Studio time..

Lots of gray dreary days make for good working time in the studio.

This little guy has been keeping me company too.

I like to grab a cup of coffee, turn on the twinkle lights, and

watch the sun come up.

Chipping away on the master weaving homework.

Thinking I've managed the gradient weaving assignment...

at least I hope so!

(..come on lucky number 13..)

We are keeping a journal of our weaving progress.

It was really fun to go through past photos and see what inspires me.

Looking at everything side-by-side made me realize how much everyday

life seeps into my subconscious.

It made me chuckle when walking in the woods I came upon

the colors of yarn I had just ordered for the next exercise..

..wet pine and birch barks.

~

Master Weaving

At the beginning of October a friend and I traveled to 

Yadkinville, NC to take the Master Weaving Level 1

class offered by Olds College of Alberta Canada.

This is the first time they have offered the class in the United States so 

I jumped at the chance.

Am I "master weaver"?......Not by a long shot.

Do I want to learn the weaving process from the beginning

and continue to build and grow as a weaver?....

YES!

Our hosts at the Yadkin Valley Fiber Room were amazing.

It was an intense week of concentrated learning 

and it was wonderful.

I am seriously excited to attack the homework assignments.

It is fun to have a path and a purpose.

"The journey is as important as the destination."

~ Deborah Chandler ~

~

Goodbye July..

July was a busy month.

The shawl for the 'Fleece to Shawl' demo is done.

Such a wonderful learning experience, namely weaving with 

"live" yarn - freshly spun, unwashed wool.

Family visits and a wedding.

Multiple trips into town and 

a visit to Phipps Conservatory.

August greeted me on the way to the guild meeting this week.

Sometimes you just have to pull the car over and savor the flowers.

.. hello August ..

~

Grit

There is no doubt in my mind that weaving is a *skill that can take

a lifetime to learn.

Volunteering to weave for a demonstration is a good way to make 

an *effort in learning.

All I can say is .. good thing I started the sample early!

This hand dyed warp:

Shrunk, plumped, was mis-measured,

beamed twice, and turned into Gumby stretchy on the loom.

While the yarn is soft, it has made me

.. "GRITTY"..

I just started reading a book called:

'Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance'

by Angela Duckworth

She defines 'grit' as the combination of perseverance and passion.

For now I'll just keep on weaving.

With all the extra yardage from a measuring error, I'm going 

to be here for a while...but I won't be gritting my teeth..

*skill x *effort = achievement

: )

~

Road trip..

The minute I saw Natalie Miller's amazing weaving I fell in love.

Then I read she was coming to the USA from her native Australia 

to teach weaving and macrame workshops.

What?!

...to Columbus, Ohio..

?!?

ROADTRIP!!

She was hosted by the most lovely April Rhodes

Natalie hand dyes all her wool for weaving.

 The palette I chose, plus a little raffia.

We had an amazing day weaving and learning.  Natalie has the 

sweetest most creative spirit.

Thank you Natalie ~

It was a class of a lifetime and we loved every minute of it.

Weave-on..

~

Little Wren, Big City..

Yesterday I had the honor of teaching a companion class at the

David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh during the 

American Association of Woodturners convention.

The companion classes were hosted by the lovely 

Society for Contemporary Craft for folks who were attending

the convention that were 'non-turners' of wood.

I ended up taking the long way around to the craft room

and stumbled on some beautiful roof top green spaces.

We had a wonderful time weaving some mug-rugs

with my  'Found Object Kits'.

Thank you ladies for a most wonderful afternoon!

Safe travels to all who were visiting from out of town!

Wishing you many more happy 

weaving projects..

~

Weave all the things...

This past weekend I spent two days at the Society for Contemporary Craft 

teaching a DIY weaving workshop.

We made picture frame looms and created a custom wall hanging.

Students learned some basic tapestry stitches and how to 

source and use reclaimed fibers.

So. Much. Fun!!!

A few samples of their gorgeous weaving..

(top: Lauren, left: Amy, right: Finn)

Thanks to the amazing students who joined me for 

a fun and inspiring weekend!

Keep on weaving...!!

~

Yarn Along...

Collecting.

Winding..

Reclaimed fiber makes me happy.

Vintage yarns, yarn from sweaters, vintage cones..

This collection is for a DIY weaving class I am teaching

at the end of the month.

Dyeing the colors of spring..

'Printemps'

Brilliant green leaves, redbud blooms, peachy maple tree tips 

ready to pop..

Library love:

Reading 'The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee" ..

Just cast on the "Ardent" by Kallio knits.

So much for those UFO's..

~

Joining Ginny

The thing about never..

nev·er

ˈnevər/

adverb

1. 1. 

   at no time in the past or future; on no occasion; not ever.

   
   

   ~

   
   

   Never.

   Have you really thought about that word?

   
   

   How often we use it?

   Causally..

   
   

   Never. 

   
   

   A few years back I remember quite vividly

   that I said I would never weave.

   
   

   Why?

   I am not so sure..

   At the time it felt, well.. limiting?

   
   

   I dug my heels in.

   The more I tried to back away, the more it called to me.

   
   

   Change is a funny thing.

   
   

   

   
   

   There is so much beauty in the structure of weaving.

   
   

   The process.

   The learning.

   The community..

   
   

   My mind is reeling with all the possibilities.

   Saori,

   Reclaimed fiber,

   tapestry!

   
   

   Suddenly I am craving (!) miniature overshot patterns

   and

   ROSEPATH.

   
   

   I need Rosepath.

   
   

   

   
   

   While I may have said never,

   I can't see my past or future not being at a loom.

   
   

   That being said..

   I can't help thinking of 'The Raven'.

   
   

   Instead of nevermore..I'll take evermore.

   
   

   Evermore.

   
   

   ~

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

Mug Rug..

This little loom belonged to my mom as a child.

When I unearthed it there still was a little piece of her weaving on it.

That little square of wool now hangs 

on the inspiration board in my studio.

One day I took the little loom with me out to the campfire with

some cones of who-knows-what-kinda-yarn I dug out of the cedar chest.

Isn't hand-me-down-mystery-yarn wonderful?!?

The little square on the upper left is what came off the loom that day.

It happened to be just the right size for my coffee mug.

I use that little mug rug every. darn. day.

It makes me think of my mom's little fingers weaving wool..

the day we sat together laughing at the campfire..

how imperfectly perfect it is.

That little rug got me thinking about maybe trying a few more. 

This little rug was woven on a Schacht Zoom Loom.

Small.

Portable.

Easy to use.

Perfect for more hand-me-down-yarn,

recycled sweater yarn,

and..

a little embroidered pine tree.

~

Yarn Along..

Knitting on a "Nori" shawl with some

naturally dyed yarn from the summer dye pots.

Logwood.. gosh I love Logwood.

This little skein was accidentally cut during the re-skeining process

so I got to keep it...  y a y ....!

Reading from the guild library:

A Handweaver's Pattern Book

by Marguerite P. Davison

My mind is a sea of pattern and color fueled 

by reclaimed fiber, textures outside my window,

the dye pots..

..it's endless really.

Wishing you a most happy, healthy, creative New Year!

~