Weaverly

Pattern Everywhere

In the woods yesterday (today it is raining, and I'm not averse to walking in the rain, but I got a late start today) I found this delightful display of darks & lights. Sometimes it depends on how high the sun is in the sky, or time of year, or some other factor, but when it happens it is such a gift. Seize the moment.

This packing material arrived with some fragile item from A-----, and when it's pulled apart it makes a terrific scrunchy grid. It will make a great mark-making tool in my next gel printing session. And it's biodegradable. 

Mimosa. When you search for it on the web, the first things that pop up are drink recipes with orange juice and whatever. But out in the wild it thrills a weaver's heart. So threadlike. Zoom in to examine more closely.

Can you believe this? I am falling in love with plain weave. It started as a way of destashing and emptying a zillion bobbins, but I somehow got into the rhythm and I'm having the best time just throwing the shuttle. It also helps to have a loom that is friendly to the body.

In the Department of Books: I have abandoned The House of the Seven Gables. It is just too, too much!!! Enough said.

Fresh Starts

Pausing amid all the strife, the noise, the madness.

In this place: only risers and sinkers.

If you prefer the rectangular rather than the circular, there is this.

Here it is woven.

And then there are fresh starts.

Currently in the book department, I have just read Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively, Reuben Sachs by Amy Levy, and Eat the Document by Dana Spiotta.

Making Changes

While thumbing through one of the books I consider weaving treasures, I came across this sweet little draft composed on a point threading for 8 shafts. After making a slight correction in the treadling, I offer it here.

It's draft # 65 from Praktisk Vävbok by Nona von Engström. All in Swedish, but easy enough for English speakers to follow from the photos & diagrams. I am also adding an easy variation which can be accomplished by wrapping the tie-up one place to the left.

Here is a variation of the amalgamation from previous posts.

Another variation. Stripes! From repeating just 4 of the weft picks ad infinitum. There are areas of twill, areas of double weave, and also a few unknown hybrids, all for little or no effort. 

Out in the woods, we have found the Bunched Arrowheads. After four years of searching, have finally come to the right place at the right time. The red arrow points to the minuscule white flower in the swampy area. There were hundreds, but so tiny that they are easily missed. What a beautiful spot. And how do you like that wonderful twisted branch?

And on the trail there were a number of these juicy thistles just bursting forth. Click to embiggen.

Back in the studio, I've finally moved things around to make room for my long unused sewing table. Now I plan to finish several WIPs, which have been languishing since the pandemic. 

And there just happens to be another warp percolating.

Have finished reading High Wages by Dorothy Whipple.

Bounty

Yesterday's bounty in the woods. 

How can you not stop?

The draft I showed you in the previous post... here it is again, structure only, no color. It gives you some idea of the various micro-structures. 

Here's the first woven version, after washing. The fabric is much too loosely sett, although some of the wonderful little passages are evident here.

I resleyed it, then tied on another warp, this time all tencel. The iridescence is starting to show. 

A close-up. I'm in the habit of making my floating selvedges black. 

Washing will be the final test.

I have just finished reading The House in Paris by Elizabeth Bowen.

Has It Been That Long?

Yes, it has been a long time, but for all the best reasons. I am working on spending less time with screens & such, and more time with the yarn. How's it going, you ask? The jury is still out.

The outdoors are calling. It has been a great spring.

I spend as much time outdoors as possible.

But when I come inside, I am working on this. Eight shafts. 

The loom is all warped and ready to go. The yarns have a mind of their own, and I have no way of predicting what will happen. The washing machine is the final arbiter.

I have recently read Ann Cleeves,The Long Call, and Ursa Sigurdardottir, Last Rituals

Lines of Communication

I'm not sure what is being communicated, but there are definitely lines here. Somebody likes plaid.

These lines are more organic, and change moment by moment. 

And then there are the lines I puzzle over as I try to work out a binding for some new coptic books.

The covers are glued up, and the signatures are folded and ready. The stitching will begin tomorrow.

Department of Books:

I've just finished reading The Book of Not by Tsitsi Dangarembga. It's the second part of a semiautobiographical trilogy by a wonderful Zimbabwean writer. 

 

 

Important Announcement About My Publications, Digital and Otherwise

Good news ahead. I've just entered into an arrangement with the folks at LoftyFiber for the distribution of my digital publications. I will no longer be selling the monographs Amalgamation, Lampas, Crepe, and Echo Weave myself. Instead, you may go to LoftyFiber, search on books or Alice Schlein and voilà! There they are. Immediate download, and the price remains the same.

The books Network Drafting and The Liftplan Connection are still available as print-on-demand from Lulu.com.

The Woven Pixel, which I co-authored with Bhakti Ziek, is still available for download at handweaving.net to holders of a paid membership to that website. The accompanying CD, including pattern presets, is no longer available. Period.

Now back to weaving. A new warp is in the works.

I just finished reading The Body in Question by Jill Ciment. 

Books and More Books

On campus a couple of days ago, behind the library, this sight left me speechless. Enjoy.

I am taking a weaving vacation and making books for a while. These coptic stitched volumes have covers printed on a gel plate. 

I left the spines undecorated and just let the linen stitching make its own statement. 

I tried trimming down the fore edges to make them more uniform. The pages are easier for the user to grab hold of that way, I think.

The trimmings make lovely little curls on my desk. I hate to throw these away. Any ideas for what I can do with them?

Department of Books:

I just finished reading Fifth Sun by Camilla Townsend.

Seasonal Colors

On this lovely spring day, it seemed like a good idea to take a ride in the country. It was partly cloudy, but the drenching rains of yesterday were over. We went to a local nature preserve and just soaked in the browns, grays, and golds. 

Just by coincidence, I found myself spinning the same colors this evening. Odd how that happens.

On a totally different topic, here's a funny sign I saw a few days ago at my favorite local produce market. It was posted just beneath a display of gorgeous green and purple grapes. Not buffet!

Department of books: I just finished reading The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane. This is the same author who wrote The Sun Walks Down, which I also enjoyed. 

Emptying Bobbins - a Bottleneck Situation

There comes a time when all operations cease until more empty bobbins are found.

Such was my situation today. I had to stop weaving until I could free up the bobbins. Which I did, while watching YouTube videos about bookbinding. A win-win, I think.

This is a new warp, a 4-shaft project in summer & winter for 2 blocks. Not my usual, but a very good stash buster. The warp is striped, cotton & tencel,  and I'm using up some orphaned cotton/wool blend knitting yarn as a pattern weft.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to upcycle my huge collection of brown paper bags by cutting them up into sheets, ironing the sheets, and stacking them all up in preparation for some bookbinding. It's mindless work, but there are days that seem to call for that. Rainy days, mostly.

Just finished reading Nervous Conditions by Zimbabwean writer Tsitsi Dangarembga.