bobbins and lined them up in a vaguely pleasing color sequence. They're all cotton or cottolin, in similar sizes.

There are about 3 dozen total. I'm about halfway through. So far the stripe arrangements are pleasing.

I get better results when I don't overthink my color arrangements. Your mileage may vary.

The weave structure is a variation of a twill amalgamation on 4 shafts. Yes, it is possible!

It's an original draft. Feel free to borrow; all I ask is that you give appropriate credit if you post or publish.

This & That

Thank you, everyone, for your interest in my publications, particularly the newest, Amalgamation.  The best way to contact me for orders is through email, not in the comments to the individual posts. My email link is in the sidebar, to the left. If you leave comments on my blog without your email address, I can't respond to you!

Warping again. It keeps me grounded during these awful times.

For those who have asked about the weights, they are called SoftGrip Hand Weights. These particular ones are 2.5 lb. each. A quick internet search will bring up many suppliers. Or you could use milk jugs filled with water, or cloth bags filled with rice. But these are not as messy. Just sayin'.

Sample, sample, sample. Red cotton and yellow rayon in the warp, purple cotton weft

Interleaved non-parallel threading in ProWeave software. If your eyes are sharp, you can spot Uncle Potch's self-portrait on the far wall. Potch was my father's brother. The whole paternal side of my family came from a town in Europe called Lvov, now known as Lviv. 

You've all got your own favorite organizations for support of Ukrainian refugees, but here are two suggestions:

International Rescue Committee

HIAS