Weaverly

Low Tech

It takes some getting used to a loom without a computer interface of some sort, if your weaving life has been computer-centric for so long. This morning I found myself sitting at the loom and looking for the on/off button. 

Although my very first weaving experience was overshot on a Structo at age eleven or so, I hadn't done much overshot since then. Until now. I chose a draft with wheels and tables, an oldie called "Conestoga". I found it in Davison, page 138.

The warp is striped in yellow and olive green, with a blip of red. The first sample, above, has a light gray tabby weft. I played around with the treadling to alter the proportions of the wheels, and changed the tabby weft to dark red for the second sample.

I love the gentle whooshing sound this loom makes. I leave the doors open and I can hear the birds while I weave.

 

A Day for Quiet

The changeable weather is imparting a closed-in feeling and I don't have the energy for a very long walk today. Second best is to check on my houseplants. This one does stripes, and she is very good at it. She doesn't ask very much of me, either. 

A surprisingly pleasant indoor activity is mending. I never used to do much of that, except on sheets and pillowcases, and those I tended to mend with the sewing machine. But my favorite linen blouse, many years old and survivor of numerous washings, developed a hole and I thought, this is the time to learn proper mending. You know, the kind that's like weaving. The trick is to anchor your warp and weft on the margins of the hole, and do your weaving in the middle. I don't think this mend would get any prizes at the county fair, but I plan to improve.

Designing amalgamated drafts is a little like doodling. I may get around to weaving this one. Or maybe not.

In the book department, I read two really good ones this week, very different from each other but both about strong women: The Sheep Stell, by Janet White, and Ellen Foster, by Kaye Gibbons. 

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. 

Change, Changes, Changeable, Changing

We are among the 25% of people in the US without terrible winter weather. Nevertheless, it has been very changeable here lately, the skies recomposing minute by minute. 

Even a bit of sunshine breaking through.

Indoors, my Monstera continues to surprise me. I've discovered that the toothed leaves emerge in a very special way: tightly furled, like cigars, not like the plain ones.  It's so much fun to watch them. It takes about five days for one of these to emerge fully. 

When I'm not watching my Monstera, I'm doing wardrobe building. Here's the finished pullover, assembled from narrow strips from the narrow loom. The asymmetry is perhaps not pronounced enough, leading one to think the arrangement is accidentally lopsided. I think the next time I will be more aggressively asymmetrical, so there will be no doubt about my intentions.

I have enjoyed wearing it, however. It's as comfortable as an old sweatshirt.

In the Department of Books, I just finished reading Nell Painter's Old in Art School. Noted historian retires from Princeton in her sixties and goes to art school to earn a BFA and MFA in painting. What a story!

My Year So Far

Early days, I know, but here is a report. My year so far.

The weather is as depressing as possible. Rain, rain, rain.

On the other hand, in the studio the lights burn brightly. I'm almost finished weaving the second towel on the amalgamated warp. This one has a blue weft.

It's interesting to see two different points of view, according to the focus. Here the camera focuses on the face of the cloth, the one the weaver sees as she sits at the loom. 

And here the camera focuses on the reverse side of the cloth, as the web makes its way to the cloth beam. As it happens, I happen to like the reverse side better, a fact I discovered after I cut the cloth off the loom.

The first two towels have been cut off and I'll hem them as I watch a football game tonight. 

In The Department of Books -- I finished reading "Less" by Andrew Sean Greer. Hilarious, yes, but also quite moving. I'll be reading more by this author.

A Small Book

Finally got something usable from that double weave warp I've been messing with the past few weeks. It's a book cover for a handmade book. The warp (which runs sideways in these pictures) is mercerized 10/2 cotton at 40 epi, The structure is doublecloth, in which the two layers are tied at intervals. The top layer has a weft of coarse hemp in natural, and the structure of the layer is granite weave (a satin derivative). The bottom layer has a weft of blue cotton/linen in 2/2 twill. The hems are tubular double plain weave with the edges turned in and hemmed. The spine area has closely spaced picks of black weft to delineate where the spine stitching will go. The warp has double black stripes every inch or so, also to help with the stitching positions for the spine. This picture shows the top layer, which will be the outside cover of the book:

And here is the bottom layer, which will be the inside front & back covers:

Here you can see both sides of the cover, after the pages have been added:

The finished book, front cover view.

And a closeup of the outiside of the spine, showing the longstitch binding in brown waxed linen thread.

The main challenge of this project was to indicate the location of the spine stitching in the weave structure, and that was accomplished with the black warp & weft stripes. It made the actual binding process very easy!  

Life Around Here, at the Moment

The numbers are not very good this week, and getting worse. I still have a place to walk, however, and for that I am thankful. 

The sun was peeping around a corner this morning. Very coy.

In my kitchen a new tea cozy has appeared. I love hot strong black tea. This cozy was knitted of scraps of handspun. 

And in the studio, weaving is on pause while I finish some sewing projects. Here is a rather nice pocket on a pair of linen pants. It took me several false starts to get the pockets just right, so forgive me for gloating.

Thanksgiving will be quiet. I'm planning to ignore it, really. That's the best thing to do this year. Next year I'll pull out all the stops. 

Dept. of Books: just finished reading Elizabeth Taylor's "The Soul of Kindness." Very fine. She's one of my faves. Also recommended: "The Wedding Group," "Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont," and "In a Summer Season."

Another Monday

It seems to be spinning weather. I enjoy sitting on the back porch with a spindle and some wool, and enjoying these beautiful October days.

At some point the wool will be used for deflected double weave, perhaps like this draft.

My aloe plant has taken off and seems to be thriving. 

When I go outside and look up, I am rewarded with pattern (here with the color removed).

And in the Department of Books, I have just finished reading a novel penned by my neighbor, Joe Epley. It's about the Revolutionary war in the mountains of western North and South Carolina, and entitled "A Passel of Hate." A great read!

A Matter of Scale

You've seen this woven pattern before, dear reader. Clockwise from lower left, 16/2 cottolin at 40 epi and ppi, then 8/2 and 6/2 cotton at 20 epi and ppi, and still on the loom and under tension, black 2-ply handspun wool and orange cotton at 16 epi. Deflected double weave. Each warp tied on to the previous one. 

The orange and black cloth will shrink up quite a bit after cutting off and washing. Patience, patience.

Tonight after dinner this is what I saw out the back door. A nice reward for the day's craziness.

This has been a banner week for book arrivals here at the home place. I don't know where to start!

Now approaching the dozen mark of the Covid Diary series. This is #XI on the loom.

And here is #VIII after washing & steam press.

 

There's enough warp left for one more. Then I'll be ready to embark on a new project. I believe I've spent enough time on this topic.

I've branched out into other reading. Just finished Jane Urquhart's The Stone Carvers, historical novel about making a life in art.