Tracking

 

I did an article for WEFT (vol 1?) that talked about tracking, and included a photo of a cloth woven in twill and showed the tracking effect on that twill cloth.  It was very subtle, and hard to see, but if I looked closely enough, it was clearly there.  The thing is, tracking is impossible to ignore in plain weave and people assume nothing occurs when twill is woven, but...it does.

The cloth I'm weaving now has a weft that is highly twisted.  I've been observing the effect of weave structure in the cloth, which I felt was being accentuated by the 'normal' amount of twist that tends to show up in plain weave, and, since the towels I was making had areas of plain weave, the weave was developing some interesting textures.

Since I still have a few cones of this highly twisted singles, I decided to play with the effect and see what would develop in the wet finishing.

Well, I finally got a 'batch' of towels ready - with only 7 towels, that made for a small load, but ok - and ran them through the washer and dryer earlier this week.

They did not disappoint

So here they are.  They are woven in a 1:2-2:1 twill and look at all that lovely texture!  And yes, they have been hard pressed, so they aren't just wrinkled fresh out of the washer/dryer.

Change one thing...

Check Your Sources

 

Let me be clear - I loath LLM/AI.  Like, with a passion.  There are a number of reasons for that, but mostly?  I hate how LLM/AI is designed to be a 'lying machine'.  A person asks a question - in good faith - and expects a semblance of the truth to be delivered.  Instead they get a mish-mash of word salad. 

I try very hard to get facts.  Sometimes I don't have the complete picture, in which case I will go digging.  Unfortunately I can no longer rely on a search engine on the internet to provide me with facts.  I do everything I can to avoid clicking on any AI generated nonsense, but more and more?  I go back to my trusted *printed* resources.

My own books are a distillation of what I have found in my 50 years of weaving.  Some of my weaving library books are quite old, and some are out of date.  Over the years I've accumulated quite a few 'technical' books on weaving (and spinning, and wet finishing).  Sometimes having more than one source is good, because not all books can contain All The Information and I might need to consult some - or all - of my weaving library before I can come to a conclusion.  Sometimes, once I've collected as much information as I can, I need to 'prove' the concept by weaving the samples and, yes, wet finishing them.

So my promise to you is this:  I will never knowingly use LLM/AI.  If I share information with you, it will either come from my own personal experience (weaving, changing parameters, weaving some more, wet finishing the sample to confirm the results) or from trusted published resources.

I have, at this moment, 11+ technical textile science books.  They range from the early 1900s to more current.  I am, at this moment, waiting for another one to be published.  To be fair, I was asked if I would 'review' read the ms and give my opinion.  Which I completed mid October.  They are taking pre-publication orders now.  Michelle Boyd also has a book that I feel weavers should be aware of.  It's called Twist.  I got about halfway through this book and hit a personal brick wall with my brain not wanting to process detailed, subtle, information.  But I will get back to it soon.  The next 3 weeks are fraught with appointments and I am, quite frankly, struggling.  

But this is something I have known for years - there is nothing quite like a curated library when you are involved in a specific craft - develop your own personalized library so you have the information at your fingertips.  Quite literally.

For 50 years I have been asking questions, then answering them (to the best of my ability).  Now that job is even harder as people go to the internet to try and answer their own questions and getting fed lies and/or word salad.  It infuriates me that the last upgrade to my computer and ipad inserted more and more AI.  I annoyed Meta hugely by asking it one and only one question:  How do I turn you off.  If a 'computer' could sniff, it sniffed.  Now I steadily ignore every AI prompt, scroll below the AI 'summary' that it offers me on every internet search.  If I had more spoons I would try harder to switch off more of the Google and Windows AI 'insertions'.  In the meantime, I try really hard to ignore them.

It is with a degree of sadness that I see people on groups quoting AI searches/summaries.  I mean, they joined a group to learn more about A Thing - why are you quoting AI nonsense?  And I get that people are hungry for definitive answers, but when it comes to weaving?  That there are none.  The only correct short answer when it comes to weaving (and likely other crafts that have been around for 1000s of years), is...it depends.

So learn as much as you can.  Explore books and try to ignore AI Summaries.  If you want to ask someone who is knowledgeable?  There are still a bunch of us around.  I have this blog - started in 2008 - started for free, still remains for free.  I have my books, available in both pdf download and print.  Those are not free.  There are classes at School of Sweet Georgia - four of them by me, other shaft loom weaving by Felicia Lo.  And at Long Thread Media.  And I am now writing for WEFT - just agreed to do an article on Bronson Lace.  

So if you have a question?  Ask it.  Include photos if you can.  Explain what you have done to try to find the answer.  No point in spending the coin of my time giving advice only to have the answer be "I did that - it didn't work".  The more information you can provide, the more *others* will learn, along with you.  Weaving isn't always straight forward.  The problem you are having might have stemmed from something you did - or did not - do in a different part of the process than when it showed up.

Weaving is not always straightforward.  It can be sneaky, or hide until it comes forward in terms of poor results.  And not all 'rules' need to be followed - if you understand what happens when you do - or do not - follow them.  And then, if you change your yarn - or the weave structure, or loom.  The possibilities for doing things 'wrong' are almost limitless.  And please - try to be methodical.  Yes, yes, I *know* you want to jump straight into that double wide warp the full width of your loom, but maybe take a couple baby steps first.  

My father always cautioned my brother and me to be wary of anyone who makes doing something look  simple.  There is a good chance there is a great deal of skill involved so don't assume you can jump into the deep end and not stumble over some of those subtleties involved in weaving.

Weaving is a physical skill.  A golfer doesn't assume they can win the Grand Prize on their first attempt.  A race car driver doesn't assume they will drive to the finish line before others who are more experienced.  Etc.  And don't let 'perfect' kill 'good'.  Let the learning journey be just that - a journey.  

The life so short, the craft so long to learn.

Soap/Detergent

 

Clear water before adding soap (left) and detergent (right)

After stirring in the soap and detergent

I don't know how long the link will be active but the video can be seen on my Facebook page here.

I live in an area that has 'hard' water - i.e. naturally occurring minerals dissolved in the ground water.

(I don't even live in the 'worst' area - I have experienced places with much higher levels of 'hardness' than here!)

I learned early that soap tends to not work well in such water, but neither was I interested in adding large quantities of salt or other chemicals to our drinking water to 'soften' it.  My preference is to use detergent to do the household laundry and wet finish my handwovens.

When I tell people to use detergents with such water, some 'get' it; others do not.  Usually those who do not simply do not have 'hard' water, in which case I tell them that using soap is fine - in 'soft' water.

For anyone interested in learning about how soap works, Penny Le Couture (spelling?) has a book called Napoleon's Buttons, one section of which is devoted to soap.  She doesn't describe detergents, but I found out today that they can be made from petrochemicals.  Do with that as you will.  I don't know what Synthropol or Orvus Paste are made from, specifically, but they are routinely recommended by dyers and other fibre folk.  

The challenge I have faced, routinely, was getting through to others that what is 'normal' for them may be quite different from others.  That there is no one 'correct' answer.  There may be several answers that could be shared, based on those differing realities that different people experience and that *their* perfect answer may not serve others.  Others who may come from different countries, in different geographical areas, facing different climates, with different shops/businesses to purchase supplies from, different income brackets, ***different physical sizes/shapes***.

Please note:  I am not suggesting that everyone must use detergents because *I* do.  I'm just sharing information.  What any one person chooses to do is up to them.  All I'm saying is that if you have hard water, you will get better results from using a detergent instead of soap.

Am I saying that soap is 'bad'?  It can be - if it is heavily perfumed, or high in fats.  But so can detergent - if it is laden with additives such as whiteners, brighteners and also perfumes.

One person has let me know that they refuse to use detergents because of the petrochemicals.  We all must draw our own lines in the sand.  Make choices appropriate to our values.  So I do use detergents.  I never use 'lots' because it's a waste of both the detergent *and* the water to rinse it out.  

Never accept what someone says unless they can explain their reasons.  Think about those reasons.  Are they appropriate to *you*?  Or do you need to adjust what you've just been told?  Do you need to dig into the information a bit further?  (Until this morning I was not aware that detergents were made with petrochemicals.  I thought about how I use them, why I *need* to use them, decided I would continue, while I pursue other ways to reduce my carbon footprint - buying a hybrid vehicle, having a heat pump installed, buying fewer clothing with Lycra in them, etc.)

I remember posting on Facebook a while ago that we need to stop using so much oil and gas and having someone rip a strip off me saying that petroleum is *necessary* because plastics are needed for health care purposes.  I suggested that if plastics were that important and necessary, maybe we should stop burning it in our cars and furnaces, then?

We are facing the effects of human caused climate change.  I will likely die before it goes pear shaped entirely, but I have younger folk I love and care about and I really don't want them to face the looming 'natural' disasters that will affect the entire world. 

Because our world is a ball.  There will not be a square inch (or centimeter) where we will be able to escape the future - unless we start applying the brakes.

And ultimately petrochemicals are 'just' chemicals.  Pretty sure we can make them from some other source when the oil/gas run out.  But that is a choice we each need to make for ourselves.  Because I *know* not everyone can afford to buy an EV/hybrid, nor a heat pump.  We chose to spend our money on those things.  Others will make other choices.  

I just wish more people would be aware of the coming tsunami of disasters if we don't stop what we are doing.  But that's just me.  I am the only one I can make decisions for.  

Because it depends.

Time Passes

 

This was the scene out my window a while ago.  The autumn rains and wind have done a pretty good job of stripping the leaves from the trees, but we still have not had a 'hard' frost.  The grey dreary days have been wearing on me as I continue to try and sort out what my body needs.  And chart out tentative plans for the immediate future.  I no longer think in terms of years anymore - it's about all I can do to manage months.  But I need to have plans.  If I don't, I get almost nothing done.  

So, I've made as many 'plans' as I can, lined up my ducks, written dates in the calendar.  My ultimate goal is to try and find a better level of 'comfort' than I'm currently experiencing.  Every day it seems I can't find enough spoons to get everything done that I want to do.

Last week I had a longish talk to my pain doctor.  We have appointments set up to try and reduce the level of pain I've been having.  He clarified that I have two different types of pain (pain is pain?  Not really.)  Each type responds 'better' to different methods of treatment.  So I have back injections on Nov. 4 and infusion on Nov. 18.  

In the meantime, I have ordered a 'new' (to me, at least) cream that suggests it will help improve the peripheral neuropathy.  The PN is a nasty one because I cannot figure out why I have flares of pain.  It doesn't seem to be weaving related, although I've pinpointed other triggers.  The first infusion helped, but I still had flares, and it seems to have worn off rather quickly (to my mind).  However, I've been warned that it may take several infusions before I experience therapeutic effects.   So, I haven't lost hope yet.

The cream is on order and should be given over to the courier with expected delivery between Nov. 4-12.  I will give it a fair try, and I will let people know if it is helpful to me.  Or not.  I have been having big pain flares at night and once again my sleep is crap and I'm just exhausted All The Time.

I need to get back to doing the 'review' reading - I have another thesis with a student waiting for feedback.  I've agreed to do another article for WEFT.  They have put out a call for the issue after that one, but I'm not too much of an overshot expert and can't think of a single thing I can say about it that others much more knowledgeable could do a much better job.  Maybe time to skip an issue.

I'm working on my silk and cashmere stash.  Doug has kindly agreed to help with yarn prep.  Most of that part of the stash is in skeins and needs to be wound onto spools so I can beam a warp.  Or three.  The problem - challenge - is coming up with colour combinations that will please me.  Don't judge me - I inherited most of the silk and they are not necessarily 'my' colours.  So, I challenge myself to try to make something pleasing with them.

I'm hoping the latest issue of WEFT will arrive before our weaver's show and share on the 16th of November.  But I've got the samples to show, and I'm hoping some of the newer weavers will come and share what they have been learning.

And here it is - noon again.  And I'm still in my pjs.  Because I had another crap night.  But I cut off the first 7 towels and got them wet finished yesterday, I will press them today, and then retie and maybe weave some more.  Or work on the silk.  The colours look a bit different in the daylight so I want to re-think the group of skeins I have selected for warp #1.  I thought I had some spools with natural white on them, but I haven't found that bin yet.  And who knows, I might have already used them up.  

Onwards.  Onwards.  

Magic in the Water

 

Having been in the field of weaving (doing it, teaching it, writing about it) I've gotten to know quite a few weavers.  Some have been friends.  One of them died a few months ago, after years of health problems, and the other day her daughter began listing some of her weaving books for sale.  One of them was Magic in the Water - the original publication with all the actual samples.

I struggled with the idea of producing such an expensive 'book'.  Frankly I didn't have a whole lot of money, and I also knew that not a single book publisher would want the burden of the costs involved.  I knew the cost of the book would limit the number of copies that could be sold and I thought that it would be mostly guilds with libraries who would provide the largest 'market' for it.  (Someone who had been in the textile industry commented that such a book produced by the industry for industry of similar quality would be sold upwards of $3000, not what I was asking.  So if you see one of the originals for sale for the original selling price?  Grab it!)

 Anyway.  Turned out I was wrong.  

I was bowled over by the number of people who were willing to purchase the book.  They knew the information was needed, and the handwoven and wet finished (before and after) samples of cloth would allow weavers to experience the transformation of the cloth and give them guidelines how to achieve those results for themselves.

So when the book was listed last week for the 2002 purchase price, I was reassured, once again, that I had done good.  

When I first heard someone refer to the book as a 'classic', I was astonished.  To me a 'classic' weaving book is, oh, Mary Black or Margaret Atwater.  To see that the book is still valued 20+ years after original publication makes me look back at the struggle it was produce and feel like I made the right choice.  In spite of some weavers poo-pooing that it needed to be done at - all you needed to do is wash it, for goodness sake!  For all the nay sayers who (still?) object to my using the pretentious term 'wet finishing' instead of 'washing'.  

In 2000 there were no such things as Go Fund Mes.  I pushed ahead, determined to do The Thing.  I borrowed money.  Spent what I had.  Worked 80 hour weeks to make it happen.  Recruited family and friends to help.  And by sheer stubborn determination, I made it.

To see that people will still purchase the text and photos version?  Just confirms what I knew all along - this was important.  This was needed.  

When my brother died I gave a short statement at the reception at the railway museum.  My brother had been a huge supporter of this project, and I wanted to remind people of the kind of person he was.  And, I realized much later, I was, too.

"I can think of no greater example to follow than Don's.

Be bold enough to have a dream.

Be brave enough to try to make it come true.

Live life with joy and love.

And every day, work to be a better person."

Doh-See-Doh

 

The other night I had enough spoons I could start dragging out the bin of cashmere, and dug out some of the dyed silk I inherited from a weaver.  At the time, I wasn't sure what I could do with the skeins of silk, all in 30/2 size, each skein a different hue/value.  Some were pastel, some saturated, and they came from every area of the colour wheel.

When I dug out the cashmere, I had thought I had more coloured than I have, so there is a large quantity of natural and a few that are...not.  However, the plan is to use the dyed silk for the warp(s) and the cashmere for the weft.  Of course the yarn is *all* in skeins, so before I can do anything I need to weigh all the silk skeins, then do a ruler wrap, compare the grist of the two yarns and try to work the numbers and make what I hope will be a nice quality of cloth for neck scarves.

Just a quick eyeball indicates that I should have more than enough silk to make several warps, and have even more cashmere to weave those off.  I *think* I have some natural white silk on spools left over from the last silk scarf warp I did, so who knows, I might do a white warp and use some of the dyed cashmere on that.  TBD.  More stash diving will happen as and when I feel able to do it.

But before I can do anything, the silk needs to be transferred to spools.  Last night, feeling particularly exhausted, trying to figure out what I could do, I asked Doug if he would weigh the silk skeins.  I think that they are 100 grams, but I need to know before I can begin planning what I will be doing, and then designing the first warp.

I'm hoping that if I can just wind one skein to spool that I can actually do that myself.  But, first things first.

OTOH, I have two procedures booked at the pain clinic in November, plus I've 'discovered' a different otc product that I hope will reduce pain flares when I overdo things.  Maybe this Christmas I will be feeling 'better'.

I'm still trying to understand my body better, but the pain persists.  I feel like I have to explore every avenue, try anything that seems like it might help.  

Today is a blustery grey day.  Most of the leaves have been ripped off the branches, and the leaden skies promise that yes, winter is on the way.  It feels good to be looking forward to some colour on the loom for the next while.  I have a feeling I'll need the 'lift' from pretty colours.  

Stash Diving

 

gaping 'holes' on the shelves because most of it is packed up for the craft fair/guild room sales

Given my conundrum - running 'low' on 2/16 cotton, can't decide what colour(s) to buy to keep going with the towel weaving, I spent some quality time with my yarn stash.  It took a while, but I 'found' the fine cashmere yarn I bought while in Scotland - along with the rest of my cashmere stash.  I'm running 'low' on silk scarves and since I only have limited amounts of some of the cashmere, putting a silk warp on the loom and weaving the cashmere as weft seems like a good approach.

My inventory is currently (mostly) packed up, ready to be delivered to the guild room for the big craft fair Oct. 30, Nov 1+2, then the guild room sale in November.  And I'm drowning in tea towels.  I did get some shawls made, but I've lots of rayon scarves and a few silk+ scarves, but it's time I dug through my silk stash.  The cashmere is largely quite fine, but most of my silk is...a mixed bag.  Some of it is way too fine to use as warp, and I'm not entirely sure what I can do with it.  And of course, the warp and weft colours have to be 'compatible'.  

The next warp is underway, so it is time to put my thinking cap on and figure out what I can do with the silk and cashmere yarns.

I've suggested to the new weaving teacher that she can come and root through my 'samples' to see if any of them are of use to her.  I have bins of 'samples' I've used to illustrate my classes.  Some are just that - samples.  Others are finished items.  And those are the samples I would like to see carry on.  The 'scraps' will likely go into the rag recycle bin.

But oh, the memories when I dig through those bins.  Things I had completely forgotten I'd made suddenly come to life again.  The successes...and the 'failures'...

Because no 'failure' is truly not useful, even if all it does is remind me of what I did, and how it turned out.  

Kind of like life, right?

I had really  hoped to use up those 3 large cones of singles 6 yarn but the only 2/16 I have in quantity is natural.  And white on white doesn't always look very attractive.  And I already have lots of tea towels.  So, maybe it's time to put that aside once the current warp is done and dabble in the silk/cashmere?  I won't get them done in time for this year, but they will take time to design, weave, fringe twist and wet finish.  So, really, I'm working on next year.  My days of scrambling to meet every deadline are over.  I might be 'getting' this 'retired' thing...

If Canada Post gets itself sorted out (currently on rotating strikes) I might post some things to my ko-fi, available to Canadian addresses only.  But I get the feeling that a lot of Canadians are watching every loonie and toonie like a hawk.  Not to mention it will depend how much energy spoons I have.  And I'm learning how to 'manage' what I have, instead of railing about what I have not.  Difficult life lesson to learn, but...needs must...

An Educated Guess

 

My 'guestimate' at 27 being the 'proper' density for this textile appears to have been pretty close.  Now, things will change during wet finishing, and this angle (tension has been released on the warp) is almost 'too good' at very nearly 45 degrees.  The weft is thicker than the warp, and that means it is hard to predict the actual amount of dimensional loss without going through the whole process - and perhaps most crucially - the wet finishing.  Until I see it put through the whole process, including the pressing *and the drying* - I won't really know just how close I came.  

Do I much care?

Not really.  I'm on a stash busting mission and they are intended to be tea towels.  If they are not 'perfect'?  If they will dry dishes, goal will have been achieved.

Having woven a 'sample' on the previous warp, I felt I had confirmed my suspicions that 32 was going to be too many epi but there were enough variations that I could not be sure.  But I went ahead based on my previous experience/mistakes, and said 'it will do'.

Because every time you make a change in what you are doing, outcomes can change.  Sometimes those changes are acceptable.  Sometimes?   Not so much.

If weaving has taught me one thing - don't worry so much.  As Leonard Cohen sang - forget your perfect offering, everything has a crack in it - that's how the light gets in.

Embrace the light, child.  Embrace the light.

A 'Normal' Life

 

industrial metal warp beam - about a meter in diameter

I only took a few photos in the Eklands Mill in Sweden - this is the beam of the 'test' warp the two guys running the beaming equipment the mill had just purchased, and they were testing it to make sure they knew the best way to do the job with the new equipment.

What you can't see, waaaaay down the room, is the spool rack which was filled with 280 (about) cones, positioned so that they were oriented horizontally and each end individually tensioned.  Just a day in a life for the two guys doing the work of prepping the warp.  By the time we did the rest of the self-guided tour and arrived at the loom room, the forklift had delivered the beam and set it into the loom and the guy there was prepping it to be tied onto the existing 'waste' of the previous warp.  (They do that at the back of the loom, tying to the back end of the previous warp, pulling those through the heddle and then tie on at the front.)

For these guys, setting up a large loom, was just part of their 'normal' lives.  For us watching, it was 'normal', but not at this scale and we were, frankly, mesmerized.

I should have a few other photos - somewhere - and if I ever find them, I'll do a little 'tour' - although I wasn't sure I should.  I had ignored the 'no camera' sign when I took these, but my companion said it was ok - she had seen the sign, explained that I was a weaver from Canada and asked if I could take photos.  And got permission to take some.

There are some things that are just assumed to be 'standard' in weaving.  It seems one of those is that *most* well engineered looms will have about a 15" circumference beam at the 'core', no matter how long the warp being used.  My Megado has about 14.5" or about 36-37 cm, for the 'core'.  The empty beams stacked against the wall appeared to have a similar circumference.

Another number that keeps coming up is 100 pounds or 45 kilos.  My little flat bed press applies 100 pounds of pressure of the hot shoe to the bed; the water powered mill had 'hammers' that weighed about 45 kilos each.  I believe the old industrial steam press also used 100 pounds of pressure.

As I have been reading Michelle Boyd's books, I keep seeing 'themes' repeated between the various yarns and the crafts that utilize them.

I finished reviewing Michelle's ms yesterday.  I've typed up my comments, but I'm going to let them sit today and re-read what I will submit tomorrow, then send.  They need my comments before Oct. 24 so I kind of set everything else aside.  

This kind of 'reviewing' (one thesis, one ms, one more thesis) has lead me to review my life.  Again.  

I have been made well aware that most of society views what I considered 'normal' as not at all 'normal'.  Some assumed that I wove because I had nothing 'better' to do.

Happens that I actually wove because I could not envisioning the coin of my time and energy on anything *not* weaving.

This morning I was reminded of the trip to Sweden and doing the tour of the mill.  And how even then, I could not do the tour 'normally'.  The 3 of us were all handweavers and we were fascinated.  And so we wound up overstaying our welcome and got locked into the stairwell, long after the self-guided tour was over.  The person who 'rescued' us from the stairwell was quite miffed.  But I got a very rare and extremely informative tour that was way beyond what 'normal' people experienced, just because we *were* fascinated, respectful, asked specific questions that let the guys in the warping room and loom room know that we were genuinely interested in the answers.

For now I struggle to find a new 'normal'.  However, in spite of everything, the loom is ready to weave (I checked ppi yesterday) so I'm going to get dressed, head to the loom, finish crunching numbers for the liftplan and see if it looks like I've 'guessed' (educated, but still, not proven - yet) correctly, and see if I can get at least half a towel woven.  I don't feel 'horrible' from the double whammy of Covid and flu vaccines, but I planned on today 'off' if necessary, so I won't berate myself too much if I only get to the loom once today.

And tomorrow I think I talk to the doctor about what we try 'next'.  If I can keep weaving, I'll be a happy camper.  Even happier if we can successfully deal with my aging body to a better degree of functionality.

Headers

 

laying first pick of the header - note it is about 2.5 inches above the rod with warp tied to it

three picks of the 'waste' yarn without beating in

all three picks are squeezed together, then a fourth laid in which establishes the fell line

about 12-18 picks are woven, during which time I am looking for 'errors' - weaving, sleying, etc.  This weave has some 'floats' at the selvedge, which I am ignoring

There are a number of issues that come up, over and over again and generally the same bits of 'advice' are given, some of which are problematic.

For example, when starting to weave, the advice is to jam the weft down to the bar as far as you can 'force' it.

When it comes to weaving, forcing is generally not a great idea. For this warp, which is 2/16 at 27 ppi, the warp is fairly thin and trying to 'force' it is inviting broken ends into one's life.  Typically I will include around an inch worth of warp into each knot.  This is a 9 dent reed and I took 10 groups of thread and split them in half to make the knot.  You don't have to use an even number but generally the warp will behave better if the forces acting on them are more equal.  Take note of the angle of the warp ends at the edges of the groups - the degree of angle they have to bend compared to the centre.  Some people say to fix this by tying smaller groups, but I find it is actually harder to get consistent/even tension the smaller the groups are.  About an inch seems to be reasonable to work with if I'm not trying to 'force' the yarn right down, packed into the knots at the bar.

It also makes it difficult if you discover a threading/sleying error as there is no room to work to re-tie the loosened groups while the mistake is fixed.

If you want to reduce loom waste, using a lashing cord will help, but I still always leave about 2-3" before I weave the start of the header.  Besides, this is 2/16 cotton and fairly inexpensive.  Do I want to spend 'extra' time tying much smaller knots, fighting with establishing a consistent tension?  Or throw a few ounces (or less) into the recycle bin?  

What I didn't show was the fact that I do not begin tying in the centre and working to the edges, but that I begin at the right hand selvedge, tie as consistently as I can to the left hand, then return to the centre and gently tie the first half again from the centre to the right hand side.  And then I do nothing further.  I've been doing this for a very long time and my hands are sure of what needs to be done.  My warps are never fussed over, tieing here, there and elsewhere.  Just A to B, back to C(entre) back to A and it's good to go.  I will tighten the tension on the warp once I'm done and weaving is ready to commence.

I showed photos either here or in one of my books.  I've loaned my books out right now, but I'll check which one.  I also talk about these things in my video classes at School of Sweet Georgia and Long Thread Media.  Books are here.

I have been reading  Michelle Boyd's book Twist and learned a whole lot of stuff that isn't obvious unless you understand the forces at work that help create yarn from fibres.  I am also reading (reviewing) her next book A Guide for Users which is going to help (especially non-spinner) folk to understand their yarn and why things are always changing.  For instance, this week we got the room humidifier ready because the relative humidity has been hovering in the low 40%.  When it dips below 40 I will start running the humidifier.  There are some yarns that react badly to low humidity (low depending on which fibre!).  If weavers don't know this, they should be made aware.

Plus it's not just the fibres/yarns, but the equipment we use.  Wood shrinks when it gets 'dry' and swells when it gets 'high'.  Meaning looms may start acting up, sticking or becoming loose and wobbly.

Electric anything can start generating static electricity and you'll get static discharge 'shocks'.  Not pleasant.

If you are using a stick shuttle, they tend to work 'better' if you wind the yarn onto the shuttle in the way I've mentioned a number of times, and show in The Intentional Weaver.  

There are so many layers to learning the craft of weaving.  We, as a society, are used to the immediate satisfaction we get from assembling things that come in 'kits'.  Most of us are not used to something - like learning how to weave - taking not just months, not just years, but if you truly want to 'master' it, it will take decades.  

I'm currently in my 5th decade and *still* learning.  And, frankly, that is what drew me to the craft in the first place.  I knew I could study it for the rest of my life and keep learning.  And I was right.

The life so short, the craft so long to learn...

Time Passes

 

I am taking a bit of a break from writing for WEFT.  Not that I'm not interested, but right now?  Most of my ideas are consuming a whole lot more time and energy than I have available.  I did suggest a couple of ideas, but have not heard back - yet - and frankly it's a bit of a relief to not need to sort out what it would take to do what I offered to do.  I may yet find the energy if they do get back to me, but I'm sure readers will appreciate having other ideas.  And frankly, there enough articles already in the pipeline, I won't be far.

Honestly, I'm old enough now I've been asking myself if I need to step aside and make room for other, younger, authors.  Instead I have been at the desktop, but reviewing the work of others.  And I find that is a task that is more in keeping with my current energy levels.

I have been continuing to try and find ways to keep my life meaningful while not using up every ounce (gram?) of energy.  This week the lab work came back, and surprise!  I'm 'normal'.  On the one hand, the relief at finding out that nothing nasty was inhabiting this body was huge.  But that meant that there was nothing to 'fix' to help me feel better.

Oh well...

Today I have a visit with a weaver and we will go through the latest box of returned samples from WEFT, and I can't remember if she saw the last box.  So we can look through that one as well.  I will bring both boxes on Nov. 16 to the guild for the Weaver's Show and Share.  I am very 'proud' of the work that I did for the Tables issue (current issue just out).  They aren't 'perfect' but pretty darned close.  Especially since I combined two weave structures in one, and used one weft that wasn't the same grist as the warp for the other.  So already I was pushing the envelope.  For the current issue and the next (samples just returned this week) I did the majority of the weaving and a significant part of the writing prior to the brain bleed.  The rest of the articles took a lot more 'braining' that I possessed to do it, and only with the help/support of my friend Sheila was I able to do it at all.  As it happens, writing and puzzling out weaving issues became a huge part of my 'recovery'.  But when I sent off the last article for Winter 2026 I think, I needed a break.  Maybe when I finish reading the two Olds thesis(es?) I will want to generate new content.  And who knows, maybe the new drug will be providing the relief I need to keep going.

That said, if any of the Olds students are interested in my reviewing their ms?  Let me know.  I have finished one and have a second in hand, and as soon as I finish the reviewing I'm doing for Michelle Boyd's (and you *will* want her book - trust me) I will get to the 2nd thesis.

If anyone wants to know more about how I self-publish my books?  I'm happy to share what I know.

Things are changing faster than we can imagine right now.  Tariffs, AI/LLM bots 'stealing' content, then even worse using someone's name and reputation and *changing what they say, even to the point of creating false citations*?  

(shudder)

At any rate, I promise I will NOT be using AI/LLM bots.  First I object to them stealing the work of creatives, then whining about how they can't make a profit without stealing copywrite materials, then using up gobs of energy and water, further polluting the world?  Nope.  Never.  I will never knowingly use AI.  Now if the industry would stop trying to shove that down our throats...

Anyway, Canada Post is currently on rotating strikes, and I'm sorely tempted to order more yarn while I can get it.  But I can't decide on colours, so I went ahead and beamed a dyed 2/16 warp.  I've got the warp threaded and hope to sley and tie on today.  But I get the Covid and flu vax today, so I'm going to take it 'easy' over the weekend.  We'll see how I feel next week when I talk to the pain doc.  But I'm trying to use up yet more of my 'stash' and I'm intrigued how this warp will weave up.  Because once again I'm pushing boundaries.  I mean, why not?

Taming Tangles

 

Finally started threading the next warp and thought I should remind people how I deal with the warp during that job.

I beam on the Megado sectionally.  You should be able to see the stick I store the taped sections on to get the cut ends close enough to thread through the heddles.

I print out the entire width of the warp, in as large a font I can 'afford' to print out.  This warp fit onto 5 pages of paper.  Fiberworks prints out with numbers in the draft, and numbers the pages in order.  If I remember to save the file before printing, it also prints out the name I have given the file on the top of each page.

As I thread, I have a typists clipboard that I clip the draft to for easy viewing.  On the Megado, the 'castle' is fairly low and the clipboard fits (just) on the castle so I can easily see it.  I then study the progression, decide on the number of ends in the groups - which varies depending on how the progression flows across the width of the warp.  Sometimes there may be 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 per group.

 As I thread each group I slip knot the group I've just threaded, then mark that group off on the draft.  When a repeat has been completed, I take that larger group and bundle them into one large group and slip tie those.  You can see 3 large knots, then, if you look really closely, you may be able to see two smaller knots.  The two smaller groups are the straight draw from 16 through to 1, divided into two groups of 8.

Now some people object that they can't face tying all those slip knots.  The thing is, by having smaller groups secured, I can grab the next group *when I'm sleying* and separate out the next group in the proper order and slide the group to where it belongs in the reed, and sley the reed.

Instead I see photos of threaded warps that are not secured in any way at all with the individual threads loose and willing to tangle with their neighbours.  And you have to then *find* each thread in the sequence, when you can just group the next few together and know which ends belong in their proper place.  

When people complain about the knot tying I ask them to show me how they do it, and...usually they do it some strange, unergonomic way.  I have a very short video on You Tube  It was taped showing exactly how I tie a slip knot for a group in preparation for sleying, but when I'm doing it 'at speed' it takes about a second - maybe 2.  It takes almost no time at all, keeps my threads secure, makes the task of sleying easier...plenty of reasons for me to learn how to tie that very simple knot.

But of course, everyone has to do what they prefer.  People who dress the loom front to back will do something else.  If they are happy, then they are happy.  :)

In The Hand

 

I know the photo doesn't look like much.  What it shows is two samples.  Actually it is the identical cloth, but cut in half and then one of the samples was hard pressed and the other left to dry without compression.

The cloth develops a great deal of texture, and I wanted to see how much the compression would affect the cloth, then decide if I would bother with the compression, or just leave the cloth to dry without applying a hard press.

The look of the cloth doesn't really show the 'extra' work/step of the pressing.  A lot of people might assume there is no benefit to doing it so would leave it.

But I have decided that I will, actually, apply the hard press to my cloth to 'finish' it.

Because here's the thing:  compression will 'lock' the warp and weft threads together and increase the resistance to abrasion and increase stability within the cloth itself.

There are fairly 'long' floats in the weave structure, which makes the cloth flexible and increases absorption.  Both characteristics that will improve the cloth as a tea towel.  And the hard press will help those longish floats to nestle closer to the threads beside and over and under it.

I will likely do a 'proper' book review of Michelle Boyd's book Twist.  I've had it on my TBR pile for months, but not felt as though I could properly understand it, so I had just opened pages at random and read bits and pieces.  But this month I decided I needed to read this book, and doing it steadily, a little bit every day, has allowed me to fully concentrate and absorb what she is saying (and showing in the photos).

On page 86 she discusses wet finishing freshly spun skeins of yarn and begins:

`We finish yarns for a lot of good reasons.  Finishing removes any spinning oils or dirt that may have gotten into into the fibres in the preparation and spinning processes.  These unwanted ingredients can prevent yarns from being as soft and bouncy as we want them to be and can make any cloth we eventually make with the yarn stiff or sticky.  This is also the time to rinse or set any excess dyes that may be lingering in the fibre so they do not bleed into the cloth we are going to make.  But the most important reason to finish our yarn is to settle the active twist energy into the fibres once and for all.'

She then lists some other benefits.    

But I think that like most people, if a step doesn't appear to make any great difference to our cloth?  We tend to assume that it doesn't actually do anything and will skip it.

When the difference is not in the eye but in the hand, though, we have to decide if the benefit outweighs the extra time and effort required.

In the case of the above cloth?  I can barely tell the two apart.  The compressed sample feels slightly thinner and smoother but that's it.  But I also *know* that the compression is doing things to the cloth that will allow it to serve its purpose better for longer.

I have 3 large mill cones of the singles 6.  I now know that I will not be skipping any steps in the wet finishing processes but will be spending quality time with the press (and my boombox) in order to give the cloth a good hard press.

Because my hand tells me it needs it and my brain knows why.

Questions, Questions

 

beaming with a warping valet

Once again I see questions about beaming warps.  Can you get rid of the tangles?  Can the job be done 'differently'?

You can't really get 'rid' of tangles, but you can seriously reduce them.  

Can it be done 'differently'?  Yes, of course.  And then the person shares their great approach.  

And I see that they have done their best to eliminate tangles, but not in a way that is particularly 'efficient'.  And I scroll on by.  Because if they are happy, who am I to say nay?

However, if you are the type of person who wants to work more methodically, more ergonomically, more *efficiently*, you might want to drop into my studio and see if there is something that I do that you might consider implementing?

Not that I never make mistakes.  Goodness knows, I still make mistakes.  But if you like my results, you might want to take a gander at what I actually do.

I don't cover every single tweak I do, because there are times when I am doing something 'different' so I don't always do exactly the same thing.  

But I share the basic things I routinely do.

What I do NOT do is wind very wide warps all in one chain, regardless if I'm using a warping board or mill.  The widest chain I will wind is about 15" of 2/8 cotton.  If I want a warp 16" in the reed, I will wind two 8" chains.

I tie the 'arms' of the cross, not just the waist.  Tying *just* the waist makes it difficult to find the cross to insert the lease sticks.  Especially if you use a single 2/20 cotton to do so.  So I use a thicker 'waste' yarn and tie the four 'arms' of the X.  Very easy and quick to find the cross to insert the sticks.

I do not wind 1" chains.  You wind up spending a whole lot of time tying the chains and then...untying them.

I also use a thicker yarn to make the counting string - again, to make it easier to find the counting string to remove it.  I use that thicker yarn to tie a choke tie about 18" away from the tied cross.  That gives me the optimal space to manipulate the cross and get it into the reed to rough sley the warp and get the warp set up for beaming.

I do NOT tie very tight choke ties every yard.  I tie a 10 meter long warp in 2 or 3 places, but not tighttighttight but just to act as a 'gathering' tie to keep the threads under control.  And I use a warping valet with weights provided by water in bleach bottles.  I can add or subtract water to add or subtract weight/tension during beaming by measuring the water in a measuring cup, then return the bottles to their 'standard' weight when I'm finished beaming the 'non standard' warp.  And I don't chain my warps.  Not recommended if you have helping hands in the studio, but works for me.

Note where the lease sticks are.  Between the breast beam and the ceiling rod.  I move the stick through the warp, not the warp through the sticks.  So I don't anchor the sticks to the loom, which allows me to move the sticks while the warp sits still.  If the warp is a bit 'sticky', the leading lease stick (the two sticks are attached to each other) gets tipped up to create a shed.  This generally opens the yarns up and allows the sticks to move freely along the length of the warp.  Then I reset the bottles lower and roll the warp until the bottle(s) near the ceiling rod.  Rinse and repeat.

The bottles have a string with a loop near each end.  When the bottles are too close to move up more using the loop closest to the bottle, they get attached with the long end which is long enough to go up and over the ceiling rod.  Then when that doesn't work anymore, the warp gets taken off the ceiling rod and the bottles are hung off the breast beam until I've gone as far as I can go.  

Then, while the bottles are still providing weight/tension, I transfer the cross behind the reed in the beater, and move them to the back of the loom where I have lease stick holders.  

And then the warp is cut at the front of the loom and removed from the reed and beater and I'm ready to begin threading.

If you don't belong to School of Sweet Georgia or to Long Thread media, here is a short video (9+ minutes) showing me beaming a 9 meter long warp.  In less than 10 minutes.

The classes spend more time explaining the steps.  I just wanted to actually show people how long it takes me to do the job.  And I taped it continuously, which is why I made sure to leave the clock in view so that people can see for themselves that I didn't use fast forward or cut and paste out any problems.

Learn as much as you can.  Then when you encounter problems, you will have several techniques you can apply to see if tweaking your process works better than your 'standard'.

Happy weaving.  That's the goal.

Exploring

 

The above is the draft for the towels I just finished weaving.  I cut them off the loom yesterday, along with a different tie up/treadling to 'sample' the singles 6.

Just before I cut that section off the loom, I generated a different tie up and treadling, just to see what that would look like.  

As predicted, the pick count changed - quite significantly, actually - and I'm not sure I'm going to be happy with the resulting cloth, but it's interesting enough I will forge ahead and weave off the last bit of warp with the new set up and yarn.  It will likely be only two towels, and if they don't turn out, it's no biggie.  They are 'just' sampling - exploring - FAFO, as the young folk say.

But I will wet finish the last 8 towels of the above design and the sample I wove of the new set up before I begin weaving the 'sample' towels.

Ultimately I am simply gathering information - the FA - because this warp has 50% 2/8 yarn and the new warp will be all 2/16.  So it isn't giving me concrete evidence, but it will give an indication.  And if I decide to change the tie-up/treadling even further, I will have a stepping stone to stand on while I do the FO part of the equation.

My inclination is to further reduce the threading/treadling to make a smaller motif.  I'm anticipating some dimensional loss greater than the 'usual' due to the highly twisted (energized) nature of the weft yarn.  But I have large cones of the stuff and need to use it on something.  And it seems to me this is the most useful thing I can do with it - tea towels.  As long as they dry dishes, right?

Which is why I generally told my students to put a fairly long warp into the loom and then just get comfortable with throwing and catching the shuttle, being consistent in everything, and not pay too much attention to 'perfection', but focus on consistency.  What I have found is that the more you focus on perfection the less you are satisfied.  But if you focus on increasing your physical skills and being consistent?  Well, if you can't be 'perfect', be consistent...

Stash Reduction

 

These are the oopsie towels (one of them, at least).

The face I see becomes the 'back' and is more white; the front shows more of the warp and looks more blue/grey.  A subtle difference my ipad doesn't capture well.

But the towels after wet finishing show a nice bit of texture.  I'm going to explore that texture a bit in the next section of warp because the 'balance' of the cloth is 'off' - as in half of the warp threads are actually 2/8, not 2/16 - as they were *supposed* to be.  And that threw the pick count 'off'.  

I'm weaving the last of this combination now, and then I think there will be enough warp left to do two more towels and I will experiment with the singles 6 for weft.  Which means, the warp/weft ratio will again be 'off' and things will tend to want to be elongated because of the thicker weft.  With the 2/8 in the warp, as well, I'm not even going to *try* to keep everything balanced or wind up with a cloth that will be 'too thick/stiff' for towels during this first, tentative sampling.  So mainly I want to explore some things in the warping, and weave them on this warp as a 'sample' and then decide where to go for the next warp, which *will* be all 2/16 warp.  I'm thinking of using 27 as the density.  I have a 9 dent reed and I think anything denser than that with the singles 6 weft would become too stiff.

I'm not unhappy with these towels.  They are a bit 'thicker' than I had planned on making, but after wet finishing, I think they will do.  And the 2/15 cotton will be done, with just a few bobbins left to use for 'waste' purposes.  My goal is to get the singles 6 used up, although I'm getting low on 2/16 cotton and Canada Post is still on strike so rather than start ordering yarn, not knowing when it can be shipped, I thought I could examine my silk stash.  I found the bag of cashmere I've been 'hoarding' for years and figured it might be time to weave some silk scarves.

Little by little, my stash is going down, down, down.  And that is a good feeling...

Security

 

top of shafts, some of them with 'keeper strings', some without

Someone commented on a group that they were getting fed up with the heddles on their loom 'falling' off the shafts and wondered what other people do.

I am quite sure that there are many ways to address this issue, but I have the benefit of having woven on European type looms and was aware of the standard way to deal with heddles and shafts when using those looms.

Now, on my Megado, there is very little room between shafts so whatever gets done, needs to bear the tight tolerances of the loom in mind.  Digging into my memory banks, I remembered the very simple solution on the 'usual' European loom.  I don't know what the 'proper' term is, but I call it a 'keeper' string.

I haven't installed these on every shaft - yet.  It's a bit fiddly so I've been tying one on the shafts that seem to chronically toss their heddles off the top of the shaft which then tangle and make a right mess.  Plus I'm not patient so my 'solution' to getting rid of the rat's nest of heddles was to just cut them off the loom.  

Unfortunately, TexSolv heddles are quite expensive and as I began to run out of 'extra' heddles, I knew I had to do something more effective.  

I have a spool of seine twine, so I grabbed that because it was good and strong (and it is what is commonly used for jobs like this) and threading the seine twine through the hole at the end of the shaft I tied the string to one end of the shaft, then measured out enough string to reach to the  other end of the same shaft and tied the string to shaft as tightly as I could.  The string needs to be taut enough that it prevents the tops of the heddles from slipping off the end of the shaft.

The photo isn't great, but hopefully will show how it works.  The red circle indicates the keeper string on two adjacent shafts and travelling towards the other end where the string is secured in the hole there.

Someone asked if the keeper string doesn't interfere with the shafts rising.  It doesn't - because the string is just tied to each end of the *same* shaft and does not interact with anything else.

I just tried to find my Swedish weaving book because I'm fairly certain it has a drawing of how this works, but it's gone walkabout.  I may have loaned it to someone and just forgotten.  

Anyway, I plan to add keeper strings to all of the shafts - eventually.  It's a simple and inexpensive fix.  It just takes time and a bit of fiddling to thread the string into the hole at each end, make sure it's running as straight as possible, tightly enough to actually prevent the heddles from being tossed off the shaft.

Do what is appropriate for you, your loom, and your pocketbook.  I won't say this is the 'only' way to fix the issue, but it has stood the test of time and it works well for me.

Weaving With Intention

 

"Why did you call your book The Intentional Weaver; how to weave better?"

Well, that's a bit of a story.

I had transitioned from teaching beginning classes to workshops for beyond beginners.  And it became clear as I taught various groups that there were some...holes...in the foundations of some weavers.  Not just wet finishing, but other 'basic' holes in their knowledge.

I began offering to show people how I weave - and of course discussed posture and position at the loom, how to hold and manipulate the shuttle.  Frequently there were common 'myths' I hoped to examine.  As I began teaching the Olds classes (eventually being asked to specifically teach level 1) I took that as an opportunity to start to fill in those holes.  I thought, when better than in level one of a master weaver course?

Fairly soon, a student requested the title of the book where he could get the information from the first demonstration I presented.  And I realized that, while there were a lot of 'beginning' books on weaving, the demonstration I had just presented - filling nearly 2 hours - there were none that contained all of the information, all in one book.

I realized with horror that...I was going to need to write another book.

It took the best part of 4 years from the thought that I should do that book myself, to the time I was able to announce it was ready.  During that time I continued to weave and do the craft fair circuit, had another health issue to contend with, begin planning the renovations to the house we had been wanting to do, write articles for Handwoven, travel all over the place to teach workshops and the once a year class at Olds.  Etcetera.

And deal with my mother who was having a string of health issues, and then died on Dec. 31, 2016.  I was under pressure to wrap up her estate and disperse her belongings, moving out of her apartment - and then take up the pressures of the workshops I was booked to do.  Oh yeah - and co-chair a conference.

I was no stranger to working 80 hours a week.  I actually enjoyed getting away from here because I only 'worked' a 'usual' amount of time.  I actually had time to *not* work - in exchange for tight travel schedules, never sure if the hostess could adequately feed me with my allergy free 'diet', not be subjected to allergens - like a classroom filled with perfumes, pollen, pets.  And since I usually brought my laptop when I travelled, I could pull it out on the plane or a lengthy travel delay and add more to the ms.  Then I would get home and jump into my weaving schedule and back to the 60+ hour weeks as I scrambled to prep the next teaching dates, making sure I had yarns for the topics, wind the warps or prep the yarn, generate the handouts, mail everything to arrive in time for the participants to have their looms set up before we all arrived in the class.

This is a long way to say...writing tends to get squeezed into the spaces 'between' the rest of life.  No surprise that there were times when the ms sat while I dealt with critical deadlines, and why it took so long to complete.

In the end I found myself dealing with health issues *again* and driving to the cancer clinic, I started to cry.  I had reached the end of my limit.  

I contacted someone I knew who was a professional editor and asked if she had time in her schedule and could she give me an estimate?  I gave her the word count so she would know the scope of the job.

While I sat in the cancer clinic, I received an answer.  Yes.  She would fit me in.

I had already settled on the title - The Intentional Weaver.  It was while we worked on the ms, correcting the grammar, polishing it, getting the information into a good sequence, etc., that the sub-title came to me.   Because people needed to know what I was trying to do.  The focus I was holding for what I was trying to accomplish.

As we were doing the editing, a publisher found out I was writing a book and asked if they could have more information.  I provided it, breath bated - did I *want* to have a publisher sit in judgement of what I wanted - felt I *needed* to do?  Or not?  When they said the ms wasn't really what they were looking for...I breathed a sigh of relief.  

Now it was just me - and my editor - to satisfy.  I knew that marketing it would also be on my shoulders, but I'd done that job for Magic.  I knew how to do that.

I knew that I would not sell very many copies.  But I also knew that the micro niche of a very niche subject would have fewer people interested in my book.

Now here we are in 2025.  The US is..doing weird stuff and what with the tariffs and all, the benefit of having a printer in the US means that the US market (10 times bigger than Canada) means that US buyers will not be facing a tariff on my book.  For others, the digital version is also available.  And, given that Canada Post is in shut down due to labour 'negotiations', you can get 3 of my books at the Blurb site

My memoir A  Thread Runs Through It is available in my ko-fi shop, digital only.  And no tariffs on digital downloads.  Yet.

I read a post by another teacher this morning.  She is mainly doing online classes, and now she has to collect and submit state taxes from anyone in her online classes from a particular state.  It is adding huge 'extra' work to collect, document, submit those taxes, for no benefit to her.  So a person can't even present things the way it was possible just a few months ago entailing extra time and energy.  

I am so grateful I am 'retired'.  My needs are modest.  Why would they be anything else?  I was a 'starving artist' pretty much all of my adult life.  I got used to doing without.  Giving up wants to make sure the needs could be met.  I am grateful I am Canadian because all of my health issues have been dealt with.  And I continue to get health care.  And none of my rather specific and expensive requirements in terms of my health have been denied.  To the contrary, I have received cutting edge treatments.  And I am not bankrupt...

So while I'm not particularly happy with my aging, breaking down body, I can manage.  For a while longer, at least.

I have also not entirely given up hope that things might improve.  I talk to the pain doctor next week.  And I hope he will have a plan about how we move forward.

In the meantime, I hope to finish the current warp next week, and then decide what to do 'next'.  I'm running low on yarn that I had been trying to use up so I've been looking in my stash thinking, thinking, thinking.  And I have a plan, if I can figure out if my silk stash has enough to make a warp or two.

And I have been staring at my library, picking up a book here and there, deciding if I want that one to go to a particular person.  If I do, I stick a note in the book with the name and contact info for the person I would like to have it.

This is my life.  And I choose to live it with intention.  For as long as I can.  

Seasons Change

 

I live in a part of the world where seasons change.  When the mountain ash don their orange foliage, we know it's autumn.  And then...winter.

With climate change, though, the seasons are no longer predictable.  Or 'normal'.  Now we have wildfire season, flood season, landslide season.  After the wildfires in the summer, the autumn rains bring avalanches, floods, infrastructure is destroyed - again.  Hwy 1 only just got the last of the major infrastructure damage from the horrible rains/floods/avalanches, a few years ago repaired.  

And, last but not least, winter.  Our winters are 'too warm' and instead of snow arriving and settling in like a warm blanket over the earth, we have freeze/thaw, over and over again.  Roads get icy, people drive 'too fast' and wind up in the ditch.  Or into another vehicle.  Meanwhile they scream about the road clearing crews, bitch they aren't clearing the roads quickly enough.  But never stop to think about the loose 'nut' at the wheel and instead just stomp on the accelerator harder, not realizing that speeding up the slipping wheels just make them spin faster.  (Hint, put your vehicle into 2nd gear and press on the accelerator very gently.  You will get where you are going slower, but more safely.)

Another week is wrapping up.  I sort of accept Saturday as the 'end of the week' these days because that is the night I refill my pill containers.  I take so many I'd get carpal tunnel if I had to twist open that many bottles every day, twice a day.  So I fill my containers once a week.  Then, all I have to do is remember to take them.  

I bought a barometer app for my iPad.  So many people report that people with chronic pain issues discover their bodies turn into barometers and when the barometric pressure takes a large in- or de-crease, their pain levels are 'amplified'.

Since I'm taking the class with the pain clinic, and we talked about pain amplifiers last time, I decided I needed to have some 'proof' that it is actually one of mine.  Of course once I got it, the pressure has remained steady.  Guess I'll find out soon enough.  It would be good to know before I talk to the pain doctor next week.

I've targeted a couple others, and am trying to change things in an effort to reduce the amplification of pain in my body.  When they say the pain is 'all in your head', it is no longer an effort to minimize your pain, but a statement of how the body actually processes pain.  Yes, it is in your brain.  But that doesn't make it any the less uncomfortable!  However, there are things that can be done to reduce it.  Perhaps.  It depends.  Dammit.

It's been just over a month since I had the new drug, and it is hard to judge if it is working well.  I was started on a low dose but I neglected to ask what that dose really was.  So I'll ask next week.  And then see if he recommends we wait until I get another infusion.  And when.  

I can say that things have 'changed'.  Not all of it positive change.  But that might be due to the low dose and as I get further infusions and perhaps higher doses, things might get better?  In the meantime. I keep paying attention.  

It seems very...self-absorbed.  But since what I love to do depends on my being physically able to actually do it, it is necessary.  

I have managed to 'limp' along.  I pay a lot more attention to my physical well-being, and if my body flat out refuses to go the loom, I work on other things.  Mostly distraction, rather than anything actually 'productive'.  

But I pay attention to those distractions because some of them are 'tiring' - like the reviewing I'm doing.  When I find myself tuning out mentally, it is time to leave the desktop and do something else until I can process information again.

However, I checked the warp beam on the loom last night, and wound off the last of the current weft.  I may cut the warp off once I've used up that weft yarn and 'sacrifice' the rest of the warp.  Unfortunately Canada Post is having labour issues so I can't order yarn from my usual supplier.  I'm not out - entirely.  But I've been thinking about one of my other 'stashes' - a bag full of cones of a fairly fine cashmere.  I still have some silk yarn (not all the same thickness/quality) and I might put a natural white silk warp into the loom and use up the cashmere to make some scarves.  

But I don't have to make up my mind - yet.  I have enough of the 2/16 to do a few more warps of towels.

Seasons change.  So can plans.  

Try, Try, Try Again

 

samples prepped to be cut apart

One of the best ways to learn is to weave samples.  

I know, I know.  Folk want to cut to the good part - making perfect textiles.

Heh.

At times people will express frustration.  Things go wrong.  Things don't turn out.  Their best laid plans don't end up 'perfect'.

I love new weavers that exclaim that they can hardly wait until they don't mistakes.

I bite my lip and try not to say anything, but the truth is - if you keep pushing the boundaries of what you know?  You'll make 'mistakes'.

Or you feel unwell, your concentration is shot and oops.  You make threading and/or sleying errors.

Or don't look closely enough at your stash and you mix some 2/8 yarn into your 2/16 warp.

(looking at you, loom, right now)

So, yes, I *still* make mistakes.  Even more since I haven't been feeling well.  But I'm also experienced enough to figure out a work around.  So that warp that was supposed to be all 2/16 cotton and is half 2/8?  It's not 'perfect' but it's close enough and they will still dry dishes.

Still reading that ms and still learning lots.   Some things are confirmation of my own observations and it is affirming to see that my ah-ha moments seem to be a universal effect.  Sometimes that confirmation is just a lovely gift.  

I'm reading the ms, in part because the author has reached the stage when they have lost all perspective on what they have written.  I learned early to find that perspective from another set of (experienced) eyes.  In my case, it was asking Tom Beaudet to look at my thesis.  And he was kind enough to agree, and then give me his perspective.  And even to comment, positively, on one of the examples/metaphors I used to illustrate the phenomenon.

So when this student asked me for my opinion, I was happy to agree.  

I'm still struggling with a body that isn't very happy with me.  I have one more week until I talk to the pain doc and find out what is next.  Reading the ms in between weaving (as much as I can) has been just the tonic I needed.

Thank you to the person (I can't call them a 'student' anymore, colleague seems more appropriate!) for giving me this opportunity.  

As usual, my books are available at blurb and one on my ko-fi shop.