Sherri Woodard Coffey

It is time to buy yarn again, so I placed an order with Henry’s Attic last Wednesday. I think this company is probably the only company on the planet that doesn’t have a “real’ website, but I love their yarns.

I started using Crown Colony 2-ply, 1040 yards to the pound, after trying many yarns. If it’s good enough for Mary Zicafoose, it’s good enough for me, although I’d still like something a little finer for using 3 strands for blending.

I placed an order for 110 pounds, 10 pounds of which is for a friend. One hundred pounds of yarn is a lot of yarn. It arrives in a box that is really big and awkward to carry, so I leave it on the porch and divvy out the yarn to its various storage places. The last time I bought yarn (in July, 2008), all of it wouldn’t fit in the usual places, so I put some in the antique blanket chest, then put a reminder on my computer calendar about its location. When the reminder popped up, I couldn’t remember whether I’d already accessed that yarn or not, so off came everything on top of the chest. Lucky me! It was still there, so I was set for more weaving. Currently, I have been weaving up bits of yarn from different sources that are in the storage containers, so I’m pretty sure there will be enough storage in the closets. Although, the previous order was for 91 pounds, not 100 as is this one.

When I first started buying Crown Colony, I just assumed that all the skeins weighed 1/2 pound, but then had problems with reliable color repetition. Out came the scales and the discover that there are big differences in the weight of each skein. But it’s still better than winding my own skeins.

In the category of living dangerously, I also bought some silk to play around with. Kidding about the living dangerously part, just in case my smile isn’t visible.

Yarns rewound and waiting for a basket

Locker baskets waiting for yarn

I’ve seen pictures of James Koehler’s studio before and am always enthralled by the shelves of yarns. A recent post (with pictures) by Rebecca Mezoff reminded me again of how gorgeous those yarns are. I was thinking about those as I rewound partially used balls of yarn. How did he decide the grouping of the colors? With some of my yarns, I can’t decide to which group they belong. Red? Orange? Should I look at the dye formulas and use the color that has the highest percentage?

My studio: The purple chair is used at the ikat measuring table. An Elfa shelf is planned for above the windows for holding finished pieces.

My friend has recently started renting studio space and her production has increased tremendously. I think about that and wonder if the same would be true for me. Then I run up against the dyeing part. As things stand now, I can start my dyepots, set the timer, and go back inside to weave, checking on the yarns while they simmer. I also wonder if the presence of other artists would make me less focused and more social, thus not getting as much work done. On the other hand, being around people might be a plus. Nevertheless, I probably won’t be moving out of my studio anytime soon. Just the thought of packing up all that stuff is a huge deterrent.

I saw a link from Cynthia Morris about bookstores from Trazzler. Wow! Take a look at some of these inspiring stores. I’ve always loved bookstores and the books that are in them. Recently Rebecca Mezoff posted about a bookstore find in Portland—her find is also in the Trazzler article. Maybe I’ll have to take a trip there, although the desert is calling my name. So, while visiting Rebecca’s blog, take a look at her pictures of the Arizona desert. Wonder if that’s anywhere near Tucson? Also wondering how hot Tucson will be in July, which is about the soonest I can get there.

I cut the latest “swirl” off the loom, and now the loom sits naked. Always something weird about that. But this is going to be dye week.  Yard work week. Cleaning out the detritus week. I’m finally to a somewhat normal (whatever that is) time as relates to my executor duties. I plan to reclaim my dining room table. Already I can see that this week has too much to do.

The opening reception for Connecting Threads: Tapestries and Masks was Saturday at the Doss Heritage and Culture Center. Here are a few not-very-good pictures taken with my iPad. I wish Pat’s masks were more visible in detail. I think I will go back with a “real” camera and take more pics.

It has been so much fun weaving the second “swirl” piece! It’s surprising to me how much fun this has been, but it’s almost finished. Probably just another inch or so until I decide it’s time, based on how much yarn is left and a stopping point. In trying to analyze why I am enjoying this so much, it boils down to a couple of reasons:

• I have to actively think about yarn placement with each group of yarns
• I love the colors, and as always, the little imperfections in hand-dyed yarns fascinate me

I hope to cut off tomorrow, but first plan to make myself get some housework done. Every time I dawdle about doing chores, I can hear the adult sitting on my shoulders, telling me that if I’d just get to work and stop wasting time, I’d be finished in no time. And I really need to get outside for the chores that await me there.

The new Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot arrived and the picture on the front cover immediately caught my attention. This piece is called Fig Leaf by Emily DuBois. Woven in 2008, the blurb about this piece further states “cotton, stainless steel, acrylic, twill and sateen woven.” Wow! So many possibilities, so little time. I say that after a night of no sleep, when I know that a nap will be calling out to me this afternoon, especially since we are scheduled to get some rain today. Not much better than a rainy day nap.

The exhibit is hung in its new venue and looks really good—maybe some pics tomorrow. Since the Doss Heritage and Culture Center is just that—a heritage and cultura center, they have a mandate for education. To that end, we have a borrowed a folding Macomber loom and it is in the center of the loom. Yesterday I went over to put a warp on the loom. one that I made years ago, still in its original state straight off the warping mill, hanging out in a plastic bag. Hmmm….first of all, the reed on the loom is a 10-dent, and the warp is of cotton rug warp. Probably not the best choice for a reed, right? And, since I don’t warp often, this one is going to take FOREVER to finish! At least I still like the colors of the warp.

There’s a fire building up inside me, the itch to pick up a pencil and start doing some designing. As I’m weaving the swirly piece, I’m thinking of other ways to use swirls in a geode kind of way with more muted colors. I’m also thinking of the fires that are burning across Texas and our native prairie grasses. Maybe a way to combine those two ideas. Sometimes I pick up that pencil and start drawing and everything looks awful. Months later I might start flipping through my sketchbook and realized that the awful drawing has possibilities. I also have a folder in my computer photos section of pictures or graphics that I run across, that may eventually become something else.

I am also beginning to think that it’s time to reclaim my dining room table, which is currently a mound of estate papers. Unfortunately, that would mean that sorting and file folders would be necessary. Maybe some mindless TV and a stack of folders in the evenings for a while would take care of the mountain. Thinking about it…

I was looking at the current issue of Ornament magazine and came across the article about the work of Isabelle de Borchgrave. Grab one at your local newstand and, if nothing else, look at the pictures. Can you believe that the “fabric” pictured above is really paper! I decided to do a little internet research and found this blog. It includes many pictures of the exhibit in San Francisco Legion of Honor. There is even a book available from Amazon.

I’ve written that I’m living in an inspiration-free zone lately, so it was with interest that I read this blog the other day. It’s all about how we may need this down time to stoke the fires of our creativity. Somewhere in my subconscious I must be aware of this because I have not been in a panic about it. This is akin to restrictions sparking creativity. Before I knew how to weave angles, I worked to get angles in other ways, like in the piece above. By the way, I was using natural dyes, and those colors were pretty much the only ones I felt comfortable with—another restriction. Colors were obtained from cochineal, indigo (over cochineal), and madder.

There is an art prize of $50,000 for Texas artists from Hunting PLC. Lately, a few notices about this prize have come to my attention, so I thought I’d mention it here also. There are some really great artists out there! Here is a link to a picture album of all the finalists. Like I said, great artists. The picture below is by artist Leigh Anne Lester, the winner of the prize. Go here to see a larger image. On her web page, an artist page within the gallery of Cactus Bra Space—gotta love that name!—the descriptions of her work says that they are graphite on Mylar, in some cases multiple layers of Mylar. So, how does that work? Mylar pretty much doesn’t let much stick in my experience. Captivating work.

Wouldn’t you love to wear this? It’s one of the Andean tunics that are in an exhibit in NY at the Met. The NY Times has a great article about the exhibit. Take the time to look at the slide show. Lots of good pictures there. I am particularly taken with the little guy above. I have a particular fondness for designs that come from the Andes. Two of the Andean-inspired pieces are shown below. It continues to amaze me that these weavings survive. How wonderful for us!

Peruvian Mask

Señor Fish