Whew!

In the past few weeks I have finished the Tencel scarves on the 8 shaft loom and the glasses cases on the 4 shaft loom so that I could weave fabric for my entry for this year's Sheep Show in Bendigo - that's about 25 meters altogether

The Tencel scarves were a success and have the expected drape and shine – I do wish that I could take photos that do them justice.

Based loosely on scarves in Handwoven March/April 2006, and with a silver grey warp, there was one in pink,

probably my favourite,

one in slate with diamonds

and one in greyed teal with waves.

The warp on the 4 shaft loom – a weft faced plain weave for glasses cases – was inspired by the distinctive stitching on cricket balls and I couldn’t come up with a better name for it than ‘Cricket Tragic’. 

Hopefully some of the finished cases will become gifts for Fathers’ Day, celebrating on the first Sunday in September in Australia.

I’ve been to the Hawthorn Makers Market in June and July with reasonable to good sales.  It really seems to be settling down well back in its original location.  Even better they've finally finished adding an air look to the door where all the cold air was getting in on cold days, and that door is closer to the carpark than the one we've been using the past few months.  Much appreciated when moving out at the end of a long day.

My entry for the Sheep Show is still under wraps but was finished and delivered to the pick-up point at the Guild with at least 45 minutes to spare.  I managed to catch a cold that turned into laryngitis a couple of weeks ago.  I had no voice at all so couldn’t work but felt well enough to stay home and weave, maybe not such a bad thing

Next weekend is both the Sheep Show and the annual optometry conference and trade show and I really want to go to both – why does everything happen on the same week end?

Helen

One out of two is OK

It’s easy to have delusions about the time needed and available to complete projects.

I was sure that I had plenty of time to complete a ‘hand woven article’ – HWA - and a ‘hand woven garment’ – HWG - before the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show so entered both.

As usual, life intervened in the form of full time work to say nothing of the very early arrival of winter, making weaving at night in the garage particularly uninviting.

At the week end sanity prevailed. The HWG was well under way but the HWA was struggling – fine wool yarn, double weave, breaking ends, weird things happening in the layer I couldn’t see and unevenly hand dyed yarn producing a lot of unplanned stripes.  I realised that I had at least 16 hours of work to do but only 11 hours of spare time available so I made the sensible decision, took my time to finish the HWG properly and it was delivered with at least an hour to spare. 

About this time I read Tien’s blog and could really relate when she talked about ‘the gap between what your mind can envision and what your hands can create’

The HWA was nowhere near what I had envisaged.  I had made a sample scarf in the same design and yarn without any dramas but on the table loom.  I thought it would be easier to weave on the floor loom and it was as there were only 4 different picks.  Maybe the floor loom was the problem, putting more stress on the fine yarns.  I will sort out the HWA when the weather is a little warmer.  There are 2 scarves on the loom, the first one will be sample 2, I think the second one may work with a different weft yarn – or might turn out to be sample 3.

Other things have been more successful.  Before I could start weaving for Bendigo, I finished the rainbow painted Tencel which had been on the loom for far too long. 

I've ended up with a panel to put in a garment and 2 scarves, all in variations of plaited twill. Here it is in all its rainbow goodness and I've even managed to capture the sheen of the Tencel in some of the photos.

And I just looked at the Woolcraft catalogue – the HWG, now properly identified as a jacket, has been placed first in its section.  Here are a couple of progress shots, I always roll my hand woven fabrics on to a cardboard roll before I cut them out, that way I can almost convince myself that they are 'store bought' and that cutting into them will be easy.

More about that and the Sheep Show next time

Helen

Just a little bit obsessive

Last post I said I was having a clear out of excess paper and I’m pleased to report that I finished the shredding, cleaned up almost every last piece of shredded paper, a few are still appearing, and sorted my back issues of Handwoven so they now have their very own book shelf.  It might look obsessive but it’s really good to be able to put my hand on the issue of Handwoven I want.  There are still a few missing, hiding in various piles of books around the house but they will turn up eventually and be restored to their rightful place.

My warping mill is having a holiday with weaving friend W who wound half a warp, ran out of yarn and is waiting for the rest in a parcel that the post office has misplaced.  Rather than disturb the part wound warp, I have been working my way through the warps lurking at the back of the cupboard.  They’re the ones where inspiration hits, a warp is wound, more inspiration hits, another warp is wound and somehow makes its way on to the loom ahead of the already wound warps.  I’m sure I’m not the only weaver with this problem.

So far I’ve found and woven a dyed cotton warp for glasses cases, they might look finished but still need to be lined.

The painted tencel warp which was on my loom on January 1 is now finished, I'm very happy with the result but frustrated that I can’t seem to capture the sheen of the tencel in any of the photos.

I also found a wool warp, originally planned as men’s scarves about 6 years ago.  On closer inspection it’s really a bit heavy for scarves but I think it has potential for covers for bolster cushions so that’s the current plan and it’s now on the 4 shaft floor loom in a straightforward if somewhat muted, log cabin.

There has even been some progress on the 8 shaft loom, not sure why it’s been sitting there for so long as it’s very simple weaving, simply treadles 1 through to 10 following each other.  The stripes are 5 shaft satin so this is the wrong side and this right side is still hiding under the beam but it’s progress.

Even though it’s the middle of Summer, the weather hasn’t been really hot so I hope to get a some more done while the good weaving weather holds.  There are plenty of warps in the cupboard and if I happen to need to refer to Handwoven that’s not a problem

Helen