A Fabulous Big Blanket for an Amazing Little Person

What a wonderful way to celebrate a day of gratitude!

I don't really have words, but I just had to share this picture with you. Imagine sleeping wrapped in the blessings of your family.

Parents report that Maya goes right to sleep as soon as she is wrapped up in her blanket.

Color Horoscope Weaving Meets Almost Ikat

As I settle into my new life in Montana, I notice each new weaving has moved up a notch (at least in my eyes). When I deliver a weaving to a client (and they totally love their weaving and I am trying out something a little different), I am very happy indeed.

Another test is if I can't wait to make one for myself. You would think that having at least a dozen version of my horoscope would be enough, but I justify it by saying I need it as a teaching tool. (and it is mostly true)
Although it is big enough to around, I don't think Toni is going to share her shawl with daughter, Stephanie.

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.

There and Back Again

I cut the weaving off the loom almost on the way to the airport. When I decided to finish it off in Columbus, I felt much better. It would become a part of the workshop. The students couldn't quite believe the difference before and after laundering. I'll attempt to get a nice picture of it being worn.

I got so caught up in the workshop that I really didn't take very many pictures---in fact these are the only ones. I just spent the whole evening trying to create a pleasing arrangement. I'm not sure which one I prefer. I love all the variations in the warps! Hopefully I will get to see pictures of the finished pieces.

There is only 1 block in the same position in both.

Which do YOU like better?

Next workshop: Color Horoscope Weaving
Location: Missoula, Montana
Date: November 13-14

I believe there are still a couple of spaces if you happen to be in the area and are looking for a colorful experience.

Five Reasons Why I Love "Almost Ikat"

I finally found the perfect name for creating ikat-like effects using commercial space-dyed yarn--ALMOST IKAT.

If you love ikat, but don't like or don't have the space to dye yarn, here is a good solution.


It is so much fun to weave because the design unfolds before your eyes.


There is minimal planning.


I can use Almost Ikat as a stand alone design (as simple or complex as I desire) or use it as an accent with other techniques


I am about to cut the scarf off the loom and toss it in my suitcase on the way to Columbus, Ohio. I will finish it off and launder it at the workshop.

Check out my little YouTube tutorial for instruction on how to create Almost Ikat.