Weaving, Spinning and Fiber-y Fun
One of my early knitting projects was a shawl, knitted in a “feather and fan” pattern, using unspun Icelandic pencil roving. That was early into my weaving career, yes, I said weaving. How did we get from knit
ting to weaving? In my story they are pretty closely related. [Read more...]
Handmade holiday gifts are something the friends and families of every weaver (and knitter and spinner and felter and..) know about and treasure. We may be planning all year, but come crunch time, many of us are hunkered down in our studios, listening to the rhythmic and hypnotic sounds of our looms in action.
The list of what we weave is exhaustive and the ideas endless. Give two weavers the same draft (pattern) and two unique creations will emerge. The variation in color and type of yarn only begins the uniqueness that every weaver brings to her (or his) finished product. Holiday weaving seems to enhance this already magical creativity.
If you are not a weaver yourself, don’t leave yet. I have some ideas for you further on. In the meantime, keep reading. [Read more...]
I have always been fascinated with spinning wheels. I grew up in the 70’s, back in the hippie days. I dreamed of learning to weave on a loom and spin my own yarn on what seemed to be a magical spinning wheel. I don’t even remember what the wheel that fascinated me so even really looked like….maybe the one that Rumpelstiltskin used to spin straw into gold or maybe the one that Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on and fell into a deep, deep sleep until she was awakened by the Handsome Prince. Wait, wrong story.
Once I learned how to weave, I decided to learn how to spin. How hard could it be? Right. I learned 2 things right away: one is that bad equipment will frustrate any spinner, and will turn a new spinner completely away from spinning and two, junk in equals junk out or life is too short to spin bad fiber.
Dyeing fiber, yarn and fabric with indigo is a magical process. It takes prep, and a strong commitment to ignore the smell of the dye vat, but the results are amazing and fun. Before I dazzle you with an adventure of two with indigo, here’s a thought or two about a use for indigo I didn’t know about : Hair Dye.
Weave Fail is a term coined by my friend and fellow hand weaver Gail Gondek Reremember all the threads, alias Ms. Thimble. We met through the Jockey Hollow Weavers several years ago, and have taken workshops together and have had fun in and out of weaver’s guild meetings and workshops. She even invited me to present at http://www.nyhandweavers.org , where she is also a member. [Read more...]
It’s that time of the year when the sides of the road are abundantly colorful with weeds. Weeds to some. Free sources of amazing color to others. [Read more...]
What fun we had at Grandma’s Spinning Wheel in Tucson, AZ! I was at an event with fellow coaches, and was able to fill the car and head out on our adventure!
We were welcomed as soon as we entered by Michael, Grandma’s husband. He immediately introduced us to “Grandma” the knitted version, another photo opportunity for me. [Read more...]
The first time I lost an Angora Rabbit, I was devastated. Lost as in he died, not as in I couldn’t find him. That was early on into my relationship with these interesting creatures; now I know how fragile they really are. I feel sad when one of my little long eared furry friend dies, but it’s not a shock. [Read more...]
Last night at Jockey Hollow Weavers, we had a grand Show and Tell meeting. The members were also encouraged to tell how they became handweavers. I learned a few new things about some women I have know for years! It was fun! [Read more...]
How do you know it’s officially winter? Here at the “tree”, it’s officially winter when I have to bring the water bottles in to defrost at night. I think the rabbits, which I call “my buns” actually like this, as they get their water in a bowl, which they much prefer. Then the bottles go out in the morning, nice and warm, and the cycle repeats. [Read more...]
