Who'd've Thunk It??
Did you know that you can weave with....PAINT STIRRERS??? I admit, I have never given it a thought, but there I was one day, weaving my tencel scarves, when I realized that I wouldn't have enough warp to complete the last one. (And I'll admit it right here - I have a terrible problem with estimating the correct warp length - I'm always off one way or the other). At first, I used my hands to try to widen the shed by lifting the harnesses the additional bit that was needed so my shuttle could get through, but after cutting my hand on a heddle or two, I had to get creative. I mean, who wants blood on their handwovens???
I cast about for an idea, and then saw them; wooden paint stirrers! You know, the ones they give out for free when you buy paint! I've been experimenting with paint in the spare bedroom, er, studio, (which you can just make out in the background) and I had several stirrers at hand. At first, I used only one to help hold the harnesses up where they belonged, but after a pick or two, I still did not have a clean shed (for you non-weavers out there, I am NOT talking about a small backyard storage facility. A shed is the space that your shuttle goes across to place yarn into your weaving). So I grabbed another stirrer and cleared the shed with it before using the shuttle. Like this:
Even though this ingenious concoction did help me utilize as much of the warp as I could, I still came up a bit short, so the third scarf is PERFECT for people who are, shall we say, vertically challenged!
Here are a couple of photos of the completed Drall tencel scarves:
I really really love this pattern, so I know I'm going to come back to it again.
The blue and purple ones have gone to a local shop, but the teal one is going to be listed in my shop, if anyone is interested.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThreadbareDesigns
On the spinning front, I've started spinning up some beautiful purple BFL, dyed by Spunky Eclectic (http://www.spunkyeclectic.com/) and named "Nightmare." I can't remember why it was named so, but to me it is anything BUT a nightmare. It spins beautifully, and I seem to be on a purple kick right now, so the color really suits me. I'm using my spindle again, because I just love how portable it is. I think I could spin faster on my wheel, but I would probably not get it out to spin as often, so the spindle may be as fast or a bit faster overall, at least right now. I just grab a moment here and there, and off I go!
The fiber looks like this:
And this is how far I've come:
On a non-fiber front, I've been quite busy at work. Lots of babies deciding to "make a break for it" at the same time, plus there have been meetings and learning opportunities galore. I'm going to a 2 day conference next week to learn about all kinds of things OB, so except for the nightmare surrounding my food issues (I eat gluten and dairy free, AND I'm a vegetarian bordering on vegan), it should be a fun and enlightening experience. I just have to decide how much food I can bring with me without looking totally ridiculous. Apparently they cannot accommodate me for breakfast, but lunches will be OK as they have salads... Now don't get me wrong, I eat salad every day and love love love it, BUT if my breakfasts are already sketchy, and I'm sitting listening to lectures all day, I know for a fact that I will need more than a salad to hold me until dinner. I think I may have to bring a rather large bag of food just to tide me over.
My other non-fiber bit that's been keeping me quite busy was.. my son got married on the 14th of September! It was a lovely outdoor ceremony, right on the ocean. The weather, which dawned foggy and damp, cleared in time, and made for a beautiful backdrop. The bride, my new daughter in law (!!), was so lovely in her dress and veil, and my son was positively beaming. It couldn't have gone any better, which made for a very memorable occasion. Oh, and it does have a bit of a weaving connection, because I had been asked to weave some table linens, a table runner and 10 placemats, for the reception afterwards. Here is a shot of their remarkable cake sitting on the runner:
My only other news of note, is that two days ago, when I woke up, I had an appalling run in with vertigo. I've never had it, but my daughter in law has, and we compared notes. The room wasn't spinning or anything like that, but when I tried to walk, I walked at an acute angle to the left. It was almost like someone had spun me around several times in one direction, then let me go and off I went in the other. I had to use my hands to let me get to where I wanted to go. It lasted for several minutes, and even once I could walk straight, I still had a slight "floaty" feel lingering all day. I hope that was my one and only time experiencing vertigo. I do NOT need another health issue, thank you very much.
I appreciate you stopping in to catch up on my news and latest weaving adventures, and love to read your comments!
I cast about for an idea, and then saw them; wooden paint stirrers! You know, the ones they give out for free when you buy paint! I've been experimenting with paint in the spare bedroom, er, studio, (which you can just make out in the background) and I had several stirrers at hand. At first, I used only one to help hold the harnesses up where they belonged, but after a pick or two, I still did not have a clean shed (for you non-weavers out there, I am NOT talking about a small backyard storage facility. A shed is the space that your shuttle goes across to place yarn into your weaving). So I grabbed another stirrer and cleared the shed with it before using the shuttle. Like this:
Even though this ingenious concoction did help me utilize as much of the warp as I could, I still came up a bit short, so the third scarf is PERFECT for people who are, shall we say, vertically challenged!
Here are a couple of photos of the completed Drall tencel scarves:
I really really love this pattern, so I know I'm going to come back to it again.
The blue and purple ones have gone to a local shop, but the teal one is going to be listed in my shop, if anyone is interested.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThreadbareDesigns
On the spinning front, I've started spinning up some beautiful purple BFL, dyed by Spunky Eclectic (http://www.spunkyeclectic.com/) and named "Nightmare." I can't remember why it was named so, but to me it is anything BUT a nightmare. It spins beautifully, and I seem to be on a purple kick right now, so the color really suits me. I'm using my spindle again, because I just love how portable it is. I think I could spin faster on my wheel, but I would probably not get it out to spin as often, so the spindle may be as fast or a bit faster overall, at least right now. I just grab a moment here and there, and off I go!
The fiber looks like this:
And this is how far I've come:
On a non-fiber front, I've been quite busy at work. Lots of babies deciding to "make a break for it" at the same time, plus there have been meetings and learning opportunities galore. I'm going to a 2 day conference next week to learn about all kinds of things OB, so except for the nightmare surrounding my food issues (I eat gluten and dairy free, AND I'm a vegetarian bordering on vegan), it should be a fun and enlightening experience. I just have to decide how much food I can bring with me without looking totally ridiculous. Apparently they cannot accommodate me for breakfast, but lunches will be OK as they have salads... Now don't get me wrong, I eat salad every day and love love love it, BUT if my breakfasts are already sketchy, and I'm sitting listening to lectures all day, I know for a fact that I will need more than a salad to hold me until dinner. I think I may have to bring a rather large bag of food just to tide me over.
My only other news of note, is that two days ago, when I woke up, I had an appalling run in with vertigo. I've never had it, but my daughter in law has, and we compared notes. The room wasn't spinning or anything like that, but when I tried to walk, I walked at an acute angle to the left. It was almost like someone had spun me around several times in one direction, then let me go and off I went in the other. I had to use my hands to let me get to where I wanted to go. It lasted for several minutes, and even once I could walk straight, I still had a slight "floaty" feel lingering all day. I hope that was my one and only time experiencing vertigo. I do NOT need another health issue, thank you very much.
I appreciate you stopping in to catch up on my news and latest weaving adventures, and love to read your comments!
Your scarves are lovely! Beautiful Golding spindle, too.
ReplyDeleteJust in case it's the same thing:
ReplyDeleteI woke up one morning and couldn't stand or walk straight. It came and went. I could be lying in bed and suddenly dizzy as if I'd just walked off a fair ride.
It was/is Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), an inner ear issue. Once diagnosed it was treated simply and non-invasively with a set of movements to get the "ear rocks" into a different position.
It could be worth checking to see if your cause is similar, as the treatment could be straightforward.
Thanks for your input about the vertigo. I figured it might be that. My daughter in law suffered from several bouts of this, and going to a chiropractor to get those maneuvers done really helped her out.
ReplyDelete