Hey, I know this person...

Been a while...

Been weaving a lot this year! Participated in my first swatch exchange with Jockey Hollow Weavers... it was Ms and Os. What an interesting assortment of swatches from similar drafts and inspiration. Baby blankets in Ms and Os and towels. Participated in a doubleweave demonstration at the NYGH and Staten Island Handspinners and Weavers. Did a new website for the SIHW. Getting ready to start some area rugs. Excited. Here is a link to Nancy's blog... may she rest in peace!... weaversouth.blogspot.com

Brilliant warping tip!

This is a terrific video for how to use a tensioning device with front to back beaming on a floor loom. Thanks to "rigidheddleweaving" on YouTube.

The Crocuses are up!

Spring is here, and so are the flowers. It's been a long, hard winter. Busy with work, finally. Been knitting again.... a vest, socks, another vest from Tess Designer Yarn (from stash). Pinwheels on the loom. A tapestry workshop to get back to. Not enough hours in the day.

and for a giggle....

enjoy.

Wool - A Journey Through Time

Cabin Fever - Winter 2015

This has been a WINTER, depending on where you are, a BAD one. Being in NYC, really can't complain as much. But it's been hard.

Bright spot in January was Vogue Knitting Live at the Marriott. Another fun gathering of the tribe. Met up with old friends, met new ones. Found a new toy... an Ablet 3-Tier Ababus Row counter. I actually found the clasp difficult to use, so I put in on a chain around my neck instead. It works great for keeping track on rows and design repeats. Treated myself to a skein of Springtide Farm cashmere and made myself a pair of fingerless gloves that have come in very handy this cold winter. The pattern: L'Oreal's Cashemere Fingerless Gloves, design by Hatie Clingerman.

Fell in love with the Blue Heron Yarns Opal Leaf Vest Sock Plus 80% Superwash Merino, 20% Nylon in a lovely Pansy sp colorway. The yarn is lovely, the pattern looks good but the instructions are very sloppy, patching together a couple other patterns. You really have to know what you are doing to make this. Knit the back panel (which is from a scarf pattern). Then pick up stitches and cast on more to knit sideways to make the sides. This is a work in progress. Motivated by the cold to get it finished and put it to use.

On the weaving front, just finished 2 cotton baby blankets, white warp for both. Changed up the WEFT white and pastel for one and yellow and bright multi-colors for the other. What a difference a colorway makes!

The BEST part of February was my Online Tapestry Weaving Course with #RebeccaMezoff. I am finally learning how to use my Mirrix Loom (12" weaving width). Taking baby steps learning basic tapestry techniques, and weaving from the back in a very disciplined approach.

The online course is at my own pace, it is a combination of videos by Rebecca with specific techniques in small sections along with PDF downloads and many links to other instructional videos on YouTube and inspirational links to tapestry artists' websites. You submit photos of progress which are graded, and you email questions which are promptly answered. The fun part is the closed Facebook group where other participants post images of what they are doing.

Meanwhile my Glimakra waits for me to finish warping the next project...

but have to stop now and work on my taxes.

Would rather be weaving! Can't wait for spring.

Mental Health Day

Yesterday, up at 5am to catch a ferry to catch a train to meet a friend and drive 1.5 hrs to the Fuller Craft Museum and return by midnight. Whew! But worth every moment. The Fuller has two amazing exhibits... Game Changers: Fiber Art Masters and Innovators, through Nov. 23. If you love fiber and art, don't miss it. http://fullercraft.org/event/game-changers-fiber-masters-and-innovators/ The work was inspiring and magical. Beyond creative. And in a smaller scale [ http://fullercraft.org/event/small-expressions/ ] Small Expressions thru October 5 The museum is a magical setting with unique building and lovely pond filled with lily pads. Take a day, and go.

Just received "The thread's course in tapestry" by Mette Lise Rössing

Published in May 2013, it consists of 140 pages divided into 3 sections: technique, cultures and theory into practice. Lots of terrific illustrations and photos of tapestry techniques. ISBN 978-87-995744-1-4. available at www.billedvaevning.dk. Recommended by Rebecca Mezoff in her blog. What a delight to thumb thru the book and find a post-it® note on page 93 in the author's hand indicating a correction in the text... "A Navajo saddle blanket is a twined weave." (not twill.)

Donald John Mackay (Harris Tweed Weaver)

Just got my newsletter from Weaving Today with a link to this lovely video about Donald John Mackay (Harris Tweed Weaver) - by Martin Koddenberg Donald John Mackay lives on the Isle of Harris in Scotland and produces the much sought-after, hand-woven Harris Tweed. When in 2004 he was able to secure a deal with Nike he played a key role in introducing Harris Tweed back to the mainstream market, where it is now available in numerous fashion lines around the world.

Donald John Mackay (Harris Tweed Weaver) - by Martin Koddenberg from Martin Koddenberg on Vimeo.

Moving On a stop-motion video from Ainslie Henderson. Created as a music video for British rock band James and tells a story of life and death through characters depicted with yellow yarn. Sad, wonderfully done. (via Jason Sondhi)

Card weaving



How to wash alpaca fleece and prepare for spinning

This informative video is on YouTube

Many thanks to the all_things_structo blog.. there was a link to an amazing video about Chanel's iconic tweed... beautiful...

Inkle Workshop in February 2014

I am excited about Inkle, and about the Staten Island Makerspace. In February I will be teaching a workshop: Build your own Inkle Loom + Learn to weave on it!

Two 3-hour session workshops Sundays February 16 and 23

1 to 4 pm

SI MakerSpace Members $85* Non-members $115
Materials fee: $15
Ages 12 and up. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
No fee for children with a paid adult, but parent/child team must work on one loom together. Class size is limited to 12 students (or parent/child teams). Minimum 4 students.

Session one: Intro to weaving/Build a loom/Setting up the warp and heddles

Session two: 3 hour weaving intensive; creating patterns and designs, how to cut off and remove a finished piece.

Inkle weaving is a type of warp-faced weaving where the shed is created by manually raising or lowering the warp yarns, some of which are held in place by fixed heddles on a loom known as an inkle loom. Inkle weaving was referred to in Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost. It was brought to the United States in the 1930s, but predates this by many centuries in other countries. The term "Inkle" simply means "ribbon" or "tape" and probably refers to a similarly structured woven good that could have been made on different types of looms, such as a box-loom.

Inkle weaving is commonly used for narrow work such as trims, straps and belts.

Class Goals:

Our first goal will be to learn about weaving in general; different types of weaving, types of looms, weaving vocabulary (ex: what the heck is a heddle?) and the processes involved in a simple weaving project. Then we will build looms out of wood. This is a very easy woodworking project and you will take home your own loom which would easily cost $75 to $100 to buy. After the looms are built, we will learn how to set up the warp and heddle yarns and practice making our own straps or belts.

LINK TO SIGN UP

*Members use promotional code inkle25 to get the discount.

Any questions please email db@simakerspace.com or call (718) 273-3951.

Have you heard about ARM KNITTING

this from the Wall Street Journal... thanks to Carol A for sharing

Schacht Variable dent reed

Cruising thru my email today, came across this....Schacht Variable Dent Reed. Way cool! The latest and greatest thing in the world of rigid heddle weaving is Schacht’s new variable dent reed. Now you can mix and match dents in your Schacht Flip or Cricket loom. An assortment of rigid heddle reed sections in a variety of dents which include 5 dpi, 8 dpi, 10 dpi and 12 dpi can be inserted into the special rigid heddle frame for different setts within the same reed. Check out Schacht’s handy chart to see the number of reed sections available with each model. The Variable Dent Reed is a great tool for creating different densities in a fabric as well as using thick and thin yarns in the warp. How fun! Let the creative juices flow.

Our best boy passes over the Rainbow Bridge

Two Seasons Royal Deluxe... We received the shock of our lives on Sunday Nov. 11 when Rudy was diagnosed with spontaneous pneumothorax. We had to put our beautiful buddy Rudy down. Our hearts are broken. A rescue who had been through so much trauma and loss — Rudy was such a beautiful, happy boy. He won his way into our hearts and we will miss him so much. Rudy was extremely special. He was so smart and so loving. It was a joy to have him in our lives. His personality was huge. We are grateful for the wonderful vacation we shared with Rudy and Rennie on an island off the coast of Maine in October.

On Nov 12, 2013, at 10:42 AM, Tim wrote:

Rudy was a true character...
Rudy nicknames...Big Dog, Mr. Rudy, Big Puppy... Rudy Pudy... should have been Rudy Pooti.. tooting all the time.
A most comfortable sitter, knees splayed
The longest tail, most active tail wagger in the business
Sniff everything, stretch my nose into the air and take long sniffs
Chase the cats out of the yard
I know so many commands, stand, sit, kiss, lie down, wait, go, leave it, eat, hungry, pee, poop,
I am going to eat dirt, and if you say no, I'll grab some and leap away with a mouthful
I stood still for a bath and loved the toweling afterwards...
Scratch my chest
Enough drool before a meal to make Pavlov's dogs jealous
Sniff Rennie
I'll answer the door, no that's wrong, Rennie will
Take the lead position on a walk...
Rub bodies with Rennie along the walk,
I always want the left side of the sidewalk, that's where I walk.
Pay attention human or I'll nip your elbow
Don't forget my favorite white fluffy bone
I'll mouth your arm until you do something for me... feed me, especially.
Swallowing whole is the only way to enjoy a meal or a treat.
Oh, do you have any food? I'd like that!
Can you believe I taught you humans all this in a year? Good human.

You've never seen a dog prance like Rudy on a walk.... so happy go lucky.
--Tim

On Nov 12, 2013, at 10:10 AM, Tina wrote:

Random Rudy Memories
RoooRoooo ROOOO!
I want a rawhide,
I am HUNGRY, I need to poop, I need to pee
I'm gonna make myself (all 90 lbs of me) really small and sneak into the bed at 4am
I am going to snuggle as tightly as I can into a really small space next to you.
I am so hungry!
I'm going to wait until you open the food bin and grab a bit of food so fast that you can't stop me.
I'm gonna eat dirt, no matter what you say.
I'm going to eat a rawhide EVERY DAY! Yup, the whole thing.
I like antler, but the ones cut in quarters, not the whole thing.
I'm a good kisser, and I like to kiss a lot!
I like the fireplace.
I am really patient about getting my harness on to go for a walk.
I am afraid of thunder, but with my Thundershirt I can conquer all.
I will bark at Thunder to make it go away.
I love to go in the bushes! none of this mown grass for me. I am a HUNTER!
I will pee on all your flowers!
I do one giant pee, not of this squirt here and there stuff! I am confident.
I am going to make note of everything you do.

 "Good Job!"

--Tina

No words can express all the joy he brought to our lives, no words can express the tremendous loss we feel.

and a little levity -- no knitter ever said this...



Things wear out... and this is my re-placemat

I love my placemats. I have had them for as long as I can remember. I think I bought them in the 1990s from a small shop in Roscoe, NY. I remember vividly the day... a bright, sunny summer day. It was a roadtrip that probably included a visit to dear (now departed) friends Mark and Wanda. I have used them at least once a week for all these years, and sadly they are looking a little tired. (As am I).

With my new-to-me 14" Structo I warped with colors as close as I could get. Who knows how much the colors have faded over the years... and this is my latest project. The weft is Mop Cotton and they go rather quickly. 2 down, 6 to go. Just realized though that I don't have enough room on the beam, so I either have to make an unexpected cut, with some warp loss, or try to figure out a way to add an extension on the beam....

I am thinking that if I find a really long screw I can add an inch in height??? yeeks... it may be better to cut.

With each new project comes a new problem, learning as i go.

Memory lane

Taking a trip, and exploring found objects, memories woven into cloth...

Old daisy lace, old DAT tap, and my first attempt at spinning wool.