rock steady

did i mention i was on a roll?  these were dyed last week in my best  vat and dye session so far.

photo 4 is my pride and joy. a silk linen dévore scarf i wove and dyed in early 90's when experimenting w dévore. the color was a procion mx  soft blue but the linen showed too much of a difference in value. so it was stored away. the other scarf dates from way back as well. i had jumped from a 4 shaft table loom to a much more serious 12 shaft 80cm table loom and was studying  Kathryn Wertenberger's book 8,12,20 an introduction to multishaft weaving.  i was also dreaming of dobbies and computers. the front page  has  1991 handwritten on it  so do the numbers :)

the yarns are also recouped. i dyed them in my first flop of a zinc-lime vat. yes, i was  starting doing aizome and the only recipe i had was the shibori book by wada. in terms of aizome  i just started the house by the roof :-&

the knits are samples some freshly dyed, some recouped from other unsuccessful vats. but the warp yarns!

the warp yarns in  the second and third photos are a success story big time  :) dunk, wait, pull out, oxidise and  it rocks! 10 summers and i got it at last.

as i'm writing this post i'm realizing how much i've learned. and how much there is still to learn.

neki desu

no rocket science, it's the colors, dummy!

a simple but effective 12 sha advancing point treadling.

it's the colors you dummy, being soft on myself paraphrasing that famous clinton's campaign aide. showing most of the draft a repeat missing, but you get the idea don't you?

colors on a well tensioned warp speak to any weaver.
and since they will always photograph somewhat off with the equipment and know-how i have

let's go for it and have some photofun!

neki desu
 

on a roll big time

big day yesterday i'm telling you. i who never ever wins anything won the giveaway hosted by jean of one small stitch. been to her page a couple of times since just to check i did not misread in an attack of wishful thinking which i'm prone more than occasionally. that was with my first cup of coffee.

at midday my friendly postman delivered a packet containing glorious textiles and pretty sewing goodies  from an exchange with a friend. and not only that, but in the afternoon i had to collect a parcel at the post office with books galore.

i'm taking the machine knitting book as a much needed workshop. for starters just leafing through there's a part that deals with nomenclature in itself and between the different brands of machines. i finally understand when they talk, not the gist of it but the whole nine yards. looking forward to educated distress and deconstruction.

and as if in need of more this weaving is going really well.i'm using the table loom with inverted point threading and an advanced point lift plan. doing the lifts by hand i thought i was asking too much from myself, but surprisingly i'm enjoying it.
the warp is smooth and textured silk dyed with madder, cochineal, carrot tops and some stray murasaki yarns. the weft is 61/1 blue linen from bockens bought in helsinki three  years ago.

i haven't had such a good day in the last three very tough years.

thankfully tough days are over.
something i read from murakami:
pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

neki desu