I have two cats–this morning I heard scratching noises by my spools of silk thread. I have wound two more spools and each one has a thread sticking out from it. Joey was trying to get at one of the threads! Yikes, I said and covered them up. He kept hanging around, wondering where his precious thread-toy had gone!. After all my work, having a cat snarl the threads up again would have been awful. Molly is seen investigating the first spool on a previous post.
I’ve been winding more of these lovely Japanese spools from cones of fine silk. They are so nice to look at–“thread-sculptures”, really.
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.
I had a student the other day who had trouble tying the knots at the crosses and chock ties. I gave her lengths of shoelaces and she tied everything with ease.
Here are what my studios look like today–after finishing a book and accomplishing a major move. The two rooms are adjoining. They are a mess, but workable for both teaching and weaving. Someday you’ll see them all cleaned up with everything put away. (Don’t hold your breath.)
Although come to think of it, I’m pretty sure that every office or workspace that you ever walk into has clutter everywhere. It is a known fact that some people just work better this way. I know I do, and my friend does too. She primarily works from home as her job means that she can. But that is all about to change soon, as she has made the big step to go back into the office and work from there. Though she does it a couple of days out of the month, she has decided to go back full-time and I couldn’t be more excited for her.
Her employer told her that she could have her own office space, away from the hustle and bustle of the other employees, and it is the perfect chance for her to make sure her office stays as clean as possible. She has said that she has already come across somewhere like Office Monster that sells a wide variety of office supplies like folders, storage boxes, filing cabinets, and cupboards, and with all this, it should be a lot easier for her to keep everything clean. At least she has been given full creative control over which pieces she wants to get, as this makes the process even more exciting.
So, watch this space!
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
So, watch this space!
My desk and weaving classroom
So, watch this space!
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
Provided that it goes well, I might have to do the same thing, especially if I don’t find the time to clear up my space in time for me to teach and weave.
I finished the skein last week–that is, I stopped just short of finishing it. You can see that it’s almost completely unwound. I stopped unwinding so I could just cut the skein. Then I have a hunk of this thread to use to lay in the sheds –similar to the silk pieces in my gallery.
Japanese winder
You can see the wound spool and I think it’s absolutely gorgeous. The “spool” is the style used in Japan for silk–a much larger circumference than “our” spools.
Instead of giving up on a skein that is too tangled to unwind, I cut it which gave me a large hunk of yarn. Then I broke down that hunk into smaller hunks–some about the thickness of a pencil, some fatter, and some thinner. I cut them to the sizes I wanted. Then I laid them into the sheds in various ways. This can be seen in my silk pieces in the gallery section of this blog.
I also used this idea when I cut off a warp that was a “dog on the loom”. In that case, I just used the hunks of warp as thick wefts–didn’t cut them and have them extending outside the selvedges.
I’ve been working for three or four weeks to unwind this skein of fine silk. It’s still not finished!–It’s been like a meditation. (click photos to enlarge)
Weaving for Beginners WEAVING FOR BEGINNERS: AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE
Peggy Osterkamp
SAUSALITO, CALIFORNIA: LEASE STICKS PRESS, 2010. HARDBOUND SPIRAL, 406 PAGES, $49.95. ISBN 978-0-9768855-1-1
“Whether you are learning to weave or teaching weaving, this book offers everything you need to know. Based on Osterkamp’s years of weaving and teaching using time-honored Europeanweaving techniques, Weaving for Beginners opens by guiding the beginner through the basics of equipment
and back-to-front warping and then presents a sampler cleverly designed to introduce balanced, weftfaced, and warp-faced weaves on the same warp. The first project is followed by an in-depth discussion of
the benefi ts of back-to-front and front-to-back warping, with a section written by Patricia Townsend on front-to-back warping that includes mixing warp colors at the loom and specifi c instructions for weaving
a chenille scarf. Later chapters suggest future projects for the beginning weaver, explore hand-manipulated weaves, and teach the basics of rigid-heddle weaving.
Advanced chapters include an in-depth discussion on how to read and write a draft and then progress to drafting for block weaves, such as overshot and summer and winter. One might wish that the later chapters on sett, selvedges, project planning, and troubleshooting were laminated, because they are so packed with useful reference information that they are likely to be worn out over the course of a weaving career. Worksheets and formulas
for determining sett using grist, diameter, and weave structure; tips for good selvedges and diagnostics for poor selvedges; and well-illustrated, step-by-step instructions for repairing a fixed thread or threading error, finding a lost cross, or fixing weaving mistakes—all are designed to get the beginning-to-intermediate weaver off to a smooth and confident start.
The chapter on computer software and the chapter on knots are especially innovative and informative. Written by experts among Osterkamp’s students and colleagues, the computer chapter explains the benefits of WIF files, tells how to choose a weaving software package, explores the design capabilities of weaving programs, and gives a sample assignment to get the
reader started. In the final chapter of the book, Osterkamp answers your questions about what knot to use when and relieves all knot anxiety: snitch knots, lark’s head and double half hitches are all revealed through excellent illustrations. After you finish reading the “rabbit hole story,” you will never forget the weaver’s knot again.
Weaving for Beginners is clearly a labor of love by an outstanding teacher and a community of enthusiastic and dedicated weavers. It will be a welcome addition to many a weaver’s bookshelf, beginning weaver or otherwise.”
Please share your thoughts about this post in the “reply” or “comments” section below. To ask Peggy a question please go to the “Q & A” page of this blog.
