Weaverly

Twists and Turns

Yesterday morning we got up early, fixed a breakfast of bagels & lox, and sat down to watch the F1 Grand Prix from Monaco. I love it all, the commotion, the drivers, the announcers, the brass bands, the chutzpah.

While I watched, I twisted fringes.

 

Polyvalence. After a wash & dry & pressing, I was able to compare the first version (white warp, black weft) with the second version (4-color warp, black weft). 

The addition of color is truly amazing. A hidden aspect is revealed. There are now four distinct color images, each one slightly shifted widthwise from the previous one.

It reminds me of those pictures you have to view with specially colored glasses in order to make sense of them.

 

Department of Books: Have finished reading The Privileges by Jonathan Dee and I Came All This Way to Meet You by Jami Attenberg.

 

Near and Far

It has been a busy week, with comings and goings, highs and lows, that sort of thing, but today I vow to get back on a regular schedule, and concentrate a little harder. First order of business is a walk. All is now fully green, the weeds perhaps the most picturesque of all. 

The polyvalence sampler is now off the loom & washed & dried. Fringes twisted. The circles are definitely down the middle. Thank you all for the input. You were right.

I've changed each successive circle four pixels to the right, so there are now four distinct variations, repeated 2 1/2 times. I may just pick my favorite and stick with it. TBD.

The next step is tying a four-color warp onto the white one. Here it is last night, just before bedtime.

Here it is this morning, at first light. Tencel & cotton.


In the Department of Books, I just finished reading James Salter's 2013 novel, All That Is.

A Dilemma

Here's the problem. It's a scarf warp. I'll be rethreading an existing warp (gasp!) and I have exactly the right number of ends for this pattern (plus an additional funny business for selvedges). But I have to decide on which version I want to use. Same threading, different starting place. Do I want two circles side by side...

...or do I want a circle in the center and a half circle on either side?

We're talking about commitment here. I might be with this threading for a long time. What do you think? 

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.

Turtles & Such

This morning I spied thirteen turtles sunning themselves on an island in the lake. Count them! (Two are near the lefthand margine).

And speaking of turtles, my doodling is veering in that direction. But sadly, my dobby loom isn't wide enough to weave this.

In the Department of Books, I have just finished reading Eleanor Catton's Birnam Wood. Recommended.

Cut Off

On the lime green warp, I was able to weave up to the bitter end. Here is a view behind the heddles. Can't make a shed if you get any closer than that!! There is just enough warp left in front to tie onto. More about the new warp later.

I usually warp back to front, which means that the end loops are free to slide around on the warp apron stick when the tension is released, so I add artist's tape around the stick to stabilize the old warp during the tieing on.

Meanwhile, I'm seeing stripes everywhere today, both indoors... 

...and out.

The three scarves were cut off, washed & ironed. The tencel yarns have a beautiful drape. 

I opted for a plain fringe to showcase the yarn, and left it rather short. This had the added advantage of letting me eke out three scarves from the 6-yard warp.

I used floating selvedges.

Interesting to note: the broken twill is less drapey than the straight twill. That figures, as the floats are longer for straight twill (maxfloat3) than for broken twill (maxfloat2). 

In the Department of Books, I have just finished reading Nights of Plague by Orhan Pamuk. A little bit of sly humor, a lot of political satire, and a compelling evocation of life and death on a fictional Mediterranean island during an outbreak of you know what. Heavy going at times but worth it.

 

 

 

Giraffe Day

There are a few accidental convergences here today. The following two I offer with no additional comment.

And transitioning from blocks to curves, this beauty caught my eye again. The black swans are very tame and they are a treat to watch as I walk around the lake.

The following draft is one I did years ago and posted. It was created according to the principles of network drafting. It has caught the attention of other weavers and I occasionally see it reposted on social media.

Time to get it woven! Here is a brand new tencel warp on 16 shafts. The structure is 1/3 and 3/1 opposing twills. I call it Giraffe.

In the Department of Books: I have just finished reading The Magic Kingdom by Russell Banks.

I don't have any new weaving projects to show you today, just lots of pixels. I've resurrected a draft from approx. 20 years ago, network drafting, no echoes or interleavings. It has provided me with an entire afternoon of play. Here are a couple of my favorite variations, and I might just be in the mood to weave them soon. Click to enlarge.

In the Department of Books, I have just finished reading a book by one of my favorite authors, Jane Gardam. It's The Queen of the Tambourine. If I had to describe it in four words, I would say epistolary, funny, surprising, dark. 

Thankful

It doesn't take much. Just that little bit of red.

Sometimes I overdo it. A bit less red would be better. But then the other colors would change, too. Everything is connected to everything else.

The threading & treadling are interleaved & non-parallel. I'm enjoying the combination of left & right diagonals and a bit of birdseye effect. Now how on earth did that happen? I'm sure I don't know. Click for enlargement.

In the Department of Books, I have just finished reading Foster by Claire Keegan and Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro.

Points of View

What an entertaining warp this has been! It looks different from every angle and changing lighting conditions. I find myself going to the studio just to get a glimpse of it at different times of day.

At night the lamplight makes it warmer.

Both sides are interesting, but you kind of have to turn into a pretzel to see them.

Unfortunately there's not enough warp left for a third scarf, but I wound up some orange bobbins and this will do for a table runner.

Another angle.

And another.

Up close. This one ought to finish nicely. Three colors of tencel in the warp, and a single cotton weft.

In the department of books, I just finished reading another wonderful Shirley Hazzard novel, The Great Fire, about the aftermath of WWII in Japan & Hong Kong.