Post and share great gift ideas to give or receive for the holidays.
Here's something for the historic weaving fans in the crowd. From Urban Outfitters in their "sale" bin for $29.
Sorry, for some reason the photo isn't displaying, although when I check edit, it appears, and when I hit "save" it disappears. Here's the link...
www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=18030304&navAction=jump&navCount=27
Another item on my list — a wool woven laptop case from O-Hanlon Mills for my MacBookPro. Again, Urban Outfitters, $24! (No, I am not an employee—just amazed they have some cool stuff for weavers for less than $50!)
How about YOU? What suggestions can you give Santa or your fellow shoppers?
Masking tape that is masking as "Measuring" tape (with 1" increments pre-printed on it!) This would be great to just stick on your warp as you weave along. Jerry's Art Supply/Artarama, $10 for a roll.
Highly-textured and multi-colored, recycled Sari journals (with a wrap-around string closure) can also be found at Jerry's for $16.
A mangle!
Laurie Autio
A Mangle—YES! (I forgot that one, and it's been on my list.)
Woolgathers in Wisconsin sells them. Anyone else in case Santa or his elves want to do some checking around?
Try secondhand, used, or even junk dealers. I am getting a used one for a fraction of the new price for Christmas :-)
Becky Ashenden's Vav Stuga in MA sells them, too.
Laurie Autio
Yes, I have a weakness for weaving books; can anyone ever have too many? The mangle idea is also great. Recently I discovered "Della Q" knitting bags. They come in many styles. One or two of them would be great for handwork projects.
My hubby is buying me a set of Standig loom feet for my Glimakra loom to stop it from walking across the floor. Something I really want (need) but would not spend the money on myself. A perfect gift.
I also bought myself a boat shuttle made by a guy that sells them on the housecleaning pages (www.kbbspin.org). Wonderful woods, sooo smooth. Just a pleasure to hold in your hand. fiber arts are such a tactile thing and this is tactile heaven!
Any GOOD books to recommend? Any NEW books to recommend?
The electronic newsletter "Weaving Today—Beweave it" column had an interesting tidbit about Lego sheep and a game called "Wild Wool" from Denmark. I've tried clicking on the website links and through Google to take a peek, and I can't get through. (So perhaps all us weavers are overloading their poor servers!)
I purchased my wife (Cheryl the real weaver) a steam press for Christmas a couple of weeksago when Atlanta Thread Co, http://store.atlantathread.com/ was having a sale and free shipping. I gave it to her early when she was getting all her weavings ready for a "Holiday Market" sale (First weekend in Dec). It worked great, only wished the bed was larger.
Michael
Yes, I know of a couple of good books (but not quite new) - two can be had from Laura Fry. The BIG book is Magic in the water - the small (and cheaper) is Weave a V (which happens to be written by me... ;-) (for europeans - postage may be cheaper if you get my book directly from me - just PM me)
For those interested in older books - there is a reprint of Praktisk Vävbok (Swe book from 1899), now with an English translation of the weaves. I believe it is distributed by Unicorn books, but there seems to be a problem with their website right now. (Again, for europeans, it might be better to order it directly through Rediviva in Sweden).
Apart from books, as I am a mangling fan, I second the suggestions about getting a mangle. BUT: it should be a COLD mangle!! (only IMO, of course...)
Bluster Bay End Delivery Shuttle -
I recently bought one and LOVE it. These hand thrown end delivery shuttles (in my opinion) are so much nicer to use than others I have (the usual) - the tensioning is easy and deceptively sophisticated. I bought mine from Dawn at MacFiberFall Studio.
There is a very inactive group called Weaving Literature here that had some good book suggestions. I tried starting a thread there on new books <http://weavolution.com/group/weaving-literature/new-books-11976> but there was so little activity that I gave up. It's still a decent place to go to look for books. I also posted a long book list in the Complex Weaves on Four Shafts group: <http://weavolution.com/group/complex-weaves-4-shafts/references-complexity-4-shafts-or-fewer-11277> but this group is dead in the water, too. A weavolution "Library" database listing that would allow everyone to add books and make comments would be useful.
Laurie Autio
I just noticed that Becky's vavstuga sells the Engeström book Praktisk vävbok I mentioned above in post #13
Electric bobbin winder? I have been resisting for years, but maybe this is the year. Recommendations?
I use both LeClerc plastic bobbins (for boat shuttles) and black plastic prins, (for end-feed shuttles), and small paper ones for itty-bitty shuttles (Glimakra) for the Structo looms.
Also, I was wondering about getting a cone winder?
I was thinking to reduce my stash, it might be more appealing to wind off smaller amounts onto cones for guild sales and swaps. Otherwise, that 2-3 pound cone looks intimidating. Recommendations?
My preference is the Leclerc double ended winder - i like the fact that the right side hold is on a moving block with a tension spring. no untightening and trying to get it to the right tightness.
Sally you could use your bobbin winder to wind cones. You would have to make an adapter to go from the bobbin winder's shaft to fit the cone shape. Or you could wind off of the cone to oversize bobbins, say one pound bobbins to sell.
Michael
Not sure if this will work on a steam press...but I love mine for my ironing board. Here is the link:
https://bigboardenterprises.com/
:-)
I have a Silver Needles Electric cone winder and think it's largely useless for winding large quantities of yarn. Instead I use my (AVL) double-ended electric bobbin winder, load a cone onto it (using an adapter made for me by a woodworker friend), and wind happily away!
If you are considering both, I'd definitely get the double-ended electric bobbin winder over the cone winder, any day. The electric cone winder was a waste of $200, at least for me.
I like my AVL double ended electric bobbin winder for plastic bobbins and end feed pirns. I haven't tried it with anything else.
Carie
Besides yet more books, I've been lusting after a Schacht Goko swift, which I'm not sure is being made now. There's nothing about it on the Schacht site and it is gradually disappearing from the vendors. I buy a lot of heirloom wools that come skeined. This is marketed as mostly a knitters's item. Any comments on how weavers have/would use one?
Yes, you go from a swift to a ball/bobbin winder. You can also go the other way. from a cone to the swift to make skeins for dyeing. If you can not find your Goko swift, Yarn Barn of Kansas has six swifts in their catalog. or check on line at www.yarnbarn-ks.com
Michael
I forgot to ask Santa to build a Kati-Meek warping trapeze. That's been on my list for awhile now, too. In the weaveatorium, I can go up, just not out (so a warping wheel, bobbin rack, etc. isn't in the cards until we get a new home or I move the revenue-generating studio out of the house and take over that real estate with looms.)
P.S. I LOVE that ironing board extender! And it looks like it stores as easily as the ironing board.
A warp extender for a table/small floor loom would be a good addition, too.
Laurie Autio
Dear Friends,
You are all so modest in your requests! I am asking Santa to bring me a NEW LOOM , the Jane 15 3/4" folding 8 harness loom. I travel on the train to workshops (no car) so I need something compact and lightweight- I had been dragging my schacht 8 harness table loom, (which does not fold), on a luggage rack, wrapped in garbage bags. I end up overheated, pulled back muscles and black and blue legs!
http://www.louet.com/spinning_weaving/ja...
Santa, I also want 2 plastic boast shuttles, because they are lightweight, too.
Thank you, Gail & Fog
Dear Friends,
You are all so modest in your requests! I am asking Santa to bring me a NEW LOOM , the Jane 15 3/4" folding 8 harness loom. I travel on the train to workshops (no car) so I need something compact and lightweight- I had been dragging my schacht 8 harness table loom, (which does not fold), on a luggage rack, wrapped in garbage bags. I end up overheated, pulled back muscles and black and blue legs!
http://www.louet.com/spinning_weaving/ja...
Santa, I also want 2 plastic boast shuttles, because they are lightweight, too.
Thank you, Gail & Fog
Dear Friends,
You are all so modest in your requests! I am asking Santa to bring me a NEW LOOM , the Jane 15 3/4" folding 8 harness loom. I travel on the train to workshops (no car) so I need something compact and lightweight- I had been dragging my schacht 8 harness table loom, (which does not fold), on a luggage rack, wrapped in garbage bags. I end up overheated, pulled back muscles and black and blue legs!
http://www.louet.com/spinning_weaving/ja...
Santa, I also want 2 plastic boat shuttles, because they are lightweight, too.
Thank you, Gail & Fog
Okay, Gail!
On my list is a tape loom handmade by Fred Hatton. A guildmate has one, and the woodwork, finishing, flexibility, and beauty of his particular handcrafted loom won me over the first time I saw one. And the whole thing stores in a shoebox. (I believe Mr. Hatton lives in PA).
I didn't even know what a tape loom was until Marjie Thompson gave a guild workshop and brought one down for us to try a few years ago.
A thought for Gail...
Heck, this IS Santa we're appealing to...
So how about asking for a Star Trek transporter or Dr. Who Tardis to "zap" your looms to the meeting site? Then you could just have your floor loom delivered when needed, and returned without even folding it back up!
Brilliant Idea!
I have one for my floor loom, so could possibly get one of Santa's woodworking elves on this project right away! I like this idea, as it could be removed for transport, then slipped back in at the workshop set up. Wow.
I have tried card-weaving on a table loom in combination with a regular warp (inspired by a program given by Inge Dam) to good result. But one trick I need to employ was elevating the card-warp slightly higher than the regular warp by putting blocks on the back beam to raise it up. I wonder if I had an extender back there, if that would have also solved the problem...
I just found this on their site:
Welcome to Habu's annual yarn sale! December 15th, 2910 to January 14th, 2011
All yarns are on sale for 10% discount. Please kindly note that this does not include notions, needles, fabrics. There are also more odd lots and discontinued items, which are 15-50% discount only available in the showroom. Please come visit our showroom!
Hey Gail and Sally,
Santa wants a wish list from you for classes on Cyber-Fiber then you don't need to travel anywhere. Classes in the comfort of your home. Why not try one? Judie Eatough is teaching Virtual weaving which is suitable for every level of weaving experience. Or, if you are looking for something really different, Lillian Whipple is only accepting 5 students into her Summer and Winter and Taquete class. Gail, you already have an 8 harness loom which is perfect for that class. Get out the sewing thread and warp it up.
Lots of choices, no schlep, no pulled back muscles. Sit with the computer on one side, the loom on the other and meet other weavers from around the world while taking a class.
And, if you have a special interest or a teacher you'd like to work with, head over to Improving Weavolution and Post a comment about what class you'd like to see on Cyber-Fiber.
Claudia, hoping for a Wave loom from Santa
Interweave offers a discount on their family of publications to guild members — a year's subscription to any one of their publications can be ordered for $19.95.
Here is the form (posted at the Mendocino Coast Handweavers' website). You can also obtain the discount by giving Interweave a call.
www.mchg.org/Interweave-Subscription-For...
Sally
(Not affiliated with either entity, just looking to renew my subscription and thought to share this info.)
There is still time if you know where to shop and what you are seeking!
Some weavers like to use ballet slippers to treadle so they can feel the treadles better. I was wondering about those "new" running shoes, called "fivefingers" by Vibram. Has anyone tried them?
Pssst! Inside scoop... what Santa does on the other 364 days of the year.
Since I'm a wood worker by heart, I made my own swift for kicks. No plans, I just looked at a few and seen how simple they are made.
enjoy ;)
