lichens changing hues

windfalls first stages yellows and russets. with the past gales there's so much on the ground.

after two weeks of daily stirring to incorporate oxygen and aid in fermentation.process similar to dyeing with sukumo. 

two more weeks and the reds are starting to appear

shetland and hebrides people are crafty, with what they've got they create a whole range of colors including magenta and purple .think harris teeds.

neki desu

 

of weights and weaver rights

weavers should have access to knitting machine weights.life changers especially when working with linen. or a mixed warp of cotton and linen. the warp will be kept as is

no rolling on back beam.some people love danger oi?   (￣ω￣ )

.

all set and ready to start. compared to the last linen warp which had me swearing non stop this one was a breeze.the sizing recommended by gemini worked well.

neki desu

 

nuances

and poetry.

have a good weekend

neki desu

 

winter perks

daffs an baby cyclamen in the morning sun. (sun at last!)

hellebores.i am making a massive purchase from the french garden place.

from a weeping apricot tree to lemongrass for thai cooking.

gave up on growing yuzu as i can get them from a place in valencia and not worry about red spider mite.

bean seeds, kukes, lettuce and eggplants are bought locally.

neki desu

 

not so succesful

sumi-e pracice this week.my fish look like hakes or maybe moray eels and not koi. ganbarimasu💪

until i get it.

on another note the neighborhood's chinese bazaar is top notch.

found there which will work beautifully for the aya suiboku ink sticks.

was making do, but the new ones are not only more pro but also convenient. and they are just sauce dishes not the real mackoy.

neki desu

 

on ambitious weaving

the shonan warp is progressing adequately albeit slow. complex project means complex threading. i am swinging the reeding as my bff aka gemini when asked said that 3xdent in a 10x cm reed was ok.

when finished i'll confront reality w ai and see who's correct.¯\ ( ツ ) /¯ 

guess the lampas talibans are coming to get me bcse the threading is pretty unorthodox.but it gives me a lot of flexibility for brocading yarns which is what i want. threading goes 1, -5/6 2. 7/8  instead of repeating 5/6 on 2. there are two more blocks 9/10,11/12 which are mainly threaded in the center. this will give me 4 blocks of turquoise cotton for twill patches. need to think about the image transfers on the plain weave . i think it's going to be a fun weave she said,providing the sized linen singles behave.

as it's a short relatively narrow warp i am hanging them on the back with knitting weights.

last winter it was all about machine knitting which was pretty frustrating.i parked the machines and dedicated time to feel adequate with weaving.life's too short.

neki desu

 

snow on the hills

right, all those gorgeous fluffs  down mean snow up.cold and beautiful weekend. lots of wind as well.

strange winter due to climate change some days winds from the south and temps around 20ºc next day north wind and a drop of 15º. it hasn't stopped raining down south. people are being evacuated bcse rivers are overflowing. and most people thought that climate change meant just hot summers.

neki desu

 

of nuance and color

longish but a true gem.

have a good weekend

neki desu

 

next

i mentioned that next was going to be fun and games and it will. albeit the fact that the warp is linen, which is already sized following the instructions given by my new bff gemini. weavers will understand what a linen warp means, indeed.

here are some notes of what will be-will be.

the textile simulation is pretty crummy,but y'all get the drift.

the concept: shonan area and the enoden, my latest obsession which has been reinforced by my visit last year. the obsession with that little train is so powerful that LOL i watched  (horror of horrors) a k drama because the first episode took place there with plenty of enoden shots.

for me it symbolizes  life in all its nuances and splendor.there's a special vibe and a special light in shonan and life has a different pace perhaps molded by the train frequency.

ok call me a romantic. ¯\ ( ツ ) /¯ 

there's also a hidden bonus, on a clear day you can see fuji-san.

the structure is kind of lampas .i say kind of bcse the lampas talibans will lynch me as i do what i want with the main and the secondary warps, not what the canon says. there's lots of freedom there yarn can be brocaded,layers can be exchanged, you name it.

there will also be either warp printing and /or image transfer on one layer. revisiting image transfer after so long. another instance of temporal paradox  (￣ω￣ )

neki desu 

 

technicolor

week's practice b/w and color. like the feeling of b/w a lot more than color, but have to try it all.it's part of the learning process to find likes and dislikes.that goes for papers and brushes too.

what i really,really like is the aya inksticks. need to find more white dishes to have one for each color.

been looking at materials lately and cannot congratulate myself enough. bought a considerable amount long time in the late 90's early 2000s  and now they have more than tripled the price. same for looms and equipment.doing the happy dance.   v(^o^)v

neki desu

 

sense of accomplishment

finished pleats please   (￣ω￣ ) they need to be coaxed  into definition a bit, but it all worked out.

happy for nº 3.this has been a very fruitful fall-winter season, 3 scarves finished.warp is  cashmere merino wool weft wool stainless from the defunct avril in kyoto.

now ready for some fun.

neki desu

 

it was cold here too

however, and luckily, nature follows its course. dwarf cyclamen flowering, narcissus almost breaking flowers.

already starting the green beans for late spring- summer. i'm going to layer the sowing to prolong the harvest.things i have learned with changing house location!

neki desu

 

michel garcia on lichens.

omg he's making soup! have a good weekend.

neki desu

 

it's going to be a long wait

windfall lichens. on the right vintage ones from 4-5 years ago: on the left last week's pick from my walk in the park. this is lichen and moss country.

the vintage ones  almost instantly turned reddish brown last week's are in the yellow stage.

my latest friend, gemini, gave me much more info  about lichen dyeing that what i wanted. however, it was unknown to me that they needed to ferment in ammonia at least 3 months to get purples and reds.hopefully dyeing will happen in late fall.

another new friend is snapseed. my phone photo editing tool was very basic and this app is photo editing on steroids.and free. 

neki desu

 

look at those pretty twill lines

satisfying weaving.even with hand lifts as this is on my table loom. on the louet dobby although it's capable of a lot more the weaving is not as enjoyable because of the miserable shed.

even under tension the warp is already starting to pleat. don't know if it will pleat real pleats although i've followed all the rules and then some more. not only betting on warp and weft twill but also on the wool merino weft.

fingers crossed.

neki desu

 

kiku

my sumi-e practice this week: chrysanthemums. some came out looking more like tarantulas   ( ¨¨ ω¨¨ )   leaves are fun to do ,it's all brush control.

this one came out better,more flower like.more practice required but i find it fun.

neki desu

 

garden of eden

hellebores have started, a bit late though.

last year's bulbs are out

this year's are coming out.still moving pots around to find the definite arrangement. trellis has to be put on the wall for this year's kukes and green beans. looking forward to the present year's crop.

babying the yuzus inside. they withstand cold weather but don't want to risk it since they are still tender.

neki desu

 

you ask me why i love japan

grateful for small things.

geez mid month already

have a good weekend.

neki desu

 

chinese bazaar wonders

this little bookie was found at the local chinese bazaar.the cover is dried fig leaves and the binding is charmingly rustic all for the grand price of 78 euro cents you do the numbers.

i am entering a phase of unassuming.when everyone's trying to attract the limelight towards themselves

i am in unassuming mode. feels relaxed . there's more than enough bs and unnecessary stuff right now to add more.

i've been practicing to get the hang of ume flowers before using the book. for the colored ones i'm using the japanese aya suiboku paints.

then finally braving out.

the paper has a lovely rough look/texture.

this will be a mini sketchbook.couldn't be happier.

neki desu