The Joy of the Mundane
I was going to write about how neglectful of my blog (and my weaving) I have been in the face of holiday preparations. I was going to lament the arduous task of making up for a year of housework delinquency in a one-week scramble. But, my perspective has shifted a bit, and now I am grateful that my worries and woes are so cozily mundane at the moment.
The above photo is of the studio chaos – many looms, many in-process projects – nothing can be cleared up or put away because they are all semi-interconnected. I am still experimenting with edgings for the pillows – very slow – very frustrating – very few “yes!” moments. The photo below is of the experiment in brown wool fringe. The fringe edge has been stabilized thanks to a tip from Barbara and her reference to Virginia West’s book Finishing Touches for the Handweaver.
The photo below shows one advantage of he serious pre-holiday culling that my husband and I have been doing for the last week or so. This was a pretty lame wine rack that we bought and didn’t use for many years. Makes a pretty good temple/raddle/warp stick/lease stick holder right?
Another (funny and nostalgic) find in the purge was this . . . a pre-computer, early attempt at drafting by me. I was about to recycle it when I thought it might make funny blog fodder
I think my mom might still have (and use!) a set of placemats in that very colorful design. Bless the supportive parents.
Finally, there are still prizes to be awarded, so, at this busy, busy time of year drop me a line and let me know if you are doing any holiday weaving. If you have any early experiments in drafting – please share.
Barbara
Ah, yes! The prehistoric hand draft….I have folders full of those; and to be honest with you, despite owning powerful drafting software, I still occasionally return to colored pencils and graph paper when a structure deeply mystifies me. I find that I can decode them better when working that way. Those hand drafts might not be as elegant to look at, but they certainly still can serve their purpose…at least for my slow little brain!
Barbara
Elisabeth Hill
I have been advised by better weaving minds than mine to use paper and pencil for REALLY getting to the nitty gritty of a structure! I find it excruciating to fill in all the little boxes, but maybe that is part of the process, the pain seals it in your memory:)
Marlene Toerien
Hi, I actually enjoy drafting with pencil and rubber, I usually take a clipboard, pencils etc. with me on holiday, it helps to understand the technique before spending hours at the loom and end up with nothing or a monster.
Merry christmas and Happy new year!
Marlene T.
Elisabeth Hill
Hi Marlene,
I am always trying to figure out how to take weaving with me . . . I like your idea of taking drafting!
Merry Christmas to you too.
evasweaving
Hi Elisabeth,
I learned how to draft many years ago (don’t ask how many) during a semester of “Fabric Construction and Analysis” with pencil and paper, it was great! I remember when our teacher handed out swatches of fabric and we had to come up with the draft. When I learned how to use weaving software only a few years ago all that I learned before was really helpful. By the way, your work is beautiful, I enjoyed browsing through your albums. Wishing you happy holidays!
Eva Stossel
Elisabeth Hill
Eva, If your weaving is any indication of the utility of learning Fabric Analysis – that is all the argument I need. I am a BIG fan. I love your blog. The fabrics you have woven in Diversified Plain Weave are so great. They take that petit pointe look of that structure and make the most of it – just beautiful! Also, your CW article on Gabrochene . . . so fantastic . . . I could go on and on:) Thanks so much for taking time to take a look at my site .
Claire
Hello Elizabeth 🙂 I’m so glad to have returned to your blog to find that I can now comment! I had a big binge on reading your back posts in early September and I will confess that as a result I bought a little loom for myself… and joined my fabulous local weaving guild. With two young children at home and Christmas preparations, my weaving has slowed down BUT I have a warp sleyed and threaded and I’m ready to get back into it once Christmas is over. Merry Christmas to you and your family
Elisabeth Hill
What a great Christmas Eve comment gift! I am so happy to have been (even peripherally) responsible for a new, young weaver taking up the craft. I got my first loom when I had a 3-year-old, a six-year-old and a yet-to-be imagined 🙂 I spent years weaving mohair throws in plain weave (6 end-per-inch, 6 picks per inch) because they were the only things I could finish, and I could jump up a hundred times without losing my treadling. Congratulations and have a Merry Christmas and a happy happy New Year!