I kind of surprised myself last night when I managed to dress the loom all by myself - and the help of the various systems I've put in place over the years. I doubt I could have accomplished it at all without the warping valet. :) It truly is the most forgiving of helping hands - if I need to roll back a bit it doesn't sigh and roll it's eyes. It doesn't need a drink or potty break. It just holds the tension, evenly, consistently - no complaints.
So this is the next warp. The weft this time is the same natural cotton boucle, plus two ivory 2/8 cotton and one ivory cotton slub.
Yes the current placemats all look the same. This is called developing a line. A designer will create a quality of cloth, then interpret that quality in a variety of colours. This allows the customer to decide that yes, they want that quality of placemat and gives them a variety of different colours to choose from.
It is this ability - to weave essentially the same thing over and over - that convinced me that I had what it took to be a production weaver.
For me it's not all about what the cloth is and more about the doing of it. Of immersing myself in the process, striving for that zen state where I am at one with the loom. When I hit that zone the minutes fly by and at times I have to remind myself to stop and take a break.
Well, not right now, of course. My ankle is hyper-aware of when it needs a rest. :^) But all said and done, I threaded, sleyed and tied up the warp before lunch, then went back down and wove 4 placemats. I'm going to ice my ankle, take a fairly long break and then go back down after dinner to see if I can weave two more mats. That will finish the bobbins I filled this morning, so then I'll fill the bobbins again in readiness for tomorrow and then see how it goes. Find out whether I've pushed too far today or not.
And Monday I've got an appointment for physiotherapy booked at 3:15. That should give me enough time that I can do some weaving before the therapy because I may not feel like doing much of anything afterwards.
Currently reading Small Gods by Terry Pratchett
3 comments:
Great progress Laura! You are really doing a good job managing your rehabilitation. Keep it up, you will be back to full force soon.
I want to add all your helpful systems and techniques (and those of others I am collecting) to my weaving routines. As I grow older, I know I can expect less mobility, and sometimes life will blindside (as it has done to you with your injury). It is good to know that our weaving ability does not have to disappear - just adjust. Thanks for sharing!
I wish I had that kind of energy! Maybe it's because you know what your doing :o) I'm still a babe in the woods compared to you and your readers..
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