Thursday, January 27, 2011

"We did not change as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves." ~ Lynn Hall

And now for a virtual tour of my studio.  It's an 11'x12' bedroom-sized den.

The first two photos are looking right, then left, into the studio from the hall--





The U-shaped area for my desk with sewing machine, my computer, and my  new Saori loom.  There is a plastic storage cabinet to the left of the desk and a tall basket storing rigid heddles, stick shuttles and rolls of paper in the corner.  Another plastic file cabinet to the left of the computer holds bobbins, boat shuttles, and other weaving and knitting accessories. The sewing machine fits under the desk when not in use, along with book storage and a basket of handspun.  The chair works for everything--




Spinning fiber storage--there is no closet.  There are also fleeces stored in tubs in the garage.  The bins hold colored fiber to combine on the drum carder, my stereo is for my weaving music, baskets hold yarn, and the closed drawers and doors hide more fiber--




A wall of high shelves stores my drum carder, my "train case" holding knitting needles, a pink pre-wound Saori warp, drop spindles, a color wheel, yellow mesh hanging storage for exotic fibers, -- all on the left.  On the right is my inkle loom, weaving books, boxes for CD's, and the glass head to display hats--



The opposite wall shows a cone tree in the corner with 100+ cones of yarn, most left over from my machine knitting days (just fine for weaving), a square-dance petticoat tree now used to hold skeins of handspun, small Hazel Rose looms on the wall, my Schacht Flip 25" rigid heddle loom with a small warping board on the floor behind it--


Next to the Flip is my Ashford electric spinner and my blocking board draped with shawls and scarves (my Schacht spinning wheel is in the living room, along with more baskets of handspun)--



Details--














Wednesday, January 26, 2011

"Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?" ~ The Beatles

Today's the day, but I got my "Birthday Season" present a couple of weeks ago when we drove to Santa Cruz to pick up my new Saori 60 loom.  And here it is in its new home--






And Rosie's just not sure--she's very nervous.....


Friday, January 7, 2011

"Year's end is neither an end or a beginning, but a going on..." ~ Hal Borland

And so, the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 is a continuation of the story--we continue weaving, knitting, spinning, and road-tripping--with an emphasis on weaving in the coming year.

As we ended 2010, Rosie helped me wind a warp for a new Saori wall hanging/banner--


She assured me that she was not touching the warp very much, only supervising....and maybe drooling.  I began the weaving on New Year's Eve day...


...and continued through the weekend--



This is a basic inlay pick-up stick pattern on my Schacht Flip rigid heddle loom, with a very Saori fabric as the base.  I wove free-style with many different yarns and some roving.  The inlay pattern was inspired by the Beatles' "Long and Winding Road" and by a Miata rally we attended in October.  The rally was at Ebbet's Pass in the Sierra Nevada--


And the GPS says it all--



The piece was finished on January 2, and will hang in my great room to remind me of a fun trip and of the long and winding road that has been my life, my spiritual journey, my weaving/knitting/spinning journey........(The banner will get it's own hanger and another wall to hang on.)



Long and Winding Road





Saori weaving is just a kick.....so much fun!

So, in this new year of 2011, the story will go on, the journey will continue, as will Rosie's dream--