Time for a new thread - everyone has been very productive - looking forward to seein what happens in February. Rmember to post photos, tell us about projects, vent, ask questions or just hang-out. All are welcome!

Comments

Sat, 02/23/2013 - 09:19

Artistry

I'll be finishing the Delphinium , and , hopefully finishing threading the tea towels this weekend.
Sat, 02/23/2013 - 12:43

endorph

group this morning and then the rest of the weekend I am gong to try and get some weaving done. Lots of thinking about weving this week is only a minute amount of actualy weaving activity.
Sat, 02/23/2013 - 17:42

Artistry

Got the Delphinium blossom done today. 

Sat, 02/23/2013 - 17:55

ReedGuy

Very well done Cathie. Your tapestry will be a masterpiece if your not too careful. How many have you done? Is something your learning or have done for years?

Today, I'm in the shop, except for now when cooking interferes. :D Anyway, I have cut all my dowel stock for my rack and have cut 4 - 62" dowels with my Veritas jig already. I have another 17 to go. Should be done those today after dinner is over. :)

Have a good one all. Keep positive, stay focused, have fun. :)

Sat, 02/23/2013 - 19:00

Artistry

Thanks ReedGuy! This is my 20th tapestry over 4 years.however I've done 11 in the last 11 months! I am learning how to do it. I spend about 4 hrs. A day working on tapestry. I'm still a floor loom weaver, can't give up my roots:) but don't remember as much as I once did! I study tapestry pretty seriously now and take workshops when I can.I've taken one workshop from Tommye Scanlin and several from Kathe Todd-Hooker. Tapestry, I love, love, love it!
Sat, 02/23/2013 - 20:17

ReedGuy

You are very lucky or fortunate to have easy access to those venues. I'm too far from any major centre of learning. The local CC is for the trades mostly, anything on the fibre arts is 100 miles from here with expensive hotels and rentals. Plus it takes awhile to work up to any kind of seriousness and confidence after the training. And the textile industry is pretty much flat or non existant here. What was here a decade ago was a false economy created by government money. No guilds here in NB that I have ever seen on any of the website registries. The largest group of weavers near here closed up a few years ago as the folks aged and no one replaced them. I guess I am fortunate in some ways, I do not have to buy something every time I turn around. I just make it, if it's a wood product anyway. :)

I find your tapestry work very interesting.

Sat, 02/23/2013 - 20:40

ReedGuy

Finished by dowels this afternoon. Monday I'll cut the end pieces and drill holes. :)

Sat, 02/23/2013 - 22:15

Artistry

ReedGuy, wht you say about the textile industry in Canada is interesting. I'm Canadian too( well, American now ) hail from Winnipeg.( born Vancouver) Tried to get some wool several years back like the kind they make Hudson's Bay Blankets from and found many mills closed. I was so surprised and sad! I know Hudson's Bay Blankets are still being made, pricey too, but worth it! And what's going on with the Guilds? We've had the exact same thing happen some places here too. Yes, I am very fortunate.
Sat, 02/23/2013 - 22:18

endorph

Cathie - are you going to do pansies next? Or did you decide on something else? I am in a weeklong tapestry class with Joanne Hall starting on Monday - looking forward to it!
Sat, 02/23/2013 - 22:29

Artistry

Tina, Have a wonderful time during your week of Tapestry! A whole week you'll learn a lot! Do you have to travel to go to the workshop? Thanks for your complement! I don't know about the pansies. I'm going to the flower store too and seeing if anything strikes my fancy, or in other words, is there anything there I think I can do? Have Fun! How's your knitting?
Sat, 02/23/2013 - 22:41

ReedGuy

Cathie, I don't know where you would actually get the same wool as a Hudson's Bay blanket. The blankets are not made in Canada, they are made in the Uk. The wool is put through a process to deminish shrinkage and the blanket is fulled quite a bit more than we can probably accomplish without special equipment. However, Briggs and Little make blanket wool and they have blankets made from their wool. They are very cheap, I can buy them for $125. But they are light, and in one size which thay call double-queen. It is not a full queen, and they are overly long. The blanket is a finer 2-ply however than you can buy. It's the same weight as their singles (Sport), but it double plied. It would be 16 epi for a sett. You can not buy that fine from them in 2-ply. I can use their 2-plied like Softspun (less scratchy and best grade), Heritage and one other weight. I have only used Heritage and made several throws and blankets that are very nice. They feel like a heavy sleeping robe. I could curl up in a lean too with a fire and endure the biggest snow storm. :D So for me, Briggs and Little is a good source of wool for the blankets. The mill is not far from here, but I have a supplier I go to locally who is cheaper than the stores.

Sat, 02/23/2013 - 22:43

ReedGuy

Tina, have a great time with Joanne. I'm sure she is a great teacher. :)

Sat, 02/23/2013 - 23:02

ReedGuy

Here is a Briggs and Little. They are well made, but they are not heavy like a Hudson's Bay. A Hudson's Bay seems more fleece like. For a full queen in heavier weight like Heritage, I would have around $180 into the wool. In Softspun it would be around $280.

Sat, 02/23/2013 - 23:04

Artistry

The Briggs and Little looks good though, I appreciate the info about the blankets and will keep in mind about their wool.thanks!
Sat, 02/23/2013 - 23:35

endorph

the workshop is at Homestead Heritage a community just up the road from me that teaches self-sustainability. Their Fiber Crafts store is wonderful - they teach knitting, crochet, weaving and spinning there. Else where they ahve classes in sewing, bread making, cheese making, pottery, woodworking, bee keeping, gardening, animal husbandry, etc., etc. This si the second time Joanne has come down to teach. I hadn't started on the floor loom yet when she was here last spring. ReedGuy - not only is she a good teacher she is a great person too! The knitting is coming along. We usually just get together and work on individual projects but the last three times we have been working on a sweater they are thinking of doing as a class - we were the guinea pigs! I soent part of this morning helping one of the ladies figure out what she did wrong and unknitting some of her stuff and getting her stufff straightened out. Then I discovered a mistake on my sleeve that I ended up unknitting several rows. SO when I left after three hours I was about at the same place I had started at 9! But was fun and we have elevensies with wonderful homemade goodies! My goal is to get my MW warped tomorrow afternoon - at the very least I want to get the warp beamed and start threading the heddles.
Sat, 02/23/2013 - 23:53

ReedGuy

Woodworking, gardening and bread making are right up my alley. And now weaving. Yes, I have made my own bread for years. The stuff in the store is garbage (of course a biased opinion) , and I use 12 grains from a local gris mill. :)

Sun, 02/24/2013 - 14:32

Erica

After being in our new house 3 months, we finally made it to the Studio! We managed to unpack nearly very box in the studio, while TJ napped! This means the next trip to the studio we get to put together my Glimakra! Cheers, Erica
Sun, 02/24/2013 - 14:35

endorph

that is great news - looking forward to seeing projects from you!
Sun, 02/24/2013 - 14:44

endorph

got a little weaving done yesterday evening. Went back to my smaple warp to play with doing a 2/2 twill on the RH with only one heddle and one pickup stick. I had done a 3/1 twill using two heddles and I think at least one pick up stick but this was easier! Also back to playing with pinwheels a bit more. Here are pics of the twill samples I have done so far as well as the pinwheel sample after wet finishing.

Sun, 02/24/2013 - 15:05

Erica

Love the pin wheels Endorph! Those colours are fantastic together! I do have a few projects, which were finished before the move to post yet!
Sun, 02/24/2013 - 16:58

sally orgren

to participate in a special Saturday guild program on Finger Weaving. It was great. In fact, I am finding it a bit addictive! No equipment needed, it is all about color and weave effects, and efficient use of yarn. Each warp becomes the weft for one pass. Here is the third pattern we tried, the most difficult of the three. Next to my beginning band is a finished example woven by our instructor, Dee Lande.

Mon, 02/25/2013 - 02:51

endorph

Sally - took a look at what you posts in My corner of the World as well - very intersting. had a lovely dinner with Karen Isenhower - she is in town to take the weeklong tpaestry woorkshop with Joanne Hall that I am also taking. It was nice to meet a fellow Weavo member face to face. Lots of weaving planned for this week - will post photos and updates if time allows! Tina
Mon, 02/25/2013 - 05:10

loomyladi (not verified)

I love catching up on what you all have been doing. There are some beautiful projects! I've never tried my hand at tapestry, but I do love that delphenium. Perhaps some day. I've been browsing and have decided to try my hand at a bead leno scarf I came across in Handwoven. Has anyone ever done one? I tend to rebel against following patterns so want to try with tencel and I'm curious if there are any thoughts on wether the size of the bead should be relative to the size of the fiber? I have about 6" left to do on a 10' Inkle Sash. It will be done tomorrow! Hope to package and have in the mail on Tuesday so a dear friend will have it in time for Fur Rendevous in Anchorage, AK in two weeks. Night all!
Tue, 02/26/2013 - 12:44

ReedGuy

I am almost done my drying rack, just needs the ends sanded down. It'll be around 7 feet tall I think. I'll make a thread in "Home Built Equipment" some time in the next few days. I will put a load on it before I make the joints permanent, just to see how much it can stand.

Have a good evening. :)

Tue, 02/26/2013 - 02:34

endorph

drying rack ReedGuy! Survived day one of the tapestry workshop - will have to get into a different browser to post a pic so. . . that will come in the next post. Joanne is a great teacher and the class has been lots of fun so far - learning lots. And eating lots too - our communal dinner tonight was homemade chicken pot pie, a lovely tossed salad and a pineapple, mango, peach, strawberry cobbler.I am stuffed! Tomorrow we should finished our small tapestry.
Tue, 02/26/2013 - 02:38

endorph

from the workshop - one of the few times we were all concentrating hard!

Tue, 02/26/2013 - 09:15

ReedGuy

Looks like a good time, everyone is working away. :)

That dinner sounds some good. Hard work requires some good eaten. :)

Tue, 02/26/2013 - 10:27

Artistry

Tina, that looks like so much fun and what a great room for a workshop! That dinner sounds fantastic, we weavers do know how to eat well:) ReedGuy your Drying Rack looks great! I can see one of your handwoven blankets drying on it! As well as a Briggs and Little:)
Tue, 02/26/2013 - 10:34

Artistry

Today I finish my Drafting homework and go to the florist to pick out my next flower for the March Tapestry.
Tue, 02/26/2013 - 10:47

Erica

That is an impressive drying rack! Your tools are always really cool.

I'm jealous of the fun workshop photos, Endorph, and even your drafting homework, Cathie.

Cheers,

Erica

Tue, 02/26/2013 - 11:37

Artistry

Erica, I will hope that TJ will take some long naps for you, so you can weave! Oh, I've been there:)
Tue, 02/26/2013 - 12:19

endorph

room we are in Cathie is their Community Hall. The class is at a place called Homestead Heritage. Tomorrow we will move over to Fiber Crafts were the looms are set up. It is a great room - lots of space, room to get up and move around, and of cource, room for the snack and dinner tables! Have fun at the florist - after yesterdays labors I really appreciate what tapestry weavers more! You need to come over and take a class Erica! ;-)
Tue, 02/26/2013 - 15:02

loomyladi (not verified)

I'm not sure if this project is going to be what I was wanting, but it is still very interesting. This is the Warped & Twisted Scarf from May/June 2012 Handwoven. I'm using a combination of tencel, 16/1 bleached linen, and perl cotton. The warp alternates between perl cotton and the other threads warped together as a single. I'm using tencel as the weft. The weaving is slow as there is not much of a shed, but its coming along nicely.
Wed, 02/27/2013 - 00:10

sally orgren

Loomyladi, the gal who taught our guild the fingerweaving workshop first learned the technique at the Fur Trappers Rendezvous in 1984. She had a lot of great photos from several years of participating, and talked about how great teepee living was (verses sleeping in a pop-up trailer.)

Reedguy, the rack is amazing. Wished I had a woodshed out back to execute a handy new tool when the need arose. 

Endorph, that looks like a *great* turn out for a workshop!

My warp is threaded and sleyed, I just need to tension and experiment with the treadling a bit before I begin weaving the dishtowel yardage.

Tue, 02/26/2013 - 15:17

loomyladi (not verified)

Bead Leno  It's very delicate.  

Tue, 02/26/2013 - 16:05

ReedGuy

Open sett to eh? Do you measure in some way each weft section?

Wed, 02/27/2013 - 00:09

sally orgren

Thought you might want to see the size of the "lazy" shed now that the warp is under tension—slightly bigger than 1". (This is the shed formed by the threads that are not threaded on any heddles.)

I also photographed the opposing shed (lifting "everything else") and the shed is about the same size, but it falls on TOP of the highest layer of warps you see here. (The marled yarn is part of the "threaded" warp). 

The lazy warps don't seen to be sticking or riding up as much as I expected. (Yet!) I was expecting this might happen, since there is no shaft weight to hold them down. The warp is 16/2 at 30 epi, 630 warps.

I have a couple of low profile boat shuttles I plan to use with this warp. And I may resley to 36 epi once I sample.

Wed, 02/27/2013 - 00:29

ReedGuy

That's awesome. So that non threaded layer stays stationary at the centre of the reed? That makes sense though. :)

Wed, 02/27/2013 - 02:32

endorph

done with. Finished my sampler - ate lots of good food - dinner tonight was Mediterranean! Tomorrow we move onto tapestry techniques on a floor loom.

Wed, 02/27/2013 - 09:53

Artistry

LoomLadi, enjoy seeing your picture of the Bead Leno. Did you ever find out about the ratio bead size vs. fiber? Sally, very interesting project and beautiful warp! Tina, very nice sampler! I can't believe how much you got done! Don't you guys talk? Keep posting photos! Looked at Premade bouquets at the grocery store, and didn't find any flower for the next tapestry. Today, I will spring for the florist for a single stem! Fussy,fussy! Got my Drafting homework done:)
Wed, 02/27/2013 - 13:16

endorph

we definitely talk, and laugh and commiserate - but then there are those moments when the room goes quiet and you can hear the brain gears going. Unweaving was also very much in evidence on both days. As well as "how did I get in the wrong shed?" We also stop for elevensies (teas, water and snacks), and a lovely lunch! But still managed to get lots of weaving done
Thu, 02/28/2013 - 02:36

loomyladi (not verified)

I couldn't find anyone with any experience, so I just bought standard, cheap pony beads at Wal-Mart and they work fine. Had some issues with the pattern, there were some inconsistencies, but using a little common sense I was able to figure it out. While it is threaded 1234 the beads make it impossible to do a plain weave. (There's leno and a half basket weave in the scarf.) The pattern says to weave 8 picks of the basketweave at the front end and 1/2" of plainweave at the end. Oh well, all is well. It's coming along nicely.

Thu, 02/28/2013 - 03:44

endorph

workshop - Got home a few minutes ago - a bit after 9 p.m.  I am exhausted!A few of us stayted on after dinner (Italian tonight) to try and get a bit more finished on our sampler.

Thu, 02/28/2013 - 18:02

Walkingquail

class looks really fun and intensive, Endorph. You will be using the things you learn for years to come. I had the pleasure of meeting Joanne at Convergence last year and she was kind and knowledgeable. I have had a slow week. My first table runner suffered from a major mistake but I gained familiarity with using a temple. I am using my new bigger warping board to try again. Around here this time of year, the trees start blooming so my allergies start nagging but I am determined to fight the lethargy and weave on. Reed Guy, you are one heck of a builder!
Fri, 03/01/2013 - 10:03

ReedGuy

I have 3 dish cloths to finish weaving, did a runner today off that same warp from awhile back. I'm down to the last 2 yards. :)

That studio looks pretty nice endorph, no wonder the keeners stayed later to work on their projects. :)

Fri, 03/01/2013 - 03:19

endorph

is done - I am exhausted. No pictures today - too busy weaving. I only stayed until 8 this evening. Should be able to finish tomorrow morning - well, maybe by lunch or so!
Fri, 03/01/2013 - 10:07

ReedGuy

Yeah, it's dish cloths, not table cloths. LOL

Although I do have some table cloths to weave, it's not on this warp. (rolling eyes)

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