After what seemed like the longest wettest August ever, and I think stats have confirmed the latter, we’ve now headed into a hot spell and are likely to set a record for the hottest August ever too. I find it a distraction. The warm weather puts me in a creative mindset yet as the same time I want to spend it outdoors which means planing activities, The word planning simply takes me a step away from the intuition I want to feel as an artist.
Last week I was really lucky that two arty friends helped me with some techniques. One showed me how to layer batiks, a technique I want to explore further (when i can afford a wax pot) The second helped me create a beautiful warp on my small but wonderful loom. Excellent timing, having finished my first wonky weaving project. I really enjoyed playing around with different patterns, but had a terrible time warping. A loss of patience learning how to cross led to a badly tensionned warp and snake like selvages, all resulted in a less than satisfactory project.
A few kind words of gentle instruction and an amazing 6 hours of patience on my friends part, and voila! A warped loom. I’m embarking on a poncho, a decision made just days before I managed to felt (shrink) the much loved one I knitted about 5 years ago. I’m sure it will be recycled into a felted or stitched picture or reconfigured into a bag. Nothing will be wasted
Hanging on the line to dry, rhubarb,
onion & tumeric dyed yarns
The resultant cakes o’ wool
More Cakes o’ Wool
My badly warped loom
I’m already a quarter of the way through my weft wool. I’m using up some beautiful Italian wool mix purchased as a bargain from Abakhan some time ago and it has been waiting an assignment ever since. The warp is some naturally dyed wool. Eco dying was going to be my thing, but then I started a degree and it went out of the window with the rest of my good intentions. I used onion, iron, turmeric and rhubarb leaves.
I hope to update you soon. I’m finding that weaving is satisfactorily speedy once the warping is done, but the conservatory is so hot at the moment weaving can only take place first thing in the morning. By the time its cooling in the evening the light is starting to go.
Happy creativeness
Carolyn
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