Launch Day!

 

Tomorrow the Sectional Beaming class on School of Sweet Georgia is set to launch.

This class was particularly challenging because I didn't want to just show the process, but to include information on how to use the equipment in 'interesting' ways, including how to beam an 'ordinary' warp wound on a board or mill.  As such, there were challenges in terms of staying within the format for the class (video) and then providing documentation that (I hoped) would help people explore the possibilities for the equipment to make interesting cloth.

Sectional beaming was such a mainstay of what I did that for a time I didn't even own a board or mill.  Everything I did was done by sectional beaming.

Over the years I learned a lot about what made for 'good' sectional beaming.  I also learned how much I could glide over 'perfect' and still get 'good' results.

There are definite advantages, but also, disadvantages.  As part of the support for the video class I found myself writing a 20+ page booklet to try and address more fully some of both.

There are many people who are production weavers who use sectional beaming, whether it is with the 'standard' spool rack, or the warping wheel or square.  I don't use the latter, for reasons, which may have nothing to do with why someone else uses them.  If someone is interested in either of those, I suggest asking for advice or feedback from someone who does because like everything else about weaving, it depends.

As a new weaver, I thought I had the correct answer for everything and everyone.  Until I realized that human beings are not identical and what works for me, may not work for someone else.  Since then I have tried to help people find what will work for them, and then encourage them to do that.

A number of my Olds students, when confronted with the first requirement of their homework to document *their* method of dressing the loom would assume that meant they needed to feed what I did back to me.  I assured them that the problem was to document *their* method, not mine.  I hoped that some of what I showed them would appear in their process(es) but if not, no matter.  They certainly did NOT get marks deducted if they continued to use their own process because the point wasn't that they adopted *my* process, but to make sure they could communicate *their* process.

It was with a certain level of trepidation that I agreed to do this class for SOS because I know full well that every weaver who uses sectional beaming will have their own 'tricks' and that what I do doesn't work for everyone.  OTOH, I have used this equipment for decades and I do have opinions, hints and tips. 

So - tomorrow is launch day.  If you join for a month you can access all four of my classes, but also?  All of the SOS classes.  You can join for a year and have access to the classes for that year, plus you can ask questions on the forums and get info from others or ask me questions directly and I'll answer as best I can.

Plus you get access to the 20 page booklet of information on sectional beaming, which while not encyclopedic, was my best effort to address common issues with using it and is the only place it is available.

Things Suck Less

 

I first started having acute pain in my hip last December.  It's been nearly a year now that I've been dragging my right leg around (quite literally some days), and dealing with chronic pain from various sources.

Getting in to see the local pain doctor was a watershed event, and I finally feel as though I am beginning to make up ground, instead of losing it.  But it's a damned slow process.  And I still don't know what the future holds, physically speaking.

The physiotherapist asked me to video myself weaving, and there was a certain amount of trepidation when I handed my ipad to her to review the videos.  Was I doing everything 'right' or was the very act of weaving causing further injury?

I mean, weaving is just a series of repetitive motions and you do enough of them and the body starts to object.  Was weaving going to end for me?  Or could I adjust what I was doing in order to keep going?

In the end, after watching the video multiple times and questioning me about what I was doing, she determined that while the weaving was not causing me further injury, I do still have an injury that is causing issues with my ability *to* weave.

Instead of telling me to stop weaving until I was healed, she said to continue, but to make sure I wasn't pushing myself beyond my body's limits because no matter which way you slice it, do repetitive motions for long enough and you *can* cause inflammation, and then injury.

She did give me a new exercise which should help my upper back, which I noticed in the video was a bit 'bowed'.  Since I have two whiplash injuries, scoliosis in my upper back and TMJ issues, I'm trying to be 'good' about incorporating the new exercise into my day.  So far, so good.

Progress has been incredibly slow.  Painfully slow.  Literally.  But there has been progress.  There is less acute pain and more just a nagging boulder I drag around.  When I think about where I am (which is not where I would like to be) and where I was last year (which was horrible) the only way I could sum things up was that 'it sucks less'.

Fortunately she has a similar sense of humour and I got the chuckle I'd hoped for.

When people ask me why I do what I do, all I can say is that I've worked out the 'best' more ergonomic ways I can, given my personal body.  So I share the principles, and then encourage others to work out what 'best' means for them.  Some people are more flexible, some less.  Some have injuries, some are healthy.  My goal for the past 40 years has been to help people find their own 'best' way.

I encourage people to trim excess movements from their processes.  Why do more work when you can accomplish the task with fewer movements?  Be kinder to your body.  Treat it gently, whenever possible.

Like most human activities, movement can be good - or bad.  Given our own circumstances, we have to find the most effective way to do the things that need to be done.

We have to care for our bodies, let them rest, give them good nourishment.  What that looks like for each person may look very different.  

So I tell people what I do.  Let them see for themselves how long it takes me to do things, and show them that it doesn't have to take days to dress a loom.  That it can be done by one person, not a crew - especially if they don't have ready access to a crew.

I've given classes.  Posted video clips to You Tube - most of them under a couple of minutes.  You don't need to wade through a lot of chat to get to the meat.  (OTOH, if you like the chat, no worries.)  I've done online classes, for both School of Sweet Georgia and Handwoven.  And I've written extensively - here, but also actual books.

Life is hard enough.  My goal is to help weavers get to the point where the processes involved in weaving suck less, if that is what they want.  If they aren't interested, then no worries.  I had one student who came in person to study with me for a week.  When they went home and began to put some of the things they had learned into practice, their spouse asked one evening if they were glad they had come to learn from me.  "Why?"  "Because you go into your weaving room and there are no bangs and clatter and no swearing, just you weaving and then come out with something woven."

And that is why I do what I do.  I want weaving to suck less for those who are struggling.

PS - School of Sweet Georgia will be launching the Sectional Beaming class next week...

First Snow

 

winter solstice last year

As we settle into winter, the sun continues it's journey southwards and soon enough the snow will not be a scattering of flakes on the ground, but an accumulation.

There have been many 'things' happening chez nous, many of them with an element of stress about them.  But life is stress, sometimes good stress, sometimes, not so much.

So I will begin with the good news - I am still in a very rare remission of the cancer I live with.  It was my understanding that people with Small B cell lymphoma can live for a long time - with treatment.  I am amongst the fortunate few that has actually achieved 'remission' - as in not high enough active level of cancer cells in my blood to be treated.  The doctor at the cancer clinic confirmed my special snowflake-ness and said I should celebrate that it is holding.  For how long?  No one knows.  An actual remission is so rare that they don't have any idea.  Just...come back in six months and see if it continues to hold.

So I continue to ride the cancer roller coaster.

Yesterday the HVAC crew finished installing the new heat pump/natural gas back up.  Now we get used to the new technology, which is different from our old gas furnace on a number of levels.  We chose to upgrade after our furnace pooped out last winter during a very cold 'snap' that lasted for weeks, two of which we had no furnace.  We made do with space heaters, but at the cost of our electricity bill.  And the repair, of course.  As summer drew to a close, my inner danger radar began ringing alarm bells and we decided to replace the furnace and it seemed the best approach was a heat pump, which would also replace our 40 year old a/c, and upgrade our natural gas water heater.  The government of Canada and provincial government were both offering incentives to change away from fossil fuels, but we live far enough north that -20 C temps are common in the winter and we could not rely solely on a heat pump, so we kept the natural gas as a back up.  We won't get much money back from the grants on offer, but whatever we get will be welcome because this upgrade took a big bite out of my savings.

It isn't the 'best' solution, but it was the 'best' we can do, given the level of technology now.  But that installation meant I had to clear out my storage room enough for the crew to get into the space and install the new equipment.  All while I dealt with my broken body.  More stress.

We hired a young person to come help Doug shift the stuff that needed moving out of the storage area and drape the shelves with plastic, in case of construction dust.  Doug will bring the shop vacuum in to clean up the rest of the dust.  The crew did a good job of picking up the large rubble, but there is still 'dust', and I want/need that dealt with before we take the plastic draping off the shelves and shelves of yarn.  And then everything needs to be moved back.

The guild is having a booth at the local craft fair, at which I have textiles for sale.  After much mulling, I will do a BOGO special in my ko-fi shop soon.  Once the inventory is back from the craft fair I will sort it and see what I have left and what I'm willing to do a BOGO offer on.  So, sometime next week?  It depends.

In the meantime I have two more boxes of homework to mark, and then I am officially 'retired' from teaching for Olds College.  This year there was a really high rate of students who submitted their homework for marking.  8 out of 9 of the students have sent their work in.  

And yesterday I completed the last (I think) of the edits for the Sectional Beaming class for SOS.  The class was 'difficult' because I wanted to not just explain the process but to include a lesson in designing for utilizing the sectional beam for production.  This lead to some challenges, not just for me, but the team doing the post production.  I think we've done a decent job, but the class is not for beginners because in order to effectively design for working with the sectional beam, the student will need to have a grasp of weaving essentials (imho).  Or they can just watch the video class in order to learn more about it and then decide if they want to pursue the tool further.

A sectional beam can be used to great effect, but the weaver really should have an understanding of the craft of weaving and the principles in order to best use the tool.  You don't have to be a production weaver, although it can enhance productivity.  Like everything, there are pros and cons, and I try to discuss those in the supporting documentation I provided.

If you are interested in what a sectional beam does, some of the challenges of working with one, pitfalls, trouble shooting, or want to put on longer warps by yourself, you might find this class of interest.  I even show how to beam an 'ordinary' warp on the sectional beam.  Will I sell the documentation separately?  No.  I invite you to join SOS for a month and watch the video class as well as refer to the documentation.

The class launches on Nov. 9, I'm told, but joining SOS means you also get my other 3 classes, plus all the other classes SOS offers.  Makes a great Xmas gift?

Other things happening?  I continue to spend a lot of time on personal 'maintenance' as the chiropractor, massage and physio therapists try to get my body functioning again.  Again and again I realize just how much physical fitness I've lost over the past year, since things started to go badly in my body.  Getting into the local pain clinic has helped and I am still hopeful the new medication for pain will kick in further as the dose increases.  I'm still on an 'introductory' dose and today I phone the pain clinic to check in.  I'll be asking when I can increase the dose.  OTOH, the new med comes with a nausea warning and I've had to make sure I don't take it on an empty stomach.  A minor but necessary change.

I have also managed to get both my flu and covid vaccines in the past 3 weeks, and continue to wear a mask whenever I leave the house.  The latest reports about covid are...concerning...and I'm not about to assume that everyone is 'healthy' when the numbers of cases continue to climb.  

And for all those people in my life who assure me the latest covid variant is 'mild', I'd like to remind them that I have cancer of the immune system - half of my immune system is 'sick'.  And frankly I don't want your 'mild' cold, flu or any other communicable disease that might be floating around, either.  What might be mild for *you* will not be mild for *me*.  And I'm damned if I will get really sick (or die) because someone takes offense at my wearing a mask in their presence.  I've managed to dodge covid (and any cold or flu) for nearly 4 years.  I've quite enjoyed NOT getting sick on top of managing a body that has been rode hard, put away wet for most of my life.

As winter draws in, I withdraw from doing much outside of the house - other than the necessary trips for 'maintenance'.  

And keep weaving.  Yesterday I sleyed the new warp and will begin weaving once I've dealt with a few other things on my task list.  

The current warp will nearly use up the mercerized cotton - the next decision is whether or not I'll put one more warp on at 36 epi and use up the rest, or shove that yarn into my bobbin lace stash.  TBD.

Flexible

 

books waiting to be mailed (photo from earlier this year)

It's a bit...fun...self-publishing your own books.  Not only do you get to write the thing in the first place, guide it through publication with the assistance (if you are wise) of an editor, you then get to market it.

During the 'birth' process there is a whole lot of 'wait and see' that happens.  Waiting while alpha readers give feedback, editing, feedback, editing, feedback, editing, finally you have relatively 'clean' copy and you trepidatiously send it off to an actual editor for the final polish and application of lipstick.

It is said that an author never actually finishes writing a book, they simply, at some point, *stop* writing the book.  If they didn't, the damn thing would never see light of day.

So a book gets written, and in between and around doing that, other things also need to get done.

As I wrote the documentation for the sectional beaming class for SOS, the document grew and grew and grew as I thought of yet more things that I felt needed to be said.  In the end, I wound up with a monograph - more than 20 pages plus photographs.  

I won't say it's a comprehensive document, that would have taken a lot longer and me doing a lot more digging than I was willing to do, but it's as comprehensive as I could make it within the context of supporting the video class.  And of course, not everyone will want to do things 'my' way, but perhaps they will see a hint or tip that helps them?

Will I publish it separately from SOS?  No.  If you want it, you can pay SOS $25 for a month's membership, take the class and refer to the supporting documentation provided.  

The coming two weeks are...fraught...with a number of things.  I got another box of Olds homework and there may be two more arriving soon.  The HVAC system will be installed next week, the craft fair and guild sales are happening, and I'm still dealing with three different therapists plus the pain clinic, trying to get more functional.

I can still weave, so I'm doing that as best I can in between juggling multiple medical appointments, including the cancer clinic on Thursday.  I don't think the cancer is back, but I'm in an extremely rare remission which could end at any time.  Like the Sword of Damocles, the prospect of that little life challenge hangs over me.  Living with cancer isn't fun no matter which cancer, or your prospects.

And life keeps lobbing curve balls.

So I try to pause, take a breath, think through what needs doing 'first', then concentrate on doing that thing.  I keep doing my exercises, hoping for more strength and hopefully functionality.  I keep on doing the slow and steady thing as best I can, in spite of my desire to move on to other things.  And not beat myself up too much when I need an afternoon nap.  

It doesn't do to get stuck in what you want to do when another curve ball comes blasting at you, so I dodge and change my expectations.  

Most of all, I keep going.  Because as Winston Churchill supposedly said, if you are going through hell...keep going.

Launch Date

 

Got word today that the Sectional Beaming class will launch on Nov. 9, 2023.

This class is for people who are beyond beginner level, and want to up their game, maybe beam longer warps, do some 'production' weaving, maybe weave yardage or towels for everyone in the family for Christmas, or play around with what is possible.  I give hints and tips for how I approach designing, and give information for Sister Towels that were woven on the demonstration warp Felicia and I wound onto the loom for the class.  I discuss some pitfalls and trouble shooting issues, but mostly I hope to let people see the possibilities for designing, yes, even on a long warp, and not necessarily wind up with identical items (although I have no trouble weaving lots of the 'same' thing!)

Details are given for the demonstration warp, and I wrote a lengthy 'article' to further explain the technique.

For anyone interested, use the link for School of Sweet Georgia here...  If you sign up on Nov. 1, you will have access to all four of my classes, plus all the rest of the classes SOS has, not just weaving, but spinning, knitting, dyeing, etc. for a full month - or a year if you decide there is more you want to explore.  Then introduce yourself and join in the discussion.  :)

Winter's Coming!

 

This morning we had frost.  Not the first time, but it has been a 'rare' mild autumn with no frost until well into October.  Our new 'normal'?

I am making slow but steady progress on weaving down the mercerized cotton.  The current warp plus one more ought to weave up as much of that yarn as is feasible.

The current warp is about half woven, and my goal is to have it off the loom so I can take the towels to the guild room on Nov. 1 and hem as many of them as I can in the nice light of the guild room.  The dark navy, especially with the darker colours used as weft, are difficult to see at night.  The new HVAC system will begin being installed on Nov. 1 so I'll go up to the guild room and stay out of the way while the crew does the work.  And try to hem as many of the dark towels as I can.

Which means these towels will likely get listed in my ko-fi shop by Nov. 5 or so.

The last week of October and first week of November are...fraught...with appointments and 'stuff'.  The guild will have a booth at the big craft fair Nov. 3-5, I have medical appointments to deal with, and of course the on-going 'fun' of dealing with the chronic pain.  Things seem to be slooooowly improving, so I keep tying another knot in the end of my rope and hanging on.

I don't have the launch date for the class on sectional beaming with SOS yet, but I know that post production work is proceeding with that.  It should go live sometime in November.

And I've been going down rabbit holes because a student is interested in a specific type of fabric that I know little about, but am finding fascinating.  

Today I'm going to weave and then if there is time, will help the student get their loom dressed so they can begin weaving at home instead of at guild.  

Winter will be here soon enough.  I'm looking forward to getting all the 'stuff' that is happening over the next couple of weeks done so I can hunker down in my 'den' and just do some weaving, keep working on stash reduction.

Inflation...

 ...is a thing

Yup.  Inflation is definitely a 'thing'.

Recently I had to increase the price of The Intentional Weaver to $72.00 Canadian.  I have left the prices for the pdf the same, and have not increased the prices on Magic, either format.

Just as for any other industry, the printing industry is dealing with higher material costs - and that means paper.

Along with paper, every other damn thing has gone up, too.  From ink to envelopes, staples to packing tape.  Everything costs more.

I actually lowered my anticipated 'profit' from Stories just to try and keep the book more affordable, then discovered the shipping charge I'd included for the pre-pub offer was based on last year's price so I'm making even *less* than expected on two fronts from those.   (Still a few left on my ko-fi store - signed - only place you'll get a signed "Stories".  Just saying.)

Is this a whine?  No.  Just a statement of fact.  

I do what I do because I love to do it.  Doesn't mean I don't have bills.  In fact this year and next are looking ultra spendy, so I'm actually glad my needs are few and my wants even fewer after being a 'starving artist' for all my life.

What I'm getting at is that it isn't just me feeling the effects of inflation.  Be aware that other businesses servicing your beloved hobby/passion will also be sharping their pencils and more price increases will be coming.

Yesterday School of Sweet Georgia announced that their membership fees will be increasing by Oct. 1, 2023.

You can still purchase a membership at the current price until Sept. 30, 2023.  If you've been thinking about joining but aren't sure?  You could buy a month membership now, then after a month purchase a year and lock in the current price if you find it helpful.

Still not sure?  How about 4 classes by moi?  (Fourth launches in November.)  Several more weaving classes by Felicia Lo?  Not just a weaver?  How about a fistful of classes by spinners like Diana Twiss and Kim McKenna?  (Kim, like me, is no longer doing in person classes, so her classes on SOS are especially attractive.  IMHO, of course!)

Felting.  Knitting.  Rigid Heddle weaving.  Crochet.  The list goes on.  

The classes are set up as 'chapters' so you can go directly to the section you want to view and repeat watching as many times as you like.  There are supports in the form of projects and the class 'notes' and resources.

Not to mention (but I will, because honestly, why not?) the teachers are available on the SOS forums to answer questions.

All three of my books are available here

There are a *few* signed copies of Stories here   Also Weave a V by Kerstin Fröberg

There are a *few* signed copies of The Intentional Weaver here   Type The Intentional Weaver into the search bar.

All of this is to say - prices go up.  Inflation is a 'thing'.   You've been warned.

Learning About Weaving

 

What a busy week it was!  Hopefully things will begin to calm down now.  I haven't woven since Sunday and I'm missing my time at the loom.

The latest class at School of Sweet Georgia has launched.  A deep dive into the three 'major' lace weaves - huck, Swedish and Bronson.

Included in the class is a tutorial on how to do Bronson Lace using pick up so that you are not limited to the number of blocks you can use to create a motif.  But first you have to really understand how the weave structure works, so I hope that people take the time to work through the class before they tackle the pick up.  Or, if they already understand how Bronson Lace works, they will find the pick up technique intriguing.

Lace weaves are versatile and useful in so many applications.  Changing the density and using wool, toasty blankets can be created, while opening the density and using finer, smooth yarn can create a delicate lightweight cloth.  And everything in between!

If you have more than four shafts, there is information for 8 shafts as well, and a lesson on profile drafts.

The classes are paced, formatted in 'chapters' so you can go to the section you want to review (if you want to do so) without watching all the rest.  And of course I'm on the forums to answer questions if you have any.

Once a member of SOS, you have access to all the course content on the site.  

I also have information on lace weaves in The Intentional Weaver (signed copies available at Sweet Georgia Yarns) 

Today I'm having a 'catch up' day, trying to tackle the things that got put on hold while I dealt with books.  There are four bins of books ready for the post office.  They will go, one at a time.  But by end of next week, all should be on their way.

In the meantime, am I writing again?  Maaayyyybeeeeeeeeee.....

Monday, Monday

 

Yesterday was the most Monday of Mondays.

The whole weekend was a scramble of trying to get The Book sorted through the valiant efforts of my editor grappling with software and new/different websites with varying protocols.  The 'finishing' for the birthing of a book is a trial of perseverance.

Plans got changed, then changed again.  By Monday it was looking like everything was on track after some 'adventures' with corrupted programs that totally messed up the formatting and the mad scramble was on to get a copy of the ms to my first(!) reviewer so that they would have an inkling of what the book was going to look like.  And I started my 'final' read through to comb out any more 'nits' I could find.

In the midst of all that, my other July deadline was looming and my SOS team was needing their updated information so that they could complete their launch.  It felt like a tsunami of deadlines was washing over me.

Partway through the day I wondered how on earth I used to be able to do this sort of thing and still get to the loom.

Well, there's a reason I 'retired' (for certain values of)!

It was 2 o'clock before I finally finished the read through and notified my editor of the last nits that needed to be combed out of the ms, grabbed some lunch, got dressed(!), got the info to SOS and headed to the loom at 3.  By then I was running on adrenaline which meant I did actually get one towel woven, not the two I'd planned.

Needless to say after all that, I needed a nap!

But it's beginning to take shape.  Now the problem is, will people be willing to pay the price for a print copy?  My editor is adding lots of photos, way more than I'd planned, and quality photo reproduction in print isn't cheap.  

OTOH, does anyone even actually want a print copy?  Or will a pdf be acceptable?  I'm Old School and still prefer to have a 'book', but maybe most people are fine with 'digital'?

I mean, I'm not even sure very many people will want to buy these essays with my pithy comments, let alone buy one that is pricy...(Yes, impostor syndrome is A Thing!)

Anyway, the review copies are not yet ready to go out and may not be before we leave.  But that will give my editor another week to work out the kinks and the file can still go out when I get back.

In the meantime, I have my first (only?) interview this afternoon, and there is enough warp for one more tea towel so I'm going to finish that off.  My goal is to have the next warp set up ready to weave before we leave so I can get started weaving the next design as soon as we recover from the trip.  I want to get the current warp wet finished so that it can go into the bin with the rest of my hemming and see how much I can get done while we are away.

My ko-fi shop badly needs updating and I have A Plan for that - once I'm home.

Anyway, today is a lovely blue sky day and if I get dressed now, there is just enough time to finish off that warp before I have a lovely chat with the interviewer.  She is someone I know and respect and I'm on tenterhooks to hear if she thinks the essays are worthwhile.  

After the read through yesterday, I can honestly say - I'm happy enough with it.  It's 'me'.  My opinions.  My attitude.  My voice.  Is it enough?  That will be for others to say.

Hiatus

 

Today isn't the way I thought it would be - for a number of reasons.  Instead of doing what I thought I would be doing, I have been given a bit of a hiatus.  A bit of a pause from the planned activities.

OTOH, there are lots of things to *be* done.  I just need to load up on the caffeine in order to tackle any of them.

The homework for the Olds class has begun arriving.  The first box is wending its way back home while the next is open on my work table and I will begin looking at the written work today.  A good Sunday 'job'?

And one more will be coming in the next few days.  Seems the post office in their town couldn't find my post office box address.  You know, the one where I've been receiving mail for 50 plus years?  Yeah, that 'invalid' address.  Which makes my decision to stop renting the box all the more pertinent.

On Friday I cut the last warp off the loom, managed to beam and start threading the new one.  It's a very simple threading progression, for which I'm grateful.  I'm having too much brain fog to confidently tackle something more complex.  My goal for today is to finish threading, sley and tie on, as well as read the written work for the Olds class.  I'm going to the post office tomorrow to cancel my box and I'd like to take the marked homework with me to return to the weaver.  (The cancellation has been planned for months, not an annoyed decision made in haste.)  But that's putting a lot of pressure on me, and it can just as easily get mailed later in the week as I have other 'town' errands on other days.  Still, I'd like to get the marks back to the students asap as I know they are on tenterhooks.

This week is busy with a number of commitments, for both of us.  The next SOS Zoom lecture is Wednesday, this one on Twills.  I forget when the lace class launches, sometime in July I think.  The plan right now is to visit SOS the end of June and sign whatever copies of The Intentional Weaver they have in the store.  About the only way to get a signed copy right now.  :)  Unless you bring your copy with you if you should be passing through my town.  Both of my books are still available at Blurb, in both pdf and print copies.  But those aren't signed.

My editor has begun working on the ms for Stories from the Matrix.  I'm still hoping for July 9 launch.  I'm pondering a 'book launch' via Zoom.  I'm also pondering ordering in some copies of the new book to sell myself?  But do I want to drag a bunch of books to the post office to ship?  Cheaper for people to buy them from the website.  OTOH, I could buy a few, sign them and put them on ko-fi...  TBD.

This hiatus has taken some of the pressure off of me and allowed me to think about such things.  I'm not feeling too much deadline pressure.  The beginning to weave class started yesterday.  Three students, one taking the class as a refresher, the other two brand new.  All three are doing well.  Now I just have to make it through the next 3 weekends.

We are well into spring now.  In fact it got warm enough that the a/c will likely get turned on soon.  We needed it for the guild room which turns into an oven on sunny days.  And of course weaving *is* a physical activity so I put the a/c on in the afternoon to make the room more comfortable for all of us.

Friday I got 3 more library books, one of which is brand new (Dana Stabenow's latest) and needs to be read asap.  The other two don't, at the moment, have hold requests on them so I might be able to renew my loan if I don't get them all read.  But I like Stabenow and her writing tends to carry me along so that should go fairly quickly.  :)

The coming week will be 'busy' but not too pressured, once the Zoom presentation is done.  I'm hoping to make some progress on weaving the 'new' warp.  There are two more drafts designed for when this one comes off the loom and I'm eyeing that heap of mercerized cotton which is disappearing so slooooowly.  Lot of play time with fine yarns!  But I have condensed the pile several times now and it is melting away, little by little.

And now my standard 2nd cup of coffee is about gone.  Time to get dressed and head to the loom.  I hear the siren call of a warp wanting to be threaded!

Winter -> Summer

 

Summer colours

Seems we have jumped almost entirely over spring into summer.  The forecast for next week is temps in the 20s (70s for those still not using metric measures) and yet this morning the furnace is running.  We have a few weeks of 'spring' in which we need the furnace at night, the a/c during the day.  Apparently that begins this weekend.

Yesterday I completed marking the first box of homework and will be heading to town for errands today so the goal is to mail it back to the student along with an order for a tea towel that came in earlier in the week.  There are some other small errands so everything will get done after lunch and then I head to the guild room to set up the last loom for the class beginning Saturday.

Next week is a busy one with appointments and a Zoom presentation, this time on twills.  I'm hoping to have the current warp off the loom tomorrow or Monday at the latest, and the next warp beamed before I have to re-arrange the studio for the Zoom.

I think the Lace class with School of Sweet Georgia launches in July (above photo is one of the samples I wove for that).  And I am falling down the rabbit hole into looking at crepe yarns/cloth and came up with a 'test' I can do fairly quickly once I clear a few more things off my desk...and floor...

My 'office' is tiny and sometimes I run out of flat space (mainly because I'm 'messy' and tend to 'file by pile' so there are stacks of things in progress - until they are complete.  And sometimes I get so excited by a new project I don't clear away the old...)

My editor has begun working on my file and we've discussed a few things about the formatting and will talk again at the weekend.  I'm trying to *not* be a control freak, but...

One of the things we are talking about is doing a 'book launch'.  Now that we have the internet and Zoom, I don't have to stump around the country promoting my new book, I can do it online.  So stay tuned for an announcement in the coming weeks.  Scheduled publication date is July 9.  Yes, it's arbitrary.  I work best to a deadline.

The snow is gone, the trees are leafing out, the grass is turning green.  Hopefully we won't see anymore snow but we have had snow in May before.  It doesn't stay long but it can come with one last reminder that we live in a part of the country that can - and at times - get snow much later than other parts of the country,  Hard to believe that mid-summer isn't all that far away.  It still feels like winter is peeking over our shoulders.

Never mind.  I have a class to teach, homework to mark (another box is ready to be picked up) and a warp that is nearly done on the loom with three more in the queue.  

Onwards!

Learning/Teaching

 

Thinking about the trip to Vancouver next week, knowing there really won't be time (or energy) to visit Sweet Georgia.  My life seems to be focused entirely on keeping this body going.  

Thinking about the essays.  Brain fog is pretty thick right now and the Muse is quiet.  For now.  For which I'm grateful as I try to gather up my thoughts to keep going.  April is going to be a busy month.  I'm glad the trip is happening now instead of mid-April.  That should take some pressure off of me.

We have four signed up for the beginning to weave class.  At least one is taking it as a refresher, so they may get co-opted to help me if I need it.  They have taken classes with me before, but many moons ago.  Pretty sure they will begin to remember things once we get started.

The class will again be masks required.  The guild room isn't huge and during demos we will be close together.  The building is used by other people, none of them wearing masks that I've seen and covid is NOT over.  People who are immune compromised are still at risk and one of the students has had covid once.  (That I know about.)  Every time a person gets caught, the risk of long covid increases.  It isn't just me I'm thinking about, but everyone.  

The next lecture for School of Sweet Georgia is May but there are a few more guild presentations that have been added to my calendar.  HGA has been blasting emails out asking for keynote speakers and workshop leaders and that's just a huge nope for me.  I refuse to fly anywhere when no masks are required.  I cannot chance being cooped up in a metal tube for hours or sitting confined in a crowded airport, not knowing how many people in the crowd are positive, not just for covid but other airborne illnesses.  My gambling days are over and frankly I never wanted traveling bugs either.  Too many trips sitting next to someone hacking and coughing and me getting home sick as can be.  

So nope, not in the cards.  Besides, I've done keynote speeches.  I don't need to add another notch to my resume - to mix a metaphor.

Instead, whatever grey matter I have will be rubbed together to try and write a few more essays.  

Learning how one's limits have reduced and not getting upset or depressed is one of life's Big Lessons.

The next class for SOS will launch in a few months.  In the meantime I hang out on the SOS forums or sometimes a few other online groups.  Just refused another invite to join a FB group.  If people want to know what I think they can come to me.  Considering I am 'retired' (for certain values of) I don't feel like I need to help every single person out there (waves hand).  Part of me thinks I'm well enough known I shouldn't have to hang out in every single public forum.  The rest of me knows that is a rather ridiculous level of hubris.  Of course not every weaver in NA knows anything about me!  

But I no longer concern myself with getting hired by guilds.  I do have a 'fan base' (if you will) and if those people think what I'm doing is valuable, I'm sure they are capable of hitting the share button.

As for the essays?  No idea how many people will be interested, but enough people have indicated that they are.  And hopefully those who find them interesting will spread the word.  It used to be called word of mouth - now it's words by keyboard?

At any rate, if people want to learn from me, SOS isn't terribly expensive and they have other teachers as well.  Click on the link or scan the QR code.  (I think I've copied the code correctly!)

This old dog is getting too tired to learn new tricks. 

Intentions

 

Once again, I had plans.  They were good plans, too.  Carefully crafted plans.  Some of them with critical 'looming' deadlines.

As usual, I have not yet managed to do everything on my daily to-be-done list.  And it's Thursday afternoon, so stuff I had *planned* to get done this week, in addition to the stuff that I *have* to get done this week?  Well, not faring too well on that front.

Some of those 'good intentions' have gone to pave another bit of that proverbial 'road to hell' I suppose.  OTOH, the only 'deadline' for getting them done was my desire, so perhaps not actually in the road bed yet, just still sitting on the cart?

Having the furnace stop working in January was a definite curve in the road and knocked me off my rails.  Health issues still not resolved contributed.  I can say that while I missed my 'personal' deadline to get some things done the actual critical deadline is still far enough in the future that if I don't get to them today it won't be detrimental to anything other than my ego.

I did manage to get up early enough this morning that I started weaving the next warp.  I wasn't best pleased with the weft colour at the beginning but decided I had enough bobbins wound for two towels so I would weave those two.  But once I finished the first, I decided part of the problem was the very dull dreary day we were having and that once I saw the other side properly I might find myself pleasantly surprised.  So I'm withholding judgement on that weft colour, willing to do more.  Because I have plenty of that kind of periwinkle blue to use up.

Then I went to get shorn and feel enormously better for it, given the beginning weaving class starts on Saturday.  I won't feel so...well...scruffy.  My standards for personal appearance, never very high in the first place, have dropped since the beginning of the pandemic.  

Now I've had lunch, packaged up a copy of Weave a V, and will head to town.  I have several things that sort of need to be dealt with and when I get home it will either be nap time, or I'll work on one of those looming deadlines.  I still have to generate a couple more class handouts, plus the project notes for the class for School of Sweet Georgia.

And by the time I finish all that, pretty sure the day will be 'done'.  And if not the day, me.  

Tomorrow is another day, with another early morning alarm and hopefully I can get lots of stuff done on Friday with such an early start to the day?  Time will tell.

FAFO (Fool Around Find Out)

 

I did a little FAFO (or as some like to call it, the scientific method).

In other words, I tried things, documented how they worked - or didn't - and am now in the process of writing out my findings.  And the instructions for the class they were designed for and woven to illustrate.

Since weaving is a very high labour intensive process, I did two different 'experiments' - one was to weave an area of lace/plain weave at one end of the scarf in a colour gamp (repeating the same thread colours as were in the warp), then the second scarf was done only in plain weave, again with the colour gamp at one end..

One set (the lace weaves) will be used as the student project for the lace weave class on SOS.

The other can be used for my lecture on colour theory.

Once again I was reminded of just how difficult it is to weave a 'perfect' plain weave, even when I'm paying attention and trying.  The other is how much a high value contrast between warp and weft will show up every little inconsistency in said plain weave.  And how little an 'imperfect' plain weave will look 'wrong' if it is woven consistently.  Just saying.

A timely reminder going into the new year - to stay humble.

Not a lot to show for a couple weeks of weaving (plus several weeks of thinking, planning, number crunching, choosing the colours to use, all done well before the first warp was wound.)

But the information gained was much much bigger than one might expect given the output of the past two weeks.  (I checked my blog, the first picture I showed was of the first warp after being woven, on Dec. 13.)

Some of these scarves were woven on truly dark and dreary days and were a tonic.  

For now?  It's back to tea towels.  I beamed the warp yesterday and got it half threaded today.  My goal is to finish threading, see if I can get it sleyed as well, then generate the treadling.

As the new year approaches, I will continue as I have done all my life - begin the new year as I mean to go on.  Keep weaving.  Keep teaching.  Keep busting my stash.  Keep on, keeping on.

Prepping for the New Year

 

fabric for skirts for a 

local Ukrainian dance troupe

Getting my 2023 calendar in order, realizing how jammed the first week of January is with 3 days of Zoom presentations.  The whole month, really, given everything else going on.

The first Zoom is for School of Sweet Georgia on Jan. 4 on the topic of Form Follows Function.  This is part of the on going series of lectures/seminars that I originally developed for my Olds students during the first year of the pandemic, then realized that others might be interested.  Plus my two new classes will be launched in 2023.

Since then I've begun offering the lectures to guilds as well.  And so on Jan. 5 I'm doing a guild presentation and then on the 7th, a guild 'program' and then later that day, the seminar.

In one week I will do presentations to people via SOS from all over North America (possibly beyond since SOS have students other than just NA), then a group in Washington, and finally in Missouri.

And nary a dark o'clock flight.  Win-win?

Once that is over, I have to prep for the 4 person weaving class that will happen on 4 consecutive Saturdays (with additional support the Sundays following) locally.  There was enough interest that another has been scheduled for Apr/May with 3 people already signed up.

If a guild is interested in my guild program/seminar presentations, they are listed on http://laurafry.com

If anyone is interested in booking me, my schedule is pretty open for 2023.  I can be contacted at

laura at laurafry dot com.

Later today I plan on getting my 2023 calendar pinned to the door where I can easily see it, then set up a planning calendar for 2024.  Not that I probably need to do that anymore, but it's a habit, and a new year habit that helps me be clear on what I need to do, and when.  A clean slate, as it were, full of opportunity and possibility.

For now?  I have a warp to weave.  I won't likely get it off the loom today, but should be able to make a good start on it, making it possible to finish tomorrow morning.  Then wet finish all 8 scarves.  Once they are hemmed, given a final press and I write up my project notes, that is one thing I can put 'complete' on and begin the new year fresh.  Back to using up my stash.  Back to tea towels.  

Ergonomics

" Keep in mind, however, that frequent repetitive bending or twisting beyond what is comfortable can lead to discomfort, which in turn interferes with weaving"

The photo is of me, showing how I hold the shuttle to 'throw' it.  The quote is pulled from the latest Handwoven which is running an article on ergonomics.

Twisting or torqueing the body leads to fatigue and can bring on pain.  The authors talk about good posture and proper bench height as well, taking micro and mini breaks and so on.

All things I have been advocating for, so I'm pleased to see them presented within the pages of Handwoven.  I'd also like to remind people that I cover a lot of these things in the class that Handwoven (Long Threads Media) offers as an on line course.

If you are interested in more interaction with me, I'm currently presenting this and much more via the School of Sweet Georgia.  

My goal has always been to help people prevent pain and injury.  It is a lot easier to prevent injury than it is to recover from it.

Pay attention to your body.  If you are experiencing discomfort, fatigue or pain, immediately stop what you are doing.  Stretch.  Rest.  Do something that requires a different position or posture or different muscles.

Weaving is a physical activity.  When I get into my zone, my Fitbit thinks I am swimming (guess they don't know about weaving!) and records that as aerobic activity - because it is!

I try to get to the loom for at least 90 minutes every day (broken up into two sessions).  If I'm away from the loom for lengthy periods, I begin to miss it and look forward to getting home and being able to weave again.  Because for me, weaving isn't just physical activity, it is also good for my mental health.  I shut out the cares and woes of the world and just be for a while. I come back refreshed mentally, able to deal with the vicissitudes of life more easily.

Weaving can be good for the entire body - if it is done ergonomically.  

As always, if you have questions, you can email me.  Or sign up for my class on SOS and ask in the forums.  If you have the question, no doubt others may have as well.

Weaving is a community in so many ways.  I am privileged to be part of it and very happy to help people if they are having difficulties, if I can.

Paused

 

I had intended to leap into the fray this morning, excited to get back to the loom.

Instead?  The pause button got punched.

Doug is still unpacking all the food and personal stuff that we took down for the 10 day stay in Vancouver.  Given covid, we did not eat in restaurants as we would ordinarily, but brought food for breakfast, lunch and snacks, then brought in take away food for dinner.  That meant that we brought dishes and cutlery along as well given neither of us enjoys eating out of Styrofoam containers.  More eateries are moving to paper boxes but anything 'wet' leaks through so we brought large cups and plates to put the food onto.  Which all means there is a lot more unpacking to be done before we even get to the studio stuff, still in the van.

I also had some guild business to take care of, some of which is reaching priority status so I didn't want to let that slide by.  Some people are waiting for information/answers before they could continue.

To be honest, I'm still tired.  

Getting 'old' is a steady increase in lethargy, and increase in just not wanting to rush around anymore.

Frankly I'm getting to the point where I'm looking for a local who will do the weaving teaching, but right now we seem to be all out of people who feel like they know enough. or confidence to take on a teaching role.  Teaching is not for everyone.

When I was first beginning this journey, I had decided I would be a production weaver for 25 years, then teach for 25 years.  Putting me still 'working' at 75.

Instead I did both, concurrently, along with volunteer work for my local, regional and international groups, write articles, weaving almost every day (including designing and loom set up, wet finishing, marketing, retail and wholesale sales, shipping orders, et bloody cetera) and working on the Guild of Canadian Weavers master weaver program.  Out of that I wrote Magic in the Water, then The Intentional Weaver, self-publishing both, therefore needing to do all the marketing and shipping for both of them as well.

I led study groups on line, then during covid, developed Zoom lectures to continue the teaching.  And now?  Teaching for School of Sweet Georgia.

Maybe it's fair and only to be expected that after numerous health issues that have quite literally taken me to the brink of death, that I'm tired.  

I hope to make it through to 75 still teaching, even if it is 'only' on line.

But I've just offered to do a four day (four Saturdays) beginning to weave workshop in hopes of growing more weavers, hopefully one of whom will take on the role of teaching weaving locally.  Or where ever they want to go and do it.

I was helped by older, more experienced weavers all along my journey.  I hope to help others if they wish to take this particular road.

But today?  I'm tired.  If we can get the van unloaded and everything put away, that may well be the limit of what I feel capable of doing. 

And if you are interested in learning from me on line, the QR code on this blog will bring you to SOS and the information to join me there.

Unpacking Fun

 Just rolled in the door from Vancouver.  

The weather held for the entire trip, which was lovely.  The drive each way was nice.  We were stopped several times for road construction so the trip down was 12 hours.  There were fewer delays and not very heavy traffic coming home so the return trip was about 10 hours.   

We are both tired and will finish unloading the van tomorrow.  For tonight we just brought in our personal items and food.

Autumn advanced while we were gone.  There is a lot more yellow and orange on the foliage now.  There may have been frost while we were away, it’s certainly chilly enough the furnace is running.  

But I have a new warp on the Megado, and a rayon chenille scarf warp for the Leclerc, so I’m hoping to at least get started on those in the morning. 

I got release dates on the classes, but they may change which one gets done first.  Let’s just say that the editor is going to have fun with the rough footage.  So glad I don’t have to learn that skill and can leave it to a professional.  :)

It takes a village, in so many ways.  I’m pleased to work with such enthusiastic folk.

For now it’s back to the usual.   I’m looking forward to just spending some time with my looms.  And keep picking away at my stash.  

Coming Down to the Wire

 

We make plans.  The universe laughs.

Hope springs eternal.

Even as I despair of meeting my (self-imposed) deadlines, a tiny part of my brain is thinking, thinking, thinking and even as I say "I'm done" that little kernel wonders, what if...?

The taping for the next two classes will soon be history and filed under 'things I have done' instead of the 'things I will do' category.  Vowing they would be my last online classes a few weeks ago, the other night (damn insomnia) I was unprepared for that little part of my brain to send out a teaser 'what if'.

And now, of course, like an ear worm, I can't seem to put it back into the little box it popped out of, like an evil jack-in-the-box, tempting me to consider, to propose, to start thinking about the whole thing more, adding this, adding that, planning warps to exhibit the principles.

Every time it drifts through my conscious awareness, I push it back, push it away, shove it aside.  And yet...here it comes again.

I may yet decide to roll with it.  Or sanity may prevail and I'll let it die of a lack of oxygen, a lack of energy to do All The Things required to make it happen.

After 40+ years of weaving I have a broad base of knowledge.  As the years progressed I focused my attention on certain aspects of the craft that I felt needed to be promoted more (wet finishing, ergonomics) and let go other things about cloth construction that interested me.  

Lately those things have begun to reappear.  They are, in fact, facets of wet finishing, largely the special effects that come about *because* of wet finishing.  How weave structures that depend on the deflection of the threads in the cloth develop to their full potential in the wet finishing and other approaches.  In fact I used to offer a workshop with that very focus.

And now I find myself revisiting it - even as I threw away the workshop notes thinking I would never need them again.

Ironic, right? 

Oh well.  It may all come to nothing.

But the fact that this is happening, right now, tells me I'm not done yet.  Even as I come down to the wire in terms of my health, energy and drive to accomplish things, a part of me wants to do 'more'.

Time will tell if I can scrape up the will to actually *do* more.  Or if I will be content simply weaving down my stash.

In the meantime, there will be two more SOS classes launched in the new year and the lecture series continues.  I have a couple of bookings for guild presentations.  The topics are listed on my (new/refreshed) website

Two garments, woven for my master weaver monograph, exhibiting significant fulling

Continuing Saga of the Never Ending Stash

 

Yesterday I finished threading the 2/8 cotton warp, got it sleyed, tied on, generated a treadling and wove the first towel.

The half bleached linen (slightly slubby and hairy) yarn is working quite well on the mixed beige warp and I'm pleased with the results.

It kind of looks like a pastry dusted with icing sugar.  (Maybe I was hungry while I was weaving?)

Since the linen is on average thinner than the cotton, it was a bit 'daring' of me to go with 20 epi, except that the linen is so stiff in relation to the cotton, plus the texture and the hairiness of the linen, that I figured it would not want to beat in anywhere near what a cotton yarn of the same grist would do.  The stiffness of the linen will give the cloth overall body (I'm anticipating, based on previous experience) and while the resulting cloth is too heavy to rightly be called a 'tea' towel, I'm thinking these will make really nice hand towels.  Perhaps, even, a good sauna towel.  

My goal with this is to make something that has flexibility (hence more open density) but that will wear well (hence the plain weave incorporated in the tie up).

In the draft above you can see the body of the towel (the upper part) and then the hem area.  I don't really have anything compatible to use for the hems, so the hem weft will be the same yarn, but woven in a straight progression rather than the advancing progression of the towel body.

Even without changing the tie up, just making this small change will create a cloth that is less bulky for the hem to be turned.  This cloth is definitely heavier than the towels woven with 2/16 or 2/20.  

However, it looks like this one warp might just use up the majority of the linen.  If there is any linen left over, I will put one more 2/8 cotton warp on and do the same thing to use up the linen, plus two tubes of a 2 ply - one ply cotton, one ply linen - plus if there is still warp left on the second warp I have some textured cotton that can be used to finish the warp off entirely.

This week I've been working on the classes for School of Sweet Georgia, and expect to continue on that this afternoon after an errand run, including a clothing store to look for two identical tops to wear for the filming.  The filming crew has suggested that we interleave the filming of the two topics in order to reduce camera set up time - IOW, for the scenes that need an overhead camera angle we film all of those at once for both.  Which means I will have to be able to switch from one topic to another instantly.  But for continuity, both classes will need the same 'wardrobe', so I'll need two tops to make the switching easier.

The problem is, I didn't like the tops I wore for the last class and don't want to wear them again, but neither do I have two tops of the same colour/design that are acceptable so I need to buy some.

Since I really dislike shopping for clothing, send good shopping vibes!

My studio is also being used as a staging area as I begin to pack what I need for the trip and quite frankly I will be more than glad when I'm home again and all of this is in the 'I have done this', not still in the 'I will do this" category.