Big Commission--Chapter 2

This isn't the best picture in the world, but it will give you an idea of my test pieces for the Blanket Commission. I am testing randomly placed ikat dyed bamboo in the warp with the un-knitted cashmere sweater weft. The colored stripes on the left are the colors of the sweaters that I have (although I didn't have the burgundy cashmere shown in an earlier post when I made the test). I wish you could feel it. The cashmere does wonderful things with the bamboo. Although this test was primarily for weight and hand, I am very pleased with the look of the random ikat.

One of the things I love about designing "Easy Ikat" cloth is how the design emerges on the warping board as I warp. Before I wind a warp, I group together the yarn I think I am going to use in the piece. I let the yarn "discuss" what it wants to do. Sometimes the yarn decides quickly, but other times it takes weeks of discussion. I must check on the yarn often to see how the discussion is going :)

Some of you may think I am joking, but others will know exactly what I am talking about.

My mother thinks I am a lazy person, and perhaps she is right. I like to get the yarn to do as much of the work as possible. By "tuning into" the yarn (believe me when I tell you I don't know how I do this), it seems to speak to me. It always has from the very beginning. You would think that I would be into spinning, wouldn't you? I do love the "idea" of spinning. I even tried it once. I think of myself as a "virtual spinner". I am also a virtual quilter and gardener! Every morning I wake up and say my mantra "No New Crafts. No New Crafts. No New Crafts" If I had both a husband AND a wife I would explore the above along with Bobbin Lace and Kumihimo (just to name a few). I used to claim I was a "virtual dyer", but I have had to give up my virtual status of late. In fact on Saturday, I will be dyeing yarn for my upcoming "Easy Ikat" workshop.

Uh OH, I feel myself slipping into what I like to call "Creative Procrastination". I must sign off and weave. I will write about creative procrastination later:)