Thursday, February 22, 2007

Kati Reeder Meek

Over the weekend I attended a Kati Reeder Meek weaving workshop called Lustrous Linens - Weaving Linens with Success. The workshop was hosted by The Waterford Weavers Guild. Kati is the author of two books, Warp with a Trapeze and Dance with your Loom (using Live-Weight-Tensioned Warps), and "Reflections from a Flaxen Past".

Kati Reeder Meek taught us how to use a warping trapeze along with gravity and applied vibration to beam an evenly tensioned warp and to use live-weight tension to weave without stopping and retensioning the warp. In addition, Kati shared many of her best practices. (Click on any picture to enlarge.)
Linen in various stages.
Some of Kati's woven linen samples.Warping back to front using a trapeze. You can make your own trapeze (instructions in Kati's book) or you can purchase one from Purrington Loom Company. The trapeze is temporarily attached to the loom, lease sticks protecting the cross are attached, the end loops of the warp will be attached to the warp rod, the rattle is tied to the back beam, and the weights are then tied to the warp. We are now ready to spread out the threads in the rattle.Stiff paper is inserted to separate the layers as we crank the warp on.Beaming on. During this phase the warp is spanked to vibrate the warp and even out tension.As the warp is cranked on, the weights rise to the top and need to be repositioned.Beaming on finished. The trapeze is removed.Threading the heddles. Kati believes in finding a comfortable position for seeing and reaching the heddles. This may mean your loom might need to be put up on blocks, tilted forward, or the shafts lifted. Position yourself as close to the heddles as possible. Sleying the reed with an automatic denter or reed hopper. The automatic reed hopper "walks" from dent to dent without ever leaving the reed. You can view a video clip of an auto-denter in use here. Kati uses the auto-denter a little differently but you will get the idea.Using the "click method". Kati attaches the warp threads to the cloth rod from the outside to the inside. She will advance the cloth ratchet one click every so often. The warp will be at very high tension at the end. The tension will backed off before weaving begins. Once the loom is fully dressed weights will be used in place of the braking system. Live-weight tension uses gravity to get the job done. The larger milk jug tension the warp by pulling down and the smaller water bottle provides a counterweight. The loom's brake is disengaged. As the warp is advanced the milk jug will rise until the water bottle touches the floor. Then the cord wrapped around the warp beam relaxes and the milk jug slips down until friction is restored. This is self-adjusting so there is no need to deal with the friction brake and readjusting the tension with each advance of the warp. Your warp will remain at the exact same tension.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Blanket of Hope

I'm finishing up an afghan block for the Blanket of Hope project. It was organized by Rebekah for fellow knitter Sonya for her husband Kevin. I don't personally know Sonya (or Kevin) but remember Sonya participating in the FLAK (Follow the Leader Aran Knit-along) and wanted to help out. I decided to knit a block using the same cables as our FLAK sweaters knowing Sonya would recognize them.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

The Adoption is Final...

We picked up the new baby this afternoon. She's a solid cherry Loomcraft 8-shaft, 12-treadle loom with a 45" weaving width. She has wonderful patina. The loom is c. 1981 and the loom maker, John Post, of Littleton Colorado only makes a few looms each year with each one handcrafted. Mr. Post has been making these beautiful looms for over 35 years and now only sells through Halcyon Yarn.

Friday, February 02, 2007

Just Our Yarn

On Wednesday I attended a guild meeting of the Blue Ridge Spinners & Weavers. JOY (Just Our Yarn) came and did a Trunk Show. It was lots of fun. The company was started by Diane Smith and Cathie Chung. They purchase yarn and fiber from Green Mountain Spinnery in Putney, Vermont and handpaint it. Their yarn is gorgeous and each colorway is unique. Diane and Cathie brought along knitted and woven samples using their handpainted yarn.

This shawl is sold as a kit. The kit includes the Karen Joan Raz Feather Shawl pattern. It is knit with a single strand of Myne (100% cashmere). It takes 2 hanks (500 yards each) to knit this shawl.
I was fancinated by a new age fiber called Tencel. It is wood pulp cellulose. It feels like silk and drapes luxuriously.

The next 3 woven scarves are Bonnie Tarses designs made with Tencel (10/2 and 5/2). The first scarf is called Horoscope Scarf and Bonnie teaches it in a workshop. Bonnie teaches Color Horoscope Weaving where she demonstrates her fascination with color, love of symbolic textiles and interest in astrology that culminates in luscious and magical fabrics. She will be doing a workshop for our guild in April or July. Count me in!
Double weave blanket woven with Caravan (65% lambs wool and 35% camel down) at 10 epi. It was felted lightly in the washing machine.This knitted shawl was made from Indulgence (75% Merino/15% Angora/10% Silk).

Monday, January 29, 2007

Bonnie Inouye - The Big Twill Workshop

I attended a 3-day weaving workshop with Bonnie Inouye called The Big Twill. It was a combination of lecture and round-robin weaving. In class we had a variety of 4-shaft, 8-shaft, and a 12-shaft loom. We received our threading ahead of time and were to arrive the first day with our looms warped. Each loom was warped differently. During the "hands on" part of the class we went round-robin weaving our "treadling" sequence on other's "threading".

Bonnie brought many examples of her work to illustrate points she was lecturing on.

During lecture Bonnie used FiberWorks PCW weaving design software and a digital projector. The sofware is amazing and made learning easier.

At the end of class the samples were cut off the looms. Each column represents a different loom. Bonnie then spent time discussing the samples.

More photos can be viewed here. I would love to take this class again and recommend it highly.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Catching Up

I'm back from Nantucket. The extensive renovation of our cottage is about 1-2 months from completion. The cottage is located in the Town of Nantucket in the Old Historic District on a little quiet one-way street. At one time this street was just a foot path.

I stayed with my good friend Nancy Chase who is an island treasure and renowned ivory carver and scrimshander. Here Nancy is working on a very large wooden whale she started carving many years ago but never finished. On the right side of the picture you can see the whale's mouth. The timber is several centuries old and came from the First Congregational Church of Nantucket c. 1834 when it was renovated in 1980 to rebuild Bennett Hall into a real theater for the Theater Workshop.Nancy and I will be working on the whale together and she is giving it to me as a gift for our cottage. I can't express what this means to me or how excited I am. In this picture I'm using a grinder to shape the whale's tail.
Nancy taught me how to play Cribbage. We had great fun playing. I plan to make my own Cribbage board.
While away I cast on Sirdal for Dale's of Nor(th America) KAL . Sirdal has a hemmed ribbing and I decided on the spur of the moment to create a picot edge. I really like it.

Saturday, January 13, 2007

I purchased 2 books with my Barnes & Noble gift card. I'm not a lace knitter but I just may be after perusing the first book, Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby. The photos are gorgeous and the patterns appear to be well written and for various skill levels.
The second book is Yarnplay by Lisa Shobhana Mason. I purchased this book because of the cover sweater. The V-Neck pullover is called Poppy.

Tomorrow I will be leaving for Nantucket to check on the progress of our house remodel. The Dale's of Nor(th America) KAL starts January 20th. I won't get home until the afternoon of the 22nd so I'll miss the 'official' cast-on date. For those of you participating in the KAL have fun and I'll catch up with you when I get back.

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Stranded Mittens

I finished the Squirrel and Oak mittens minus the Squirrel and Oak (motif) for Stranded: The Colorwork Challenge. The mittens were fun to knit and I plan on knitting another pair but this time with the Squirrel and Oak. The original pattern called for 48 sts and 53 rnds but I had to knit 60 sts and 63 rnds to fit my hands. This was a fun knit.Since I will be away for the 'official' cast-on of Dales's of Nor(th America) KAL slated for January 20, 2007, I decided to go ahead and start swatching. Sirdal calls for a gauge of 24 sts and 28 rnds on 3mm or 3.5mm and 4". I wasn't even close using 3.5mm (US 4) needles. I got 28sts and 32rnds.
Hey, do you think I could double dip and use my Dale's of Nor(th America) project for Stranded: The Colorwork Challenge? Hmmmm...

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Dale of Nor(th America)

I ordered a kit for Dale of Norway's Sirdal from Susan at Spin Blessing and it arrived yesterday!

Sirdal is in Heilo 60th Anniversary Book (#147) and also individual pattern #6007 as a pullover or #14702 as a cardigan. My kit included the braid pak and I chose to do Sirdal in colorway I charcoal heather (0083) and off white (0017). Sirdal can be knit with Heilo, Falk, or Hauk.

Here is a stock picture of Sirdal.

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Don't You Just Love Receiving HandKnit Gifts?

Thank you Vanessa for all the wonderful gifts. This year I received mittens with cables down the center to go with the Bronte scarf I received from her last year. Bronte is a Sharon Miller design and appears in Rowan Yarns A Yorkshire Fable.
I also received Schoharie Country Milk Soap with 2 little sheepies on it along with this great Knit Yourself a Merry Little Christmas mug and "Lazy Cable Socks" pattern with Stideaway Shetland in colorway Bracken 100% Merino Wool by Autumn House Farm's . I feel so spoiled.
While I'm at it I wanted to show off my glovittens Vanessa knit for me a few years ago. I like to keep these in the car. They are great for driving.

Friday, December 22, 2006

It's My Anniversary...

Today is my anniversary and my husband brought home beauuuuuuutiful roses.
DH is taking me out to an early dinner then it's off to pick up our GS who will be spending the weekend with us.Happy Holidays ...