A Wonderful Workshop

I always think my workshops are wonderful, but I really believe they get more wonderful each time. I also believe that a more accurate title for this workshop would be Creating a Personal Color Gamp. Since many of the students decided to use bamboo yarn, I thought it would be helpful for me to bring my current Bambu 12 shawl. I manage to cut it off the loom at 10:30 PM the night before the workshop. I brought it unfinished and measured it---28" x 104".

Then I took it home, finished it, and brought it back the second day. It was great to be able to demo the change not only in size (27" x 96") but in the amazing change in drape and hand.

I had taught an earlier version of Color Horoscope Weaving to the Missoula Guild several years ago. Three of the students from before came back to do it again. Here they are: Karla, Vanetta, and Coby showing off their horoscope shawls in 20/2 cotton (tripled and sett at 24 epi).
I can't wait until they finish their new weavings. They all agreed that the new improved workshop was more fun.



One of the things that made the workshop fun were the color exercises. Creating a personal palette and the introduction to Woven Words made me wish we had at least one more day to further our color exploration. The Missoula Weavers Guild is a great group!


Of course, now I can't resist making a montage of the Color Horoscope Weavings in process. (although now that I look at it, I can see that I duplicated some and left out others) Ah, it is surely a work in progress.


So now I am a member of the Missoula Weavers Guild---something I didn't do when I lived here in the 70's. (grin)

It's Funny How the Least Little Thing Can Stop a Gal

Although I haven't posted in a little over a week, my life has been quite full of non-weaving (and totally magnificent things which I will tell you about at another time). I arrived at this point in winding back my "Almost Ikat/Color Horoscope Weaving" and suffered what I like to call a "duh" moment.
I was feeling so clever about winding the ikat stripes first in order to give them a smooth flow. Why I began with the stripe in the middle, I will never know. (yes, the one that dips down was the first stripe, and the one that doesn't match up was the last). I just had to walk away....
Sometimes the problem seems to go away or correct itself as if by magic, but after several days I realized I would have to take action.
So I painstakingly adjusted the stripes....

But now that the loom is all threaded---low and behold, I over-compensated. The whole thing is wonky in the other direction. And the red stripe in the center continues to be "off". Now I have to decide---is it too off? Or does it have a lively sense of movement?

I know if I bring the client over to have a look she will be too polite to tell me what she really thinks.

Opinions? Suggestions?

Here is where the "fudge factor" really comes into play. (grin)

I am teaching a Color Horoscope Weaving workshop this coming weekend. I always like to weave a cloth dedicated to the workshop and spend my weaving time just prior to the workshop focused on the group. Perhaps this workshop is all about not being perfect.

Life is good here in Montana, and I know I made the right move at the right time. I am sure the Missoula Weavers Guild feels that way since they will not have to fly me here from Seattle (grin). They had hired me for this workshop months before I knew I was going to move here.

Blogs are all about moving forward for me, but I will soon give you an overview of the past week. It was too good to gloss over.

A New Approach

For this Color Horoscope Weaving shawl in Bambu 12 (warp ends doubled and sett 24 epi), I decided to begin by designing the Almost Ikat accent stripes first and then fill in the horoscope around the ikat. Almost Ikat is really the same as Turned Weft Ikat. The difference is that Almost Ikat is created using commerical space-dyed yarn (rather than tying and dyeing the yarn myself) as I do in Turned Weft Ikat, but the designing on the warping board part is the same.



The client requested a 28" wide shawl with lots of black. The width of the horoscope portion is 15". That means 13" of added warp. I decided to put an ikat stripe on either side of each of the 10 planets. Pictured above is the red planet stripe, and below are all the planet stripes in order of where they fall in the horoscope.

Then I wound sections of the horoscope to fill in between the planets. I can't wait to wind it back on the loom to see how this approach works since I usually work the other way around---horoscope first accents second.

Meanwhile, I just had to get outside and take a little walk. Here is the street where I live. The last of the autumn leaves.

Dalai Lama Weaving and Sunflowers

Although I brought the Dalai Lama weaving with me on my trip to the East Coast, I didn't show it around very much.
But when I got to these magical fields...well, you get the picture.


Whenever I feel overwhelmed with the move, I look at this picture and can't help but smile.

It puts every in perspective---don't you think....

I am living the experience of "Right Livelihood", a blessing to be a Weaver in this time.

The following is a brief excerpt from the piece by Susan Crowell, writer, and
ceramics instructor at U. Michigan, Ann Arbor:

"For craftspeople, this making special emphasizes both the making and the
special. Reversing the terms - special making- rings even truer when speaking
of craft, for which the process of handwork is an essential component. As our
perception of time becomes more precious and the time-intensive nature of
craft increases its value, craft may even come to represent the preciousness
of time itself, embodied in an object."

Words Cannot Describe.....

There is so much to "tell", but I am starting off with the "show" part---enjoy!

These are the last 5 pictures in the series, something besides me decided I am supposed to show the last pictures first.

From the natural-dyed silk warp to the recycled cashmere weft, each thread was individually selected to correspond to a color sequence unique to HH The Dalai Lama.

You simply have to see and feel this cloth to receive the full impact of the quality.

I will tell you about the finishing process as I move backward in time.

Time is malleable....in weaving

Weaving Together

Here are some images I like that didn't make it into the earlier posts.

Sharmila and I look at our weavings at the same time on opposite sides of the world.


Hands working together......
This doesn't really relate to the Dalai Lama weaving except that I happened to bring the Mary Meigs Atwater merino wool, horoscope/ikat blanket with me and someone asked to see it.

As you may or may not know, Mary Meigs Atwater was the Dean of American Handweaving and lived much of her life in Montana.

Buddha Garden Weaving Day #2

Did I mention that my daughter in spirit is weaving a rendition of the Dalai Lama's horoscope in Hyderabad India at the very same moment that I am weaving at the Buddha Garden in Montana?

Here is just one of several pictures that she sent me. Isn't it wonderful! We think this is a great way to have a "peace demonstration"
Meanwhile, back in Montana the wind was howling and the rain pouring and people dropped by to watch and to weave. I was glad I brought a turtleneck jersey and socks although it did warm up in the afternoon.
There young weavers.....
And not so young weavers.....
For some reason blogger will only let me upload 5 pictures, so I don't have picture of the woman on the right weaving. Nor did I get to put in an arty picture of the woven part.

The day ended with thunder and more rain followed by a nice rainbow. I wonder what the weather will be like tomorrow. It was a fun and exciting day. I should have no trouble finishing the weaving tomorrow.

A lovely woman from the Ronan newspaper, The Valley Journal, came today and took lots of pictures of me, so I will be in the news. I will put in a link when it comes out on Thursday.

Buddha Garden Weaving Day #1

Wow is the word of the day! Check out my Facebook page and see the daughter of my spirit, Sharmila ,weaving along with me on the other side of the world. I haven't figured out how to lift those pictures and put them on my blog, but perhaps it will come to me tomorrow. I shared the Dalai Lama draft with her, but I didn't know she was going to weave along with me---what a treat!

If anyone would like a copy of the Dalai Lama draft, I am happy to share it with you. Just contact me via my email with your contact information. Although I am saying this now, I have no way to doing this until I get back to Seattle after the 19th.

At first I was concerned that the cashmere was going to cover the silk too much, but not the case.
The colors are rich and subtle. My little visitor seemed like a good omen.

About a year ago, I sent Connie Rose some skeins of white recycled cashmere to over-dye. I am thrilled that I saved it for this project. The variegated skeins look very rich, indeed. Thank you Connie!

And then my friend Linda, from out of the past, showed up to weave a little bit. Actually there were a half dozen folks who stopped by to weave. I wish I had taken pictures of everyone who sat down at the loom. I will be sure to ---if people stop by on Tuesday, although I suspect tomorrow will be a quiet day.

Interestingly, I taught Linda to weave 25 years ago when we both lived in Seattle. Linda now lives 3 miles or so from the Garden. It was sure great to re-connect with old friends. It feels more and more like I am "coming home".
I easily got 1/3 of the weaving done. At about 3:30 we had a huge down-pour which cooled everything off. Then the wind came up and we had to batten down the loom for the evening.

Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Warping in the Garden

It is a most interesting experience warping a loom outside on a windy day. I had to give up trying to keep the threads aligned as they went around the back beam.

It is equally interesting to realize I forgot to bring the lease sticks I usually use to support the cross while I thread through the heddles. Those of you who are weavers should find it somewhat amusing that I used the breast bar and the beater bar to support the lease. Fortunately I brought lots of rope and string to lash everything up tight (something I don't usually do)

I also didn't bring a low stool, so I was sitting up a bit higher than I usually do which made threading a bit slower.
And although it was a hot bright sunny day, you can see it is actually somewhat shadowy from where I was sitting. But it was divine having the prayer flags flapping in the breeze all around me.

Can you see the figure of Yum Chenmo off in the distance? It's quite a bit different than my apartment in Seattle. (grin)

Knots are tied and I am all ready to begin tomorrow on the first day of the new moon.

Weaving in the Garden--- Final Preparations

I wound the Dalai Lama warp all the way back on the warp beam. I wrapped a nice towel around it all and secured the lease sticks in place. I have never done this before. It should work though.

Awaiting the arrival of the chariot.
Grace and Gary have changed places. While I am weaving the Dalai Lama on Grace in Montana, Breanne will be weaving her horoscope on Gary---her first weaving. I left her Peggy Osterkamp's new book, so she should be just fine.

Weaving in the Garden--- More Preparations

I really am leaving early tomorrow morning (grin).

The silk is wound into balls.


The 5 yard lengths (360 of them) are all counted out.


Here is the first view of the Dalai Lama's horoscope.


The threads are put in order.


And now you have a better look at what the weaving will be like.
Since I will not be able to transport the loom assembled and threaded, stay tuned for the packing. I love taking pictures of packing.