Endings

 

This morning as I sat drinking my coffee and reading through social media, I was served up a meme with a quote by Brian Cox, the scientist (not the actor). 

Over the years I've enjoyed his programs on science, so I was interested in this quote:

"The ultimate paradox, of course, is that even though we're all going to die, we've all got to live in the meantime."

Given I am in the 'twilight' of my years (and privileged to be so) I have spent a fairly long time working out how I am going to live before it is time to die.

I've made mistakes.  I've done stupid things.  I've said hurtful things, and had some hurled at me.

I hope I have learned from those.  I have tried to be a better human as a consequence of messing things up.  To fix what I can.  To walk away when things have not worked out, and done that without flouncing.  Just...go my way and try to do better next time I mess up.

Which is a whole lot like weaving, too.  So many ways that weaving and learning feed my life.  

But I'm still here - long beyond when I thought I would be.  Frankly, given my family history, I wasn't sure I would make it to 75.  My father and brother both gone in their 50s.  Many others gone long before I hit my 70s.  Mom was an outlier in her family, living to 90.  

I could have died last year.  But I didn't.  But the past few years have not been, well, kind to me.

And so I am left with that one crucial task to tend to:  figure out how I will live the rest of my life.

Expectations have fallen by the wayside.  Energy is practically non-existent.  But I keep working to try and make things 'better'.

And while we rarely know the day of our death, it is a good idea to keep in mind - no one gets out of 'here' alive.

I talk to the pain doc next week.  I have no idea what - if anything - more he can do for me.  But I've got a warp on the loom.  I still (oh my gawd, yes *still*) have yarn that wants weaving.  I have an article I've tentatively begun for WEFT, and possibly another in the wings.

These things are carrots I hold before my nose, like you'd do to a horse, to keep them coming along.

As I go through my days, I try to help others, as best I can.  I try to encourage others.  

And if that is all I can manage in a day, well, it's better than sitting around feeling sorry for myself and *not* doing anything.  Because one thing I've come to realize, the pain is here and it's not going to go away - probably.  I cannot wallow in the mire of the fields of pain.

Today one of Santa's helpers delivered a gift, which means I have some new puzzles to build, too (two arrived a few days ago, personally delivered.)  

As for my house?  Yes, it's a mess.  But even in that we have managed to tame a few piles of clutter.  It's too little to make a dent, but *I* know that we've tried.  And if my energy 'holds', if my desire to leave less clutter and mess behind continues, there will be less of my mess to toss when I shuffle off this mortal coil.

And if this post is too morbid, I'm sorry.  But just like oil and gas will run out, my life force will, at some point in time.  If we don't deal with oil and gas and get alternatives, humanity is going to have to do some fast turn arounds.  As for me?  Well, again, no one gets out of here alive.  And I'm embarrassed at the stuff I've accumulated over the years.  It's hard to let some of it go.  But I will have to when the time comes.  Might as well take the burden of my spouse and friends and deal with it myself.

And who knows?  Maybe the pain doctor will have another strategy up his sleeve.  It's harder to remain hopeful and optimistic, but I'm trying.  And I will know more next week?  One way or another...

Quiet Milestone

 

Probably the first 'meme' I ever made...

The other day this blog had a quiet Milestone - viewership is now over 4 million page views.

I kind of stopped counting when I realized that bots were 'raiding' sites like mine, selling the active URL addresses so they could start making comments on posts and advertise their own product.  Some of them, at least, made a comment that was 'appropriate' (sort of) to my content, but most didn't bother, just added their name and a link to their website to 'advertise' to my readers.

And then I had the harasser, and started moderating comments.  It meant a little more work on my part, but it was worth it, I felt.

Now we are dealing with AI scraping content.  I suppose some bright spark will eventually figure out how to scrape blogs for their content too.  I'm hoping the whole house of cards collapses before they get to that point.

As usual humans have taken what was once a good idea and fouled the waters so much it's getting aggravating to even participate.

Someone asked me when I would get back to playing Scrabble - something that filled many hours while I was recovering from the brain bleed.  But the ads were irritating so much I couldn't enjoy playing the game anymore.

I still have a couple of games I'm playing, but they keep changing the rules and I'm wondering when they start increasing their ads.  

As we enter the holiday season, I'm seeing lots of independent creative folk (like myself) trying to get the word out about the things we sell.  And I find myself adding to the noise, because I do still have books that people be interested in, classes they might find helpful.

And I am torn.  I know so many people are hurting in so many ways right now, do I want to add to the noise?  

Current events continue to run like a flooding river and the uncertainty is...overwhelming...at times.  But I'm pretty sure that the world will not end with a bang, but a whimper.  And it won't be everywhere, all at once.  And so, for some of us, life will go on, one way or another.  Plus weaving may very well become a survival skill once again, not a hobby.

I see new weavers popping in on groups, quite sincerely wanting to know more, learn how.  And so I keep trying.  To reach out.  To make new weavers aware.  To remove the stigma of perfection that kills good.  To pause and reflect on what they are actually doing.  And that to be good is, quite frequently, good enough.

Yes, yes, we all strive for 'perfection', but weaving is complex and takes years of learning to get even close to good *in every circumstance* - because change one thing, and everything can change.

Not to mention our bodies age, wear out, get injured.  Sometimes, one needs to face the facts and adjust what and how we are doing something.  And go back to 'beginner' mind and feel frustrated.  Just like I felt when I dressed the small loom and had road blocks and things go wrong the whole time.

But!  It's ready now.  I've just run out of spoons to try and weave on that loom today.  So I'm going to stop for the day and try to relax and not worry too much about what comes tomorrow.  And the day after that.  And the day after that.  Trying to stay in the moment.  For someone who used to use planning calendars because I needed to plan things 6 and farther out from 'now', it's a bit of a challenge.  The most important thing is to remember that things *have* changed and I need to change in response *to* those changes.  

But I can still weave.  Hopefully I can keep writing.  And most of all, I can keep lighting candles.

And that's not a bad thing.  Not at all.

I think I posted all the links for my stuff yesterday.  Scroll down if you want to use them.

No Mistakes!

 

Borrowed table top loom

From time to time I hear/see newer weavers exclaim that they can't wait until they don't make mistakes anymore.

Yeah, about that...

Well, not all of the challenges I had to deal with for this warp (and I'm not even finished dressing the loom - yet) were of my making.

I'm doing a 'thing' and the best way forward to get the 'thing' done was to borrow a small table top loom.  I planned a warp (I'm weaving 'samples') and based on the yarn and weave structure (2/8 cotton; Bronson Lace) decided a reasonable density was 20 epi.  Although 24 might be better.  I didn't know, but figured 20 was a good place to start.

Crunched the numbers.  Decided I wanted an uneven number of units so that any motif I wove could be centered, recalculated to make sure I had the correct thread count, then set about winding my warp.  All went well and the warp was waiting for me.

Then when I went to rough sley the warp (as I do), the *only* reed that would fit into the loom was the reed that came with it.  Which was 12 not 10.  Sigh.  Oh well.  

Re-calculated for the narrow sample I was making, the % of lace in the cloth (on average), how difficult lace can be to beat in (consistently) on a looser warp, decided that probably 24 was better than 20 anyway, and recalculated to make sure that by tightening the density I would still wind up with a decent (very narrow) warp.  Yes.  Just barely.

Today I thought I'd quickly beam the warp, but it's been a while since I worked on such a small loom and I was out of practice pulling on a warp.  Frankly, I'd have rather used my 4 shaft floor loom, but am not feeling up to weaving on that loom right now and was the reason I had borrowed the table top loom in the first place.

I had to figure out warp packing.  Such a small loom won't take much length and my warp packing of preference (which I couldn't find anyway - think I donated the bamboo mats to the guild) so I had to switch to brown paper.  Not my first preference but since I would likely be cutting off and retying a few times, probably would be ok.

The beaming on went ok, but then I had to transfer the lease sticks to the back of the loom (because rough sleyed reed) and then things fairly quickly fell apart.  The lease sticks came out entirely, but ta-da!  With the warp rough sleyed in the reed it was a quick matter of picking up the cross again.

I knew that the loom didn't have all that many heddles and Bronson Lace requires 50% of the heddles on one shaft.  Oops.  There were not enough heddles on any one shaft.  

But!  The loom has 8 shafts, so shafts 1 AND 2 were designated to work together as one, and then the draft was threaded as 'usual' on shafts 3, 4, and 5.  It meant I had to pay close attention as I manipulated the threads onto the appropriate shaft and remember to thread the weave structure correctly based on the conjoining of shaft 1 and 2 for the tabby a.

Doug agreed to drive me up to the guild room so I could look for a reed before I sleyed the warp, but the guild doesn't have one the right length, so hopefully tomorrow I can finish the last few units and then sley the reed and tie on.  And then wind some bobbins.  I need to decide on what I will weave for the samples, but that can happen in the next day or two.

So, not really any terminal 'mistakes' on my part, just a project that is proving to be more challenging than I'd hoped.  Kinda like life, really...

Unseen Forces

 

Thinking about 'unseen forces' in weaving, it's time to remind people that if you live in an arid climate, or more especially, one where the relative humidity swings seasonally, you may run afoul of the issue of low humidity in the air.

When that happens, things go 'wrong' and it may be difficult to tell why that is so.

When the relative humidity in the environment drops, weaving can become a challenge.

If you have an electric bobbin winder, you might start getting static discharge shocks while winding bobbins.  For some yarns, just winding a warp on a warping board or mill can see the generation of static discharges.

When the relative humidity drops, wooden equipment can develop issues as the wood shrinks.  The loom or whatever might develop squeaks, and screws become loose so the loom can go out of alignment or wobble.

Some yarns will behave poorly.  Linen and other cellulose yarns can suddenly stop co-operating.  Linen in particular will become stiff and unruly, and not want to feed off a rotating bobbin nicely.  

In the case of linen as weft, I wind bobbins ahead of time and store them in a 'humidor'.  And I don't fill the bobbins higher than the flanges on the bobbin because linen is dense and a very full bobbin can create excess drag that might be too much stress for selvedges.

If it gets very dry, other yarns will become less co-operative as well.  

If the relative humidity drops below 40% in the house I run a humidifier.  Everything just behaves 'better' and I have fewer issues with dry rough hands.

I still have a little linen yarn left that I need to use up, but I'm trying to work on a few other things right now.  Even though I'm not weaving with linen at the minute, the humidifier has been running for over a month, and will continue to run until spring when the relative humidity returns to higher than 40%.

Sometimes it's not you, it is an unseen force at work.  But now?  You know to take that into consideration if you experience wild swings in relative humidity where you live.

Soap Box Time

 

upright posture (recommended)

not upright (not recommended)

Once again I see someone pictured online sitting in a way that isn't 'healthy' or kind to their body.

Generally they are sitting in an ordinary kitchen chair, too low, having to lift their shoulders in order to weave.  Oftentimes they are weaving on a table top loom, which means neck/shoulder strain, needing to reach well above their shoulders to change the sheds, adding more stress and strain, and crane their necks awkwardly.

They weave for a while and then they hurt.

Instead of changing their physical surroundings, they think that weaving is too hard on their bodies.  Well, when it's done in a way that ignores the ergonomics of body function, it's true.  Weaving hurts.

The same with floor looms, though.  Generally people sit too low, in a chair than isn't engineered to be used for weaving, and their hips and lower back hurts from treadling, their shoulders and neck hurt from the shuttle throwing and beating of the weft.

People complain about their shuttles, ask for advice, which people are delighted to give.  Without ever mentioning the considerations that need to be kept in mind - are their hands small or large?  What kind of weft are they using?  They get tired of needing to change the bobbins so they opt for one of those huge rug weft shuttles which weigh a lot more than an 'ordinary' shuttle and then find their arms hurt after throwing and catching it for a while.  Their shoulders and neck hurt too, if they stop and think about what they are doing - using muscles that haven't been used much, and certainly not in that kind of motion, over and over and over again, until fatigue makes them stop.  And sometimes they wind up with soft tissue injuries.

Weaving is *physical*.  We use our bodies as an integral part of the process.  Keeping going beyond the body capacity for that motion, done hundreds of times, is damaging.  And it is much easier to prevent soft tissue injury than it is to heal from soft tissue injury.  Plus, once injured, those muscles are prone to further injury.

As a new weaver my best advice is to learn from someone who is experienced, *and who follows ergonomic practices*.  I know lots of weavers who have been weaving for decades in a way that would lead someone else who may have a history of inflammation, to develop soft tissue injury.  Just because it doesn't hurt *them* doesn't mean that others might not fare nearly so well.  

If anyone wants to know how I do it, I have video clips on You Tube, or if you want a more detailed explanation, both my classes on School of Sweet Georgia and Long Thread Media discuss what I do.  I cover the information in The Intentional Weaver.

If you want good information, find a good teacher, not AI.  Just sayin...

School of Sweet Georgia

Long Thread Media

The Intentional Weaver (use coupon GIVINGTUES25 until Dec. 11 for discount)

Winding Warps

 

Warp winding station

Close up of cross

More angst on line about warp winding, warp beaming, general dissatisfaction with the whole warp dressing process.

Warping is not difficult, but is *is* complex.  It is a process fraught with invisible considerations - a combination of physics and well, what appears to be 'magic' when someone who is good at it, does it.

But it isn't magical.  It is a precise series of steps that needs to be done in order, consistently, applying tension when necessary and controls that do not hinder the process, but enable the weaver to precisely get the job done.

It is not helped by getting frustrated, but examined and adjusted to better suit the situation at hand.

In other words...it depends.

I see all sorts of comments and they are all fine - as far as they go.  But hardly anyone tells why they do what they do.  

Here is my attempt to explain what I do, and why.

1.  Warping station

I place the board so that it is solidly against the wall.  It doesn't shift around or wobble. I can wind with some tension (not a lot, just to keep things happy) and press each pass of the yarn down towards the base of the peg.  I do not overlap the threads but place them beside the ones that have gone before which keeps each pass of the yarn pretty close to even - in tension and therefore length.  When I press them towards the base, some of the threads closer to the base might overlap, but they do that by increasing their tension in order to climb over/under the previous ends.  Once they are released from that path, they go back to the same tension and length as the other passes.

2.  Generally I use two ends at a time.  In the first photo you can see the two tubes each standing on a peg to keep the yarn stable and evenly winding off the spool because each end is threaded through a reed that takes the yarn up off the tube, centered.  Each yarn can balloon outwards without catching on each other or anything else.  This keeps the yarn from spiraling out evenly tensioned, not catching and jerking on its journey to the warping board.  I set each tube so that it empties in the same direction, in my case to come off the tube in a counter clockwise direction.  Whatever you do, be consistent.

3.  I keep a finger between the pair of ends as I find the yarn comes off the tubes smoothly.  Some people don't and say they don't have any issues.  Personal choice.  The cross is a 2x2 cross.  By doing two ends at a time I halve the time I need to spend winding the warp.  I find that using 2 ends in a pass generally makes things go more smoothly, especially if the yarn is a bit hairy or textured.

4.  I count out as many threads as I need in an inch or so.  In this case the epi will be 20 so 10 passes or 20 threads in a 'bundle'.  I use a counting string of a thicker yarn, contrasting in colour.  The thicker yarn is made even thicker by trebling or doubling and doubling (for 4 strands in the bundling yarn) and then as I complete each bundle of one inch (or whatever is appropriate for the warp) I twist the two ends of the bundling string to create a X between the previous bundle and the next.  Continue to done.  (If more than 15" in width in the reed, I will wind two chains.)

5.  When the warp is wound, I tie a single 'knot' to secure the counting string.  The yarn is hairy enough that is all that is required, so it is easy to pull gently on one of the 'strings' to loosen the knot and quickly and easily removed the string when it is time.  

6.  Tying the cross is done by tying the entire (half) warp above or below the cross with a single string, bundled in the same way as the counting string.  I do not tie the actual waist of the cross because I find that compresses that area and makes it more difficult to separate the threads later.

7.  Then the choke tie is tied, about 18" or so from the cross.  See second photo for a close up shot.

For this tie, the whole point is to secure the warp chain and discourage it from sliding around and becoming messy.  So I do the same thing with the choke tie and introduce a twist into the chain about 1/3 of the way through, then another 2/3s of the way into the chain, and then I pull very firmly on the tie to make sure the yarn is trapped as much as possible in the tie.

8.  Take one more close look at the warp chain.  Does it look correct?  All the ties have been tied?  Then cut the warp yarns off (they can be loose, the counting string will control the threads).  Pull the bottom peg out and then carefully drop the warp into a box/bin for the next step.

No, I don't chain the warp.  Notice I did not tie any other part of the warp.  This warp is only 5 meters, and really doesn't need any gathering ties.  Notice I did not say 'choke' ties.  When I *do* tie along the length of a longer warp.  I don't tie them very tightly, just enough to prevent yarns from straying from their path, too much.

Also note, I do not have studio pets that will be tempted to stick their nose or claws into my yarns.  Your mileage may vary.

Truth be told, it is taking me longer to type this out than actually winding the warp.  

If anyone wants more info on warp beaming and warping valets, I have plenty of posts - just use the tag in the long list of tags and click on warping valet.  I've written multiple times about the process I use, and people constantly question why I do what I do.  Isn't it annoying?  Fiddly?  Confusing?  No.  No.  No.  What it does is give me consistent results that provide for happy weaving.

What will that look like for you?  Don't know.  Everyone gets to choose what they want to do.  So if something I do doesn't resonate with someone else?  I am not the weaving police.  If you are happy, bless you.  If you are not?  Maybe think about what you are doing and start to examine your processes, maybe change a few things.

One last thing - I don't aim to control every single individual thread in a warp.  A warp is a collective.  There may be tiny differences, but for most handweavers in the 21st century, they are not end of the earth failures.  Most times a little faith will go a long ways towards successfully completing a project.  And take some time to be thoughtful about what you are doing.  Only then will you really learn what you need to do.  And of course, change one thing?  And everything can change.  

Understanding that one simple principle will go a long way towards understanding what you are doing, and when you might need to change something to better serve your objectives.

The End of the Year

 

I must be a pagan from another age because the solstice as 'end of year' makes a lot more sense to me than Dec. 31.

For decades I would arrive at the solstice completely exhausted.  The bulk of my income for the year would be generated, one way or another, by the time of the solstice and I would tend to go into a kind of stasis and begin to re-charge my batteries for the coming new year.

Things have changed little since 'retirement' (for certain values of) and frankly I have almost no energy or desire to grab the new year and let it drag me along with it.

Yesterday was challenging.  It was not unexpected, but draining, nonetheless.  And it will lead to more 'work' for Doug when he's already taking care of me full time.

I had hoped by now to be feeling better after the last procedure, but I'm not.  Every day is more of a challenge than I prefer to deal with.  Beginning to feel like Sisyphus, dragging myself out of bed, grab that gigantic rock of my life and start rolling it up the hill.  (Typo made that 'hell' and I nearly left it.)

The grey dreary days don't help.  The current political climate (not to mention the actual climate) make the days lengthen before me.  I hold onto the thought that beginning in about two weeks the sun will begin it's return journey northwards and spring surely awaits with its promise of life and renewal. 

I am preparing to begin work on the next article for WEFT, but we got sidetracked by doing some de-cluttering, then yesterday happened and we have to re-calibrate to accommodate the events that wound up taking up most of Doug's day.  

But I am reminded there are good people out there, willing to lend a hand, lighten the load.  If we listen to a certain segment of the people, you would never know that the kindness of strangers, as well as neighbours, still exist.  But it does and we need to remember that, too.

Today I'm going to see if I feel up to winding the sample warp for the article.  Plus I'm hoping to get to the loom.  But we'll see.

Sending light and love to all.  

GIVINGTUES25

 

From time to time Blurb will offer a discount on book purchases.  Just now got an email saying that if someone uses the coupon code GIVINGTUES25 between now and Dec. 11 they will receive a 25% discount.

Considering that they do NOT take the discount away from the authors, this is a very good deal - for me and anyone who wants a copy of my books.

And of course, Magic in the Water.

Just yesterday I saw a question from a new weaver asking how to wet finish their handwovens, so if you know a new weaver, maybe let them know about this discount?  

(Any questions or issues with Blurb, do contact *them* not me.  This is a Blurb initiative, not mine...)

PS - figured I should put the link here....

Best Gift

 

north wall

south wall

Doug and I don't need much and if we need something we go buy it.  So gifts generally amount to us saying 'what do you want?  OK, happy birthday.  Or Christmas.  Or whatever.'

My office is the smallest bedroom in the house and since there are a shit tonne of office type 'jobs' I have done over the years, the workspace got crammed with decades (literally) of computer stuff.  Software, hardware, supplies.  

Over the years I have tried to clear some of the clutter but never very successfully.  I could work, but it was cramped.

Lately, since I've been working at clearing out the studio, it has begun to really wear on me at the state of my office.  Then the printer threatened to die and needed to be replaced before I was in the middle of a big job.  I found the exact same printer for sale (one only!  On sale!) and figured at least the ink cartridges I had purchased as back up (all those dark o'clock last minute print jobs that needed doing - which is when a cartridge will run out!) would not go to waste.  So I bought it.

But that meant getting rid of the old printer and I thought, why waste a trip to the electronic recycle place - time to go through all that computer crap overflowing the shelves in the office?  But I couldn't do it by myself so I asked Doug for help.

We've just spent the better part of two days (and by we, I mean mostly him) taking crap down off the shelves, sorting through the various boxes and stuff, and then tossing the item into the appropriate bin for dealing with next week.

Is the office tidy?  No.  Far from it!  I am me, after all.

But I no longer feel like I'm working in a avalanche zone.  There are things that still need to be dealt with, but I'll keep working on those.  The recycle stuff will be gone and one load of clutter will be removed from the house.  

Trying to get my shit together is a long, drawn out affair.  We have lived in this house for 50 years.  I've run a business out of my basement and the office - a complex one, because weaving and teaching weaving *is* complex.  I've had to learn new technology - at least as well as I could in order to use it.  

Now I'm in my twilight years, and I need to keep moving forward.  I need to keep trying.  Keep clearing out clutter.  Because I don't want to saddle him or my friends after I go.  Or at least any more than I can help it.

Making these decisions isn't always easy.  There are still things I can't let go of - yet.  But I consider this work that we did the Best Christmas Present.  Ever.

Memories

 

In doing a clear out of the office, I found this notice of my father's death in 1975.

This time of year has become a bit of a memory hole.  My father's birthday was Nov. 21.  My brother's birthday was Dec. 2.  And while I rarely remember death dates, I always remember birth dates.

The office clear out is happening due to needing a new printer.  As I looked at the shelves of...things...lining the walls of the room (a very tiny room, truth be told) I realized most of what was stored there was redundant.

Old computer program manuals, antique computer stuff.  I mean who knew that CDs would blow through and become irrelevant so quickly?  (Yes, I still have a large tube of blank CDs, don't judge me.)

My father didn't read.  Not that he didn't want to, he never really learned.  But he respected education and encouraged both of us kids to get an education.  I was targeted by the school system as being 'smart' - enough to potentially go to university.  If I had I would have been the first in the family - both sides. But that never happened, in part because dad got sick and there was no money to send me to Vancouver.  Instead I got a very good paying job out of high school at the telephone company and suggested that I would like to take a 'gap' year and travel to Sweden to meet my pen friend.  I didn't think either parent would be in favour, but surprisingly they were amazingly supportive, saying that if I didn't squander my paycheque I could continue to live at home rent free and save my money for the trip.

Then followed all the planning - how to get over there, etc.  (Train across Canada, freighter from Montreal to Oslo, then figuring out the train to Örebrö. etc.  Then how to get home again - train to Stockholm, taxi to Arlanda, fly to Vancouver.)

When this little clipping from the local newspaper dropped out of one of the books I was taking off the shelf, memories whelmed up.  The year dad died.  The year I chose to become a weaver.  And all the twists and turns my life went through to get me here, to this place and time.  

All the support I received from my brother to bring my dreams into being (Magic in the Water).  And how people say that it is a 'classic' of the craft.  I'm still taken aback when I see that - except that I worked damned hard to produce it.  So I am incredibly grateful that so many people still find it helpful and useful 22 years later.

Since then, 3 more books.  Years of writing articles.  Years of schlepping around the continent teaching for guilds.  Etc.

And mostly the town I live in knows nothing of this.  When my brother died it was nearly standing room only in the church.  When my mom died, the hall was nearly full.  When I die?  Well, I have a few friends, but honestly?  It's not a big deal if it's a small gathering.  Most of my 'friends' are 'away'.

There is nothing like doing a serious de-clutter to start you thinking about things.  Maybe things I should have been thinking about before now.  But taking care of things seems like a timely activity right now.  And no one really knows how long they have on this mortal coil, so dealing with one's mess is not a bad thing.  It just stirs up so many memories!

But I did decide to keep one binder that was on the shelf.  The mock up of the original Magic in the Water.  I just can't seem to make myself throw it in the recycle bin.  Not yet, anyway.

Mockup with the blank page to hold the samples (before and after wet finishing), photo of the finished item - 3 piece suit, and the draft info.  The printer wanted to make sure he understood what I wanted and did a test run in black and white to make sure.  That was the day I knew I had A Book...

Holiday Season

 

I suppose if I want to sell more books/classes I need to keep reminding people of how and where to find them?

As usual, 3 of my books are available in either pdf or print versions at Blurb.  I'm actually quite proud of this one, but it doesn't seem to have gained much traction.  I sent promo copies out and so far as I know none of them were 'reviewed'.  They can be purchased at Blurb.  It is a collection of 'essays' ranging from thoughts about weaving to some actual technical information.  I documented the development of the line of tea towels I wove two years ago in this book.

My 'memoir' is available at ko-fi as pdf download only.  A Thread Runs Through It talks about some of the things I did as a professional production weaver.  And some of the things I learned - about myself and others, not to mention a tonne of stuff about weaving and being in the business of weaving.

My classes are still available at School of Sweet Georgia and Long Thread media.  Might make a nice gift for a new weaver.

As North America (in particular) enters this holiday season, I send light and love to everyone.  

Above all, be kind.  And if you can't be kind, cut annoying people out of your life.  You don't need that kind of negativity.  Not now, not ever.

KISS

 

warping valet - notice the lease sticks position - high up near the ceiling.  Pull the lease sticks through the warp, not the warp through the lease sticks; sticky warp can be assisted by turning the leading lease stick to create a 'shed' to open the threads up and prevent them from sticking to each other; wind 2 ends at a time and the yarn will be better behaved, etc.

Weaving is complex.  There are layers and layers of 'it depends' considerations that make the craft a constant source of puzzlement.  Complexity that asks 'what if' over and over again.  Because change one thing, and everything can change.

The process of weaving consists, in large part, the act of designing, then physically making the warp and getting it mounted into the loom.  Again, a long list of precise actions that need - for the most part - to be done in a particular order.  Not just that, but paying attention to things like centering the warp, controlling the warp (I think about controlling the warp as an entity, not individual threads), then accurately entering it into the heddles and reed with the last preparatory step tying on and then, and only then, can you 'prove' the set up (check for errors) and weave your sample (if you haven't done that already).

There being many slip betwixt cup and lip, there may be issues that need to be addressed.

I've been asked to do The Weaver's Toolbox for a guild in January.  In that presentation I talk about the different between the mechanics of the 3 'common' handlooms, and discuss other tools/processes that weavers may find useful.

There are many many 'hacks' that people have come up with, but generally I find that if I look to the 'traditional' hacks, there is useful information and methods to 'fix' what I need to get fixed.  Yes, you can do all sorts of different things, but I find some of them are labour intensive and do not help me in terms of processing the information I need to complete the task of dressing the loom.

That said - everyone processes information in their own way - everyone has to work out what works best for them.  But I hope that they try the 'traditional' way and see if they work.

I hear criticism from new weavers about using a temple.  Too slow, they say.  I scratch the breast beam, they complain.  I don't want to advance the fell that often.

But here's the thing.  Using a temple can be absolutely necessary.  If it isn't, I don't use it.  But when the time comes that I see it must be used, I drag one out (I have several, of various lengths) and set my mind to the face that working slower will bring me the results I desire more quickly that *not* using the temple.  

But!  It must be used effectively!

The length of the temple needs to bring the fell width to the same width of the warp in the reed.  The temple needs to hold the warp under tension and that means the warp width in the reed, not the warp width once draw-in has happened.  And draw-in will happen quickly, so the temple needs to be advanced every inch or 2.5 cm.  You do *not* need to stop and advance the fell.  But you do need to advance the temple.  The teeth of the temple should never ever come anywhere close to the breast beam.

Why might I use the temple?

When I'm weaving about 30" or wider using a fine yarn.  The selvedges draw in and the selvedge ends get very unco-operative.  The shed does not open cleanly and there are shuttle mishaps leading to skips and floats.

When I'm weaving a denser cloth and want the weft to pack in more tightly.

I do not use a temple to 'fix' my selvedge - it there to make the cloth to the quality I need it to be.  Selvedges - in my loom - tend to take care of themselves.

As for a warping valet, people say they don't have room.  I have had almost zero room to use one and it is *why* I use one.  I can beam a warp in under 10 minutes, all by myself, with no issues with things going badly.  Some people complain because they don't want to 'waste' time rough sleying the reed.  I wind up with better quality of cloth by taking a few minutes to do that task.

Again, going slower to get the actual results you want is not a 'waste of time'.  

I don't use floating selvedges, but I know how to use them in case I ever hit a situation or cloth where one is required.  So that knowledge is absolutely in my toolbox.

I beam with tension - hopefully the same degree of tension as what I will apply during weaving and I use firm warp packing.  Yes, it takes up more space on the beam, but I rarely beam more than 13 meters on the small floor loom and the wooden blinds will allow for that.  Honestly, how many hand weavers routinely beam more than 10 meters, anyway?

So while there are all sorts of 'hacks' being shared in weaving groups on line and elsewhere, I ask myself if using them will save me grief or take more time than doing it the way I've been doing it for decades?  If I can make the case of changing what I need to do, then I will change what I do.  Been there, done that - from how I thread, to figuring out how to use the warping valet, to changing how I sley, all have been changed when I saw the benefit to changing.

My method of dressing the small loom using a warping board to wind the warp etc., has been refined over decades.  

When a new weaver is confronted with an issue or problem, I suggest that they think the process through.  And keep in mind the time honoured acronym KISS - Keep It Simple, Silly.

Weaving should not be a headache.  Most problems can be solved.  And usually each weaver needs to find the 'best' solution for themselves.

Because it depends!  And sometimes it is faster to go slower to get the results you want.  

**check the 'warping valet' tag to get all the posts I've tagged with that label for details on the warping valet...

Beatrix Potter and the Herdwick Sheep

 

Beatrix Potter and the Herdwick Sheep

Last night we watched a program about Beatrix Potter and her deep connection to the Lake District.  I had forgotten about the work she did to help the Herdwick Sheep thrive.

As a child I knew about Beatrix Potter, but she wasn't my favourite author.  And largely I didn't pay much attention to her as a person.  It was only later that I began to learn much about her.  The program was a great re-introduction to Potter as a person beyond the author and artist that she was best known for.

There are a number of spinners who have written books about the different sheep breeds, if you want to know more about them.  The one I'm most familiar with is the one by Robson and Ekarius. The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook.

But there are others, as well, all of them an enormous labour of love given how much work and effort went into each and every one of them.

And this is why I hate the LLM plagiarism machines.  They scrape the contents of such books and grind them up, spitting them back out with half of the actual technical information mere dust by the time they are done with it.  If you decide to learn via AI, please be aware that the citations may not be real, and the actual information has been twisted into nothing resembling actual facts.

Same with textile science books.  Go to the actual source.  Last I counted I had something like 11 different textile science books.  Some are really deep dives, some more overviews, some have great comparison charts, some look at areas that I haven't found elsewhere.  And sometimes I like to check a few different resources to make sure they are on the same page.  Or maybe the knowledge has grown and there is more up-to-date information than what was available in the late 1900s (yes, some of my books original printing dates are from then - and I love them!)

But watching the program on Potter, I was reminded how lengthy and rich our history is - all of it.  And there are lessons to be learned, people to recognize for their contributions to that history.

Above all, keep learning, keep adding to your foundation of knowledge.  And remembering that we stand on the shoulders of giants, every one of us.

Generosity

 

This is a scarf woven by a friend and gifted to me.  There is no one who appreciates a hand woven gift as much as another weaver, especially if it is something different than they might usually weave.

As usual with such gifts, it went into my teaching box as an example I wanted to share with other weavers.  But now that I'm trying to deal with my studio, I'm having to think carefully what I do with my teaching 'samples'.

And that's the thing.  After the best part of 50 years of weaving, most of them were also devoted to teaching in some way.  So I have a *lot* of samples!  

Lately I've been hearing of younger weavers who are also teaching, accumulating dozens (more!) of samples.  So when new weavers are aghast at the thought of sampling, I think about all the samples I have woven over the years, and how many samples I know that have been woven by other weavers over the years, and yes.  I can say without qualification that I do still sample.

I just pitched an idea to WEFT and qualified what I wanted to do with the caveat that in order to do the project I will have to sample.  I'm sure that comes at no surprise to anyone who knows me.

Today I am hoping to clear out some 'antique' computer stuff.  Since I've owned a computer since 1987 or thereabouts, I have carefully kept boxes, manuals, disks etc.  But I realized most of that clutter is redundant and needs to be dealt with.  The impetus for the clear out is that I needed to replace the printer and since a trip to the electronic recycle place was in order, it seems like a good time to get rid of decades (literally) of computer stuff.  Manuals will go into the paper recycling and the equipment to the electronic recycling depot.

Because it is becoming ever more apparent that the clutter and mess that I've lived with all my life needs to be dealt with and now feels like the time.  We have lived in this house since 1975 and turned a smallish house into our home *and* studio - a studio in which I've done quite a lot of *big* projects.  And if you are to be efficient, you need the space to move and shift things as they, well, progress.  Since I didn't have a lot of space, I had to get creative.  And frankly I never was interested in the Good House keeping Award.  Good thing because no one would ever say that my house is an example of *that*.

At any rate, I am hearing more reports of Big Projects being done by younger weavers, which I find very exciting.  Stay tuned and I'll share info when it is time.

Meanwhile, my books remain available at blurb either print or pdf, and Ko-fi in pdf only and check out WEFT magazine for the latest article

Classes are still there at School of Sweet Georgia with 4 classes and Long Thread Media  with a couple different classes in a couple different formats.

For What It's Worth

 

New weavers don't always realize that there is a name for that space through which the shuttle runs to get the weft from one side to the other.  It's called a 'shed'.

They also don't always realize that for centuries looms did not have a shuttle race, and panic when they get their 'new' loom and it doesn't have one.

But here's the thing - for centuries looms didn't have a shuttle race and people wove very well without.  Because the only reason a shuttle race came about was during the 1700s and the development of the flying shuttle.

On my Leclerc Fanny, which is a counter balanced action loom, it doesn't come with a shuttle race.  It doesn't come with a fly shuttle.  

I've just been asked to do a presentation on The Weaver's Toolbox.  It is during this presentation that I explain the (broad) differences between counter balanced, jack and counter march looms.

Along with other things.  But still, if weavers don't understand the physics/mechanics of their loom, it is difficult to know what is  going wrong, or even IF something is wrong.   

New weavers don't generally understand the mechanics and physics of weaving in the first place, never mind the more subtle effects of things like twist and tension.  There are a variety of things at play in making a cloth and to not understand the basics of how a loom works can lead to misunderstandings and frustrations.

So the other day I suggested to someone online that part of their issues was related to weaving outside of the 'sweet spot' and they would be better off advancing the fell more frequently and keeping it further away from the reed/beater.  As usual someone spoke up and said they hated advancing the fell so they would keep weaving until they were really close to the reed.

When they would get better results if they simply figured out where the loom worked to best mechanical advantage and how big the sweet spot for their loom actually is, and not try to force it to keep going beyond that range.  

Advance the fell too close to the breast beam and you risk not being able to beat the weft in properly so you wind up with inconsistent/streaked cloth.  Push the fell too close to the reed and you risk weft loops developing along the selvedge and difficulty beating the weft in as well as not being able to 'throw' the shuttle but wind up needing to push it through one side to the other, stressing the warp yarns and possibly risking broken warp ends.  The rhythm of catching and throwing the shuttle gets interrupted and it gets harder to 'seat' the weft at the selvedge.

But hey, if you are happy?

Working within the mechanical limits of your tools makes the job go easier and you can get closer to having consistent results.  And if you can't be perfect, be consistent.

Learning how to hold and throw/catch the shuttle ergonomically, how to tension your warp, and staying within the sweet spot, will go a long way towards happier weaving.

But you know what free advice is worth.  

A Little Advice

 

This little book arrived yesterday.  Written by Jamie Hurlburt and Kim McCollum it is not your 'usual' weaving book.  While I haven't finished it yet - quite - I have read enough to know that I want to share it with others.

The authors are upfront about the fact it is not a how-to-weave book.  It is more of a how-to-learn-to-become-a-weaver book.

One of the things I ran into as a new weaver was the attitude that there was only one-right-way to do weaving.  Not everyone, not by a long shot - but in certain circles it was definitely A Thing.

As I have continued to pursue and learn about the craft of weaving, I have come across some very strongly stated 'principles' and firm admonishments from certain people, certain in their knowledge and willing to share their certainties with the rest of the weaving communities.

But one of the biggest lessons I have learned over the years, is that there is no general certainty about anything regarding weaving.  There are only broad generalities, and then very specific and targeted information.

Because it all depends!

The authors introduce some of those general comments that are applied to the entirety of the craft and encourage people to examine them to see if they apply to anything that you, personally, are doing.

Because what one weaver does will not necessarily apply to what another weaver does.

This approach aligns with mine in every way, even if I might phrase it differently.  Because we are different people, and we are allowed to personalize our comments to suit our own personalities.

So while the authors may say something in a way that I wouldn't, I agree with the fact they are saying it.

When they say 'weaving it not hard' and then qualify that by saying '(not that hard)'. I might say 'weaving is complex, not difficult'.

When they say 'don't rely on processes or hacks', I say 'fill your weaving toolbox with as many tools as you can and then use them when necessary'.

Because everyone is different, information is most useful when a receptive (open) mind receives them.  But it also helps to have different voices say the same principles, but use different metaphors!

In the 21st century, weaving is primarily a hobby for most.  As people living in the 21st century, we assume that - as adults - anything we choose to do will come easily to us.  We are mature, our physical skills are refined, we know things.

But the thing is, we don't know weaving.  And as mentioned many times, weaving is complex.  It has developed over millennia, in different environments, with different materials, different cultures.  As such it has a complexity that we can only scrape at the surface of.

This year marks the 50th year that I have been weaving.  For most of that 50 years I was a professional production weaver.  I had certain goals and objectives in mind and I honed my skills, and filled my toolbox.  The reason I use certain tools is because the tools I selected were giving me consistent good results (until they didn't, and then I had to change to meet the changed circumstances).

If someone doesn't want to use a warping valet, for instance, there is no need for them to do so - IF they are happy with their results.

But keeping an open, thoughtful mind will go a long way towards a weaver continuing to learn.  The more they learn, the better able they are to fix something when it is going pear-shaped.  To adapt when something isn't working properly.  To know when a mistake is terminal, or how to fix it without fuss.  To accept that nothing is always 'perfect' and that 'good' can be 'good enough'.

Above all, we can accept that we are constant students, that there is something else to learn, and open ourselves to the possibilities.

Perhaps this little book will break down some barriers.  I may not agree with everything the authors say - as in I won't do that, personally - but I endorse the message - learn.  Explore.  Let your imagination and creativity have free rein.

And it's perfectly ok to make general statements if you allow for specific circumstances to be handled in a different way.

Because that is what lifelong learning looks like.  Above all, it depends.

Bravo for writing this book challenging weavers to question the 'wisdom' of the craft if it is not meeting the requirements of the desired results.  Sometimes people need permission to question 'authority' in order to meet their specific needs.  

All that said, if you are happy, no need to change a thing.  But if you run into a problem?  Maybe it is time to look beyond what you know and look for new answers?  

Dynamic

 

In my desire to use up as much of my stash as possible, I uncovered the singles 6 cotton cones.  I'd worked with it years ago and had fun playing with 'energized' yarn and all the possibilities that could be played with in terms of developing texture.  

Over the summer I started reading Michelle Boyd's book Twist, but had to set it aside as I dealt with some other writing tasks, but when I wet finished the next set of towels with the energized singles 6, I was reminded that I needed to get back to Michelle's book.

Why are the corners of the cloth curled, you might ask.  Well, those corners are curled because of the energetic nature of the yarn itself.  Since just the weft is the singles 6, the corners all curl in the same 'direction', following the push/shove of the energy still in the yarn.

Michelle talks a lot about the physical dynamics of the forces that we build into our cloth - sometimes all unknowing, sometimes on purpose.  Her book is a deep dive into trying to bring knowledge and understanding of the forces that we deal with, mostly unknowingly, and which tend to end in surprises - sometimes nice ones, some, not so much.

And this is part of why experienced weavers will urge newer weavers to sample, sample, sample.

The cloth in the tea towels is woven in twill - a 1:2 twill, to be exact.  I knew that the energy in the yarn would create texture (tracking) and wanted to control that effect.  The goal was a tea towel, hopefully with good drape and absorbency.  So far I'm pleased with them.  They have a nice hand, feel good to touch, and visually have an 'interesting' amount of texture.  Yes, tracking in a twill!  Who'd a thunkit!

Using the singles 6 as weft on a 2/16 cotton warp has resulted in the qualities I was hoping to see.  And yes, I did sample before I set up this warp.  I am just setting up another in the same design (different colour) because I'm pleased with them.  And I'm happy to weave the singles 6 into a cloth that I feel  should provide good service for anyone who is using it.

And yes, those curls resolve once the hems are sewn.  As usual I will hand hem (it's my 'watching tv at night' task) and then give the towels a final finishing press.  

On the topic of books, the new book I ordered arrived this morning.  I'm looking forward to taking a look at it.  

Stay tuned...

Hunkering Down for Winter

 

Still no snow to speak of, but we have been having hoar frost that sparkles and glints when the sun manages to come out.

The past 3 weeks (approximately) was filled with a bunch of personal maintenance appointments.  I seem to be running out of options for making life more 'comfortable', and now I need to sit down and think.

What *can* I do?  What do I *want* to do?  Do those two things align in any way, shape or form?

I did commit to doing another article for WEFT.  I have booked one, tentatively two, one hour guild presentations.  I find myself nervous about doing them although I do seem to be faring better in the speaking department.  I've had a couple people assure me that my 'tics' are not at all noticeable.  Maybe for others, but I know how much I scramble the wheels trying to access the words I want to use.

However, I am assured that recovery will continue, and having talked with others with brain injuries, I am hopeful that I will continue to improve in that area.  And I was reminded just how lucky I have been, spending zero time in rehab because I was deemed well enough to recover without it.  A rare thing, from what I gather.

I have asked for an appointment for counselling.  I feel like I need some help right now with accepting where I am.  I'm on the list and will likely need to wait for a while, given the state of health care everywhere.  Mostly I want to polish my attitude of gratitude, get feedback if there are any suggestions for how to proceed - from a place of reality and checking whether or not my expectations are manageable.  

I did get the warp beamed and even threaded one repeat.  But then Tuesday and Wednesday got busy and I didn't want to thread when I was tired and distracted.  However the good news is that I am still in remission, which was great to hear and a nice way to wind up the string of stressful appointments.

Today I need to make a pan of oat squares, so I'll get that done first, then see if I can manage threading.  I had a decent amount of sleep last night so hopefully I have an extra 'spoon' for baking and still leave energy enough to thread.  

I'm doing the same threading as the last warp.  It worked well for tea towels with the current yarns I want to use up.  I'm pleased with the feel of the cloth now that it's completely finished - just the hang tags and prices left to attach.  Frankly they can wait.  Plus we replaced our printer - with the identical model, so I'm hoping it will 'plug and play' so to speak.  Doug will help with removing the old and replacing with the new and then I will have to get it 'online'.

It would be lovely to stop doing the tea towels and get to the silk and cashmere, but I'm hoping to clear off the shelf of the singles 6 yarn.  I'm very focused on weaving down my stash and it's just easier for my brain to design one quality of cloth and finish that yarn before beginning something completely different.  Besides there is still a tonne of prep work to be done - converting the silk skeins to spools for sectional beaming will take hours and hours.  Much of the silk is 2/30, some 2/20 and some much finer than that.  I had to get 'creative' in my plans.  We'll see if they turn out nicely.  

And that is the majority of my plans for the winter.  That, plus the article for WEFT.  

We are already well through November.  The solstice will arrive in about 4 weeks and then the sun will once again begin its northward journey.  In the meantime, I will hunker.

Winter Reflections

 

Dad and his plough

Here is my dad standing beside his plough in the 1940s.  He was a 'utility' driver for the BC Dept of Highways (as was) for over 20 years.  He would not drive dump trucks because he got 'sea sick' when the shovels were loading the box, but he drove everything else - snow ploughs, graders, front end loaders, etc.

He was a man of few words, and not inclined to repeat himself, so as a kid I would have to pay attention if he spoke to me.  As I reflect on my childhood, most of the things that made an impression on me were his pithy comments, where I would have to take the deeper meaning from his side on approach to conveying information - in most cases.

So things that he said that stuck on me are buried in my foundation.

In the 1940s and 50s, heavy equipment didn't come with things like cab heaters - notice the machine behind him didn't even have much in the way of doors, never mind a heater.  Probably zero seat belt.

He was raised here, and winter was a hazard to be guarded against, not feared.  He had a routine he went through on winter mornings.  He would listen to the radio to get the forecast, then dress for the anticipated weather.  Always dress more cautiously than you think it might get during the day.  Too many layers could be shed, one layer at a time, but if you were underdressed, hypothermia could creep in.  He respected the weather, planned for it, adapted to it.

He would wear good old Stanfield onesie, sometimes more than one, made from Kroy wool, then layer outward.  He always wore a particular brand of work clothing - not denim.  Denim was considered 'poor people' clothing.  So he was a blue collar worker, and neither of us kids had denim, until my younger brother got fed up with being dressed in 'expensive' clothing for school - white shirts, corduroy pants, and on school photo day, a bow tie.  He wanted 'play' clothes that he could get dirty playing in the dirt.  I didn't get my first pair of jeans until I was 16.

I look at my 'wardrobe' now and realize I have gravitated back to wash and wear, usually knit - because knit cloth will have some stretch to it (although I hate the tendency to 5% lycra every damn thing).  And I tend to wear my clothing *out*, not replace it when the new season colours come out.  I'm all about comfort now, not fashion.

When I buy something, I prefer to get a better quality than most 'fashion' of the day.  I have some t shirts that are poor quality, and I would send them to recycle except they aren't worn out yet.  So even lower quality clothing has more than one season in it.  In spite of that, I keep wearing those t shirts, mostly when I'm schlepping around the house/studio.  

Anyway, the snow that fell the other day has melted.  We are in the doh-see-doh part of winter cometh.  Two steps forward, one step back.  In mid-November.  I guess we'll find out soon enough if we will have a more 'traditional' winter or more of this back and forth, freezing, melting, roads a mess.  I plan on hibernating, if I can, get to the loom when I can, see how the next pain treatment works, and how well.

While the world enters the quiet season, giving the plants and some animals a 'rest', I find that same kind of 'rest' attractive for me, too.

Today I hope to begin threading.  I have a load of tea towels to wet finish, although not, perhaps today.  Tomorrow will be a 'treatment' day and I have no idea how my body will respond - this time.  So I may just come home from the hospital and sleep as much as I can.

Human beings are incredibly adaptable - if they choose to exercise that ability.  I guess we'll keep adapting to climate change because we don't seem inclined as a whole, to do anything about it.  

November 15, 2025

 

It finally happened.  Oh, there have been episodes of sleet, although they never amounted to much.  But winter, late as it is, has been creeping closer.  Yesterday the trees were covered in hoar frost - the first 'real' hard frost we have had, here, and this morning a sprinkling of light snow.  It won't last, but it's quite late in arriving.

Climate change.

I appreciate that young people don't realize how rare it is to have warm temps and no snow this late in the season.  If they are in their 20s, by the time they were born climate change was already well advanced, so they don't know how it 'used to be'.  They don't know how unusual this is.  And while I am grateful to have it be late due to my difficulty in walking and all, I find it also concerning that human beings continue the head long dash towards burning ever more oil and gas.  It will not be me who will 'suffer' for it, I don't think I have more than a few more years left in me.  But the young folk?  They will be the ones who watch the sea levels rise, coastal cities become inundated, food scarcity, natural disasters that become worse, year after year.  Places where whole additional categories of severity of storms will likely continue to grow, winds becoming stronger, wild fires rage more violently, ground water dry up due to drought and/or poisoned by industrial pollution.

Well, that was not my intent when I sat down at the desktop to share the photo above, but it is what I have been thinking of and out it came...

Back to the usual programming...

Yesterday I cut off the last warp as there wasn't enough left to make even one more towel.  Then I changed my mind about what colour(s) to use for the next warp.  I'm getting very low on 2/16 cotton, and it's hard to decide what I want to do because there isn't really enough of any colour to do something I want to make.  I'm down to nubbins of tubes.  Yay?

I'm playing yarn chicken with the next warp, which I got half beamed yesterday.  I have to decide when to change out one colour (there are 3 in the warp) and I'm pretty sure one has too little yarn left to make it through the entire warp.  However, I only need 9 tubes and I had a total of 18 so I know I can do the warp.  There *should* be enough yarn left on the other two colours to last, but if not, I have *some* 'extra' tubes.  We'll see if it is enough.  

If push comes to shove, I could always make the warp a couple inches narrower, but the highly twisted weft I want to use up means higher shrinkage than 'usual' and I don't want them to be any narrower than they are turning out, so...guess I'll Find Out?

Tomorrow is the weaver's show and share and my WEFT magazine arrived so I have the two boxes of samples and the magazine packed up in the wheeled cart.  I may get Doug to drag it up to the guild room.  I'm not feeling horrible right now, but I still have the rest of the warp to beam and my legs were not happy after doing the first half yesterday.  Every day is a 'wait and see' day - can I do this?  That?  Or nah?

Next week I need to do light duties, so on my task list is to do the math for the article samples I've just agreed to write.  I've borrowed a small table top lever loom, which will make it easier to get photos of the process (which needs, imho, to be well photographed to understand how it works).  I need to wind a warp chain on the warping board and dress the small loom.  The deadline is in 2026, so I'm not too panicked about getting it done, and if I'm not feeling great, weaving on the small loom means I should be able to weave a little bit.

In the meantime, I look at the calendar and remind myself I need to get the 2026 calendar set up.  I have booked a Zoom presentation in February.  That seems far enough away to be 'do-able'.  Because I haven't given up on things improving.  My next infusion is on Tuesday and it took about a week for things to settle and if I see if there is improvement.  Little by little, I nurse my tiny pot of hope...

Just In Time!

 

With the Weavers Show and Share booked for Sunday afternoon, I was getting concerned if the latest issue of WEFT would arrive in time.  

Voila!  This morning's mail contained the magazine.

I have to confess that when I write (and I actually include most authors) I sweat bullets trying to include ALL the information, work hard and choosing the words that best convey what I did, hoping that anyone who wants to do the project, or even just learn by reading what I did, will get enough information to take them a step further.

I don't know if most newer weavers are aware of how hard authors, editors, publishers, work to make their magazines/books informative and interesting, and how many of us get so wrapped in the task that sometimes it's hard to *stop* polishing and just finally accept you've done your best and let it free, out into the 'wild' (so to speak).

Frankly, it has been months since I finished the article for issue 3.  During the time between I wove the napkins and finished writing the article, I have had an 'interesting' time, with the brain bleed on Aug. 28, 2024, continued adverse effects from the drugs I was hoping would make things 'better' and made things just...worse.

It was with a considerable amount of trepidation that I opened the envelope this morning and holding my breath, read my article.  (Yes, of course I read mine first!)

To my relief I was able to read the article in its entirely without wincing once.  I have not looked at the drafts - I sweated bullets at the time, and since I was using computer generated software, I'm pretty sure the drafts are accurate enough.  The question that will arise is if I have done a good enough job of explaining what I did.

I am hoping some of the weavers that come on Sunday will bring their textiles, too.  It is by sharing that we all learn.  I have been encouraging weavers to contribute to the magazine, and the guild ordered a subscription.  I am hoping that the new book I ordered will arrive tomorrow so that I can bring that for people to see, as well.

Weaving is an ancient craft.  We keep it alive by learning it, writing about it, reading about it - from actual practitioners.  In a craft that changes every time circumstances change, it is easy to forget that very few weaving questions have definitive answers.  It depends!  And that the individual weaver will need to produce their own 'samples'.  But we can still share our knowledge and encourage others to develop their own foundation of knowledge.

And if you are interested in my long form writing, my 3 books are still available at blurb.  Printed in the US, they will not have a tariff on them if you are in the US.  If you are not in the US, they are also available in pdf form.  

Marketing

 

A few days ago I saw an ISO post looking for The Intentional Weaver.  I hesitated to say anything because not all such queries are looking for a 'new' purchase.  Maybe they specifically wanted a used one.  So, if you see someone looking for one of my books, they are still available on blurb

November continues to be...challenging.  I did manage to weave yesterday and felt 'ok' - I suppose.  The weather is far too warm - for here, this time of year.  While I'm relieved for no snow on the ground, due to my difficulty in walking, I would much prefer that the temp was -10 C and the sky clear.  Our days are short, but not too bad if the sun is shining.  Which it is not, right now.

And I think about people under 20 - they think this is...normal.  They believe there is no climate change because the weather has been doing...whatever *this* is...for their entire lives.  People my age remember - some of us.  But we are given an eye roll and ignored.

Turmoil continues.  Trying to deal with the alt right is like whack-a-mole.  You get rid of one and a dozen more pop up.  

We (or at least *I*) are on tenterhooks waiting to see if the budget will be passed.  The opposition party is behaving more and more like fascists.  The government needs two more votes to get the budget passed, or we wind up with a winter election - and millions more spent to very little benefit to the average Canadian.  But I fail to see any (as in *any*) solutions being advanced by the Cons and the Leader of the Official Opposition sounds more and more like the loose cannon down south with each report that becomes public.

In the meantime, I continue to try and help others.  I don't see any other way to get through this time than by lifting others up, not smacking them down.  The new book I ordered should arrive next week.  I'm hoping to feel up to reading the thesis on hemp (sat for too long, an open tab on the desktop) and then the new book.  The new cream seems to be helping - some.  I'd sure like some more energy though.  

Anyway, if you see someone in search of my books, maybe all y'all could share the link above?