Archive for January, 2008

Jan 29 2008

Handwoven

Published by lolly under Weaving

…I am so very happy to present my new handwoven projects…

Handwoven Scarf

Handwoven Scarf

Purple Heart Scarf
Yarns – Warp: Mountain Colors Mountain Goat / Harrisville Shetland Tweed 2ply
Weft: Harrisville Shetland Tweed 2ply

Handwoven Scarf

As a knitter of moderate speed, I just marveled at how quickly this thing wove up!  It was my first handwoven project, so there were natural mistakes and some beginning problems that ate up a small amount of time; those considerations aside, I finished the scarf in about three hours on the first day.  We finished it the second day, but that took only a few minutes of time.  E finished hers even quicker and sat and knit on a sock while I finished up :)    It measured 87 inches before I washed it – it shrunk to about 82 inches after washing and drying.  It’s beautiful and I plan to wear it very often…

Twill Sampler - Handwoven

Hem Stitch Edging

Twill Sampler Cloth
Yarn – Warp: Perle Cotton in Ivory and Chocolate (striped) /
Weft: Perle Cotton in Light Brown

My Sampler Complete!

While the first scarf is amazing and cherished, it is this little cloth in which I am most proud.  This was the day two project, completed in a few short hours.  The looms for this project were pre-warped, so that cut down on 60% of the process time.  As stated in yesterday’s post, we were allowed to choose different colors for the weft, and I was excited to see the differences that the colors made in the overall look of the cloth.  (You can see E’s and mine together – hers is blue, mine is brown).  The pattern was structured to be a wall hanging, but once I got going on it, I wanted something actually usable. E suggested that it would make a great bread cloth… now I just need some warm homemade bread to match!

Two days later and this weaving is still on my mind.  Of course, that does not mean that I am not thinking about knitting… I started a new project, and also picked up some lovely yarns at The Mannings – and the new cloth makes a perfect photograph backdrop for it! 

Lovely blend

It was a wonderful class with a very knowledgeable and patient instructor.  Tom gave us so much information in two short days!  I plan on following up this class with some other weaving classes at the school, keeping the weaving current in my mind.  I am still amazed at how much we accomplished in the short time, and I am so happy with my own pieces.

  Our Class + Our Scarves

We were all so happy to show off our lovely scarves at the end of the day!

82 responses so far

Jan 28 2008

New W(e)ave

I look back at Friday and I think just how much I learned in two days. It feels like an initiation in a way: like a new language that I have been given the key to… words and concepts that did not quite make sense to me before are now true forms in my mind. I now understand what treadling is, how to read a draft, how heddles work, and how to warp a loom; all such foreign concepts only three days ago.

Big Red Barn @ The Mannings

Morning walk near The Mannings

It started with a drive up to Pennsylvania… E met me at my house, and we drove together. I drove and she knit socks while we talked about our excitement for the upcoming weekend. We took a leisurely drive to The Mannings, stopping at the yarn shop and then stopping for dinner. We arrived at the school and got set up for the night (you can stay on the premises with the owners if you are taking classes). It would have been possible to actually stay at home and drive up the next morning, but E and I agreed that staying there would help with the whole immersion part of the weekend – it truly felt like a getaway where we could focus on the art and practice of weaving.

Floor Looms in Studio

Tom Demonstrates

The studio at The Mannings has dozens of looms for workshops and demos – it is fascinating to look at the construction of the looms and how each manufacturer differs. There were floor looms and a few tabletop looms, and by the afternoon of the first day, we each had a loom to use, and a project to work on. We spent a large part of the morning learning about all of the preparation – undoubtedly the most complicated part of the process – and preparing our warps. We chose kits that we already cut to length, but we still learned the process of using the warping board, measuring your yarn/thread, and how to determine the technicalities like “ends per inch” and “picks per inch”, which in theory are so very similar to the knitter’s preparation for projects: finding the right gauge, yardage, etc.

There were two kinds of kits available for students to use for their first woven scarf: E and I both chose the wool kits – Harrisville Shetland Tweed 2 ply and Mountain Colors Mountain Goat for the warp and weft. Many of the other students chose a nice cotton kit with Brown Sheep Cotton Fine and a pretty novelty beaded rayon thread. E chose a beautiful red/rust colored colorway, while I chose deep purples, indigos, and blacks.

Slaying the Reed - E and Lolly

E and me “slaying our reed”, not as gruesome as it sounds

There are so many processes involved with weaving, and taking the photos really helped solidify the steps in my mind. The slaying of the reed, and threading the heddles are the most time-consuming part, although I did find pleasure in these seemingly mindless preparation tasks – they are simple and repetitive motions that you can completely immerse yourself in. I kept on thinking how nice it would be to have a good audiobook to listen to while I was doing it!

…and finally, after all of the warping was finished, we could start the real weaving!

Lolly Weaving!

Lolly Weaving!

We went to dinner and came back to weave “after hours”. We stayed at the studio until about 10pm, when we returned back to the room and rehashed everything we had learned. E practiced a drafting diagram in our textbook while I read through complementary copies of Interweave’s Handwoven magazine: it was clear that we were both hooked! I was hoping to fit some knitting in, but my eyes got pretty heavy, and E reported that I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

We woke up early on Day Two and were excited about learning how to finish our day one knitting (cutting it off the loom, knotting a fringe, and washing). The finishing measures are equally important in weaving as they are in knitting: a sloppy finished weave can mess up a beautiful woven piece. As the pieces were drying after a dunk in some conditioner and warm water, we began prepping for our second project.

The looms for day two were pre-warped, which made a huge time difference. The warp was a nice perle cotton in ivory and brown, and we we chose the colors for the weft. The project was designed to teach beginning weavers about twills. We learned the basic concepts and the importance of treadles (which are so similar to pedals on a piano or organ) and how they can be used to change the designs of the weave.

Choosing Yarns

Winding Bobbin

Tom Demonstrates

We were all amazed at the beautiful work that came out of this sampler – and how each one looked so different due to the colors we chose. I went with a beautiful light brown with a pink sheen. I wanted something neutral and subtle, and I was very pleased with how it looked after a few rows of weaving and beating.

My Sampler

Linda's Sampler

Linda’s sampler in orange

Weaving is a beautiful rhythm: when you get going on a piece, it feels like time just stops and it is just you and the loom, shuttle and thread in hand. As we were working, the studio fell silent, and it was a peaceful time. We were all progressing and learning right there. Within a short time – no more than three hours – we had beautiful samplers. The same patterns, but so different with the colors represented.

Me at the Loom

…I could definitely get used to this feeling…

I did not come home with a loom, but I am shopping. I have some space constraints, but I also want something that I will really use. The true testament to the durability of the looms came when Carol, the owner of The Mannings, told me that the loom I used on day one had seen hundreds of students’ hands (and their mistakes) and was still working beautifully after 23 years. That particular loom seemed like a great fit – E was on a similar loom, and she agreed. Now I just need to find one… Although I didn’t come home with a loom, I did pick up some other goodies, and of course, I brought home TWO handwoven pieces that are my real pride and joy.

…and you can see all of that in tomorrow’s post…

 

47 responses so far

Jan 24 2008

:Looming About:

Published by lolly under Inspirations, Textile Studies, Weaving

My childhood fascination with making potholders during long car trips… my new-found love of all things fiber-y and textile-y… a deep-seated desire to simply create…All of these things contribute to my excitement about the upcoming weekend: I am going to learn how to weave!

~

The weekend workshop has been on the books for months, and tomorrow evening, my friend E and I will be going to The Mannings Handweaving School in rural Pennsylvania for a weekend of fiber education. Our class is small and very hands-on. We are staying on-site at the school’s housing and we definitely be steeped in the weaving – and the yarns. I am planning to leave extra room in the car for some “supplies” that I will be bringing home with me…

I do hope that my mind (and my hands) just click with weaving – I have a feeling that my desire to learn will just take over. When I am really into something, I spend great amounts of time researching it, and learning more about it. I did that for knitting, and I know weaving will be the same way.

Handweaving Inspiration

[Please click for descriptions]

I have been greatly inspired by the many weavers on Flickr and on several weblogs, namely The Daily Purl, Spin | Knit, sweetgeorgia, and IndiKnits. Although I don’t have a loom yet, and have not learned all of the terminology, it appeals to me in every way. I love the functionality of woven fabric and the textural qualities. I am drawn to the simplest of patterns, and this brings me hope: maybe I can actually produce something like this soon.

This weekend is going to be fabulous. I just know it.

…when you see me again, I will be a weaver…

 

52 responses so far

Jan 23 2008

Alpaca Toppers

Our weekend trip to the mountains was the perfect time to knit up some quickie projects.

Twiggy Bobble Hat Twiggy Bobble Hat

 

Twiggy Bobble Hat

Twiggy Bobble Hat

Pattern: From Making Things blog
Yarn: Kraemer Alpaca Co. Classic Alpaca in brown
Needles: Size US 5 circular (16″)

The hat pattern caught my eye last year when I saw Sandra’s version. I had several lone skeins of alpaca in my stash, all I had to do was choose a color to work with. This particular alpaca yarn was a gift from my sister, Mimi, two Christmases ago, and it’s chocolatey color seemed just right when I was looking through my yarns. I cast on, and quickly had a hat for the weekend. I loved the bobbles, having already cut my teeth on bobbles with my Street Smart Hoodie. I also loved the purling action – reverse stockinette really appeals to me, and for some reason, it is actually faster for me to purl than to knit, so the hat was easy peasy :)

Some of the bobbles get “inverted”, so the dimpling effect is still there, so I don’t mind too much. Plus, the alpaca yarn is nice and warm – and quite soft. I am particularly intrigued by the yarn; it is produced and spun by an alpaca cooperative in north-central Pennsylvania. Although the label does not state it, I assume it is undyed, using the natural brown color of the alpaca fleece.

… and with the leftover yarn, I started another little quick knit…

Alpaca Earwarmer

Alpaca Earwarmer

I was originally going for a cowl/neckwarmer, but I ran out of yarn. So, the leftover yarn turned into a simple earwarmer. It will be good for the slightly chilly days of early spring – but I need extra protection against the chills during these sub-zero temperatures!

 

 

24 responses so far

Jan 21 2008

One Foot in Front of the Other

On December 30th, the last Sunday of 2007, we went on a walk. It was not an extraordinary walk – aside from being in the glorious surroundings, of course, not to be underestimated – but a simple walk of about two miles in a nearby area with a forest and a nice creek. We had done this stretch of walk dozens of times before, but we marveled at all of the new things that we saw on this particular walk. We decided in no certain terms to make the “weekend walk” a ritual. One we could look forward to throughout the week.

Snowy Pinecone

A time to connect with each other, and to connect with nature.

A time to quietly observe the world around us and the changing of the seasons.

A time to just be.

Frozen Berries

As the calendar ticks by, I find that my desire for the walk changes from week by week: Sometimes, I want a breath of fresh air. I want to get some exercise and burn some calories. I want to improve my mood. I want to wear one of my handknits. I want to meditate and quietly think about things. I want to simply put one foot in front of the other and truly live in the moment. I want to reach a spot that I have never been. Sometimes I have all of these expectations in one single walk.

Little Patuxent River Iced

Kris brings the camera and documents the beautiful natural world. He particularly enjoys capturing the changes of the trees, plants, and bodies of water as the seasons change. Sometimes I take the camera and try to capture the beauty I am seeing.

Ice Crystals

Each weekend of this month has provided the opportunity for a meaningful walk. We walked through local parks, hiked to a nearby hilltop, and finally, this weekend, we went on a weekend walk a little further from home… well, three actually, one for each day we were there. And the novelty of it was that one walk was deep underground while the other two were a little closer to the clouds!

We spent the long holiday weekend in the Shenandoah mountains of Virginia – about two hours south of our home. We drove down on Friday mid-day and stopped over at a local attraction: Luray Caverns in Luray, Virginia.

Luray Caverns

Cave Dwellers

Our timing was perfect: the snow was fresh and beautiful, and the sun was bright. While the temperatures were cold – below freezing on both days – that did not stop us from getting out and exploring. We found two hiking trails up into the mountains and reserved one for each day, Saturday and Sunday.

Blue Mountains

These walks may have been my favorite yet. They were a true sensory experience: the smell of pine trees and fresh winds, the aural crunch of the snow and ice under foot, and the monochromatic landscape of white snow blanketing the mountain, and the chilly winds felt against our faces.

Kris at the Overlook

The weekend walk ritual has been the highlight of my new year, and we are only three weeks in! I am very excited to discover more places – both near and far – during the weekend walks.

Hiking in the Snowy Forest

It is amazing how something as simple as a walk can be the best part of the week.

Do you have a special ritual that brings you joy?

39 responses so far

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