Weaving in Bits and Pieces

I feel like my weaving has only been in bits and pieces.  I have put on a warp for a demonstration at the Great Basin Fiber Festival, a demonstration at the Gem Fair, a TV spot with Big Buddha and samples for classes.  I have not finished the big stuff I have on two of my looms.  I think they are getting dusty from sitting for so long!

Here is the plaid one

The towels for the fair were rainbow so that they would attract attention to the Mary M. Atwater Weaver's Guild booth.  This is the plaid one I wove when I got home...the last (fifth) towel.  When we were at the fair, we would be talking to the visitors,  so a simpler pattern was needed there.  All the towels worked out well.

All five of the towels

One of the men visiting the booth felt one of my heavy weight towels and said "That is a man's towel".  They are heavier, but I like to use them in my kitchen.  
These are 8/4 carpet warp, I wonder how the colors will hold up.  The yellow usually softens pretty fast.  I need to put one of these in a kitchen to test them.

I didn't get a shot of the TV yardage on the loom.  I got it woven off and have about 4 1/2 yards of fabric.  I would like to make some pants with it, I think.  It washed up to a pretty good weight for pants.  Maybe I could make some narrow pants to wear under a skirt.  I also knit a tunic with that yarn and it could go over everything.

When I needed another demonstration for the Gem Fair, I remembered the little Grant looms in the closet at PCH.  I pulled out one of those and scrubbed 40 years of dirt off of it.  After I oiled it, the loom looked pretty good.  I put all the heddles in order and luckily there was not rust on the heddles or the reed.

After Scrubbing

After Oiling

It really is a sweet little loom and easy to carry, so it is going to be my new "take" loom when I need to do a demonstration.  I did end up using it for a Heritage Days demo that weekend also. Wow, two demonstrations in one week, I have not done that for a long time.  I guess I am off the hook for a few months!  Good thing, a gentleman was playing around with the loom and almost finished the warp I put on.  He was enjoying his weaving.
I originally looked at these looms as a great loom for kids.  It is only two shafts and the handle for switching the shafts is a simple mechanism.  There are three more of them in the closet, maybe when I get them all cleaned, I can think about a class to use them.


 The other weaving I have been doing is samples for classes.  This is an lace pick-up design  

RH lace pick-up

for the new rigid heddle class.  This is the type of pickup where the pickup stick is in back of the heddle and it stays in until you want to change the design.  This piece was just 3 "pick-ups" and I got a nice pattern.  I think I need to try the Bronson variation for a scarf.

I also warped a 3 inch demo for my Summer & Winter class.  It is just enough to see the patterns and for me to demonstrate the various liftings that we are doing.  Next week we will be talking about Bronson lace and I threaded an eight shaft sample for each of the students to weave.

See what I mean, just a bunch of little bits.  I guess in the long run they do add up to some weaving, but I think the two large pieces waiting for me to finish are hanging over my head and causing the feelings of inadequacy.  

Well, I'd best get washing.  I measured a warp for a commission rug.  I need to dye the warp and the yarn is not scoured, so that is tonight's job.