holding the shuttle in preparation to throwing it again
The above video (click on link above) continues to be the most watched of all of the videos I've posted. The one showing beaming a warp with the warping valet is 3rd, I think.
I did both of those videos before it was a 'thing' and there weren't a whole lot of weaving videos available. And if there were, some of them were not (IMHO) very helpful.
My goal for decades has been to reduce the frustration and irritation involved in getting a warp into the loom and successfully off it again. Or, at least, to increase the success rate. And to decrease injuries.
There are times when things just go 'wrong'. The warp that got cut off the loom Friday is a case in point. It was me, pushing the boundaries of a new-to-me technique and I pushed too far. The entire warp was an exercise in frustration and in the end very few of the tea towels I wove are salable. A couple of locals will get the rejects. They will still dry dishes, I just cannot in good conscience put my name on them and sell them.
Yes, it was frustrating and it wasn't much fun weaving. I'm hoping that as I edge away from the precifice of 'too far' that things will go more smoothly.
Yesterday was the last day of the beginning weaving class. I explained to the students that everything I do is meant to reduce stress to the body, but that their body is different so they may have to do things differently. I pointed out that they need to pay attention to the signals their body will send - does something feel awkward or even painful? Then they must stop and analyse why that might be and work through how to make it more comfortable. More ergonomic. Less painful.
But I suggested that they try my way, especially if they like my results, then adjust from there.
This past month I had to make another difficult decision. That class will be the last beginning to weave class I will teach in person. As for learning from me? There are resources on line. My You Tube channel, of course, but Handwoven has two on-line 'workshops' and School of Sweet Georgia will have four by the end of this year.
When I began weaving I had no clue where this road would take me. I certainly never expected it to turn me into a published author (magazine articles and actual books) or to the places I travelled to in order to teach.
Today I will spend the afternoon in the guild room to assist two of the students (the other will come here for some tutoring before I leave for guild). Once the book of essays is published I will re-tool the beyond beginning workshop (thank goodness I kept the binder with samples and drafts!) and I have pencilled in a tentative date in October. We are hoping to attract weavers from the region to come and join us. Will post details when they become available, hopefully mid-June.
Can't take a workshop from me in person? Here are links to the two on-line places:
School of Sweet Georgia (you get access to the lectures I've been doing plus the workshops, two of them live, the next one arriving in July, the last one in November of this year)
Handwoven (look for the wet finishing class as well, listed separately)
My books are available at Blurb We are still working towards at July 9 official publication date, and a Zoom book launch. Stay tuned for details on that.
For those of you who continue to read this blog - thank you for joining me on my journey.
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