Tag Archives: etsy

Random thoughts

Wildflowers (detail)

Wildflowers (detail)

I have a full week of dyeing ahead of me. My spreadsheet is ready, skeins are labeled, dyes are on hand…time to get started. The mornings are a bit cold for it, but oh well, the colors need to be dyed.

Greens spreadsheet

Greens spreadsheet

I have finally decided it’s time to make that appointment to visit the doctor. I am just not feeling very energetic, and that bugs me. Now which came first, not energy or no healthy diet, but that has to be addressed too. So, healthy menus have been planned with the hope of freezing extras. I’ll let you know how that goes. I plan, but then don’t want to cook or eat what I’ve planned. I think rigorous discipline is needed. Wonder how long it will take to develop and if I have enough time left to actually do that? Anybody have any hints?

a picture of the read

a picture of the reed

A couple of weeks ago, the program at Fort Worth Weavers Guild was on the ondule reed. I only knew vaguely what it was, so this was an interesting program. One of our members, Margaret A, has begun what seems to me as an in depth study of fan reeds, experimenting with different reed configurations, setts, weave structures, the depth that the reed is held as it beats, etc. She has compiled a very nice notebook with samples of all her efforts, some more successful than others, as would happen naturally with experiments. I always admire the many different and talented weavers out there and the kinds of weaving they do, even though I don’t want to do it. A couple of sites that may be interesting are: http://byrios.blogspot.com/2010/04/weaving-with-fan-reed.html and http://peggyosterkamp.com/2011/01/fan-reeds-fascinate-me/. A more informative site is here===>http://www.woolgatherers.com/FanReed.htm.

An example of the weaving from the above reed

An example of the weaving from the above reed

I was looking at some handmade weavers tools by Alexandra Iosub on Etsy and saw some nostepinne. Now I’ve seen the word before and knew it had something to do with preparing yarn, but not what exactly. So naturally, I looked it up. The low tech way of winding a center pull yarn ball. Hmmm And just in case you wondered, here’s how to pronounce it. Isn’t the internet a wondrous thing?

The perils of warping

warping-finger I’m really not making a rude sign in this picture. In the middle of retying the linen warp for the next project, I noticed this big friction blister that had already had the skin rubbed off.  This warp had so many problems that I investigated ways to warp differently. Katie Reeder Meek’s book  Warping with a Trapeze and Dance With Your Loom came to mind first. Here’s a bit about her technique from a participant in one of her workshops. Purrington makes a trapeze that fits all looms. I also read some articles about a “warping valet, which is kind of the same principle as the trapeze. Warped for Good is a blog that has pictures and a video. She also has an Etsy shop.

Laura Fry has several posts on her blog about her “warping valet.”  I’m going to peruse all of those more closely if the new tie-on doesn’t solve my problems. So far the warp looks good, with no loose ends drooping down in slackness. It’s going to be a while before weaving starts because the next piece is going to be ikat, and that requires tying, dyeing, and untying. I’m looking forward to weaving it though.

Now for the good news about this linen warp–I really like the heft it gives to the finished piece and the sheen and the smoothness (sometimes called slippery by me) of the yarn. Ends will be woven in today.

What to do…continue or not?

Section-1 This is what I’ve been weaving the last few days, off and on. I’m not happy with it, but can’t decide what to do. Cut off? Continue? Unweave and try again? What I may do is weave this half of the first section (up to the top of the lines drawn on the Grasses-section-1 warp) because that will give me another number to develop a formula for MY ikat measuring. The drawing on the right is what this section is supposed to look like. I realize the colors aren’t the same, but obviously, improvement needs to be made, either in the ikat itself or the weaving. So, maybe go back and weave this as tapestry?

Tera Muskrat is a New Mexico artist who paints large pieces inspired by Mexican calendar girls (or New Mexican). I think only certain generations will know about calendar girls, but maybe I’m wrong. For some reason, the name Jane Russell comes to my mind, but maybe I’m wrong about that too. Marilyn Monroe, even not from the 30s, might be another example. They may have also been called pin-up girls.  I have to admit that one of my favorites is is a woman holding a Chihuahua against here bosom.  I also like Channeling Calendar-Muskrat Georgia. Maybe the attraction is the humor in her paintings, I don’t know. I would have bought one, but they are large, and I don’t have a place for a large painting. So, I did the next best thing–I bought her calendar for 2014 on Etsy. I like that it’s in Spanish (I’m really hoping to refurbish my Spanish this year–not using it plays havoc) and has large pictures for each month. Calendar-page Calendar-Octubre The page below is for Octubre. The text along side it is La Viuda, the widow.