tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371583212551768632024-03-19T01:48:00.486-07:00Weaving a LifeIn 1975 I was looking for a career that would fascinate me for the rest of my life. In a way, weaving chose me!Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.comBlogger3935125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-70975070895469249622024-03-18T11:43:00.000-07:002024-03-18T11:43:42.392-07:00Leclerc L Model <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizXOH5puUZLHIhDl7i41FUl6XzNel8yOYKSVCuS-SByEHtw6nJAy7zmv3pzVTO9v-_jZeooN30RXe4l8G2dW_nwwXajUGvUd9-IEpeKn0nf_-Qgz8E5axuxH6ZMzY_1BOgCspdWT1NO53z6KyM8fVEcVhI0NenVmxiygAKzbVR0l9w_zDQ-jaZPdPmKV4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="191" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizXOH5puUZLHIhDl7i41FUl6XzNel8yOYKSVCuS-SByEHtw6nJAy7zmv3pzVTO9v-_jZeooN30RXe4l8G2dW_nwwXajUGvUd9-IEpeKn0nf_-Qgz8E5axuxH6ZMzY_1BOgCspdWT1NO53z6KyM8fVEcVhI0NenVmxiygAKzbVR0l9w_zDQ-jaZPdPmKV4" width="229" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>In 2019 my local guild was given an old L model Leclerc Loom. It was unlike any Leclerc loom I'd seen before, and had many similarities to a Macomber.</p><p>It had been in storage for a number of years before it came to us, and needed some TLC. When Covid hit, there wasn't time nor energy to do much, although we did get a warp on it. However, the TLC we did was insufficient, and it sat for a long time before I had the energy to deal with it.</p><p>Eventually the pressure to get the thing working again built, and over the winter I managed to make new aprons for this and several of the other guild 'herd', and Doug took a look at the mechanical side of it and got the four shafts currently in the loom working again.</p><p>Yesterday I finally found enough spoons to dress the loom with a 'practice' warp (with help from a guild member to beam the warp). There are still some issues with it, but at least it is able to be woven on now.</p><p>I knew the loom had been used by a production weaver and was curious to see how it worked and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the effort to treadle it was minimal. </p><p>We have a tiny group of new weavers so I'm hoping that some of them will give this loom a try. It's pretty large, but since it *could* go up to 12 shafts (we have the shafts, just need some more heddles), plus it has a double back beam, it would be nice to keep it for members who would like to use more than four shafts. However, if it doesn't get used, we will look at selling it.</p><p>In the meantime, the new therapy *appears* to be helping, although I am a far distance from where I would like to be. I talk to the pain doctor in 10 days, and I am hoping that I will be enough improved that I can begin reducing the pain medications (side effects are being controlled by additional pills - sigh). But mostly I'm hoping to be able to start walking again. </p><p>Like the old L model loom, I need some adjustments and a great deal of tweaks, but so far I *can* still weave. I'm just hoping that if I improve enough, I could consider teaching in person locally, and grow those newbie weavers a little bit. I suspect the reason they aren't weaving is that they don't feel confident enough - yet.</p><p>If I can grow my energy and the number of activity spoons, I could see if they would like a weaving study group. But it all depends on if I can dig myself out of this dry 'fitness' well, find more spoons in my energy drawer.</p><p>TBD.</p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-42072757825799892442024-03-16T12:21:00.000-07:002024-03-16T12:21:15.154-07:00Lurching<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafb44gmsGHPqW6cOrNAoeBf0efMpIVDY4dVo-jIlhAeXm7Sr2MTrI7-v8l6s41LGi9_-tvQGG1DJ5XiJvjdLyNVyq1UazszuAYTiWMmifVxJY9L4qdD_5RRwEOtqVLRHwQviLItPsLXu8oHpnFtaxInP5Y3FOg8FZbHPzAFuXEynWHq6-ExDF-p3ebSM/s262/brickwall.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="262" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafb44gmsGHPqW6cOrNAoeBf0efMpIVDY4dVo-jIlhAeXm7Sr2MTrI7-v8l6s41LGi9_-tvQGG1DJ5XiJvjdLyNVyq1UazszuAYTiWMmifVxJY9L4qdD_5RRwEOtqVLRHwQviLItPsLXu8oHpnFtaxInP5Y3FOg8FZbHPzAFuXEynWHq6-ExDF-p3ebSM/s1600/brickwall.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Someone posted a meme on Facebook about 'baby steps' being tentative when they are anything but. The poster equated a baby learning how to walk as a 'lurch into the unknown'.</p><p>And I thought about my life and how many times I 'lurched' into the unknown.</p><p>I think it began with reading. I was reading by age 4. Loved to read. Couldn't get enough of reading. And each book showed me a new world. A new life. A new way of looking at my world - and beyond.</p><p>At age 12 I'd read pretty much everything in the children's section of the public library and tentatively asked if I could take books from the 'adult' section. </p><p>"Why?" the librarian asked. I explained I'd read everything in the children's section. I suppose I looked so woebegone she took pity on me. As I entered the stacks, I didn't know where to start. Therefore it seemed appropriate to begin with the authors with A as the first letter of their surname. And quickly discovered Isaac Asimov. After that I became a huge fan of science fiction, and eventually fantasy.</p><p>My next big lurch I suppose was making plans to visit Sweden in 1969 in order to meet my pen friend. I scrimped and saved every penny for almost a year, then boarded the train (to Montreal) and then a freighter that took a small number of passengers to sail to Oslo, Norway. In May. Across the Atlantic.</p><p>We stopped and jigged for cod off the coast of Newfoundland (I caught 3 - what can say, cod are pretty stupid), saw grey(?) whales on their migration north, managed the rough seas of a storm, and sailed up the fjord to disembark.</p><p>From there many adventures were experienced.</p><p>And then I finally paid attention to all the messages coming from...who knows where...to consider weaving. </p><p>That was, most likely, the biggest, bravest (or stupidest, depending on your viewpoint) lurch I have made in my life.</p><p>Now I lurch, but only physically. Dealing with a body rode hard, put away wet, far too many times. The times I wove myself into exhaustion trying to meet deadlines. The multitude of dark o'clock fights. Battling food allergy reactions, pretending to be well, hiding my ailing body. </p><p>There were many times I felt I'd let my students down and felt guilty. All I could do was my best, and I always did that. My best.</p><p>Recently a friend observed that I do more on a 'bad' day than most people do on a good one. Well, maybe a few years ago that might be true. Now? Not so much.</p><p>But I always felt like I was...not enough. My house is always a mess. I haven't had the energy to actually clean it for, like, ever. I turn a blind eye to the dust and clutter, and save whatever energy I have for weaving.</p><p>When my brother died I had to figure out why I was still here, and he wasn't. That was the year that so many things finally made sense. I'd been, almost literally, working myself into the grave. It was the year that both Doug and I discovered our 'hidden' cardiac issues, and timely intervention was provided. And here we are. Older. Maybe wiser (although that might be moot).</p><p>It's been a very long 16 years since Don died. Honestly, it was, in many ways, a downward spiral, one I documented in my memoir, recently published, <a href="https://ko-fi.com/s/a244fa1a00">available here</a> if anyone is interested.</p><p>And now I try to navigate a body that demands to rest. To be 'coddled'. Weaving is physical - at least the way I do it. I have to ration my time at the loom so that my body doesn't go into complete shut down.</p><p>After months of searching for an answer, a treatment, something to let me continue to weave, it seems I may have finally found a treatment that will provide some level of, if not healing, coping. </p><p>In the meantime, I have found a little more energy to do things I promised I would do - like get one of the guild's donation looms operating again. I discovered, much to my chagrin, that I can no longer wind a 9 meter long, 15" wide, 20 epi warp in one session. Halfway through I had to stop and rest. Today I feel able to finish it, so I'm going to do that. And then tomorrow, a guild member will help me beam it. If I feel able, I will also thread it. I was hoping to have it ready to weave on in time for the guild business meeting next week, but I may not make that goal.</p><p>In the meantime, I did manage to weave half a tea towel yesterday after fixing the threading error, and editing the treadling to better suit what I want to have happen.</p><p>Today the sun is shining and the temps are rising. It would seem spring is set to arrive 'early' (for us).</p><p>Time to lurch into the studio and get myself in gear.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-86706844672318912412024-03-15T12:31:00.000-07:002024-03-15T12:31:56.698-07:00Still Not Perfect<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIFyqDr5KXJRFrqmsiMB-DHe9-4KtUKosjVfbvhRYbhfKUprSTsGQZhfLFQj3TgPf8vL0eVPyqt-qy_saKsgJuNTSLRfntVsbnwVG-ao2pscmKBF3M8KHk8VHTGbah-08DMC5Z2BPetltQdoSGVovLDaBIanukKL0cQ4pKXWBHBA5pAkFBSRtH5cuSSQ/s4032/threading%20mistake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIFyqDr5KXJRFrqmsiMB-DHe9-4KtUKosjVfbvhRYbhfKUprSTsGQZhfLFQj3TgPf8vL0eVPyqt-qy_saKsgJuNTSLRfntVsbnwVG-ao2pscmKBF3M8KHk8VHTGbah-08DMC5Z2BPetltQdoSGVovLDaBIanukKL0cQ4pKXWBHBA5pAkFBSRtH5cuSSQ/s320/threading%20mistake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The current series of warps are...complex. </p><p>Today, after several days delay (due to physical maintenance and body protesting said maintenance) I finally started weaving the next warp.</p><p>I wasn't pleased with the beginning - sewing the hem would cut off part of the motif at the top and bottom, and I knew I wasn't going to be best pleased with that, visually. But I thought I would complete the first towel, then change the treadling.</p><p>Until I got about 9" woven and spotted it. Yup. Threading mistake.</p><p>I had threaded 10-7 twice instead of 7-10 twice. It wasn't really obvious while I was focused on other things - like making sure everything was working properly, fussing over the hems, etc., but once I spotted it, I couldn't *not* see it.</p><p>So, I cut it off, fixed the threading mistake and re-tied. And, since I was starting over anyway, I edited the treadling sequence to create a 'proper' hem so that the motif would not be awkwardly chopped off.</p><p>And I thought about how several people over the years have told me that they can't wait until they get to the point where they don't make mistakes anymore.</p><p>Ha. </p><p>Anyway, it's lunch time now, so I'm going to eat and then go back to the loom. And this time I hope I don't find any more 'mistakes'...</p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-82776629399369383762024-03-15T10:34:00.000-07:002024-03-15T10:34:25.179-07:00Exchange Rates<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEindLYT0Z4dy8P64Q4w4IonVJL0VLzUVJWxY1m36njntuARMSRCPWulQpX8M8QuXtqI7KlTrVSlU8KM5kShpssYjKQJQOstrJTl6wmFe-102tMCVdfknMrWFO4aX_zX8mcYanMktmdAVL4Oc6EcEsl9MlH8-96eztSTHYGaEkDHgsQFmCduDW35f0OHvkU/s626/realistic-comedy-tragedy-masks_1284-26419.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="626" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEindLYT0Z4dy8P64Q4w4IonVJL0VLzUVJWxY1m36njntuARMSRCPWulQpX8M8QuXtqI7KlTrVSlU8KM5kShpssYjKQJQOstrJTl6wmFe-102tMCVdfknMrWFO4aX_zX8mcYanMktmdAVL4Oc6EcEsl9MlH8-96eztSTHYGaEkDHgsQFmCduDW35f0OHvkU/s320/realistic-comedy-tragedy-masks_1284-26419.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>So, yesterday I cashed a US $ cheque (payment for a recent Zoom presentation). The teller informed me that the exchange rate was such that I was going to get a lot more Canadian money than the number written on the cheque. I told her I was grateful I wasn't buying stuff from the US right now. </p><p>Which reminded me - prices in my <a href="https://ko-fi.com/laurafry/shop">ko-fi shop</a> are listed in Canadian dollars. Which means, if you are in the US, the prices you pay are going to reflect a substantial exchange rate discount.</p><p>To make my life easier, the posted price includes a shipping amount. If someone buys just one towel, that amount covers about half of the cost of shipping, which has more than doubled in the last few years. If someone purchases two towels, that *nearly* covers the cost of shipping to the US, using the cheapest option available to me. </p><p>In this day and age of 'free shipping', please understand that there is no such thing. When I go to the post office, I do not get to ship parcels for 'free'. I still have to pay the postage. And for the envelope/box, the shipping tape, the labels. I still have to drive to the post office and stand on line. </p><p>'Free' shipping just means that makers, like me, frequently wind up subsidizing the cost of shipping. So, when you look at the price a craftsperson/artist is charging, please be aware that part of that price is shipping. The only thing 'free shipping' means is that we don't add on more money at the end of the purchase. The price you see is what you pay. And people like me sort out where the shipping portion goes, and hope there is some 'profit' to help pay for the materials, the power to keep the studio lights and laptop on, the heat in the winter and the a/c in the summer. And the utilities (wet finishing all those textiles takes water and electricity, not to mention wear and tear on the washing machine and dryer, plus the press.) </p><p>And then there are the care labels, the plastic stems to attach them (which I've lately not been doing for mail orders.)</p><p>If anyone is interested in the sorts of considerations that go into being a professional weaver, my memoir A Thread Runs Through It is also available via <a href="https://ko-fi.com/laurafry/shop">my ko-fi shop</a>. And if you are contemplating a career in the arts, you might find some of the lessons I learned of interest.</p><p>My other books <a href="https://www.blurb.com/b/9138231-the-intentional-weaver">are available here</a>. If you are in the US, blurb conveniently does the exchange rate for you and shows you the US $ price. If you are in a different country, click on your flag (in the upper right hand corner on my desktop) to get your currency.</p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-80244224335396061992024-03-14T11:40:00.000-07:002024-03-14T11:40:14.783-07:00Painful<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBk7Ehik7PuOEhAn1iRy9tKhXVqqjkykFiJfcO01lXhZJDmTysnoVXNEx40FyahztplCo-9s2f07XhS1IQxTf32xc2eMCVzSXL0Ee0Ux3MZCZ09PX2yFb_h7676qF1_EfAg7ITSRvpMpHIoexwLeb0jEqQMz3IRJz1IyfwtxP9PXea5SLPY4lIl_if7sU/s1224/sley3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="816" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBk7Ehik7PuOEhAn1iRy9tKhXVqqjkykFiJfcO01lXhZJDmTysnoVXNEx40FyahztplCo-9s2f07XhS1IQxTf32xc2eMCVzSXL0Ee0Ux3MZCZ09PX2yFb_h7676qF1_EfAg7ITSRvpMpHIoexwLeb0jEqQMz3IRJz1IyfwtxP9PXea5SLPY4lIl_if7sU/s320/sley3.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Minimum input, maximum output. </p><p>Coming to weaving with a background in movement (ballet, hap ki do, aerobics, track and field, etc.) weaving became an exercise in figuring how to do it with the least possible wear and tear on my body.</p><p>Over the years I fine tuned my movements, checked with professionals (physio, massage, dance instructors, etc.) to make sure I wasn't inadvertently causing myself an injury. And then I began including ergonomic hints and tips during workshops when I would see people doing things that would lead to injury if continued over time.</p><p>I also listened to people talking at conferences. Like the person who was about 20 years older than me, explaining that she had been on a tight deadline and had woven for hours and hours to get her project done in time and caused so much damage to her feet that she hadn't been able to walk properly for 6 weeks (never mind weave). Carpal tunnel surgeries were another risk factor. </p><p>When I hosted a well known weaver during her tour around BC I explained I had an early morning physio appointment and showed her the coffee and told her to make herself at home. She asked if I had a bad back and I said yes. She said every weaver has a bad back.</p><p>Given I was young (at the time) and wanted to weave for many more years, I began to really study ergonomics related to weaving in a more serious manner.</p><p>But not everyone wants my input on what they are doing. There are times when my suggestions, such as sitting on a taller bench/stool, or encouraging people to thread/sley the way I do now (thanks to Norman Kennedy's workshop, and watching Syne Mitchell sley - which she learned from Peggy Ostercamp), or suggesting that people wear some kind of footwear, especially if they weave on a loom that requires a larger foot/pound pressure than a Scandinavian style loom, some people shrug and continue to do what they have always been doing. "I learned to do it this way" they will sometimes say. </p><p>Well, so did I, but I learned a way that was easier on the body and took the time to learn how to do it that way.</p><p>Not only it is friendlier to the body, but it's more efficient. And I can do more with less effort. Seems like a win-win to me, and well worth the awkward slippery slope at the bottom of the learning curve.</p><p>Now we have the internet and sites like Facebook and I see photos of weavers sitting at their looms. And all too frequently I cringe.</p><p>Poor posture seems to be a continuous problem. Backs curved, sitting on the coccyx instead of the sitz bone, shoulders hiked up around their ears, holding the shuttle overhand, thumb pointing downwards - the accepted symbol for 'bad'. One weaver didn't seem able to throw their shuttle and it was entering the shed every which way, including upside down on one toss.</p><p>I asked if she would like to see how I threw the shuttle, explained what I was doing and why. As I walked away I heard her grumble that she didn't know there was a 'right' way to hold the shuttle.</p><p>Eventually I stopped commenting on people's photos, or offering to demonstrate - unless I was being paid to do so. Free advice is worth what you pay for it, right?</p><p>So I document what I do in <a href="https://www.blurb.com/b/9138231-the-intentional-weaver">The Intentional Weaver</a>, which I hope will be around for a while so that newer weavers can find the information. </p><p>The weaver who commented that 'all weavers have bad backs' is now in the weaving studio in the sky, along with many others. Norman Kennedy is still around, but not teaching weaving much, as I understand it. However his students continue to share the information (I count myself among them, even if it was only that one workshop I took with him). Peggy Ostercamp has her series of books with all sorts of great hints, tips and information.</p><p>And I guess I will keep banging the drum for as long as I can.</p><p>If something you are doing hurts, stop doing it. If you can't figure out a way to do it that doesn't hurt, then only do it *until* you hurt, don't push until that hurt turns into injury. Much better to prevent injury than heal from it.</p><p>Just saying...</p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-69154397997604528792024-03-12T13:56:00.000-07:002024-03-12T13:59:17.807-07:00Thoughts on Creativity<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PJBGP73_c1vb1Sjt8Y1us_uO0D0tABaYMoxSGR4EIgDQrpMOPPeMD-WOINktIpwSNkxTAwxZK9OIG7zQLLQmIKEv3mUsn7Dufi83KmV_eW_v0c_bsp6Q75LJCG-uGopG5N6Obik3PK_8qTXJhPwZ2fEP4xb2TCnf0yCl3f64JBl-1vWZV5gB7SgSpuw/s3264/matrix%20teal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PJBGP73_c1vb1Sjt8Y1us_uO0D0tABaYMoxSGR4EIgDQrpMOPPeMD-WOINktIpwSNkxTAwxZK9OIG7zQLLQmIKEv3mUsn7Dufi83KmV_eW_v0c_bsp6Q75LJCG-uGopG5N6Obik3PK_8qTXJhPwZ2fEP4xb2TCnf0yCl3f64JBl-1vWZV5gB7SgSpuw/s320/matrix%20teal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>As I worked through the iterations for the 'matrix' series, I was always cognizant of the fact that somewhere, some place, some other weaver had likely stumbled upon this technique. So, no, I don't claim that I 'invented' it. What I did was build upon my knowledge and skills and step by gradual step, I wound up with something I was pleased with. <br /><br /></p><p>The above photo is from early in the series as I was exploring the potential for moving the twill 'line' direction, here, there, trying it out virtually, then, when I felt I had something that would be pleasing, getting it into the loom, then wet finishing it.</p><p>Because you never really know the quality of the cloth until you wet finish it.</p><p>There are people who don't want to 'follow the rules' of weaving, which is their prerogative. They don't like to create artificial limitations because they feel that hinders their creativity. And that is their journey, and a perfectly valid one for them.</p><p>But it is not mine.</p><p>My preference is to do some mental 'weaving', considering this, that and the other options involved in bringing threads together to make cloth. I do this with bobbin lace as well. I'm pretty adventurous with bobbin lace, but I *always* have a plan - a 'pricking' - that I work from. I may adjust on the fly. I may ignore some rules, and adapt some things, sometimes. But I am well aware that I am deviating from the 'rules'. I also know that my deviations are not likely to be noticed by anyone other than a more skilled lace maker than I am.</p><p>Does this make me less creative than someone who throws all the 'rules' out the window? Perhaps. Does it make me the 'better' weaver? Not necessarily. </p><p>There are many roads one can choose. I chose the path that seemed to fit me the best, given my intention to produce textiles for sale. (Yes, I've sold bobbin lace items, but everything I'm making right now will be donated to the guild. If it sells great, if it doesn't, it's fine.)</p><p>But to say that in order to be creative you have to throw out *all* the rules? Seems to be just as rigid as those who say you *must* follow all of their rules.</p><p>I made my own choices. I don't follow all of the 'rules' that were taught to me as a beginning weaver. When something seemed to be hindering my progress, I thought the processes through and adjusted what I was doing.</p><p>So, no, I don't chain my warps. I don't tie 'choke' ties every yard. (I tie a few gathering ties, but they are not 'choke' ties.) I don't have a plain weave structure at the selvedge, and I even have floats of up to 5 (sometimes more if the thread is fine enough) at the selvedge.</p><p>And yes, I wove on a loom with a dobby and fly shuttle and *still* called my textiles hand woven - because according to the Canadian legal definition of 'hand' woven, the AVL qualified. (Each and every action of the loom must be initiated by the weaver.)</p><p>So, if you belong to a group that has hard and fast 'rules' about things, you might want to consider if all of those rules are applicable to you. If not, figure out what is best for you and do that.</p><p>Because change one thing, and everything can change.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><i>If you want to know how the matrix series came to be, I shared drafts in <a href="https://www.blurb.com/b/11633019-stories-from-the-matrix">Stories from the Matrix</a>, available here.</i></b></p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-60727231512177383062024-03-11T11:27:00.000-07:002024-03-11T11:27:46.227-07:00Endings, Beginnings<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtgmLlmnck9RpKSV87xrkM-EKSn2WbDq3RIMjIk2BR3nQoOcrpY7fs-Ux-_ckENXTEwC-EQ_w3qp1o2vv3rK12YWI9x595HOkEfGakyB9Y2SGniiGo8eAunhTYMHOZJ7RE9pzUuUFYxd7EW35ALe0PLViGvmvrLfm7WVNzrOtATNd0LWQF9Sw29xzYJMw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtgmLlmnck9RpKSV87xrkM-EKSn2WbDq3RIMjIk2BR3nQoOcrpY7fs-Ux-_ckENXTEwC-EQ_w3qp1o2vv3rK12YWI9x595HOkEfGakyB9Y2SGniiGo8eAunhTYMHOZJ7RE9pzUuUFYxd7EW35ALe0PLViGvmvrLfm7WVNzrOtATNd0LWQF9Sw29xzYJMw" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I cut the warp off the loom Saturday, then started beaming the next warp. Given my aging body, I didn't push through and beam the entire warp in one day, but only did half, then finished beaming Sunday. </p><p>Sunday was a bit of a 'full' day. Given the new therapy appears to be helping (no instant cure, but tiny glimmers of improvement) I went up to the guild room where I worked on the 'antique' L model loom and with assistance from another guild member it now has new treadle cords as well as new cables for the shafts. All I have to do now is wind a practice warp to check how well it is working. The goal is to outfit the loom with all 12 shafts that came with the loom. Or sell the beast once it is working.</p><p>Then I helped a new lace maker get her 3rd ever lace project started.</p><p>When I got home I set up to begin threading. If you look closely you might be able to see the stick that I attach the bouts to in order to carry them up and over the back beam, then tape to the loom frame just behind the heddles for easy reach. By the end of the day I had threaded nearly half of the warp.</p><p>The photo also shows the typing clipboard I use to park the threading. As I thread each group of warp ends, I mark them off on the threading draft. One of the nice things about Fiberworks is that you can choose the size of font to print the draft out in. Now that I'm getting older, I'm finding it more difficult to focus on the smaller font I used to use, so now I magnify it for easier viewing.</p><p>There are two post-it notes on the castle. On one I record the last pick I wove and the other keeps track of how many units I have woven. With the Megado, I find I prefer to cut the web off after about 8 or so yards as the cloth beam becomes 'padded' and re-applying weaving tension after advancing the fell becomes more difficult. My standard number of units is 7 towels, although I can push through to 8 if necessary. </p><p>What isn't included in the photo is the lighting I use. I have task lights - one at the right side of the loom, one at the left, and one at the back of the loom. On grey dreary days, the one at the back helps illuminate the stick with the bouts, and the back few shafts which might otherwise be somewhat shadowed.</p><p>I have been working on this series for over a year and a half now. This warp and one more will be the last I do - for the time being. I may re-visit the technique in the future. But for now I'm feeling the pressure to press on with stash reduction. I've woven enough of my tea towel stash yarns that I'm beginning to feel the pressure to tackle some of my other yarns.</p><p>It has been a bit of a relief to see 'holes' begin to appear on my shelves. Nearly all of my boxes of yarn are empty now (still a few left, but those contain 'specialty' yarns, not frequently used).</p><p>As part of the studio clean up in November, I unearthed some more yarns I'd 'forgotten' about and I'd like to weave some of those up soon. Plus my brand new fine singles linen which I'm itching to weave and see if it makes as nice a cloth as I'm expecting.</p><p>There are still projects on my to-be-done list that I'm feeling the pressure to do, too. But everything seems to take so much longer now, I'm not sure when I'll get to those. </p><p>Since the new therapy *does* seem to be helping, I am once again tending a tiny plot of hope. Hope that I can keep weaving for a good long while. But that is still to be determined, and in the meantime, I weave while I can, because I can, even if it means I have to take more frequent and longer breaks to let my body rest and recover.</p><p>This month marks the 49th anniversary of making the decision to quit my rather well paying job, at the time and throw my whole life into weaving. Since this year also marks the death of my father, AND because much of the decision to change my life was sparked by his lengthy illness and death, I have been dealing with a lot of...feelings.</p><p>My father's death initiated my beginning as a weaver in more ways than I can express.</p><p>But that's the thing with living. Things end. People end. But if we have the chance to go on, then, well, we must. That was brought home to me again in 2008 when my younger brother unexpectedly and rather suddenly died. Just over 16 years ago. I had to work through 'survivor guilt' all while suddenly and unexpectedly needing to deal with my own health.</p><p>In the end, the only 'answer' I found for why I was still alive was this - my brother was dead, I wasn't. Therefore I had to live my life to the fullest I could possibly manage.</p><p>Writing my 'memoir' last year also stirred up a lot of feelings, and I confess the past year has been difficult. But I now have a local pain doctor, and a therapy 'team' that understands my need to keep weaving, and help me do that. Ultimately, if this therapy is successful enough, I might even go back to teaching in person - locally only.</p><p>In the meantime, I love doing the Zoom presentations. I have another this week. And I love the fact I can still share what I know, still encourage others, stay in contact with far away friends. </p><p>The truth is, I have very few 'local' friends - most of my 'friends' are far away. And I count my blessings that I 'found' those far away friends as well as my 'local' friends. Through the vehicle of the internet (including this blog) I feel connection with other like minded folk. I feel part of a very large, albeit invisible, web.</p><p>The web of life. The threads that we spin that allow us to stay connected. The way we can encourage and support each other, the way we can continue to share and learn.</p><p>Every ending (bar the last and final one) ushers in a beginning. </p><p>And so today I will finish threading the loom. I hope to sley and tie on and maybe begin weaving tomorrow. If not tomorrow (because I also have to set up and prepare for the Zoom Tuesday evening) I can begin weaving this week.</p><p>Onwards. One step at a time. One pick at a time. One thread at a time. Even if I do need naps to do it.</p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-84714389693547042312024-03-10T11:07:00.000-07:002024-03-10T11:07:04.645-07:00Instant Gratification<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZzER9xachOEUCpYisHrmjlvHPOOxFZYxPX7yqq-WiTLCbihXxXVW8nsl3Tsej1C8w_ioXKEUklU_N6mU3-9VBHG5p8YmP-c3-msVRKJIAI4Q5mGEP6BlfPTJ-DrNYmUe41s0hG-Oc1qY1qULOpRZ_Ucfx7znM4c93UIzI_gIgzqHkSASY7_xFayYYf4Y/s4032/shifted%20blocks%20tile%20design.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZzER9xachOEUCpYisHrmjlvHPOOxFZYxPX7yqq-WiTLCbihXxXVW8nsl3Tsej1C8w_ioXKEUklU_N6mU3-9VBHG5p8YmP-c3-msVRKJIAI4Q5mGEP6BlfPTJ-DrNYmUe41s0hG-Oc1qY1qULOpRZ_Ucfx7znM4c93UIzI_gIgzqHkSASY7_xFayYYf4Y/s320/shifted%20blocks%20tile%20design.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>Warp #18</i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MD0djvBYccyq3d6BtiHIHDaj0_mVMsuFEBl8-JKXxfFQELcnSxEJAbbPzyANHk8g-Xjs96oPDe4hqg5AsAC97ODoJCdgFWEvzZC-n1ju42iX3ErQQL7eIHnxBu3GsvxCKEBOStVBbGe1OjTJo81xl2Z7pStcpOvpGRP62SKy81HGby_nk7zG6Mft5l8/s4032/shifted%20blocks%20full%20design.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MD0djvBYccyq3d6BtiHIHDaj0_mVMsuFEBl8-JKXxfFQELcnSxEJAbbPzyANHk8g-Xjs96oPDe4hqg5AsAC97ODoJCdgFWEvzZC-n1ju42iX3ErQQL7eIHnxBu3GsvxCKEBOStVBbGe1OjTJo81xl2Z7pStcpOvpGRP62SKy81HGby_nk7zG6Mft5l8/s320/shifted%20blocks%20full%20design.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>Warp #19</i></b></div><br /><p></p><p>NA society (maybe more than that but since I live in NA it's my point of reference) seems to have been duped into expecting instant results. Many of us are no longer willing to invest in the time, effort and, yes, money, to learn a craft.</p><p>People take one class (of whatever) and assume they will make 'perfect' things immediately. The term 'labour intensive' has taken on a negative connotation, as if taking the time to learn, then craft things from raw materials, is somehow demeaning. Or, 'too hard', or 'takes too long, I don't have the patience'.</p><p>And then, when the student messes up, they throw their efforts away, declare that they just don't have the talent, and move on to the next 'instant' bit of gratification.</p><p>(Not all, of course not.)</p><p>Over the decades I have been a weaver there has been a pretty constant litany of 'oh you are so patient, I could never do *that*'. Or the more subtle 'oh, are you still weaving?' as if they can't imagine that there is something beyond the simple 'making' involved in my interest in continuing to learn about and explore the possibilities. (I write about this in <a href="https://ko-fi.com/s/a244fa1a00">A Thread Runs Through It</a>.)</p><p>I'm wrapping up the shifted twill blocks series I have been doing for over a year. Not that there isn't more I could do, but I'm getting restless and feeling the pressure to make other things, use up different bits of my stash.</p><p>Yesterday I cut off the rest of the warp from warp #19 and began beaming #20. There will be one more warp after the one going into the loom now - to use up as much of the blues as I can. And then I will switch my approach and go 'back' to using 'fancy' twills.</p><p>I'm looking forward to weaving with the very fine singles linen, and who knows, I may purchase more of that yarn in the future. </p><p>But I still have way too much rayon in my stash, and zero shawls in inventory. So I will be scheduling some shawl warps this year.</p><p>Part of the reason I've dragged my feet doing more shawls is that I will be fringe twisting them, and that isn't a job I particularly enjoy doing.</p><p>Mostly I've been working with finer yarns, but in digging through my stash I 'found' some thicker linen yarns. So I've pulled some 2/8 cotton and will do a warp for tea towels using the 2/8 for warp and the thicker linen and some blends for weft (hemp/cotton, for example) and see how much of those I can get used up. I'm looking forward to something that will go a little faster than the finer threads I have been working with.</p><p>But here's the thing. While you *can* make thin fabric from thick yarns, it's not easy. In order to get the quality of cloth I want, my preference is to use thinner yarns. If you make tea towels from 4/8 cotton, you are going to wind up with really thick fabric. The fabric won't fit easily into small spaces (small glasses, corners) and generally the cloth won't be quite as absorbent as a thinner fabric made with thinner yarn.</p><p>People tell me they love my tea towels 'because they work'. Well, that's the whole point. I want the cloth I create to do the job they were intended to do.</p><p>When weaving with 2/16 cotton for warp, the density is between 32 and 36 epi and the ppi is about the same. When weaving with 2/8 cotton for warp, the density is between 20 and 24 for warp.</p><p>It takes longer to thread, sley and then weave the finer cloth. </p><p>I do it because I want *that* quality of cloth. It takes the time it takes to make it. Granted I'm pretty fast, but it still takes time. </p><p>I use weaving as a working meditation. As an aerobic activity. One that helps my body because aerobic activity generates endorphins. Being at the loom is supposed to be my happy place. When I'm weaving I block out what is happening in the broken world we live in and I focus on being in the here and now. I may think about the next warp and let myself poke at the idea, testing it to see if it will produce the quality of cloth I want. But at that point, it's still just a mind exercise. It isn't until I get the warp into the loom and then wet finish the results, that I will know if I have thought through the design process enough in order to achieve the quality of cloth that I want.</p><p>There is nothing 'instant' about weaving. If you want thinner cloth, you might accept that you need to spend more time on the warp set up (32 epi instead of 12 or 15, ditto weft). Using 4/8 cotton for baby blankets or placemats/table runners is a good choice (imho), but not particularly good for tea towels.</p><p>But you get to choose. Maybe spend a little more time in the making and wind up with the quality of cloth you want/need. </p><p>Hone your skills so that it doesn't take days and days to get your loom set up. Practice efficient techniques so that you don't spend days crouched up trying to thread your warp. Be willing to spend some time becoming skilled. (Plenty of hits and tips about <a href="https://www.blurb.com/b/9138231-the-intentional-weaver">working more ergonomically</a> in The Intentional Weaver - or here on this blog for free - although you might have to dig a little harder to find it. Or take the classes at <a href="https://www.schoolofsweetgeorgia.com/?aff=laurafry">School of Sweet Georgia</a> or <a href="https://learn.longthreadmedia.com/courses/the-efficient-weaver-with-laura-fry">Handwoven</a>...)</p><p>Save 'instant' gratification for other things. There is a enormous satisfaction for taking a deep dive into something, learn the ins and outs, develop skill. It's also good for your health - both physical and mental - as long as you work ergonomically.</p><p>Just saying...</p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-68545487555533395892024-03-09T10:47:00.000-08:002024-03-09T10:50:42.114-08:00Learning Opportunities<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhq4xgPTFJnHW84tFMtfTzxBjn5WXzIyXSbx9vNDCtbSrGeZ-AwtznqCuz3eJMo13JI3cpvmn7p8-2HtafLtUQ6nSAyEK0B7dBuds2OH097IhIYpmoqlbaEz0pxRfuOpVv7dGclnpT_QZyNSNMDZvKKhZjcqh7O2oVWfNEBOSSnToYr58hAw0xdGOGCmc/s288/mug.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="288" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhq4xgPTFJnHW84tFMtfTzxBjn5WXzIyXSbx9vNDCtbSrGeZ-AwtznqCuz3eJMo13JI3cpvmn7p8-2HtafLtUQ6nSAyEK0B7dBuds2OH097IhIYpmoqlbaEz0pxRfuOpVv7dGclnpT_QZyNSNMDZvKKhZjcqh7O2oVWfNEBOSSnToYr58hAw0xdGOGCmc/s1600/mug.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>There has been a bit of upheaval in the weaving community since Olds College decided to terminate their master weaver and spinner programs. I hesitated to comment, but now that the dust has settled somewhat, I thought it might be time to review what is available for teaching/testing programs.</p><p>Olds College offered a college level course that provided a certain level of basic to advanced knowledge with an emphasis on learning how to communicate that knowledge. The assumption being that, by the time a student achieved the 'master' certificate they would have a good background in the craft and would be able to teach it effectively. Or, at least, write about it, which is just a form of teaching, after all.</p><p>Many people are feeling the loss of this teaching program deeply, and it is hoped that another college will see the value in it and - if not take the program over - at least offer something similar.</p><p>In the meantime, there are other programs that weavers may find helpful.</p><p>If someone is looking for a teaching program, there is the Ontario guild. When I was looking for programs for myself back in the 1980s, I looked at the Ontario program *because* there was a teaching component. Unfortunately, I simply did not have the financial resources to travel to Ontario yearly for that teaching.</p><p>I looked at the HGA COE, but it was a lot more expensive than the GCW program, and had hard deadlines that I could not meet.</p><p>I also had a group of local weavers already taking the GCW program, and they kindly allowed me to attend their 'meetings'. I learned so much from them that I decided that was the route I would follow.</p><p>There are other guilds with similar programs to the GCW - it is my impression that the GCW program might have used the guidelines for the Boston guild as a basis for the GCW program. One of the founders of the GCW was Mary Sandin, who had, for a time, been a member of the Boston Guild. She, along with Mary Black (yes, *that* Mary Black) and Ethel Henderson formed the GCW and developed the program still in use today.</p><p>Over the years, I've marked levels for GCW and have encouraged people to follow that program. Even if there is no teaching associated with it, the research I did in order to meet the testing requirements, and the samples I was required to weave to show I knew the weave structures, expanded my knowledge enormously.</p><p>It is a self-study program, so you do have to be pretty focused about doing the work and meeting the deadlines. However, they are not 'hard and fast', but allow one to skip a year (or more) before submitting their next level. For example, my 'master' level required a lot more years than I expected, in part because of the amount of research I did, but also the weaving of the samples required to illustrate my monograph.</p><p>Do I regret it? Not one bit.</p><p>I loved teaching the Olds program, in no small part because I wound up teaching level one for most of the time and level one deals with wool and fulling. Since I have been thumping the drum about wet finishing for decades (literally, now) that level was just right up my alley. :D</p><p>The lectures I developed during Covid were directly targeted at my Olds students, especially those in the higher levels, itching to keep learning and working toward their certificate. </p><p>Honestly, if a guild hired me to just present those 11 presentations, they would get a 'master' class in weaving. (A friend told me that if it was true, it wasn't bragging...)</p><p>If I can't come to a guild physically, I can and will happily come remotely.</p><p>Topics and fees listed <a href="http://laurafry.com">on my web site</a>. </p><p>Or buy <a href="https://www.blurb.com/b/9138231-the-intentional-weaver">The Intentional Weaver</a>, which was written based on questions from my Olds students...</p><p><br /></p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-79456079587718683972024-03-08T11:30:00.000-08:002024-03-08T11:30:41.697-08:00Back to Bobbin Lace<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSIjgFWdT5LeCpV9G63x3Es6F-7s1frwmxKMUB-BzmV4AmFMXLqPlGJLMBbK9AKJ9J9geTz17ZIpJ-d4QwCgTmUX7lsNj-ImJXE7-Yff_2npHHaBqKpprwkDyxSDBK8vTmoJs6xYYB3zr30XsUyTE83tfMtuCFdhIMe5EQ55vi1LEI6zwOpf10WjjGt0/s551/little%20star.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="413" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSIjgFWdT5LeCpV9G63x3Es6F-7s1frwmxKMUB-BzmV4AmFMXLqPlGJLMBbK9AKJ9J9geTz17ZIpJ-d4QwCgTmUX7lsNj-ImJXE7-Yff_2npHHaBqKpprwkDyxSDBK8vTmoJs6xYYB3zr30XsUyTE83tfMtuCFdhIMe5EQ55vi1LEI6zwOpf10WjjGt0/s320/little%20star.webp" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Last night was a 'bad' night (again!) and I finally sat down and tried to distract myself by working on the little 'star' I started a few days ago and hadn't touched since.</p><p>It's not perfect, and I'm not entirely happy with it. I think when I took the photo of the pricking the page wasn't entirely flat and that caused the pricking to be slightly distorted. But I'm continuing with this star because I'm learning how I need to approach making it. If I decide to continue, I've learned a number of things that I want to change, plus I'm getting used to working in the 'round', which means a certain amount of fiddling with the cover cloth and making sure the pins are pushed all the way in.</p><p>The cover cloth has a hole in the middle and you place the opening over the area you are working. In the photo, I folded the cloth over so that I could see what I had done. During the working, you only ever see an area about the size of a tennis ball (if that). The cover cloth is over most of the pins but you still wind up catching the threads on the pins surrounding the area you are working on.</p><p>I'm also getting familiar with the sew-in tool again. With the braid crossing over itself, you have to attach the upper braid to the lower and you need to 'sew' the workers to the already made lower braid. It's fiddly, especially when the threads want to catch on everything. But if I don't do it while making the braid, I'd have to 'sew' it after it's off the pillow. </p><p>I don't want to work the lace in the centre of the star, but when I was out the other day I stopped at the Dollar Store (now the $2 store - inflation!) and found a packet of several sizes of glass 'pearls', some of them large enough I could hang one in the middle of the star. So I'll try doing that as part of the 'practice' I'm doing making this first one.</p><p>I have collected several other designs that would be appropriate for a Christmas tree, so I will have several different motifs I can make. Since they have to be ready by the end of October, I have a deadline, so I'm going to have to get cracking. The goal is to have 40 bobbin lace ornaments to hang on the tree. Most of them are fairly small, so I'm not expecting any trouble making that goal in plenty of time. </p><p>If I keep going and stop procrastinating!</p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-89796754914881626632024-03-07T10:41:00.000-08:002024-03-07T10:41:24.974-08:00That Ol' Magic in the Water<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3KaMmxafiEGsrlyBKcpbCyUJoycnRsRhEFfEREFYZ745OG7bB3B1s9C525Vee-xQCCZLqHAagLmcurC7f5WiIdDEz_otoUCibIS1VOO1WRwJH9CzVWqIAV3LrXLPacaokxpJBA7Nd6SGg2VfKSIyYo17Qnjyy616cKboXM0UnPfYERNwlK5SHW2OMB0/s3000/Water%20Drop%206%20white.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3KaMmxafiEGsrlyBKcpbCyUJoycnRsRhEFfEREFYZ745OG7bB3B1s9C525Vee-xQCCZLqHAagLmcurC7f5WiIdDEz_otoUCibIS1VOO1WRwJH9CzVWqIAV3LrXLPacaokxpJBA7Nd6SGg2VfKSIyYo17Qnjyy616cKboXM0UnPfYERNwlK5SHW2OMB0/s320/Water%20Drop%206%20white.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Over the course of my career I have spent hundreds of hours trying to explain to people what wet finishing is, why it needs to be done, and why I don't tell people to 'just wash it'.</p><p>I have documented the process, in print, in videos, in person and now, remotely.</p><p>I rather suspect I will go to my grave still telling weavers that 'it isn't finished until it's wet finished'.</p><p>Recently I saw some advice about how to 'wash' your hand wovens, with the advice that you need to do x, y, z if you want to keep your cloth looking like it looked in the loom.</p><p>I nearly spit out my coffee, but the whole point of wet finishing isn't to keep the individual threads looking like they looked in the loom, but to assist them in the transformation from individual threads to 'whole' cloth.</p><p>At a workshop I taught many moons ago, one student finally 'got' what the point was when they did the wet finishing and exclaimed that they now knew that they wanted to build the cloth they wanted so that it would be the quality of cloth they wanted *after* wet finishing, not make it look like they wanted it to look while still in the loom.</p><p>They finally understood the process of wet finishing was to bring those individual threads together as a whole. They understood that there would be dimensional loss, and how to predict how much that would be. And how minor irregularities - like reed marks, small beating inconsistencies - would be reduced if not eliminated. And that weave structures that relied on the threads moving to areas of least resistance would achieve that deflection - i.e. waffle weave, honeycomb, lace weaves, deflected double weave - and so many more would do that during the wet finishing.</p><p>If fulling was required, that happens in the wet finishing, not in the loom, and the web will absolutely be transformed.</p><p>This month I have given several Zoom presentations about Magic in the Water. It is an opportunity to explain the process, and even, in some cases, demonstrate what I'm talking about. I can show multiple examples of the before (loom state) and after (finished) results. </p><p>And show how the cloth improves via the interaction with water, agitation, and even compression.</p><p>If you want silk to look silk-like, then compressing it will develop the shine we all associate with silk. If you want linen to drape, wet finishing (and then using it) will develop your woven linen yarns into the quality of cloth we expect when we work with linen.</p><p>Potters have to fire their bisque to create 'real' pots. Weavers have to wet finish their webs to create 'real' cloth. Plain and simple.</p><p>In the olden days, the job of weaver and the job of wet finisher were two separate professions. In this day and age, weavers must also become proficient with wet finishing their webs.</p><p>If you want a copy of Magic in the Water (photos only, no actual samples) it is <a href="https://www.blurb.com/b/8516297-magic-in-the-water">still available</a> here in both print and pdf formats.</p><p>If you learn better through demonstrations, I have video classes at <a href="https://learn.longthreadmedia.com/courses/wet-finishing-for-weavers-with-laura-fry">Long Thread Media</a> or <a href="https://www.schoolofsweetgeorgia.com/?aff=laurafry">School of Sweet Georgia.</a></p><p>This isn't just 'my' advice. I was encouraged very strongly by several knowledgeable people to bang this particular drum - one a retired textile engineer emailed me to encourage me to keep letting people know about this final, critical step in turning individual threads into 'whole' cloth. </p><p>Allen Fannin and I agreed to disagree about a number of weaving type things, but he also strongly encouraged me to keep banging this drum.</p><p>And so I have. And so I will.</p><p>I'm still taking bookings for Zoom presentations. If a group chooses the longer 'seminar' format, I can even do some demonstrating. Otherwise, my video classes are where I really document the process.</p><p>But honestly? ALL of the seminars I have listed on <a href="http://laurafry.com">my website</a> are helpful if people want to understand the subtlety of the craft of weaving. Lately I have begun to realize that if a guild booked me for all of the topics at the seminar level, those 11 topics add up to a 'master' class.</p><p>Otherwise, my books cover much of the information - it's just that I can add more info, show samples, include more detail. The Intentional Weaver is a 'textbook', Stories from the Matrix is a collection of essays that includes many of the stories I would tell when I travelled to teach (and more), and A Thread Runs Through It (only available as a pdf in my ko-fi shop) talks about the reality of being a professional production weaver. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOiCWr6caagsTgBQF-0AsAzk0vdp7v7DwjmiRbwpBWfPydHuBJa0uU5CMT4vufxdhEQQx2ENkzEd2eVoL-4dKQ43cAkR0PwxestUdB3loMHVdxLjQd38k3Xd7D3OhJz_Vp9W9hi3fPwAG9n7sGARbWOfIBWwSsjUxN9VwAU0D3CElcKJZsVO_709mLqIg/s1190/project5a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="1190" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOiCWr6caagsTgBQF-0AsAzk0vdp7v7DwjmiRbwpBWfPydHuBJa0uU5CMT4vufxdhEQQx2ENkzEd2eVoL-4dKQ43cAkR0PwxestUdB3loMHVdxLjQd38k3Xd7D3OhJz_Vp9W9hi3fPwAG9n7sGARbWOfIBWwSsjUxN9VwAU0D3CElcKJZsVO_709mLqIg/s320/project5a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>after wet finishing</i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E-f5K_-VONSTN4o1SzrsKKjBuIj9F6wMLtBxZnfdlZLUiZBhOk-OR7F9Qs3sLpuPmthSyquvK8zGqjovleBdM_ywYoyMxO9toui_MHXyYrflfDs4nP1_aztkcBlh4GD8ZsMrYmk_xihHBS6Dz1nDUtV-Np4DTIrrTkbmUqH21WqvwBKNq1fd9DI0VT8/s1332/project5b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1332" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E-f5K_-VONSTN4o1SzrsKKjBuIj9F6wMLtBxZnfdlZLUiZBhOk-OR7F9Qs3sLpuPmthSyquvK8zGqjovleBdM_ywYoyMxO9toui_MHXyYrflfDs4nP1_aztkcBlh4GD8ZsMrYmk_xihHBS6Dz1nDUtV-Np4DTIrrTkbmUqH21WqvwBKNq1fd9DI0VT8/s320/project5b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>loom state</i></b></div><br /><p><br /></p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-63897394456218723012024-03-06T14:43:00.000-08:002024-03-06T14:43:27.965-08:00Flexibility<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9Pyj7vyYGjszwwO17oyv5RhVV5iaoEyDAirH79Ygc92weid9lGPOY6BbF5bg02RtDBuXiU7_LHbt1f9BLV34V3XTZaMcaRYkldE-jfjj3U4CdowvZKwQrGcJ_5RGzR3RZrb2YEPMMJtQaZ7S1d9tQ0q-cwwc3RzEwEn6t5-dIn7bXNzxIFVnZIjnqQc/s1200/Plans-vs.-Reality.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="1200" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9Pyj7vyYGjszwwO17oyv5RhVV5iaoEyDAirH79Ygc92weid9lGPOY6BbF5bg02RtDBuXiU7_LHbt1f9BLV34V3XTZaMcaRYkldE-jfjj3U4CdowvZKwQrGcJ_5RGzR3RZrb2YEPMMJtQaZ7S1d9tQ0q-cwwc3RzEwEn6t5-dIn7bXNzxIFVnZIjnqQc/s320/Plans-vs.-Reality.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Having reached the age where my body has begun falling apart, I have now acquired, um, 5 different therapists? In addition to my dentist, eye doctors, family doctor, oncologist, etm.</p><p>One of the hard lessons I have had to learn is there is no more 'bulldozing' through things. So today, when I had been expecting to weave two sessions, I find myself 'nursing' my feet after having had a therapy session today. Probably should not have gone 'shopping' afterwards, but...needs must.</p><p>My body is...complicated. </p><p>Oh, I know, it isn't any more complicated than anyone else's! But the answers to what is going 'wrong' with my body seem to be subtle (who knew?) and answers are difficult to sort out. Some things I just have to live with, apparently. But the therapist today says if the current approach works, I might just wind up with a more functional body, after all.</p><p>After multiple disappointments, I'm trying really hard to NOT get my hopes up. All I want is to be able to keep weaving. If that means taking a rest day after a therapy session, I guess...I rest.</p><p>People used to remark at how patient I am, given I play with string (in a variety of different ways) but I'm not. Patient, that is. I want to see results for my effort. It just means that I don't need instant gratification and am willing to invest my time and energy to get those results (or close enough). Yes, even if it takes time, frequently weeks, to complete something.</p><p>I mean, you don't need patience for something you enjoy doing, right? </p><p>We had a bit of a cold snap the past few days, but it is supposed to begin warming up and it is feeling like spring might actually be on its way. </p><p>I really don't want to get my hopes up, but honestly? If this therapy works, there is a chance I could actually start teaching again. </p><p>Had a conversation with the guild treasurer today, and we discussed how to encourage and support our 'baby' weavers. And I found myself saying that if this new therapy works, there is a chance I could actually teach for my local guild again.</p><p>And now? Now that seed has been planted and I'm left wondering...can I teach? Do I want to? Do I dare to think that it might be possible?</p><p>Sigh.</p><p>OTOH, while I was out my yarn order from Brassard arrived. So now I *really* want to finish off the current warp and get started on the next. </p><p>Tomorrow. Only a day away. I could always make some lace?</p><p><br /></p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-83660215490805932152024-03-05T11:35:00.000-08:002024-03-05T11:36:15.487-08:00Teaching. Remotely<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fRnDbpfrkdgaleMy3bUOYwhTnEIKwJEH73VU7qHhKlQVeyg-ed_9zUlZulpVpZy02i2YF-_0ppy7k4xS40OKjZvnNqgWTLh0L_cKSG9T8G1M7C-7Ye7oHrMuy2ZL5Rvvgyh55V0iZnZVeFqy53uOiGBzH_EfLkj3Q2vfzVTPTn-OxRwCZnEqvDHV6nE/s324/zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="156" data-original-width="324" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fRnDbpfrkdgaleMy3bUOYwhTnEIKwJEH73VU7qHhKlQVeyg-ed_9zUlZulpVpZy02i2YF-_0ppy7k4xS40OKjZvnNqgWTLh0L_cKSG9T8G1M7C-7Ye7oHrMuy2ZL5Rvvgyh55V0iZnZVeFqy53uOiGBzH_EfLkj3Q2vfzVTPTn-OxRwCZnEqvDHV6nE/s320/zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I have a few Zoom presentations this month. I'm looking forward to all of them, honestly. I get to talk about the thing I do, the thing I love. I get to answer questions. Not everyone agrees with me, and that's fine. Since if you change something in that chain of design/process decisions, everything else has to change to accommodate the initial change, my reality may not fit someone else's.</p><p>And that's the thing about weaving (or spinning, felting, knitting, pretty much every hand made 'craft') is that we work with different fibres/yarns, we have different equipment, we are making different qualities of cloth.</p><p>Everything from inkle type bands to silk gauzes, adjustments have to be made along the design/crafting journey.</p><p>If I convey nothing else, I hope to encourage people to explore, expand their design horizons, fill their toolboxes with as many different techniques they can manage. Then to think. What do they want to make? What job is the textile to do? </p><p>I'm no longer worrying overly about teaching in person, because most of what I want to convey to people is to think. Make their own best choices. </p><p>One way of doing that is to share what I do, yes, but to encourage people to ask questions. Of me, of any other weaver they talk to. Read books, but always question - is this information pertinent to what I want to do? What I want to make? Does the author have wisdom to impart that will grow my knowledge? </p><p>And so I encourage people to decide for themselves. I will tell them of my experiences, but then I tell them - do what is 'right' for you. If you don't agree with something I've said, well, ignore me if my advice isn't appropriate.</p><p>But also? Don't stay doing something just because that's the way you have always done it. Especially when that particular piece of advice doesn't seem to be working.</p><p>We make assumptions based on our experience, our reality. But others may have different parameters - different equipment, different yarns, different climate! </p><p>Over the years I've learned that some fibres really do react to things like relative humidity, sometimes in very dramatic ways (looking at you, Tencel! and linen! but also silk. and rayon. well, every yarn, pretty much!!!)</p><p>Someone who lives in a climate where the relative humidity is high will have a very different experience than someone who lives in a climate where the relative humidity is low.</p><p>The more I do these remote lectures/programs, the more I hope to get people to think. I *love* when people ask questions. The presentation on Sunday ran over, in part because there were loads of questions. Some people had to leave before we were done, but I'd given permission for the guild to record the presentation so that people could review the presentation, and those who had to leave early, or couldn't make the live presentation, would still have access to the information later.</p><p>I warned the person who booked me that my presentations are a bit of a 'fire hose', and at the end she said there had been So Much information that she was going to go back and watch the recording and take notes.</p><p>Music to my ears.</p><p>Yes, I'm still taking bookings. Email me laura at laurafry dot com</p><p>Or consider one (or all?) of my books, <a href="https://www.blurb.com/b/11633019-stories-from-the-matrix">available here</a> or for the latest <a href="https://ko-fi.com/s/a244fa1a00">available as a pdf</a> only here</p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-30108095593061452432024-03-04T11:43:00.000-08:002024-03-04T11:43:35.947-08:00Waste Not, Want Not<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWErnABx5j_ZS56s1sCBqu4vmY4SumJ6GcKf9mPpPBRs4gMGxi4FkJuES_MAWoaaLHLpNqRKLhwkF5BxOyUONIg9L7YQxX48VH5qkuYIuO7Q_Y9Vuu9zYYG0tcL2DhmDSErrfqIX30UbyTI90hgUc-Q9eFAC2YNzSHkQOBYBoXyw2yg2dipS5AGllnhi4/s1981/brokenbobbin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1981" data-original-width="1961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWErnABx5j_ZS56s1sCBqu4vmY4SumJ6GcKf9mPpPBRs4gMGxi4FkJuES_MAWoaaLHLpNqRKLhwkF5BxOyUONIg9L7YQxX48VH5qkuYIuO7Q_Y9Vuu9zYYG0tcL2DhmDSErrfqIX30UbyTI90hgUc-Q9eFAC2YNzSHkQOBYBoXyw2yg2dipS5AGllnhi4/s320/brokenbobbin.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>broken bobbin</i></b></div><br /><p></p><p>This morning I was scrolling through Facebook while drinking my second cup of coffee and the site began offering me videos of wood turners making amazing wooden items.</p><p>As I watched the lathe spinning, the tools gradually bringing unique forms out of blocks of wood, I thought about 'waste'.</p><p>Coils of wood were spiraling off the spinning block - the 'waste' created as the turner made things from the raw material.</p><p>And I thought about all 'creative' pursuits, and how each one has an element of 'waste' involved in the making. Then I thought about weavers and how hard some of them work to create no waste at all.</p><p>Which is admirable, but honestly, do they sweep up every speck of flour when they bake bread? Other examples occurred to me, but the bottom line is this. If you make something out of raw materials, you *will* create 'waste'.</p><p>Now, our waste can, in some cases, be turned into someone else's raw materials. For example, I 'save' all my thrums (the ends of warps) and hand them over to a spinner who then uses them to create new yarns. But all the same, I do not keep every inch of thread/yarn. The tie on portion of my warps gets tossed. I create 'waste' when I serge the raw ends and the machine cuts off about .25 of an inch as it sews the overcast stitch. </p><p>When a bobbin shattered while I was winding yarn onto it, I did not try to salvage the less than an ounce of yarn. It went into the bin. I *might* have stripped the yarn off and tossed the bobbin into the plastic recycling bin, but I don't remember.</p><p>I send my 'waste' paper to the paper recycling. Vegetable peelings get put into the compost bin. Plastic packaging goes into the recycling bin for that. We created a 'recycling' area in our kitchen so it's easy peasy to put our general 'waste' into the appropriate bin. And then walk the bins to the curb every second week when the recycling truck comes by.</p><p>But my yarn? Mostly my yarn is 'natural' - cotton, mostly, some linen, some rayon (which is regenerated cellulose, therefore 'natural'), silk. All of those fibres will degrade back into the molecules they are made of.</p><p>What I do avoid is anything made from petroleum. I do have a very limited amount of that type of yarn in my studio, but very little, and mostly it has been someone passing their stash on to me. So I keep those yarns to tie warp chains, weave headers, and such jobs. </p><p>I applaud people who attempt to create less 'waste'. But each of us has to come to grips with the fact that one of the results involved in the act of creation, whatever medium we use, will be to have 'waste'. Choose what you are willing to 'waste' and how much effort you want to put into reducing that waste.</p><p>But get used to the fact that there *will* be 'waste'. </p><p>Make things, anyway.</p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-20866489984175106492024-03-03T13:32:00.000-08:002024-03-03T13:33:35.838-08:00Aftermath<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhX9loWkLfpCMrQmoMeByZp9MbdQVjmHILaiq6YDltnz_yKk5qzz6NipADQle237oD_mFJ9iUOhkbx2GDvYPM8accxvPtSLQ4wbJ_anQ9vYwx20gyYDU-OTOozeHeRsItvK49nHtfPkcXd6is3wvhL3mjA3p1njvyrTdcGqmMY2kEoyzNK_gC3yrrsVdv8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhX9loWkLfpCMrQmoMeByZp9MbdQVjmHILaiq6YDltnz_yKk5qzz6NipADQle237oD_mFJ9iUOhkbx2GDvYPM8accxvPtSLQ4wbJ_anQ9vYwx20gyYDU-OTOozeHeRsItvK49nHtfPkcXd6is3wvhL3mjA3p1njvyrTdcGqmMY2kEoyzNK_gC3yrrsVdv8" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>This morning I did a presentation for a guild via Zoom. As part of the presentation, I was going to do some fulling, so I covered the Megado with plastic in case of any water spatter (a potential problem). There were stacks of samples to show and discuss, a stack of books, more samples, the pre-wetted out 'scarf' to full. During the presentation (which had a break part way through) I also grabbed the box with the cold mangle, plus other tools I tend to commonly use - brushes, rolling pin, samples of actual Fuller's teasels, and non-Fuller's teasels that people so frequently claim are the real deal - but they aren't. </p><p>I couldn't find the small wooden folding table so I set up one of the old metal ones - which promptly collapsed - but made the point. Fulling isn't always 'gentle'. Sometimes, there has to be force used.</p><p>Now? Now I have to put all of that away again.</p><p>A presentation like this might seem like very little preparation goes into it, but that perception is wrong. Most teachers will spend time thinking about what they have to say, then tailor their content to the available amount of time. In this case I had 2.5 hours, so I could add in a lot more detail, share points of trivia, share more samples, talk about more books, than there is usually time for.</p><p>And now that it's over? The clean up needs to be done. </p><p>I had hoped to get to the loom today, but I didn't sleep all that well and was up early - for me. I think the most I can do is clean up this mess, then press the 10 towels ready for pressing (8 of which have sold) and then maybe get to the post office on Tuesday. I have other obligations on Monday, plus another Zoom on Tuesday, so I get to do this all over again. :)</p><p>But I also want to get this warp off the loom this week, so I'm hoping I can do two weaving sessions on Monday, and maybe one on Tuesday. It looks like 6 more towels can be woven on this warp and then it will be cut off and the next warp beamed.</p><p>In the meantime, Brassard says my yarn order was ready to be shipped. I don't have an email notifying me of the tracking number yet, so it may not leave Quebec until Monday. And then it takes about 10 days to get here. </p><p>There will be time for me to think about how I want to use the new linen from Lithuania and hope I chose the 'right' colours for the warp. Theoretically it should look nice, but you never know until you start weaving.</p><p>Better go shift all that rubble back to where it belongs and press those towels. That might be all I accomplish today.</p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-49834395710914046042024-03-02T11:29:00.000-08:002024-03-02T11:29:02.435-08:00Making Things<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44AK4574JRzDzLx_EGWonPfuorFtBtEKF6kWrKbCT_DnTdgN-aTjA3RdJaZfkP5T-sBFyR7DISriAjKCiki_X73MmigzxdaMJicKnh7XUltZzTyoGip4iEVEzT8GoWaKTU87XSfePK9nvHGvGgO4cgQqxoq5gCtLmFmRFm2wmwnLTSzCyMrLij2pg-DQ/s971/matrixcover.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="971" data-original-width="780" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44AK4574JRzDzLx_EGWonPfuorFtBtEKF6kWrKbCT_DnTdgN-aTjA3RdJaZfkP5T-sBFyR7DISriAjKCiki_X73MmigzxdaMJicKnh7XUltZzTyoGip4iEVEzT8GoWaKTU87XSfePK9nvHGvGgO4cgQqxoq5gCtLmFmRFm2wmwnLTSzCyMrLij2pg-DQ/s320/matrixcover.png" width="257" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While I was writing this book of essays, I was also working on a new-to-me approach to designing. As part of that process, I worked in a series, with each new design building upon the previous designs and what I had learned in the process.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After about 18 months of pushing, pulling and tweaking the drafts, I think I'm ready to move on. But I feel like my current design is pretty decent (although still not 'perfect'!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There is much to be said for allowing the design process to take all the time it needs in order to get to the point where you feel you have pushed the boundaries as far as you want - or need - to do. And then it is perfectly ok to go back to something simpler, easier.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have enough yarn for two more warps of the current 'blue', and I think I will go back to a couple earlier iterations of the tile design currently on the loom, which was kind of the 'pinnacle' of my development of this line of exploration.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFXdKPg8V0VqoGsqe2HVnj6eQbJMeranoRHIP-LNh3usQDn-TymCQbVpxl3FT-Ir4X46HvmH_k3h7_MEvqb4ZDbciyZNhvR40SzGBKgnPyv8SC7dNi2oSxBB5mEsxPWG9N0VseK1UHlwWrc2QOsAIwBOQgvTYYGKzVcGI2HPOvEWU07nCIMGshrRnLlc/s4032/shifted%20blocks%20full%20design.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFXdKPg8V0VqoGsqe2HVnj6eQbJMeranoRHIP-LNh3usQDn-TymCQbVpxl3FT-Ir4X46HvmH_k3h7_MEvqb4ZDbciyZNhvR40SzGBKgnPyv8SC7dNi2oSxBB5mEsxPWG9N0VseK1UHlwWrc2QOsAIwBOQgvTYYGKzVcGI2HPOvEWU07nCIMGshrRnLlc/s320/shifted%20blocks%20full%20design.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>I have 10 of this design ready to sell, with another 5 or maybe 6, left on the loom to be woven. I'm hoping to finish this warp off in the coming week, although the entire month of March somehow got very packed with appointments of one sort or another.<p></p><p>However, since this design seems to have stirred some interest, I have listed the first 10 towels <a href="https://ko-fi.com/s/70074ae6d6">in my ko-fi shop</a>. This one is listed as Matrix 19, and there are still *some* of the first 18 designs still available there as well.</p><p>There is also still one signed copy of Matrix left, and once that is gone, it will <a href="https://www.blurb.com/b/11633019-stories-from-the-matrix">continue to be available</a> in both pdf and print options. I wrote about the development of this weave structure in Stories from the Matrix, including a 'skeleton' tie up.</p><p>If you have 16 (or more) shafts and a computer assisted dobby, weaving these designs is easy - once you understand the logic of how it works. After 18 months, I still have to remind myself of how to make the weave structure behave the way I want it to. I use Fiberworks as my weaving software, but any software will work. Although I did have to dig my graph paper out and do it 'old school' to do the initial work of understanding how to make it all weave the way I wanted it to.</p><p>Speaking of appointments, I have a number of Zoom presentations this month. If anyone is interested in booking me for a guild program (1 hour - although fair warning I do tend to run over because there is SO much to share) or seminar (2 hours - but again, tend to run over especially if there are lots of questions). My topics are listed <a href="http://laurafry.com">on my website</a>, and if you book now, I will honour the current pricing if I decide to increase my fees later this year (maybe in July? TBD).</p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-34340717724421563412024-03-01T13:18:00.000-08:002024-03-01T13:18:47.511-08:00Overview<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILCaORDtkHiVCCttzXuuuVJ1PSezppN8SmSBkQ71E5x_DkFmDIuy1DGJEE_2OubfC9k3zUYpdIvo_uCSFhfsH5bUsfOKn20EMivrL_IWE0eapVO7yJd4CJgKZI1WeJEaqo4pKtDi7yqrcqbQA_fzhB3ZfDdXqLjKfYIzKX0-q9wAYGOBKWYqcrroFhsc/s4032/shifted%20blocks%20full%20design.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILCaORDtkHiVCCttzXuuuVJ1PSezppN8SmSBkQ71E5x_DkFmDIuy1DGJEE_2OubfC9k3zUYpdIvo_uCSFhfsH5bUsfOKn20EMivrL_IWE0eapVO7yJd4CJgKZI1WeJEaqo4pKtDi7yqrcqbQA_fzhB3ZfDdXqLjKfYIzKX0-q9wAYGOBKWYqcrroFhsc/s320/shifted%20blocks%20full%20design.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Not 'eye candy' photo, but showing more of the design. It still isn't all visible, but I think you can get a better idea of what the towel looks like, including the hem area.</p><p>I generally weave a hem area, in part to let myself know when I'm reaching the end of the towel. It also tends to 'frame' the overall design, plus the hem area can be expanded or shrunk to accommodate the overall motif and bring the finished towel in line with the dimensions I want the towel to be.</p><p>So far I have 10 towels in this colour in this design. There should be another 5, maybe 6 on the loom. I'm hemming what is ready to be hemmed, and will be posting these on my ko-fi shop in the next few days.</p><p>In the meantime, there are other others woven in the same technique, but with different motifs and colours. <a href="https://ko-fi.com/laurafry">https://ko-fi.com/laurafry</a> </p><p><br /></p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-53728966029175371172024-02-29T15:15:00.000-08:002024-02-29T15:15:44.606-08:00Stops and Starts<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_36yO1ZDur-q4KUGB1k_aaG70S3EOIIJUG3GvhDkQogEfQurZavzG-7h7TPPMXRWOrENeBDfLNgtm7Pui9Yv-0wExd6FgNDnzvzyvSZLEc6dmTOc7T9Qr82PUQXTqOT4Co_D3IzWuE16diP7bLgJcXsqj5v6NODIJ2Rg-b3iXv1T9N7ryQMcrH_ikT5E/s2801/shifted%20tiles%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2801" data-original-width="2794" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_36yO1ZDur-q4KUGB1k_aaG70S3EOIIJUG3GvhDkQogEfQurZavzG-7h7TPPMXRWOrENeBDfLNgtm7Pui9Yv-0wExd6FgNDnzvzyvSZLEc6dmTOc7T9Qr82PUQXTqOT4Co_D3IzWuE16diP7bLgJcXsqj5v6NODIJ2Rg-b3iXv1T9N7ryQMcrH_ikT5E/s320/shifted%20tiles%203.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>It's hard to get a good photo of this design, in part because the motifs are large, but I got the first 14 towels into the washer/dryer and have begun hemming.</p><p>I'm not entirely pleased with it. I could have shaved some more 'roughness' from the transitions from one area to the next, but it's fine. I'm happy enough with it.</p><p>Today I heard from Brassard that the yarn I ordered to use for warp for the linen weft is being shipped today. OTOH, I have to finish this warp, plus there is enough yarn for two more of this colour combo. I'm so close to being 'done' with this series, I think I'll stick it out and go ahead with the next two warps in this 'blue' and explore the other 'tile' designs I worked on but haven't yet woven.</p><p>The colour isn't quite accurate because my ipad has difficulty with some colours, and this sort of 'cyan' blue is one of them.</p><p>The warp is actually two colours - Brassard's Peacock and Bleu Moyen. I wasn't sure if I was going to be happy with the natural white weft, but I think it works in this 'tile' design. The next warp will be another variation of the tiles and I'll decide if I do one more once I get that warp into the loom, sometime next week at my current rate of progress.</p><p>As I continue to try different therapies, I have to accommodate the reaction to those therapies. My body isn't always impressed with my efforts to improve function, and sometimes I find myself stymied with a body that just doesn't want to co-operate any further until things settle down. </p><p>After nearly 3 years of the misery of peripheral neuropathy in my feet, it seems like I may have finally found a treatment (if not a 'cure' - I don't know that there IS a cure...)</p><p>As a teenager/young adult, I bought into the idea that 'everyone' is healthy and if I wasn't, it must be my 'fault'. After the first treatment for cardiac blockages, I booked an appointment with the cardiac nurse at the hospital, who went through a very long questionnaire (20 pages?), looking at every aspect of my life. Since heart disease is generally thought to be a lifestyle disease, I wanted to know what I had done to cause this, and therefore what I needed to do to 'fix' it.</p><p>At the end she looked at the results of the questionnaire, and tapping her pencil on the table, said, "Well, you were doing everything right."</p><p>There was a moment of silence as I absorbed her comment. In frustration, I said "If I did everything right, why am I here, then?" Meaning, why did I just need to have stents installed in my heart, need to take statins, bp meds. She gave me a good long look and then said "You can't beat genetics." Oh.</p><p>The myth that 'everyone is healthy' - unless they did something stupid, or chose risky behaviours, etc., was suddenly revealed to me. The more vocal I got, here and elsewhere, about what I was going through, especially subsequent health issues, the more I realized that being healthy is not the 'norm'. We just pretend to be healthy and functioning - or at least a great many of us do. </p><p>When I was a kid, my mother hid any illness or weakness from her friends. It was considered to be in poor taste to admit to needing help, needing therapy, for instance, for being unable to function up to the standard of well-being that was being touted as 'normal'.</p><p>I am very fortunate that I have been able to surround myself with therapists who are willing to work with me, who help me keep weaving, and generally guide me into better approaches to living with chronic pain.</p><p>But there is still that inner me who remembers the body I used to have and mourns the fact that I cannot deny that my body is wearing out.</p><p>The goal now is to keep going, as best I can, for as long as I can, because, yes, I ordered more yarn! And I would really love to be able to bring my fibre dreams into reality. And who knows, maybe help a few people with weaving questions. </p><p>If that means I take more 'rest' days, then so be it. Stopping before I hurt myself some more is better than continuing to push on until I harm myself further. My deadlines are truly self-inflicted. I can move a task to the next day, or even the day after.</p><p>And I can still teach, even if it is 'only' by Zoom.</p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-77795410127299196252024-02-27T11:08:00.000-08:002024-02-27T11:08:55.460-08:00Derailed<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYL0GkOoKrAsnC5ue-dv4A14ibNE9rZ58jiUntUW0NR3lQfbaNyv_hME-Nc15nQl_SUaRlR1oSFH6-Dv_fqDW0ey4UfRmE1k8NIy1spp64pkmkUyfzc8GS26MoGOiyx-3FuobXxNbGTmC9lCoYpK6yhNcSaY1ICwkRNxC6ShHfGr5T2kdPRDq7s-QAV0/s1200/Plans-vs.-Reality.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="1200" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYL0GkOoKrAsnC5ue-dv4A14ibNE9rZ58jiUntUW0NR3lQfbaNyv_hME-Nc15nQl_SUaRlR1oSFH6-Dv_fqDW0ey4UfRmE1k8NIy1spp64pkmkUyfzc8GS26MoGOiyx-3FuobXxNbGTmC9lCoYpK6yhNcSaY1ICwkRNxC6ShHfGr5T2kdPRDq7s-QAV0/s320/Plans-vs.-Reality.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>If you remember the 'flying fickle finger of fate' you must be as old as I am...</p><p>I had another epidural injection last week and once again my hope ramped up - this time, THIS TIME, it would 'work' and I would have less pain.</p><p>Once again, hope has been dashed on the cliffs of reality.</p><p>Today is a 'busy' day. Well, I mean, it wouldn't be considered busy according to past me, the me that had a body that actually worked and wasn't trying to, I dunno, punish me for the abuse I heaped upon it, lo these many years?</p><p>So, instead of getting shit done today, I am limping along (literally as well as figuratively), grateful that my teaching these days is remote via Zoom. Running on 3 hours of restless sleep.</p><p>OTOH, I do have a Zoom presentation to do later today, by which time I should be more functional than I am now.</p><p>The topic for today is The Goldilocks Zone, and instead of weaving, I'm nursing my second cup of coffee, thinking about what I should do - and what I should not. Weaving has now been moved from the should to the should not list. I can weave tomorrow. Maybe.</p><p>Generally weaving doesn't seem to make things worse, but given my rather 'busy' week, I'm not going to push. Since I *am* retired (for certain values of) and weaving is now my pastime, not my profession, all deadlines are self-inflicted and are then, mutable.</p><p>A lesson I am beginning to learn.</p><p>Does not make me any happier, but less angry, I suppose.</p><p>Since I also ordered more yarn on Sunday night in order to weave that luscious new linen singles that arrived, I really do want to make headway on the current warps in the queue so that I can enjoy the linen once the new warp yarns arrive. But there is no hurry. I have no craft fairs or other sales venues that I need to prepare for, and truth be told, I've got *lots* of inventory (check out <a href="https://ko-fi.com/laurafry/shop">my ko-fi shop</a>) so when ever I get to weaving more is fine. Just fine. </p><p>I'd much rather be at the loom than not. </p><p>My hope is not quite dead - yet. I have an appointment tomorrow with another therapist to see if I might benefit from a new therapy. It's a bit, um, cutting edge, sounds a bit 'woo woo', but the pain doctor says the literature is showing some promise. So I'll go talk to this 'new' doctor and see what he says.</p><p>The sharp blade of my hope is getting very thin these days, tbh.</p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-8408346670084259712024-02-26T11:16:00.000-08:002024-02-26T11:16:23.392-08:00Believing in Yourself<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOCMulSC095v6ZbeqyPMcehPsuSCtq_a0aNku3Z7XYiB6nxsaMWiQuuRP3CWklXLdJ6nZxkDiZXvVkVe6eYtIk_BMVcnWeJkh4QECjZBuLdFJR05_HMArrs31aPq0WHSWDBdJEln0OrV65f-mcyWKX2shPt2n5FiRl8uzEzeap00JPHQgJyzwxqpmoj4/s975/Stories%20cover.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="783" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOCMulSC095v6ZbeqyPMcehPsuSCtq_a0aNku3Z7XYiB6nxsaMWiQuuRP3CWklXLdJ6nZxkDiZXvVkVe6eYtIk_BMVcnWeJkh4QECjZBuLdFJR05_HMArrs31aPq0WHSWDBdJEln0OrV65f-mcyWKX2shPt2n5FiRl8uzEzeap00JPHQgJyzwxqpmoj4/s320/Stories%20cover.png" width="257" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>There is a certain amount of...hubris...involved in being a creative person as your profession.</p><p>I mean, society is quick to tell someone when they have overstepped their boundaries, tried too much, failed in the process. </p><p>The internet seems to have ramped up that dynamic even more, perhaps because when you don't like what someone else has done, you can tell them, but do it from the distance of the internet. You don't tell them to their face, so to speak, which seems to make it easy to let people know they have 'failed' you in some way.</p><p>You don't like what they did, so it becomes extremely easy to let them know of their 'failing'.</p><p>I'm old enough to remember Thumper's mom who advised that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.</p><p>Instead, someone will post something they made, something they are happy with, proud, even, and someone will come along and yuk all over their yum, as someone commented the other day.</p><p>In the nearly 50 years I have been weaving I have made a whole lot of stuff I have not been happy with. A lot of my stuff has something not quite 'perfect' about it. But someone once told me not to let 'perfect' kill 'good', and so I accept that I am not perfect but that I can make good cloth.</p><p>I can even write 'good'. </p><p>But even the most confident creative in the world likes to have a little positive feedback. Fortunately I get enough of that positivity that I find I can keep going. </p><p>Usually I would get that positive feedback when I travelled to teach. People would approach me to say they read this blog, or had my book (at the time I only had the one), or that they appreciated my input on the online group(s) I belonged to. </p><p>Now that I don't travel to teach anymore, that positive feedback is no longer there. And at times I wonder if anyone is paying attention. It seems like I send my words out into the ether, the great void, and see if anyone says anything. </p><p>Sometimes I do get an email, or a comment here, and I know that some of you are still reading. I can look at page views on this blog and know that yes, I do have a loyal 'following'. It's not just bots scraping my site so they can spam me, or leave 'ads' in my comments (which I remove).</p><p>I have had several people contact me, likely based on my page view count, asking me to tout their products. They will pay me, they say. I always turn them down. I won't 'shill' for someone, especially for products I don't actually use - or want to support.</p><p>Maybe it's because I'm old, now. I no longer feel the need to 'prove' myself to anyone. I've left most of the online groups because I'm tired of explaining, over and over again how and why things work in weaving, only to have people argue with me or tell me I'm wrong.</p><p>I know I can be wrong. But so can everyone else. And if someone isn't willing to take in more information and then base their decisions on additional information, I am not going to waste my time or theirs. </p><p>When I wrote The Intentional Weaver it was to fill a need that I saw - a compilation of the kind of subtleties involved in the craft that were not, to my knowledge, between the covers of just one book. (There may be others - I just wasn't aware of them - so I wrote a book to make it easier for my students to find, all in one place.)</p><p>When I wrote Stories, I wanted to expand on some of the things in TIW, and cover other things that were outside of the focus of a weaving textbook. And the latest, A Thread Runs Through It, to examine the reality of being a professional production weaver. Or at least, MY reality in that role.</p><p>I follow a number of authors on various social media. Over and over again, they all say the same thing - if you like what an author has done, *LET THEM KNOW*. Even better? Let *others* know.</p><p>Because I can believe in myself all I like - but that doesn't pay the bills. Selling books, does.</p><p>So, here's the deal. I'm not the only weaver writing books. If you really like someone's book, there are a number of things you can do.</p><p>Comment about it on your social media.</p><p>Write a book review.</p><p>Contact the author, let them know you found their book useful, helpful.</p><p>If all we get is silence, there is little incentive to keep writing. And it takes so very little to encourage us to keep writing.</p><p>Speaking of which Stacey Harvey-Brown has a new book coming out about <a href="https://www.crowood.com/products/woven-optical-illusions-by-stacey-harvey-brown-katharina-kronig">Optical Woven Illusions</a>. I'm sure she'd love to sell a few books...(just saying)...</p><p>My books <a href="https://www.blurb.com/my/store">available here</a> and <a href="https://ko-fi.com/laurafry/shop">here</a></p><p>Signed copies of The Intentional Weaver only <a href="https://shop.sweetgeorgiayarns.com/products/the-intentional-weaver?_pos=1&_psq=The+Intentional+Weaver&_ss=e&_v=1.0">available here</a></p><p><br /></p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-18481935760865236552024-02-25T12:33:00.000-08:002024-02-25T12:33:42.625-08:00Quiet Days<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXTsa6wqzuy3lTdimv4y7_7bJru_gUIEd_qhOIrEoc17Fz1nVEP0chfInq8vNq0yKV93Ie4Sk9t39Iige13K4d2K30TmwAIPxCe42l8vtcvY5FtM8hb0U9KQcD4jyCvRlTcuK6Sk8UI1qkbpMnsqEETxEBDDDLIrkzq8blr7MMpjZPiADTX7hmtuNsIw/s500/winterfrost.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="500" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXTsa6wqzuy3lTdimv4y7_7bJru_gUIEd_qhOIrEoc17Fz1nVEP0chfInq8vNq0yKV93Ie4Sk9t39Iige13K4d2K30TmwAIPxCe42l8vtcvY5FtM8hb0U9KQcD4jyCvRlTcuK6Sk8UI1qkbpMnsqEETxEBDDDLIrkzq8blr7MMpjZPiADTX7hmtuNsIw/s320/winterfrost.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I had another epidural injection on Thursday, and everyone says to be 'quiet' for a few days afterwards in order to let the injection take effect. I'm not very good at being 'quiet' in the way that they mean, but I'm trying really really hard these days to be kinder to my body.</p><p>Today I'm feeling less battered, so I am going to go to the loom after lunch and try weaving. I'm not sure I'll do two sessions, although I'd really like to get this next batch of towels off the loom so I can inspect and repair them, and along with the first 7, get them into the washer/dryer to be wet finished.</p><p>OTOH, I did manage to deal with a couple of things I'd been procrastinating over, so there is that.</p><p>I have also contacted another therapist at the suggestion of the pain doctor, and will see them on Wednesday, to see if I can get additional help for the peripheral neuropathy that continues to plague me.</p><p>I am ever so grateful I got into the local pain clinic as the doctor there seems open and willing to work with me and try to help make my life a bit easier. All of my therapists know how much I want - *need* - to keep weaving, and they take that into consideration as they work with me. All of them understand the benefits I get from weaving - the aerobic activity that generates endorphins and actually helps manage my pain, but also? The mental health benefits. So I give them all weaving 'gifts' as an additional thank you. I mean, they are keeping me able to weave, they should benefit from that, too?</p><p>Winter is not over here. Yesterday it snowed some. Not a lot, but at least a little is better than nothing. But tonight the temperature will plunge below -20C again. That may be the last kick of the dying season.</p><p>We are hoping for a 'wet' spring - but not *too* wet, or there will be landslides, especially after all the forests burned last year. OTOH, fire season has already begun with fires that smoldered over winter springing back into life. I think 2024 is going to be all sorts of shades of 'interesting'. And not in a good way.</p><p>But I think I can at least do one session at the loom today, so I'm going to try and see how it goes.</p><p>I have also got quite a few Zoom presentations lined up. The next one is Tuesday evening. Then a one-on-one student for bobbin lace on Saturday. If she has recovered from the plague by then. The guild room does have an air filter, though, and she will wear a mask - and so will I. </p><p>My goal to remain covid free continues. But I do still want to teach, so I continue to book Zoom presentations. </p><p>Topics are listed on my <a href="http://laurafry.com">website</a></p><p>I'm thinking about raising my fees as a number of guilds have told me I'm not charging enough (some have even sent more than I'm asking for since they said they learned so much!) However, if a guild books now, I will honour my current fee structure. </p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-11367218906945435382024-02-24T13:20:00.000-08:002024-02-24T13:20:32.561-08:00The Secret to Success<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQjDK9Ij0ibNH8K93BmHZdMbURp0RRSxJe-SfcZhFVERLQdQt0Y7B05vFW0aedlkRyWvp1AjVBFvDUct7HZYLInLKh3QKXVbGtiodW-PNTVZW2tt3FpOc70aaIAdItgf2uuTLZEQOjA1msi_YXhCXo6WpyVVmaSnWvvoENXhmD_ohs2Xpknr1sBK0R6tM/s738/cover-trim-no-fold-front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="599" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQjDK9Ij0ibNH8K93BmHZdMbURp0RRSxJe-SfcZhFVERLQdQt0Y7B05vFW0aedlkRyWvp1AjVBFvDUct7HZYLInLKh3QKXVbGtiodW-PNTVZW2tt3FpOc70aaIAdItgf2uuTLZEQOjA1msi_YXhCXo6WpyVVmaSnWvvoENXhmD_ohs2Xpknr1sBK0R6tM/s320/cover-trim-no-fold-front.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Be a weaver, they said. It'll be fun, they said.</p><p>What they didn't say was that a big part of succeeding at being a weaver in the 20th and 21st centuries was...self-promotion.</p><p>As an introvert, I wasn't very good at the 'self-promotion' part. I found it hard to try and convince people that they needed to spend their hard won dollars on my textiles. Or on me, teaching. I spent quite a few years twisting and twirling around the whole dance of 'marketing' myself and my weaving.</p><p>It was during a class on marketing that I finally found a way to do the kind of self-promotion that I could live with. One of the speakers explained that marketing is just sharing what you do. Advertising is purchasing space in the media (newspapers, magazines, radio, tv, etc. - this was pre-internet days).</p><p>Sharing what I do was pretty easy. I just found that place where my passion lived, and shared my excitement about doing what I do.</p><p>When I taught for Olds, some of the students found doing the verbal exercises very difficult because a lot of creative people are also introverts. So I explained to them that all they had to do was speak from their passion.</p><p>As the internet grew and changed and became more...commercial...I was able to 'speak' to people via groups. I've always loved words, and people have called me a storyteller, so it was an easy slide over into expressing myself through the written word. </p><p>Writing posts - on groups, or here, on this blog - means I can think through what I want to say. I can craft the message I want to express. Before I hit 'publish' I can edit, deleting awkward bits, or check for emotional trigger words, change what I'm saying so that I can provide the 'story' without the emotion (mostly). (Sometimes I leave the emotion in, because I *am* writing from my passion - and that is an emotion.)</p><p>The thing is, when you get good at marketing yourself, people assume you don't need any help. But the thing is, my voice (so to speak) can only reach so far. If my message is to go beyond my reality bubble (my followers), then others picking up the message and relaying it onwards is imperative. If my knowledge only ever reverberates inside my reality bubble, it's just an echo chamber.</p><p>For example, A Thread Runs Through It has sold a few copies. But that book has a limited appeal and I don't know everyone who might benefit from the lessons I've learned as a professional weaver. So if you, dear reader, know someone interested in making an income from their weaving (or other creative endeavours) let them know that the 'book' is available in my ko-fi store. </p><p>If you think what I have shared might be of value to others, you might consider recommending it in your guild newsletter. Or online, if you belong to weaving groups.</p><p>Back in the 90s, someone opened a business selling fibres from New Zealand. Since I knew her, I shared her business info on line. Later that day she emailed to say that she didn't realize that what she needed was a Laura Fry to help her business grow.</p><p>Helping other creatives expand their reach is easy-peasy. Extend a helping hand. Share a website. Recommend the book(s). Let people know that you think something is valuable.</p><p>That's marketing.</p><p>Books available <a href="https://www.blurb.com/b/11633019-stories-from-the-matrix">here</a> in both pdf and print</p><p>A Thread Runs Through It, Weave a V and tea towels <a href="https://ko-fi.com/laurafry/shop">here</a></p><p>Seminars/guild programs listed <a href="http://laurafry.com">here</a> (yes, I'm still taking bookings for 2024 - just booked Calgary Heritage Weavers guild for this spring)</p><p>Classes <a href="https://www.schoolofsweetgeorgia.com/?aff=laurafry">here</a> and <a href="https://learn.longthreadmedia.com/courses/the-efficient-weaver-with-laura-fry">here</a></p><p><br /></p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-51392980863700533452024-02-23T16:36:00.000-08:002024-02-23T16:36:32.788-08:00The Final Step<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhP5Nx0lE5U5Oqw-As0wqWGexrk_OffhP6Yh5s-ekB04E2uUChNRRWV78gynff2-Uj1ha8fVobXuSqJWg0DyR5RvEvOTMs_UXxF08cO0L3Dn6AHLe9nKLbDVmMfQEbhhO22I1hZYoAr5ncB7ei67VacZtaX2SCdKkSzJUi7Z2FN81vbICywgggsvWoK2lA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhP5Nx0lE5U5Oqw-As0wqWGexrk_OffhP6Yh5s-ekB04E2uUChNRRWV78gynff2-Uj1ha8fVobXuSqJWg0DyR5RvEvOTMs_UXxF08cO0L3Dn6AHLe9nKLbDVmMfQEbhhO22I1hZYoAr5ncB7ei67VacZtaX2SCdKkSzJUi7Z2FN81vbICywgggsvWoK2lA" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>It has taken me months to finally do the final act of a 'real' author - get two copies of their book ready to pop into the mail to the National Archive.</p><p>It is one of the requirements of getting an ISBN number - that copies be lodged with the National Archive.</p><p>It has always been a source of grief to me, how many libraries have been destroyed over the years. When I learned about the destruction of the library at Alexandria, I was heartsick. As the years have gone by, I have learned about more libraries that have been destroyed throughout history.</p><p>Currently reading The House of Wisdom, finding out about more libraries, destroyed. And I wonder, if that knowledge had been preserved instead of destroyed, what we might look like as a society, today.</p><p>But all I have to do is pick up the 'news' to discover that groups of people are, once again, not just banning books, but destroying them, firing librarians, closing libraries.</p><p>And for what? Why? (Rhetorical question.)</p><p>I have enough of an ego to think that there might be some people who are interested in learning what I know about weaving, maybe even a little bit about life. And so I don't mind that the National Archive wants two copies of my book(s). It gives me hope that maybe, just maybe, what I know - or at least, have learned to the date of publication - will live on.</p><p>Going through the donated books, I remember some of the authors - because I actually knew some of the authors of those books. I met Peter Collingwood, Allen Fannin, Linda Heinrich, and so on. I know many of the current authors of the weaving world. Which is a very small 'world' all in all.</p><p>So when two boxes of books were donated to the guild, I took it as part of my 'responsibility' to the weaving world to try to place those books into the hands of people I knew would value the knowledge in them. </p><p>Ultimately, I hope that my personal library will also go to others.</p><p>And that the chain of knowledge will continue.</p><p>We don't know what the future will hold. In some ways, I'm glad. Not knowing what will happen allows me the freedom of hope. Hope that people will continue to play with string. Hope that people will be knowledge keepers. Hope that people will find solace as well as joy in the exploration of how threads can be manipulated into cloth. Hope that we will survive as a species...</p><p>As always, my books can be found <a href="https://www.blurb.com/b/11633019-stories-from-the-matrix">here</a> for Magic, The Intentional Weaver and Stories from the Matrix, and <a href="https://ko-fi.com/s/9cec55e9d5">here </a>for two signed copies of Stories as well as A Thread Runs Through It <a href="https://ko-fi.com/s/a244fa1a00"></a></p><p>Signed copies of The Intentional Weaver are only available <a href="https://shop.sweetgeorgiayarns.com/products/the-intentional-weaver?_pos=1&_psq=The+Intentional+Weaver&_ss=e&_v=1.0">here</a></p><p>From time to time I hear rumours that the original Magic in the Water is for sale, usually a 'dead weavers' library being sold off. Sometimes someone gets a copy for a very low price, but generally it seems that that book is valued. And when I hear of a copy being snapped up for the same - or even higher - price than what I asked for back in 2002, it tells me that all the work, all the effort, all the money that it took to birth that book was worth it. It makes me feel like I did 'good'. And if I accomplish nothing else in this life, at least I did that.</p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-5685116723832470872024-02-22T14:05:00.000-08:002024-02-22T14:05:40.167-08:00From the Archive<p> </p><h3>Sweden 2002</h3><p>Sweden in the winter can be grey, but the warmth of the people makes up for the short days and gloomy aspect of the countryside.</p><p>My trip to Sweden in November/December of 2002 came about primarily because of the wedding of my studio assistant, Karena.</p><p>Karena's mother is Swedish, married to a Canadian, and Karena determined to marry in the same church as her mother and father. I could not overlook the opportunity to go!</p><p>As it happened, a group of Swedish weavers were also trying to get a Vadmal "party" happening, so it seemed a perfect opportunity to learn more about this interesting woolen cloth. Unfortunately, the vadmal making fell through, but it may happen at another time.</p><p>I arrived on Tuesday, November 19 late in the evening. Taking it easy on the Wednesday, Kerstin spent most of the day getting a wool warp onto the AVL. We did make an excursion to Tynnsryd to visit a weaving studio.</p><p>Folke has spent many hours thinking about how to make looms and weaving more efficient. After problems with his neck, he was finding it more and more difficult to weave on a standard draw loom with overhead pattern cords, so he worked out a way to place the cords in front of the weaver. Other tinkerings with the loom have made it possible to have a shaft draw loom without the long body or extension necessary to get a good shed. It was most interesting to see the modifications and watch the weavers at work on a couple of large commissions.</p><p>On Friday night, Ingrid Hanssen arrived and we spent Saturday weaving on the AVL. Kerstin had installed the new auto cloth advance, and we were having some problems with it, but eventually sorted it out and were able to weave off the wool warp.</p><p>Sunday we set off west, visiting a Hembygd museum where a vadmalstamp was on display.</p><center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpnHJzKcUh4JQSiHGq3F5ULIMsZnO8HewqFuMvUWw_L18uMASq9ljA8cEpP5YGkUxHuAkfEpb7Qy50TAh16qSamKwpRwur5HObq3Yr8xONzB5HYPZtNBxmr6lnUt99waFJ-UvtWBgCmBrcMQxuiV2PmtKmW2TTtv0Df6wr90jMu4TcDdqTr4ZC_7V3Ok/s288/2002%20trip%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="192" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpnHJzKcUh4JQSiHGq3F5ULIMsZnO8HewqFuMvUWw_L18uMASq9ljA8cEpP5YGkUxHuAkfEpb7Qy50TAh16qSamKwpRwur5HObq3Yr8xONzB5HYPZtNBxmr6lnUt99waFJ-UvtWBgCmBrcMQxuiV2PmtKmW2TTtv0Df6wr90jMu4TcDdqTr4ZC_7V3Ok/s1600/2002%20trip%201.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <bold>Vadmalstamp (hammer mill)</bold></center><p>These hammer mills were used extensively for making vadmal cloth – a heavy, serviceable fabric used by outdoor workers such as farmers, tree fellers and so on. Vadmal was a densely woven, heavily fulled fabric that stood up to the heavy use demanded of it. In spite of our present understanding of how fulling works, this fabric was not loosely woven, but set tightly, and beaten in firmly. Fulling took hours of intermittent compression by heavy hammers, traditionally operated by water wheels.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpqyAgNWCBXDGhujpr4qCSQBypYYw1lTR4b56onoAMv9fp076E818W0HOdHGK5SvreQRbCfKQkIfC3w3_XIfWF1TCJteC6VfAyorOEVdzsiipZbF-px3pyGxliJ6g-0PozMtBynGcGe6GN7Dibn133_E5q99NWovEpTSqlzynYRuR9MneLd1Ox4eBx60/s288/2002%20trip%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="288" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpqyAgNWCBXDGhujpr4qCSQBypYYw1lTR4b56onoAMv9fp076E818W0HOdHGK5SvreQRbCfKQkIfC3w3_XIfWF1TCJteC6VfAyorOEVdzsiipZbF-px3pyGxliJ6g-0PozMtBynGcGe6GN7Dibn133_E5q99NWovEpTSqlzynYRuR9MneLd1Ox4eBx60/s1600/2002%20trip%202.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><center> <bold>Close up of hammers</bold></center><center><bold><br /></bold></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCWF4anZSx18ZKBO8R9QHlqX09NtjEth1crqyvoSBuuN4ZJ7HPGF-5X6IuD88D-ELoVaQgiLHBvZHA6NnK6O8nfmFo5hVw82YPRM50J-TugHLsfRuVzIZi6ozrPYuwOV7_2gj3CCjC6xcQNkP8Yjw6lyUOmN4ZAXMRt5FHDBvVXSe1USG5aF5qz2apWk/s288/2002%20trip%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="192" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCWF4anZSx18ZKBO8R9QHlqX09NtjEth1crqyvoSBuuN4ZJ7HPGF-5X6IuD88D-ELoVaQgiLHBvZHA6NnK6O8nfmFo5hVw82YPRM50J-TugHLsfRuVzIZi6ozrPYuwOV7_2gj3CCjC6xcQNkP8Yjw6lyUOmN4ZAXMRt5FHDBvVXSe1USG5aF5qz2apWk/s1600/2002%20trip%203.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><br /><center> <bold>Axle to lift hammers</bold></center><p>As our need for such a heavy duty fabric in this day and age is much reduced, modern "vadmal" is being made with more open sets and looser webs. This opening up of the cloth means that fulling in the vadmalstamp takes much less time, and produces a softer cloth depending on the fibre and weave structure used.</p><p>From the vadmalstamp, we carried on to visit the producer of a specialty yarn made from peat moss fibre blended with wool. The peat moss fibre is made from the left overs of another peat moss industry. The fibre is sifted and sorted until the large chunks of wood are removed and the fibre that is left is of a uniform coarseness and length. Due to the ability of peat moss to hold moisture, it has to be run through the dryer twice before it is finally blended with wool, made up into bales, and then sent to the spinning mill to be spun or felted for filters and boot insoles.</p><p>That evening we stayed with Ingrid and worked on her loom trying to get her fly shuttle to work more efficiently. But we were all too tired and gave up until the next morning when Ingrid wove without difficulty.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoo99ap2GN7vGzK6uPtm1iXA_l__Yr58nZRY3472zQjMC_jwv1jS1qgJH70r2Wp9Re6pnPluO6UpH5xe1ZR_H4xs8fB5aMfelvXTQ13fey0h6Vev4CsJzNiD1NrPh6KaKnGY7Xs1nBDOb-WsC-1gZxevLR_orZJVlXHlRHPWUTkiG5vZrrHxOEIgwnuAo/s288/2002%20trip%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="288" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoo99ap2GN7vGzK6uPtm1iXA_l__Yr58nZRY3472zQjMC_jwv1jS1qgJH70r2Wp9Re6pnPluO6UpH5xe1ZR_H4xs8fB5aMfelvXTQ13fey0h6Vev4CsJzNiD1NrPh6KaKnGY7Xs1nBDOb-WsC-1gZxevLR_orZJVlXHlRHPWUTkiG5vZrrHxOEIgwnuAo/s1600/2002%20trip%204.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><center> <bold>Portion of 8 meter long cold mangle</bold></center><p>We set off from Ingrid's to visit another Hembygd museum where an enormous cold mangle was on display. This mangle was part of a system of linen manufacture where the weavers were assigned their warps,</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-bP7mx-r6KsJpX-xUKmILTrm-clqgTsjyjN_ePfZLMa22dAcQS8R7ECo_MuxbuIRnNnZRcQcZkIkJg5ff2CNb2N-NDQ_5vi38qWsZvubrzSpqNvYpz7MjwbPzZkfHnu92jVGIJ60yk2Otw6j2A-ffvNuI_uvq5kqj_HmIZKSAdLBTpJOiA05PfezPrM/s288/2002%20trip%205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="288" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-bP7mx-r6KsJpX-xUKmILTrm-clqgTsjyjN_ePfZLMa22dAcQS8R7ECo_MuxbuIRnNnZRcQcZkIkJg5ff2CNb2N-NDQ_5vi38qWsZvubrzSpqNvYpz7MjwbPzZkfHnu92jVGIJ60yk2Otw6j2A-ffvNuI_uvq5kqj_HmIZKSAdLBTpJOiA05PfezPrM/s1600/2002%20trip%205.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><center><br /><p><bold>Web being transferred from cloth beam to dowel for cold mangling</bold></p></center>then returned the completed webs to the mill for wet finishing and mangling. This mangle is 8 meters long and weighs in at a hefty two tonnes (approx. 4500 pounds).<p></p><p>The motive power for this mangle was a donkey or small horse, not a water wheel.</p><p>Leaving the mangle, we set off for Ekelunds, a weaving mill that makes household textiles in cotton and linen. In the lobby of the mill factory outlet they have one of their original Jacquard looms from the 1800's on display.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULdhBKEx9dsogBrSHeTJ4W0gI24n1UkXJ08YRVtVHZL6sOlIc-NfDYugEI41dx4vLJQzrPoGk0fuaQMiodj6IXv1xn7J8PhbvMM8WqqSAkdz60pkV6U1qhaYUs4SfWmAZYX2hSFq8gxsK8jmb22glca3hmRgUyxf4oOnV-3taNxLV0DF661VDVPW1Uas/s288/2002%20trip%206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="192" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULdhBKEx9dsogBrSHeTJ4W0gI24n1UkXJ08YRVtVHZL6sOlIc-NfDYugEI41dx4vLJQzrPoGk0fuaQMiodj6IXv1xn7J8PhbvMM8WqqSAkdz60pkV6U1qhaYUs4SfWmAZYX2hSFq8gxsK8jmb22glca3hmRgUyxf4oOnV-3taNxLV0DF661VDVPW1Uas/s1600/2002%20trip%206.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><br /><center><br /><p></p><bold>Jacquard loom with Kerstin Fröberg</bold></center><h3><bold>Part II</bold></h3><center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28Re_00caQ-ZNvlb20fWuDq21xuypum3lO7ZygvwYzXWCSCYD9OatJiMix00UYdtNw4S50v4ulRvNiCvCoHI1H18eNZN_rNOITjxtkhRH4YS3VHen_yfNoUB-V0xTsSQkrQaTl74ITNOfADGmA4k5ocw19nqktGCUGqeinvIfBAarVV8QZI469uk2HV4/s288/2002%20trip%207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="192" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28Re_00caQ-ZNvlb20fWuDq21xuypum3lO7ZygvwYzXWCSCYD9OatJiMix00UYdtNw4S50v4ulRvNiCvCoHI1H18eNZN_rNOITjxtkhRH4YS3VHen_yfNoUB-V0xTsSQkrQaTl74ITNOfADGmA4k5ocw19nqktGCUGqeinvIfBAarVV8QZI469uk2HV4/s1600/2002%20trip%207.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><br /><p><bold>Attaching bout of 288 ends to beaming machine</bold></p></center>The tour of Ekelunds mill is self guided, and the first thing we happened upon was the beaming operation. I had always wondered how industry beamed, and we got to see their brand new (three week old) beaming machine.<p></p><p>Unlike the tour of Pendleton Woolen Mill I had taken last year, we were allowed close inspection of this and other areas of the mill.</p><br /><center><br /><p><bold>Warp being wound (gathering reed in is upright blue stand operator is leaning on)</bold></p></center><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhqWJb9GWK_cFSYBtV_w3mQDFwQ5ZwVq7nAACC4Aqti98iRDrJ3mlCEfsw1WjdpCuVw52KXfb1-XuOf85JS4rRDlrlNM3PpUZS8ApVZVSZ1kQoNizv6NTEASfHeR_qe41iaO3RPq6ftXUjoK4LgMsFprN_vxQxYzu91U2K57OBl12Nxtv_dhvgD1M2GE/s288/2002%20trip%208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="288" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhqWJb9GWK_cFSYBtV_w3mQDFwQ5ZwVq7nAACC4Aqti98iRDrJ3mlCEfsw1WjdpCuVw52KXfb1-XuOf85JS4rRDlrlNM3PpUZS8ApVZVSZ1kQoNizv6NTEASfHeR_qe41iaO3RPq6ftXUjoK4LgMsFprN_vxQxYzu91U2K57OBl12Nxtv_dhvgD1M2GE/s1600/2002%20trip%208.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><center><br /><p><bold>430 meter long warp ready to be transferred to warp beam</bold></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTXOyn5k9lHoy3LdxUbfNjc4ZzmxGRm_ZJpPkMaqMUTs5C7m9PBHVy9HvyLBjcetrBKl-buhqEa57vsb45h6hodbn2ZcxT5e8VHyvzuQYG7VVhTAn2-XneHyJA2jxySNgza40almqdNLubCZMcFGo7OVih0Xjmo27QE3RQnLX2wQNiFzA0BZW9Xt5ARQ/s288/2002%20trip%209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="192" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTXOyn5k9lHoy3LdxUbfNjc4ZzmxGRm_ZJpPkMaqMUTs5C7m9PBHVy9HvyLBjcetrBKl-buhqEa57vsb45h6hodbn2ZcxT5e8VHyvzuQYG7VVhTAn2-XneHyJA2jxySNgza40almqdNLubCZMcFGo7OVih0Xjmo27QE3RQnLX2wQNiFzA0BZW9Xt5ARQ/s1600/2002%20trip%209.jpg" width="192" /></a></div></center><p></p><p>The two men beaming the three colour warp were quite happy to answer our questions, and it was amazing to watch 288 ends at a time rolling onto the beam at enormous speed and high tension.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfYSs2wXQ7SmXhmTUgU_lmikJzMs-BofGNu43lpYjBWcylmKJ4mQ63VB398nL3p1lrGsUociDVLfQlx3e_rLtrgrKjdi89ZunukooiKERkL-vPq90_6QoZAlpownlYGviFonASgY912DWNkQpVJqlPoYbiBWzhXn2PhSA8_IlvN8BPhy8oPGZuP4inAE/s288/2002%20trip%2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="288" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfYSs2wXQ7SmXhmTUgU_lmikJzMs-BofGNu43lpYjBWcylmKJ4mQ63VB398nL3p1lrGsUociDVLfQlx3e_rLtrgrKjdi89ZunukooiKERkL-vPq90_6QoZAlpownlYGviFonASgY912DWNkQpVJqlPoYbiBWzhXn2PhSA8_IlvN8BPhy8oPGZuP4inAE/s1600/2002%20trip%2010.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><center><br /><p><bold>bouts being attached to warp beam with flanges</bold></p></center>In very short order the warp was completely beamed, and we were allowed to watch the transfer of the warp from the beaming machine to a warp beam. The operation went smoothly and quickly. By the time we made it to the loom room, that same warp was being installed into a loom and we watched in amazement as the knot tying machine delicately selected the next pair of ends to be tied together, then made the knot.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-IJMxB4_sduf7x_HZgJ6XLxxrcAfdS-oXtdTwzaWLE9gLy6pBdoq9eah3kO7emlmJd_5PHBfb0UKlSvf2YxWjPE0cFGvsNFt3KrCypoQHuYt5JnWU6Hf1Vs8etuWCuUCUopjrZUsYZaZNYdMBiEvvJO6iW43NVUG_JL-Tb5c4Fd6inl9Yi8nYHeBBXg/s288/2002%20trip%2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="288" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-IJMxB4_sduf7x_HZgJ6XLxxrcAfdS-oXtdTwzaWLE9gLy6pBdoq9eah3kO7emlmJd_5PHBfb0UKlSvf2YxWjPE0cFGvsNFt3KrCypoQHuYt5JnWU6Hf1Vs8etuWCuUCUopjrZUsYZaZNYdMBiEvvJO6iW43NVUG_JL-Tb5c4Fd6inl9Yi8nYHeBBXg/s1600/2002%20trip%2011.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><center><br /><p><bold>Warp sheet being transferred to warp beam</bold></p></center><p></p><center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBFSVFsFrwdGf7zGj5e42ZxzMVmt97CO3vrKWrCttJBJhgZLCzefTJJZ3hxqINr957Nc9WKpge9fCm2v2zz_1IIOvyWH66PrAizdAlW6-k-DDbs98oX_IbxnL4PgcPUqPCRYk3XmM5Qs9xVikhFK7C8Wm-uhORoHFsEO7Po822HQyJUJ_L3yCdagMm_o/s288/2002%20trip%2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="288" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBFSVFsFrwdGf7zGj5e42ZxzMVmt97CO3vrKWrCttJBJhgZLCzefTJJZ3hxqINr957Nc9WKpge9fCm2v2zz_1IIOvyWH66PrAizdAlW6-k-DDbs98oX_IbxnL4PgcPUqPCRYk3XmM5Qs9xVikhFK7C8Wm-uhORoHFsEO7Po822HQyJUJ_L3yCdagMm_o/s1600/2002%20trip%2012.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><p><bold>From beaming machine to warp beam with rock hard tension in about 10 to 12 minutes</bold></p></center><p></p><p>The looms at Ekelunds were all Jacquard and rapier and almost faster than the eye could see, the looms wove off two or three tea towels at a time. Each tea towel had a selvedge that was formed by taking the loose end of the pick and weaving it back into the cloth.</p><p>Once off the loom, the fabric went through the wet finishing department where they were hot mangled, rather than the traditional Swedish finish of cold mangling.</p><p>With darkness descending, Kerstin and I set off for Bergdala</p>.<p>Once back at Bergdala, Kerstin made the necessary adjustments to the auto cloth advance and we put on a test warp. After determining that it was, indeed, working, Kerstin tackled her double weave sample for the study group and managed to get the warp on and the first sample off by Thursday.</p><p>Friday morning, very early, we set off for Falun, where she dropped me off so I could attend Karena's wedding.</p><p>Sunday afternoon, I took the train to Hudviksdal where Kerstin and her friend Karin met me. We stopped in at a Julmarket (Christmas craft fair), but unfortunately they were just ready to close up for the day. We did see some weaving, tho – mostly rag rugs.</p><p>Monday morning we set off for Helmi Halsinglands, and spent an interesting hour touring their plant. They do much of the dyeing of linen, cotton and wool for many yarn suppliers in Sweden. It was interesting to note that they dye linen as singles and then ply it, for maximum penetration of the dye.</p><p>From Helmi Halsinglands, we took a jaunt further into the countryside to visit Växbo. Unfortunately their museum is not open in the winter, so we could not see the whole process of linen fibre preparation, but again a self-guided tour of the mill allowed us to see the drawing operations and the weaving up close. The spinning frames were not in operation as the operator was just setting them up to begin spinning.</p><p>The looms at Växbo are shaft looms, most of them with shuttles. It was quite amazing to hear the pirns being changed when they ran out of weft. You could not see the operation happening it was so fast, just hear the bang as the new pirn punched the old one out of the shuttle. It happened so quickly that the loom did not miss a beat in the weaving rhythm.</p><p>Växbo weaves only linen, not cotton, and has a line of table textiles and yardage that at least one designer is using for garments.</p><p>We had hoped to stop in at the textile school at Uplands Vasby, but weather conditions deteriorated, and we cancelled that side trip and went straight on in to Stockholm where we stayed the night with Kerstin's mother. In the morning the weather had improved, and we set off for Bergdala in dry conditions – a vast improvement over the previous day.</p><p>The last few days were spent quietly. We visited another Julmarket, but saw little weaving. We also stopped in at a studio and visited with the artist.</p><p>On Saturday evening, we went to a Hyttsill at the Bergdala Glass Works.</p><p>Hyttsill are based on the fact that during the 1800's itinerant peddlers and workers would be granted the freedom to use the annealing chamber in the glass works to cook their dinners. The Hyttsill at Bergdala Glass Works is considered one of the best ones, partly due to the configuration of the works themselves. The six glory holes are centrally located which means that those attending the Hyttsill can visit in the area around the glory holes.</p><p>The glory hole is kept at 1100 degrees C; the annealing chamber is kept at about 350 degrees C. The traditional country diet of potatoes, salted herring, and the local sausage would not take long to cook. While waiting for dinner to be ready, these travelers would share news of the region with each other and the villagers, story telling and singing keeping all entertained.</p><p>As an added bonus, we were given a demonstration of glass blowing. The workers are in teams of three, and for a simple glass, each team can produce 50 or so an hour. More complicated designs requiring more working of the glass would reduce their production to 25 an hour. The glass master giving the talk allowed some of the audience to try blowing. It is apparently very easy to blow the bubble – extremely difficult to produce glass that will actually function!</p><p>He ended his demo by making a glass pig which Björn asked if I could have. He was instantly christened Boaris in honour of the wild boars that still live in the forests of the area (and which are quite delicious!)</p><p>And so ended my 2002 trip – it was time to go home and get back to work……</p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-537158321255176863.post-27851420402787951522024-02-21T15:45:00.000-08:002024-02-21T15:47:38.395-08:00Magic in the Water<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEis3qN2Aq-XJk6bEktlK6zxQRcfFwnJscSqdz1hEiiu3_XCXNhDifMpvfLoYkDUiJ21I19yFhyUZbuh09CGkgqKvJKUxwTAPLmn1dbghI8Zhasi7xXB6oVN1tI9S8pkHW7HPK1vgelo-SrRyaBXM3q-G4eGmMrz4KmDy4QIKY6feTH9Fd2twIiPOBHdsPI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEis3qN2Aq-XJk6bEktlK6zxQRcfFwnJscSqdz1hEiiu3_XCXNhDifMpvfLoYkDUiJ21I19yFhyUZbuh09CGkgqKvJKUxwTAPLmn1dbghI8Zhasi7xXB6oVN1tI9S8pkHW7HPK1vgelo-SrRyaBXM3q-G4eGmMrz4KmDy4QIKY6feTH9Fd2twIiPOBHdsPI" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Digital microscope view of loom state cloth woven in the 'new to me' weave structure. Reed marks are clearly visible and the threads are pretty much straight on the 'grid'. There is little curvature or bending of the threads. The warp and weft threads are clearly distinct. The web looks very 'thready'.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXn4Ehh8XsuIPoI-S82z4hibLrcWKmV3K3_DgXI3h9clj3YL5o60D6VxmMMRQa_0bAghJVWR_nwRpornS05HZBnMQHU_W3NGsEvW_AAlw4OS06LqXzb4-oR_87h45zEFFewWhO_encufuiIF2lXqXKi6f14BIMqNz03yfRDLK1bx-z_jL2afY_HTuumNs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXn4Ehh8XsuIPoI-S82z4hibLrcWKmV3K3_DgXI3h9clj3YL5o60D6VxmMMRQa_0bAghJVWR_nwRpornS05HZBnMQHU_W3NGsEvW_AAlw4OS06LqXzb4-oR_87h45zEFFewWhO_encufuiIF2lXqXKi6f14BIMqNz03yfRDLK1bx-z_jL2afY_HTuumNs" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Same weave structure (different cloth) after wet finishing. Reed marks have been reduced enormously, although they are still visible if you look closely at the cloth. But the threads have 'bloomed' and shifted closer together. Slight curvature can be seen as the threads go through the weave structure and in some cases, it gets hard to follow one thread through the cloth without very careful tracking. This can make fixing errors a bit challenging, but once the needle is in the grid, it gets easier to follow the path of an individual thread.</p><p>Some new weavers get very confused when they first begin weaving - and wet finishing - their webs. There is a phenomenon called 'tracking' that appears, primarily in plain weave. But, the new weaver says, why doesn't it happen in other weave structures?</p><p>Well, it does. But the dynamic is different because in plain weave the latent twist energy has no where to go as the threads go over and under each other, so the yarns can tend to poke up and out causing weird lines in the plain weave.</p><p>In other weave structures, those areas are longer, so there is more room for the threads to shift and move without causing such structural evidence in the finished cloth.</p><p>Cotton and other bast/cellulose fibres do NOT full. They do, however, bloom. The fibres swell and will shift and shuffle themselves around in the weave structure. Some weave structures will encourage this effect more than others. Bedford cord, honeycomb, lace weaves, pique, and others, rely on this shifting of the threads to develop their final state to it's maximum effect.</p><p>Twills generally don't seem to change appearance much, except when you get up close and personal, as in the two photos above.</p><p>The loom state sample is quite 'thready' but after wet finishing the motifs resolve and become more cohesive.</p><p>And this is why I always recommend that a new weaver does a sample and *wet finish* it to find out what will happen when the web hits the water for the very first time. </p><p>Many new weavers are anxious about the 'washing' of their brand new cloth. But the thing is, it isn't truly 'cloth' until it <b><i>has been wet finished</i></b>. </p><p>Why do I call it wet finishing and not simply tell folk to 'wash' their webs? Because frequently the wet finishing process will use hotter water and more vigorous agitation than regular 'washing'.</p><p>Anyway, if people want to know more, Magic in the Water <a href="https://www.blurb.com/b/8516297-magic-in-the-water">is still available </a> You can purchase a print copy (magazine format) or pdf (digital). Or I'm available to do guild programs/seminars on this (and other topics which are listed <a href="http://laurafry.com">on my website</a> Yes, I know I don't have the s on the URL. I'm hoping to get that fixed at some point but I don't have the skills so I'm waiting until my web master has a few free minutes to deal with it.</p><p><br /></p>Laura Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599868570350256631noreply@blogger.com2