My “Weaving for Beginners” Now Available in PDF Format

I’m so happy that my beginners book is available in print as usual BUT now, starting today, it’s also available as a downloadable PDF. I’ve been wanting this for months but travel and life got in the way.
We updated the Books/DVD page on my website TODAY.  I, myself, found that sometimes when I wanted to find something instead of leafing through the pages and searching, I turned to my own PDF version and used the search function. I could find it really fast that way. 

Please spread the word about the availability of my book in both formats: PDF as well as Print.
Also, check the Books/DVD page on my website on Black Friday for some Holiday specials.

 

Lamb Day at Mimi’s Farm

Lamb and Boy

Consider visiting my friend Mimi Luebbermann’s small farm, Windrush Farm. I love going there any time of year. Spring with the baby lambs and goats (kids) is a fantastic outing. While there you can pick up natural and colorful yarn that Mimi has spun from her own sheep. Look for other events at the farm website. Read  her notice below.

“April 9, 2016 – 10am – 1pm

Great news, we’re doing it again! Come celebrate all our little lambs on the farm. We have over 25 lambs ready for viewing, from the tiny black Shetland quadruplets to the husky first born single white female. Please bring a lunch to enjoy at the pond (and feel free to search for tadpoles). Windrush roving and yarns will be available for purchase and each visitor will get to take home a child’s loom from recycled materials.
Mimi and Lamb
Schedule of the Day
10:00 Gates open
10:30 Meet and Greet the Sheep
11:00 Spinning Demonstration
11:30 Milking the Goat
12:00 Meet and Greet the Sheep
1:00 Wool Activities for

All Adults $20, children (under 12) free. Pay at the door (cash only) or register here:
http://lambday2016.brownpapertickets.com

Windrush Farm 2263 Chileno Valley Rd. Petaluma, CA 94952
For more information call: 707 775-3390″
Windrush Yarn

 

Thank you , Thank you! I now have 500 subscribers!

500 Subs


Great news! I just now exceeded 500 subscribers to my blog! If you add your email to my subscriber list on my Home Page, you will get an email notice for every new post that I make. 

I want to share a very nice comment I got from a weaver. Please read below. I really appreciate getting feed back–I check my computer first thing in the morning–nice comments can make my day!

“Peggy you have been my mentor in weaving since I first began in 2007. I wasn’t on the internet back then, I bought a couple of your books and your DVD on warping back to front. I still follow this method you used in that video.Your blog and all your great tips are awesome! They help this amateur weaver understand weaving so much better than just reading it in a book. I would like to say a Big Thank You for working so hard to help folks like me.”

At Work on My Website

Here I am at my computer spending more time here instead of weaving. But the California sky is nice and I love my website. And connecting with other weavers makes it worthwhile. The view from my window on the 8th floor is always changing. There are  cat beds at the base of the window where my two cats rest and keep me company.

Weaver Peggy Osterkamp
Weaver Peggy Osterkamp

Weaving Keynote Speech

2012 CNCH  Weaving Convention
2012 CNCH Weaving Convention

I spent the month of March preparing my keynote speech for the northern California weaving conference, CNCH. It will be May 17-20 at the Oakland Convention Center. It was a lot of work but fun figuring out what I could say in 1/2 hour. Believe me, there was a lot I had to relegate to the cutting room floor. It was hard to give up so many ideas. Maybe we can make a video and put it on line!

April will be devoted to preparing for my two classes and a retrospective of my work. I’ve already made the list for the exhibit for the labels, but now I need to be sure every piece is prepared and ironed, etc. I’m honored to have this recognition.

The two classes are about collapse weaving and supplementary warp–two of my favorite things. (I’ve signed up for CNCH 2013 to teach them again–also about using the paddle.

Silk spools are the thing!

Silk spool (click to enlarge)

I’ve been showing people the  spool of silk thread that I made from that skein which took a month to unwind. (See a previous post.) They love the full spool as it is–as a work of art. I’m beginning to love it, too. I’ve been worrying about what I can weave that will be as beautiful as the silk. Now my thinking is to weave something, but leave a lot on a spool because it’s beautiful that way. The silk came from Cambodia–the gold color is the color of the cocoons–the threads are c9omposed of 20 or more filaments (cocoons). The thread is slightly slubby and many were stuck together with the sericin from the silk worm.  This is what makes it so lovely, I think.