Because we're three days into September and nobody's started a new thread yet...I did!

My big news for the week is...I HAVE A PUBLISHER!!! I just got a contract from Schiffer Publishing for my book, now retitled "Dream It, Make It! Design Strategies for Crafting Masterpieces". I had just finished the revised proposal and sent it to them...didn't hear back for a week...was a bit worried and then yesterday, bam! a contract arrives on my doorstep.

I still need to discuss some items with them, but I'm super psyched.

And, in other news, I have now finished sleying all 2800 threads. I am now working on getting the two warps properly lined up and tied on, a process which promises to be both complicated and tedious. There are color changes that need to be lined up, plus the warp is not perfectly aligned coming off the warp beam, so I need to tie on, roll the warp forward to get to the place where it is coming off the warp beam evenly, and then roll it back. And then line up the two warps so the color changes line up correctly. I expect it will take me a few days to make that work.

And what are the rest of you up to?

Comments

Walkingquail

I love weaving books so I am sure yours will make it to my shelves.

I haven't written in so long, months, I believe. I have been very weaverly that's for sure! I was very successful in my stint as a guest artist in a co op gallery I used to belong to as a painter. Not tons of money mind you but I feel I sold well. I participated in another one day artists mart and did Ok but not great, just not enough people coming through. I have applied to sell at our year round farmers' market as a holiday crafter. Hopefully that will be fun and show some profit. My husband can help me set up and then do our produce shopping! I live in California and we have produce year round although sometimes that means citrus and chard in January. Hopefully it will rain this December but not on market day!! It's a busy market even in winter.

Well, I'd better try to get some sleep, busy mind tonight.

Walkingquail

I love weaving books so I am sure yours will make it to my shelves.

I haven't written in so long, months, I believe. I have been very weaverly that's for sure! I was very successful in my stint as a guest artist in a co op gallery I used to belong to as a painter. Not tons of money mind you but I feel I sold well. I participated in another one day artists mart and did Ok but not great, just not enough people coming through. I have applied to sell at our year round farmers' market as a holiday crafter. Hopefully that will be fun and show some profit. My husband can help me set up and then do our produce shopping! I live in California and we have produce year round although sometimes that means citrus and chard in January. Hopefully it will rain this December but not on market day!! It's a busy market even in winter.

Well, I'd better try to get some sleep, busy mind tonight.

ReedGuy

A day late, a dime short as to a new daily thread. ;)

Great news tien, another weave/design book. :)

No weaving here, just buying.

Artistry

You Go Girl ! Tien , what fantastic news , I can't wait to get my hands on your red hot book! I'm going to our first Guild meeting of the year, should be inspirational, and great to see old friends after summer holidays. Will be starting the calculations for the painted warp double weave this p.m. Or tom. A.m. The hardest and most fun(!) will be doing some precise color dyeing trying to match dye color to water colors that I used in the design. Will pull out my Munsell Color Chart for this. I've got some sort of infection in my jar or ear, yuk, see the Dr. this p.m.:(

endorph

for starting the thread - it totally slipped my mind! And congratulations on the publisher and the progress on your warp - I am looking forward to seeing you progress on both fronts.

Cathie - hope the infection is not anything serious.

Reedguy - I think buying can be very weaverly - :)

Nice to see you back Walkingquail

 

theresasc

Congradulations on the new book - how exciting for you, and for all us other weavers!  Gotta love a new book.

Artistry

Thanks for the get well Tina. Found out I've got an infection in the lymph nodes should be cleared up in a couple of days. Today I'm going through all my Double weave books and start making a plan:) Determining the size of my silk and sett, first! I think I'll also do a little tapestry :)

ReedGuy

Get well soon.

Just doing some catching up..

tommye scanlin

... as in down my back steps at the studio yesterday afternoon.

Luckily I didn't go face forward in a tumble but my feet went, zip, quite cartoon like, I'm sure, out from under me and I went down on my back.  I've got a pretty substantial owie across my lower back from my impact on the step that's going to turn into a wicked bruise in a day or so... but thank God, nothing was broken--as in my spine or hip!

Weaving pace has slowed somewhat but I'm still able to sit at the loom for awhile each day.  My goal of finishing the stones tapestry is still mid-Sept.

Tommye

tien (not verified)

Sorry to hear that, Tommye! But I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt. Looking forward to seeing the stones tapestry when you finish! It has been fascinating watching it develop on your blog.

Artistry

Tommye, Those falls just happen in a spilt second! I'm glad you're o.k.. I've spent a pleasant day reading Doubleweave on Four to Eight Shafts by Ursina Arn - Grischott. Trying to find Double weave by Jennifer Moore, It's lurking around my studio somewhere, lol, definitely not on the bookshelf! All very weaverly:)

ReedGuy

Not a pleasant experience I'm sure.

sally orgren

Beamed and tensioned tonight. Finally! Now to wind some bobbins and pirns and get busy weaving!

Artistry

Good Sally! Oh why, can't I find my Moore Book? Where is it hiding?

ReedGuy

I just ordered a couple used weaving books online. One on lace and the other on coverlets. Both out of print.

 

Artistry

Nice buy:) Still looking for good ol' Jennifer Moore's book..........driving me a little crazy?

endorph

out to my knitting Saturday group - it is held where I take weaving classes so weaving  reminders will be all around me.

So glad you didn't break anything Tommye - those falls can be scary quick - take care of yourself -

Cathie -- I am visualizing the book in my mind and sending find thoughts your way - :)

 

pammersw

Tommye, I had a fall similar to that, only outside, more than a year ago. My tailbone still gets achy sometimes if I am putting pressure on it, sitting up in bed! I hope you heal better!

 

theresasc

I was able to get a project posted.  I finished up a shawl last week.  I was going to give it as a gift, but I am so pleased with how it came out, I think that it just might stay home with me.  That seems to have happened with a couple of things that I wove this year, I am not used to weaving for myself:-)

I also had a "duh" moment.  I figured out why I could not post a project, I had put an apostrophe in a name on a picture and the system did not like it, so I have been able to post the kitchen set that was giving me trouble as well.

Artistry

Thereasc, The Kitchen Set is really nice. Ordered a new copy of Doubleweave. Tina thanks for sending good " finding thoughts" my way, that's always good. I remembered taking a workshop from Paul O'Connor and dusted of his well worn book. Turns out to be an oldie but goodie ( I should have remembered) Loom-Controlled Double Weave From The Notebook of a Double Weaver. Published 1992 . I took the workshop from him around then. He was a great guy, a retired chemistry teacher who took up a second career , weaving. So Today more reading then the samples, yay! P.s. I feel a whole lot better after taking the antibiotics, still hanging at home though:)

ReedGuy

Yes, special characters can cause troubles on internet links. A space gets replaced with %20, so now the link is broken because the name changed.

Erica J

I combined weaving and training today while TJ was napping. I started again on my taquete sampler, broke a fon of threads, fixed the threads, and tried agin. I think I might just have it now,  but I still need to investigate English sources on Taquete and Samitum on the drawloom.

I also wove a sample on the mohair warp in basket ewave.Everytime, I think that warp just needs to be cut off, I think of 3 more thigns I want to try first! :)

I have finished 2 bouts of warp out of 13 for my next twill cloth.

I put my spurt of inspiration down to what you all have shared!

Artistry

Erica, You've been busy! I finished reading the 2 Doubleweave books. Now it's a decision as to weather I will use a stitched Doubleweave or blocks. I'm going to do a sample on cotton first. I 've done the techniques before,but it's been awhile and not with a painted warp. "Use it or lose it" they say. So I'm winding the cotton warps tomorrow , no biggie, and probably will get some dye auxiliaries ready. Have to clean the house, Ed and the boys (Greg and Ian ) plus Ian's girlfriend went whitewater rafting.the Gulley. Come home tomorrow night. Ian, wants to look at my mother's and grandmother's rings, which I told him he could when the time came......I guess the time has come. And I love her:)

Erica J

How exciting Cathie! You have to keep us posted on the doubleweave and the ring!

Artistry

Thanks Erica! Doubleweave warps coming up!

pammersw

How very cool, Cathie! I would have loved a family ring, but none has ever been offered to me. 

Artistry

I hope Ian sees something his girlfriend will like. This would make my mother so happy! They have a camping/ couch crashing trip starting Nov., bet he pops the question then:) I have a daughter too, but she has lots of stuff. Winding cotton warps.

tien (not verified)

I have been debugging my 2800-thread warp - over 13 hours already and I still have 5 or 6 hours or so to go, I suspect. Fixed the tension issues, corrected the threading and sleying errors, found and fixed the threads that broke during all of the above, now weaving plain weave while trying to figure out why some threads on the right side are sticking to each other (and the rest are not). After I have things set up to weave flawless plain weave, I'll set up and fiddle with the auto-advance. And once that's done, I'll knit up a blank on the knitting machine, unravel and weave it, and figure out the conversion between rows of knitting and woven picks.

And THEN...I'll knit up another two blanks, dye them, and weave a sample in the shadow weave pattern. And after that I will FINALLY be ready to weave the cloth.

My goal is to be done debugging sometime this week, and to be weaving honest to goodness usable cloth by the end of September.

This has been a very time-consuming warp - I just hope the results come out as spectacular as I hope!

sally orgren

Despite being gone a good chunk of the weekend and participating in a 5K on Sunday, I wove off 2 towels and started on the third by air time for Masterpiece Theater last night. I am considering upping my standard yardage to 10 or 12 yards (from 8).

Last week, a guild mate handed me a smaller Schacht EFS that she wanted me to try. I have to say, it weaves like magic, and is perfect for this narrower (24") warp at 36 epi. I like my big AVL's a lot, but they don't work well on narrower warps. I was eyeing Tien's BB EFS at Convergence. When I was buying EFS, I don't remember the smaller sizes of EFS with Honex boxes (or similar) being available. I am going to finish this warp before I return this shuttle. I appreciate her giving me the opportunity to try it tremendously!

Also, I am excited to be attending the Coverlet College at the National Museum of the American Coverlet Sept 27-28. (I heard about it thru SS&D.) Up in Lowell, I purchased the Speck Draft Book(s) at the Textile Museum, so I am looking forward to learning more about coverlets. I feel I only have very basic knowledge about them. The museum is about an hour and a half west of York, PA on the turnpike. Hey, anyone want to join me? (Scroll to the bottom of this link to see the list of topics and presenters.)

http://www.coverletmuseum.org/events.htm

tien (not verified)

Hi Sally,

The Bluster Bay with Honex tensioning end feed shuttles are pretty new - I think they made their debut at ANWG last year. If you want to try one before buying, I can loan you one by mail - just PM me with your address. I have and use the Schacht EFS as well - they are very slightly (1/8") lower in profile. My main beef with the Schacht shuttles is that the chisel tip plus relatively soft wood means mine get nicked up with incredible speed. The Bluster Bay shuttles are mostly made of much harder woods and are more durable, plus the bullnose construction means less abrasion against the reed. I still have two Schacht EFS but use them only rarely.

ReedGuy

I'm tired already tien. :D

Hope all goes well. ;)

endorph

you Reedguy - I was tired just reading Tien's post! Can't wait to see the weaving.

Sethwoman

I decided to buy an 8 shaft Julia.  Looking forward to working with a counter balance loom instead of the jack looms that I have worked with in the past.  I am also curious about how I'll get on with the adjustable beater.   

I am a relatively new weaver at less than two years, so I feel that I haven't settled into the type or style of loom that will completly synch with me.  Maybe the Julia will be the one.

ReedGuy

I think Julia is countermarch, according to their site. Maybe you meant sinking shed, as opposed to jack looms being rising shed.

Artistry

Sethwoman, I hope you enjoy your new loom and it is the one for you! Replaced my Jennifer Moore book, nice to have her back again! However I'm getting myself so confused as to how to paint this 8 shaft Doubleweave to my design, I need to stop fussing and just do it! I got my sample warps wound yesterday, So hopefully today or Friday I can paint them, this will be fun! Thursday is Tapestry day, thank goodness, I sort of know what I'm doing with that project:) I love hearing about everyone's projects! Especially Tien's details, I think wow you go girl and I feel inspired to get off my rump and work, because experimentation is what's it all about for me!

Thor (not verified)

Been keeping my promise to visit & explore Weavolution daily...even if it is at 1 a.m. I am being inspired. I finished measuring my warp and have it in the raddle waiting to be beamed. A student is coming over this afternoon for a beginner lesson so once we get his project measured, we will wind on both our warps as a team. He gets to do it twice & I get an extra pair of hands. I had a mini-Eureka moment this morning. Simple, really - but amazing how freeing. I have been struggling with a guild challenge. Every attempt to create gets thwarted by the delicate reality of the fiber I selected. Clearly, I did not have my head on straight when I embarked on this challenge. Bottom line, it occurred to me this morning that I was so focused on doing it one way (which wasn't working) and I had excluded other paths. The lightbulb has finally illuminated just how narrow my mind has been in considering design possibility. And isn't possibility GLORIOUS! Like the promise of Spring. So, I completely turned my notions of working with this fiber upside-down and started laughing when I could envision it coming together nicely now. Months of gnawing at it and in a moment...resolution! I think I'm blithering.

theresasc

It is so fun to read about everyone's projects and especially new looms!  I love bringing a new-to-me loom home.  I have had to put the breaks on that kind of behavior since I decided that my weaving loft is full. 

I have started winding a color and weave warp and it is a color change every 1, 2, or 3 ends.  Need a break from it, maybe I will go and beat on a rug for awhile.  Take out all those color changes on my rag rug!

endorph

away Thor - that's why we are here to share those eureka moments!

So the dog warp is coming off the RH loom this evening - I cut off the woven part earlier and now to remove the remain warp. Some will be salvedged the rest will get thrown away. I am going to put a warp of 8/2 cotton on the loom and make some towels using a boucle cotton for weft.

The MW will get a warp of 16/2 cotton for some fancier towels. I am just going to do a straight 1 - 4 threading and play with plain weave, lace weaves and maybe some twills. Both of these are projcts that I can work on as the spirit moves me.

Erica J

Sethwoman,

I love my Glimakra. I am sure you will love your Julia. The hanging beater and countermarchd changed my weaving life. I know jack looms are fairly standard in the US, but I can not phathom going back to a jack loom! 

Tien, as always, I love your updates and wish you the best in your current endeavors! Can't wait to see your progress!

Thor, it is great to see you here, and around the site more often!

Well back to troubleshooting of my own! Wish us luck!

sally orgren

I'd love to take you up on your offer, but I fear I am going to finish this warp within a day or two! Can I take a raincheck?

I am on towel 4 of 6. It's going too fast!!! (When have you ever heard a weaver say THAT of a 36 epi warp?)

Let me see what project is going to happen next and get back to you, so I don't have a valuable shuttle on loan, lying idle. I would love to try it on a similar warp and width as this one, for apples-to-apples. I just need to plan something first! 

I appreciate your letting one leave your hands. I said the same thing to my guild mate who loaned me her Schacht—when we talked Monday night, my first question to her was, "When do you want it back?!"

sally orgren

"Go to bed with a dream, wake up with a plan."

;-)

Artistry

Sally , I love it! Thor, Love it too!

Walkingquail

I have been reading that Moore book lately. I am pretty sure that my confusion will lift somewhat when I actually try weaving the sampler. My brain starts to get it and then, it's gone! So Cathie I am glad you ordered a new copy of the book. You can help me have courage.

Tien, your current project sounds like it will be amazing. When non-weavers ask about the process I will think of the complicated dressing you are doing and tell them a much simpler version of how we weavers create this magic! Well, back to my wool shawl.

Artistry

I know you are all waiting with baited breath :) Ian choose a ring ! Oh this iS a weaving thread! I have realized that with my 8 shaft DW , because the design is in some places blocky and in other places flowy, (hence the painted warp) that it will be tricky to paint. Upper layer and lower layer threads in some areas will be painted differently, plus the A block and B block will be painted differently. EXTRA strong coffee ! I better take my own advice,eh?

endorph

weaving thread or not - which ring did he pick?

And my eyes cross just thinking about your DW project

tien (not verified)

Oh, sure. Just let me know when you would like to try it out. I don't need it back in a huge rush - I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I have SIX of them (yes, I like them THAT much!). Just because they're so beautiful, and because maybe someday I'll try a six-shuttle weave? :-)

Artistry

Lol, wait' 'till I tell you! I hope the others can bare it! I'll make it short. It was one of my mother's ( she passed 3 yrs.ago) , it was a cocktail ring. So rather loud and big. But she wore it constantly, she could pull it off. she gave it to me a long time ago , saying I hope you'll find someway to enjoy this, maybe take the center diamond out and make a necklace? So that's what Ian's going to do, take the center D. Out( which is exquisite ) and have a ring made for Erin :) Walkingquail, It's SO good to have you hanging around again!

Walkingquail

Cathie, a grandmother's diamond is a very nice choice. I have my Mother's rings and my sister has my grandmother's. I know this will be shocking to some but I like the variety of wearing many different rings for my wedding ring! One good husband is enough for me but I like to mix it up for the wedding ring and have even bought myself simple bands. Sorry if I offend anyone. I like visual variety, I guess that's why I like so many colors, so many yarns!

Thanks for the greetings, Cathie!

 

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