Summer of Weaving

There is one copy remaining of the Else Nielsen bookmark edition of Reflections From A Flaxen Past. Thank you WeaveTech members! Seven copies were gone within 48 hours of the announcement on WeaveTech List. I’m hoping that someone will obtain that last copy before the end of the year so I can make the full contribution to OHS. Though I've not been updating my blog, I have had a weaving-full summer, doing a bit of gardening scrubbing and staining deck and generally having a blast. This past weekend we celebrated our daughter's (can't possibly be 50th) birthday. She is holding up astonishingly well.


A 3-shaft self-pleating shawl in handspun Jacobs from my sister's flock, woven for my sister's 80th birthday.  The draft is Erica deRuiter's article in Fabrics that Go Bump.  I had to open the set waaay wider than I expected to get the action with the singles wool.

This was the warp design process for the Belinda handspun scarf.  If I were smart enough, I could get this picture next to the scarf on the loom.



Handspun Merino by guild mate and new spinner Belinda Aguirre was my lucky draw in last year's Christmas exchange.  Here is the piece on the loom.  I sort of trained my eye to get the rhythm of the beat to copy the rhythm of the sleying.

The 'snowflake' draft that friends on WeaveTech List helped me trouble-shoot, here becomes the 'Cross Twill' draft for weaving Corporals and Purificators of 40/1 linen.  To keep my beat consistent, I marked every 60 picks to check if I was staying at one inch.  The interlacement changes from area to area of the pattern requiring a constant adjustment to the force of the beat.  Our beloved Bishop Hebda, now Archbishop in New Jersey, was recipient of the first set.

An exhibit of 13 different napkins in the Australian tartan was rejected from the local juried show, so they will soon be on their way to my friend Kay Faulkner and her daughter Down Under.  Hope they aren't disappointed in receiving rejects.

Our new bathroom's custom-designed rug.  It is actually just folded into the 90 degree turn, though I have woven rugs with  angles to fit in our living toom and diningroom.  The cloth was found in a box in the attic of our Kalamazoo house.  I kept those draperies for over 30 years before finding the perfect use for them.  The look and feel underfoot is like sand.

I have learned that a dowel and asparagus rubberbands -as well as an extra pair of hands - are most helpful in rolling a tight roll of cloth before slicing into 1/2" strips with a French knife.  I then sew the strips together, trim the corners and wind the rug shuttle.

New clothes for my 'teenager's' Morris chair.  He received the yarns and a promise for Christmas 2011.  I did get the tweed tartan woven in 2012, but it took another year for my courage to allow tackling the upholstery job.  I've learned the hard way to not trust anyone else to do my upholstery work.  It actually only took a week, once I decided to just DO IT.  It meets with little Fiona's approval, though she prefers Himself's lap between.

Detail of the upholstery job.

Because I had never woven with singles handspun Jacobs, I wanted to keep an eye on the entire warp. Here, by using two looms plus the Trapeze, I had a most enjoyable and trouble-free weaving of my sister's shawl - plus one for me.

This is another project that happened because of the help of friends.  Marg Coe, Ingrid Boesel and Bob Keates were all involved in helping my poor brain deal with keeping the twill, the tartan pattern, the blocks and the basket-weave (because I "only" have 24 shafts) plain side all working in proper sequence.  I wanted to weave this stole with the Michigan tartan on one side in twill and plain cream on the other, changing places for the cruciform and ground.  This would probably be easy for most weavers, but my vision (and brain) problems made it a serious challenge.  This prototype has some flaws, but I'm thinking I'll solve them on the next one - for one, I'll weave with the tartan side UP so I can track the 45 degree twill angle!

Our local grocer, Hal Neiman is celebrating 30 years and his colorful newspaper ads turned out to quite spinable.  This is a small transprency  trade-mark "N" woven with spun paper.  He was quite tickled to receive the "Spin Off from Local Advertising'.

The Pure Michigan Handspun entry was my only accepted piece in the local juried show.  Here the Jacobs 3-shaft shawl, Belinda's handspun spaced plain weave and a third scarf in plainweave from some rainbow-dyed fleece are on show.

Flamepoint upholstery on the bench.



Flamepoint upholstery on the kneeler.  The trim is three-ply 'rope' in the same wool yarns used in the weaving.  The same trim edges the pad under the statue.



Flamepoint pad under the Marian statue on top of the cross-twill linen piece in the Marian Shrine.  It was an honor to have been asked to do the weavings.  The pieces are dedicated to the memory of the  husbands of two dear  friends from  our parish who 'left for home' this past year.  I gave each of the widows small pieces in the two weaves.

Because of skyrocketing shipping costs, We’ll be having to make some adjustments to the cost structure of the books we fear, come the first of the year. In the meantime - take advantage of current good deals. Till next time - Treadle with Joy, Kati