Weaverly

Peaceable Kingdom (All Together Now)

It was a busy day at the zoo yesterday. I think every preschooler in the county was there, along with all the moms and other caregivers. I was perhaps the oldest one there. Except for the non-humans.

The light at the flamingo pond was especially nice. I'm thinking that standing for long periods of time on one leg would be a good skill for weavers to learn. What could you do with the second foot? Tap on a yardage counter perhaps?

The South American habitat attracted me. I found it architecturally interesting and with a few mods I could envision living there. Without the anteater, of course.

If looks could kill! 

Well, that was a good break. Always good to get out and see what the rest of the world is doing. Now back in the studio I am weaving a few samples in a very interesting 3-shaft weave. I first encountered it in Marian Stubenitsky's newest book. It's mind-boggling that you can get so many patterns out of a simple 3-shaft color-and-weave warp. 

And today outside again. The sun is back out, but I think from now on the cooler weather will be past history. A gorgeous coneflower display at the sustainability garden.

In the Department of Books: I have finished reading Abraham Verghese's The Covenant of Water.

A Day in the Life

A day in the life. Maybe a couple of days, actually.

It's been really busy around here. Some wonderful folks have come to visit, and it's been such fun to show them around my studio. I love it when I get the really good questions. My favorite is the one about how I got started weaving. I always credit Mrs. Julia Loso, my 6th grade teacher. Thank you, Mrs. Loso. Thank you thank you.

The Bateman weave (Park Weave, specifically) is off the 8-shaft loom, washed & dried. It looks pretty good after its bath. Nice squishy texture. It will be a good towel.

Around the lake, everything is looking extra verdant, especially after the recent abundant rains.

Farther afield, C and I have been exploring. This morning we strolled along the streets of Slater Marietta.

Here's the old Post Office. 

 

Some of the signage is showing its age. 

The residents have a fine sense of humor.

Always good to share adventures with a friend.

Back at home, I am very intrigued by the concept of polyvalence, as introduced by Olivier Masson. Many thanks to Muffy & Beryl for guiding me along this path. I'm still not sure of my way, but every day brings new insights. This afternoon I added color to a warp, and was very surprised at the result.

The Cold Season

We do have a cold season in South Carolina (I mean thermally cold). It's officially here. There was frost on the ground when I walked on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. It's very pretty. You only get to see it in the shadows. As soon as the earth turns a little bit the frost is gone. You have to be quick.

This is a good time for blanket weaving. I've never woven a double width blanket before, but I'd like to try one now. It will help me make inroads into my stash of handspun. A sample is definitely in order. I made a small (8"wide) warp out of bits & bobs of handspun wool, following the instructions in the latest Handwoven, following Malynda Allen's instructions. So far so good. The fold is on the left. You can definitely see the two layers in this picture. I'm using two ends per dent in an 8-dent reed, for a final sett of 4 epi. 

Hereabouts the pastry chef is going all out. This was the scene in the dining room today. It looks like some residents have been nibbling on the curlicues over the front door. Hm-m-m.

And at our little private Tuesday night gathering, we enjoyed brisket and noodle kugel and lit candles on the menorah. It's hard to take a selfie of five people (some of who are very tall) and get the candles in the picture, too, but she did it.

I wish all of you joy in this festive season and in the new year, whatever celebrations are on your calendar. And of course, Happy Weaving!

Shifting Palettes

Last week we spent a few days in Beaufort SC (not to be confused with Beaufort NC) and enjoyed poking around on St. Helena Island. Here's that wonderful ruin that visitors love to photograph. 

What I find especially interesting about this building is the oyster shells used as the basis for its construction. Not to mention the thousands of shades of gray (I do not exaggerate).

Widening our palette, here are the marshlands, ever changing their aspect at different times of day. 

Back home again, the autumn colors begin to take precedence. We are in the Piedmont, after all.

In a walk around the lake this morning, I came across this mother duck and her brood. She didn't seem to mind my taking a few pictures. The waterfowl around here are very tame. Don't you love that collection of warm neutrals, and the little shock of the red?

Of course there is plenty of drama. It depends on which way you aim your sights. Here we are looking up.

But looking down, the picture is equally intriguing, but with a more muted palette.

Last night was the first frost, and the color shift is continuing a trend toward monochromatic. 

Back in the studio, I have just completed a linen sampler. There were four distinct warp sections of 3-color rotations, and I crossed these with bands of 12 different wefts. I am trying to embrace as many different color possibilities in this information-gathering. Forty-eight options here.

Eight shafts. One-shuttle weaving. Following are some closeups.

The structure is twill with three parallel interleaved threadings.

I used a black floating selvedge, but in the eventual project the floating selvedge will be the same color as the weft.

Click on any of these to enlarge.

Mother's Day Around Here

A gift of flowers. It's hard to take a picture here without a loom photobombing. 

My favorite lunch (hey, I get to choose today!).

A visit from the grandkids. 

A walk around the lake.

An astonishing rhododendron bush.

This ingenious bridge is the work of Furman student Isaiah Ives. It's constructed using K'nex building toys.

Irises everywhere.

And back in the studio, I dug into my new supply of lyocell and started a piece on an interleaved threading draft. 

I hope you're enjoying your weekend.

Wednesday Notes

Hello friends. Since we were last together, I've had company:

And I've been to the mountains. It was early spring there.

The old post office is still there, and still in use as a post office. 

I saw some interesting examples of complementary colors on my walks...

And when I got back home I finished another halvdräll towel. This one is hemmed and laundered. Cotton & cottolin. No shrinkage events here.


Up close and personal.

Recently read: Max Perkins: Editor of Genius by A. Scott Berg, and Leaving the Atocha Station by Ben Lerner.

 

If a Tree Falls in the Forest

Yesterday I got almost this far...

...and this lay across my path and I had to turn back. 

I am such a creature of routine that I found it difficult to backtrack and take another path. But I don't clamber over downed trees any more. Crawling around under my loom to repair broken cables is about my limit now. 

Here's the first sample on my new striped warp. 

Not quite what I had in mind. I like it better with a black weft. It has a cottolin warp and I'm using odds & ends of cotton in the weft. Sixteen shafts.

Meanwhile, the 30/2 linen warp which had languished for weeks on the Jane (8 shafts) was finally finished and cut off. And not a drop of champagne in the house! Too bad. I braided the fringes, then into the washing machine it went. 

I hung it from the shower rod to dry. It was still stiff as a board, so I repeated the washing two more times. It's starting to soften up. I think after a steam pressing it will be the texture I was looking for. Warp 30 epi, weft 15 ppi. 


A closer look.

Here's the draft. It's a crepe weave on a straight draw.

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Just finished reading Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri. 

Color Trials

The weather is very gray and foggy today, not a good day for walking. I took the opportunity to do some faux walking on the treadmill while listening to one of my favorite podcasts, The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan. 

Then on to the weaving life. I'm still working through the second warp of the current amalgamated draft, enjoying exploring color options. Here are a few more.

Those were all on the 16-shaft dobby loom. But I also sometimes try to doodle on the computer with 8-shaft drafts as a warmup exercise. Here's today's result. I rather like this one and think it will be a good candidate for a monotone project. It's kind of a left-handed way of arriving at a crepe weave. 

Catalina brought us some flowers last week and I took this very wide-angle picture from behind the kitchen counter. It looks like my loom is miles away, but it's just a few steps. Nothing is far away in this house. 

Just finished reading Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club. A fun read, and a good example of the retirement home mystery genre, if that's your cuppa. I actually have a little list, if you're interested. Barb, thanks for the tip.

Local Color

Yesterday was Dye Day at Pat's studio. Here are Patti, Pat, and Ruth about to begin work. Pat is reviewing some basics. Just in case.

A few hours later, the colorful result. Skeins, skeins, and more skeins, and a few warps. We all went home happy. Thanks, Pat, for sharing your studio and your knowledge with us.

Back in the home studio, a couple of finished scarves from one cotton crackle warp, both with the same treadling. On the left, a rayon weft. On the right, handspun cotton. The character and drape are totally different.

I enjoyed this warp so much that I tied on another to the end of it, this one purple rayon and pale green cotton. Same treadling, too. The weft this time is light gray silk.

Bruce and I had planned to go riding out in the country today, to see what we could see, and we were not lucky with the weather. Constant rain. We went anyway. Here is a picture of the iconic Union County (SC) Courthouse, as seen through the front windshield of the car from the parking lot across the street. 

Department of Books:

Recently finished Portrait of a Lady by Henry James, Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy, and All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage.

Afternoon at Connemara

Yesterday afternoon we took advantage of the gorgeous weather and drove up to Connemara, the home of Carl Sandburg in Flat Rock, North Carolina.

We circled the lower lake.

I took a detour and walked up to the house to enjoy the view. I was rewarded by this magnificent magnolia just coming into blossom.

Back at the lakeside trail, I spied this I spied this blue thing nestled in a bed of moss. What on earth? A lost jewel? Turns out it was a glass button someone had left in that perfect setting. When I got up closer, I saw that it reflected the trees and sky in perfect miniature. Click to enlarge. 

Home at teatime. Warning: Monstera report follows. The new leaves are now fully unfurled, and are a much lighter green than the older leaves. I don't know if they will stay that way, but the contrast is pleasing. I love this plant.

 

In the studio, bookmaking is top dog this week. I have just completed an online class with the inimitable Ali Manning. What a wonderful teacher! I've done coptic bindings before, but not in this twin-needle fashion. Very helpful. Her cover structure is particularly interesting - just laminated paper, no boards to cut.