Weaver to weaver 2015

Each year, Meg organises several online events that allows more contact between weavers than the normal reading and commenting on each other's blogs.

One of these events is called Weaver to Weaver where we send a small envelope of weaving-related items that mean something to ourselves and/or may inspire the receiver. 
I sent my envelop to Donni of loomandarty and received one from Patty of untangled string, from Utah in the United States. 

One half of the package relates to where Patty lives. The hand spun yarn and mohair locks truly reflect the textures and colours of her environment. Patty's pamphlet of the ski resort and the warning on 'you could die out here' made me smile as I am one of those totally non-outdoor person so there is no danger if I ever go to visit Patty in Utah................ although I really do appreciate the beauty of nature.

The second half are items from her extended stay in Thailand a while ago. It is very interesting as I have just been reading the blog post on Kaz's tour to northern Thailand and Laos. Despite the differences in culture, and landscapes of the 2 places so far apart, I can see some similarity in the colours! 

I am learning to use more colours in my work so these images and yarns are good push in the right direction. In saying that, the last 3 items that came off my looms were still black, white and grey. 

Thank you Meg and Patty for your inspirations, and happy weaving!

A day in the life of looms 2015

Every New Year's day, Meg has been posting photos of what is on her looms. She also has links to other people who are sharing their 'day in the life of looms 2015' at the end of her post. Join us if you are interested. She has also put up guidelines to the next Weaver to Weaver.

I been neglecting my blog last year as I got a bit hooked on Instagram. However, there are limitations as to how  much I can share on that platform and I am hoping to spend more time back here in 2015.

For the last couple of weeks I have been giving my big loom some very thorough maintenance:

2500 heddles: washed and re-installed

160 lamm to treadles cords: washed and re-installed

80 new connecting cords from treadles connecting to lamm cords: installed. (I don't know if this is the best way but it will have to do for the moment)

I only have 3 more treadles to tie up.......

Hopefully, before the day ends, it will have a new warp on it.

KaTe: Thorp 8 shaft countermarche

New treadle connecting cords

The Saori loom is folded up and without warp. I am also hoping to rectify that is the next few days.

Chibi: Saori SX60 2 shaft folding loom

Primo, my Ashford table loom is folded up and packed away to I can't even take a photo. However, I do have plans for it this year........

April Spool's Day

I have been hanging out here of late so this blog is a bit neglected.

These are the bobbins and thrums left over from my last 2 pieces of weaving for Meg's April Spool's day. Join us and show what is on your spools/bobbins/quills/pirns.

I will try to come back and let you know what has been happening at this weaving place soon.

A day in the life of looms

On the first day of the new year, Meg had been posting what's on your loom. This is my second time to participate in this. Once every few years, I have the opportunity to spend Christmas and New Year at home and get to weave in the new year.
So here are my looms:

KaTe has a 2/20 silk warp with weft Kasuri being woven. I have finished the first piece and am contemplating the second design. The wefts are being wound, then binding and dyeing to follow.

KaTe: Thorp 8 shaft countermarche

Chibi has a 150-thread black cotton pre-wound warp ready for Amy to come over on Friday to do some weaving. She had woven her own fabric before for her mum to make into an Arrietty bag.

Chibi: Saori SX60 2 shaft folding loom

Primo also has a 150-thread black cotton pre-wound warp ready for Ellen to have a go at weaving. I have set the loom on its stand so that it works with the peddles, like a floor loom.

Primo: Ashford 8 shaft table loom with stand

I will have to catch up on some blog posts but I have also been spending time here.
In the meantime, happy new year and happy weaving.

A good start........

Such a lot can change in a week. 

A bit of sunshine midweek, a bit/lots of chocolate (cupcakes, pearls, wafers), a bit of encouragement from friends, a bit of perseverance, and ignoring dishes, laundry and housework in general, I got the warp onto the loom.

There is something calming and beautiful about a warp on the loom, even when it not quite ready. This morning, I was quite determined to get some weaving started, but I did not have a long enough rod for the front beam. This is the widest I have woven on the table loom, almost the full width. None of the hardware stores nearby were open on a Sunday. Luckily, a good friend has some spare timber dowels and he helped me cut one to length with a barter of some chocolate/plum jam cupcakes from the freezer. It was a good trade. 

I got started. The spacing of the weft pattern and the balance of the cloth is working well in the first 5cm of the piece, at least to how I had envisage the piece. It is a good sign.

Out of the dark

If the 'dementors' were to visit me on friday, they could have sucked the soul out of me easily. It had been one of those weeks, months.
I threw out 2 desserts and barely rescued the third. I cast on 2 items but frogged them as I could not get them to work. Things that usually make me feel better don't seem to have the same effect.

I know that it is up to me to change that feeling from dark to light. I know that it is a matter of time. It is winter. I feel cold and pain. I feel tired and can't concentrate. We are past the shortest day. There are 4 weeks till craft camp.

I need to make something, to weave something. I have been thinking about this piece for a while. I had to ask myself though whether I was just asking for trouble.
I wound a warp with this yarn: 24 epi, 21 inches wide, 504 ends, 3.4m long. I don't know if I have calculated the sett correctly. It will be a light fabric, I think.

It looks beautiful. Like bundles of noodles.

And then I started to prepare to thread the heddles. I don't have enough heddles on some of the harnesses. I forgot to count them before I started...... I am out of practice.

It took me a couple of hours to fix this. I could have threaded the warp differently but I wanted the option to do plain weave or twill. There is enough length in the warp to do some experimentation. In fact, I think that this whole piece will be an experiment. I am halfway through threading. I think that I may be ready to start weaving next weekend......

And the weft yarn - a special hand-dyed yarn ( フリスビー手絣) bought from Avril. I think that this colour way has been discontinued.

Things can only get better. Right?

Small Piece exhibtion: Amy O'Brien

Meg from New Zealand has organised a virtual 'Small Piece' exhibition and I am hosting Amy's woven piece on my blog. 
Amy is 10 years old and this is only her third time weaving at a loom. Amy wove on a Saori loom, 2 shaft with a pre-threaded black cotton warp. She brought all the weft yarn with her from home. She wove this last Saturday and it took her about 3 hours.

"The idea of a ‘do whatever you what’ weaving piece sounded epic, but what the problem was … what should I do? At first I thought an aboriginal flag, then I thought about doing bubbles. Finally I decided an ocean landscape. I weaved different blues and greens together so it began to look like the ocean. Next was the hard part I made a sort of hilly thing and made clouds and sky above.

By Amy O’Brien"

Weaving by Amy O'Brien, Photo by Suzie Fry