Way to Go

The mountains of Western North Carolina are beautiful! (but you have to know where you are going). We put 500 miles on Irene's car during my visit. She lives at least an hour away from everything, good if you want to get away and bad if you don't drive.

We visited Penland, John C Campbell Folk School, Earth Guild, Yarn Circle, and the studios of Catharine Ellis and Kathie Roig. This list goes on, but I seem to have misplaced my list.

I took several wonderful pictures, but I thought this one summed up my experience. I went to North Carolina with expectations of having a life changing experience, but once I was able to put them aside I had a lovely time. I don't have any pictures of my high school reunion, (for which I had no expectations) but I had a blast!


The "Meet Up" in Asheville was jolly fun!


I have to admit I sorely missed the Northwest climate and arrived back in Seattle to perfect cool sunny weather. While in Baltimore with my mom, we un-knitted 20 more sweaters. Note the sunlight sneaking through the shades.


I must have evolved into a "mole-person" because I couldn't wait to get back on the loom with the sounds of the Gay Pride celebration echoing in the streets below.


I couldn't resist tossing in this picture I found of my mom and I circa 1945. We had a really good visit.

Now Onward to prepare for a Color Horoscope Weaving Workshop at the Golden Gate Fiber Institute on July 27th.

Ready to Fly

Saying goodbye to my studio for a while always fills me with mixed feelings. Leaving projects unfinished assures that I will attempt to return.

Here is what's on Grace. Perhaps I will know which colors I want to use for weft the next time I sit down to weave.

My little "Seeds of Hope" are ready to hop into the suitcase.


I'll try to post while I am on the road.


All I really want to do right now is head over to Weavolution and form a group. I can't imagine you haven't been there, but it not.....well it's what the weaving community has been hungry for.

Asheville "Meet Up" Details

FINAL PLANS
Date: Saturday June 20th (Summer Solstice)
Time: 12:30 PM
Place: The Laughing Seed

Bring: A recent Show & Tell (could be a work in progress)

I can't tell you how excited I am to visit a new place and actually meet some virtual friends.

I made the meet up time a little after noon to give me time to attend a NIA class beforehand. The class is at 10:30 AM at Training Partners with Black Belt Nia instructor Anne Lowry. If you feel brave and want to work up an appetite, I'll see you there.

I haven't started to pack, but then I don't leave here until Friday morning. Yikes!

Going to Do Meets Doing

Before I head down to Asheville, I will be attending my 50th High School Reunion in Baltimore. I thought you would appreciate seeing my high school yearbook picture.

I am heartened by the comments I received about meeting up in Asheville and will talk about the trip tomorrow.

Back to the Seeds of Hope: This morning I pinned all the pieces together and sewed them. After lunch I trimmed and turned them.


All of it leading up to my favorite part--stuffing them with 21 grams of lavender flowers.


Now I just have to hand sew the openings, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

Making Seeds of Hope

My greatest desire in life is to find a craft focused community in which to settle.
There, I've said it!

I have been dreaming of visiting Asheville for over a year and am so very excited about this trip I am beside myself.

In preparation, I am making a bunch of lavender sachets from my woven recycled cashmere and bamboo cloth (with Thai silk for the backing) to offer as seeds of hope that North Carolina will house the community I am searching for.

As soon as I decided to create these as travel favors, all of my resistance to sewing dissolved. I pulled out my sewing machine, cut out 5" Thai silk squares, and began sewing a label onto each square.


Keep in mind that I am semi sewing challenged, but I had a blast.


After 49 years of weaving, it is still with a certain amount of reluctance that I take scissors to handwoven cloth even though I designed and wove this cloth to cut into sachets. I had been weaving for 20 years before I could cut up anything I had woven (and for 10 of those 20 years I was actively trying to cut).


Today I pin and sew---more pictures to follow.

MEET ME IN ASHEVILLE!

I have my ticket in hand! This will be my first trip to North Carolina, June 18th-22nd. I will be visiting an old friend who lives in Balsam, and I am most anxious to meet as many weavers as I can. I thought a "Meet Up" in Asheville on the 20th and/or the 21st would be divine. I was just checking out the restaurants and Mela's Indian Restaurant (I love Indian food!) sounded pretty good although I am more than open to suggestions.

So if you live in the general vicinity, leave a comment.

I also want to visit as many weaving studios as possible.

What I Am Doing

Both Fran and Sarah purchased their weavings using CASHMERE DOLLARS (10 cashmere sweaters equals 80% of the price). Most custom weaving ordered in this manner are in the Woven Words technique, but these ladies wanted something a little different.


Fran 's Color Horoscope Weaving is finished and ready to ship. I like it so much I am having a bit of trouble letting it go. I believe I captured the feeling of sunset with the cashmere weft. I will send it off on Monday though.

In the picture below I have the piece hanging over top of some other weavings.

Oh yes, I changed the sett on the Bambu 7 warp from 20 epi to 18 epi, and I have to say I was very pleased with the results. I wanted the weft to show up a bit more. Before laundering and drying in the dryer, the dimensions were 19" x 78" and after 18" x 72" (minus fringe). It washed like a dream and didn't seem to shrink quite as much.

Sarah's fell in love with this merino wool ikat sample I wove 10 years ago. This was a sample for a 90" x 100" blanket. Instead of using bamboo yarn for the scarf warp, Sarah wants to have a merino warp and cashmere weft.

Much to my delight, I discovered I had enough ikat dyed Jaggerspun Merino left over from the blanket to create a scarf. I certainly have enough to create yet another as well. This is what I totally love about Turned Weft Ikat. The ikat warps are pure potential until I sit down at the warping board to spontaneously create a design. Of course, I won't be able to duplicate the pattern above, but then I don't really want to.


You may notice some little tags on the balls of yarn. I know they must have meant something when I wrote them, but now I have no idea what "Q NEG" means. Plus only half of the balls have mystery tags on them. Now each ikat dyed ball is a magical surprise waiting to be revealed.

Shea's baby blanket is still in the planning stage. The yarn has been ordered, and I am awaiting its arrival.

Blog Clog

When I first began writing a web log, I never realized how satisfying it would be on many levels. I have such a deep appreciation for the connections I have made and how personally inspiring this process has been for me.

I see my flagging ability to post regularly mirrors the rest of my life.

My ideas and ambitions have outflanked my day to day reality.

Today I sat down and outlined my life (on the back of an envelope). Now that I have it down on paper (and now posted) be prepared for a flurry of posts.


WRITE ON BLOG:
1. What I am doing
a. Kathie's piece
b. Sarah's piece
c. Shea's piece
2. What I have done
a. Mercury Retrograde
b. Set up new blog
c. Set up Etsy
d. Sent out cards
e. Finished Fran's piece
3. What I will be doing
a. 50th high school reunion
b. Check out North Carolina
c. Teaching at Golden Gate Fiber Institute
d. Move "Inspired by Bonnie" posts over to my new blog