After I took up weaving, I began to see some of the items in my yarn stash in a new light. Things that I bought for specific knitterly purposes seemed somehow better suited for weaving. While I haven’t been too hasty and warped and cut my yarns up yet, I know that I will have many decisions to make in coming days… cast on or warp up?

Brooke at The Daily Purl has made some fabulous stoles and scarves with Habu warp and weft yarns, so those are definitely tempting me. But, then so are Olga and Vanessa’s Habu knit creations…

With the help and advice of some weaving friends I met through Ravelry and Flickr, I decided to add a few specific weaving yarns to my stash - just to avoid some of the tension problems I have experienced of late. I am hoping to warp up this linen soon and began work on the denim rag rug!

There is no doubt about the strength of this yarn: 100% linen! It should make a great rug warp, and I liked the natural undyed color to go with the simple indigo of the jean rags. I picked this up from WEBS, along with a few other weaving yarn goodies.

Valley Yarns CotLin 8/2 cones

I really liked the springy combination of these colorways, and the three of them came with a dishtowel drafting pattern for the loom. If I can find the patience and wherewithal, I will attempt the plaid dishcloth! With 3000 yards each, I can afford to experiment a little and play around on the loom.

And as I learn more about my loom and its capabilities, I am also looking at my sock yarn stash in a new way. After seeing some fun store samples woven up at The Mannings, I think it would be a blast to experiment with the colors of sock yarns. After a winter sock “drought” - my last pair being the Autumnal Equinox socks for Socktoberfest - I finally cast on for a pair of socks yesterday after feeling the urge to see how this yarn would knit up. Definitely wanted to knit with this one - there was no thought of using it for weaving.

The feminine companion to the other GGH socks I made for Kris… another thanks to Debi for sending these (now discontinued) yarns in a trade almost two years ago!

After seeing a parade of beautiful socks by Chawne, I felt the time was right to finally cast on for some socks. I was waiting to finish my sister’s sweater, but I thought: why delay happiness? These socks are making me pretty happy! I started them on the train while I was traveling downtown to see Amber, who was in DC for work. We had a yummy Ethiopian dinner. And while we did not knit or take photos of our outing, we had a great time

So, as I look over my stash, I am thinking about all of the possibilities and all of the fabrics - both knit and woven - that can be created. It excites me. It’s like a newfound spirit of adventure: seeing my stash with both weaver and knitter eyes!

I studied some preservation techniques in graduate school - primarily paper and photographs - but never learned more about the science of conservation. As my interest in textiles grew over the years, I was interested in meeting a textile conservator and learning more about the amazing and meticulous work. I met Jane through a mutual friend - Avice had told me about Jane’s fascinating work in textile conservation, and her knitting and spinning. When I got the opportunity to meet Jane last May at the Sheep and Wool festival, an idea started percolating…

…and this is what came of it:

“Knitting for Keeps: Jane Hutchins” Interweave Knits, Spring 2008

Many months in the works - and my copy of the magazine finally came. It is quite satisfying to see my name in the byline. That’s me: Lauren Weinhold. Page 16.

I had a series of phone interviews with Jane, who lives in British Columbia, in late October and early November. One of the most memorable interviews was conducted while Kris and I were away for the week in Williamsburg: I sat on a rock near the James River on Jamestown Island and learned all about textile conservation, raising Icelandic sheep, and the importance of caring for your textiles now.

Cover headline!

This is a big step for me. I have written since I was a child, and I was encouraged by family, teachers, and friends to write more. While I primarily wrote fiction as a child, I have switched to writing primarily non-fiction since college. I enjoy the in-depth research and putting the words together. I even enjoy the editing process… maybe this is the beginning of something bigger, but in the meantime, I am just going to be happy that Jane’s story and her work could be showcased in this way. I hope that you are able to take something away from the article too: you spend so valuable money and time to make your textile crafts beautiful - why not ensure that they will last? on that same note, you can learn how to better care for the textiles that have been passed down to you!

Thank you Avice for introducing me, Eunny for accepting the pitch, and finally to Jane for the amazing work that you do!

… … …

Another big first: I am nearing a landmark comment number over the next few posts, and I am thinking that it would be really fun to celebrate it by thanking you with some presents from my yarn and book stash! So, for three of you - the -999, -000, -001, - I have three gifts. The -000 comment will get first choice, and the -999 and -001 can decide which items they like after that. I do hope it works out

1) My favorite sock yarn in a gorgeous red colorway - so pretty and perfect for Project Spectrum! 450 yards of Tess Designer Yarns‘ Super Sock and Baby yarn. This yarn has held up so well for me in the two pairs of socks I have made with it. I think you will love it too!

2) Denyse Schmidt Quilts and a Quilt-It Kit by Denyse Schmidt - the book is full of inspirational quilts sewn with beautiful fabrics. The kit is complete with items to make a log-cabin style pillow with a cute yellow and aqua fabric. A perfect place to start your quilting adventures, or to continue with your hobby! (You can see some of her designs made by some of my Flickr friends)

3)Yarn Place Graceful in #3627 colorway - if you scroll down on the website, you can see a knitted lace sample of this same colorway - so pretty! I bought this yarn a few months ago but I still have no idea what to do with it - I don’t knit lace very often - but I know that a lot of you do.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

…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…

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.

[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…

…when I get an email from National Geographic Traveler magazine division, saying that they wanted to feature one of my Peru blog posts on their own blog, Intelligent Travel.  Yeah.  Pretty darn excited.  I have read National Geographic’s magazines since I was a child, and I highly respect their work.  Traveler has also become one of my favorite magazines, I even index them and keep them for reference for future trips and vacations. 

My trip to Peru last month was a life-changing event, in many ways, (even before the earthquake occured) and I am so happy to share these experiences - especially the fiber-related experiences in the Andes - with this larger audience.

You can see the post here:  Peruvian Knitting Quest. 

(and if you are so inclined, leave a comment!)

You can read more about my Peruvian travels here.

 Thank you, Intelligent Travel!  and thank you readers!