a pattern

wet finished and pressed,now it's time to source a pattern. there's 1.5 mts of  it.if i weren't such a chicken i'd try to draft one myself,but that would mean endless muslins  until i get the fit and the look. maybe next time.really pleased with the nubby rough look of this silk. it gives character to a simple crepe weave. less is more.

only one meter of the kakishibu weft. thinking about piecing the pattern for color blocking as i'm not sure the ai meters are going to be enough.

can you see the iridescence?

neki desu

from small to adequate

the extension to house the sectional beam has helped with the small shed. now i have an adequate shed and don't feel  as if weaving on a toy loom. now it's just a matter of sticky warp threads.

my hack  for cap for  nº3 solenoid   has also worked.

the double bobbin shuttle works like a charm. 

i feel somewhat naughty weaving with it as  i lied to hasegawa-san about my fly shuttle.had i not he would have not sold it to me. i know the japanese.

but not all has been  peachy rosy. there was a moment of panic this morning because i could not find the threader for the shuttle. thought i was lost in the move. fortunately, very fortunate indeed, i found it with all my shibori hooks.

i had to forgo the 9 km walk today if i wanted to start with the weaving , but it paid off.

the weave structure is a simple crepe i found 

in the weaver's net some time ago. i think

this is not the first time i use the draft.

the fabric has some sort of rustic charm

due to the irregularities of the silk.

this was my last ai dye the summer before last!

no wonder i have withdrawal symptoms.

neki desu
 

a bit early

but how can one resist?
have a good weekend








neki desu

fearless

i am going to teach myself sectional warping with this  disaster/mess. a beautiful  indigo dyes silk warp that accidentally got cut while warping. how you may ask; i too asked myself. cutting some ties in two of the chains; went ahead and finished the job. now i have about a meter

 and the rest which i plan to tie yarn by yarn 

after i warp that cut meter. i know i am taxing myself, but perseverance is my game. and i'd hate to throw away that beautiful warp.

by posting about this i feel i am contributing to the general well being as people tend to get depressed because everyone else's life is beautiful and perfect.  (゜。゜)

neki desu

blue

                               
 

my aizome  summer story since 09. no dyeing this summer. hopefully it will be renewed next summer at a different enclave.
posting will  be reasumed in october  also at a different enclave same time zone ;-)

a move is always stressful, no matter how much is taken care of by movers and moving in august september is..how can i phrase it not to sound crude?

until then wish me well.

neki desu

two for one

ai and odori for a perfect summer.

have a good weekend. stay cool.

neki desu

without further ado

aizome ね!

have a great weekend

neki desu

considering the situation

 the top conundrum,but working on the next warp. part of this summer's ai vat. would like to have the chains ready before i leave for madrid next week.silk. and this time i'll size it. 

why  oh why can weavers accept sized industrial yarns yet we are such purists with our own? or maybe i should speak in first person singular.

neki desu

on early and late

too late for a summer dress too early for next year.
however, there's something satisfactory making your clothes from scratch; making the cloth whether weaving or dyeing or printing it.
the cloth is store bought  cotton gauze. the shibori and aizome is mine.
maybe i can still wear it in the fall wit a long sleeved shirt underneath.




"The human heart is like a night bird. Silently waiting for something, and when the time comes, it flies straight toward it.”

Haruki Murakami

— Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage

neki desu

it's a wrap

got a gorgeous teal blue on this silk skein.three dips.

this year the ai gods have been auspicious, good vat good dyeing sessions, good results. 

once i got the ph and temperature sorted out it's been as they say here singing and sewing.

there's still some indigo in the vat albeit the fabric scraps that went in to exhaust it.

it's getting cooler so it's a wrap. more next year.

neki desu

fruitful summer

despite the heat or maybe because of it this year's vat behaved like no other.have yarns to keep me weaving through the winter months.

don't really mind all the blues as it is my favorite color.
have to think on the accent color now.
there's even an ikat warp chain. the red is cochineal.










neki desu

woe brings opportunities

my plastic vat started leaking-note the floor and i went into panic.urgency directed that i had to make do with what i had in hand; a spare a big terracotta plant pot. now look for something to plug into the hole-a port cork!
after much washing it came out stained, but ok. now the liquid transfer no matter how there was going to be oxigen added.
let it rest. then add some more water, alkali, hydro some more reduced indigo and heat it. let it rest one day.

a good vat once again.
a new career opened up for me; stress management coaching. ☆ *: o(≧▽≦)o :*☆











neki desu

of happy accident and good vats

simple itajime, wanted lots of white.

but then this happened. a fortuitous pin created a line of rusted dots.

 pleased with the outcome of this. slow tying but well worth it.

next:

experiments with adapted kitano technique.

this vat is really amazing ; good color,good smell, it even takes a bit of accidental dripping without acting up.





neki desu

recycling whatnots

recycling woven samples.adding paint and other whatnots and whatifs. the thread webs are a sort of instant gratification, even more instant than machine knitting.

this other one is slow work and eventually

will hit the vat.this awesome vat stayed weeks without needing sharpening. it is now finally in need, but i'm waiting until the rope is all bound. 

hell in way of high temps were expected today,

but it is not so bad, i think the worst is already past.

neki desu

these were dyed too

the color is much darker, but the light today is not very good, it's cloudy and muggy , no more dyeing. 3 dips, wanted  couple more, but the material is cotton and paper yarn and was concerned about its possible disintegration.plus it was a gift from a dear friend and didn't want to lose it to high ph.

these went into the vat,with recklesness because they were cheap cotton pants from the chinese bazaar. got them while doing el camino because night were too cool for shorts.nothing to lose here a lot to gain!
proud to say that with my 30 liter vat i was able to dye them without streaking.
waiting for the weather to improve so i can keep dyeing. if it's cloudy or storm menacing using the vat is not recommended.




neki desu