summer flowers

summer flowers

Friday, June 24, 2016

Summer is Here

I don't know how much I've accomplished this month, I had a couple of classes and I attended Complex Weaver's Seminars.  I have done some small warps for my class samples.  I put on a warp for the Mermaid Scarf that was on the cover of Handwoven, but it is really slow to weave.  My biggest project is some shawls and scarves in alpaca.  I have been planning how to do them for most of the time, between classes and travel.

The first part of the month, we traveled to Logan for my DH's high school reunion...55th.  We had a nice dinner and he was talking to a number of the old friends.  They had a pretty good turnout for the occasion.  

I put a test warp of deflected double weave.  But it is similar to one I did last time I got interested.  I used 8/4 carpet warp and I put it on for my class to weave samples.  I will try to do a couple to have a washed and unwashed in the sample collection.


A local weaver had a great show at the City Library.  He does great things with color and paints on most of his pieces.  He does art and it is great to look at.

There were four walls of weaving.  This one was a number of overshot patterns with painting over them.
 This one was summer and winter with painting over it.  I love the way he brings out the colors by painting over the fabric in some areas.
This detail shows the summer and winter weaving and the painted stripes of blue and green.  John's work is great...check it out. http://johnhessart.com/


My trip to Complex Weaver's Seminars was great.  This is the second time that I have been able to go.  I think I was more overwhelmed last time (because it was the first time).  This time I enjoyed meeting people, and getting new ideas for my work.  The three things that really excited me were not even weaving.  I got to ride in a stretch limo for the first time, it was fun and a new experience.
 
Actually I rode from the airport (when I was surprised and there were just two of us), and then with a group back to the airport after the seminars were done...then we needed one because there were eight of us.  My second big thing was to see fireflies.  I had never seen them before and they are magical to watch.  My last thing was getting to meet Franklin Habit.  He was not attending the seminars but was just there with a friend, he is just as entertaining to talk to as he is to read...

I bought a couple of things that are wonderful.  My big purchase was a book by Alice Schlein.
Beautiful Lampas cover 
When we were at Fineline Craft Center to see the Complexity show I found the kit to make me some more fingerless mittens.  These are the ones that got stolen from my car last winter.  Now I can make another pair and keep better track of them.  
New kit for my new mitts

The Complexity show at Fineline was fantastic.  You can check it out on the Complex Weaver's website or if you are going to Convergence, it will be there.

I have written down in my Idea's book several items that I want to try/pursue from the information I got at the seminars.  Many of the seminars were using more shafts than I have access to, but the design and color ideas are rolling around in my mind.  The members and the teachers at CW are so sharing and love to tell you how they made something.

My DS replaced his sport car with a truck a few months ago and he decided to get a tent to go on it for his back country trips.  He likes to go into the back country of the parks and open land in southern Utah.  This gives him the four wheel drive that he needs for the rocky roads.  But the tent was a surprise.  
The first trip with the tent, he only made it partly down into The Maze in Canyonland National Park before getting a rip in the side wall of a tire.  He had to come home early, but he still got some great pictures and he will go back.  He is so new at driving in the truck, he is not used to judging it on the rocks.  By the way, the first week of July, we will go to St. George, Utah to see a picture that he got accepted in an art show...I'm proud of him.
Fun new toy for my DS
 I started putting the warps for the shawls I'm weaving for the next month.  I decided to put on a dummy warp because I will be doing four warps with the same threading.  I found some 8/4 carpet warp warps in a box at the studio.  I think they were taken off one of the old rug looms before it was sold.  I decided to use that up for the dummy warp.  The warps were chained in groups of 20 to 30 threads.  I needed a warp with 230 ends.
Rolled up chained warps

 It was a little messier for the warp that I hoped.
Yes, a bit of a mess
After the warp is straightened out, I will tie the alpaca warp on.  I just plan to use an overhand knot.  (I am so slow with the weaver's knot).  If the overhand does not hold I will work on the weaver's knot.  Alpaca yarn is slippery and I hope the knot holds.