If you want to weave really slowly, I heartily recommend using this as weft:
(No, not the cat.)
This is a failed warp that got cut off the loom a while ago. While the 100% alpaca is pretty strong, and didn't snap when tested, the slipperiness of the fibers meant, no matter what I did, the warp kept sliding apart. So I cut the remainder off the loom and chained it, putting it aside. It was too nice to throw away, so now I'm using it as weft in another scarf version of the braided twill Sheep to Shawl pattern.
Because the lengths are just over 2 yards long, and the scarf is 6" wide, I stop every 12 or 14 passes to untangle another strand from the former warp, butterfly it, and start weaving again. I think it'll work out fine in the end. In the meantime, it's an exercise in patienc
e. Sort of like raising teenagers.
(Of course, it could be worse. I could be weaving infinitesimal silk for yards and yards and yards like some people. Or I could have even more teenagers.)
I've got a log cabin and a shadow weave sample to finish up before class on Wednesday, so the plan is to get home from work tomorrow and do nothing but weave. It won't happen, of course, but that's the plan.
The garden is calling to me, insistently, two of the three roses I thought were killed are com
ing back to life after all, and then there are these:
The East Boulder County Artists are having their annual studio tours this weekend, and I stopped by the Old Firehouse Art Center for a preview. There were some incredible hand bound books by a local artist, Jeff Becker, and I was inspired to head for home and pull out a tiny bookbinding kit I'd gotten as a gift a few years ago. An hour later, I had the two small bound books at the right, and was heading out the door to look for paper, coverstock, an awl, and a few other goodies to play some more. The envelope book happened next, and I've got images of a shelf full of books with handwoven cloth covers dancing through my brain. Just what I needed -- more projects.
That looks like a tabby point siamese to me, Deb. I am sure that he/she is extremely helpful when it comes to weaving!
Posted by: carol | May 13, 2006 at 03:33 PM
ooh, ooh, paper-source.com! And once I and all my stuff get to CO, we can play! Cover options are endless. And then there are altered books - you'll love that. heh.
Posted by: Catherine | May 14, 2006 at 09:28 AM
Hey you! ok...out of school now! YEA! Your weaving is incredible - as always. Caitlin saw it and wants to talk to you - "NOW, Mom!" She won't be doing too much weaving or anything else in the next month or so - she broke one arm (buckle fracture, right ulna) a couple weeks ago blading, and broke the OTHER arm (buckle fracture, left radius - a matching set!) yesterday at afternoon recess. She has dual wielding casts. Will I see you on the 27th? the 4th? I plan on going to both. I've missed you! Beautiful, beautiful weaving.....
Posted by: marta | May 17, 2006 at 01:22 PM