The Upside of Warping and A Little Side Trip

Is there really a downside? I think not, unless your name is Kerry and you get a sack full of email from me before 7:00 AM.

She gets all those emails because when I'm warping, and there are no distractions, I get a great deal of quality thinking time in. And I'm a morning person. We're deep in the planning phase for our fall Overshot class (8 weeks) and the two summer workshops we'll be doing - Dyeing (1 day) and Rag Rugs (two weekends).

I'm winding warp for the Fall 2013 Overshot class. We want samples of the project students will be doing and we need something to photograph for the catalog. The project is textile-based, in that they will weave two 22" square sections of overshot as pillow covers, or one 44"x 22" as a runner or for any other use they'd like.

It took me a little time to realize that I don't necessarily need to have an immediate purpose for the fabric I'm weaving. It's fabric. I can use it in just about any way I want (a million variables not withstanding). Liberating my design process to encompass the world of FABRIC and TEXTILE instead of limiting it to SCARF or RUNNER can be very exciting.

http://peggyosterkamp.com/gallery/
One of my favorite authors and weaving gurus. Peggy makes ethereal textiles in silk.

http://www.habutextiles.com/RIP-19-1







On the other hand...it's nice to have an end in mind. I have several skeins of sport-weight raw silk, that wonderful textured matte stuff in pretty browns and tans. I haven't quite decided what I want to do with it. I only know that when I saw it, at Tess Designer Yarns booth at the Maryland Sheep & Wool festival in 2012, I knew I had to weave something with it. I don't want a complicated structure but I do want to show off the colors. It isn't fabulously strong so I may need to combine it with something else as a warp.

In the meantime, I have PLENTY of other weaving to do for upcoming Fall art shows so as soon as the overshot sample comes off the loom I'll be onto that.

Later...
As Kerry mentioned in the last post, we're in a little bit of project overload, and we don't entirely hate it. The overshot is on Bam Bam, the Hearthside loom, and I'm almost done with the first sample. There will be two samples for photographing because we need something representative for the fall class and we need it early for the printed catalog. The next project is also overshot, this time for the class sample. Kerry is winding the warp for that tonight and I'll weave it on one of the classroom looms. In the Loom Lounge, Kerry is just started green and white towels, and I am tying on for waffle weave towels.

Last weekend we road-tripped to State College, PA, for a 36" Leclerc Nilus for Kerry, and to Alexandria for a 48" Macomber for me. Our personal projects are being woven on those and we're so excited! It's comforting to have looms with all their pieces-parts. Kerry's Nilus still had it's warp beam crank! Mine doesn't but I can use a wrench. Along the way we stopped at The Mannings (how could we not?) and had a wonderful conversation with Carol, one of the owners, about some of the very vintage looms they have. Kerry got huggy with the barn loom, and who could blame her? I'll let her tell the story of the barn loom. We also made some purchases but not as much as you might think. We pawed through Tom Knisely's pile o' rugs while Carol talked a little about them and that was worth the trip all by itself.

Weave on, dudes!
Erin

Adventures in Teaching

The last few weeks has been incredibly busy for Erin and I. As Erin mentioned, we've been teaching a weaving class at The Hermitage Museum in Norfolk with class meeting several throughout the week. And of course we're also trying to find times to do the silly things in life. Like work full time. And maybe spin. Or knit. Silly us! There's only 24 hours in the day!

*phew* I know that I'm on project overload - but secretly I'm loving every minute of it.

Our students have made real progress on their projects! In this course, students are weaving a tencel twill scarf; they've been able to select their own twill pattern as well as their own colors. The options were seemingly endless for how their projects could turn out.

We have 6 students in class, and experience levels from "What's a loom" to "I wove in college 20 years ago" to "I own a loom but have no idea how to use it."  Keeping everyone on the same timeline has been an interesting task! To me, somedays it feels like herding cats but most days, everything comes together and the class goes very smoothly. Its a joy to watch the students so eager about their work and to watch those weaving 'lightbulb' moments go off!

As Erin mentioned, we've geared up for continuing our weaving courses.

This summer we're very excited to offer a Weekend Rag Rug Workshop. (Say that 3 times fast! Eek!) which is really our secret plan to infect everyone with the Weaving bug.  I am hopeful that we have enough applicants that we can offer this workshop on 2 different weekends this summer.

Here's my first rag rug made from jeans and cotton rug-warp. Its lumpy bumpy and uneven. Why? Well,  because it is a design element, of course!

No?
Don't buy that?
Ok. Fine.
The reality is that its lumpy because I knotted the denim strips together instead of sewing them because I was too lazy to get the sewing machine out.
And its uneven because I just couldn't be bothered to measure out the fabric so that every strip was exactly the same width.

But, being 100% honest, I still love the darned thing. In all its lumpy uneven goodness. Its squishy beneath your feet, nice and thick from the denim, and was an incredibly quick weave. I think once I started weaving, total weave-time was less than an hour. Warping and beaming took maybe an hour in total.

We'll also have a Dye-lab this summer, where participants will be able to dye some sock yarn using food safe dyes (my personal dye-method!)  The neat part is that this custom-dyed sock yarn will be used as weft in the Fall weaving course: an Overshot project.

I've got some yarn in the dye pot now which is some of our sample yarn as we test our lesson plans for the Overshot project. (And might I say Kudos to Erin for her awesome lesson planning. She's got a knack.)

I have no pictures of current weaving for me. My loom is currently being used as a class-loom so it is warped with a student's project.  My most recent weaves are all gifts for other folks - something I love to do. :) 

And Erin's Minerva loom is currently housing some amazing towels that I will let her tell you all about in the next post. (Trust me. They're a story of her incredible passion for doing this whole fiber-addiction as a true art, not just a passing whim which is more my M.O.)

One of the things I'm enjoying most about this teaching experience is learning the different teaching styles of different people. As a riding instructor, most of my teaching work has been in a solitary environment - meaning I was the only instructor in the riding ring. I didn't have to debrief after lessons, or confer on methodology. But in our weaving studio, we are sharing students, space, looms, lesson plans, etc, and really bouncing off of each other's strengths and weaknesses. This is a new and educational experience for me.

I feel incredibly lucky to be working with someone I admire. I'm not only learning from Erin's weaving expertise and passion, I'm also learning about myself - both as an artist and as an instructor.

Its a really enlightening experience and I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunity.

Oh my!

Goodness, Kerry and I have gotten waylaid by a very exciting development. Not too long after the last post was written we submitted a proposal to teach a Weaving I (weaving for beginners) course at the Hermitage Museum & Gardens here in Norfolk. They accepted our proposal and we started working on the details of our syllabus, renovating/fixing the looms that were donated to the Hermitage, and readying the weaving room (Kerry: Weaving Lab). We were hoping for, but not really anticipating, enough sign-ups to meet the minimum# of students. In reality, the class filled up and we are into our second full week of classes. We are learning a great deal about teaching weaving to multiples and how different it is than teaching one person at a time. And the students seem motivated and satisfied.

Feedback has been that a Weaving II, something a little more advanced, would be welcomed. For this summer we have proposed a wool dying class, and a Weaving Open House, and a fall Weaving II class where any student who has dyed wool in the summer workshop can use that in exchange for the materials cost. The fall workshop will focus on overshot pillows, where cotton is the warp and tabby, and wool the pattern weft. (oops, another edit where I had to change towels to pillows...more coffee required, obviously)

I would love to do an entire series of classes based on Madelyn's Twill Thrills book when it is finally reprinted. We'll see. For advanced students we might be able to do two 4 week sessions plus open studio. I know it's helpful to have dedicated weaving time where you aren't distracted by the everyday things going on at home. I'll be thinking about that. But I'll keep my day job!

At the Hermitage, Kerry is threading a rag rug project on a donated 40" Macomber 4 shaft B5. At home, I mis-sleyed a red & white cotton towel at 30 epi instead of 20 epi (note to self: read the notes I've jotted in the margin - except I had two sets of notes and only one of them was related to the project at hand) and so I am re-sleying at 20 epi. Yes, it means some wasted warp, probably a couple hundred threads. Or maybe I'll save the remainder for a similar but narrower project.

Edited to add: one of our students came in with an adjustable shower chair to use at her loom. I love her creative solution to finding the right height chair/bench! These are so much less expensive than "loom benches" that I have one in my Amazon cart right this minute. Maybe I'll weave a very dense twill upholstery-type textile and sew a slipcover. They aren't as pretty as a custom wooden but they certainly are functional and the price is right.

In Weaving II, if Kerry let's me, I'll teach back to front warping. Time to construct some raddles!

Cheers,
Erin

What should I do next?

That's a question I ask myself frequently. I'm not just a weaver. I photograph. I play flute. I spin. I knit. I work with silver. And lately I've broken through some personal obstacles and can proudly say that I sew. I always have multiple projects going on. I know I'm not alone in this. Almost everyone I know who engages in multiple hobbies is in the same kind of boat.

Some would disagree, but my problem is not that I have too many hobbies. 

My problem is that there are so many great project ideas that I want to do them all. Right now. Tell me you haven't been there yourself. I dare you. 

This is not a situation of a weaving project competing with a sewing project. Oh no. This is multiple weaving projects competing with one another. 

I have a notebook (Kerry laughs at this point, face-palms, then gives me a mental hug) because I'm a planner. It's basically a project notebook because I really want to be that kind of organized. It contains projects I want to do, and projects completed. I photocopied or printed a project I want to do, made some notes about fiber, maybe even included fiber samples or swatches. Strangely, I also included a sewing project. Why not have a notebook that includes ALL the projects you want to do, not just the weaving ones? At least they are all in one place. I like kind of like that. It also includes some references about sett, reed substitution, weaving calculations, and a master yarn chart from Handwoven. Each project is in a clear page protector because they expand and you can stick samples and patterns in them, though I wish the clear protectors had a flap to prevent stuff from falling out. 

(Note to self: search for clear page protectors with envelope style flaps or something like it)

Bottom line: I have several projects in the notebook. Recently I said on this very blog that I wanted to work through the first chapter of Twill Thrills. But (whine) do I have to? What if this one project over here is just screaming at me to do it? What if I want to rag weave a textile to use for a tote bag? What about the projects I want to do to build inventory for an Etsy storefront or for the upcoming art/craft fairs and demos? I could have projects on multiple looms but I can still only physically weave one thing at a time. And then what if the only time you have to weave is a few hours on a weekend?

I know of people who have chained warps hanging around. The weaving version of a UFO (unfinished object). No, I'm not giving up the other hobbies. 

There's no answer and I don't really expect to find one, but I think I might start chaining some warps for future projects because, as they say, opportunity favors the prepared. That's always been my experience. And suddenly it's the end of January and I'm still threading the project I started right before we traveled for Christmas. 

I've always despised the phrase "promises were meant to be broken" but I think I won't hold myself too strenuously to the chapter 1 goal from Twill Thrills. It's a worthy goal, to be sure. If I only get a few completed, though, I think I can be totally okay with that, let myself off the hook, and just enjoy the weaving experience. 

Maybe that's my answer.

Weave on,

Erin

Oops. No guild on Jan 26

After much soul-searching, our first guild meeting will NOT occur Saturday, January 26. Why? Would it be awful if I admit that I don't really think we have our ducks in a row? Not quite, anyway. The ducks are still a little scattered. We're still wrangling, and they're really quacking up over it.

So please stay tuned. I apologize to those who were looking forward to this.

Erin

p.s. Please drive safely and be watchful. The weather is going to get nasty tonight. Cuddle up with your significant other and/or a live/stuffed animal, something warm to drink, and watch a good movie. That's where you'll find me.

p.p.s Obviously this is specific to the SE Virginia area.

p.p.p.s One of our local stations, WAVY, has been doing a nice job with their weather blog with the details that go into forecasting a snow event such as this, at http://blogs.wavy.com/category/weather/. If you're a bit of a weather geek, check it out. If you're slightly more geeked about meteorology, try http://www.wunderground.com. Fewer ads, and for $5 a year, no ads at all. For the truly snobby, http://www.wunderground.com is still awesome. But the National Weather Service site is also good.

Twill I? Or Twon't I?

GUILD NOTE: Guild will meet at Erin's house Saturday January 26, from 11am until whenever. Bring your loom if it travels or your wheel if it travels. You can bring both, but really? Gonna do both? Bring show and tell - got a project you are particularly happy with? Proud of? Wanna show off? Bring it! Coffee, tea, water available. Not planning snacks but you are welcome to bring something if you are so inclined. Very informal at this point in our guild life, but on that day we will focus on learning to weave. Hopefully more hands on than not, because first things first: measure a warp. You'll be shocked at how much time some of these things take. Don't worry if you don't have yarn, or you don't think you have the right yarn. The guild has plenty and it will share.

---

I was reading a post on Weaving Today about twill and how the writer always imagines she'll do a huck lace or a bronson lace as her next project, but always finds just one more amazing twill pattern that is calling her name.

I can appreciate this.

I sought high and low for this one book of twill patterns. Set aside for a moment that I'm not content to merely search and acquire twill patterns online and that I must have a book. I was searching for this book which it turns out is out of print. I searched eBay. I search Amazon. I searched LibraryThing. For a year I looked for a copy of this book that wasn't more than $75. Because, let's face it, scarcity increases value. I emailed the editor of the book. She had no copies, and hoped the publisher would someday decide to do another printing. Finally Kerry said, well, have you contact the publisher?

Me? Email a publisher? Right, my email is going to go into some generic customer service email box and be lost forever. But a few weeks after she suggested it I thought, well, what have I got to lose?

It didn't get lost. It found a human who hunted through the office and found ONE copy of this book in a box under someone's desk. It's probably the last remaining unsold copy of this book in the world. And it had a bent corner so she charged a discounted rate and threw in free shipping.

That's how much I appreciate the siren song of twill.

I want to do every pattern in the book. All of them right now. Immediately. But dang, I only have three looms. Oh wait. I have three looms. Hehehe. Could this be my personal weaving challenge for 2013? Work my way through Twill Thrills on three looms? Two are eight shaft, one is four shaft, and there are only a couple of projects in the book requiring more than eight shafts. 36 projects. Uh. Maybe just chapter 1 in 2013. That's half the book and I have to time balance with band, flute choir, knitting, and sewing. And work.

Project 1: Blue Tick Hound. 4 Shafts. Adorable. 2/2 Twill. It wants a 16" weaving width, which means either Bam Bam or Minerva. Dot isn't wide enough (she's the 10" table loom). I don't have to make the stuffed toy but it would be fun to sew on my own handmade fabric. And It would make a nice gift for a certain little one in Maine.

The color in the photo SHOULD be blue and white, not blue and pink-ish. Except for that little doggie bed, which is mauve.


Happy New Year and Happy Weaving!
Erin

Great Towel Warp of 2012

There are things in life that I'm afraid to try for fear of failure. 

Oddly, when I sat down to weave for the first time, I did not have that fear. I approached it with a general attitude of "Eh. It will work, or it won't. Let's try." And so far, with the exception of one project, that attitude has maintained throughout my weaving education.

Its something Erin and I continue to giggle at. She is very structured - I am not. We both absorb a little of the other's attitude; I'm a little more structured and picky, she's a little more "who cares."
I love how we've both slid to a more centered view of life and fiber-art. Its lovely to find that friend that helps to balance you out.

After Thanksgiving, I came home from the holiday and wound a 12 yard warp - known in my mind as "the epic warp" - of 8/2 cotton and started making towels.

This is the same project that required about 2 million string heddles because I'm an idiot and didn't count heddles.  (PS: I'm now an EXPERT at string heddles.)

It became 1/2 overshot towels and 1/2 waffle weave towels - the unintentional split was due to my boredom and frustration. I think I have a 6 yard limit per project.



This is the first 1/2 of the towels before I rethreaded for waffle weave. Erin was kind enough to snap a photo after I did my "OMG I MADE FABRIC" dance of dorky joy. I had lots of fun playing with colors and learning overshot. There's also a towel in there that is cotton and linen weft, which I'm sorely tempted to keep for myself because its just yummy.

The remaining yardage of warp was used for Waffle Weave towels.



The red white and blue towel and the yellow towel became x-mas gifts for mom. My sister received a Red/Black overshot towel and a white/Black overshot towel, while my brother in law received the butt-ugly blue/orange overshot towel in honor of his beloved Miami Dolphins.

Nothing against the Dolphins specifically, however after weaving that atrocious towel in those particular colors, I am a firm believer that a design consultant should be hired by the NFL before team colors are selected. 


So that's the great towel warp of 2012 and how it ended up.

All towels got finished. The warp got used - every bit of the 12 yards!

The remaining woven Xmas Gifts need more pictures before they should be mentioned in a blog. So pics and details to follow.

I'm so pleased with the towels. They are not error free. They are not perfect by any means. There are "oopsies" in each one. But I'm still proud of them. One towel contains some of my handspun cotton. The rest are fun colorful experiments of "this yarn looks good with that yarn." And they all are just plain neat.

Weaving is not 'hard' in that I do not feel I need a degree in applied physics to attempt it. But it is entirely different from spinning. Or knitting. Or crocheting. Or any of the other arts I've tried. Without Erin's patient help -and copious reference library and book addiction - I would have given up and walked away.

I'm glad Erin stuck it out with me. I'm glad I powered through the 12 yard warp. I'm glad I had several hand made gifts to give this year. And I'm really glad I didn't approaching weaving with a fear of failure. :)