zooming with an echo

I lost count of the number of times I rethreaded parts of this warp. There are only three repeats across the sample so it’s a long sequence over a hundred threads each – impossible to memorize and threading while listening to anything was impossible. I had to devise little steps using Post-it flags to divide up the sequence into bite size pieces. Looking away from the paperwork to thread a short sequence and then going back to the right spot on the paperwork was impossible without the flags. I also muttered mantras of numerical patterns to myself. No one else was listening anyway.

The warp is 10/2 cotton warp in two colors – lime green and violet. The color and size of the weft is noted below each photo.

Pre workshop test for accuracy of the threading – yellow 10/2 weft

Treadling #1 with forest green 10/2 weft

Treadling #2 with a blue 10/2 weft

Treadling # with black 10/2 weft

Treadling #4 with forest green 10/2 weft, tie-up is 4/4 because I didn’t like the subtlety of the Jin tie-up which adds in tabby.

Treadling #5 with golden yellow 10/2 warp, also 4/4 tie-up

Treadling #3, with red orange 20/2 weft. This one is surprisingly stretchy weftwise. Really drew the cloth in when it was machine washed and dried.

Treadling #6 with red orange 20/2 weft.

Double weave treadling with two shuttles using the warp colors as weft. Intense color, easy to weave. It was suggested that the warp needed to be re-sleyed to double the density, but I tried it without re-sleying and it wove balanced at 36 ends per inch. So after cutting off the sample and finishing it in the washing machine and dryer, I tied on the remainder of the sample warp and will continue weaving it as double weave – my favorite sample of the workshop. Of course, I won’t have enough yarn left so I’ll have to use a different color but I have lots to choose from in my newly organized yarn closet.

The Zoom format was fairly easy to use. Or perhaps. after a year of this, I’m getting better at it. There were moments when all my devices were up and running on the work table – iPhone, iPad and PC. I enjoyed having all my tools handy as well as being able to select yarns from my closet as needed. Something is always forgotten when you schlep stuff to a workshop location. It was difficult in that we depended on participants to photograph and upload their results rather than just wander around the room and see their samples. Colors in photos and on screens is never true to life and cloth is meant to be fondled. The opportunity to take Zoom workshops is an unexpected benefit of the pandemic.

a day in the country

Drove out to Sky Loom Weavers to join friends for a study group meeting – show and tell with a potluck lunch. We wore our masks when not eating and we ate outdoors on the screened porch. All of us have been vaccinated. Trying to be safe while we ease back into normal life.

I can’t believe I’ve never made the trek to Cat Spring to visit Penny’s studio and shop. Perfect day for short road trip. Light rain when I left town with puffy white clouds in the afternoon.

Her flower borders look beautiful even after the snowstorm in February.

Lots of inspiration from the show and tell and from the wonderful looms in her studio.

Naturally I wish I had taken more photos of all the sheepy vignettes around her beautiful shop but … I was happy to wander in her garden. So many rosebuds that will be in full dazzling bloom in a week or so. They made me nostalgic for my old mutabilis climbing rose. A visit to the Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham, Texas is on my bucket list now.

hand washing required

Ferns are recovering. But the split leaf philodendron may not.

The remains of the pothos named Igor that conquered the great oak but lost the battle with the snowstorm.

Wood fern has survived. With no help from me.

Gratuitous photo of Oscar not helping me in the garden.

Upscaled this to a bigger pot this week and I am expecting great things.

These will be the earliest amaryllis this year. A pot that was inside the garage during the snowstorm.

Always wear a glove whenever you walk in the garden. There’s always something that needs doing immediately.

ancient art

I’m emptying closets and clearing out clutter. Not because I want but because the plumbers tossed my treasures every which way in order to get into the crawl spaces in the attic. We had our galvanized pipes changed to a kind that will not corrode and cause leaks.

These embroidery kits were done in another time and another place. I dusted them off and will hang them again. I was ashamed of having done kits. I think the designs are quite well done and my stitching is okay. I would work harder today to blend the colors on the neck of the first pot.

I’m also trashing stuff that is no longer on my to-do list. The doll house and miniatures will stay. The yarn stash may get thinned. Maybe.

fall color and white weaving

During the Zoom meeting this morning, I muted myself and wove during a really good program.

Then after lunch wandered around marveling at the beautiful blue sky and glorious red leaves on the sweet gum tree (liquidamber).

The poinsettias are blooming despite my ignoring them. No greenhouse coddling here. Tough love gardening.

Chatted with friends yesterday afternoon and about to connect with more in just a few moments.

It’s been a good week.

new journal

An unused journal recycled for 2021. The embossed year was 2009 but I wrote 2021 over it. Happy New Year!

A buttonhole binding with a buttonhole stitched opening. The beat is a reminder of my current weight loss plan.

I’ve refined the chart over the last year to keep myself on track with regular activities. Printed 12 of these and glued them in to start off each month. Recently found the affirmation that I will use as my 2021 goal to just “let it go.” We definitely need some miracles this year.

Colored card stock for each signature with printer paper pages within. I had removed the original text block and then cut a circle in the cover.

I’m going to enjoy using this journal all year.

TAST 2021

Beginning again. Take a Stitch Tuesday. A weekly prompt to embroider. Learn a new stitch or just enjoy an old favorite. The first prompt will be on January 5 on pintangle.com on the TAST page.

I always start strong in January and peter out in June or July.

No promises for 2021. Sort of like New Years resolutions. The result depends on your own ability to follow through. Or lack thereof.

I’m going to use a handwoven napkin from Mayan Hands and a wooden spool. I’ll cut the napkin into three inch strips leaving the fringe on the short edges. The finished strips will be joined and wrapped on the spool. Like a scroll.

The yarn is silk 20/2 dyed in 1989 in a workshop in Blessing, Texas. We used fiber reactive dyes and carefully labeled the tiny skeins. We worked in groups and then divided the bounty so that everyone had every sample. The plan was that if one was interested in serious dyeing, one would pick a sample, follow the recipe on the tag and be able to duplicate the color. This “one” did not ever do that. I wound all my samples onto floss cards and stored them. For years.

Lately I’ve been using them in embroidery and have even wound a striped warp on my loom using some of the cotton natural dye samples. Halfway through with that project.

I still purchase yarn on occasion but more interested in trying to use up the stash I have.

I did get the most beautiful linen last month and can’t wait to measure a sample warp of that.

a buttonhole bonding

I liked this stitching method. This book is a bit loose but that will allow things to be added to the the blank pages within each of the signatures. I used photo pages from a huge book.

next warp

Since the 10/2 cotton overshot project is finished. Five yards of samples, mug rugs, and bookmarks which will be sent as holiday greeting cards. Done.

A long time ago at an art camp far away, we dyed lots of yarn as samples to be used for designing and color matching. Did I ever do that? Nah. Many of the silks are used in embroidery.

This group of natural dyed cottons are a bit repetitious. In their ball stage I tried to line them up but then just decided to start winding grabbing light skeins and then darker ones. I was afraid it would be dull and … just brown.

The dye details on tags on each skein.

In the sunlight the colors began to be more distinct and interesting. It Is cable cotton and I’ll set it at eight ends per inch. It will be a quick project.

Reminds me of autumn leaves.

I think it will make a lovely table runner or maybe a scarf for a gentleman.

Each little skein had only eight yards and there were 26 skeins.

Not sure what structure I’ll use. But certainly not overshot.

another book

The Stitch Club tutorial from Ali Ferguson was a good diversion from the torture of weaving overshot for the Discover Color free workshop online.

Handwoven linen with a double weave pocket – watercolor sample slipped inside while on loom.

Various scrappy papers in 8 signatures.

Mostly torn to size. Didn’t iron them flat.

Whatever was in the scrap box was fair game.

The deer antler buttons were made by Pat C. and sold at the weavers annual sale decades ago. Waiting in the button jar for the right moment.

Now back to overshot. Stripes. Maybe bookmarks or to decorate greeting cards.

Sigh. You know how much I “love” overshot.