My Corner Of The World - October 2011

It's October in London, Zagreb, Auckland, and Manila!

Time for a new edition of "My Corner Of The World!"

Have a joyful day!
Franco Rios
Sacramento, Calif, USA

Independence Day
Cyprus
Nigeria
Palau

International Day for the Elderly
International

National Day
China
Hong Kong

National Day of the People's Republic of China
Macau

P.R. China's Birthday
China

Stone Fishing Ceremony
French Polynesia

Tuvalu Day (Independence Day)
Tuvalu

Unification Day
Cameroon

International Raccoon Appreciation Day
International

International Music Day
International

See Earth Calendar for Holidays
http://www.earthcalendar.net/_php/lookup...

Have a good day!

...and don't forget Halloween!  (Not a bank holiday, but one of the most -celebrated holidays in the year!)

Here's what just came off my loom (click to see it up close):

It's made with a knitted blank, dyed and unraveled for weft, woven with a pattern of maple leaves, and then overdyed with fiber-reactive dyes to dye the silk warp but not the wool weft (giving contrast to the leaves).

It's one panel of fabric for a coat, which I plan to title "Autumn Splendor".

also brings in fall harvests, changing colors on the trees and here in Texas the possibility of cooler weather.

Tien, your panel is beautiful can't wait to see the finished coat.

Tina

Just did a blog post about a 'refinement' in my shuttle holding/throwing that I haven't shared anywhere before

http://laurasloom.blogspot.com

And wondering where the promised sunshine for today disappeared.  :(

cheers,

Laura

(pic from tutorial doc)

Loop Braiding Tutorial by Ingrid Crickmore

The Braid Society (UK) has posted a new tutorial for the month of October on the Braids and Bands yahoogroup.
You will need to register onto the yahoogroup to access the files. Registration is free.

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/braids_...

The tutorial PDF files have been uploaded to the group Files area by Ingrid Crickmore. If you ever wanted to try your hand at loop braiding this is a golden opportunity to learn from one of the rock stars of fiber arts. Ingrid has been exploring and teaching braiding for years. Her plain speaking style will cover all your questions and she has included plenty of pictures for visual learners which includes a lot of fiber artists. Her tutorials also include instructions for left handers. That rocks!

There will be additional braid instructions posted during the month as people progress in their braiding practice, working up from 2 loop braids, 4 loop, 6 loop, 8 loop, then finally a 3 loop square braid.

You can read Ingrid's introduction at the group
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/braids_...

You can view more of Ingrid Crickmore's work at her blog
http://loopbraider.wordpress.com

Also visit The Braid Society website
www.braidsociety.com

Have a good day!
Franco Rios
Sacramento Calif.

I survived!  8 hours is a lot of time to spend in boots without gel
insoles, but I made it.  Managed to exit without spending more than I
should.  I'm sure glad I drug (dragged?) out all my stored winter
clothes so I could wear wool!  Could have used 1 more layer though...

Every year this event gets bigger.  The Skein, Garment & Fiber Arts competition had nearly twice as any entries as last year, and that one looked like the biggest ever!  I've got to get busy.  I could sure use some of those prizes!

I'm sitting at a Mcdonalds waiting for a friend who's going with me today--we're on a fabric-seek mission--some for windows, some for rag rugs, some for who-knows-what!

and I'm dressing a couple of looms.  My Leclerc Fanny has another placemat warp going on to it - and this warp empties the box.  So nice to see that box of stuff gone!

On this sunny day I'm headed up to the guild room to dress a loom for a new weaver.  She's taking part in the guild friendship coverlet project but needs help dressing the loom.

cheers,

Laura

Enjoying the first rain and the almost freezing temperatures. The tomatoes survive to maybe ripen a few more fruits and fire season is officially over here. Firewood season fast approching!

I'm reworking my toddler dress for weavers who wanted a pattern. The original used three sizes of loom but I am trying to make it using just one for weavers who are not married to the loom maker. ;-)

And we are getting ready to leave for the new fiber show in Monroe, Washington. If you are able to attend, do come by and see us. http://www.fiberfusion.net/fiberfusion/H...

I hope you and your friend found a lot. Cheryl and I went the first day. Cheryl got 35 pounds and two 5x7 rugs. I also got 16 pounds of cotton to ship to a rag rug maker in MI.

Saturday lunch! Nathan's Hot Dog on toasted bun with excellent cheddar melt! Sour cream and onion flavored chips on the side.
It's a good day!

I'm in count down mode for the first craft fair of the season, the last weekend of October.  Today I'm finishing off the last of the place mat warps and running shawls through the washer/dryer so I can go pressing tomorrow.  

Autumn is well advanced here - the trees will soon be naked - and the days are getting much shorter.  Fortunately today we have a little sunshine.  :)

cheers,

Laura

here in Central Texas and it is wonderful. after months and months of unbearable heat and no rain I will not complain about a grey and wet day. In fact I am excited that its supposed ot be this wa y tomorrow too - besides with the cooler temps I can pretend it really is fall!

I'm just home to Texas from Taos and had to drive thru rain, no complaints here. Busily unpacking my indigo and lichen dye samples from the workshops offered by Earth Palette Natural Dye seminar sponsored by Taos Wool Festival. Color!

I would gladly trade you some of your heat and dry for some of our (excessive this year) wet and cool.  :(

At least the cool day made pressing for nearly 3 hours bearable.  :)

cheers,

Laura

During the past week Cheryl and I went to an historic site in SC to work on a old barn loom. The loom had a number of problems, as you can see from the picture one big problem was the warp was coming off the bottom of the warp beam. we pull off the warp and wound it back on over the top. When we left the loom was working ok. The loom had a very narrow warp which was causing problems with the heddle bars. What it needed was a few support threads farther out to give the heddle bars support. Thank Sara for telling me this trick a few months ago.

Michael

Here in Bodø winter is breathing against our neck, The mountains have a decorative layer of snow on the tops, and we plan to change to winter tyres next week. Tomorrow I and my husband will go to Denmark till next sunday, and as Denmark is 2000 km further south, we hope for a bit warmer climate. We are going to have a look at a house, that we are considering buying. I plan to retired in two years time, and we might move to Denmark after that. Buying a house now might give us problems during the next two winters, and that could stop the whole thing. But anyway, we will have a few days to relax ang walk in the wonderful forest Tisvilde hegn.

Today is Thanksgiving Day and where I live autumn is well advanced.  The mountain ash hang on to their leaves longer than some of the other trees, which are already bare or nearly.

After I took the picture of the mountain ash the skies clouded over and it started to rain.  A good day to stay in the studio!  So I threaded the AVL for more tea towels.  :)

cheers,

Laura

...although I think they are trying mightly!

I'll be coordinating a meet up at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival this Saturday, 11-1, in Rhinebeck New York. If it's sunny, look for me basking in the open space near "area 13" with the Weavo signs. If windy and cloudy, we'll be under the cover of the trees by the benches near the independent food vendors. 

If you are participating in Halloweave, this is a *great* chance to come and share your October challenge with others. I hope to see you there!

Sally

up some of the shawls and scarves I wove this summer.  

These two stacks are ready for their hang/care tags and prices.  Craft fairs start in two weeks (and continue for 4 weekends in a row).

cheers,

Laura

Boy Laura, you sure have been busy!

The colors look so nice all in a pile.

Sharon Carey

I have been on a *serious* stash busting effort.  :)  Besides, needed some new stuff for my booth.

cheers,

Laura

I don't know the name of this flower, but it looks like it was made with yarn. It's about 4 inches across. I just saw it growing on a low vine.

Have a good day!

Franco this is a purple passionflowe, they grow wild in the SE US.

Passiflora incarnata, commonly known as Maypop, Purple passionflower, True passionflower, Wild apricot, and Wild passion vine, is a fast growing perennial vine with climbing or trailing stems. A member of the passionflower genus Passiflora, the Maypop has large, intricate flowers with prominent styles and stamens. One of the hardiest species of passionflower, it is a common wildflower in the southern United States. The Cherokee in the Tennessee area called it ocoee; the Ocoee River and valley are named after this plant, which is the Tennessee State Wildflower. The stems can be smooth or pubescent; they are long and trailing, possessing many tendrils. Leaves are alternate and palmately 3-lobed, measuring from 6-15 cm. They have two characteristic glands at the base of the blade on the petiole. Flowers have five bluish-white petals. They exhibit a white and purple corona, a structure of fine appendages between the petals and corolla. The large flower is typically arranged in a ring... 

http://myfolia.com/plants/1127-maypop-passiflora-incarnata

Hi Franco & Friends  I have been keeping my eyes open for Weaving and Fiber in Real Life- Here is what i have seen lately..

A floor lamp with the shade made of slik cocoons,

a basket chair handwoven in the Phillipines,

and a handbag

by Be Inthavong, the warp is slik and the weft is platinum metallic leather, sliced into 1/8" strips.  The weaving is done on silk looms in Laos, and the bags are assembled in NYCl

Thank you Michael.

It's beautiful. I don't recall ever seeing this before. This one was growing in downtown Sacramento along the sidewalk.

I posted this picture on FB and I was told about passion flowers. Beside being pretty, there is edible fruit (a bonus!) and it has medicinal properties.

I like it!

Have a good day!

EDITED TO ADD: Now I have this old jazz tune going in my head and I can't find it on youtube. Lyrics are something like "So long baby kiss me goodbye, Kiss your passion flower goodbye"

Found it! Stoneground - Passion Flower

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QGIif4bDKU

Ms Thimble,

I like the silk! More!

Have a good day!

We have sold some reeds to the NY folks.  They have a weaver there who does the designing, weaving with the leather on Glimakra looms.  Once designed, they have them woven, but I did not know where they had them woven.  It is interesting that we both are familiar with them.

Joanne

... called Gold Rush... brings close to 200,000 people to our little town.  

Here in the high mountains of Idaho I am waiting for 20 tons of hay for winter feed. It is pouring rain, so wet hay in the barn. As I can not hide out in my studio today. Hand whipping lace in the house.

Wet hay in your barn can lead to a barn fire. 

......The storage of wet hay is the most common cause of hay fires. When the crop is stored wet, microbial action can generate internal bale temperatures well above 150 degrees, says Ohio State forage agronomist Mark Sulc. "After a certain point of heating from the mold growth, other chemical reactions begin to take place, and it raises the heat to a point where the hay can burn," he says.

In general, hay is considered too wet for storage if moisture levels are higher than 20 percent in small rectangular bales, higher than 18 percent in large round bales, and higher than 16 percent in large square bales. http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/aganswers/story.asp?storyID=1741

Michael

Farmer, former VO-AG teacher & fire Lt., 14 years Woodville Vol FD. retired

you're a great source of information.

Alaa

This month, thanks to the kindness, generosity and limitless patience of Norma Smayda, founder of the Saunderstown Weaving School in Rhode Island, I'm weaving one of Weaver Billy Rose's overshot patterns on the loom he built for himself, probably in the 1890s.  As a largely self-taught home weaver, I'm awed by the man and the loom, but also by Norma, the place, and the many people weaving there.  Color me most fortunate!

Judith MacKenzie says we stand on the shoulders of giants.  What a nice history connection.  :)

cheers,

Laura

Got the blue warp off last night - tea towels are in the dryer and will be pressed tomorrow.  Next warp (beiges) ready to be rolled onto the loom.  Hoping to start weaving next week - busy day tomorrow - we'll see how far I get dressing the loom over the weekend.

Hope everyone is finding time for their Halloweave dares.

cheers,

Laura

OK I had to look that up. I put it on our list of songs to learn.  Sounds pretty rock and roll easy singing.  Just right for my trio "Chicken Babies"

Thanks Franco!

I love that line "Wake up, daddy, kiss me goodbye" Total female empowerment.

If you like that song "Passion Flower", look up "Lynne Hughes" on youtube for other songs she wrote.

Have a good day!

Well, the forecast has the sn*w word in it for Wed.  Hope that reminds people to come to the craft fairs (starting here this weekend) and that they need a new scarf or shawl to stave off the cold.

I've spent much of the afternoon putting hang/care tags and prices on the textiles I got finished and begun packing them up into boxes.

The picture below is just some of what I got done today.  :)

cheers,

Laura

Mckinley Park - This is the wooden play structure that is considered "the best" by parents and young children. People travel from miles around to have their children play here. Here are the "lion fish" sculptures which are part of the play area.

There are wood ducks on the nearby duck pond.

Here's a handsome male wood duck.

Have a good day!

Franco Rios

Sacramento, Calif.

Beautiful! Thanks for shareing.

marlene

October is almost over, its been busy couple of months since I posted last. I left one job and am finally getting settled in another. Now in Florida the weather has turned wonderful so cool in the morning, such a welcome relief after the hot humid summer. We are planning a wedding in June for my son. I have a long warp on my loom, doing towels for Christmas and maybe for the towel exchange. Wish I could participated in the Halloweave but just did not work out this year, but I know what I will tackle next year.

A few of those ducks look like a couple of my wood decoy duck collection.

Well, today was a fantastic day! I got to weave on a floor loom for the very first time. What a thrill it was for me!

I sure had fun! Now, back to my rigid heddle ... at least for now ...

Wood Decoy vs Wood Duck

Interesting concept!
Have a good day!

The predicted sn*w did not arrive - yet - but it's looking downright dreary out there.  :(  Getting ready for the first craft fair this weekend.  Need more boxes and then pricing and packing will re-commence.  But first, lunch with a weaving buddy.  

cheers,

Laura

Franco's "passion flower" inspired me to take a break from my loom and go and take a photo of this nasturtium in my garden before frost arrives anyday now...

Eva Stossel :)

I took on a UFO — I am in the throes of weaving off at least 13 different overshot placemats. Each color represents a different participant in a guild exchange. We have a guild sale coming up in mid-November, so for the two members who did not fulfill their obligation, their now-completed sets may be offered at the sale. In case this sounds harsh, I should point out the original participants have had nearly 3 years to complete their assignment, and our poor exchange coordinator is getting tired of having unfinished projects pile up each year. She does an excellent job for the guild, so I want to support her as much as possible. I would like to make sure the 90% who DID fulfill their obligation on time, end up with a complete set of eight placemats, so members will have confidence in exchanges and continue to participate. For new weavers, they are especially terrific learning opportunities.

In case you didn't already guess, the theme was overshot/float work, and I am weaving an "Unnamed" pattern from the Bertha Gray Hayes book. (I *love* that book!)

It's snowing profusely, so it is a perfect weekend to be at the looms.

Sally