tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35434975045284575142024-03-13T16:51:19.531-03:00Scarf A DayWhat? Today's a day. So's tomorrow.Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-70715471259301463322010-12-02T11:43:00.003-04:002010-12-02T16:40:43.556-04:00Tis the Season I<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/TPgERavctII/AAAAAAAAJuY/kOTwilyTeeA/s1600/IMG_3377.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/TPgERavctII/AAAAAAAAJuY/kOTwilyTeeA/s400/IMG_3377.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546187638389388418" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/TPe-6PSzcTI/AAAAAAAAJto/SVwlkSKvj1g/s1600/IMG_3375.JPG"><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/TPe-6PSzcTI/AAAAAAAAJto/SVwlkSKvj1g/s400/IMG_3375.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546111373877145906" /></a><br /><div>(Psst: Please don't notice that these scarves are cleverly disguised as place mats and table runners. Ho. Ho. Ho.)</div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-48018300381144053972010-09-02T15:10:00.000-03:002010-09-02T15:11:35.855-03:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/TH_orgrFmkI/AAAAAAAAJrg/ljWlLgq6pFA/s1600/IMG_3301.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/TH_orgrFmkI/AAAAAAAAJrg/ljWlLgq6pFA/s400/IMG_3301.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512380303127452226" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/TH_orT-bWvI/AAAAAAAAJrY/nm4mzzamPF4/s1600/IMG_3302.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/TH_orT-bWvI/AAAAAAAAJrY/nm4mzzamPF4/s400/IMG_3302.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512380299718908658" /></a>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-61997699122206467412010-02-09T00:22:00.004-04:002010-02-09T01:39:14.455-04:00I AINTN'T DEAD1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S3Do3_FvmqI/AAAAAAAAJLc/cmkQhtwGQLk/s1600-h/IMG_2352.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S3Do3_FvmqI/AAAAAAAAJLc/cmkQhtwGQLk/s400/IMG_2352.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436100798762162850" border="0" /></a><br />... I just had a really crappy day on Friday and didn't weave at all (details to follow), then had a really great day today (more details, more following) and wove so much and so hard that I wound up with a back spasm that hurt so bad that I got so faint & dizzy & passing-out-hot that the friends I was with insisted on taking me to the hospital. :P<br /><br />Five hours later, I have a clean bill of health but no scarf for the day. Tomorrow's not looking terribly promising either as I have a meeting at 10 that will last 2.5 hrs, another at 2:30 that will last Some Time, a weaving date at 6:30 and a guild meeting at 7:30 for which I need to prepare a short program, a list of possible workshop teachers, a selection of suggestions for the next project on the guild's 90" loom... oh yes, and also lunch.<br /><br />So. Kinda busy. Hopefully there will be some scarfing in there somewhere, perhaps ... over lunch?<br /><br />I do at least have a scarf On Thee Go. As mentioned, I wasn't up for weaving on Friday but I did manage to ball up some yarn that I frogged and kool-aid dyed (in the micro, no less!) last summer and then dress my rigid heddle with it, using my spanky new 10 dpi heddle. I got a little weaving done over the weekend but had hoped to finish it up today. Ha.<br />Maybe even This Scarf:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S3Do4OPsF5I/AAAAAAAAJLk/L7IHUjSLrxI/s1600-h/IMG_2354.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S3Do4OPsF5I/AAAAAAAAJLk/L7IHUjSLrxI/s400/IMG_2354.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436100802830407570" border="0" /></a><br />Here's a close up: It is Very Very Green. Lime green, in fact, with a splash of orange and... Moonberry, perhaps?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S3Do4imv4uI/AAAAAAAAJLs/3DQooAqMxmQ/s1600-h/IMG_2355.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S3Do4imv4uI/AAAAAAAAJLs/3DQooAqMxmQ/s400/IMG_2355.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436100808295834338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Project February</span><br /></span></div><br />Now, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I</span> may not have been weaving much the past couple days, but there's still a whole lot of Project February going on! A bunch of people posted stuff on Friday and there was more today. Please be sure to check out the sidebar for the many folks who've made PF posts over the past few days!<br /><br />I fully intend to put links to each of these posts in a post sometime soon but it's 1:30 aye em and I've had... quite the day. That'll have to wait a bit longer but there's one person in particular I don't want to overlook - in part because she's posting to TwicPic rather than a blog so my sidebar doesn't work for her - but also because I am just sooooo tickled<sup>3</sup> with what she's doing!<br /><br />I got this tweet from <a href="http://twitter.com/callybooker">@callybooker</a> on Twitter last Thursday:<br /><br /><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">callybooker: </span>@<a class="tweet-url username" href="http://twitter.com/janetdawson">janetdawson</a> Is getting up every day enough for <a href="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23ProjectFebruary" title="#ProjectFebruary" class="tweet-url hashtag">#ProjectFebruary</a>? I think it's about all I can realistically commit to.<br /></blockquote>I think... I think she may have been kidding but of course I jumped at the idea and then wouldn't let her off the hook when she protested. ;) She insisted she'd be too incoherent to blog about getting out of bed each day but she's been posting pics of the first thing she does each morning ever since.<br /></span></span><br />Here's Friday:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/62902957.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0ZRYP5X5F6FSMBCCSE82&Expires=1265693384&Signature=Fro6G74F%2FqqXQj8sgXGZTKJi3s4%3D"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px;" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/62902957.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0ZRYP5X5F6FSMBCCSE82&Expires=1265693384&Signature=Fro6G74F%2FqqXQj8sgXGZTKJi3s4%3D" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">♥ the slippers!</span></span><br /></div><br />And Saturday:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/63241505.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0ZRYP5X5F6FSMBCCSE82&Expires=1265693389&Signature=VJsuB4ULVd%2B80R2CgbGLQLidQnE%3D"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px;" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/63241505.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0ZRYP5X5F6FSMBCCSE82&Expires=1265693389&Signature=VJsuB4ULVd%2B80R2CgbGLQLidQnE%3D" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">♥♥♥ this mug!</span><br /></span></div><br />And Sunday:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/63598945.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0ZRYP5X5F6FSMBCCSE82&Expires=1265693391&Signature=zW7TkIM5o0LLiytANtKjfiW1AJ8%3D"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px;" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/63598945.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0ZRYP5X5F6FSMBCCSE82&Expires=1265693391&Signature=zW7TkIM5o0LLiytANtKjfiW1AJ8%3D" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ mug! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥</span><br /></span></div><br /><br />And today:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/63884295.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0ZRYP5X5F6FSMBCCSE82&Expires=1265693396&Signature=1eZlPlPZTYE0szon2M3YkdTfB9g%3D"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px;" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/63884295.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0ZRYP5X5F6FSMBCCSE82&Expires=1265693396&Signature=1eZlPlPZTYE0szon2M3YkdTfB9g%3D" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Those are some seriously tall and narrow windows. Srlsy.</span><br /></span></div><br />You cannot imagine how much I covet her sheep mug! <a href="http://twitter.com/evelynoldroyd">@evelynoldroyd</a> and I are planning a trip<sup>4</sup> to Scotland to get ourselves some.<br /><br />And now it's nearly 2:00 aye em, so I'm going to go play with my tiny new SQUEeePC for a couple minutes and then crash so I can be semi coherent for my meeting at 10 tomorrow morning. Somehow I doubt the guy I'm meeting with will accept a TwitPic of my new xmas slippers or any of my sheep mugs as a substitute.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >1. ...said Granny Weatherwax's sign when she was out Borrowing, i.e. Not At Home (inside her own head).<sup>2</sup><br /><br />2. That is a Discworld reference. My character on the Discworld mud wears such a sign At All Times. I think I might need to get one for Roundworld, too.<br /><br />3. Did I... did I just use the word "tickled" in a semi-public forum? Gadzooks.<br /><br />4. A hypothetical trip. That mug would be worth every single theoretical dollar.<br /></span>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-39233459005365699902010-02-04T23:42:00.005-04:002010-02-05T02:07:51.526-04:00Short & Sweet [Scarf 45]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2ufKh-y9CI/AAAAAAAAJJ8/K48235_H454/s1600-h/IMG_2345.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2ufKh-y9CI/AAAAAAAAJJ8/K48235_H454/s400/IMG_2345.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434612378621899810" border="0" /></a><br />Another quickie post tonight<sup>9</sup> 'cause once again I'm writing in the wee hours. Believe it or not, I actually finished this scarf early this evening - early enough, in fact, that Ron and I were finally able to go see Avatar.<sup>1</sup><br /><br />Oh, wait! You have to believe me since I wove this one on <a href="http://tinyurl.com/weavinginmyjammies">Weaving In My Jammies</a> again and therefore have video evidence of when it was done! ;) Speaking of which, you may have discovered WIMJ is now embedded over there ---> in the sidebar. I don't know if I'm going to leave it there or not; it's a bit obtrusive and that giant eye ... well, it's a bit creepy.<sup>2</sup> Still, the embedded thingie might encourage folks to stop in and chat while I'm weaving, which would be ever so keen! Consider that a thinly veiled hint if you like. :)<br /><br />But I digress! Back to today's scarf, which was also a quickie for a couple of reasons. First was that I discovered this well after I'd started winding my pirn:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2uihbc14tI/AAAAAAAAJKg/Uw6naj3G_Qg/s640/IMG_2350.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2uihbc14tI/AAAAAAAAJKg/Uw6naj3G_Qg/s640/IMG_2350.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Srlsy, what the heck happened here?? Do we have some kind of rare acrylic-eating moth in Atlantic Canada that no one ever told me about? Did the cats sneak into the yarn room and rub sandpaper vigorously over the end of this one spool? Was I so out of it on Tuesday that I actually gnawed on the yarns I intended to use for weft? I have no idea. Regardless of the cause, the state of this spool meant that I only got my pirn about 2/3rds full before I hit the first break and after that there really didn't seem to be much point in trying to use any more of it.<br /><br />This is a colour I use a lot, though, so I just planned to make appropriate sacrifices to the yarn dye lot gods and finish the scarf with another spool of the same shade... until the second reason this scarf is so short reared its head: I somehow miscalculated on the length of the warp. Tuesday's all a bit vague but I know my reasoning went something like this: "Three scarves at 72" + 12" fringe between = 3 x 84" = 7 yards warp. I need some for loom waste (but not too much, since 12" of those fringes will come out of it) so I need 7 yards anna bit. This guide string is 8 yards long, so if I put this end round <span style="font-style: italic;">this</span> peg but wind my warp round <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> one, and then just wrap this extra bit here around this other peg to shorten it up a bit more... yes, that should give me 7 anna bit."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2ufK-K4SUI/AAAAAAAAJKE/EH1fgxz3tB4/s1600-h/IMG_2346.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2ufK-K4SUI/AAAAAAAAJKE/EH1fgxz3tB4/s400/IMG_2346.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434612386188773698" border="0" /></a><br />That's all a bit dodgy, I'll grant you, but that's just how I roll. And you know, usually it works out fine. Tuesday, though... on Tuesday, all bets were off. I don't know which part of that logic fell down. Right now, at 2 in the morning, it all seems to make sense.<sup>3</sup> For all I know the guide string wasn't even 8 yards to begin with, tho' I did measure it. At any rate, round about the time my stubby 2/3rds full pirn was running out, I looked at the back of the loom and discovered my <span style="font-style: italic;">warp</span> was running out right along with it. I could have gotten another 8 or 9 inches woven but, given the woebegone state of my weft spool and my distinct lack of faith in yarn dye lot gods, I decided to just cut my losses and go with a short scarf. It will be exactly the right length for some woman of small stature, or for some woman who prefers to wear her scarf just round the back of her neck rather than round-and-round-and-round.<br /><br />So! The specs: this one was still 90 ends of 8/4 and boucle sleyed at 12 EPI in an 8 dent reed (so 7.5" in the reed) and once again woven with 8/2 orlon. This time, however, the scarf was only 56" long rather than the 72" I was aiming for. I used the yellow spool in the pic from <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2010/02/when-last-we-spoke-scarf-43-44.html">yesterday's post</a> and although it seems incongruously spring-y when there's snow on the ground outside, it does make me think of sunshine and new buds and tiny flowers - and there's nothing at all wrong with that on a cold February day.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2010/02/when-last-we-spoke-scarf-43-44.html"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2ufLe8htvI/AAAAAAAAJKU/JA0XlHlYIBo/s400/IMG_2348.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434612394986944242" border="0" /></a><br />You know what's interesting? This picture is <span style="font-style: italic;">exactly</span> what this scarf looks like up close & personal but from where I'm sitting right now, just three or four feet from the loom, it looks totally different. I bet once it's washed it'll look more like that <--- than that ^. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span>Not sure yet what I'll do tomorrow, but I'm thinking perhaps something light blue in honour of the 10' tall blue dudes from Avatar. Maybe with a bit of gold or green or black like their eyes? And I might see about some kind of shiny, slinky white stuff for the little phosphorescent dots on their skin. Of course, if I <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> wanted to represent them well, I'd just weave with fibre optic cable... but I haven't got any of that, so I'll just stick with Plan A.<br /><br />On the other hand, I was also thinking I might weave another scarf on my rigid heddle since I hate to warp the floor loom for only one scarf but I really want to weave either some placemats or some napkins over the weekend. I'm not sure how well I can implement blue/green/yellow/slinky in yarns that'd do well in my Knitter's Loom, so the Avatar scarf may have to wait. On va voir!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Project February</span></span><br /></div><br />A few more folks have signed on to Project February so, lest I forget to link to their blogs when they post something new, I've added a blog roll in the sidebar over there ---><sup>4</sup> I also tried adding a twitter search for #ProjectFebruary over there but - surprise, surprise! - it turns out that I/we are not the only folks with a project so named so I changed it to a #Scarfaday search instead. I will likely keep fiddling about with these things over the next days and weeks, so keep an eye on the sidebar for excitin' new haps.<br /><br />Here are the Project February offerings for February 04, 2010<sup>5</sup>:<br /><ul><li>Clayton's Project 365 <a href="http://ankhanu.livejournal.com/36182.html">Photo of the Day</a></li><li>Marg's pretty <a href="http://caperglass.wordpress.com/2010/02/04/todays-project-the-pier-fused-glass-streetscape/">fused glass houses</a></li><li>Alison's oh so soft <a href="http://yarnscape.blogspot.com/2010/02/dye-day-3-this-time-lets-have-some-yarn.html">bunnylace in 'bramble vine'</a></li><li>Nancy's <a href="http://farmnana.blogspot.com/2010/02/silk-garden-scarf.html">Silk Garden Scarf</a> (her first installment in her rigid heddle scarfaweek)</li><li>Kimberly's beautiful <a href="http://wovenspun.blogspot.com/2010/02/scarf-day.html">hand dyed shawl</a></li><li>Liz's first <a href="http://lizziesyarns.blogspot.com/2010/01/scarf-day-or-week-or-month.html">stash busting scarfadayorweekormonth</a></li></ul>Once again, if I've missed a link or a photo you've sent me, do let me know!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1. Avatar was just as pretty as I expected and the story line </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://kl.am/avpo">just as predictable</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. I did expect the acting to be a little better but I wasn't going for the dialogue or story or acting, so I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I enjoyed myself quite a bit and even sniveled at the appropriate bits towards the end, even though I knew from the moment the film started just how it would end. The 3D was definitely impressive and I was relieved that when I left the theater my eyes were merely tired and scratchy and not totally blurry & painful like they were after Coraline.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2. Just imagine what that other @rondawson might say!<sup>8</sup></span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">3. I'm nearly 100% certain that, as soon as I hit "Publish Post" and therefore permanently and publicly record this logic, it will immediately dawn on me why and how it is nonsensical. Please be gentle.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">4. Man, am I all about the ---> arrows <--- tonight, or what?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">5. Happy Birthday, Gramma Rosemary! And thank you thank you thank you for the good weaving/knitting/yarnaholic genes! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">6b. Okay, so I'm pretty sure I've screwed up my footnote numbering somehow. C'est la vie!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">8. If you've no idea what I'm on about re: rondawsons (and really, why would you?) and would like to get in on the joke (ha ha!), you could </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://twitter.com/#search?q=janetdawson%20rondawson">search on twitter for 'janetdawson' and 'rondawson'</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. All Will Be Revealed.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">9. Ha! Who'm I kidding? Not even myself, that's who.</span>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-45075017522684059672010-02-03T23:27:00.004-04:002010-02-04T08:00:51.519-04:00When Last We Spoke... [Scarf 43 & 44]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2pEDN2TNuI/AAAAAAAAJJU/CW2zqmrKjJY/s1600-h/IMG_2344.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2pEDN2TNuI/AAAAAAAAJJU/CW2zqmrKjJY/s400/IMG_2344.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434230722423633634" border="0" /></a><br />... I was in a bad way. A zombie-like way. And if there's one thing that's true about zombies, it's that they're bad for your mental and physical health, especially when you're the zombie in question. Fortunately, if caught early enough this condition can be cured with a full night's sleep, which is what I decided to do rather than stay up and finish yesterday's scarf. I feel quite sheepish about that but I also feel quite rested, so on balance I think I made the right choice.<br /><br />Last night when I staggered up to bed, Scarf #43 looked like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2j_WF-bSLI/AAAAAAAAJHg/jlxoZz_tLas/s640/IMG_2336.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2j_WF-bSLI/AAAAAAAAJHg/jlxoZz_tLas/s640/IMG_2336.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This isn't really a very good picture colourwise, incidentally. I was relying on auto white balance, which failed me miserably. Hopefully the after shots of this scarf will do the colours justice. This picture makes it look really pink but it isn't quite so cotton candy as it looks, honestly.<br /><br />Anyhoo, I went straight to sleep last night and woke up this morning much refreshed. I trundled back downstairs around 10:30 to finish up #43 and was done by noon o'clock. It seems I forgot to take any "Huzzah, it is finished!" shots but the end of the scarf looked remarkably like the first 45", only with pretty little hemstitching. :)<br /><br />At that point I took a break to reward myself by finally ordering the EeePC I've been hankering after for so long. Well, okay, I've been hankering after a <span style="font-style: italic;">netbook</span> for so long and just in the last couple of days decided that the netbook in question was the <a href="http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=49311&vpn=1005PE%2DPU17%2DBK&manufacture=ASUS">Asus Eee PC 1005PE</a>. I am awfully excited about this little darlin': in addition to being uber portable and handy for all kinds of mobile computing, I think it'll be just the thing for Weaving In My Jammies. It should run my spanky new webcam drivers a treat and it's small enough that I can pop it on top of the castle of the loom and see what folks are saying without turning round, or at the very least put it on the low table next to the loom so that the cam cords aren't dangling about all over the place. The past few days I've felt a bit like I was sitting in a mass of spaghetti noodles whilst I was weaving. Awkward, letmetellyou.<br /><br />(I also ordered a new cpu fan and new hard drive for poor, poor Lulu, and Ron had something of a breakthrough when fiddling with her earlier tonight, so there's some hope that once the new stuff's bunged into her innards she'll be okay. Not 100% 'cause I don't know that I can replace all her software, but far better than the... oh, 2%, maybe? that she is right now. And there will be much rejoicing!)<br /><br />ANYWAY, back to scarves! I did just that (went back to weaving scarves, that is) after supper (more spaghetti but of a far more pleasant kind!) and wove up Scarf #44 to catch up. This time I used a soft greyish green which matches the new version of green in the warp almost perfectly:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2pECTVXK0I/AAAAAAAAJJE/SIR1HnfbNv4/s1600-h/IMG_2341.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2pECTVXK0I/AAAAAAAAJJE/SIR1HnfbNv4/s400/IMG_2341.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434230706716224322" border="0" /></a><br />It's that one in the back. The light raisin colour in front is the one I used yesterday - now with much improved white balance so you can see what the colour actually looks like. The yellow... that's a possibility for tomorrow. These are all 2/8 orlons, which I used in one of those scarves that I never posted about last fall on a warp very similar to this one. That scarf has a lovely, soft hand and I've been wearing it myself quite a bit 'cause I like it so much, and I plan to weave quite a few more like it for sale this summer.<br /><br />Speaking of which, I suspect that this year's Scarfaday offerings will tend toward finer threads than last year's. That isn't to say I won't be doing any of the chunkier threads 'cause you know, they're just So Darned Fast and Easy. Still, I'm getting over my disinclination to use the finer threads and my impatience to get scarves woven as quickly as possible. Who knows, maybe I'll even go wild and do something besides plain weave this year. ;)<br /><br />Here's another look at Scarf #44:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2pEC2Efd1I/AAAAAAAAJJM/RXHOnE_RxHw/s1600-h/IMG_2343.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2pEC2Efd1I/AAAAAAAAJJM/RXHOnE_RxHw/s400/IMG_2343.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434230716040705874" border="0" /></a><br />Very springy, don't you think?<br /><br />So that wraps it up for today. Tomorrow I've got a Small Business Seminar in aye em so won't be weaving until later in the afternoon. Might use that yellow or I might not; we'll just have to see what the new day brings!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Project February</span><br /></span></div><br />I'm sooooo excited that several more people have signed on to participate in Project February in some fashion! Here are today's offerings & updates:<br /><br /><ul><li>Clayton's wintery <a href="http://ankhanu.livejournal.com/35952.html">Project365 photo</a> for Feb 03, 2010.</li><li>Alison's nummy 'Florentine' from her dye-a-day project on <a href="http://yarnscape.blogspot.com/2010/02/dye-day-2-wensleydale-roving-in.html">Yarnscape</a>.</li><li>My friend Marg of <a href="http://caperglass.wordpress.com/2010/02/03/february-project/">Caper Glass</a> has decided to go whole hog and do some glass-a-day for the whole month. :D<br /></li><li>Laura's fun (& therapeutic!) rigid heddle scarves on her blog, <a href="http://laurasloom.blogspot.com/2010/02/scarf-day.html">Weaving A Life</a>. I'm not sure if this was a one time offering or if she's going to have pics for us regularly during the month - hope so!</li><li>Peg's beautiful rayon chenille shawl on <a href="http://secondwindjewelry.com/jewelry-weaving-blog/2010/01/handwoven-shawl/">Weaving A Gem of a Life</a>. Peg also hopes to weave lots during the month, tho' she isn't committing to any particular schedule, which is totally fair. <span style="font-style: italic;">[edit: Gnaaah! I </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">knew</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> I'd missed one! Sorry, Peg! - JWD]</span><br /></li></ul>Nancy, one of the students from the first week of classes that Mom and I taught last month, is going to do a scarf-a-week, too! No pics there yet but I'm really looking forward to her first installment on Friday. And <a href="http://redtwigbrowntwig.blogspot.com/">Shari's</a>, and Liz's and those of a few other folks who've mentioned they're thinking about playing along at home. :)<br /><br />Hmm, I hope that's everyone. If you sent me a link and I've forgotten you, please let me know! Or if you want to participate and already have blog posts to link to, send them along! I can add new links into old posts easy peasey!<br /><br />Ooph. Looks like I'm getting over exclamatory. That's a sure sign it's time for bed. See you tomorrow. :)Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-35641725649197830142010-02-03T00:43:00.003-04:002010-02-03T01:13:45.015-04:00Zombie Weaver Strikes Out [Scarf 43]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2j_W6dRcMI/AAAAAAAAJHw/PSHioma_cl8/s1600-h/IMG_2331.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2j_W6dRcMI/AAAAAAAAJHw/PSHioma_cl8/s400/IMG_2331.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433873719536742594" border="0" /></a><br />Okay, so this is embarassing, but I'm going to play my first get out of jail free card - and it's only Day2! Argh!<br /><br />I woke up this morni... no, that's not quite right. I GOT up this morning but I never honestly <span style="font-style: italic;">woke</span> up until this evening. I spent the whole day staggering around and staring blearily at the computer, waiting for the waking up to start... but it just never did. Long story short: I took a nap instead of weaving, and then because of Various Technical Issues<sup>1</sup> ran out of time.<br /><br />So here it is, almost 1 aye em, and I figure I can do two of the following three things: finish the scarf, write a blog post, or get a proper night's sleep so that the same thing doesn't happen tomorrow. Ima go with #2 and #3.<br /><br />Here's how Scarf #43 is shaping up:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2j_Wuvf2vI/AAAAAAAAJHo/X42HxyAWIRw/s1600-h/IMG_2332.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2j_Wuvf2vI/AAAAAAAAJHo/X42HxyAWIRw/s400/IMG_2332.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433873716391959282" border="0" /></a><br />It's almost exactly the same palette as the Peony scarves I did last year, except that I really wanted to use some boucles so changed the shade of green and white slightly in order to use what I had on the shelf. I guess I'll call it PeonyII?<br /><br />This time I'm weaving in it 4/8 cotton instead of in 8/8, and set at 12 EPI rather than 10. I wound 90 ends, so it's 7.5" in the reed. It's hardly drawing in at all, in part due to the lovely new small sized Schacht EFS that my dear ol' Mum gave me for Christmas:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2j_WF-bSLI/AAAAAAAAJHg/jlxoZz_tLas/s1600-h/IMG_2336.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2j_WF-bSLI/AAAAAAAAJHg/jlxoZz_tLas/s400/IMG_2336.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433873705448720562" border="0" /></a><br />The weft is an 2/8 orlon - I think. It's some mystery yarn that's been on the shelf for Some Time but I'm pretty sure that's what it is even tho' it doesn't feel quite like the other 2/8 orlon I've gotten in recent years. I'm apparently beating it in at 12 PPI, at least in the inch I just measured. ;)<br /><br />The scarf's about 46" long right now, so well over half way. My plan is to finish it up in the morning, and my <span style="font-style: italic;">hope</span> is to weave another scarf for Day3. We'll see how that turns out tomorrow, now won't we? Hopefully I'll get plenty of rest tonight and won't be so tired tomorrow that even my autopilot is set to Stunned Zombie.<br /><br />See you then!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Project February<br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Clayton's Project365 <a href="http://ankhanu.livejournal.com/35618.html">photo of the day</a> for Feb 02 2010.<br /><br />No other links for today (yet!) but Liz of <a href="http://lizziespots.blogspot.com/">Lizzie Plays With Clay</a> and Shari of <a href="http://redtwigbrowntwig.blogspot.com/2010/02/challenged.html">Red Twig Brown Twig</a> have both said they'll participate in Project February in some fashion, too. Really excited to see what you come up with, guys!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">1. <sob>My tale of woe: First I forgot that this boucle doesn't like to be in a 12 dent reed, so I had to untie the warp & resley in an 8. Then I forgot to put the apron rod over the knee beam, so had to unscrew it from the loom and put it under the cords before reattaching it. Then <a href="http://www.tinyurl.com/weavinginmyjammies">WIMJ</a> went all pearshaped 'cause for some reason our wireless network delights in kicking Plum off the net when it's running in Vista, so I had to switch to Solaris. Then I had to futz about with webcam cords trailing around all over the place 'cause Plum can't go on the little table next to the loom - too heavy and unsteady. THEN I futzed around with my snazzy new EFS which worked fine but required a bit of getting used to, also some tension adjustments that I was leery to make lest I break the thing like the last one I got.<sup>2</sup> Plus there was the lure of Lost upstairs, which I'm really not the slightest bit interested in but it was playing So Blinkin' Loud that I couldn't help but hear and wonder what was going on. </sob><br /></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2. It was broken when I opened the package! Really it was! But I'm still anxious about fiddling around with those tension screws. Yikes.</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-48657938808365710372010-02-01T23:13:00.012-04:002010-02-02T10:05:50.502-04:00Everything Old is New Again [Scarf #42]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2efPPLz1FI/AAAAAAAAJGg/2hksWD7-RRY/s640/IMG_2326.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2efPPLz1FI/AAAAAAAAJGg/2hksWD7-RRY/s640/IMG_2326.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Oh geez oh geez is it February already? Where on earth did January go? Oh well, February snuck up on me faster than I expected so I didn't get around to posting any fanfare in advance, but now it's February and that means it's time for (dum dum dum duummmmm!)<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scarfaday 2010</span></span><br /></div><br /><br />I'm reeeeally excited to be doing Scarfaday again this year, hopefully bigger and better than ever! I've got some new stuff planned but it worked pretty darn well last year so I've also got lots of old stuff planned. ;) For starters, the ground rules remain the same as last year, tho' I'm reverting to the v1.0 rules for February, i.e.:<br /><br /><ol><li>I'll just do the month of February and then take stock.</li><li>I'll only commit to weekdays, though if I weave a scarf on the weekends I'll post pics of those, too.</li><li>I'll try to put a new warp on every few days but since the warps will often be three or four scarves long it might take three or four days to weave them off.</li><li>Every scarf will be unique, though it might be very similar to others on the same warp.</li><li>The scarves have to be complete by the end of the day but not necessarily wet finished.</li><li>Family trumps scarves! I might wind up missing a few days if something big comes up.</li></ol><br />New for this year: I'll be weaving my scarves live on <a href="http://www.justintv.com/janetdawson">Weaving In My Jammies</a> most of the time, though the timing will be hit or miss unless I manage to get on some kind of a schedule. I also intend to make up warps and/or kits (including weft) for most of the scarves you'll see this year, which will be for sale in <a href="http://www.artfire.com/users/WeaversPalette">my Artfire shop</a>.<sup>1</sup><br /><br />Also, although I'm not planning on doing guest scarves per se during February, I'm really hoping that others will join in with their own version of scarf (or not!) a day (or not!) and then send me links to blog posts and/or pics online - my hope is to include a round up of links to other folks' projects at the end of every day's post. Bear in mind that your project doesn't have to be scarves - it could be belts (hi, Annie!) or tea towels (Beth? Laura?) or anything else. It doesn't even have to be woven - it could be baskets (Shari?) or boxes (Les??) or dyed fibre (Allllissssoonnnn!). And it most certainly doesn't have to be *aday, if you're more of an *aweek (Liz!) or even *amonth kinda person.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />And with that rather disorganized start to what's bound to be a rather disorganized month, I give you Scarfaday 2010's first entry: Scarf #42!<sup>2</sup><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2efPqPkXqI/AAAAAAAAJGo/omfFrXA6_DA/s640/IMG_2325.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2efPqPkXqI/AAAAAAAAJGo/omfFrXA6_DA/s640/IMG_2325.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />This scarf was a first in a few ways: it was the first scarf of Scarfaday 2010 (in fact, the first scarf of 2010 Full Stop), it was the first Scarfaday scarf I've done on my rigid heddle loom, AND it was the first Scarfaday scarf I've woven (at least in part) on <a href="http://www.justintv.com/janetdawson">Weaving In My Jammies</a> - not to mention the first time I've used my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Webcam-Pro-9000-Frustration-Free/dp/B002M78ECK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1265082577&sr=8-1">spanky new webcam</a>. Most excitin' of all for me, though: it was the first time I've <span style="font-style: italic;">ever </span>woven with my handspun yarn!!<br /><br />I really didn't know what to expect with the handspun. The sliver was space dyed by hand and I'd plied the singles from the inside & outside of the ball which created a barber pole effect. Here's what the skeins looked like:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDt8QlDsZwdq-7r-aoVtoP_4SCjeu298418ctXbMjR_tFZHlGvNfJrFuA9ut8nseOC3Rum9zOt59cj2sOWamwmAjlLB858aGDGmQdt5a2IY8j_aHRhisLIZptsAXZVJ4w8gwXlqvrh7cNj/s640/IMG_1783.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDt8QlDsZwdq-7r-aoVtoP_4SCjeu298418ctXbMjR_tFZHlGvNfJrFuA9ut8nseOC3Rum9zOt59cj2sOWamwmAjlLB858aGDGmQdt5a2IY8j_aHRhisLIZptsAXZVJ4w8gwXlqvrh7cNj/s640/IMG_1783.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />One skein was a lot more barber poley (is that a word? is now!) than the other; it was also the longer skein so I used it as warp. The second skein had a lot more areas where both plies were the same colour. I knew the colours in the weft would obscure some of the colour in the warp but I didn't have any idea to what extent that'd happen. I suspected that the colours might wind up a bit muddy but I also knew I'd always wonder what would happen when I used my barber pole yarns for warp and weft so I figured I might as well leap in with both feet and find out right away. Plus I'd hauled all kinds of my handspun to Vashon with me and figured I'd better use at least some of it while I was there.<br /><br />Which brings me to a little confession: I cheated just a bit on this scarf. I dressed the loom and started weaving it in my Dear ol' Mum's studio on Vashon during our second week of class. Here are a few pics from the <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ziggyonthecouch/AdvancedWeavingJanuary2010">fantabulous album of photos</a> that one of our Week 2 students, Myra Willingham (no relation), took during class:<br /><br />Me dressing the loom...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Haqtpl1wyRc/S1puTanVYzI/AAAAAAAAFV0/Je7uVvOtx3o/s512/Weaving%20Class%201-2010%20053.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 340px; height: 512px;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Haqtpl1wyRc/S1puTanVYzI/AAAAAAAAFV0/Je7uVvOtx3o/s512/Weaving%20Class%201-2010%20053.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" ></span></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >This was a curly hair day, I see. They happen, especially towards the end of the week. Photo by Myra Willingham.</span><br /></div></blockquote><br />...with the aid of my lovely assistant, Judith, who was another of our Week 2ers...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Haqtpl1wyRc/S1puS8T5nrI/AAAAAAAAFVw/lHfBT08FY0k/s720/Weaving%20Class%201-2010%20052.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 720px; height: 499px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Haqtpl1wyRc/S1puS8T5nrI/AAAAAAAAFVw/lHfBT08FY0k/s720/Weaving%20Class%201-2010%20052.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Photo by Myra Willingham.</span><br /></div><br />...and then showing a few of the students just what a rigid heddle is all about:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Haqtpl1wyRc/S1puT5QPrFI/AAAAAAAAFV8/Q6fmWWhkJuI/s512/Weaving%20Class%201-2010%20056.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 512px; height: 487px;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Haqtpl1wyRc/S1puT5QPrFI/AAAAAAAAFV8/Q6fmWWhkJuI/s512/Weaving%20Class%201-2010%20056.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" ></span></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Judith again, plus a bit of Karen G's left side. Photo by Myra Willingham.</span><br /></div></blockquote><br /><br />I got the scarf about 2/3rds done before I left for home. I've been saving it since then - I figured I'd cut myself a little bit of slack and finish it up on Scarfaday No.1 rather than stressing out about winding a new warp and dressing the loom as well as restarting the blog. Good job I did, too, since between staying up late last night<sup>4</sup>, starting a new yoga class this morning (yay!), going out for lunch with Ron, going knitting at <a href="http://www.wentworthperk.com/">the Wentworth Perk</a> with some of the Unspun Heroes early this evening and then hunting all over Icecrown & Storm Peaks for titanium nodes a little later on, I hardly had any time left for weaving! I'm definitely going to have to reshuffle my priorities if I'm going to pull off Scarfaday again this year. But hey, it's the time of year for doing that anyway so I welcome the challenge and the resulting productivity. :)<br /><br />Anyhoo, this is where I was (a week ago and) at 4:00 pm today:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2efQABB9RI/AAAAAAAAJG4/DL-YnXbUjfw/s512/IMG_2323.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 384px; height: 512px;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2efQABB9RI/AAAAAAAAJG4/DL-YnXbUjfw/s512/IMG_2323.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />As you can see, I sat at the kitchen table to weave today, with Plum & <a href="http://www.twitter.com/janetdawson">Twitter</a> & a lovely cuppa tea to keep me company. What you can't see is that Brownie was also sitting at the table, in that chair by the window. She's elusive and shy as ever but still determined to be near the weaving!<br /><br />This close up shows off the barber poleyness (ooo, another new word!) of the yarns:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2efP7QAWMI/AAAAAAAAJGw/ha14rZQLM7s/s640/IMG_2324.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2efP7QAWMI/AAAAAAAAJGw/ha14rZQLM7s/s640/IMG_2324.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Not long after these photos I realized I should try out my new webcam so there was a bit of fiddling with that - installing the software on Plum, figuring out how to mount it on my tripod, etc. etc. - before I really got going... and then, before I knew it, I was done and it was 6:00 and high time I was at the Perk for knitting.<br /><br />I was home again by 8 but then we made dinner so I didn't get to hemstitch the ends<sup>3</sup> and unfurl the scarf until 9:00ish:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2efPPLz1FI/AAAAAAAAJGg/2hksWD7-RRY/s640/IMG_2326.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2efPPLz1FI/AAAAAAAAJGg/2hksWD7-RRY/s640/IMG_2326.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">That's one of my spiffy new blunt needles wot I bought at </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.weavingworks.com/">the Weaving Works</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. Some of our students (Karen G, maybe?) had them in class and I thought they were Pretty Darn Neat, what with their nice size and bent point, so I hunted them down and got a couple to try. <a href="http://www.clover-usa.com/product/0/219/_/Jumbo_Tapestry_Needles_%28Bent_Point%29">They are made by Clover.</a></span><a href="http://www.clover-usa.com/product/0/219/_/Jumbo_Tapestry_Needles_%28Bent_Point%29"><br /></a></blockquote></span></div><a href="http://www.clover-usa.com/product/0/219/_/Jumbo_Tapestry_Needles_%28Bent_Point%29"><br /></a>So, about the yarn colours. Turns out that the weft obscured the warp a lot more than I expected it to, to the point that they didn't actually muddy one another up 'cause the warp was calling the shots. (ha! "shots"! That's a terrible pun but I like it so in it stays!) Also, the colour shifts in the weft turned out to be way more regular than I expected, what with the barber poleing (poling? polling? meh. poleing!) and all. In the end, although the weft is two toned almost all the time, the overall shifting colourway of the sliver played out in the scarf as well:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2efO8WBt0I/AAAAAAAAJGY/Rw9LClOLEnQ/s640/IMG_2327.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/S2efO8WBt0I/AAAAAAAAJGY/Rw9LClOLEnQ/s640/IMG_2327.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />You can almost tell from the pic how soft and drapey it's going to be once it's wet finished. :D<br /><br />A few technical details:<br /><br />The sliver was 100% merino, dyed by Katherine whoselastnameI<span style="font-style: italic;">never</span>remember of <a href="http://www.fleeceartist.com/">The Fleece Artist.</a> Not sure which colourway but I'm guessing it might be 'Hercules'. It was spun by Yrs Trly and I haven't got the faintest idea how many wraps per inch it was, or whatever the proper numbery bits are for spinning. I spun the singles, balled them up and then plied from the inside & outside of the ball.<br /><br />The scarf was woven on my <a href="http://www.ashford.co.nz/weaving/knitters_loom.htm">Ashford Knitter's Loom</a> using the 7.5 dpi heddle that came with it. I think (but couldn't swear to it) that my guide string was 92" long. I used the direct warping method. There are 55 ends, so I guess that makes it 7.33" in the heddle. It looks like a pretty balanced weave, except for where it's not. The yarn's a bit thick and thin and my beat was, too. ;)<br /><br /><br />Ta da! Done, and only an hour late! That's practically right on time. :D<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">[Edit: Woo! Owing to my mad arm twisting skillz, I've got some takers already! Alison of <a href="http://yarninmypocket.typepad.com/">YarnInMyPocket</a> is launching her new blog, <a href="http://yarnscape.blogspot.com/">Yarnscape</a>, with a dye-a-day project for the month. I'm also going to link to my friend Clayton's photos from his Project365... er, project?... which lasts ALL YEAR! Here are some links:<br /><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://yarnscape.blogspot.com/2010/02/official-launch-and-dye-day.html">Alison's Feb01 dye-a-day post: 'Official launch and dye-a-day!'</a></span></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Clayton's <a href="http://tinyurl.com/yas75s2">Feb01 photo</a> plus <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ydmrdod">bonus gourd</a></span></li></ul><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />C'mon, everyone else. You know you want to! Bring on dem links! - JWD]</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Will be</span>, I said, <span style="font-weight: bold;">will be</span>! Yes, yes, it's empty right now but it won't be for long - I hope?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2. I wove a bunch more scarves toward the end of 2009 that never got blogged but it's too late to worry about them now so this one gets to be #42. Perhaps I'll revisit those other colourways during the month as some of them were Quite Nice, ifIdosaysomyself. :)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">3. Er, yeah. Ends plural. Turns out I hadn't hemstitched the beginning. Didn't remember that when I ended. Oops? Oh well - was easy to do once the scarf was unfurled from the front beam!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">4. I'm reading the </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_6?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=no.1+ladies+detective+agency+series&x=0&y=0&sprefix=No.1+L">No.1 Ladies Detective Agency novels</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> by Alexander McCall Smith. They are so addictive! I finished up #2 and started #3 last night and couldn't turn out the light before 3:00 aye em. ZZzzZZzzzZZZzzZZZZz!</span></span>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-87621589973659201952009-11-17T14:52:00.010-04:002009-11-18T11:00:17.465-04:00Weaving Courses OfferedWoohoo! Time for a Big Honkin' Announcement! As I may have alluded to once or twice but never really expanded on, Mom and I are offering two five-day weaving courses at her studio on Vashon Island, WA in January of 2010. Now that the madness of the latest craft market is over, I've finally had enough time to put together a respectably complete prospectus of what we'll be doing.<br /><br />(I had intended to do up a spiffy web page on my Weavers Palette site to announce this but, woe is me, my mad webskillz were not up to the task. Or not up to making it as pretty as Blogger can, at any rate, so to the greater and prettier wisdom of Blogger I shall yield.)<br /><br />Here is Thee Scoop, for your viewing pleasure: <a name="courses" id="courses"><br /></a><p align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"><a name="courses" id="courses"><b><br />Beginning & Continuing<br />Weaving Courses<br /><small> from</small><br />The Weaver's Palette<br />& Willingham Weavery<br /></b></a></span></p><a name="courses" id="courses"><br />Mother/daughter weaving tag team </a><a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/11/weaving-courses-offered.html#sue">Sue Willingham</a> and <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/11/weaving-courses-offered.html#janet">Janet Dawson</a> are offering two five-day courses in January 2010: <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/11/weaving-courses-offered.html#weaving101">Weaving 101 – Beginning Weaving</a> (January 11-15), and <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/11/weaving-courses-offered.html#weaving102">Weaving 102 – Continuing Weaving</a> (January 18-22). <p></p>Courses run from Monday to Friday and include an hour or two of “class” each morning and afternoon plus several hours of time at the looms with two (2!) experienced instructors close at hand, for a total of 6 hours of instruction and supervised weaving each day for five days. In addition, the studio will be open before and after scheduled class times from Monday to Thursday; students are welcome and encouraged to weave on their own as much as they like between classes. Students who complete their first project with time to spare may plan and weave a second if time permits (additional materials fees may apply in this case).<p></p>There is a maximum enrollment of eight students in each course and there will be two (2!) instructors on hand at all times, so students will receive plenty of individual attention and assistance.<p></p>NB: Sue's studio contains looms made by several different manufacturers so students will have an opportunity to meet and test drive jack, countermarche and rigid heddle looms made by Ashford, Glimakra, Harrisville, LeClerc, Macomber, and Schacht – an invaluable experience for anyone considering purchasing a loom for the first time. The Weavery also has a nearly complete set of Handwoven Magazine and many other weaving texts that students may make use of during the week.<br /><br /><br /><p></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"><b>Course Descriptions</b></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><a name="weaving101" id="weaving101">Weaving 101: Beginning Weaving ~ January 11-15, 2010</a><br /></b></span></p> Topics covered:<br /><ul><li>Loom meet & greet: the parts of a loom and how they work </li> <li>Other weaving paraphernalia: what it's for and how to use it </li> <li>Planning a project: choosing threads, set, structure and size </li> <li>Reading and creating drafts for weaving </li> <li>Dressing a loom <span style="font-style: italic;">from front to back</span> </li> <li>Introduction to simple structures: plain weave, twill and basket weave </li> <li>How to actually weave: filling bobbins & shuttles, treadling a pattern, throwing the shuttle, maintaining an even beat and tidy selvages </li> <li>How to avoid and correct mistakes made while weaving </li> <li>How to <span style="font-style: italic;">stop </span>weaving: hemstitching, hems, knotted fringes and other methods of securing your fabric </li> <li>How to wet finish cloth</li> </ul><p></p>Each student will wind a warp, dress a floor loom and weave a sampler in plain weave, basket weave and a variety of twills, then use the skills learned from the sampler to weave a set of tea towels in her choice of colours on the same warp. Additional looms will be dressed and ready for students to weave samples of variations on plain weave and twill: warp faced, weft faced, twill gamps, and/or finger manipulated weaves. Students may plan and weave a second project if time permits. <p></p>Beginning Weaving makes use of the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Weave-Deborah-Chandler/dp/159668139X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258485144&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Learning to Weave by Deborah Chandler</a>; students are required to bring their own copy of the book to class. Students should also bring their own small, sharp scissors, blunt end tapestry needles, and note taking supplies. All other materials and equipment will be provided (though students who have their own shuttles and bobbins may wish to bring these as well). A materials fee will be charged.<br /><br /><p></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><a name="weaving102" id="weaving102">Weaving 102: Continuing Weaving ~ January 18-22, 2010</a></b></span></p>Topics covered:<br /><ul><li>Review of topics from Weaving 101 </li> <li>Dressing the loom <i>from back to front</i> </li> <li>How to read a profile draft </li> <li>Moving beyond plain weave, basket weave and twill </li> <li>Mixing fibres together successfully</li> </ul>Each student will warp a floor loom in different structures and fibres, using warps and drafts provided by the instructors. Once the looms are dressed, students will rotate among the looms<sup>1</sup> and weave a project on each warp. Structures will vary from three to eight shafts, including krokbragd, waffle weave, lace, fancy twills, block weaves, unit weaves, and/or two shuttle weaves. Projects will include scarves, tea towels or table runners as appropriate for the fibres, structures and sets being used on each loom.<br /><br />NB: Continuing Weaving (Weaving 102) is designed for students who already have some experience in weaving and dressing a loom, reading a simple draft and planning their own projects. It focuses more heavily on loom time than Weaving 101 so that students have ample time to weave each project with instructors nearby to offer assistance if required.<br /><br />Students should bring their own small, sharp scissors, blunt end tapestry needles, and note taking supplies to class. All other materials and equipment will be provided (though students who have their own shuttles and bobbins may wish to bring these as well). A materials fee will be charged.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"><b>The Instructors<br /></b></span></p><a name="janet" id="janet"></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>Janet Dawson (that's me!)<br /><br /></b></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SwL6vRjAOcI/AAAAAAAAI0o/DDSzVEYdoGM/s1600/janetfix.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 134px; min-height: 200px;" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SwL6vRjAOcI/AAAAAAAAI0o/DDSzVEYdoGM/s200/janetfix.jpg" border="0" /></a><p></p> <span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><i>I've always loved yarn: the colours, the textures, the feel of it in my fingers... As a girl, I used to spend hours sifting through my grandmother's yarn drawer and winding up the tangled skeins into tidy balls, then unwinding them so I could do it all over again. Gramma taught me to knit when I was nine and to crochet a little later but when I moved to Cape Breton Island in 1994 and took my first weaving class, I knew I'd found my place: at the loom.<br /></i><p></p> <i>Though I've always longed to create beautiful things, my strengths run more toward math, computers and mechanics. This makes weaving perfect for me because it combines structure and beauty, balances planning with creativity, and allows exploration within a clearly defined framework. In short, it lets the arty-farty right side of my brain and the techy and mechanical left side of my brain cooperate rather than compete for my attention.</i><p></p> <i>I also love to teach! I come from a long line of teachers so it's in my blood and discovering a new way to explain an old idea so that it finally clicks for someone who's been struggling is a particular delight. That I can combine my two passions for weaving and teaching into an actual job is a constant source of surprise and wonder for me. That I can do it </i><span style="font-style: normal;">with my mother</span><i>? Priceless!”</i><p></p> Janet learned to weave at the <a href="http://www.capebretoncraft.com/" target="_blank">Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design</a> in 1994 and taught the weaving program there from 2000 to 2009. She has been a member of the Sydney Weavers' Guild since '94 and was the <a href="http://www.weavespindye.org/" target="_blank">HGA </a>Rep for the Maritime provinces for four years. She has had articles published in the <a href="http://www.ohs.on.ca/" target="_blank">Ontario Spinners & Handweavers</a> magazine, Fibre Focus, and twice in <a href="http://www.handwovenmagazine.com/" target="_blank">Handwoven Magazine</a>, most recently in the <a href="http://www.interweave.com/weave/handwoven_magazine/files/November-December-2009/endnotes.pdf" target="_blank">Nov/Dec 2009 issue</a>. Janet has her own weaving business, <a href="http://www.weaverspalette.com/" target="_blank">The Weaver's Palette</a>, and is one of the founding members of <a href="http://www.mixedmediaartisans.com/" target="_blank">Mixed Media Artisans Co-operative</a>, a retail gallery showcasing the work of artisans from across Cape Breton Island and mainland Nova Scotia. Her handwoven blankets, scarves, table linens, garments and other items have been sold in shops in the Maritimes for 15 years and now grace the homes and wardrobes of customers across North America, Europe and as far away as Australia and the country of Georgia. <p></p> Janet is also active in the online fibre community. She writes two fibre related blogs: <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Scarfaday</a>, which is almost entirely devoted to scarves, and <a href="http://highfibrediet.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">High Fibre Diet</a>, which covers fibre topics of all stripes. She also broadcasts live on <a href="http://justin.tv/janetdawson" target="_blank">Weaving In My Jammies</a> (access code: jammiecam), where viewers can watch her weave and ask questions in real time about what she's doing or anything else related to her high fibre diet. Janet goes by janetdawson on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/janetdawson" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/janetdawson" target="_blank">Ravelry</a>, and on <a href="http://www.weavolution.com/user/276" target="_blank">Weavolution</a> and by Janet Dawson on <a href="http://www.weavezine.com/" target="_blank">WeaveZine</a>.<p></p> Though Janet has experience weaving and teaching advanced, multi-shaft structures, her current passion is for colour and texture in simple structures like plain weave and basket weave, and twills both plain and fancy.<br /><br /><p></p> <span style="font-size:130%;"><b><a name="sue" id="sue">Sue Willingham (a.k.a. My Dear Ol' Mum)</a></b></span><p></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SwPofAlV6NI/AAAAAAAAI1M/a9-6HmAyPPk/s1600/headshot2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SwPofAlV6NI/AAAAAAAAI1M/a9-6HmAyPPk/s200/headshot2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405419597204941010" border="0" /></a><p></p><i>"Weaving has become the focus of my life since retirement, a way to be creative and to be involved with creative people. I especially enjoy helping people learn to weave and to explore more about weaving. My students never fail to surprise me with their individual flair -- I always learn as much as they do! </i><p></p> <i>Sharing a love of weaving with my daughter is, of course, a very special gift. Her enthusiasm is the reason I took my first class. Since then sharing and consulting together has bridged the miles between us. I am really looking forward to teaching these workshops with Janet!"</i><p></p> Sue learned to weave in 1996 at the Weaving Works in Seattle – and via phone consultations with Janet! She moved to Vashon Island in 1998 and after retiring in 2001 had more time to focus on weaving. In 2005 she was asked by friends to teach them to weave. Her living room wasn't big enough so she converted her garage into a studio and later in 2005 opened the Willingham Weavery there. All of her looms were used when she acquired them. Currently there are eight floor looms and several table looms. During the workshops two more will be added temporarily for participants to use. Sue's weaving interests are eclectic -- she likes to experiment with new weave structures and various yarns. As looms have been added to her studio, new opportunities arise because of the size and number of shafts. <p></p> In 2003 Sue was one of the co-founders FiberNet, a group of Vashon fiber enthusiasts who share, teach, and learn from one another and, in 2008, mounted a show in Vashon Island's <a href="http://www.vashonalliedarts.org/">Blue Heron gallery</a>. An outgrowth of FiberNet and of Sue's weaving classes is Vashon Weavers, a group of island weavers that meets regularly and enthusiastically to share and learn. <p></p> Sue has been a member of the <a href="http://www.seattleweaversguild.com/">Seattle Weavers' Guild</a> since 2002 and is currently serving a third term as recording secretary. Next door to her studio is <a href="http://www.vashonalpacas.com/index2.html">Vashon Island Alpacas</a>; Sue works with the owners to produce and sell spinning batts and yarn from the luscious fleece of their animals under the name Vashon Alpaca Fibers. For several years she has participated in the <a href="http://www.vashonislandartstudiotour.com/">Vashon Island Holiday Studio Tour</a> the first two weekends in December; other island weavers also show their work at her studio during these tours.<br /><br /><p></p> <span style="font-size:130%;"><b>Sue and Janet: Mother/Daughter Weaving Duo Extraordinaire! </b></span><p></p> Together, Sue and Janet are an international, east-meets-west, island to island, border hopping, mother/daughter weaving duo extraordinaire! They may live on opposites coasts of two different countries but they visit one another as often as possible and, due to the wonders of the interwebs (and a couple of webcams and hands free phones!), they weave “together” almost as much as if they lived down the road. The two of them live and breathe to weave and are often in consultation with one another on projects, on teaching, and on life in general.<p></p> Collectively, Janet and Sue represent almost 30 years of weaving and teaching experience. Their shared enthusiasm for their craft will inspire you and their mother/daughter antics will entertain you while their breadth of teaching experience and subtle (or not so subtle) differences in approach and technique provide you with a solid foundation of weaving theory and skills that will enable you to weave confidently on your own for years to come.<br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><b>The Willingham Weavery</b></span></p> Sue's studio, The Willingham Weavery, is located on beautiful Vashon Island in the Puget Sound between Seattle and the Olympic peninsula. There are several places for visitors to the island to stay and to eat; anyone coming from away to take the workshops may contact us and we'll provide you with suggestions.<p></p>The Weavery is also right next door to <a href="http://www.vashonalpacas.com/index2.html" target="_blank">Vashon Island Alpacas</a> (where my niece and nephew live!) and Sue sells alpaca bats for felting and spinning as well as spun fibre that weaves up beeeooootifully. If there's interest, arrangements could be made for a tour of the farm. We may even be able to arrange a special yoga session for Madly Weaving Weavers if there are folks who'd participate - always a good idea to give your body a break after weaving for six hours a day!<p></p><p></p><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1. Weave on one loom and then another and another, that is... as opposed to, you know, standing in amongst the looms and spinning round like a dervish. Though you're welcome to do that too if it makes you happy!</span><br /><p></p>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-12642609533914300292009-11-08T16:26:00.003-04:002009-11-08T16:40:50.410-04:00For your viewing pleasure: Scarfaday LiveI use the term "pleasure" loosely, you realize. There's not much to see here besides the clickety-clack of a loom at work and a shuttle swooshing back and forth, but you can now watch <a href="http://justin.tv/janetdawson">Weaving In My Jammies</a> live on JustinTV. Access code: jammiecam!<br /><br />Except that it won't be online all the time, or even most of the time. When it IS live, though, you can come watch me weave and chat with me while I do.<sup>1</sup> I'll be happy for the company, and happy to answer any questions you may have about what I'm up to. If you're very lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of an elusive loom cat. You will almost certainly glimpse some flannel.<br /><br />If you do stop by, be sure to introduce yourself! There's a little chat balloon jobbie to the lower right of the screen.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1. And by chat, I meant txtmsg. I've got the mic off, 'cause I didn't want to have to make it a 18+ site and One Never Knows when some swearing might happen. </span>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-59020048616458022112009-11-06T19:57:00.005-04:002009-11-06T20:44:14.446-04:00And the calendar goes to......Ron Dawson! Errrr... hang on now, that won't do at all.<br /><br />Okay, try again: the calendar goes to... Evelyn Oldroyd! No, wait, she's got one already. <span style="font-style: italic;"> Does</span> she have one already? Yes, yes she does. Is it definitely the 1998 and not the 1997? Yes, it most certainly is.<br /><br />Oooookay, try <span style="font-style: italic;">again</span>. The calendar goes to... Ron Daws-- gnaaah! <br /><br />*deep breath* Once more: The calendar goes to....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SvS_bKZwXJI/AAAAAAAAIs8/oAZl3GXBwT4/s1600-h/Screen+Captures.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SvS_bKZwXJI/AAAAAAAAIs8/oAZl3GXBwT4/s400/Screen+Captures.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401152326493822098" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>...PattyAnne of <a href="http://www.pattyannesplace.com/">PattyAnne's Place</a>! Congrats, PattyAnne! Your calendar is all wrapped up and waiting right by the door for its trip to the PO in the morning. :D<br /><br />Big thanks to everyone who weighed in with an opinion on random vs. reflected. The answers were about 2:1 in favour of random, with 2 people not coming down on either side. (plus a third lurking in twitter DMs - you know who you are!) <br /><br />Don't be too disappointed, those of you who didn't win, for all hope is not lost: I still have a handful of these and they'll likely be turning up in future contests, so Watch This Space.<br /></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-32744939227895290442009-11-04T11:48:00.006-04:002009-11-04T13:49:40.815-04:00It's contest time again!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SvGnvjRZvrI/AAAAAAAAIqY/tfHbuM4ONag/s1600-h/random.jpg"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SvGnuxQJFAI/AAAAAAAAIqI/UZc1bwv4MIM/s1600-h/1998+calendar.jpg"></a>Time for another quick and dirty survey, and hence another contest! It's going to be really quick and really dirty this time, so weigh in quickly for your chance at a Mahvelous Prize! <div><br /></div><div>First, the question: </div><div><br /></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b>Do you prefer scarves with random stripes, like these:</b></span></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SvGnvjRZvrI/AAAAAAAAIqY/tfHbuM4ONag/s1600-h/random.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SvGnvjRZvrI/AAAAAAAAIqY/tfHbuM4ONag/s400/random.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400281863557856946" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px; " /></a><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><i><b>Or those with reflected stripes, like these:</b></i></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SvGnva8RRjI/AAAAAAAAIqQ/R1CKdBswesk/s400/reflected.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400281861321737778" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><br /></div><div>And now for rules and the prize:</div><div><br /></div><div>To enter, simply comment on this post and tell me which you like best - easy peasey! At noon on Friday, I will pick a comment at random and that person will win... <b>(dum dum dum dum duuuummmmm)</b> A 1998 calendar!<sup>1</sup></div><div><br /></div><div>Wait, don't go! I may be shamelessly giving away ancient calendars but it's not as lame a prize as you may think! This is actually a vintage<sup>2</sup> hand woven calendar made by the Sydney Weaver's Guild:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SvGnuxQJFAI/AAAAAAAAIqI/UZc1bwv4MIM/s400/1998+calendar.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400281850130797570" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, it's from 1998, but it's got <i>handwoven swatches for each month!</i> Actual bits of handwoven cloth, with a different thematically chosen structure and colour scheme for each month. Complete with drawdowns by Yrs Trly even, so you can weave them up yourself if you so desire. These are really nifty little swatch books and we sold hundreds of them all over the world back in the day. </div><div><br /></div><div>But wait, there's more! Absolute proof that everything old is new again: <i>the dates on the calendar are correct for 2009!</i> I promise to get the calendar into the mail really really fast so that you can enjoy at least one month of accurate dates. Just disregard the "1998" on the cover and you'll be all set for the month of December - after that, it reverts back to being a swatch book.</div><div><br /></div><div>Please be sure to include your email address in your comment so that I can contact you for your snail mail address. Do <i>not</i> include your snail mail address in your comment unless you like strange people appearing on your doorstep or junk mail in your mailbox!<sup>3</sup></div><div><br /></div><div>This time I really will only consider comments actually attached to this post and not email sent directly to me, as I'm going MAAAD this week trying to get ready for next weekend's market and won't have time to figure out how to merge the two lists. I'll also only consider comments that contain an email address since I want to put the calendar into the mail toot sweet (like on Saturday) so that there's really some hope of it arriving by Dec 1, so I want to be able to contact the lucky winner ASAP.</div><div><br /></div><div>There, I think that's everything. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><i>[Edit: Oops, not quite everything! You can put in your twitter user name instead of your email address if you prefer. Just so long as I can get 'hold of you really fast. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Oops: one more thing! Even if you'd rather not have the calendar - perhaps you're not a weaver yourself or maybe you've already got one? - I'd still like your input! Please chime in anyway and either say in your comment you'd rather forgo the prize or let me know on Friday if you happen to win. - J ]</i></div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><i>1. I did say "really dirty"! </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>2. Is 11 years old vintage? I'd say so, for a calendar!</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>3. You might also like to hide your email address with an [at] instead of an @ and a [dot] rather than a . so that spammers do not sniff it out and start to use it. (e.g. jandawson[at]gmail[dot]com). </i></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-65975471249200028352009-10-31T09:37:00.015-03:002009-10-31T17:22:29.600-03:00Just the stash, Mom, Just the stash. [Scarves ?? and 44-46]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SiLHo_Qe88I/AAAAAAAAGyY/6Iz569d99Zg/s640/IMG_1597.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SiLHo_Qe88I/AAAAAAAAGyY/6Iz569d99Zg/s640/IMG_1597.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />You may recall that when Mom came to visit<sup>1</sup> last May, I stashed her in my yarn room for a month. Some people might object to being stuck in a storage room rather than a guest room but, being a weaver, Mom is quite content with the arrangement.<sup>2</sup> For one thing it's the only room in the house besides our bedroom, office and bathroom that actually has a door (for some reason she objects to cats climbing into bed with her).<sup>3</sup> For another, it's filled with yarn:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SiXck-YGpKI/AAAAAAAAG1g/gRXjsUHxBmM/s640/IMG_0380.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SiXck-YGpKI/AAAAAAAAG1g/gRXjsUHxBmM/s640/IMG_0380.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Remember this? One wall of my yarn room/guest room/Mother containment unit/playground.</span></span><br /></div><br />The door's nice but it's really the yarn she likes, even though she says it makes it hard to sleep sometimes. It overstimulates her and gives her all kinds of ideas for things to weave, apparently, and I don't doubt it. In years past when she visited I'd stick my head in and find her lying on the bed, staring thoughtfully up at the walls and worrying her lip or tapping her cheek as she combined the yarn on the walls in her mind. "I'd love to use that one and that one together," she'd say, pointing at the walls and looking at me hopefully.<br /><br />I had my stash sort of organized, though - at least in theory. Production yarns were on one wall, knitting yarns on another, yarns I collected before starting the business on a third, etc - and I tried not to mix them up too much since some were business supplies and some weren't. And we were always so busy... and I never wove many scarves... There was always some reason I put her off, poor thing.<br /><br />This year, though - This was The Year of the Scarf! I swear, she literally clapped her hands with glee when I didn't just <span style="font-style: italic;">allow</span> her to go crazy in there but <span style="font-style: italic;">asked</span> her, pretty please with sugar and cherries and all the trimmings, to wind me up some stash scarf warps. She was like a kid in a candy store mixed with a kid whose favourite toys were all in her room - she'd disappear for ages and when I finally tracked her down she'd be sitting on her bed with piles of yarn all around her and a big excited smile on her face: "Look at these, honey! Ooo, and what about this!? And you could use this or this... ooo, <span style="font-style: italic;">or that</span> for weft!"<br /><br />The end result was seventeen (17!!) warps she wound for three or four scarves apiece. The first couple of combos she just made a single warp out of but by the third one she was making two warps from each so that she could take one home and weave it too - the idea being that we could then compare to see how our respective scarves turned out. Here's the lot, aren't they gorgeous?<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&noautoplay=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fjandawson%2Falbumid%2F5342051561618671089%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCPCkkMWUlt286wE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="800" height="533"></embed><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >The stash warps Mom wound for me while she was here in May.</span><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></div><br />We thought they were so cool (and the pictures so neat) that we sent them off to Handwoven to see if they'd be interested in them for an Endnotes but I guess they already had stash warps articles planned for an upcoming issue or something so they didn't bite. Their loss, I think!<br /><br />Anyhoo, <span style="font-style: italic;">we</span> were both really excited about this back in May and each of us put on a warp right away. Mom actually wove three of them in quick succession, and they all turned out GRATE. See for yourself:<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&noautoplay=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fmsuewill%2Falbumid%2F5348093966785784513%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCMq2w5qSq-v5fA%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="800" height="533"></embed><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mom's first three stash warps, all woven up. Soooo pretty!</span></span><br /></div><br />Aren't those pictures FAB? I particularly like the ones that show the finished scarves all swirled up with their own wefts.<br /><br />Unfortunately, I hit my Weaving Funk and stalled during the first stash warp I put on. Truth be told, I think the two are related to some extent. I don't mean to say that the stash scarves <span style="font-style: italic;">caused</span> my funk, no sirree! They are BEEOOOTIFUL and I love them, and I love that my Dear Ol Mum (who I also love) wound them for me. But Mom's scarves were soooo pretty and her pics soooo cleverly composed that I, in my funkiness, thought to myself: "how can I compete with that? How can I improve on <span style="font-style: italic;">that??</span>" As if competing or improving on was important somehow! Pfff! Ridiculous! But there it is: my darkest, dirtiest secret is that I'm a competitive little bi...er, thing, even where my Dear Ol Mum is concerned. I'm working on it, really I am. :P<br /><br />I did manage to finish that first stash warp, though. And then, since those three scarves and three similar stashy scarves Mom had woven before she left sold like hot cakes in the shop, I managed to squeeze out a second one over the summer in spite of my weaving dry-spell. As it turns out, the two warps I chose were two of the ones Mom had also woven and we both wound up picking similar weft colours, too. Great minds think alike and all that:<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&noautoplay=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fjandawson%2Falbumid%2F5398759206322766577%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="800" height="533"></embed><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Gaah! Mom's pics are much better than mine! Let it go, Janet, let it go...</span><br /></div><br />Sadly, I didn't take any finished shots of the pastel warp, or if I did I can't find them. I still have one of those left - the only stash warp scarf that hasn't sold yet, I think because it's very springy colours and I didn't get them woven until fall - so maybe I'll get one taken yet. Or maybe I'll unearth the pics I thought I took but can't locate.<br /><br />Those two warps were the only scarves I wove between June and September, actually. I've been weaving like crazy this month, though - and, now that my funk is over, these stash warps are calling to me! I wove one last week and am hoping to get several more done before the market next month. I'm sure they'll be as popular there as they were in the shop.<br /><br />Here's the one I've done so far:<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&noautoplay=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fjandawson%2Falbumid%2F5398740560795461825%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="800" height="533"></embed><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Warp #17, Scarves #44-#46</span><br /></div><br />As I wove the first one I thought I was beating the weft in too hard and that it would cover up the lovely warp too much, so I beat the next two very lightly. In retrospect, I like the hand of the first one best even though the warp does show better in the other two. The third one, #46, was a particular experiment: I couldn't find the exact shade of grey I wanted on my production wall so I used a fine silk that my friend Barbara (hi, Barbara!) gave me years ago. The colour wasn't quite as blue as I wanted but hit the mark pretty closely. It must've been a good choice 'cause that's the scarf that the peanut gallery of weavers I showed these to on Thursday liked best. All three of these are sooo drapey and soft and the colours look reeeally great with a chocolate brown vest that I have, so I'm hoping they'll go quickly at the sale.<br /><br />I still have four more warps from October to share with you but I'll save those for future posts. Right now, it's back to der loom for me!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1. Read: "work like a slave"<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">2. Good thing, 'cause I haven't </span><span style="font-style: italic;">got</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> a guest room!</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">3. Hmm. Maybe I'm adopted?<br /></span>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-20578415974175219662009-10-21T19:43:00.004-03:002009-10-21T23:54:34.879-03:00Round Up [Scarves 36-41]<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>I finally got a chance to take some after shots of some of the scarves I've done the past week or so. I took all these pics in the shop, actually, so the colours are really pretty accurate - the ones I've been taking in the basement lately have been Very Odd Indeed. Maybe we changed the lightblubs or something?<br /><br />First up is Warp #12, which is the same colourway as Warp #1. You may recall that I wove the first one just like Scarf #3 except that I hemmed the ends rather than fringing them. After I finished that first scarf, though, I resleyed at 8 EPI rather than 10 to see whether I liked the hand of the looser fabric better.<br /><br /><br />Scarf #36...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/4032644299/" title="Scarf #36 by Janet Dawson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2597/4032644299_5c14d6c4ef.jpg" alt="Scarf #36" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/4033396888/" title="Scarf #36 by Janet Dawson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2509/4033396888_236fc91025.jpg" alt="Scarf #36" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br /></div><br />...Scarf #37...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/4033396968/" title="Scarf #37 by Janet Dawson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2752/4033396968_0fe94b7728.jpg" alt="Scarf #37" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/4033397020/" title="Scarf #37 by Janet Dawson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2437/4033397020_3c6d1005d6.jpg" alt="Scarf #37" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">...and Scarf #38!<br /><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/4032644055/" title="Scarf #38 by Janet Dawson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2695/4032644055_753c018530.jpg" alt="Scarf #38" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/4033396538/" title="Scarf #38 by Janet Dawson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2803/4033396538_1d1f29bb15.jpg" alt="Scarf #38" height="375" width="500" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Turns out that I do quite like the lighter hand: the 8/8 cotton woven up at 10 EPI is a really nice weight for winter but the scarves are ... well, let's just say they're Big Boned. At 8 EPI the scarves have a bit more drape and flexibility - and they're wider, of course. If I had to go out on a limb, I'd say the 10 EPI might be better for guys (narrower, sturdier, denser) and the 8 EPI ones might be preferable for da ladies. I'll definitely be doing more of each for the market and will try to pay attention to whether or not this theory carries any weight. :) I used the same old 4/8 cotton weft as usual for scarves 36 and 38; for 37 I used a cotton boucle of similar weight.<br /><br />Next up, Warp #13, the wide Water Lilies scarves -- except that now that they're done, they make me think of the Scottish heath as well so now I'm not sure what to call it. Might have to have a "name that colourway" contest or summat. Name the palette, win the palette kinda thing. These are done in 4/8 cotton both warp and weft, with a planned stripe permutation in the warp. Anyhoo, here they are, whatever they'll wind up being called:<br /><br />Scarf #39...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/4033386482/" title="Scarf #39 by Janet Dawson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2501/4033386482_37aeb4b38c.jpg" alt="Scarf #39" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /></div><br />...Scarf #40...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/4033386412/" title="Scarf #40 by Janet Dawson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2767/4033386412_42a92884ee.jpg" alt="Scarf #40" height="366" width="500" /></a><br /></div><br />...Scarf #41...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/4032633519/" title="Scarf #41 by Janet Dawson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2536/4032633519_6b7d372ae5.jpg" alt="Scarf #41" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /></div><br />...and the whole happy family:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/4033386582/" title="Scarves 39-41 by Janet Dawson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2735/4033386582_2e7a0ae6ac.jpg" alt="Scarves 39-41" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/4032633657/" title="Scarves 39-41 by Janet Dawson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2449/4032633657_f86194ab72.jpg" alt="Scarves 39-41" height="328" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />So there you have it: the first crop of scarves I'm getting ready for the craft market next month. I'm going to work both these colourways up as kits as well, and I think I might take some prewound warps to the market with me - either to sell to local weavers or to take orders if someone wants to choose his or her own weft colour.<br /><br />Incidentally, I didn't make a slideshow out of these 'cause I put them on Flickr rather than uploading them right to Blogger, as my Picasa account is rapidly filling up. I don't yet know how to create a slideshow out of a Flickr set and if there's a handy little "create slideshow" button on my Flickr page, I'm not finding it. Can anyone shed any light?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/St_IqMH3aqI/AAAAAAAAIZg/oOG37AuEvuM/s640/IMG_1821.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 640px; height: 485px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/St_IqMH3aqI/AAAAAAAAIZg/oOG37AuEvuM/s640/IMG_1821.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I also wove off this wide scarf that I'd put on the Schacht Flip I borrowed from my friend Marie earlier today. Apart from an interlude of great wailing and gnashing of teeth, I got along pretty well with the Flip. I've got to give it back on Friday but I went ahead and put another warp on it this evening while Ron and I were watching t.v. Will keep you posted!<br /><br /><br /><br /></div></div></div></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-3525561942735368262009-10-19T13:38:00.011-03:002009-10-19T18:35:44.827-03:00Sheds, temples and water liliesJust a quickie to show you guys some of my progress so far on Craft Market Countdown 2009. You may have spotted my tally in the top right corner; if so, you're probably fretting at the very small number of scarves I've finished so far - I know I am! Still, those are scarves that are Completely Done, tagged and everything, not any of the ones that are currently in progress, so things aren't <span style="font-style: italic;">quite</span> so grim as they appear. Which is to say, I'm not yet in full blown panic mode - that's still a week or two away. I hope. Ahem.<sup>1</sup><br /><br />In addition to those three finished scaves (pics up soon, I promise!) I've actually got warps going on four different looms right now, with two wide scarves off and ready to be twisted and three others in varying stages of doneness. <span style="font-style: italic;">(Is that a word? My spell checker says no but I say yes. Take That, Mr. Spellchecker!)</span> The warps are all totally and completely different but very pretty in their own ways. Here's the one I'm loving the most, in spite of the fact that it's totally unseasonal. It's on Joey right now but only for another hour or so until I get the last of three scarves finished:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/StyW8Ma_XyI/AAAAAAAAIXU/zV8WWewtMCk/s1600-h/IMG_1744.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 368px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/StyW8Ma_XyI/AAAAAAAAIXU/zV8WWewtMCk/s400/IMG_1744.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394352414553759522" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >The weird green thread on the left side is the guide string - I don't usually use one but did this time just for kicks.</span><br /></div><br />That's the warp on the mill before I chained it off. The colours aren't so hot in this pic but you can see that they're soft, nearly-but-not-quite pastels. Or maybe they are pastels but they're more grey than the baby pink and blue and yellow that I associate with the word "pastel". To me this colourway looks like one of Monet's paintings. One of the <a href="http://images.google.ca/images?hl=en&q=monet+water+lilies&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B3GGGL_enCA250CA250&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=8pfcSqWvOInllQeYxMmhAQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBcQsAQwAA">Water Lilies</a>, perhaps?<br /><br />Here it is again, all chained up. This shows the colours much better:<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/StyW8jcoMCI/AAAAAAAAIXc/fpoNE6jQ5qU/s1600-h/IMG_1749.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 325px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/StyW8jcoMCI/AAAAAAAAIXc/fpoNE6jQ5qU/s400/IMG_1749.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394352420734644258" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I'm doing these scarves like the ones from Warp #9 and the magazine article: 4/8 cotton at 8 EPI, 15" in the reed and beat Very Gently Indeed. They usually come out around 11" wide after they're wet finished. I used the same stripe progression that I used for the grey scarf in the article rather than my usual random colours or reflected stripe - I'm quite taken with that and expect to be using it quite a lot in the weeks and months to come.<br /><br />I started out using the same light green that's in the warp. I wasn't sure at first whether it worked but after the scarf was finished and off the loom I decided I quite liked it. The stripes are much more subtle than I'd anticipated but subtle is okay!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/StyW9n_h8LI/AAAAAAAAIXk/en7bYr8nhl0/s1600-h/IMG_1792.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 258px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/StyW9n_h8LI/AAAAAAAAIXk/en7bYr8nhl0/s400/IMG_1792.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394352439134646450" border="0" /></a><br />For the second scarf I used a soft grey with brownish undertones that sets off the warp stripes much more than the green did. I fell in love with that one from the get go but didn't take any pics of that one on the loom so you'll have to wait until it's wet finished to see how pretty it is. Ho hum.<br /><br />For the third one I used a bluish green that's just a bit darker than one of the colours in the warp. At this point the grey's still my fave but I remain open to the possibility that this one might overtake it. I started working on it this morning when I found out today's cruise ship was canceled, and I'm heading downstairs inna bit to go finish it, then twist the fringes on all three and get them wet finished - am very excited to see what they look like all done!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/StyW-qlnkHI/AAAAAAAAIXs/JYWNAcUsxMA/s1600-h/IMG_1819-1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/StyW-qlnkHI/AAAAAAAAIXs/JYWNAcUsxMA/s400/IMG_1819-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394352457011138674" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I've got two rigid heddle looms on the go right now, too: my own little Knitter's Loom which is dressed with some bright scarves in purple, gold and navy, and a Flip that I borrowed from a friend which is wearing all bright purples and fuchsias. I'm really loving the fuchsia stripe action on the Flip and I think they'll be really popular what with how big purple is these days but the muted tones in the Water Lilies are my absolute faves for me personally. I wear those kinds of colours all the time. Will be hard to part with the scarves once they're done but then I can always make myself another. :)<br /><br />Anyone following the hubbub over the use of temples on the Weaving List may be interested to know that, as you can see from the pic, I'm using one on these scarves. I didn't use one for the green scarf but put it on part way into the grey one (hopefully the funny little bump where it gets wider won't show up too much) and plan to use it for all other scarves I do of this type since it makes such a big difference. I generally use a temple on my wider scarves and shawls but not on my narrow scarves. Don't use one on placemats, sometimes do on blankets and sometimes don't. I have no hard and fast rules except to use one when it improves the cloth.<br /><br />Incidentally, for narrow and lightweight fabrics I use <a href="http://www.glimakrausa.com/products-temples.html">Glimakra temples</a>. I've tried the LeClerc temples and, although they're very similar in style to the Glimakra, I Do Not Like Them. I don't know whether it was the particular temple I was using at the time or something about the LeClerc design, but it prompted considerable wailing and gnashing of teeth that the Glimakra ones do not. The Glimakra ones are lighter with finer teeth and just generally more pleasant to look at and to touch. That counts for a lot in my book. For heavy, wider fabrics (read: blankets and rugs) I use metal <a href="http://www.camillavalleyfarm.com/weave/raddletemple.htm">Toika temples</a>. They are The Business. Also, I like the bright cheery colours. I also like that they don't obscure as much of the fabric as the wider, wooden ones - that extra width bothered me a bit at first with the Glimakras but I've gotten over it now. :)<br /><br />Speaking of seasonal colours, things are absolutely gorgeous around here right now. The colours are just a tad past their prime around my yard but still lovely, as you can see in this pic of our brand new shed, which has caused much rejoicing chez moi the past couple days:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SttVOwzA9RI/AAAAAAAAIVo/i0pcnBoORak/IMG_1813.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 640px; height: 427px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SttVOwzA9RI/AAAAAAAAIVo/i0pcnBoORak/IMG_1813.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Every fall I daydream about weaving something using the colours in the trees. Especially the hot pink and gold of the maples - such an unlikely combination but so beautiful! Throw in a bit of dark green from the evergreens and the grey of the tree trunks... oh man, now I want to go wind warps instead of weaving. Good job there's time for both!<br /><br />The shed is big news 'cause it's finally going to relieve some of the pressure in the house space-wise, plus it's extra exciting for me 'cause it feels like Step One towards building my outside studio, which I think might become a reality next year or the year after. The link between the shed and the studio is more psychological than anything but I have walked around in there and tried to get a feel for the space, estimate how much more space I'd need for what I want in the studio, etc. etc. It just feels like Progress, and that's a really great thing.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1. I've also got a fair number of scarves at a couple of different shops that will close for the season by the end of the month and I'll be Very Surprised Indeed if I don't get several scarves back that haven't sold yet. Surprised, then thrilled and then really freakin' desperate 'cause I won't have diddly for the market. Gaahh!</span>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-46130529078991985542009-10-10T11:05:00.012-03:002009-10-10T18:13:07.207-03:00Back on Track [Scarf #...er, 36, maybe?]Oh, so many things to tell you! Not least of which is that, after seemingly MILES[1] of placemats, I am finally weaving scarves again! See?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/StCpEnghoSI/AAAAAAAAIR4/IBUwZP3jr_I/s1600-h/IMG_1720-1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/StCpEnghoSI/AAAAAAAAIR4/IBUwZP3jr_I/s400/IMG_1720-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390994650752459042" border="0" /></a><br /><br />That right there is Mr. Scarfy Pants, the first proper Scarf A Day scarf in simply months. By "proper" I mean one who had his picture taken on the loom and is getting blogged about on the day of his birth - I've actually woven a couple others but I either didn't snap any pics while they were on the loom or haven't blogged 'em yet. I'm sooo out of practice!<br /><br />More about MSP in a minute, but first I want to say a huge THANK YOU to you guys who have stuck with me through my long dry spell. I also want to give a hearty welcome to anyone who's found the blog via my article in the latest issue of <a href="http://www.handwovenmagazine.com/">Handwoven Magazine</a>. These two things are related!<br /><br />That they're related will come as no surprise to anyone who's read both <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/08/wont-you-take-me-to-funkytown.html">my last post</a> and <a href="http://www.interweave.com/weave/handwoven_magazine/files/November-December-2009/endnotes.pdf">my article</a>, as the first inspired the latter. You'll recall that I mentioned the article <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/05/so-much-weaving-so-little-time.html">way back when</a>, when it was supposed to be about Scarfaday and stash scarves and weaving on the cheap and joint projects with Mom and, oh yes, the kitchen sink as well... The scarves were originally supposed to be a project article for the Sept/Oct issue of the mag but for Various Reasons it was delayed until the Nov/Dec, which was just as well 'cause I had no clue how to work all that stuff in, really I didn't. In fact, I was still struggling with the subject matter when I wrote that last post - I was just seeing the light at the end of my funky tunnel, but article angst was holding me back. Finally I wrote to Madelyn and said, "Look, I'm really sorry, but unless you want an article on what to do when your attention span is shorter than your warp, I'm afraid I'm not your girl for this issue." "Really?" she asked. "Were you serious about that?" And the rest, as they say, is history. They also say you should write what you know and you know what? It works!<br /><br />At first I felt mighty sheepish about writing an article for lazy weavers but then I had an epiphany of sorts: I realized that being a hare (at least one who eventually gets off her duff and back onto the track) isn't a Bad Thing, it's just... a Thing. If you know in advance that it's Your Thing, you can plan accordingly and there won't be any need for embarrassment or guilt or funks or angst when you inevitably decide to cool your heels for a while. I also realized as I talked with other people about the article that <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm not the only hare out there</span>. I can't tell you what a relief that is!<br /><br />And so, article angst, hare self-acceptance and miles of placemats behind me, I am not just ready but anxious, eager and excited to WEAVE SOME FLIPPIN' SCARVES. Which is a bloody good thing, since I inadvertently signed myself up for a craft market next month and then forgot all about it, so now I have less than five weeks(!!!) to weave a booth full of stuff, and by stuff I mean scarves.<br /><br />Which brings me back to Mr. Scarfy Pants:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/StCpEwDjr1I/AAAAAAAAISA/b2yS4d9TiHs/s1600-h/IMG_1721.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/StCpEwDjr1I/AAAAAAAAISA/b2yS4d9TiHs/s400/IMG_1721.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390994653046878034" border="0" /></a><br /><br />You might recognize the warp colour combo. It's <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/search/label/Warp%201">Warp #1</a> again, and it's back on the loom[2] 'cause a customer ordered a scarf just like <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/02/if-it-aint-broke.html">Scarf #3</a> except that he didn't want fringe. It was for a friend of his whose chemo treatments were making her skin super sensitive and he feared the fringe would irritate her. Personally, I think the firm edge of a hem would be more irritating than the super soft cotton fringe, but he wanted a hem so a hem he got. I split the 4/8 into plies and used one ply of 2/16 for the hem bits so that when folded up on themselves they wouldn't be tooooo bulky. Worked far better than I expected, I have to say.<br /><br />I put on enough warp for four scarves, of course. The first was his and done just like the others on Warp #1, i.e. with regular stripes in the same colour order and at 10 EPI. Just to change things up a bit (yay for hares!) I resleyed before the next scarf and wove it at 8 EPI like my wide scarves 'cause I want to see what the 8/8 warp will do at that set. I've done two scarves like that now and am trying to decide whether to do the last one that way as well or cut these two off and wash 'em first. The fact that I think I've woven #2 and #3 longer than I planned for is a mitigating factor - don't want #4 to wind up stubby!<br /><br />For the weft of the second scarf I used the same blue that I'd used in Scarf #4.5 'cause I loved it so much and really wanted a full length scarf in that colour. No pics of that one on the loom, but here's 4.5 as a reminder of the lovely colour (this one's at 10 EPI, tho' but):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/StCp68AAWlI/AAAAAAAAISQ/dpOGfH-7eFM/s1600-h/IMG_0324.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/StCp68AAWlI/AAAAAAAAISQ/dpOGfH-7eFM/s400/IMG_0324.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390995583966141010" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I think a chocolatey brown would be lovely with this warp palette but I quite liked how the blue of a more similar value wove up, so I decided to use a grey with brown undertones for Mr. Scarfy Pants. I like it but it hasn't sent me into paroxysms of delight. Perhaps it will once it's washed. :) I hope so - I do so enjoy a nice paroxysm. What a funny word. Paroxysm.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/StCpFbiwh9I/AAAAAAAAISI/potu2M0COTI/s1600-h/IMG_1722.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/StCpFbiwh9I/AAAAAAAAISI/potu2M0COTI/s400/IMG_1722.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390994664720467922" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hmm... I like it even better in this pic than I do on the loom. That is Promising!</span></span><br /></div><br />So! That's all the time I have right now, but here are a few other things I want to be sure to share in the near future:<br /><ul><li>Mom's super keen stash warp project and the lovely scarves they've produced<br /></li><li>Plans for two week-long workshops that Mom and I are offering in January on Vashon in WA - excitin'!<br /></li><li>Pics of more of those wide, loosely woven scarves like the ones from <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/search/label/Warp%209">Warp #9</a> and the ones in the Handwoven article, which are doing really well in the shop</li><li>Pics of my stole, which I never did post. Gah!</li><li>The rehabilitation of <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/04/scarf-fail.html">Scarf #34</a><br /></li></ul><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">[1] I'm sure 30 yards = miles in some space time continuum.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">[2] In fact, it's on both looms which is Very Odd, let me tell you. Like I'm seeing double when I go downstairs, 'cause the same colours in the same stripe pattern are in two places. First time that's ever happened, and it's because two people ordered the same colours, one for scarves and the other for baby blankets - who am I to argue with paying customers?</span>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-55542361340564637602009-08-24T08:13:00.010-03:002009-08-26T13:29:37.783-03:00Won't You Take Me To Funkytown?<span style="font-style: italic;"></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Gotta make a move to a </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Town that's right for me</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Town to keep me movin'</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Keep me groovin' with some energy</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Well, I talk about it</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Talk about it</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Talk about it</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Talk about it</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Talk about, Talk about</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Talk about movin'</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Gotta move on</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Gotta move on</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Gotta move on</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Won't you take me to Funkytown?</span><br /><br />- <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liuCTk2nPG8">Funkytown</a>, Lipps Inc.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><br />So you may just have spotted that I have not been posting this summer - not my own scarves, nor the lovely guest scarves I still have lined up to share with you guys, nor the super keen stash scarf project that my dear ol' Mum cooked up for us while she was visiting in May, nor even the absolutely lovely tea towel that Beth Mullins wove for me Just Because she's a sweetheart. At first this was 'cause I needed a bit of a break after the madness that was May. Then it was 'cause I was in a bit of a weaving funk, and then a funk in general. After that it was just... inertia, I suppose? It is very hard to get back to something once you've had a break from it, no matter how much you love doing it. At least for me: I've always been a binge kind of person, and tend to do things intensely for a while and then not at all for a while rather than a little bit all the time. I'm a hare rather than a tortoise, you might say, and lately I've been sitting under my tree by the side of the race track, taking a break and watching the tortoises trundle slowly by.<br /><br />And, although I fully expect to dust myself off and get back onto the racetrack that is Scarf A Day eventually, for the moment what's stretching out in front of me is miles of placemats, punctuated by the occasional blanket. I've got zero (0) blankets, wool or cotton, left in either store, and zero (0) placemats or runners left in <a href="http://www.mixedmediaartisans.com">my store</a> 'cause I sent everything I had, which wasn't much really, off to <a href="http://www.arts-north.com">Arts North</a> so they'd have at least a little bit of something. Happily<sup>1</sup>, I've got eighteen (18) yards worth of placemat warp on the loom at the mo' and materials for lots more after that<sup>2</sup>, so I'll be able to restock once I get myself in gear. It's the getting into gear thing that's causing me trouble these days. ;)<br /><br />So, since this blog is supposed to be about scarves and all I've got to share is placemats, I'm in a bit of a quandry. Do I talk up placemats over on <a href="http://www.blogger.com/highfibrediet.blogspot.com">High Fibre Diet</a> and leave Scarf A Day gathering dust? Do I post about them here and pretend they're just very short, very wide scarves? Do I convert the whole business to a Wordpress blog and try out their intriguing category wossit which, if I understand it correctly, will let me have different pages all as part of one blog, with Scarf A Day on one page, HFD on another, and possibly other stuff on other pages<sup>3</sup> Choices, choices, choices...<br /><br /><br />And now, since no blog post is complete without pictures and because nothing cheers a person up like unexpected pressies arriving by post <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> because I have had this lovely little item sitting out on my kitchen table for weeks as a reminder of good friends online and encouragement to keep blogging, I invite you to join me on a little trip from Funk to Funkytown...<br /><br /><br />This mysterious package arrived in my mail one day in early July:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SpKDKyv57TI/AAAAAAAAIOI/GMAQZEH_z1k/s1600-h/IMG_1698.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SpKDKyv57TI/AAAAAAAAIOI/GMAQZEH_z1k/s400/IMG_1698.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373501526851054898" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Well, okay, the customs label kept it from being totally mysterious but it <span style="font-style: italic;">was</span> totally unexpected! I had no idea anything of this nature was Afoot. Naturally, I was like a kid on Christmas morning all anxious to tear off the wrappings and see what was inside but I managed to restrain myself long enough to grab Bella and take some pics of the unveiling.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SpKDLWC7wJI/AAAAAAAAIOQ/C7SyLS8aCeU/s1600-h/IMG_1699.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SpKDLWC7wJI/AAAAAAAAIOQ/C7SyLS8aCeU/s400/IMG_1699.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373501536326107282" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Aahh! Yet more wrapping between me and my "one (1) towel - handwoven"! But such pretty wrappings, aren't they? And a card and everything. The anticipation rises...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SpKDLwCUSaI/AAAAAAAAIOY/OYT4Eys-vdQ/s1600-h/IMG_1700-1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 292px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SpKDLwCUSaI/AAAAAAAAIOY/OYT4Eys-vdQ/s400/IMG_1700-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373501543302842786" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Isn't that the cutest card EVAR? And how could Beth have known how much I love cats? Okay, so I <span style="font-style: italic;">may</span> have mentioned cats a <a href="http://highfibrediet.blogspot.com/2009/01/errrrrnkgh.html">time </a>or <a href="http://highfibrediet.blogspot.com/2009/01/best-laid-plans.html">two </a>(or <a href="http://highfibrediet.blogspot.com/2007/04/webcam-200407.html">three </a>or <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/03/deja-vu-all-over-again.html#brownie">four </a>or <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/03/same-only-different.html#brownie">five</a>...) but how could she have known that this particular kitty looks just like our No.1 Cat? I know I've never posted pics of him on either blog 'cause he died before I started blogging and, truly, this card looks just like him:<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SpKSdnd8LZI/AAAAAAAAIO8/9GAnGjjX75Y/s1600-h/DSCN1650.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SpKSdnd8LZI/AAAAAAAAIO8/9GAnGjjX75Y/s400/DSCN1650.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373518342914846098" border="0" /></a></div><br />He had a bent ear and way more toes (26!!) than the guy on the card, BUT STILL. You'll just have to take my word for the legs and body being a nearly perfect match, apart from the toes.<br /><br />And now for the pressie itself! I wish I could somehow squeeze the towel right through the intertubes so you could feel the lovely weight and hand of it. Beth, you'll have to correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure it's woven of 100% unmercerized cotton; I'm guessing a 2/8, or is it a 2/10?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SpKSZEMumxI/AAAAAAAAIO0/GUxJGIEH_w4/s1600-h/IMG_1715.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 334px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SpKSZEMumxI/AAAAAAAAIO0/GUxJGIEH_w4/s400/IMG_1715.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373518264727935762" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As you can see, the shade of blue is a ridiculously perfect match for my dishes; what you can't see is that my kitchen floor has diamonds on it just like her little turned twill block structure<sup>4</sup>. Srsly, <span style="font-style: italic;">how does the woman know</span>!? I know I've posted about the cats and I have a vague recollection of putting a picture of one of my blue plates on HFD but I'm quite certain I've never put my kitchen floor online 'cause, really, who's got time for housework anyway? I think there must have been an inside man on this one, or an inside Mum if my sources are correct.<br /><br />Here's another shot of the towel fabric, sans props:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SpKDMZYQzgI/AAAAAAAAIOg/gu3xlrSjOPk/s1600-h/IMG_1701.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SpKDMZYQzgI/AAAAAAAAIOg/gu3xlrSjOPk/s400/IMG_1701.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373501554400742914" border="0" /></a><br />And a closeup of her lovely turned twill:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SpKDMtYLNGI/AAAAAAAAIOo/men3EL6gEAk/s1600-h/IMG_1702.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SpKDMtYLNGI/AAAAAAAAIOo/men3EL6gEAk/s400/IMG_1702.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373501559769085026" border="0" /></a><br />Isn't it beeooootiful?? I just lurve it, yes I do. Thank you thank you thank you, Beth!<br /><br />I can't tell you what a pick-me-up it was to get this in the mail when I was feeling so funky (and not in a good way). I mean yeah, sure, I really love the towel and will use it heaps<sup>5</sup> but the best bit about getting pressies like this one and <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/04/on-second-chances-and-gifts-in-mail.html#pressie">the one Laura sent in April</a> isn't so much the <span style="font-style: italic;">towels</span> - it's the friendship that comes wrapped up in them, the reminder that people out there are thinking of me fondly (and not with irritation or judgment that I haven't been blogging, as I am wont to imagine). I told Beth when it arrived that I'd keep it out where I could see it as a gentle encouragement to blog again when the funk wore off and I think, I hope that's right about now. :)<br /><br />Speaking of which, thanks so much to everyone else who's sent little notes to keep in touch over the past few months. Barbara, Ellie, Annie, and all the rest - I really appreciate that you took the time to drop me a line even when I wasn't feeling very communicado. :)<br /><br />So! I dunno how much I'll blog or when I'll get around to posting the guest scarves that I'd meant to post back in May but it'll happen eventually. :) And I'll figure out what to do about the whole Placemat A Day issue as well. I'm going to take <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/06/guess-scarf-week.html?showComment=1244286560769#c7371236189785124172">Barbara's excellent advice</a> and not make any promises that I have to live up to so that whatever happens is all good, but I am going to try to just Do Something 'cause that's what always gets me out of the funk in the end and, like the Lipps say, it's time to be groovin' with some energy.<br /><br /><br /><br /><i> 1. Who am I kidding? I am dreading these placemats, yea and verily. They are just so monotonous and endless... Every year I tell myself I'm done with placemats and yet, they are what sells at Arts North and I get lots of orders for them. The very idea of 18 yards of mats, followed by many more yards of other mats, makes me wail and gnash my teeth. However, since I'm not weaving anything else lately, I might as well do these. Does anyone have any advice on how to make placemats less tedious?<br /><br />2. *sob*<br /><br />3. Wordpress bloggers, am I right about this or is it Fantasy?<br /><br />4. Is dornik the same as turned twill? I've never been entirely sure just what "dornik" refers to, except that it seems to be a point twill block where the turns aren't true points but are offset in order to prevent floats. Can anyone help me out here?<br /><br />5. Or maybe I'll just pet it and admire it... I rant and rail at folks that refuse to use the handwoven gifts I give them for fear of getting them dirty or damaging them yet I must confess to being just the same myself.<br /></i>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-27523297720937803662009-06-05T15:49:00.003-03:002009-06-05T17:36:56.818-03:00Guess Scarf WeekAhoy, me hearties! Thanks heaps and heaps for all the email and little notes asking when I'd be back and wishing me well during my little hiatus. I really hoped to jump right back into the saddle at the start of June but, as you may have surmised, it took me a week or so to recover from the mayhem that was May. Things have calmed down considerably and I am feeling somewhat refreshed so by Monday it should be business as unusual around here.<br /><br />I've been feeling particularly angsty about missing out on so many guest scarfa days so to make up for lost time I'm planning on doing an entire week of guest scarves. To this end, I have been trolling back through my old emails trying to find any outstanding submissions - which is to say scarves I haven't posted yet, 'cause all the scarves I've ever gotten are all outstanding, OF COURSE. I <span style="font-style: italic;">think</span> I have emailed everyone who's sent me something I haven't used yet. If you did send me something and haven't heard anything from me in a while, please write again and prod me with a pointy stick to remind me.<br /><br />To my chagrin, I found one letter - with lovely scarf pics attached, even - that I never responded to at all! Gah! Hopefully there aren't any others but please, please, please understand: if you wrote me about contributing a guest scarf and got zero response, this is because I <del>am <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/02/horrid.html">horrid</a> and very disorganized</del> have been incredibly busy and burned out by turns lately. It is definitely <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> because I am not interested in your scarves! If you wrote me and I didn't answer at all, PLEASE write me again.<br /><br />So! I will see you next week, all set to guest scarf like maaaad.Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-50774301776243726232009-05-27T08:51:00.004-03:002009-05-27T10:17:31.035-03:00So much weaving, so little time<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sh0xNMSLVjI/AAAAAAAAGws/uX9RQgnHIpU/s1600-h/IMG_1441.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sh0xNMSLVjI/AAAAAAAAGws/uX9RQgnHIpU/s400/IMG_1441.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340478835836802610" border="0" /></a><br />So little time to post, that is. I can't believe I've only posted <span style="font-style: italic;">twice </span>since Mom arrived! It's not for lack of content, I assure you - it's just that she's been working so hard that I feel really guilty playing on the computer for the couple of hours it would take to write one and I've been working so hard that by the time I get to sit at the computer all I feel like doing is reading webcomics and playing WoW.<sup>1</sup> :P <sup></sup> Mom is heading home in two days, though (gnaaaah!) and <span style="font-style: italic;">then</span> I will have time to reprise everything we've done for the past month, including the following scarf related activities (in no particular order):<br /><br />1) Weaving, sewing up and delivering <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/search?q=%22Part+I%22">the stole</a> - which turned out so well I can hardly believe it. It was a thing of beauty, ifIdosaysomyself. I still get goosebumps! If only the pictures of it had turned out as well. Oh well, c'est la vie.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sh0xNX5OqGI/AAAAAAAAGw0/Z-Yhscmk_fg/s1600-h/IMG_1400.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sh0xNX5OqGI/AAAAAAAAGw0/Z-Yhscmk_fg/s400/IMG_1400.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340478838953388130" border="0" /></a><br />I'll write a proper Part IV post about finishing up the stole as soon as I can with much better pictures. This is just a teaser. :)</div><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ></span><br /></div>2) Weaving three happy trombone shawls on a warp I wound ages ago but never used 'cause I didn't have an 8 dent reed or feel like turning the beater bars around on my Minerva. Happily, Mom brought me an 8 dent reed for my birthday and now those shaws are done like dinner. Well, apart from the wet finishing...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sh0xNRnYPLI/AAAAAAAAGw8/wOkvRvPVZGY/s1600-h/IMG_1389.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sh0xNRnYPLI/AAAAAAAAGw8/wOkvRvPVZGY/s400/IMG_1389.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340478837267905714" border="0" /></a><br />3) Winding a TON of mixed fibre warps out of my ridiculously huge yarn stash. Mom has spent several happy hours staring at the walls of her bedroom (my <a href="http://highfibrediet.blogspot.com/2009/02/just-wee-spot-of-yarn.html">guest room/yarn room</a>) and picking out yarns to put together. She has wound seventeen (17!!) warps long enough for three scarves each and has woven off three of those warps. They are beeeooootiful and, of the four that I took into the shop last week, one of them promptly sold. Which was heartbreaking 'cause I wanted it for myself but one of my best friends and business partners bought it, so I will at least have visiting rights.<br /><br />4) Weaving another warp worth of the wide scarves like scarves #30, #31 and #32, to test out whether sleying the 4/8 cotton one per dent in an 8 dent reed works out as well or better as sleying it weirdly with wide gaps in a 12 dent reed. More on this later but the verdict is: "meh, tomayto, tomahto."<br /><br />5) Figuring out a decent display for Many Scarves in the shop and then displaying the forty-two (42!!) Scarf A Day & other scarves that I had ready for Ship #1. Surely it is not a coincidence that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notable_phrases_from_The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy">there were 42 of them</a>? Apparently weaving falls under the category of "everything." Was very happy in the end with the new display method:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sh0xM3o2AzI/AAAAAAAAGwk/PvHYMk0os0M/s1600-h/IMG_1432.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sh0xM3o2AzI/AAAAAAAAGwk/PvHYMk0os0M/s400/IMG_1432.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340478830294729522" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hello, Chris-hiding-in-the-mirror-with-whales!</span><br /></span></div><br />Incidentally, it was a great day sales wise - our best first ship of the season to date - and I sold half a dozen scarves, including <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/02/goodbye-murphy-hullo-stella.html">Scarf #2</a>, <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/02/well-i-tried-to-get-another-scarf-out.html">Scarf #5</a>, <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/02/hello-murphy-my-old-friend-again.html">Scarf #9</a>, and <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/02/introducing-peony.html">Scarf #14</a>. It was also an incredibly <span style="font-style: italic;">cold</span> day, so I wore <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/02/sad-trombone-shawl.html">Shawl #8</a> the entire time so as not to freeze to death, with price tag dangling like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minie_pearl">Minnie Pearl</a>.<br /><br />6) Working on a Very Exciting Super Secret Scarf A Day Project! The warp is wound, the first scarf is woven and the second is half done but there is much yet to do and the weaving at least all has to be done before Mom leaves at an insanely early hour on Friday morning. I cannot tell you much about this Super Secret Project because it is not a Sure Thing<sup>(tm)</sup> but I <span style="font-style: italic;">will</span> give you a little hint: it starts with "writing" and ends with "a Scarf A Day article for the SO2009 issue of <a href="http://www.interweave.com/weave/">Handwoven</a>." Woooooot!<br /><br />7) Appearing in <a href="http://www.weavezine.com/content/39-weave-real-peace">the latest episode of WeaveCast</a>, thanks to Gmail's lovely voice mail feature and Syne Mitchell's audio-wizardry. I haven't had a chance to actually listen to the show yet (might do that while in the shop today - surely cruisers will find it interesting!?) so am a bit anxious - I never sound like I think I sound when I hear myself in a recording. Will be very curious to hear whether I sound okay - I fear I'll sound sing-songy like you do when you're reading something rather than just chatting. Still, is tres exciting!<br /><br />Hmmm. There may be more scarf related things but they're not coming to mind right now. Sadly, I cannot seem to track down Bella to unload the pictures she's holding, so I have no pics for many of those yet. <br /><br />There were also non-scarf related things, like <a href="http://picasaweb.google.ca/jandawson/MMAShopPicsMay2009#">setting up the shop</a>, weaving off <a href="http://picasaweb.google.ca/weaverspalette/LetitiaSBlankets#">the wool blankets </a>that have plagued my big loom for some time, sewing up half a dozen small bags and more than a dozen eyeglass cases out of fabric I wove ages ago, delivering scarves to <a href="http://www.sunsetartgallery.ca/gallery.htm">Sunset Gallery</a>, a lovely little gallery in Cheticamp that's carrying my work for the first time this year, weaving a bunch of placemats for <a href="http://www.arts-north.com/arts_north_Cabot_Trail.html">another shop</a> I've had things in for several years, having a graphic design student working here for a month, visiting with family and friends while Mom's here, etc. etc. etc.<br /><br />Woosh. So much of <span style="font-style: italic;">everything</span>, so little time! And now I am running late for Ship Day #2 and really want to take some pics of the newest scarves before they go into the shop and then hopefully off into the world, wrapped round some lucky cruiser's lucky neck. Wish me luck!Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-47348170000095176082009-05-07T12:27:00.006-03:002009-05-07T14:27:31.797-03:00Introducing the SNRH!I'm officially going to stop saying "tomorrow I'll post blah blah blah" since this month is clearly not going to arrange itself into tidy days that allow for regular posting, what with Mom visiting and Vanessa working here six hours a day (often on my computer) and the shop opening in ten (10!!!) days and and and... ooph! Also, I'm declaring the entire month an MFM (Mixed Fibre May) 'cause I have no idea what I'll be posting when. There will be scarves - there may even be guest scarves! - but the timing thereof will be dodgy at best.<br /><br />Now that business is out of the way, I'm dying to show off the SNRH, i.e. my Spanky New Rigid Heddle loom! As you may recall, Mom scored me a second hand but never used Ashford Knitter's loom and brought it for my birthday present. As she feared, I didn't let her save it for my actual birthday; instead, I plunked myself down in her hotel room and waited anxiously while she unpacked her bags then practically tore it out of her hands and started assembling right there on her bed. Let the poor woman sleep after a long international plane trip when there was a new loom to be warped? Are you kidding?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWEGt0q8I/AAAAAAAAGkw/JbE719vQ-8Y/s1600-h/IMG_1355.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWEGt0q8I/AAAAAAAAGkw/JbE719vQ-8Y/s400/IMG_1355.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333130643514895298" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Assembly was easy peasey but figuring out how to warp the loom was a smidge trickier. Mom's room had a sort of flip-top desk we were able to clamp it to (carefully, since the desk was almost certainly an antique)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWEBg187I/AAAAAAAAGk4/FGixzLkOgEg/s1600-h/IMG_1357.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWEBg187I/AAAAAAAAGk4/FGixzLkOgEg/s400/IMG_1357.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333130642118276018" border="0" /></a><br />but there was no other surface to clamp the warping peg onto. Fortunately, Ron was as obliging as ever and anchored a wooden chair so that I could clamp the peg to one side.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWE6gSm_I/AAAAAAAAGlA/XdEohwy-pbQ/s1600-h/IMG_1358.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWE6gSm_I/AAAAAAAAGlA/XdEohwy-pbQ/s400/IMG_1358.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333130657416780786" border="0" /></a><br />I'd packed a couple cones of looped mohair to weave with since I knew the loom came with a 7.5 DPI heddle. I usually weave mohair at 6 EPI but I figured this would work just fine. I snuck the cones into Ron's luggage without him noticing until we got to Halifax. He evidently hadn't got word that Friday night was Weaving Night so was rather surprised to discover coned yarn in his suitcase when he opened it on Thursday hunting for a toothbrush. He's quite used to me buying yarn and packing it <span style="font-style: italic;">home</span> on our trips but it isn't often that I actually leave home with the stuff.<br /><br />So I had yarn and I'd also packed scissors. The loom came with shuttles and all the bits and pieces it needed... but I'd totally forgotten any sort of packing to go on the back beam between the layers of warp. We hunted around for some hotel stationery but, alas, there was none to be found, nor any kind of sticks either. We hunted around for anything flat we could use and first spied the long plastic sleeve that my new 8 dent reed came in (another gift from Mom - my cup runneth over!). There was also a large Ziploc freezer bag, so that went on the beam next. Then we had to get creative. We tried a t-shirt bag...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWE2s9LTI/AAAAAAAAGlI/irLggizEeys/s1600-h/IMG_1363.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWE2s9LTI/AAAAAAAAGlI/irLggizEeys/s400/IMG_1363.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333130656396160306" border="0" /></a><br />...which seemed to work okay (at least until the end)...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWFIUz-wI/AAAAAAAAGlQ/2y75KTmjt08/s1600-h/IMG_1365.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWFIUz-wI/AAAAAAAAGlQ/2y75KTmjt08/s400/IMG_1365.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333130661126732546" border="0" /></a><br />...but after that we were really scraping the bottom of the barrel. I considered toilet paper but ruled it out as 1) too narrow and 2) too soft. Then, since I was in the bathroom at the time, I glanced over at the toilet and spotted the only paper product the hotel had provided. A couple quick snips with a pair of scissors later, we wound up with two of these:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWSsBKlqI/AAAAAAAAGlY/3a0PA5qW0zI/s1600-h/IMG_1366.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWSsBKlqI/AAAAAAAAGlY/3a0PA5qW0zI/s400/IMG_1366.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333130894046303906" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Necessity is the mother of invention and all that.<br /><br />It felt a bit daring to use mohair for this project in light of previous mohair-for-first-project horrors<sup>1</sup> but am happy to report that the tension was fine in spite of the unorthodox packing material and warping equipment and the mohair worked great without any trouble at all.<br /><br />By this time it was Pretty Late so I took the loom back to my own hotel room and let Mom get to sleep. I spent an hour or so weaving on the bed with the back of the loom propped up on pillows but that was hard on the back. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWS6r_mAI/AAAAAAAAGlg/TGbx2A0qrKE/s1600-h/IMG_1371.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWS6r_mAI/AAAAAAAAGlg/TGbx2A0qrKE/s400/IMG_1371.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333130897984034818" border="0" /></a><br />Eventually I realized that the foot of the bed was high enough that I could sit cross-legged on the bed and prop the loom against the foot...board? which worked a treat until I just couldn't keep my eyes open any more. I kept weaving the next morning (this time sitting on the floor with the loom propped against a wing back chair since I figured sitting up on the bed might wake up Ron. ;)) and then finished the scarf up in Mom's room before breakfast, wedged between her bed and the flip-top desk.<br /><br />Here's one last look at my SNRH baby, this time in its natural habitat, i.e. the kitchen table. Although perhaps that's <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> really its natural habitat since the idea is to take it out and about and weave away from home on it. At any rate, here it is, complete with its Spanky New Rigid Heddle Bag:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWTThaKvI/AAAAAAAAGl4/2yMrOSDimAM/s1600-h/IMG_1394.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWTThaKvI/AAAAAAAAGl4/2yMrOSDimAM/s400/IMG_1394.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333130904650525426" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And a last glimpse of the scarf fabric:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWTB3a3LI/AAAAAAAAGlw/pM9_wd_ZqbM/s1600-h/IMG_1398.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 338px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SgMWTB3a3LI/AAAAAAAAGlw/pM9_wd_ZqbM/s400/IMG_1398.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333130899911007410" border="0" /></a><br />In other news, work on the stole continues apace and Mom's been weaving up a storm on a warp of shawls much like the <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/02/sad-trombone-shawl.html">Sad Trombone shawl</a>, except that the wool is slightly finer and white, and no sad trombones have been required as yet. <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1. The very first time I ever warped a loom it was with brushed mohair. I had some rather alarming problems with that warp which I </span>think<span style="font-style: italic;"> you might be able to hear more about in the next episode of WeaveCast. OoOoooOOooo!</span>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-25147471015162139272009-05-04T23:46:00.003-03:002009-05-05T00:02:52.609-03:00On Stoles, Part III: Stoles were woven<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sf-ronRBaoI/AAAAAAAAGjI/f-g2r9Kx6P0/s1600-h/IMG_1374.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sf-ronRBaoI/AAAAAAAAGjI/f-g2r9Kx6P0/s400/IMG_1374.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332169198053452418" border="0" /></a><br />Ooph, what a weekend! There were looms and birthdays and loads of shopping and a long day's drive and when I emptied my suitcase onto the bed last night it looked like a book/game/yarn/clothing store had exploded. Today was super busy as well but Mom, bless her heart, got the loom tied up for the stole and wove the first couple feet. I took over at the first colour stripe and accidentally kept going until it was done. (Well, until the length we'd calculated was done anyway - I'm trying not to be too concerned about the fact that there's still a good yard on the loom even though I don't remember adding that much extra. Must've done. I... hope? Gnaah.)<br /><br />No time or energy to write any proper sort of post, so hopefully these pics will be an acceptable substitute and give you an idea of how it's shaping up:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sf-ro0jiQYI/AAAAAAAAGjY/D1aUcryigFI/s1600-h/IMG_1377.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sf-ro0jiQYI/AAAAAAAAGjY/D1aUcryigFI/s400/IMG_1377.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332169201620763010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sf-roynDr4I/AAAAAAAAGjQ/9n7L_AKxps4/s1600-h/IMG_1376.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sf-roynDr4I/AAAAAAAAGjQ/9n7L_AKxps4/s400/IMG_1376.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332169201098665858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sf-rot69swI/AAAAAAAAGjA/6jet9CFwMYM/s1600-h/IMG_1372.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sf-rot69swI/AAAAAAAAGjA/6jet9CFwMYM/s400/IMG_1372.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332169199839982338" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Tomorrow I'll introduce you to my Spanky New Rigid Heddle<sup>(tm)</sup> loom!Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-18229097322704911482009-04-30T10:00:00.000-03:002009-04-30T10:00:10.426-03:00Blown Away!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhm0yYA9I/AAAAAAAAAGY/-VZw59dUXFs/s512/Winding%20the%20warp%20for%20plaid%202-09.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 384px; height: 512px;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhm0yYA9I/AAAAAAAAAGY/-VZw59dUXFs/s512/Winding%20the%20warp%20for%20plaid%202-09.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dressing the loom in Linda Hurt's Basic Weaving class at The Art League.</span></span></div><br /><br />A couple weeks after I started posting guest scarves, I got a little email from Linda Hurt: "On your blog you say you’d like to see beginners' scarves. I’ve got several in the making right now. I teach a Basic Weaving class in Alexandria, VA, and everyone has designed her own plaid and is weaving a scarf on a rigid heddle loom. I’d offer up pictures of these scarves for one of your Guest Fridays if you’re interested." Was I interested? You BET I was interested! I answered Linda right away and we agreed that, once her class was finished with their scarves, she'd write up a post about the class and send along some pictures.<br /><br />I was particularly excited about this 'cause it's been a while since my guest scarf posts have been written by the weavers themselves rather than by me. My original idea for guest scarves was that people would tell their own stories, after all, so I was really eager to see what Linda would have to say. Let me tell you, when the "article" (as she called it) and her pictures arrived, I was totally blown away. Linda and her students put a tremendous amount of effort into their communal guest post. I am so touched that her students were willing to share the fruits of their labours with us and that so many of them took the time to share their thoughts on their scarves and on weaving in general. Ladies, thank you! Your scarves are just beautiful!<br /><br />Although Linda had already gone well and truly beyond the call of duty where guest scarfing is concerned, I rather sheepishly sent her my short list of questions I'm hoping all future guest scarfers will answer and asked if she'd write just that little bit more for me. The thing is, this list of questions is in the same document as a laundry list of questions that I put together for guest scarfers just in case they suffered from writer's block and needed a little kick start - the idea being that they can pick and choose some questions from the list to answer just to get the juices flowing. I never dreamt that Linda would answer these too but answer them she did - every last one of them! I couldn't believe it. The woman is FAB.<br /><br />Before we get to the guest scarves and all of Linda's responses to my questions, here's what she had to say about The Art League where she teaches. It sounds absolutely amazing:<br /><br /><blockquote>"Our objective, as a non-profit art school, is to offer quality classes in several of the visual arts, including but not limited to drawing, painting, sculpture, pottery, surface design, weaving, and glass, at an affordable price to the community at large. We do not offer degree or certificate programs. Our classes are provided as a continuing education program. We also have various community outreach programs sponsored and conducted by our instructor staff, students, and friends of The Art League. We are currently expanding our fiber art offerings to include additional surface design and weaving options, wet and dry felting, knitting, crocheting, and sculptural fiber work. Our goal is to build a fiber art community.<br /><br />The Art League, Inc., founded in 1954, is a multifaceted, nonprofit visual arts organization based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes.<br /><br />Headquartered on the Potomac River in Old Town Alexandria (in the <a href="http://www.torpedofactory.org/classes.htm">Torpedo Factory Art Center</a>), The Art League is celebrating over 50 years of devotion to promoting and maintaining high standards in fine art in the Washington, DC area. The Art League seeks to stimulate and encourage artists by operating a gallery with many opportunities for members, including monthly juried shows of members work, other chances for exhibition of work and many educational possibilities. The Art League also operates a school with 2000+ students per term and a supply store for the purchase of art supplies by students and members. The Art League currently has approximately 1000 members."</blockquote>Wouldn't you just love to have access to a place like that? The <a href="http://capebretoncraft.com/">Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design</a>, where I taught weaving for eight years, is a similar organization<sup>1</sup> and has been a cornerstone of the craft community in this region for years. These kinds of organizations are so wonderful to be a part of and are so vital to the communities they serve.<br /><br />What follows is an introduction to the class itself by Linda, and then the comments of several of the students from the class along with pictures of their scarves. After that are Linda's answers to my laundry list in the now familiar interview format, interspersed with pictures of scarves by weavers who were no less generous with their projects but slightly more shy about writing something for the post. ;)<br /><br />Incidentally, Linda took more pictures than have actually made it into the post. Each scarf is here at least once or twice, but you can see more pictures of dressing the looms and the scarves before and after wet finishing in Linda's <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/weavenspin2/ScarfaDay">online Picasa album</a>.<br /><br />And now, without further ado, I introduce to you all Linda Hurt and her co-guest-scarfers: Jan Adams, Melissa Burman, Hannah Chismar, Karen Downs, Pearl Ephraim, Rosalie Hanlon, Claudia Loaiza, Kathy Schneider, Lenora Stephens, Judy Sutton, Joanne Qualey, and Dianna White.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">This week’s Friday Guest Scarfa feature is shared among the Basic Weaving students from The Art League, a non-profit art school in Alexandria, VA. This is a weaving survey class, beginning with tapestry techniques, and moving into pickup stick work, creating decorative floats across the surface of the piece. Then we experiment with open lace techniques such as Leno and Brooks Bouquet. The last exercises, balanced weave and color mixing, are worked into a scarf project. Students’ skills range from minimal weaving experience to none. Some have had no fiber background at all.<br /><br /></span><hr style="height: 4px;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Judy Sutton -<br /><br />I picked the blanket pattern from 'Rigid Heddle Weaving'<sup>2</sup> because those are my favorite colors. I should have followed the pattern for all three segments, instead of only doing the outside two, so that I wouldn't have had to match the pattern after the second segment was woven. Unfortunately, they didn't match, but instead of one blanket I got two shawls. One I gave away to someone on the other coast, so it won't be seen again around here.<br /><br />I loved weaving on the project because the colors pleased me and the weaving was relatively simple. I say relatively because the Harrisville Shetland is pretty sticky and it was sometimes a struggle to get a good shed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhz4N954I/AAAAAAAAAKk/2J1d6qJwxg4/s720/Shawl-Judy%20Sutton1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 720px; height: 540px;" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhz4N954I/AAAAAAAAAKk/2J1d6qJwxg4/s720/Shawl-Judy%20Sutton1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I plan to keep weaving because I love the process, the planning, and the weaving and best of all the finished project. My hope is to master the entire process from sheep to wool, by dyeing the wool, carding it, spinning it, and weaving it. As <a href="http://www.weavezine.com/weavegeek">Syne Mitchell</a> says, "You've got to be warped to weave."<sup>3<sup></sup></sup><br /><br /></span><hr style="height: 4px;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Pearl Ephraim -<br /><br />I did pick the ice blue color for my first scarf along with the stitching detail at the bottom because of one of the projects in Liz Gipson's book, "<a href="http://www.interweavestore.com/store/p/1463-Weaving-Made-Easy-17-Projects-Using-a-Simple-Loom.aspx">Weaving Made Easy</a>." The garnet was chosen because it was the most attractive color available out of the wools. I liked it so well I used it on two of my three scarves.<br /><br />As for what I did and didn't like about them: The first scarf, with the large patch of garnet I wasn't crazy about at first because it didn't look like a true plaid to me. It turned out to be asymmetrical with the lavender disappearing amongst the other colors. But it grew on me and became my favorite of the three scarves.<br /><br />I tried to correct the lack of symmetry in the second scarf. But except for the golden yellow I thought the colors looked dull. You'll notice that they were my original earth tones. I do like the finish work of the knotted fringe at the end.<br /><br />As for the third and final scarf, I over compensated again trying to get the look of the plaid correctly. The colors are repeated too frequently and the scarf is too busy. I can breathe a sigh of relief that the Easter egg look isn't so prominent any more. They'll grow on me I suppose. I will probably continuing weaving, at least for a while. I'm dying to try a twill.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhtqoBuFI/AAAAAAAAAIU/oMz5w_kurdI/s720/100_0276.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 720px; height: 525px;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhtqoBuFI/AAAAAAAAAIU/oMz5w_kurdI/s720/100_0276.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I think I picked the colors (light and dark gray) I did because it seemed they kind of blend in with everything and look cool in every sense. The weaving class was a discovery for me as I never did anything like it before. Now that I have ordered a loom, I am looking forward to doing interesting projects.<br /><br /></span><hr style="height: 4px;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Jan Adams -<br /><br />The course was a great introduction to rigid heddle weaving. I've woven on floor looms, but the rigid heddle is perfect for my small home and it's so portable, too!<br /><br />The plaid scarf project is something I probably never would have done on my own, so I appreciated the challenge. There were so many wonderful yarn colors to choose from, but I knew I wanted some brown, since I just purchased a brown coat! The blue and yellow complimented it, but jazzed it up, too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhns74zfI/AAAAAAAAAGs/Y5uoSVOx86M/s512/On%20the%20Loom7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 504px; height: 512px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhns74zfI/AAAAAAAAAGs/Y5uoSVOx86M/s512/On%20the%20Loom7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />It was especially fun to see the projects selected by the other students, and to confer with them on color choices, etc.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhpJP9kxI/AAAAAAAAAG8/qdipfbd2b5Q/s720/100_0252.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 720px; height: 501px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhpJP9kxI/AAAAAAAAAG8/qdipfbd2b5Q/s720/100_0252.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I purchased my own loom and I continue to weave. It is relaxing, creative and fun! There are lots of things one can make on the loom aside from scarves: table runners, placemats, wall hangings, shawls, etc.!<br /><br /></span><hr style="height: 4px;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Diana White -<br /><br />I took the class because I've always wanted to learn to weave. I'm a knitter, and also thought it might be an alternative way to use up some of my stash (or a better excuse to buy more yarn!!). The rigid heddle loom seemed like a manageable way to get started - small, portable loom and not too expensive. Although we spent more time on the tapestry aspect of weaving that I initially was interested in, I'm realizing how much those skills will contribute to future projects, and how frustrated I would have been had we jumped right in to specific projects. Bottom line, I wasn't ready for the scarf project until we got to it, but when we did, I sailed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhl7uJbmI/AAAAAAAAAGA/pKyin9BaTqQ/s720/On%20the%20Loom5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 720px; height: 540px;" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhl7uJbmI/AAAAAAAAAGA/pKyin9BaTqQ/s720/On%20the%20Loom5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The colors I chose (dark teal, light blue, purple and white) are colors that always appeal to me and I thought worked well together and gave nice contrast. I couldn't be more pleased with the end result. I also think Linda was wise (experienced!) in suggesting we limit the number of colors for a first project. While I may want to expand the selection for future project, four colors provided enough interest, but also helped keep us from a warping nightmare.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhvvZBOGI/AAAAAAAAAI4/bRk-KOvJQmo/s720/100_0239.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 720px; height: 540px;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhvvZBOGI/AAAAAAAAAI4/bRk-KOvJQmo/s720/100_0239.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I don't see myself moving to a larger loom any time in the foreseeable future, and I'm looking forward to weaving more scarves, napkins, and placemats on my RH loom. Next fall I plan to take another class to learn how to use two heddles for a fine yarn scarf.<br /><br /></span><hr style="height: 4px;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Karen Downs -<br /><br />I have been knitting for several years and wanted to learn something new. I have been interested in learning to weave for a couple of years. When I signed up for this class I had no idea what a rigid heddle loom was (never even heard of one) and walked into the class with no weaving knowledge at all. I liked learning tapestry weaving. The scarf project was a nice change of pace, balanced weaving is much faster.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhnOBrgvI/AAAAAAAAAGg/vFbBSa3sxE4/s720/On%20the%20Loom4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 720px; height: 540px;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhnOBrgvI/AAAAAAAAAGg/vFbBSa3sxE4/s720/On%20the%20Loom4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I like my scarf but if I did the same style again, I would switch out the yellow for white or cream. I want to continue with the next class but will wait for the fall project class (maybe something like rag rug placemats). I have been involved in quilting too and have a lot a fabric to use up.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhvA6A4zI/AAAAAAAAAIw/NkiDf3nArJo/s512/100_0238.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 384px; height: 512px;" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhvA6A4zI/AAAAAAAAAIw/NkiDf3nArJo/s512/100_0238.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><hr style="height: 4px;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Joanne Qualey -<br /><br />I loved the scarf project and have so many items in my wardrobe that are red, black or white that I thought a combination of those three colors for my plaid would work for me. I am pleased with the result.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhyW9BePI/AAAAAAAAAKA/wIfvqomEZIU/s512/100_0279.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 444px; height: 512px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhyW9BePI/AAAAAAAAAKA/wIfvqomEZIU/s512/100_0279.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I will be continuing on in the Projects class, and I plan to purchase a rigid heddle loom. I have known for a long time that I wanted to learn weaving and now that my retirement is within reach (probably less than two years away) I want to be sure to have a creative hobby that I can develop more as I have more leisure time. I have always needed to create things to be happy and realize by taking this class that I have stayed away from making things far too long and allowed my work life to become way too all-consuming.<br /><br /></span><hr style="height: 4px;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Rosalie Hanlon -<br /><br /> The pattern I chose is a variation of the MacGregor tartan. I chose this pattern because I thought the colours complimented each other well. I am a stickler for symmetry so even when I made a mistake I made sure to copy it on the other end of the scarf too!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhzI3CvJI/AAAAAAAAAKU/_6gF09M57dc/s720/100_0281.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 720px; height: 540px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhzI3CvJI/AAAAAAAAAKU/_6gF09M57dc/s720/100_0281.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The most difficult part for me was after the scarf was off the loom it was revealed that I had pig-tailed all of my ends instead of weaving them into the scarf. This meant I had to go back and weave them in using a needle, which took a very long time.<br /><br /></span><hr style="height: 4px;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Linda Hurt -<br /><br />Every quarter for about 10 years I’ve been teaching the Basic Weaving class for The Art League. Each class is so completely different that I just keep right on teaching. The people I meet are interesting and come from such varied backgrounds and professions (students, military, opera stars, physicians, house wives, nuclear physicists, retirees looking for a hobby, etc.) that I am always amazed. I continue to learn with each student from their choice of colors, their experiments, and their mishaps. It is probably from their mishaps I learn the most; it relieves me of the responsibility of having to make them all myself.<br /><br />The plaid scarf project is a favorite of mine, because I get to see color combinations I might not choose. This is where I’ve learned the most valuable lesson: It is good to keep my opinions to myself sometimes and not influence color choices. (I do limit the color number to three or four.) In all of this time, I have not seen a bad combination of colors, and every single plaid has been successful. I am quite proud of these scarves that were created by this very lively and entertaining class. They kept me hopping for nine weeks.<br /><br /></span><hr style="height: 4px;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: What did you use for warp and weft? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: Harrisville Shetland or Highland weight was used for the student scarves.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhsBKOanI/AAAAAAAAAH8/fv3vRUVM_4o/s512/100_0272.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 341px; height: 512px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhsBKOanI/AAAAAAAAAH8/fv3vRUVM_4o/s512/100_0272.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Melissa Burman's scarf after wet finishing. Love these colours!</span><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><br />JWD: How many ends per inch? Picks per inch? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: 8 or 10 epi depending on whether Harrisville Highland or Shetland weight was used.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: What structure did you use? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: Plain weave was used for the student scarves. It’s appropriate for a first project. Personally, I think I could weave a lifetime and not exhaust its possibilities. (I’ve got a good start on that!) I do enjoy the game of adding heddles and pickup sticks to the mix.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: How long and wide is the scarf? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: Most of the scarves were between 60 – 80 inches long. There was one shorter, because the student preferred short scarves. Then there was one that was even shorter, because we forgot to take into account the loom waste. However, it made the cutest and useful warm collar with a button and loop added. I call this “creative recovery.” </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >[I love that! - jwd]</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhqkk9LMI/AAAAAAAAAHc/jxYgZE9RmYs/s512/100_0267.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 512px; height: 498px;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhqkk9LMI/AAAAAAAAAHc/jxYgZE9RmYs/s512/100_0267.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Lenora Stephen's scarf-into-collar. Definitely going to keep this in mind for my own oops-too-short-scarves!</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;">The scarves were between 5 – 12 inches wide. I find that people from the colder climates prefer wider wool scarves than those from warmer climates.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: How did you finish the fringe? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: Some people chose to twist the fringe just so they could use my battery operated hair twisters; some tied short fringe because they decided to weave as close to the end as possible; some wanted to learn how to hem stitch; some just preferred the look of one over the other for their particular scarf. </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >[I have one of those hair twisters. A word to the wise: do not try them in your actual hair. "Ouch" is all I'm gonna say... - jwd]</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: What kind of loom did you weave on? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: Rigid heddle looms: Schacht traditional; Schacht Flip; Ashford; Beka; Glimakra Emelia<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhw1wms6I/AAAAAAAAAJY/xyn_pflq1Rg/loaiza-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 338px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhw1wms6I/AAAAAAAAAJY/xyn_pflq1Rg/loaiza-2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Claudia Loaiza's scarf on the loom. I wonder which type of loom it is?</span><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><br />JWD: How did you warp the loom? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: The class uses the “direct warp” technique, which is fast and easy on rigid heddles with short warps. It’s good aerobic exercise walking back and forth too.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: How did you come up with the idea for this scarf? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: The original lesson plans I inherited with the job called for weaving a short section of about 6 – 12 inches of a self-designed plaid as a color blending and plain weave exercise. I turned this into a final project, which has been generally popular. I’m flexible. If they don’t want a wool scarf, they can use cotton and make a bread cloth, hand towel, or small table runner.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: Why did you pick the colours/fibres/structure/ design elements?</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: A plain balanced weave was one of the objectives of this class. Colors were limited to four. Nobody picked my favorite color (chartreuse). Do you suppose they were politely leaving it all for me?<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: Is it a present for someone? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: So a couple of them said. Then they decided they really liked the scarves themselves. I wonder if they were ever “presented.”<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: Were you happy with the project? Would you weave it again? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: Everyone in this class was pleased with their scarves. Half of the class made more than one, in fact, one made a whole shawl as one of her pieces.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhxqVAlHI/AAAAAAAAAJo/JWtqaV20YaQ/s800/100_0283.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 800px; height: 487px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhxqVAlHI/AAAAAAAAAJo/JWtqaV20YaQ/s800/100_0283.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Claudia Loaiza's scarf after finishing. Look how square her squares are!</span><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><br />JWD: What was your favourite thing about weaving the scarf? Your least favourite? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: Most students like the speed at which they can do plain weave as opposed to the tapestry section of the class they had just finished.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: What is your favourite thing about the finished scarf? Your least favourite? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: As a teacher, my favorite thing about this project is watching people pick out colors and put them together. I learn a lot here, as many people pick colors that I don’t usually work with. We all have our favorite colors. Some people mix colors I might not, and this broadens my viewpoint on color. I also like to see the smiles as the scarves are finished and people are proud of what they’ve done. Their excitement and pride is my reward.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: Is this scarf like other things you've woven? How is it the same or different? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: Generally, I weave for class samples. Many times they’re whole shawls, scarves, table runners, towels, etc. But they are added to my chest of examples.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: Did you do anything unusual (for you, or unusual in general) in this scarf? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />LH: These scarves are first weaving projects for most of the class members. They designed the plaids themselves and wove them.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhv_mqYBI/AAAAAAAAAJA/KXzuhNH2ewI/s640/100_0240.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhv_mqYBI/AAAAAAAAAJA/KXzuhNH2ewI/s640/100_0240.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: What do you have on the loom right now, or what's your next planned project? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: I have several rigid heddle looms. Though most are empty, I have the following in progress: shawl; heavy twill towel; SAORI banner; tapestry. I also have an overshot table runner on a 4-harness loom. On tablets I have a dog leash, necklace, shoe laces, sample band. On inkles I have a bag for my charkha and an Ikat band. </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >[And she </span><span style="font-size:130%;">still</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" > finds time to teach and write me this amazing post! - jwd]</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: How long have you been weaving? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: About 12 years.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: Do you weave other kinds of things? What's your favourite thing to weave? Why? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: Samples for classes I teach, because my time is severely limited. As I can eek out time, I’m trying to build up a “trunk” of items that showcase what different kinds of things can be done on rigid heddle looms.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: What's your day job and what impact does it have on your weaving? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: Computer programmer, which is not a mere 40-hour a week job. It is more like 60 hours a week, and sometimes more. It often eliminates my time for weaving.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhkdoUO1I/AAAAAAAAAFw/tHSsFSDQGhE/s720/On%20the%20Loom1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 720px; height: 480px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhkdoUO1I/AAAAAAAAAFw/tHSsFSDQGhE/s720/On%20the%20Loom1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Lenora Stephen's scarf on an Ashford Knitter's Loom. This is the kind of loom I'm getting in two (2) days!</span><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: Do you pursue other fibre crafts such as spinning, knitting, crocheting, felting, quilting, etc etc etc? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: Oh, absolutely! Spinning, knitting, crocheting, felting (wet and dry), bobbin lace, lucet, Kumihimo, dyeing, tatting, nålbinding, sprang. </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >[I don't even know what some of these are! - jwd]</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: Do you pursue other handcrafts that aren't fibre related? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: I used to, but there is just so little time. Well, sometimes indulge myself and play with beads.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >JWD: Do you sell or exhibit your weaving or other handcrafts? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />LH: No. I wish I had the time to make enough to be able to sell it and get a monetary return. At present, I have to be satisfied with hording my weavings for class examples.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhwdSchhI/AAAAAAAAAJI/vXTRqtDEQcY/s720/100_0241.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 720px; height: 477px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TTpXJiwJXi4/SeUhwdSchhI/AAAAAAAAAJI/vXTRqtDEQcY/s720/100_0241.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />And finally, here are Linda's answers to the much shorter list of questions I actually meant to ask her:<br /></span><ol><li><span style="font-size:130%;">Do you have a blog or other website(s) I can link to?<br /><br />No. I wish I had the time to create one and manage it. I keep saying, “Some day.” Teaching fiber arts and working a full-time PLUS job forces me to make choices. Either I weave and maintain a website or I prepare samples, lessons and teach.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;">What is/are your favourite colour(s)?<br /><br />Chartreuse. Orange is my second favorite.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;">What's your favourite fibre to weave with?<br /><br />Wool<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;">What's your favourite dimension (length and width) to weave a scarf?<br /><br />72” x 10”<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;">What are the dimensions of your favourite scarf? (the one you wear all the time, handwoven or otherwise)<br /><br />72” x 10”<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;">How did you find Scarf A Day?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.weavezine.com/">Weavezine</a>. Now I check it frequently.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;">What are 1-5 of your favourite websites and why do you like them? (they don't have to be weaving related!)<br /><br />http://www.colorcombo.com/ac.html for web design work<br />http://www.tartanweb.org/designer/designer.php an online tartan generator.<br /><br />There are several on line tartan generators, and my class enjoyed using them to design their plaids. We used to use graph paper and colored pencils. But these programs are much more fun to use and display results faster. “Faster” is expected in this day and age. </span></li></ol> <hr /><br /><br />So there you are. Can you see why I was so blown away by all the effort that Linda and her possee of new rigid heddle weavers put into this post? I am SO delighted and SO touched! The guest scarves continue to be right at the top of the list of things I love about Scarf A Day, and this is a perfect example of why.<br /><br />Linda, <span>thank you!</span> Jan, Melissa, Hannah, Karen, Pearl, Rosalie, Claudia, Kathy, Lenora, Judy, Joanne, and Dianna, <span style="font-style: italic;">thank you</span>. And marvelous job on your scarves, shawls and collars, ladies!<br /><br />One final related note: as I mentioned in the caption under one of Lenora's scarves, I'm getting an Ashford Knitter's Loom on Friday! Mom has been following along as I've asked for your input into various kinds of rigid heddles and helped me do a little research into the various types... and then, lo and behold, she learned that Donna Kaplan had an AKL that she hadn't ever used and was willing to send to a good home, so Mom nabbed it for me and is bringing it as my birthday pressie. Isn't it amazing how these things work? A couple months ago I had zero (0) interest in rigid heddle weaving but then all these great guest scarves started turning up in my inbox, woven on rigid heddles... then, no sooner do I express an interest in getting one of these babies for myself when a perfect one lands in my lap! And not just any loom, but one previously loved (if slightly neglected) by Donna Kaplan, whose work I just love (and whose workshop I just loved at Convergence 2002). Yay for karma! Yay for mothers! Yay for birthday looms!<br /><br />You can be 110% sure that I'm taking yarn with me to Halifax and, just as soon as I smooch my dear ol' Mum hello and make sure she's comfy in her hotel room, I'll be warping that loom right in <span style="font-style: italic;">my</span> hotel room. Or hers if she's not too tired!<br /><br />She's a weaver. I'm pretty sure she'll understand...<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1. Albeit on a somewhat smaller scale. Smaller population base around here, doncherknow.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2. I'm not sure which Rigid Heddle Weaving this is. It might be </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.ca/Hands-Rigid-Heddle-Weaving-Davenport/dp/0934026254">this one</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, or perhaps </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Rigid-Heddle-Weaving-Karen-Swanson/dp/0823045552">this one</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, or some other book entirely! Judy, can you help me out?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">3. This is a reference to Syne's sign-off at the end of every </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.weavezine.com/audio">WeaveCast</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> episode. If you aren't already a WeaveCast listener, you should be!</span><br /><div id=":uj" class="ii gt"><div link="blue" vlink="purple" lang="EN-US"><div><p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ></span></span></p> </div> </div> </div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-75396066953787344232009-04-29T12:21:00.005-03:002009-04-29T15:50:04.505-03:00On Stoles, Part II: Winding and Threading<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfibhJUnHCI/AAAAAAAAGhE/JATrOIfXx94/s1600-h/IMG_1299.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfibhJUnHCI/AAAAAAAAGhE/JATrOIfXx94/s400/IMG_1299.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330181152733338658" border="0" /></a><br />H'lo folks! Just a super quickie to apologize for being totally unblogtastic the past few days and to update you on stole progress:<br /><br />After deciding pretty much what the stole was going to look like, I went ahead and ordered the yarn for it. Although the rough draft at the time had one shade of gold and one shade of natural, I actually ordered two of each: a true gold and a brighter yellow, and a true white and a slightly darker nearly-white. My thought was that I'd use one shade of each in the warp and weave with the other two so that, where white crosses white and gold crosses gold, the diamonds would still appear. They'd be subtle, I hoped, but they'd be there.<br /><br />The yarns arrived last week and I was really pleased with the gold colour and both shades of white, but the second yellow, the brighter yellow, seemed Awfully, Awfully Bright. Still, I took their pics and sampled the colours in Photoshop like <a href="http://highfibrediet.blogspot.com/2009/01/colour-matching-in-fiberworks-pcw.html">I described doing for the blanket</a> and played around with it. If you stare hard enough at the draft, you might be able to see that there's a slight two-tone thing going on in the white on white bits:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfMemOlSlnI/AAAAAAAAGcI/jC6txsgqjro/s800/Fullscreen%20capture%2022042009%2024337%20PM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 600px;" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfMemOlSlnI/AAAAAAAAGcI/jC6txsgqjro/s800/Fullscreen%20capture%2022042009%2024337%20PM.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The brighter yellow, though, looked <span style="font-style: italic;">awful</span> in Fiberworks. There's a chance that it might look just fine in the cloth so I'll be sure to sample a little of it at the start of the warp, but my plan at this point is to just use the one shade of gold.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sfibg4HomdI/AAAAAAAAGg0/Zoi_c8aTRUY/s1600-h/IMG_1255.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Sfibg4HomdI/AAAAAAAAGg0/Zoi_c8aTRUY/s400/IMG_1255.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330181148115507666" border="0" /></a><br />The other decision I made was to weave the fabric double wide and half as long. That is, I'd weave both sides of the stole at the same time to cut down on the amount of weaving required and to ensure that the stripes matched exactly on both sides. This means having to cut the fabric up the middle and sew a lining onto the back of the stole but I had planned to line it anyway to give it some heft and stability. Plus, I'm going to sew the mitered corner at the back of the neck, so there was going to be sewing and construction involved in any case. And finally, I enjoy setting up the loom every bit as much as weaving (more, if truth be told), so winding and threading twice as many threads and then weaving 3 yards on a much easier to weave 15" wide warp sounded a lot better to me than weaving 6 yards on a skinny little warp and fussing about matching stripes.<br /><br />It took a while to wind the warp since I had to do it one thread at a time rather than many-at-once like I usually do but it only took a heartbeat to wind it onto the loom. I have to say, this tencel is pretty stuff! Look at it being all shimmery and waterfally in the raddle:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfibhPltQzI/AAAAAAAAGg8/i-5eeUDnGo8/s1600-h/IMG_1297.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfibhPltQzI/AAAAAAAAGg8/i-5eeUDnGo8/s400/IMG_1297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330181154415657778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfibhJUnHCI/AAAAAAAAGhE/JATrOIfXx94/s1600-h/IMG_1299.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfibhJUnHCI/AAAAAAAAGhE/JATrOIfXx94/s400/IMG_1299.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330181152733338658" border="0" /></a><br />Ron helped me wind on last Friday and I really hoped to get it threaded over the weekend but I had so much else to do that I didn't start threading until yesterday. It was slow going owing to other irons in the fire; it took two episodes of WeaveCast and staying up until 1:00 but I got it threaded and sleyed last night:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfibhZQZlWI/AAAAAAAAGhM/YMHOCdcEbN0/s1600-h/IMG_1348.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfibhZQZlWI/AAAAAAAAGhM/YMHOCdcEbN0/s400/IMG_1348.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330181157010642274" border="0" /></a><br />Today all I've managed to do so far is to tie onto the front rod.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfibhbrQq2I/AAAAAAAAGhU/etYn9uzpRy0/s1600-h/IMG_1350.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfibhbrQq2I/AAAAAAAAGhU/etYn9uzpRy0/s400/IMG_1350.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330181157660175202" border="0" /></a><br />It didn't occur to me to change my tie <span style="font-style: italic;">up</span> before I tied <span style="font-style: italic;">on</span> so that's the next job - which I now get to do while crouching down under the cords that connect the rod to the beam. Yay. :P<br /><br />So.... will I get the stole woven before leaving for Halifax tomorrow as I'd hoped? Doubtful, considering everything else I have to do. Am I going to try? ... ... ... Maybe?<br /><br />One last note: since I'll be away on Thursday and Friday, I'm going to post this week's Guest Scarfa tomorrow. Which is perfect, because this post is so long and so amazing that it definitely merits at least two full days for you to digest. Linda Hurt teaches a Basic Weaving Class at The Art League in Alexandria, VA and, when she got wind of my request for guest scarves, she actually offered up an entire class worth of them! Be sure to come back tomorrow to check them out - Linda is clearly as great a teacher as she is a guest scarfer, 'cause all the students' scarves are just beautiful.<br /><br />As for me, I'll see you on Monday!Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-58091351014448091222009-04-24T19:14:00.011-03:002009-04-25T11:59:35.706-03:00On Stoles, Part I: Stoles Were WornHey folks! I is back! I took a couple days off this week to recharge my batteries. Felt bad about it at first but then I realized no one's ever commented that I don't weave or post enough whereas some folks have told me to cut back on the ol' intertubes, so hopefully no one will have minded too terribly much. :) Although I haven't been blogging, I <span style="font-style: italic;">have</span> been working away on the stole.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfMg_ml83qI/AAAAAAAAGcg/DUO7aZ8ZTbQ/s1600-h/Fullscreen+capture+22042009+24337+PM.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfMg_ml83qI/AAAAAAAAGcg/DUO7aZ8ZTbQ/s400/Fullscreen+capture+22042009+24337+PM.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328639061173001890" border="0" /></a><br />So. This stole. As <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/04/sleepless-stoleful-nights.html">I mentioned a while back</a>, a friend of the family is being ordained as a priest in a little while - in two weeks, in fact!<sup>1</sup> My in-laws wanted to give him a gift to commemorate this major event in his life and my mother in law thought that a handwoven stole to wear with his vestments would be just the thing. Olive and I spent a couple weeks looking for sources of inspiration - she sent me tons of pictures and videos from church events she'd been to at which Stoles Were Worn<sup>2</sup> and I trolled the 'net looking for other handwoven stoles to get some specifics re: an appropriate width, length, material, pattern, etc.<br /><br />By using <a href="http://www.google.ca/images?hl=en&rlz=1B3GGGL_enCA250CA250&sa=1&q=priest+stole&btnG=Search+Images&aq=f&oq=">Google Image Search</a>, I found a handful of web sites that offer handwoven priest stoles for sale, including <a href="http://www.maryweave.com/stoles.htm">this one</a>, <a href="http://www.prayerfulcreations.com/series_jerusalem.htm">this one</a> and <a href="http://www.catholicsupply.com/churchs/chasuble.html">this one</a>. The first one, Maryweave Studio, is my favourite and the one I kept going back to over and over 'cause I absolutely loved the colours. Really, if I were buying a stole for someone, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://www.maryweave.com/stoles.htm">it's where I'd head</a>.<br /><br />As a result, I started thinking of something far more colourful that the stoles that Olive had sent me pictures of. I even started wondering if some of the scarves I had woven would work - in different dimensions, of course, but the colour combos might do. To test this theory, I dressed Ron up in a blanket and threw scarves around his neck. Have I mentioned how obliging and supportive my husband is? Add long suffering and pious to the list as well! <br /><br />I offer you Exhibit A in the "Your Husband is a Saint" category:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfMZlCnHdcI/AAAAAAAAGbo/9iepYCW_OHA/s640/Father%20Ron.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 640px; height: 512px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfMZlCnHdcI/AAAAAAAAGbo/9iepYCW_OHA/s640/Father%20Ron.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Really looks the part, don't he? The whole dress-your-husband-as-a-priest angle is pretty hilarious on its own but it totally cracks me up to see how his facial expression changes as the process went on. The first time I threw the blanket over him and told him where to stand, he thought it was funny. The second time, he understood why it was necessary. The third time? The third time he thought I was nuts. And irritating. <span style="font-style: italic;">But he did it anyway</span>. That qualifies him for sainthood in my book. <br /><br />Incidentally, when I showed those pictures to Olive her first reaction was: "He looks so holy! You know, I always hoped he'd become a priest..." She was laughing but <span style="font-style: italic;">absolutely serious</span>. How is a daughter in law supposed to respond to that? "Gosh, I'm... sorry?"<br /><br />So anyway, back to stole development. Olive and Vic (the other half of the dastardly in-law duo) came over one evening to Talk Stoles. They had a look at the scarves and Olive and I talked length, width and weight of the fabric. Olive <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> wanted to go with a wine red, though she was tempted by one of the blue scarves. In the end, however, they decided to go with a more traditional colour scheme: a white stole with gold edges. Olive was hopeful that I could put a cross or something on it, a la <a href="http://onethreadtwothread.blogspot.com/2008/05/am-i-really-done.html">Jackie's beautiful stole</a>, but I really didn't want to get into pick up or finger manipulated weaves.<sup>3</sup><br /><br />So after O&V left, I started playing with Fibreworks to design a draft. I didn't want to do a finger manipulated weave but I was fine with doing something other than plain weave and eventually settled on an 8 shaft 2/2/2/1/1 twill:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfMfYhMkROI/AAAAAAAAGcQ/UnPzFuygFyM/s1600-h/Fullscreen+capture+25042009+113216+AM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfMfYhMkROI/AAAAAAAAGcQ/UnPzFuygFyM/s400/Fullscreen+capture+25042009+113216+AM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328637290197828834" border="0" /></a><br />Is that a "fancy twill"? Not sure. I came up with it just by slapping in a point threading and treadling and then playing around in the tie up until I liked the alternating diamond blocks. I really liked those horizontal bands on the stoles from Maryweaves, like <a href="http://www.maryweave.com/winsil.htm">this one</a> for instance, so I put some of those in and I snuck a little of Olive's wine red in to set off the gold bands at the edges.<br /><br />I tried to get clever with Fibreworks by repeating the whole stole treadling twice and then fiddling the printed EPI so that the two halves showed up on the page side by side. This made them Very Tiny and distorted the diamonds considerably but it did give me an idea of what the finished beastie will look like:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfMgoj-u66I/AAAAAAAAGcY/ASm66y7plVk/s1600-h/Fullscreen+capture+25042009+113636+AM.bmp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 168px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/SfMgoj-u66I/AAAAAAAAGcY/ASm66y7plVk/s400/Fullscreen+capture+25042009+113636+AM.bmp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328638665334647714" border="0" /></a>So! That's covers the first couple weeks of this project: gathering ideas, playing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Dressup">Mr. Dressup</a> with Ron, and finally settling on a draft. At this point I had a plan I was happy with, so I ordered my yarn and waited for it to arrive. <br /><br />Next up: the yarn arrives, the draft is tweaked and the warp is wound!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1. Two weeks should be plenty of time to break in a new co-op student starting Monday, clean up the yarn room enough to turn it into a guest room, take a 3 day mini-break to Halifax to pick up Mom, start getting the shop arranged and receive dropped off product from consignors, weave the stole fabric, then cut it up and assemble it into the finished, mitred, and lined stole. Right? Right!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2. Yes, believe it or not, she regularly whips out her digital camera and tapes stuff at church, right during the service! Baptisms, ordinations, even Easter Vigil. She gets away with this because she is 80 years old and barely over 5 feet tall, so no one has the heart to take her camera away. ;)</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />3. See 1.</span>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-39909560788114807312009-04-21T20:43:00.007-03:002009-05-11T08:00:02.401-03:00Stubborn as an Ox [Scarf #35]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Se5eWaShKHI/AAAAAAAAGaE/uuLXgbrIQ7o/s1600-h/IMG_1244.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Se5eWaShKHI/AAAAAAAAGaE/uuLXgbrIQ7o/s400/IMG_1244.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327299148333000818" border="0" /></a><br />Last week I said I was lazy and that this was the root of all the trouble I had with <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/04/scarf-fail.html">Scarf #34</a>, the ScarfFAIL. This is true, really, since it was sheer laziness that kept me from cutting and tying in the first place. Really, though, my main fault is stubbornness: once I'd decided to be lazy I was definitely going to stay the course and see it through come hell or high water ... or bad tension or wooshing pop bottles. ;) Comes from being a bull-headed Taurus born in the Year of the Ox, as I've said before.<br /><br />Today I exhibited that same determined stubbornness by <span style="font-style: italic;">finishing Scarf #34</span>. Yes, that's right: refreshed from a weekend during which I didn't even glance at the loom, I sat down and wove that hummer as long as I could. I think it wound up about 63" long and, apart from a skipped thread near the end that I can fix easily, it doesn't look all that bad. I certainly don't expect it to be sellable but hey, I'd wear it. Or maybe Mom will. Moms are so good for that, aren't they?<sup>1</sup><br /><br />Just so you can see what I was up against, this pic shows the difference in tension between those crammed 2/8s and the rest of the 4/8 warp:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Se5ci71OoTI/AAAAAAAAGZs/ZXAB-AP27-Y/s1600-h/IMG_1238.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Se5ci71OoTI/AAAAAAAAGZs/ZXAB-AP27-Y/s400/IMG_1238.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327297164472131890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">See those 2/8s floating way above the rest?</span><br /></span></div><br /><br />Today I did the sensible thing (well, once #34 was done, that is!) and cut the finished scarves off and retied. I considered a few different wefts for the last scarf on the warp: the same green as the ScarfFAIL but in a 4/8 rather than 2/8, the dark blue that appears in the warp in only one tiny stripe, even a beige boucle... but in the end I let <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/04/markedly-different.html?showComment=1239875760000#c4498066932874180748">Barbara's approval of Scarf #33</a> guide me and went with a light blue. I was uncertain after the first couple inches but by the time I had 8" or so woven I really liked it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Se5eWIalnYI/AAAAAAAAGZ8/wm_AamAswVw/s1600-h/IMG_1243-1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Se5eWIalnYI/AAAAAAAAGZ8/wm_AamAswVw/s400/IMG_1243-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327299143535009154" border="0" /></a><br />Isn't it funny how that goes? I used to weave an inch or two to see if I liked a colour and then would unweave results I didn't like. Eventually, though, I realized that an inch or two is not nearly enough to judge a colour by so I usually go for at least 8" or 10" before being really dissatisfied, by which time it's too late for stubborn ol' me to give up. I don't worry too much about it since the colour combos I find most dodgy are usually some of the first things that sell each year.<br /><br />I had to go slowly while weaving this scarf since those pesky 2/8s started getting tight almost right from the get go. I'd woven 1" worth of scarf, hemstitched and advanced one (1) time only and could already feel that they were tight. I managed to get about 30" woven before I had to resort to first one dowel and then a second to take up the slack on the other threads. Even so, I let them be far looser than I normally like my warps, so today was a good exercise in keeping my selvages even. I usually rely on the fairly high tension of the warp threads to keep the selvages even but I've found in recent years that high tension on the warp = harder to treadle = discomfort in my knee and hips. Ergo, I've been making a concerted effort lately to learn good habits that yield good selvages even on looser tension and these past couple scarves have certainly benefited from that.<br /><br />I totally blanked on taking a Scarfadone! shot this time, so here's a pic of all three scarves from this warp once they're off the loom: Scarf #33 at the back, Scarf #34 in the middle, and today's scarf, #35, at the front.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Se5eWL7aWII/AAAAAAAAGZ0/P5chIeqT0hA/s1600-h/IMG_1246.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dr0BCVzNHU0/Se5eWL7aWII/AAAAAAAAGZ0/P5chIeqT0hA/s400/IMG_1246.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327299144477988994" border="0" /></a><br />Incidentally, I listened to <a href="http://www.weavezine.com/2006/10/episode-9-monster-wefts-with-bonnie_31.html">Episode #9</a> of <a href="http://www.weavezine.com/audio">WeaveCast</a> today while I was weaving and thoroughly enjoyed the interview with <a href="http://www.bonnietarses.com/">Bonnie Tarses</a>. I've run across <a href="http://www.weavingspirit.blogspot.com/">her blog</a> in the past and found her horoscope weavings beautiful - like me, she's all about plain weave and colour. While I enjoyed listening to her views on design (all of her weaving carries a message of some kind) what I appreciated most were two things she said.<br /><br />Firstly:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;">"It's impossible to weave something ugly. The reason why you think that what you've woven is ugly is because you had an idea, a plan in your head and what you wove fell far from the plan."<br /></span></blockquote><br />I have told my students this so many times I've lost count. They'll be disappointed with something they've woven and I tell them: "No one else can see the picture you had in your head of what this was going to look like. You know what you expected and are disappointed that this isn't it but to everyone else on the planet this is <span style="font-style: italic;">beautiful</span> and impressive. Be proud of yourself!"<br /><br />Bonnie then went on to say something else that was even better yet:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;">"Now, the way around that is to <i>not </i>have a plan in your head. The only plan is 'how wide you want it to be? how long do you want it to be?' and then what happens in the middle is what happens."<br /></span></blockquote><br />I can't tell you how gratifying it was to hear a Proper Weaver<sup>(tm)</sup> give credence to this way of doing things! I have long followed exactly this lack-of-plan but have always felt a bit sheepish about it. I felt I ought to be more rigourous about planning my projects, that I ought to take more care, that I was being lazy or stubborn... it is So. Great. to hear a highly respected artist like Bonnie Tarses (who no one could possibly accuse of being lazy!) espouse this method of unplanning. I really would just rather wander into the yarn room each day and discover which yarns are going to speak to me at that moment than try to plan something in advance and impose my will upon them, as Bonnie put it.<br /><br />Of course, having said all that, my next project will be doing exactly that: I shall impose my will upon the lovely tencel yarn that arrived on my doorstep last week and turn it into what I hope will be a gorgeous stole for a good family friend who is being ordained as a priest in a few weeks' time. The posts for the rest of this week and probably next week too will be all about my adventures in this regard.<br /><br />Tomorrow: the very planned draft and possibly the wound warp!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1. Mine's got a shaft-switched rug I wove years ago that's as ugly as a very ugly thing that she not only uses, she even claims to like it! At least I can reassure myself that I've woven some far more lovely things for her over the years, too.</span>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543497504528457514.post-19931014158980990892009-04-20T22:15:00.003-03:002009-04-21T11:44:02.447-03:00Warp #7 review [MFM]Wow, it's been more than a month since I <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/03/warp-6-review.html">reviewed Warp #6</a>! How can that be!? Wooosh, how time flies. Fortunately, this time Lulu's wearing her spanky new LCD screen and all the colours are bright and beautiful. I even managed to fix up the weird shade of lavender that Lu and Bella were insisting on for <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/03/kiss-me-for-30-seconds-im-irish.html">Scarf #25</a> - though I did have to do that in Picasa 'cause even upstairs in natural light it wasn't coming out right. Thank goodness for <a href="http://picasa.google.com/">Picasa</a>'s oh-so-easy photo editing tools!<br /><br />You may recall that <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/search/label/Warp%207">Warp #7</a> was where I started playing around with PPI to see what beat produced the nicest fabric. Having taken a wide survey of all my husband, we have determined that... there's not a whole lotta difference, all things considered. He did think that <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/03/last-minute-im-pulse.html">Scarf #23 </a>(woven ~7 PPI) felt lighter than <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/03/oooph-busy-day.html">Scarf #22</a> (woven ~8) but found that #22 was smoother - whether that was due to beat, to the way I pressed it or to a difference in the spun weft is uncertain. My guess is the pressing - maybe I used more steam? Ron had no particular preference as to the weight but he did like the smoother scarf best.<br /><br />In related news, I had been fussing a little bit about the weight of these scarves woven on 8/8 warps but I'm feeling very much relieved about it now. Jade-of-the-lovely-neck and her fab photographer husband came over to our place on Saturday so I took the chance to fling a variety of scarves around her neck. They all passed muster; in fact, she loved <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/02/if-it-aint-broke.html">Scarf #3</a> so much I thought I was going to have to search her bags before they left. ;) The others were all very nice, she thought, but she deemed Scarf #3 perfect in all respects: colour, length, and in particular weight. She wore it for Some Time and petted it a lot.<br /><br />This is a big relief to me, both because it means I haven't woven a bunch of scarves that are too heavy and because now I can go back to weaving on the big chunky warps I love to use without feeling like I'm wimping out somehow. Yay!<br /><br />Here are the finished pics of <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/search/label/Warp%207">Warp #7</a>, which covered Scarves <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/03/oooph-busy-day.html">22</a>, <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/03/last-minute-im-pulse.html">23</a>, <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/03/midnight-madness.html">24</a> and <a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/03/kiss-me-for-30-seconds-im-irish.html">25</a>:<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&noautoplay=1&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fjandawson%2Falbumid%2F5326950707292073985%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCKzK2fCqxKO6EA" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="800" height="533"></embed><br /><br />And here are the particulars:<br /><br />Warp 7: 8/8 cotton set at 10 EPI, 70 ends hence 7" wide in the reed.<br /><a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/03/oooph-busy-day.html"><br />Scarf 22</a>: 4/8 unmercerized cotton, 62" x 5.5"<br /><a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/03/last-minute-im-pulse.html">Scarf 23</a>: 4/8 unmercerized cotton, 71" x 5.5"<br /><a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/03/midnight-madness.html">Scarf 24</a>: two strands of 2/8 unmercerized cotton plied together, 45" x 5.5"<br /><a href="http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/2009/03/kiss-me-for-30-seconds-im-irish.html">Scarf 25</a>: 4/8 unmercerized cotton, 60" x 5.5"<br /><br />As you can see in one of those pics, I tried twisting the short scarf into a mobius strip and then knotting the fringes from both ends together. I did not love this, so will probably undo it and try something else. I certainly hope Mom remembers to pack her thinking cap when she comes in <span style="font-style: italic;">less than two weeks</span>!<br /><br />Incidentally, I've started playing around with Flickr since it seems to get so much more attention than poor ol' Picasa does in online circles - and also because I've joined the <a href="http://twittgroups.com/group/twitterweave">#twitterweave group </a>on Twitter which now has <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/twitterweaveflickr/">a Flickr group</a> of its own. So far I've created a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/sets/72157616875886326/">Scarf A Day set</a> as well as sets for Warps <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/sets/72157616787725787/">1</a>, <a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3392/3448039248_9047c6502a_s.jpg">2</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/sets/72157616878009396/">3</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/sets/72157616878018760/">4</a>, <a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3392/3447304197_465199dc52_s.jpg">5</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/sets/72157617005589291/">7</a> and the as-yet-unreviewed <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/sets/72157617006709897/"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetdawson/sets/72157617006709897/">8</a>.Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506014565625306396noreply@blogger.com3