Tentatively

I'm feeling much improved today after both massage and another chiropractic adjustment yesterday.  So much so that I decided to give weaving a go - although I only did a yard and didn't push any further than that (about 30 minutes).  I'm quite pleased with the way this warp is weaving up and I think the combination of cotton and hemp for towels will be a successful one.  The samples of cotton and hemp I've done so far have produced a very nice cloth and this one feels very similar to cottolin.

It suddenly occurred to me that this warp would be perfect to use some of the colour grown cotton in either the natural green or the natural brown since both colours are in this warp so once the samples are woven I'll switch to towels.

Doug is off pressing a huge stack of cloth - some more place mats that will require their hemming, the sample cloth for the designer in Vancouver (hemp warp, cotton weft) and an enormous stack of hemmed towels needing their finishing press - and then their labels.

Which reminds me that I need to get more business cards and hang tags designed, so when I'm feeling a little less 'fragile' I guess a trip to Staples will be in order.

Such a relief to be able to weave again - in fact weaving feels more comfortable than just sitting so I will rest a bit, weave another yard and then see how I feel.  I've also started cutting apart the 100% hemp samples although I won't be lifting and carrying the serger over to the work table.  That will have to wait a few more days, I think.  Lifting something heavy is probably not something I should be tackling for a while.  Guess that means Doug will have to go to the post office to fetch the yarn orders when they come in!

Stymied

So this is as far as I got yesterday when my lower back suddenly went into spasm to the point where I could barely make it up the stairs from the studio.  I wound up spending most of the day and evening flat on my back with alternating ice and hot.  An 'emergency' trip to the chiropractor at 3:30 pm was only made possible because Doug had a four wheeled 'walker' in his shop he was fixing for someone and the fact that he was home to drive me.  Because I doubt I could have made it on my own.  :(

The adjustment helped - afterwards I was able to walk - carefully - but there will be no weaving today.

I've got a massage appointment at 1:30 and a follow up with the chiropractor at 3.

The warp looks good, the auto advance appears to be adjusted now - the blue lines were my way of determining how many picks in an inch.  The broader bands of blue were to try and identify any threading errors - I have a nagging suspicion I made one but can't tell where it might be.  And so I'm going to just go ahead and assume that either I didn't make one or that it is near enough to invisible to not worry about - at least for the samples.  It may reveal itself once I get started weaving a longer length.

Sometimes threading errors are amazingly sneaky!  (And darned near invisible.)

Snow Day

This is the view out my kitchen window (Feb. 25/13)  We had a snow alert yesterday, and it's still coming down this morning - although the alert has been downgraded.  The roads are filled in with thick wet snow which makes driving miserable.

And it's dark and gloomy with it, too.  The plum trees do look pretty, though.

I finally managed to get the tickets for the Swedish portion of my trip booked and will phone the travel agent shortly to confirm they have managed to book the rest of my tickets.  It's a bit nerve-wracking because of course any changes will cost me money - if changes have to be made, given we weren't able to book the tickets all in one go.  All I can do is hope there there are no significant delays, especially in Stockholm.

The warp on the big loom is ready to weave and once I've talked to the travel agent I intend to jump on that and get it going.

Last night I placed a very large order for yarns from Maurice Brassard, including the yarn for the intended tops in 2/16 cottolin.  I also need to get to the sewing store and buy cotton and interfacing for a new apron for the AVL.  But that is going to have to wait until the roads are in much better condition than what they are right now!  Hopefully it will last for another warp - or two.

Currently reading Cold Days by Jim Butcher

Longer Days

The days aren't actually any longer - they still come with 24 hours in them - but the day light is coming earlier and leaving later.

I'm still fighting through a lack of energy and not accomplishing nearly enough during the day, but at least I feel like I've made some progress this week.

I now have tickets to Sweden.  The trip over is going to be a killer journey, but there will be several days in which to recuperate from the jet lag before we leave for England and Scotland.  We will go directly to Scotland where I will present a one day Magic in the Water near Aberdeen on May 4 and then we will wander southwards, hitting as many textile related museums as we can before returning to Sweden for my trip home and last Rituximab treatment on the 22nd of May.  My understanding is that after I'm done with that I will meet with the doctor(s) at the clinic every three months for monitoring - but that will be confirmed after treatment #8.  And then I will have to factor that commitment in when I book teaching/trips.

Right now I have only the one teaching event in January of 2014.  I would be nervous about that but the past 5 years have taught me that usually the universe clears the decks in order to bring on something else - something that I have not anticipated - but generally works out in the end.  While I have a couple of irons in the fire, I was hoping they would happen this year, but who knows?  Maybe they are going to happen next year instead.  This year is already pretty fraught with commitments.  And my inventory is very low - one of these days I need to work on getting more stuff woven!

To which end - this warp is doing a dual purpose - sample #2 for AGY:L&H (and a little cotton) plus some more lighter weight tea towels.  I have quite a few of the heavier ones made from 2/8 cotton and cotton slub (although colours are limited - I really should get a better colour selection made - more yarn needing to be purchased!) but am running low on the lighter weight ones.

This warp is 2/16 cotton and the weft will be 2/8 cotton/hemp - blended like cottolin but with hemp instead.  It looks rather like cottolin, and I will have to keep the two yarns well separated on my shelves so that they don't get confused.

I have also chosen a colour palette for the warp for some tops, which will also be a sample for AGY:L&H.

I am getting quite enthused about having some handwoven garments I can wear to conferences and things.  Whether or not I can actually get them made for this year?  Well, like I've said previously, I really don't have any time to waste so I'd better find a fistful of round tuits very soon!

Before or After?

Finished place mats removed from the loom ready for serging.

So, are you supposed to cut and serge/zig-zag before or after wet finishing?  Well, that depends.

When I had my old Maytag washing machine, I would simply take the entire length of weaving and toss it into the tub and dryer and cut the place mats or towels apart afterwards - no serging required (other than at the beginning and the end of the warp.)

However, when we bought a new Maytag a few years ago, the advertising pitch contained the information that the new model had a great 'roll over rate'.

This phrase didn't mean much to me - until I wet finished my first long length of hand woven goods.  Which promptly turned into a long 'rope' with such severe creases I could not press them out.  So I cut them apart, serging each one and tossed them back into the washer and dryer.  I was able to get the creases out, but only with a really hard press.

Since then I've been cutting/serging and then wet finishing.

So how are you supposed to do it?  Which ever way gets you the results you desire.

And as for the little 'ears' at the ends of each serged section?  I simply trim them off and turn the cloth under so that the serging is hidden in the depths of the hem.....

For lengths of yardage I have to monitor the washing machine, undoing the twisted cloth from time to time to prevent the machine from forming more hand woven 'rope'.  A pain, but I can't afford a new washing machine.  :(

Wall hanging

Hard to take a photo of this textile but they hung it just inside the entrance to the chemotherapy unit. Hanging in the window of the office allows the staff to enjoy it as well as the patients and it is away from direct sunlight.
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

February Funk

I had hoped, by being away for a month, to skip the funk that comes in February.  Not so.  Yesterday, after several days of minor um, difficulties, I found myself sinking into the mire that only in February seems so...challenging.  Stuff that I can normally throw off with a shrug turned into huge stumbling blocks and I threw myself a small pity party.

Even the positive things seemed not quite as shiny and bright as they would if I weren't wallowing in feeling somewhat sorry for myself.

After a few emails arrived last night with news of progress on several of the seemingly bogged down projects I managed to give myself a good shake (a whining vent to a couple of friends surely helped!) and today I finished threading the place mats and started weaving.  The exercise is a good antidote to the 'poor me' syndrome so I'm sure that helped, too.

I also got a nice card from the organizer of one of the workshops in January, really welcome positive feedback which also helped to elevate my mood.

Today I'm wondering if I should go ahead and book my flight to Sweden before fuel prices leap any higher.  I also want to order more yarn in - decided it would be nice if I had some hand woven garments that actually fit me - because it doesn't look like I'm going to lose weight any time soon.  :(  And I found a really nice loose fitting top pattern that I already had on hand that I'm pretty sure isn't beyond my sewing skills and would look really nice with a simple striped fabric cut on the bias - something that a handwoven twill would do rather nicely.

I also really need to make a to-do list.  I'm going to be away so much over the next few months and there is a great deal to be done before September!  I'm in danger of letting my funks eat up way too much of my time.  I think I really need a list that I can post near the computer so that I can motivate myself to cross some of them off, preferably on a daily basis.  Administrivia eats up so much time but I really need to be more productive in the evenings and jump on the hand work that has piled up, instead of vegging with my iPad playing games or surfing the net.

Part of the problem, I think, is that it was so nearly spring time in Tennessee with the magnolia trees starting to bloom and I came home to two feet (or more) of snow still on the ground and spring a very long ways away.  The sun is trying to shine today and the temperature has been warm enough that the snow is starting to melt, so hopefully spring will come soon.  If I can just immerse myself in what I want to accomplish in the next few weeks, I am quite sure the funk that comes in February will soon melt away, too.

Random on a Wednesday

Why is it so hard to wait for word on a creative project tossed out into the arena of possibility?  Perhaps that is what that much vaunted virtue of patience is all about?

Waiting for 4 different projects/applications to come to fruition...or die on the vine.  Impatiently.  Those that I am in control of seem manageable, but waiting for other principals to say nay or yay is vexing.  Although I'm getting better at it.  Perhaps I am learning patience after all?

There needs to be a different word than 'survivor', which assumes that cancer has been vanquished entirely, or 'warrior' which, to me, supposes an active battle.  What do people like me call ourselves when we are in remission but with the expectation that, at any moment, the big "C" can come creeping back into our lives?

The news at the clinic today was good - no current signs.  Yay!  But always, in the back of my mind, is the knowledge that time is limited and that if I have any goals in this life I need to work on them now, not some nebulous day in the future, because who knows when it will seep back into my body....

Perhaps the word 'patient' is most applicable in this case?

Why does the price of gasoline rocket skywards (up 17 cents per litre over 3 days) but come down oh, so gradually?  Usually right before I'm to make a long road trip?  I hope we are not headed towards $2/litre or more, although that is what they are paying in Europe.  Which probably means that the prices over there are going to go up, too - right before my planned extensive road trip from Sweden to the UK (including Scotland) and back to Sweden.  Sigh.  (And yes, part of that trip will be by ferry - there is no road from Sweden to the UK.)

Why are there so many books but my fav authors write so slowly?  Of course I'd be disappointed in them if they wrote faster and with less care....  Came home with half a dozen books from the library and put nearly a dozen more on my request list today.  You'd almost think I had time to spare for reading?

Why do I need to buy more yarn when I've already got yarn surplus to requirements?  Why is what I have never what I want/need when I want/need it?

My name is Laura and I'm a yarnaholic....

Next Warp

Sorry about the out of focus picture.  It looked fine on the camera screen and in the thumbnail, not so much here.  :(  However the point is to see the colours, which at least do show.  From this bin I will be making up a warp for sample #2 for AGY:L&H (and a little cotton, too).

In the interest of keeping the price of this publication as low as possible, I decided that, where appropriate, I would use cotton as companion to the linen and hemp.  The weft for this warp is a cotton/hemp blend but it is only available in natural so in order to get some colour into the cloth, 2/16 cotton is being used for the warp.  I will use cotton with some of the other yarns I have decided to use as well.

There are days when I feel like I should have titled my blog Confessions of a Weaving Heretic.

We began the Weaving Boot Camp at John C. Campbell with a look at some of the always/nevers that crop up from time to time in the weaving community.  (Feel free to share the 'rules' you have successfully bent or broken in the comments.)

If you are a regular reader of this blog you will know my list of studio 'rules':
1.  Never use a knot where a bow will do
2.  If you can't be perfect, be consistent
3.  A thread under tension is a thread under control
4.  It isn't finished until it's wet finished
and the newly adopted #5 courtesy of Cally Booker
All else depends

So we looked at some of the set in stone rules that sometimes appear on the chat groups or guild meetings and talked about the specific circumstances where those 'rules' would apply.  And where they didn't.

It is my belief that these 'rules' came about because someone, somewhere, had a truly horrible experience and in an effort to spare everyone else the same sort of grief shared their new found experience, urging everyone to always/never do such and such.

When I come across this sort of blanket statement my first reaction is to wonder what the circumstances were that gave rise to such a generalization.

Such sweeping statements such as 'never use hand spun for warp'  are perplexing because for the first 36,000+ years of textile construction hand spun was the only yarn available.  Obviously humans used hand spun yarns rather successfully, given the archeological record.

So I tell my students, find out what gave rise to such admonitions and find out if they are applicable to what they want to do.

Ultimately, choose your expert, with the aim of learning enough that you become your own expert.

FYI - I've been booked to return to JCC the week of January 12-18, 2014 for another 4.5 day Weaving Boot Camp and a 2 day workshop, topic to be decided.

Bookmark

Finally finished the bookmark I've been working on for.....months!  It has some issues, but I was relieved to pronounce it complete today.  Next Sunday I can start on something new.  :)

Getting My Groove On (Sort Of)

I found it difficult to get back into any sort of routine after getting home and this warp took way longer than it should have, just from sheer distraction factor.  However, I did finally get it weaving last night and jumped onto the loom first thing (relatively speaking) this morning.

The relative humidity isn't very high right now and rather than chance broken selvedge threads I elected to weave this warp with a temple.  Yes it slows me down, but I'd rather go slower and not have issues!  I also dug out the humidifier because I'll be switching to hemp weft once this cotton weft part is done and the hemp should be more co-operative with higher humidity in the studio.

This first cloth is another 'sample' for the designer in Vancouver.  She was very interested in the hemp because it is cheaper than linen but behaves like linen - i.e. very little stretch.  For her product this lengthwise stability is desireable so I'm weaving a full sized 'sample' for her to test.  Even though she prefers much brighter colours, if she doesn't want the sample I can use it for a different application so I'm weaving with a warm beige.  It isn't beating in quite 'square' but I'm not fussing about that too much.  The blocks will be slightly longer than they are wide and since that looks pleasing to me I'm going with consistency rather than perfection.  :^)

I also found a bucket of towels needing hemming, so instead of putting another towel warp on the small loom I'm going to do a place mat warp.  I'm essentially out of mats but have some inventory of towels so it seems like a good idea to top up some on those.  Besides I'm running low on cotton for towels and feel the need to place another yarn order.  I also want to try Brassard's new 2/16 cottolin yarn.  I think it would make great cloth for tops and it would be nice to actually have some handwoven clothing I can fit into for the up coming conferences and other teaching events.  :-/   I did lose a couple of pounds on my trip but historically I put it right back on again when I get home so I'm going to have to work on weight loss a lot more seriously than I have been the past few years.

The good news is that I didn't lose much in terms of working on the trampoline as I feared and I'm finally back to that, too.  Gotta protect these old bones as much as possible!

Currently reading The Wizard of London by Mercedes Lackey  (I've managed to miss her books until now - am quite enjoying this one and will look for more.)

Threading

While reading this post remember that I am only discussing what works for me.  If you are happy with your results, there is no need to change anything.  If, however, you find that the posture for threading is uncomfortable you may wish to think about what you are doing.

Recently there was some discussion on one of the chat groups about why threading from the back towards the front (i.e. shaft 4, then 3, then 2, then 1) might be more efficient than threading from the front shaft towards the back (i.e. 1, then, 2, then 3, then 4) when doing a straight draw.

I'm not sure I can explain it in stills and text and may just drag out the video camera next time I'm setting up the small loom where there is more room to position the camera for better viewing.

One of the reasons I find threading the back towards the front more comfortable and efficient is partly to do with hand position.  In the picture below I've got the heddles arranged so that they are ready to be threaded from the front towards the back (1-4).  I'm not saying I never do this, just that I try to minimize this position as much as possible....

In order to thread the heddles in this sequence I have to scrunch my shoulder and rotate my hand in a thumbs down position.  When this position is held for any length of time it becomes very fatiguing and muscle cramps can set in as a result.

With the heddles set up to thread from the rear most heddle forwards, my hand is in a more neutral position with a thumbs up position and my shoulders are not scrunched up.  I can hold this position for a much longer time with fewer ill effects such as muscle spasms.  There are other factors at work in addition to the above which I will try to discuss in more detail when I manage to make another video about threading.  In the meantime there is a video clip on my You Tube channel - link to the right hand side of the page.

As for the actual threading, I decided to do a two block turned twill for this warp but since I have 16 shafts it actually worked out better to spread the blocks out over all 16.  Using the Fibonacci sequence the blocks are (from left to right) 1, 2, 5, 8.

I left out the number 3 from the sequence so that the number of ends needed worked out evenly with the number of ends required for the width of this warp.

I also arranged the blocks so that the two largest ones were on the shafts nearest me.  In the chart above you can see how many ends are required for each block (8, 16, 40 and 64) and which shafts those ends are threaded onto.  The right hand selvedge has 8 ends to balance the draft.  I have also noted how many groups of four are required for each block so that I can easily double check my threading as I complete each repeat.

The reason I arranged the blocks this way is because I cannot work for long periods with my hands extended in front of me so keeping the bulk of the work as close to my body as possible makes the whole job much less tiring and easier to do.

And here are the first two repeats nearly finished.  Each repeat in each block gets tied in a slip knot and then the entire block gets tied as well.  This gives me a visual check in case I get interrupted.

Catching Up

Still in catch up mode.  Had a minor(?) glitch when I got home - my iPad would not connect to my own wifi system.  :(  This was particularly irritating because it performed beautifully everywhere else!

My web guru finally sussed out the problem and got it fixed.  Hopefully I will remember this in the future although the fix was a tad arcane....

Crunched the numbers and it looks like I've got sufficient yarn to proceed with the hemp samples for AGY: Linen and Hemp so I'm hoping to get started on that when I get back from town and mailing a couple of orders, paying a few bills.  I am aiming for a very small print run - around 60.  I figure that most people aren't all that interested in linen and hemp so there won't be all that much demand for that particular topic.  It will also be more expensive than cotton because the yarn is simply that much more expensive.  Ditto silk.  So that topic will also likely be a short run, too.  Again, if you're interested and not on my contact list, email me at laura at laurafry dot com

Right now I'm eating lunch and listening to a cd I bought while in TN.  My host and hostess treated me to a concert while in Chattanooga.  Turned out the group was (mostly) from Canada - Jesse Cook.  I hadn't heard of him before but thoroughly enjoyed the concert and bought a souvenir cd to enjoy when I got home.  It's also loaded onto the iPad.

The weather here is too warm - hovering around freezing - which means the roads are....nasty.  When I left Memphis the magnolias were starting to bloom.  :-/

Well, I'm done eating.  Better package up those two orders and get them into the mail - and see if they have the new rate schedule for packages.  Since the small packet rate is going to be history, I need to figure out the new shipping rate for AGY.

Plunging Back In

No photos 'cause I haven't gotten into the studio yet.

Today was spent mostly working on paperwork - bank deposit, balancing cheque book, sifting through bills, unpacking suitcases (not quite done that) and just generally getting back into the swing of things.

One of the priorities that took way longer than hoped was the trip to the doctor to get my meds renewed, then wait while the pharmacy got them ready.  I also ran to the store and found a pair of shoes in my size.  Since I'd worn out the pair I had with me, getting a new pair was a bit of a priority.  :-/  They seem to run out of my size so quickly I wasn't sure when I could find a pair and grabbed them when they were actually in stock.

Also started sorting through emails.  I'd pared my inbox down before I left, but it was up to over 600 by the time I got home.  Most of them I'd dealt with, one way or another while I was away, but there are several messages in there that require further attention - like the ones from Scotland changing the date for the one day Magic workshop to May 4.  I also need to contact my friend to see how that is going to impact the trip.

Doug has the spools wound for the hemp warp.  Now I'm wondering if I have sufficient yarn left for weft.  :(  I may need to order another cone in before I dress the loom so that it doesn't wind up on hold waiting for more to arrive.

In the meantime there is still the small loom on which I could set up placemats, or more towels.  I sold quite a few towels and could stand to have more for inventory.

Anyway, that's a problem for tomorrow.  I should be hearing from the Fort St. John group about whether or not that workshop is a 'go' and then I have to jump on the preparations for that or they won't have time to dress their looms.....

Currently reading Unnatural Acts by Stuart Woods

Oops

I'm so used to having four flights home I forgot this trip has just three!

Chicago to Vancouver coming up then the last hop from there to home. This leg is the longest. I think I've got an aisle seat so I'm happy. :)
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

1/4

In the boarding gate at Chicago O'Hare airport. One down, three to go.
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

At the gate in the Memphis airport waiting for time to start boarding.

Bought a couple of t shirts and a book so that I have something to declare as I enter Canada. ;)

So far the weather looks decent. Here's hoping it remains that way for the next 12 hours....
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Duck Master

With class starting at 1 pm several of us from class headed to the venerable historic Peabody Hotel to watch the march of the ducks...which in reality was more of a fly by!

The ducks live in a penthouse 'apartment' arriving for their work shift via elevator across the red carpet and spend the day swimming in the fountain.

Afterwards we had brunch and they are now hard at work. :)
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Almost Done

Day two of the Block Weave workshop in Memphis with the two day Efficient Weaver left and thoughts are turning northwards and home.  And a return to winter.  :-/

The news from home is that my computer appears to be dying so one of the first things I will have to do is get that sorted.  Not fun when some of my software is ancient in terms of computing, and has been coaxed into continued service by a good friend who lives an eight hour drive away.  So I may have to risk finding someone local and hope that they don't mess things up.   But when the CPU starts emitting 'alarms' it would be foolish in the extreme to ignore the warning!

On the schedule for weaving?   I have a commission for three tablecloths but that can be held until later in the year for delivery at the craft fair in Calgary so if there is nothing else pressing, Doug should have the hemp wound onto spools ready for the next AGY on linen and hemp.  The yarn for that publication arrived while I have been out of town, so I should be able to start weaving those.  I am projecting either six or seven samples with the usual before and after format.  The plan, if it works out, is to take some of them to Sweden to cold mangle.  But I also have two trips for teaching between now and then so I will just have to see how it goes.

The dyer should also have the first two test warps ready so I also need to slam them on to the loom, wet finish, order the yarn, wind the warps and deliver when I go to Langley for the workshop there in April.

Six months ago my schedule all looked very do-able.  Here's hoping it actually is!

En Route

We are on the road to Nashville. The light rain has eased although the road is still a bit wet.

We were able to cram the back of Pats SUV full with two looms, my large and small suitcases, the blinds for warp packing, a box of extra yarns, and oh yes, Pat and Judy's luggage.

And we have just encountered fog which I hope won't last too long.

Pat has really gone above and beyond fetching and carrying me all over Tennessee. In fact we also just now crossed over into a different time zone. :)

This truly is a very large continent.
The drive from Chattanooga to Memphis is at least five and a half hours plus stops. It is different from home in that I can get cell phone reception with very few dead zones here! ;)

We are out of the fog now and the landscape is becoming flatter with fewer hills, much more prairie like. It is in winter hibernation now but must be lovely and lush with vegetation in the spring. Maybe one time I will get back to see it in full bloom....

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Onwards

The workshop at Chattanooga is now history.  Pat stripped the warp off her loom and dressed it with the warp for Memphis and Judy is working on hers.  But it is time for dinner and a back break!

The predicted rain arrived early so I am keeping fingers crossed that it will end early so that the drive tomorrow will be dry.  At least it isn't snow!

I'm doing two workshops in Memphis, one over the weekend on block weaves, the other on Monday and Tuesday on working more efficiently.  And then on Wednesday I head back north and...winter.

I am not sure what will be waiting for me when I get home apart from computer problems.  :(  hopefully by the time I get home Doug will have figured out the problem and got it fixed.  Sure hope so.  Replacing the computer was not in the budget!  :(

The trip has been great so far.  I've met some wonderful people and put faces to names.  Tennessee will claim a special place in my memories.   :)

Breathing Space

Today we drove back to Chattanooga to prepare for the workshop here.  I would have taken a picture except that would have meant digging my cell phone out of my bag, then putting it away again.  And that seemed like way too much, just to show how much you can stuff into a vehicle!

There were three weavers, two looms (with stands), my large suitcase, three overnight cases, assorted boxes, bags, roll of blinds (mine, for warp packing), purses (in my case a rather large attaché case),  miscellaneous other bits and bobs, warm coats and boots.   After the snow in Nashville over the weekend, those last seemed prudent.

The day was overcast but dry, we made good time and even went to the studio to off load the looms and other stuff, getting the room rearranged and pretty much ready for Wednesday morning.

Not sure what we will do tomorrow.  I'm sure we will think of something.   We are, after all, creative!

Over the Hump

The tour is now officially over half way through.  Another 12 days to home.  I'm not missing the snow and cold weather at home at all although the weather here has, so far, been 'interesting'.   There was another sprinkle of snow here overnight but it was warm enough that the roads were fine.  Since it was Sunday traffic was light  and everyone made it to class.

I think everyone made good progress yesterday so today people finished up weaving their samples.  As usual some weaves were more interesting than others and those warps got used up more quickly.  Some were faster to weave, some slower.  But I think most people increased their knowledge.

Tomorrow we will leave for Chattanooga for a combination of two topics.  I haven't done that before so I hope I can pull it off.   We will talk about weaving more efficiently/ergonomically, participants will dress their looms with warps from the Mug Rugs and More workshop and then I will leave them to weave off their mug rugs as part of a study group effort.  I'm hoping I can squeeze everything into the two days.  :}

Nothing like stretching myself beyond my comfort zone!

Nashville Winter

We are in the club house with looms in all three rooms. With the ice on the roads this morning a 30 minute drive turned into nearly three hours.
Everyone finally made it and there are some happy weavers now weaving lace.

Tomorrow is supposed to be much nicer weather wise. We are keeping fingers and toes crossed.
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network