Twilling Around, Part 2

Here I am frantically twining the last row to cut off my rug. 

My friend Gail kindly lent me her Schacht Wolf Pup floor loom. She would have let me keep it until I could finish all the samples available but I knew that I would be under tremendous pressure to do more after the workshop was over. I decided to take the pressure off and be content with the 14 samples I had completed. I could always do another sampler when my life was not so packed with other obligations.

My favorite weaving technique was the window. On the right is Jason’s full size sample of a 3-D window block in the rug. On the left is my TINY sample of a single layer of window using parallel motion on opposites technique. Only 3 of us in the workshop tried this technique. I had a lot of fun with it.

My favorite pattern visually was the undulating twill. It looked so pretty to me.

And my finished rug. The list of samples below goes from right to left. At each end there is a row of braided twining with braided tassels on both sides and a row of plain twining with the warp thread.

Day 1 Samples - Straight Twill:

1. diagonals

2. diamonds

3. triangles

4. rhomboids

5. large triangles

6. lighting

Day 2 Samples - Broken Twill:

7. diamonds

8. zig zag with 3 colors

9. woven on opposites (treadles)

10. undulating 

11. contrary motion on opposites

Day 3 Samples - Crossed Wefts

12. parallel motion on opposites

13. clasped weft

14. changing direction in a block

Don’t tell my husband, but I’m working hard now to find a spare corner in my already packed-to-the-ceiling home to set the loom up...

Twilling Around, Part 1

Jason Collingwood’s twill rug workshop was AWESOME!

Three whole days of weaving. Lecture twice a day, more than 30 samples to explore, good food and snacks, hours and hours of weaving, and fun fellow weavers. The workshop fee included the warp and weft, a notebook, together with food and drink for the long weekend.

Look at the beautiful selection of custom-dyed weft yarns we got to choose from.

26 looms were all threaded in straight twill with identical warp. We more than filled that room. I show the looms without people in these pictures because it would have been incomprehensible otherwise.

We hit the ground running as soon as Jason started his lecture. He is an expert at his craft and also quite charming. He conveyed the information in an organized and logical progression. Although I must admit that after hearing different combinations of “ABABABBBABABAB” for three days straight, my brain nearly refused to function.

Jason said that if we students had woven a placemat and table runner then we had more weaving experience than he did. Because he has only ever woven rugs. I have woven other things. But I could never in a million years put myself anywhere near his class of experience in weaving. His skill and knowledge is amazing.

Jason is the first person in my experience to talk about weaving as a job. He never mentioned a love of weaving. The lecture and workshop circuit, combined with his custom weaving work, is his job and living. This was the first time I thought about weaving not as a hobby, but as someone’s profession. It was eye-opening. Textiles are an enjoyable hobby for me. I dream of making a living working in textiles. It never occurred to me that my love of textiles might wane when/if it becomes a full-time job.

Anticipation

I am very excited to tell you that I am going to weave this weekend. For three days straight.

I am going to study twill rug weaving with Jason Collingwood, the world renown rug weaver from England. His late father is Peter Collingwood, master of master-weavers. 

This workshop has been in the works since last October. It is organized by Studio 66 Fiber Arts. In conjunction with several other guilds and groups in Southern California, we invited Jason to come and teach several workshops and seminars. I was and am lucky enough to be one of the organizers. 

Studio 66 Fiber Arts developed out of the Studio 66 Retreat, which I helped produce on Mother’s Day weekend in 2010 and 2011.

Mostly I’m very happy to have the opportunity to weave again. It has not been a priority for me since I moved in 2010. My apartment is space challenged and my loom languishes folded up in a corner. I’ve spent a fair amount of time spinning as I teach it now and need to stay very current with that skill. But I miss my weaving. This workshop will set me back on track, I hope.

I can’t wait to tell you how it goes.

Real Boys Wear Pink

Last Saturday, my son, Ian, asked me to make a robe for him. One just like mine - pink with small white polka dots. 

I said that we would go to the fabric store and see what we could find. Secretly, I hoped we could find a stripe or plaid or other terry cloth that was not pink. Why? Well, little boys don’t wear pink, right?

On Sunday, I take Ian to the store. The first aisle we come to he sees a cotton fabric with cars, trucks, planes and race cars printed on a blue background. He says he wants that one. Whew. Not Pink.

Then I say we need to find a lining for the thin cotton. The robe’s purpose is to keep him warm in the early morning when he’s cuddled on the couch watching a cartoon while I take a few minutes to wake up.

So we walk over to the terry cloth aisle and I pick out three bolts of fabric for him to choose from -  cream, light blue and light green. He ignores me, walks further down the aisle, points at the last bolt of terry cloth and says, “That one!” 

The Pink One. Of Course.

After a few minutes of negotiation, I succumb and buy the pink terry cloth for the the lining.

I wash the fabric that afternoon and cut on Monday. I find that I have not bought enough fabric and have to go back Tuesday night to buy more.

Wednesday is a marathon sewing day. Which really means stealing time from Ian. After a total of 4.5 hours stolen in small chunks throughout the day, I finish the robe at 11 PM. I am tickled pink by how cute the robe has turned out. I present the robe to Ian Thursday morning. His face lights up with the sweetest smile and says, “For me?” Yes! 

He has been wearing the robe every morning since...for at least 5 minutes while he warms up against the early morning chill. Ian's Dad thinks he looks like a mini-Heff. I think he looks like a fun version of Obiwan Kinobe. 

Either way, real boys wear pink.

Canvas & PETA

The pressure is on. I feel like I have nothing textile-worthy to talk about this week. I knit for a total of 2 hours and spun yarn for about 10 minutes. I think much more about doing than I actually get to do.

For instance, my husband asked me about canvas. What is it exactly, how it’s made, what it’s made from? OMG! Hand spun yarn to make sails for British sailing ships like those described in the Horatio Hornblower series by C. S. Forrester?!? 

I go into a long explanation of hand spun linen and hemp and plain weave structure; all the while imagining how big a sail is and how much sail every ship carried as its own island of life on the huge ocean. A serious amount of yarn and fabric. OMG! The labor involved, the number of hands working. We cannot imagine the amount of handwork people had to perform just to survive daily life.

How long would it take you to spin enough yarn to weave a sail for a ship?

How long would it take to weave enough cloth to make the sail?

How long would it take to spin enough yarn to weave enough velvet fabric for a medieval gown?

Where does the cashew nut come from?

Who first saw rotted flax stalks and said, “Look, there are long thin fibers inside. Hmmm, I wonder if I twist them what will happen?”

Our clothes these days are easily and inexpensively accessible. Grocery stores and department stores carry everything we need on a daily basis. Do we really appreciate the process of getting product from plant or animal sources? I’m not sure, as a society, we do anymore.

I like the connection I feel when I spin. I feel connected to the countless women and men throughout time that labored to spin yarn for their ONE shirt, ONE pair of pants or skirt, ONE towel. What do I have in my closet? I have dozens of towels. All different sizes and colors. I’m seriously wealthy in comparison to my time lost compatriot. Nevertheless, I feel connected. 

Just think, if humans had not figured out how to twist fiber, we would still be wearing skins and furs. How would PETA feel about that?