Experiment with Bambu 7 Continues

I went back and re threaded the heddles. Of course, it didn't take me nearly as long as I thought it would. It takes much longer building up the courage to go back and face the error.

You can see the one little errant yellow green end just waiting to be reclaimed.

So here is my Color Horoscope Warp all ready to go.


A question often asked: What should I use as my weft? Color? Fiber? I started weaving with Bambu 7 in red. After a couple of inches I wondered what it would look like using Bambu 12 as my weft (also is red). Then I wondered what it would be like to double the Bambu 12.

Stay tuned for the answer to this and EVERY other weft question.

Experiment with Bambu 7

This 3 yard warp contains 360 ends wound off in 3 chains.

The sett is 20 epi. The raddle has 1/2" spaces.

Winding onto the back beam.
I have often thought there were an infinite number of errors a person could make during the weaving process. I am not overjoyed to point out a brand new error. Notice to the right of the space in the middle is a single dark blue end followed by 5 dark blue ends. Well, all 6 should be in the same heddle. I didn't notice this error until I finished putting all the threads through the heddles and came up with an extra thread.

What to do? Get up and walk away. Do something else. Wait a day. Come back and find the mistake and fix it.

Tooling Up:

For the past couple of years, I have been experimenting with the finer weight bamboo yarn. Finally I decided to weave a horoscope weaving in Bambu 7 because the color choices were three times the number of colors than in the finer yarn. Sometimes having more choice is not an asset. Selecting the 12 colors that best represent the color wheel can be daunting. Every yarn company's color palette reflects the taste and discernment of that individual company.

Once and Future Weaving

My First Collaboration

One of the sidelights of creating this blog (and a tremendously delightful sidelight at that) is to reflect upon my weaving journey, inspired by questions I receive from you. So for all of you who have tuned in, here is my very first weavings---1960. All we ever got to weave were samples samples samples. RISD used a fancy name for the samples. I can say it, but I have no idea how to spell it.

I look for the seeds of what I am weaving now, but I don't see it.

Many of these pieces were woven on a dobby sample loom left over from the industrial revolution. Laugh if you must, but that's the truth. I will tell you about warping this loom someday. Believe me when I tell you, this loom was designed to discourage anyone from ever weaving again.

But I digress: The samples were so distasteful to me after I had been weaving a few years. I was tempted to toss them away, but my mother saved them. I have to tell you that my mother isn't much of a seamstress, but she has a great eye and a huge amount of enthusiastic energy. Armed with that and a stack of woven samples, she set out to make a quilt. When she showed it to me, I was totally appalled at the lack of precision finishing. She dutifully packed it away, where it remained for 30 years. I was helping my mother clear out some of her "stuff" when I came upon the quilt. This time I burst out laughing. I found the quilt to be totally comical. I brought it home with me and packed it away at the bottom of my cedar chest until now. I unearthed it this morning and hung it on the wall. Much to my surprise, it had aged rather well (as has my mother). I am extremely amused and also touched by what a loving (and creatively risky) gesture it was for my mother to put her hand to this project.

Hey! It's Mothers' Day, we all celebrate in our own way.

I will keep the Quilt up for a while and see.


I am very exited about this piece. I am trying out a 3 yd warp in Bambu 7 from Cotton Clouds. I am going to sett it at 20 epi and see. Oh yes, this is my horoscope colors. I'll dress the loom so you can see.

I am weaving along on Gary with 1300 chenille, some solid and some space-dyed. It took me a while to come around to actually liking a weft that covers some of the warp like this. The person who commissioned this piece came over to the studio and watched me sample various wefts. She selected the weight and feel of the bamboo/chenille combination. Once the cloth is washed and dried, it will look fabulous. (as well as feel fabulous).

Solving "The Problem"

Make friends with the lessons, limitations, boundaries, and structure.

When there is a fence around the school yard, the children play up against the fence. When there is no fence, the children play close to the door.

I can't remember where I heard those words, but I find them affirming and applicable to weaving. If someone came to me and said, "I want you to weave me something. I don't care what it is, just something you feel like making. I am in no hurry, whenever you get around to it. I want to pay you, so whatever you want to charge me is fine. As for the color, I'm happy with whatever you decide", do you think I will ever make that weaving? But if someone came to me and said, " I want a scarf 9" wide by 74" long. I am allergic to wool, and my favorite color is blue. I need it to wear on my trip in 3 weeks, and my budget is $150." This series of boundaries is "The Problem". Solving The Problem is creative.

Whenever I find myself having a bit of a creative block, it is usually a sign that I haven't built a good enough fence. There is a bit of a knack to thinking in terms of solving problems and to be constantly creating problems to solve.

"Nod of the Day"

Here Diane Smith of Just of Yarn is showing off some of her lovely painted tencel yarn woven into a Color Horoscope Scarf. I was speaking about this scarf in an earlier post bemoaning I had no picture of the finished piece, and Terri in Md sent me this wonderful picture.

Here is a picture I just received, 2 ikat scarves woven by Glenda Clift. The warp for one of the scarves happened at the Easy Ikat Workshop, ASCH 07. Glenda had enough 3/2 ikat dyed cotton to create a second scarf since the workshop at the end of March. Great job, Glenda!

Aahh, Spring

Here I am taking a break from work to hug my Tree Peony. I am stand inside my patio. I wanted to show you just how tall the Tree is, but I think it looks like I'm holding it up in my arms. I'm not, the plant is really that tall.
Back in the studio, I thought I would weave off a quick chenille scarf commission before I begin another blanket panel. A friend of mine saw this scarf sample containing the Woven Words: "Peace in the Middle East" and decided he wanted one just like it. It is an interesting exercise to duplicate something you have woven in the past.
I'll have it off the loom tomorrow. I have a unique finishing technique I will attempt to demonstrate.

Confessions of a Virtual Gardener

Japanese Tree Peony in Bloom!

If you have never seen one of these "trees", they are pretty amazing.

This picture is shot from outside the patio. That wall is 4 ft high. The tree is over 7 ft tall. There are 16 blossoms this year, a record. Each blossom is about 9" in diameter. A friend bought me the peony in 1990. It was about a foot tall then.

About Virtual Gardening: I love flowers, fruits and vegetables. I love looking at flowers, fruits, and vegetable. I love talking about flowers, fruits, and vegetables. I love picking flowers, fruits, and vegetables. I love eating fruits and vegetables. I just hate to touch dirt!

I am also a virtual quilter, spinner, and dyer, but that's a story for another day.

In the gardening books, it says a Japanese Tree Peony will grow to a height of 6 ft.
It's when you get right up close that you really become captivated. The petals are extremely delicate to match the light fragrant scent. The blooms usually don't last very long. One good rain, and that's the end of them. The patio becomes littered with what looks like used Kleenex.

I've used the dead heads in weaving. I'll have to try and dig up one of the pictures from a couple of years ago.