Plus ca change...

 

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Kind of sums up things, really.

I've been weaving a rather long time.  From the 1980s to 2019, I wove on an AVL, which was a very particular kind of loom.  When I got the Megado, I had to change the way I dealt with how I threaded the loom, mainly what I did with my threading draft.  I happened to have an old typist's clipboard, meant to hold things as the typist typed the information.  It might be typing them onto letterhead, or a stencil.  (Yes, I'm *that* old!)

I bought one, but didn't like it at the desktop because it didn't fit well in the limited space beside the cpu and the monitor, and when I started setting up the Megado, I had to find a different way to handle the printed out drafts.  For the longest time (late 2019 until, well, now) I had placed the clipboard onto the laptop on the table next to the loom.

But as my back got worse, twisting from sitting forward at the loom to thread, to checking the draft for the next combination of threads and marking off the ones just threaded, began to irritate me.  

On the last warp I took a look around and realized that the Megado had a 'hard top', which I understand some people use to place their ipads or laptops to run the dobby.  I don't like the prospect of setting an expensive electronic device on top of the loom, that slightly jiggles and generally is not exactly 'stable' like my table is.  However, I'm not weaving right now, and hmm - would the base of the clipboard 'fit' on the top of the loom?  

I adjusted it to tailor it to my needs, and in the end?  I'm finding it much easier.  I don't know if it will reduce the wear and tear on my back, but it feels 'better', so hopefully.

I print out the entire draft, which tends to take 5-7 pages of paper.  As I thread each bout of ends, I mark them off on the draft so that I know I've done that bundle.  As I thread them, I tie a slip knot in each group, and then when I've done a repeat, I loosely slip knot that, too.

The bottom part of the shaft is a narrow piece of wood, which I can just write on with a pencil so that each shaft is numbered 1-16.  Fiberworks prints drafts out with the number of each shaft that is being used.  For a group of numbers (13-16 for example) I have the numbers on the shafts to identify which shafts I need in the group.  It's a number to number correlation.  Which makes more sense to me than to have the draft in numbers and the heddles a rainbow of colours.  

But we each have to work out what processes are 'best' for ourselves.  Personally I find a rainbow of colours in the heddles distracting, not helpful, but we all process information in different ways, so try a few things and figure what is best practice for you!

The Centre Cannot Hold (Politics)

 Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

W. B. Yeats

I am no stranger to things falling apart at the seams, but it is sometimes good to look around and remind ourselves that we, as a species, have been 'here' before.  And no doubt we will be 'here' again.

The is just a part of the poem written by W. B. Yeats in the aftermath of WWI, but it is timely, I think, to ponder what he says.

But more importantly - what can we *do*?  

Personally I feel that it is imperative that each one of us remembers that while we, as individuals, have little control over what is currently going on in our world, we *can* do things.

Above all, we can not 'comply in advance'.  In the maelstrom of conflicting messages, we can try to tease the 'truth' out of the barrage of messages flying all around us. Before 'complying' make sure of what you are agreeing to comply with.

In the midst of a shitstorm of epic proportions, we can hang on to ourselves - our integrity.  We can question our leaders and not gulp down, without thought or examination, every word they spew into the whirlwind.

We can watch to see what they do, and if it aligns with what they are saying.  Or not.

We can hold them accountable.  Like our current Leader of the Opposition trying to wheedle his way back into the House of Commons, bleating about the government's bloated spending - while he spends more than the other parties combined.  Where PM Carney appoints something like 34 Ministers and *he* has something like 74 'shadow' ministers - all of whom are paid more than the 'ordinary' MP's salary.  

Now, who is 'bloated'?

We can support the people around us.  We can share our thoughts about what is happening and point out the inconsistencies in the messages.  Yes, even by the government.  We are here to hold *them* accountable, too, not just the 'other' guys.

As individuals we can be helpful.  Creative.  Supportive.  We can light a candle against the dark, and if someone comes along whose candle is not lit?  Maybe we can light theirs for them.

There is very little I can actually *do* right now.  I can give a hug to someone who needs it.  I can hold a hand, or offer assistance, even if it is just a supportive word or two.  

Right now I have little 'extra' in terms of money, so I cannot give much money to others.  But I can share their efforts and let others decide if *they* can support a Go Fund Me - or not.

I can answer questions.  I can share my knowledge.  I can point people to resources.  I can speak out and say 'this is not good, not 'right'.  

Last week someone referenced something I said and claimed me as a 'godmother'.  

I may not have a magic wand, but I can still 'help' as much as I can, given my current circumstances.  

As things continue to 'fall apart', I can try to help put them back together, as best I can.  And if we each do a little bit, who knows, maybe the centre will hold.

As a friend says when wishing someone good luck - Gold Dust to everyone.  May you find hope and peace during these uncertain times.  Take a cup of kindness if you need some.  Virtual hugs, if you need one.

Next!

 

Still playing around with 'snowflake' twills.

I kind of like this one, even though it's pretty 'simple' for a 'fancy' twill.  Since the fall last year, my brain has been constrained processing information, and several warps I wove through the winter wound up with threading errors in them.  Most of them were not detected until after wet finishing, or only really showed on the back side of the cloth.  So, I'm trying to not push my poor brain too hard and keeping things a little bit 'simpler'.

Since the article I just wrote (still in editing stage) was about building with twill 'progressions' it has been good exercise to manipulate some of them to create motifs.  This one appeals to me, even after letting it sit for a while, so I think I'll go ahead with it.

Using all 16 shafts the motif will be fairly large and will present more warp on the one face, more weft on the other.  I'm not sure which side I will choose to be the 'right' side, but I'll weave it by lifting the fewest shafts I can.  Even weaving on the Megado, which has a very 'light' lift, I still prefer to use the least amount of effort that I can, considering my other health issues.  

My goal is to keep weaving for as long as I can, so reducing the work load seems like a good approach.

I have appointments tomorrow and Thursday, and I doubt I will be able to finish the warp off before them, but I should have it off the loom by Friday.  And then I can begin beaming the next.  I'm hoping I could be weaving by next week.

The singles linen is finally 'gone', and now I'm working through some of my other stash.  After this warp I will have to decide which direction to go, or if I buy more of the 2/16 cotton.  I confess I am enjoying the quality of the cloth I have been making the last while.  I'm just hoping some...sanity...will be brought back into our day-to-day lives and dealings with our neighbour to the south.  Because I'm collecting a huge amount of inventory and would love to sell some more.  Until the tariff/not-tariff issues are settled, there doesn't seem much point in anyone in the US buying from me.  

Instead I've been gifting towels to members of my health care team.  They keep me able to get to the loom, so it seems proper that they should get a token of my appreciation.

Today isn't quite summer-y, but it is only the end of May.  OTOH, I am relieved that we have been getting *some* rain.  Right now provinces to the east of us are on fire and it looks to be a 'bad' summer for wildfires.  Long beyond time we should be dealing with climate change.  OTOH, most governments seem to be ignoring it, like they are ignoring Covid, so, guess we'll figure it out, sooner or later.

In the meantime, I keep trying to share what I know with others, here and elsewhere.  And yes, I welcome questions by email:  laura @ laurafry . com

AI - and Learning

 

One of the challenges in 2025 is the fact that we are besieged on every side by AI.  Word has it.  Google has it.  My email program has it.  Everywhere are 'bots' (I won't even call them 'robots') trying to interfere in what I want to do.

I get that some people are not confident about their writing skills, but whatever level of purgatory we are currently in, allowing some word salad machine dictate to me what words, what phrasing, I should be using as I try to communicate MY thoughts?  This isn't acceptable.

I keep refusing to activate their AI, and now new updates have it as the default, and sometimes I just can't figure out how to 'disable' it.  So I keep ignoring it, but mentally I curse the damned things.

The latest word salad atrocity was a list of summer reading that was written by some kind of 'AI' and half of the recommended books don't actually exist.  

So I renew my pledge to never knowingly use AI - of any kind.  It's not accurate.  It's fantasy (and not very good, to boot).  And it will give 'bad' advice.

Now, someone may well not agree with the things I say, but I am a human being with 50 years of experience in weaving.  My experience may not mirror someone else's, but within the context I offer it, it at least works for me - a human being who actually knows something about the craft and doesn't go around stealing other people's information and then twists into something that isn't real while I try to make money off of stolen information that is badly described.

Plus the environmental impacts.  The energy and water it takes to let the bot spew garbage is unsustainable.  For that reason alone I will never ask AI to write something for me, to simply 'mock' it.  It's not human.  It cannot be shamed.

There are now plenty of *good* online classes if you need to learn that way.  There are books and magazines.  

Yesterday I told the newer students in attendance that they can contact me at any time and ask me questions.  For free.  If they want a 'class', I tell them where to find them.  And my guild library has my books if they can learn that way.

I doubt very much I will live until 90 like my mother, with no guarantee I will keep my marbles until such time arrives to head on over to the loom room in the sky.  

In the meantime, I and others, continue to teach.  Explain.  Encourage.  Live human beings (and some dead ones, who have left books behind for people to continue to use even after they are gone) - not 'artificial intelligence'.  Real people who learned the craft, then did their best to share what they learned.

So please.  Support actual human beings, not 'stupid' bots.  Support actual human beings, not dude bros who have first stolen from actual human beings, then try to make money off of their theft.  

(shoves soap box off to the side...heads to loom...)

Books  hard copy and digital

WEFT magazine

School of Sweet Georgia

Long Thread Media

Socializing

 

WEFT magazine sent their contributors a pin.  Today - the first time in a very long time - I went out to the guild room and spent some time socializing with a small group of people who were interested in the magazine, and the samples I wove for the first issue.

A magazine is a wonderful thing, but it's not the Full Deal Meal, so to speak.  Textiles are *tactile* and being able to *feel* them conveys a whole other level of information about what is, essentially, a tactile experience.

I remembered to grab the pin and wear it.  

Since I had subscribed to the magazine during their Go Fund Me, plus I contributed two articles to the magazine, I had a 'spare' copy which I donated to the guild.  I hope they will subscribe, but I let people know that they could buy digital copies at a lower cost, or just buy single copies - either print or digital.

A couple of the attendees were very new, some had a bit of experience under their belts, and some were more experienced.  It made for a nice interchange and a pleasant couple of hours.

At the end I suggested that if people were interested we could do the same after each issue comes out.  Since I have articles accepted for several up coming issues, I could bring my samples in and let people have a look.  Several said yes, so I'll remember to book the guild room once I have the magazine in hand and bring the samples with me.  Or at least textiles that are pertinent.  Some articles won't be illustrated by specially woven cloth, but pretty sure I can find things to share that may be suitable to the theme.

And I was reminded how much I had missed chatting with other weavers.  I had requested that attendees wear a mask, which may have prevented some people from coming.  But honestly, between Covid on the rise, AND measles, and bird flu - people like me tend to get 'left behind'.  We want to participate, but we don't want to get sick.  I've been managing by staying active on the internet, but there is nothing quite like actually sitting down and chatting.

It was lovely to meet one of the new weavers I had not seen before and re-acquaint myself with others.  The next issue comes out in August, I think, so maybe we can get together again in September.  

Something to look forward to...

Deep Dive

 

If you don't understand your materials, you won't know how to use them appropriately.

There is a persistent piece of information that gets shared around in the weaving community - a 'myth' I have tried to explain is not helpful.

The assumption is that yarn counts give you everything you need to know about your yarn.

The photo above is the same 'count' of cotton - the brick red is the same 'count' as the blue/green - in this case 2/16 (brick red) and 16/2 blue/green.

What is not immediately apparent when you look at these yarns with just your eyesight, is that they are NOT the same.

The brick red yarn is thinner, smoother, and has a different number of twists per single and ply than the other, which is thicker, fuzzier and a different ratio of twists per single and plyed yarn than the other.

What is less obvious is how the fibres have been prepared for, and spun.  Why does that matter?  It matters because the yarns will not behave the same in the loom, or in the cloth.

How do we know?  We don't, unless we have some background in spinning, and understand the nature of the fibres themselves, and therefore have the information to understand what those changes are.

Now, it is not necessary to understand that, except that if you don't, you will be confronted with 'bad' yarn, when in reality, the weaver is not able to make appropriate choices.

It is why I took the time to make up a publication called A Good Yarn, in which I tried to explain some of this 'hidden' information to weavers.  And why I make a point of explaining this when I write articles.

A 'cheap' digital microscope can provide valuable information to weavers to learn more about their yarns.  The little microscope I bought magnifies to 20 times, I think.  To go higher meant a significant increase in purchase price, but I sometimes wish I had bought the next one up.  OTOH, this one gives me a peek that I cannot see unaided, so I'm glad I purchased it.

My goal right from the beginning, was to understand my materials, in much the same way as other craft practitioners need to understand *their* materials - potters need to understand the clay they work with, woodworkers need to understand the wood they work with, metal smiths, their metals, etc.  

That doesn't mean a weaver is constrained from using something, just they will understand the limits of the materials and how to handle them.  A 'tender' yarn can be strengthened by using warp sizing, and so on.  

The more we know, the better choices we can make.  

And yes, sometimes the yarn is 'bad' - it may have been stored improperly for too long, for example.  Or it may have critter damage - wool moths for example, will eat through wool yarns.  In that case, it really isn't worth a weaver's time and energy to try to 'fix' it.  Perhaps it needs to be assigned a different use than for a warp.  

When acquiring yarn from an older weaver, sometimes the labels are gone and so is any memory of what the yarns are made from.  In that case burn tests can be applied, as well as a close look with a magnifying glass.  The information is readily available - the weaver just needs to know that it is and go looking for it.

Lots of fibre science books will have fibre characteristics listed and detail the results of using a burn test.  Mine, for example, has a review of this information.  If you want more detailed information, my favourite book is A Guide to Textiles for Interior Designers by Jackman and Dixon.  The first edition is still available at a fairly good price.  More recent editions are more expensive and have more information on 'modern' textiles.

Also?  Don't consult AI.  It is proven to be riddled with misinformation and not reliable.  Check with an actual book.  Most libraries have books in their collection, or invest a book that you know you can trust.  There are plenty available - I own at least 3, if not more.  What can I say, I tend to collect good information to have at my fingertips.  

But if nothing else, I'd like weavers to realize that the 'count' does not give *all* of the information about a specific yarn.  All it says is how many yards/pound (or metric measures.)  After that the weaver must take a deeper dive - and weave some samples!

Oops

 

After wet finishing the last warp, I decided how much I needed to be 'concerned' about the threading mistake I had made.

The design is a modified Swedish Snowflake twill, which means it's 'fancy' (read 'busy'!) and if you look closely you can probably identify it.  But a cursory look?  Probably most people would not notice it.

In the end the towels will still dry dishes, so...

Most of them will be given as gifts, and...beggers shouldn't be too choosy?

The older I get, the more 'feeble' I feel, the less energy I have to be overly concerned with what is, in reality, a pretty small 'blemish'.  Of course I would never enter such an item into a juried exhibit!  But for friends to dry their dishes?  Well, they can just have evidence (yet again) that I am far from perfect.

I've just done something that felt very 'scary'.  I've cancelled my Word subscription.  In the end, if I can't access my old files it won't be a big deal.  The only thing I am concerned about is the next article (rough draft) and if I am truly worried about it, I will do a cursory edit and email the file to my friend that picks nits for me.  The rest?  Well, I can live without them.  But I would be sorry if I lost some of the files.

I've had Word as a software program since the 'dark ages' but now that I can no longer buy the program and it's mine, but I must pay Microsoft for an annual subscription for the privilege?  And the cost keeps going up - at Microsoft's whim?  Nope.  

(Yes, I have a 'work around', don't worry about me - I'll be fine.)

I'm also getting extremely vexxed with so many programs coming with the added 'bug' of AI to do everything, include write my articles (?) for me.  Nope.  Nope.  Nope.  Not happening.

So I will continue with this blog for so long as I am able (or Google tries to take my writing away from me and involve a bot that has zero intelligence and knows precisely *nothing* about weaving).

And that is how my Wednesday is going...

Organized

 

Well, I am still not 'healed' from the brain injury.  

I used to be able to juggle several major projects - all at once - and keep track of the deadlines - and where I was in terms of progress on all of them.

I have been working steadily on writing content for WEFT magazine, and it occurred to me the other day that I have completely lost track of where I am in the writing queue.

Rather than bother the editor, I am going to have to take some time to go through all the contracts, figure out which issues I've completed, and what I have left to do.  Because I have concentrated so hard on the current article, I have simply no idea which issue I am working on, and when it is due.

I have enough of the warp woven now that I can tell it is working the way I wanted it to, and I even cut off the first 7 towels and got them through the washer and dryer yesterday.  After my chiropractor appointment I will turn the press on and get them pressed.  Then tomorrow I can begin hemming them.

Last night was...not great.  I don't recall actually sleeping, although I might have zoned out enough to qualify as 'sleep' for a few minutes here and there.  This morning I opened Word and began putting words down.  I've been thinking about this article for weeks and I finally sorted out how I wanted to illustrate it (and was happy enough with the current warp to use it) and what I wanted to say.  I did the rough draft, and at the end I was satisfied with what I had done.  But getting it proof read, and then sent to my alpha editor is critical!  So I will carry on weaving off the rest of the warp and leave the rough draft to sit for a few days before I do the first pass in 'editing' mode before I dare to send it to my friend who has been supportive and helps pick out the 'nits'.  I want what I send to the magazine editor to be 'sensible'.

I am extremely lucky in my friends (and spouse - my first line of assistance!) who have encouraged me and helped me by giving me valuable feedback.

But it appears I am feeling 'well' enough to recognize that it is time that I figured out where on my life journey I am, and make sure I'm not flailing around 'lost' in the maze of deadlines.  

It's time to get organized!  Maybe.  If I can...

"Best" Way to Thread

 

Once again the 'arguments' about the 'best' way to thread continue.  This person does A, that person does B, that other person swears by C, and round and round and round we go.

The best way to thread is what works 'best' for...*you*.

Someone said they thread one way, and during the course of the day, taking many breaks (because threading posture isn't very ergonomic!) they can thread X ends.

I'm now dealing with an injured body (NOT weaving caused, but impacts my weaving).  I used to thread a simple sequence at the rate of about 300 ends per 45 minutes.  

How long it takes, well, it depends.   

I am now using much finer threads than I used to do for 'production' purposes, and quite frankly, fancy twills in fine threads over 16 shafts (e.g. 2/16 to 2/20 cottons) take longer than fat threads in a simple sequence over 4.

IOW, your mileage will vary...

I primarily beam sectionally, so I beam the warp, then thread the heddles, then sley and tie on.

The Megado (and the AVL previously) allows the weaver to remove the breast beam, remove the beater top and reed, and sit more or less at the front of the loom, either just inside or very near the loom.

I have always used task lighting because my studio is in the basement and even though it has fairly 'large' windows (for a basement), I live around the 54th latitude, which means during the winter, daylight hours are much less than during the summer.  Good lighting is imperative.

My threading draft gets clipped to a 'typists' clipboard which now lives on the top of the Megado castle during threading, as it makes it easier to see the draft.  (This is a new addition so isn't shown in this photo.  As life throws curve balls at you, sometimes you need to change.  Just saying.)

I also have a task light at the back of the loom which is not shown, especially useful on dull/dark days, which makes it easier to see the yarn at the back of the loom.

If you biggify the photo, you may be able to see the groups that I tie together in a slip knot as they get threaded.  This makes the warp much easier (for me) to sley later.  (Also, You Tube video clip showing how I tie the slip knot.)

When I saw a demonstration by Norman Kennedy, I immediately adopted his method, which I show in a video clip on You Tube (and elsewhere).  Not everyone will find this suitable for them, but it works well for me.

Sometimes people don't want to go through the 'work' of learning a new technique.  And that's fine!  Not every approach will work for every person.

If you think 'my' (and others) technique will work for you, be prepared to use it - as quickly as possible - at least 7 times before you judge if it is going to be beneficial to you.  Make 'time studies' so you can compare and see if you are actually more efficient - or not.  

The best result is one that allows for the most 'comfort' and high accuracy.  As we age and our sight perhaps grows dimmer, and brains also grow duller (especially after a brain injury - sigh) the best approach is to be as accurate as possible.  I'm still struggling with the 'accuracy' part due to brain malfunctions.  But it *does* seem to be getting better.

And that is called 'progress'...

Smooth Sailing

 

Swans.  They look so...majestic.  So calm.  But under the surface of the water, their feet are working to keep them on course.

To any unexperienced observer, it looks so simple.

Same with other skilled activities - like weaving.

My father always pointed out someone skilled by saying 'watch out for the people who make something look simple'.

I have been thinking about my father a lot, lately.

He died 'too soon' - as far as my family were concerned.  But as I look back on my life, I realize how much of him lives on in me.

He probably would not have understood why I quit my very well paying job (for a female) in 1975 and dedicated my life to being like that swan.  Making it look simple on the surface, but working - *hard* - to make it seem so.

But once he crossed over, I felt that he understood and was there - in spirit - as I struggled and stumbled and - at times - succeeded to make something I was satisfied with.

The face plant last year was like losing at the old game 'snakes and ladders' - as I tumbled down the board to the beginning, feeling fumble fingered - and brained.  I worked hard to bring myself even close to my previous proficiency.  And I'm still not close.  Probably never will be.

But I can still weave, and right now?  That's enough.

I posted to a weaving group the other day and someone kindly said that I was 'godmother' to many.  The statement took me aback a little, then I felt...a bit overwhelmed, frankly.  I don't have kids, therefore don't have g/kids.  Our extended family lives far away and we rarely see any of the nieces/nephews.  

I don't do what I do for praise - although it's nice when it comes.  And now, at this stage of my life, to have a publication keep contacting me to see if I want to write for them, feels affirmative.  It feels like a reason to keep going, in spite of the physical/mental challenges.

In a way I feel I am - hopefully - continuing my father's legacy, pointing out when someone does something that looks simple when I know how much work went into the project.

As I look back on my life, I have done things I never anticipated doing.  Never dreamed about doing.  Never knew that I *could* do, from public speaking, to organizing conferences with hundreds of participants, to self-publishing books, to being published in 'real' magazines, not just things I put together myself.

Yes, I've made mistakes.  Still do, especially now when my brain misfires, and my body keeps breaking down.

To be told that others have noticed what I have done and taken inspiration?  Is probably the biggest gift I have received.

So, in spite of the pain flare (a-bloody-gain) last night, I see that I am feeling 'better' so I am going to finally get dressed and to the loom.  Because I will cut off the first 1/3 of this warp today.  And I will keep going.  At times letting the current carry me, at times paddling furiously, while apparently calm and serene on the surface.

Never give up.  Never let someone tell you that what you are doing is 'worthless' when it is what your heart/soul needs to do.  

As for current events?  #elbowsUp

A Lifetime of Learning

 

When I chose to make weaving my 'career', all I had to go on was a gut feeling and big dreams.

I really had no clue as to what I was doing, or what would be required.  I did have a broad range of experience to draw upon, which helped.  But what fueled me were those 'big dreams'.  The potential, which showed in glimmers as I grappled to acquire the skills necessary.

I was prepared to make mistakes.  To fail.  But determined to figure it out.  To never let the naysayers prevent me from what felt 'right' for me.

It seemed apparent to me that weaving had a lifetime of learning to explore.  And so it has been.

At times newer weavers will express frustration and exclaim that they can hardly wait until they didn't make mistakes any more.

When I hear that I usually bite my lips - hard - in an effort to not laugh.  Because I'm not laughing at them, I'm laughing at the notion that I will ever get to that place!  

Especially since the brain bleed, just about 9 months ago.  When my whole world tilted and my brain stopped working, mostly.  Not all of it, thankfully, but a large chunk of it, that I used frequently - my speech centre.  It affected my ability to talk, read and most especially, write.

It also affected my concentration, something that weavers really seriously need, if they are to *not* make mistakes practicing this rather complex skill.

Truth to be told, since the date in late August and through September before I felt able to get to the loom (for short periods only) I have made more mistakes in the past 8 months than I made - probably - in the 8 years previously.  I think nearly every warp, except a couple that were dead simple to dress, had at least one 'mistake' in them, some of them more than one.  It has been humbling to observe the mistakes reveal themselves.  

My Anglo-Saxon words have gotten a really huge workout lately (not to mention the state of politics).

So I fix the ones I can, and try not to stress over the rest.  Most of the 'mistakes' are not very clear anyway, because of *course* I have been weaving with 'thin' yarn for the past while.  That makes the difficulty level go up, just by nature of trying to see 'thin' threads and make sure they go where they belong.

The surgeon told me that the first year will bring the greatest 'healing', with the 2nd year after the injury  bringing 'some' more.  How much?  No idea.  Every person is on their healing journey and no person experiences the injury and the healing in the same way.  It hasn't helped that other issues have also been giving me grief.  But it would appear the 'hail Mary' drug just might be working.  I will know more as the dose gets closer to the level I need to deal with the chronic pain.  And slowly, my brain seems to be getting a better handle on...things...

Yesterday I sent the info for the Zoom presentation in July.  When I get the promo materials I will share them.  I'm hoping that people will be kind if my brain has a fizzle.

Weaving was my saving 'grace'.  I was determined to at least get back to the loom, even if I could not teach or write anymore.  I let go of expectations, and learned to accept - not to give up, but to be realistic about what I could actually do, then move forward from there.

It has been the support of my spouse and several friends who have gotten me through to this time.  They held onto hope when I had all but given up.  

But I did not die that day.  And I still have dreams.  They may no longer be 'big', but I still have them.  Not to mention I still have yarn that needs to be used up!

The repair to the loom appears to have worked, and the loom is much happier.  Therefore the weaver is much happier.  I'm pretty sure there is more for me to learn, and so I get to the loom and try.  

For those who have reached out to me with encouragement, thank you - from the bottom of my heart.  I'm still not what I used to be - and I may never be.  But I just finished two 45 minute sessions at the loom.  And it's enough.  

Before and After

 

a variation on Swedish Snowflake

Wet finishing will 'change' your textiles.  Sometimes a lot; sometimes not so much.

Since I wet finished the last warp while there was still some of the warp left to weave, I have an  example of the same textile in loom state and after wet finishing.

The weave structure is over 8 shafts with a 1:3:3:1 tie up, and woven as drawn in (threaded).  The thing I noticed in the loom (because I'm using the things I'm weaving now, mostly, as examples for articles) I was paying more attention to how the weave was developing in the loom, and then how it changed after wet finishing.

With the tie up as it is, given the threading, some of the sheds have more warp than weft and vice versa in some parts than in others, and as the shafts move through in their 'dance' I noticed that some areas looked less beaten in than others.  It made it look like my beating was uneven, when it was the structure of the weave that was building up differently due to the resistance (more or less) as the treadles moved the threads through to create the motif.  

In the above photo, the loom state is on the left, wet finished on the right.

One of the things I noticed as I set up the samples to be photographed, is that the colour shifted.  Those two pieces of weaving were woven identically so the shift in colour is in the way the light hits the warp and weft, not a change in colours in the yarn itself.

The loom state looks more 3D as the warp emphasis and weft emphasis threads show up differently once they have been wet finished and compressed.

The selvedges have a slight waviness to them, depending on where the warp and weft change places - some areas are drawn in a bit more than others.  I do not (generally) use a floating selvedge, and while I've never done the experiment, I don't know if a floating selvedge would adjust the selvedge to make it 'ruler straight'.

The weave structure has areas of 7 ends of float, warp and weft, and the selvedges are fine (imho) so I don't fuss about them.  After wet finishing the 'floats' at the selvedge contract and come together.  You may be able to biggify the photo if you click on it, so you can see the selvedge more closely.

Talking to a friend (who is also a weaver) I told them I wasn't nearly as concerned about being 'perfect' anymore.  So there are times when I will ignore a 'mistake', especially when it is something I didn't see until I had wet finished the cloth.  Mostly these days I weave tea towels - and even a tea towel with a threading error that is nearly invisible will still dry dishes.

I'm old now.  My vision has gotten 'worse', and my physical...well...it's gotten 'worse', too.  Frankly, these days I'm just glad I *can* weave.  Even if it means I 'miss' mistakes at times.  

So, yes, there will be times I will just carry on and not worry about the 'mistakes'.  Time/energy now is limited, and there are SO many other things I want to explore, to learn, and share.  'Perfect' is always desired, but I don't always have the spoons to achieve it.

But that's the thing.  We each get to choose what we want to do, and how much effort we can afford to put into getting it done.  I feel like I've met and exceeded expectations for years.  Now I'm 'retired' (for certain values of) and if I can't be a good example now in my dotterage,  guess I will be a 'bad' example.

Keep learning.  Keep trying.  Keep weaving.

Sunny Day

 

These white roses grew on a series of rose bushes along part of the path I used to walk and I always loved them when they bloomed.  Unfortunately, someone cut them all down a few years ago, which I think was a shame, but my walk became less soothing with their disappearance.  Eventually I had to give up walking due to health issues, but I still have this photo to remember them.

Today is quite a lovely day - a little bit 'chilly' with a light breeze.  But the sky is blue (mostly) and the sun is shining.  Best of all, I got some good news this morning.

Today was my 6 month check up at the cancer clinic.  Not only am I still in remission, the level of leukocytes is actually lower than they were in November.  It was a very nice thing to hear.  

There was a Nurse Practitioner student helping out, and I happily allowed the student to interview and then examine me.  Since my father was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, he set the standard (as far I was concerned) about letting students 'practice' on him.  

As far as the chronic pain is concerned, it would appear the new drug is - maybe - hopefully - showing signs of working.  

I am hoping that I will have less pain and more sleep going forward.

I have some things I am looking forward to doing - mostly writing - and will try to continue to get to the loom twice a day.  Right now I'm weaving a 'sample' for the next WEFT article I'm working on, and should begin generating the text in the next couple of weeks.  I may - or may not - do another 'sample'.  Or, I may just include some draft examples, to clarify the point of the article.  

In the run up to my six month check ups I get a bit anxious, but now I can calm down and look forward with more anticipation.  The roller coaster of life has way more elevation changes than I would like, but never mind, I'm still riding it.

For everyone struggling with challenges, I send love and light and virtual hugs if you want one.  For now it is lunch time, and then...to the loom!  And maybe the desktop to do the submission for the Zoom presentation in July.  I'm running out of week, and they have deadlines to meet, too.

Loom Abuse

 

Wear and tear?  Or Abuse?

I weave.  A lot.  I have worn out a lot of loom parts over the years, first on the AVL, and now?  The Megado.

One time I posted to a group online asking about a 'wear' issue on my fairly new (at the time) Megado, and speculated if the TexSolv cord had stretched.  One person adamantly insisted that TexSolv cord doesn't 'stretch'.  Something about 'everyone knows' - except me, apparently.

In my experience, I knew that it can - and will.  But not, apparently, in their experience.  So I ignored them and finally managed to get through to Louet, who promptly told me how to shorten a stretched cord.  

Well, not only does TexSolv cord stretch, it can wear out.

I had been noticing something 'off' about the loom for a while, but given my current health issues, I blamed myself for poor shuttle handling, and just concentrated on doing 'better'.  But yesterday I finally 'saw' something very odd - one shaft was not lifting as high as the neighbouring shafts.

I made a note to check it more closely next time I went to the loom (I was just stopping for a break), and then checked the shafts and the cords.  Had a cord slipped off a pulley?  Had that happen previously, so expected that was the issue.  But no.

It took a while to notice the problem because it looked almost 'normal' just looking at it.  It was only when I moved the shaft around a bit and poked at the cords to see if they were out of alignment that the last few 'threads' making the 'hole' separated and oops.  At this point, it would be rather 'dangerous' to keep weaving, so I've asked Doug to repair the cable.  I have 'extra' cord, and the fasteners to join pieces of the TexSolv cord.  I could do it myself, if my back weren't hurting so much, and the bending and poking around and the strength to fasten the repair and original cord back together is a bit 'much' for me, right now.  Otherwise I would do it myself.

But I have the documentation for the Zoom presentation in July to put together for the host, and it's lunch time, plus he's in the middle of fixing something else, so I'm going to stop gnashing my teeth and be calm/patient (a hard ask on a good day), and let him do it.  

New weavers should be aware that sometimes it really *is* the loom!  But if you don't understand the mechanics, you might not be able to target the problem, or how to fix it when you do.  And then you ask to see if anyone else has experienced the issue and what they did to fix it.

The person who chastised me about the other problem didn't know me.  Didn't know my decades of experience weaving on 'complex' looms.  My understanding of the physics of weaving.  Their comment about 'everyone knows TexSolv doesn't stretch' was not the least bit helpful, (nor accurate) so I try very hard not to be condescending when answering such questions posed by others.  But neither have I asked a question on that particular group again.

Because I can forgive, but I don't forget.

Spring! Sun!

 

traditional motif of Snails Trails and Cats Paws - in twill blocks, not overshot

We are well into spring, now.  The plum trees are almost finished blooming, the grass is growing, temps rising.  

Spring is such a time of hope.  It is the time to plant things - and watch them grow.

Kind of like weaving.

Some cultures tended to weave in the winter.  People generally lived in small spaces, and rather than set the loom up all year round, weaving for domestic necessaries tended to be done in the winter.  Summer was for growing your food and preserving it for the coming cold months.

But not always, of course.  Sometimes weaving happened in the summer, too.  If you were a 'professional' weaver, you wove every day you could.

In fact. Sunday was declared a day of rest by the church in no small part because weavers would not make the deadline to finish weaving their warp by Monday, so instead of going to church of a Sunday morning, they would stay home...and weave.

People who wove for their income were one of the first professional groups who recognized that 'industrialization' would destroy the jobs and income of the weavers.  They were called "Luddites" and rather than being 'only' against technological improvements (define 'improvement'?) they protested against the loss of jobs.  They were not wanton destroyers of their looms, but the new-fangled mechanized looms that were putting skilled tradespeople out of work.

Sound familiar?

Kind of like, oh, I don't know, 'artificial intelligence'?

We, as a society, a species, are at a turning point.  And quite frankly I cannot see where we will come out of this time of turmoil.  I'm too old to worry over much about it.  But I have been in touch with a young person who really would like to make weaving their, if not profession, at least an income generator.  

I suggested my memoir, where I talk about my experiences, but also warned them that with the drastic changes to society, they will have to chart their own path.  My experiences are now...stale.  However, the lessons I learned along the way might prove useful to someone just setting their feet on the path.  If you are in the US, there are no tariffs because it's just a PDF download.  

Yesterday I finished setting up the warp and began weaving.  Today I have massage, so I probably won't get to the loom today.  OTOH, I have 'light duties' to do - like the info for the Zoom presentation in July.  More info when it becomes available.  I need to send them a headshot, bio and 5 photos of my work.  Which has lead me down the path of remembering.  I don't have 50 years worth of photos, but my photo file is...cumbersome.  I should likely delete a bunch of the photos, and yet...the one above, which I am particularly fond of, and which I tend to use - here, if nothing else - still come in handy.

It is getting 'too late' to squeeze a session at the loom in before my appointment.  I might take some time to read WEFT.  Or Twist.  Or fiddle with jigsaw pieces.  The latest puzzle is of Hagia Sophia.  I would love to get a puzzle of the interior, but this one shows the 'church/mosque/museum/mosque' at sunset.  And I can remember the trip we did in 1995.  I can think about the skills of our ancestors, creating a 'monument' of such beauty that it still stands.  And hope that we manage to come through this 'interesting' times to survive, maybe even thrive.

(My other books are printed in the US, therefore can be purchased without tariffs, via blurb.com)

Deep Dive

 

One of the things that fascinates me is the materials that are available to weave with.  I fell into a little 'extra' money and had a gift card to Amazon, and found their listings for electronic microscopes.  Then I had some fun burrowing down the rabbit hole, looking at threads up close and personal.

The above threads are a case in point.  They both have the same 'count', but that doesn't make them 'identical'!

The accepted wisdom is that if a, for example, cotton yarn has the same 'count' as another yarn, they are interchangeable.  They will behave the same, and create exactly the same quality of cloth.

About that...

I'm still dealing with the brain injury and other ailments, so I have not felt able to read Michelle Boyd's book Twist - but I do pick it up and page through it.  But the other thing that arrived is the first issue of WEFT.  A magazine article is more manageable for me right now.  I can focus for several pages and read an article, now and then, where an entire book still feels like too much to cope with.

But I really want to read Michelle's book - thoroughly! - because if we do not understand the materials we are working with, we can't properly manage them.

I saw a request from a new weaver who just bought some really lovely yarn and wanted to know how to set up her loom to show it off.

The yarn was pretty - lots of colour changes - and if used as warp it would make an interesting scarf (the intended finished item).

But what did I notice about that yarn?  It was not 'smooth'.  It was described as a blend of two yarns, but all I could focus on was the texture.  One of the yarns appeared to be creating a lot of loose 'ends', which in a knitted sweater (likely its intended use), would be interesting, but would be verging on a nightmare if used as warp in the loom.

Those loose fibres would tend to start popping out of the structure of the yarn, then it would begin to snag on neighbouring yarns creating snarls and 'knots' which could affect the shed.  

I'm pretty sure it was quite expensive so I very much doubt the person would be willing to 'waste' some of it making a sample.

New to the craft folk are anxious to make something 'successful'.  Some of them don't see the value of 'sampling'.  They consider weaving a sample a 'waste of time/money'.  

But there is a treasure trove of choices, especially if you look at knitting/crocheting yarn.  And yes, you *can* weave with them - *if you understand their nature*.  And how do you find that out?  You weave with it.

Now sometimes a 'scarf' can be a 'sample'.  Or a 'place mat'.  Mug rug.  A sample doesn't have to just be a sample!  

But learning something is never (in my opinion) a 'waste of time/money'.  It is how we learn.  

I wish I'd bought the next microscope 'up' in terms of magnification.  While this one is good, sometimes I'd like to see individual fibres.  But this one wasn't terribly expensive, and it allows me to 'see' the yarns much 'closer'.

So don't be afraid to explore.  To find out.  To *learn*.  

To the new weavers, I hope you find as much satisfaction in weaving as I do from the craft.

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

Subtle

 

I see so many suggestions about how to create 'perfect' selvedges.  Many of them rely on this 'trick' or that 'secret tip'.

I've been weaving for 50 years, now, and I can assure you I agonized over my selvedges.  I, too, looked for the 'magic' solution, fussed over creating 'perfect' selvedges.

But here's the thing - like everything else about weaving, selvedges are complex.  Not complicated - complex.

There are two 'sets' of threads (usually) - the warp and the weft.  And the way they weave together can change.  It can vary, even within the textile.  There are unseen forces at work that can be quiet during weaving, and suddenly - and rather dramatically - change during wet finishing.

I see people insisting that a selvedge *must* have a plain weave structure.  (No, it doesn't.)

I see people frustrated because they have loops at the selvedge, which they then pluck at and tug, which doesn't actually solve most of the problem.  It, in fact, can cause more.  It depends.  Literally.

In the above photo, you can see the selvedge.  The weave structure is in the twill family.  What may be more difficult to see is that the weave structure builds a 'wave' into the edge of the cloth so it's not exactly 'ruler' straight.  

The twill line changes direction:  /\/\/\/\

As it changes direction, the weave pulls the selvedge 'into' the cloth, or pushes it outwards.

There are 'floats' at the selvedge, but after wet finishing, they resolve and - using a fine enough thread - the length of the floats do not materially affect the cloth.

This structure also causes the selvedge to roll.  In areas where the tie up is 1:3 the cloth will roll upwards, while the areas that are 3;1 will roll downwards.

These are subtle effects that most people don't even notice when they are weaving, or if they do, they want to 'fix' them.

If you are a new weaver, I urge you to watch how experienced and proficient weavers hold and throw their shuttle.  Consider the way I do - and if you don't do it the way I do, you might want to consider changing how you hold and throw the shuttle.

You might want to pay attention to your posture and position at the loom - making sure that your loom bench is tall enough, that you are sitting (perching) on the edge of the loom bench.  I strongly suggest you do NOT sit on an ordinary chair.  Sit upright - back straight, shoulders in 'neutral', not hunched or shrugged.

Hold the shuttle in the cradle of your fingers, pushing shuttle using your index finger and catching it in the cradle of your fingers, give the weft a very slight 'tug', and make sure that the leading edge of the weft is not trapped into the shed without sufficient slack in the weft to begin the curving path through the cloth.

Still having problems?  Check your warp.  Have you beamed using tension?  Have you used a firm warp packing?  Have you tied on using about 1" worth of warp (give or take), not tied tiny bouts, or massive ones?

There are so many more things I could say about selvedges, but honestly?  I've said them over and over again.  But every day I see new weavers asking questions.  I hesitate to answer in groups because everyone gets to practice their weaving the way they want.  But if you are interested, or are trying to help someone else, I have (free) video clips on You Tube

If you are interested in this sort of information in print I tried really hard to think of all of the 'it depends' aspects of weaving in The Intentional Weaver

My online classes continue at School of Sweet Georgia  And at Handwoven/Long Thread Media

And of course I've got all sorts of articles for various magazines, including for the latest magazine, WEFT.

And of course, this blog, where I try to label each one as to content.  All you need to do is scroll down and click on the label to find the posts I've tagged on a topic.

Welcome to the wonderful world of weaving.  :)

'Interesting' Times

 

As I scroll through the online groups I belong to, it is easy to become depressed at the state of the world right now.

Can't help but think about a half remembered poem 'This is how the world ends - not with a bang but a whimper.'

The world seems to be falling apart right now.  Little 'liberal' victories are happening here and there, but other places?  Not so much.

What do I do about it?  What *can* I do about it?

In reality, not much.

In the end, our country counted as one of those tiny 'liberal' victories, although the bad actors have not gone away - and won't.  They were so close to victory they could taste it, as they say.  And we have the added 'bonus' of media promoting the 'both sides' doctrine instead of trying to report the facts.  

How do I find meaning in my life?  A way to continue?

I come back to what I *can* do as a way to fight off the worry/anxiety about what I cannot change.

I can share hope and love.  I can stay as positive as possible, and encourage others to do what they can.  Not everyone can do much, and it is wise to remember that, when we ask 'why isn't someone doing something to fix this?'

The only person we can 'control' is our own selves, so I suggest that people take a long hard look at what is happening, and what they can actually do.

So, here is my approach:

Stand up and tell people what you believe in.  Stay positive, as best you can.  For every election, find out as much as you can about who is running - what they actually stand for, not mealy-mouthed platitudes which can be interpreted in various ways - what do they *actually* mean?  

If you know something about history or politics, cast a wary eye over anyone who promises that everything is broken and only they will fix it - without actually saying anything of substance.  Slogans are not platforms.  A document like Project 2025 is a platform.  And our Canadian Conservatives have adopted it for their platform, too.

I do NOT want to be 'annexed' - which is a weasel word for 'I want your resources and I'm going to come and grab them'.  I am not USian, I am Canadian, and I have zero desire to be 'forced' to join the US as a 'state' - no doubt without voting rights.  For all the USian 'liberals' saying that Canadians will force the US to become more 'liberal'?   That means we would have to be given the vote - and I rather doubt the anti-liberal president would chance that happening.

A few minutes ago I saw an interview with a self described Trump supporter, who is now shocked that ICE isn't looking to deport 'criminals', but anyone who looks Mexican.  And he was appalled.  What 'woke' him?  Trump and his minions, doing what they promised to do all along.

I refuse to watch the alt right media.  I don't need to, I'm well familiar with their message of hate and aggrievance.  I need to focus on the messages of hope and positivity.  And prepare myself to make sure I vote in a way that mostly helps, rather than hurts.  If someone offers a simple answer to the world's problems, I will be extremely skeptical - because humans are complicated and very seldom do 'simple' answers work for every person.

In my daily life, I will continue trying to teach about textiles, and weaving.  Never mind the piles of tea towels etc. I already have on my shelves.  At some point this chaos will resolve, one way or another and perhaps I can sell more of my stuff.  But if not, I can keep writing (for so long as someone wants me to write for them), and weaving 'samples' to illustrate what I'm writing about.

Counting my blessings sounds trite, but sometimes it is A Good Thing to remember the things that are meaningful and pleasing in our lives.

And when I get tired, I am allowed to take a break and try to rest.

Sending hope and love to everyone who wants it.  If you need a cup of kindness, I will offer what I can.  A positive word.  A virtual hug.  Will continue to tie a knot in the end of my rope and hang on...but don't give up.  Keep 'fighting'.  #elbowsUp

Say Their Name

 

two different colour ways of kitchen towels, 2/8 cotton warp, cotton flake weft

In the past two weeks (give or take a day or two), 3 of my weaving 'friends' have died.  The latest was someone I knew, not well, but respected.  I took a class from her, and took a class along with her at Banff Centre of Fine Arts.  We respected each other, although we agreed to differ in the details.  But we agreed on one thing - we loved weaving.

We didn't get together very often as she lived 500 miles away, then moved to Salt Spring Island.  But we stayed in touch.  The last time I saw her was 2019 when we did a trip over to Salt Spring Island so I could pick up another friend's silk stash.  

The other two I knew for less time, but was no less interested in them and their journeys.

As my social interactions grow fewer and fewer, I often think about the people I've met along my journey.  When I do presentations, I try to remember to mention people from whom I've learned, because I know I have not 'figured things out all by myself'.  And I feel that - as a community - we are richer for those have gone before - or beside - us, (ultimately *beyond* us) in our explorations of the endlessly (to me!) fascinating craft.

When I started weaving I was 25 years old.  At the time, the perception of weavers was 'little old ladies in running shoes'.  I chaffed at that generalization.  And now I am one of those 'little old ladies'...

My life was filled with challenges, some of which I wish I could have avoided.  But nevertheless, the obstacles appeared on my life's journey, and as my life cycle begins to wind down (not dead yet, but) there is less energy to do stuff, but no shortage of *wanting* to do more.  

Just one sample!  Just trying to figure 'this' out!  What happens if, when...?

And the people who came along with me generally tossed more questions into the mix.  Invited me to broaden my horizons.  Find things out.  Test our conclusions.  Change our minds!  

So today I have been thinking - a lot - about the people who travelled with me.  And because the time seems appropriate, I will remember the latest names.  Because somewhere I read that for so long as your name is remembered, you are not 'gone'.  

So, Carol, Pat and Diane - save a chair/bench/loom for me.  And I will think about you as I head back to the loom.  I got the warp beamed, and made a small dent in threading.  Today's goal is to see if I can finish threading (preferably without threading errors, pleaseandthankyou)

In the meantime, I have been invited to participate in an event (remotely) and after some consideration, I have decided to accept.  Once the details are confirmed I will let people know where and when, etc.  It will be a test of my ability to speak coherently, or how much I 'fail' at 'public' speaking.  :(   If it goes well, I will consider beginning to do my one or two hour remote presentations.  The surgeon said the biggest recovery from the brain bleed would happen in the first 12 months after the injury, then slower progress over the following 12 months.

It's beginning to feel very much as though if I'm going to go back to 'teaching' (remotely), I need to be doing that 'now', not wait two years after the injury to see how well I can do it.  I hope people will be kind, and understand that I do, in fact, have a brain injury, and make allowances for that.

Am I nervous?  Hell yes!  But I never did what I did in my life by letting my fear get in the way.  This event was a gift, really, because it is 'just' one hour, they will 'feed' me questions ahead of time, and IF this new medication turns out to be good, hopefully I will have more energy to do things outside of my comfort zone.

A community is not that different from a woven cloth.  It is made up of a variety of people, each bringing their unique self to the whole.  And we are all richer for it.

Following the Threads

 

This is one repeat of the design we call Swedish Snowflake.  It is usually threaded over 8 shafts although it *can* be done on 4 - but with less definition.  Since I've had 16 shafts since, I dunno, sometime in the 1980s, I tend to thread warps over all 16.  It allows me to have fewer heddles per shaft and threading a motif over the first 8 shafts and the second set of 8 shafts, I can be more...playful...with how I interpret a draft.

This kind of messing about with a threading draft was what really excited me about weaving.  Learning how the weave structure works, then being able to set up the design to meet my requirement, was a learning curve and kept me coming back to the graph paper (to begin with), then to purchase and learn how to use a computer with weaving software.

I purchased my first computer system by taking the requirements for Fiberworks into the local computer shop, and pretty much made the two guys day by buying the cpu, keyboard, (no mouse, yet) tv monitor/screen with *colour*, and a daisy wheel printer.  Which pretty much ate up about $3000.  In 1987 or early 88.  I needed to wait until the holiday sales were done so that I could see how much money I could budget for such a system.

In the 1990s I purchased the computer assist (or Compu-Dobby as AVL called their system).  I waited until their equipment had done some beta testing, and generally, with the help of a couple of friends more savvy than me, I got it working.  Then in the late 1990s, I bought the air assist system.  I was getting it primarily for the fly shuttle (which AVL assured me would NOT work on my loom, but never mind, Doug knew it should), and while I was at it, for the treadle.  For which my knee thanked me!

I continued to weave on the AVL until 2019, when I decided to retire and downsize looms and purchased the Louet Megado.  I was sorely tempted to get 32 shafts, but thought about the physical requirements needed to thread that many shafts and gave my head a shake.

It is part of what keeps me getting out of bed and down to the studio - trying to work out the why as well as the how.

In the meantime, I keep committing to write more articles.  There will be another article for School of Sweet Georgia, later this month.  They are now offering content even if you are not currently a 'member' as a 'taster'.  And yesterday we shipped the next article to WEFT and I've been beginning to work on the next.  Plus I committed to doing two articles for an upcoming issue.

In the meantime I continue to wrestle with pain meds.  We got our Covid vaccines on Monday which kind of trashed my body above and beyond the 'usual' pain levels.  But I'm feeling 'better' this morning and will go down to begin beaming the next warp.

It will be another 2/20 merc. cotton warp - I am still working on stash reduction.  There should be plenty of the merc. cotton to wind a 'standard' length warp (about 24 yards) and have some left over to use as weft on 2/16 unmerc. cotton.

One of the things I did was buy the entire "Master Weaver" booklets that were edited by Robert Leclerc, using Mr. Zielinski's newsletter that he wrote a few decades ago.  If you remember Gestetner stencils, he used them to write his newsletters, then mailed them out to his subscribers.  But they were difficult to read and the illustrations were...typical of the day.  Mr. Leclerc went through the newsletters, collected all the information for particular topics, then compiled small booklets focused on a theme.  I learned a ton of stuff reading through the booklets, and they remain a steadfast reference in my library.

So, a friendly reminder about *my* books.  Given the tariffs, US folk will be getting the books shipped within the US and no tariff applies.  For my memoir, currently available on my ko-fi shop, digital only, again, no tariff.  If you want a copy of Kerstin Fröberg's book Weave A V, I can mail that via USPS if anyone is interested.  Although frankly, I'm not confident that the current regime won't try to dismantle the USPS and then who knows?

The parcel we shipped to WEFT yesterday was via courier, and the box was $40 to ship by ground.  I am hoping that the president will leave couriers alone, even though that means doubling the expense of shipping anything across the border.  

I was warned about the curse "May you live in interesting times" and here I am.  One of the most difficult times about these 'interesting' times is that there is very little stability, with at least one head of state who seems to be trying to kill off a bunch of his citizens.  

The only way to cope I think is to expect the unexpected, and be as flexible as you can be.  

Books are available here

Classes are available here and here

And of course I have some free content here and video clips on You Tube

It Takes Two

 

Ever danced?  Ever danced with someone who didn't want to?  Or wasn't very good at it?  Sometimes it is just 'easier' to walk away and find a new partner...

Right now I see multiple people advising the 'left' to find a way to 'work with' the alt right.  Except, how do you manage to 'dance' with someone who doesn't want to be an equal partner?

How do you convince someone to set aside their demands, rational or not, and be flexible?  How do you dance a tango when they want to, I dunno, 'break' dance?  The only 'victory' is a zero sum game of 'you' gaining everything you want and letting the other person not 'gain' (or win) anything at all?

How do you build a relationship when they don't want a relationship with 'you' (insert 'reasons') and would rather see you dead?  When they call whole classes of fellow human beings 'useless eaters'?  Who want to take away, in the case of the Canadian alt right, universal health care and social safety nets (which are already too flimsy, in my opinion.)

The paradox of tolerance is a look at what happens when someone who will not tolerate another and keeps demanding you meet them in the centre - but every time you try to, they move the 'centre' further 'right'?  Eventually dragging *you* into the realm of the 'right'?  So there comes a point when you have to stand up and say, I'm not tolerating your voice of hate and vindictiveness...

I *know* not all USians are alt right.  Not all Canadians are alt right.  And yet, somehow their angry voices, demanding 'justice' because something something gazpacho, seem to get all sorts of media coverage, lies get repeated ad nauseum until people who are primed to believe those lies accept them as truth.

Some of the alt right in Canada are already throwing shade at PMMC, saying that the whole problem with Canada is NAFTA, and blaming Justin Trudeau - and the Liberals - for NAFTA.

Which is a bit hysterically hilarious, given NAFTA was Brian Mulroney's 'baby', along with Ronald Reagan.  And the two of them famously singing When Irish Eyes are Smiling (yes, there is video.)

Whatever transpires today at the White House, I am relieved that our PM is willing to talk, but not mess around.  The president has constantly accused Canadians of 'ripping' the US off and the way he's 'punishing' us is to destroy our economy - or try to.   But PMMC actually knows how the economy works and he is willing to protect Canada and Canadians, and is already making deals with countries other than with the currently bad faith president, who has bankrupted 6 (or is it 7) businesses, and seems determined to bankrupt the US and destroy hundreds, nay thousands, of small businesses of *his own citizens* in order to trash Canada's democracy, too.

The effects of the tariffs are already being felt in the US marketplace.  Instead of dozens of container ships docking in the US, many are re-directing to Vancouver, BC.  The evidence will soon show up in the stores, with empty shelves because no one wants to, and many more cannot *afford* to pay tariffs in the triple digits.

So if Mr. Carney walks away from Washington, DC today and turns his (our?) back on the US?  Pretty sure the majority of Canadians are going to be just fine looking elsewhere.  No doubt he'll have Down With Webster on his playlist...

May 5

 

I have very few photos of my dad.  This was one that mom had in a double frame - one with her at 16 years of age, this of dad in his Canadian army uniform, no doubt early in the war.  The smaller photo is of dad at age 10, around when his mother died of breast cancer.

He was the youngest child in the family, and as such considered a 'mammy's boy'.  I suspect dad was a menopause baby, and perhaps was treated differently from the rest of the kids.  I will never know because anyone who can tell me is gone, now.

At any rate, he was conscripted, and nearly turned down (according to my mother, but her 'stories' were frequently suspect) because he didn't express enthusiasm about going to Germany to kill the 'Hun'.  (What I did find out was that the recruiting soldier marked down on his file that dad was 'thick' - because dad had no schooling and could not read or write well.  'Thick' he was not.)

Dad's family identified as 'German', although they immigrated from Belarus prior to the first World War.  The story about the family arriving in N. America varied, especially as mom 'dressed' the story up.  Eventually I just stopped believing her about a lot of things, especially when they seemed improbable.

But the fact remains - dad served in the Canadian Army, posted first to the Aleutians, then, when they were scraping the 'bottom of the barrel', he was sent over to England and found himself on Juno Beach.

The only time he ever talked about the war was when the Winston Churchill 'series' The World at War aired, which was yearly for a while.  Dad would park himself in front of the tv and both of us kids were warned that dad was watching 'his' show and we were to be quiet.

We learned early that dad did not answer questions about the war, so stop asking.  But when the film showed the landing on the beaches that day, dad would sit quietly, elbows on the arms of his Lazy-boy recliner with his hands gripped together, fingers 'tented', and leaning his chin on his clasped hands.  As the footage of the Canadians landing on Juno beach played, he would lift his head from his hands, point to the tv and quietly say 'I was there'.  Three words.  With such power.

I honestly don't know if dad would have swallowed the current fascist propaganda.  All I know is that he 'hated' war, but did his duty anyway.  Plus he survived, which was the 'important' part - for *me*.

Whatever the truth of his opinions about what is going on now, I'm actually glad I don't have either parent to deal with right now.  They wouldn't 'get' computers.  Dad barely used the telephone, never mind a computer!  Mom did have a computer, but we made sure she never went online.  

People ask 'when did you become politically active' - and I hardly know what to answer.  Politically, my parents were not party members, but voted according to their conscious on the day.  But my mother (who was willing to discuss such things - dad wouldn't) believed some things I could not.  When did I 'wake' up?  I think I came out of the womb thinking, questioning, deciding some things simply did not make sense (considering I went to Sunday School every Sunday, and attended Bible classes to be confirmed into the church).  Plus I read.  Non-stop, mostly.  Anything.  Fact.  Fiction.  Didn't matter.

Now we have a group of full blown fascists in our neighbouring country, threatening to 'annex' us by 'breaking' us financially/economically.  Today we learned about the tariffs on the movie industry - targeted primarily against all Canadian 'production'.  Given how many Canadians actually 'grew' Hollywood, it's just a tad ironic - but not shocking, if you've been paying attention.

Anyway, we now have 'new' (American) labels for various significant dates.   Like today.  My 'resistance' will remain low key due to my age/health restrictions.  But I will not follow the current president of the US, AND I will continue to use my 'British' spellings (eg 'neighbour' never 'neighbor').  I will continue to boycott US products - as best I can - and support Canadian businesses.  At this point I can see no possibility of crossing the border with the double jeopardy of Covid and fascism...

#elbowsUp