Sampling is Research

 

Required weaving content - draft for single end huck

The past few days I've been messing about, working on the Next Big Project, whilst keeping a wary eye on covid numbers.  I choose to believe that we can, and will, grapple the Delta variant and stop it, hopefully before my deadline.  But I will have to make a decision soon in order to book a hotel and begin preparations for the journey.  But not quite yet.

For now I'm doing a fair bit of rummaging in my files because I am still doing the Zoom study groups.  And as part of the rummaging I found a Power Point presentation on lace weaves which I can take, just the way it is, and use for #10.  The final presentation will be on wet finishing, of course it will.  Because it isn't finished until it's wet finished.

Plus lace weaves are one of those weave structures that can change quite dramatically in the wet finishing.

So, a good way to end the series.

In the meantime, the heat is back with a forecast here of 30C and higher humidity than we are used to.  Yesterday I didn't get much done after both massage and chiropractic adjustment, but I did get the initial sampling done on the next warp.  I'm not used to weaving with such thick yarns so the weaving tends to go a lot faster than I usually experience.  At 12 epi/ppi, the inches add up very quickly.  

But I also have administrivia related to the Big Project and my goal today is to address the next step in that as well as - perhaps - finishing the current warp on the loom.

After that I have three more 'new' yarns to experiment with.

All of this sampling?  It's my research.  It's how I learn more.  It's how I add more bricks to my foundation of knowledge.  Sampling is never a waste of time.  

I'm hoping that some of the research I did for the Guild of Canadian Weavers master certificate can be incorporated into the Next Big Project(s).  Because even if you can't (for reasons of time or economics)  do the weaving/sampling for yourself, you can learn from the results of others who have.  Best, of course, is in person.  But next best thing is virtually - in books, photos, on line classes.  

In the time of a viral pandemic, we have to accept what is workable, what is do-able and stay focused on what is possible, not on what isn't.

Another point a number of people have made is accessibility.  Not everyone can travel to take an in person class.  A number of my on line friends have expressed gratitude for finally being able to connect with instructors on line because they have never before been able to attend in person.  Lack of funds, ability to travel long distances, whatever barriers were in their way were suddenly removed because everyone (pretty much) was learning on line.  And they benefitted from that.  

So I think there may be on going need for on line learning in some form.  In the meantime, I will keep a positive attitude, but figure out a Plan B, just in case the fourth wave keeps building.