Once I get a new warp on the loom, I can zoom right along. It’s just getting that new warp on… the process takes a steady hand and a dedicated attention span – threading all of the heddles, sleying the reed, beaming. Once I am in that zone, I quite enjoy the process of it. Especially with a good audiobook* playing.
Silk Stripes Scarf
Warp: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed in Linen (2 skeins)
Weft: Noro Silk Garden in 249 (1 skein) & 269 (1 skein)
[more photos of the Silk Stripes Scarf here]
Each skein of the Silk Garden yielded three bobbins (to put in the boat shuttle) each, so with six bobbins, I alternated the striping patterns between the earthy colors of the 249 colorway and the cream variegations of the 269. Each bobbin gave me between 7 and nine inches of woven fabric. The deep colors of the 249 colorway appear to be three different skeins of yarn – but that is the true beauty of Noro! Every time I work with Noro, I fall a *little* more in love with it. (Sad side story: Remember my Shinano cowl? Totally loved that thing. Well, I seem to have lost it somewhere en route to Nova Scotia. I think it must have been at Dulles Airport somewhere… I am thinking around the security check when I was hurrying to put my shoes back on… ack. I loved that thing. And now I want more Shinano to compensate!)
I am brimming with weaving inspiration right now – so many great ideas and designs out there! Many thanks to Barbara at The Lumpy Sweater for sending a weaving book she found at a sale. It is about Finnish weaving techniques. I look forward to trying some… once I get a little better!
…
I had a nice holiday with the family. We planned to go down to see the fireworks in DC, but the thunder and lightning kept us at home. We played a few card games and Scattergories whilst munching on my leftover Friendship bread! It was a fun night. My sister Sarah and I made plans to get together the next day to check out the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The weather forecast didn’t look particularly pleasant, but it ended up being quite nice once we got to the National Mall.
The themes this year were Bhutan, Texas, and NASA. Very disparate themes, but a good mix for a day of learning. The SFF seems to always include a rich textiles display, and that offers some amazing photo opportunities. So full of color!
[All photos from Festival here]
We saw several demonstrations, heard a few discussions (a particularly interesting one on the environmental sensibilities of the Bhutanese people and their Gross National Happiness) and in the Texas “Opry” pavillion, I got to dance. The band was playing some polka music, and this older gentleman came up and held his hand out to me. I hesitated and pointed at my sister, but he pointed right at me. So, I polka-ed with this man (who didn’t speak any English… I believe he was actually Polish) in front of a large audience. Even though we lived in Texas for a short while when I was young, I guess I didn’t realize that polka was so “big” there. The band was pretty good, and my dance partner was getting quite into it. He kept on saying things to help lead me in the dance (but I did not understand!) and I just stepped around in a square figure. He even twirled me around a few times! what a charmer! (…but Kris should have no cause for concern…)
*I listened to The Man Who Loved China whilst weaving my scarf. Fascinating and engaging story! (Psst – anyone else on Goodreads?)
The folklife festival looks like it was awesome this year, and I wanted to go down especially for Bhutan, but I couldn’t make it work. Are the last photos of a sand mandala? A few years back when Tibet was featured I watched the monks working on one. When they are finished they simply sweep it away – what a lesson in non-attachment!
What beautiful colors! I think weaving is something I could definitely get into. I remember making little cardboard looms when I was a kid.
I’ve always wanted to go to the folklife festival – the last time I was in DC they were just taking it down. I’ll have to take a look at your pictures and see what Texas had to offer
Been spending a lot of time on goodreads, huh? I told you it was addictive!
So many beautiful things to see at the festival!
Those paints are gorgeous.
Your scarf is lovely – you accomplish so much, so often. Wow.
So many beautiful photos in this post!
what colorful photos! i love your new scarf.
The scarf is very beautiful, congratulations on a jb well done.
The pictures from the festival are wonderful, so bright and full of life.
The scarf is really beautiful and so are your pictures from the festival. We were there on Sunday and learned a lot too. My family really got into te NASA stuff but my favoritie was the Bhutan area with all those fabulous craft displays. So colorful and interesting.
Love the scarf, Lolly! absolutely gorgeous!
Great shots of the festival, too!
Did you have a pattern for the scarf? If so would you share what it is?
It is beautiful.
Beautiful scarf!
your scarf is a piece of art, and so are your photos – just amazing, all of it!
Great scarf colors! I would imagine it’s lovely to spend a day doing that along with an audiobook.
The scarf is gorgeous, Lolly! It would have never occurred to me to manipulate the colors, I always feel compelled to let the colors do what they want, but now I think I must try this!
Wow, Lauren you are so talented. I love that scarf!!
I love woven scarves. Yours is beautiful–so airy and elegant.
Your scarf is gorgeous!
[...] “Take Two” because I took much of the inspiration from the scarf I made in July, the Silk Stripes scarf, which also used Noro in the block pattern. This time, instead of using the tabby plain weave, I [...]