Preparing to Weave (Wrapped Yarns)

Preparing to Weave (Wrapped Yarns), originally uploaded by confections.

A group of yarns--some handpainted, a number handspun--wrapped and up on my inspiration board. I'm about to warp one of my looms for a late fall project.

Detail of Handwoven Placemat, Twill Weave

Detail of Handwoven Placemat, Twill Weave, originally uploaded by confections.

This is a detail shot of my first finished cloth from a weaving class taken a few years back, cotton weft and warp, woven on a Schacht 4-shaft table loom rented from my weaving guild. I now own quite a few looms--both table and rigid heddle looms and one beautiful cherry wood floor loom.

My Very First Skein of Wheel-Spun Wool

My Very First Skein of Wheel-Spun Wool, originally uploaded by confections.

This skein was spun on a Louet S-10 spinning wheel at a class at the Black Sheep in Encinitas, California, circa 1989. For a number of years I had been spinning with a hand spindle. In 1995 I traded a Bond Knitting Frame for a Lendrum spinning wheel, my faithful Rapunzel.

At about the same time, I took up quilting in earnest, so Rapunzel languished near the fireplace for many moons. Eventually I joined local guilds and enrolled in a series of spinning and weaving classes and haven't stopped spinning since. It's a constant joy in my life.

Collage of Tapestry Bobbins

Collage of Tapestry Bobbins, originally uploaded by confections.

I photographed some of the tapestry bobbins that I own in the last bit of afternoon light yesterday. I haven't taken up tapestry weaving (yet), but I am enamored of all tools of the fiber arts.

I often make collages with my photos, but lately I've enjoyed trying out the multi-exposure collage tool in Picasa. This first photo is the result of superimposing about a dozen photos one on top of the other.

On the novel-writing front with nanowrimo, I reached the magic number of 50,000 words early on Sunday morning! It's definitely a landmark to celebrate, but I'll be continuing to write every day this month and beyond, because my story is still unfinished.

Shuttle, bobbin and handwoven cloth

Shuttle, bobbin, and handwoven cloth, originally uploaded by confections.

This is one of my handwoven pieces from last summer. I'm hankering to warp one of my looms this spring and create some new cloth. In my yarn stash, I have a handpainted warp chain from a class I took with Christie Dunning at the University of California, San Diego Crafts Center. During the same handpainting session in that inspiring class, I painted a complementary skein of weft yarn.

In a few days, after my sister and her lovely kiddies head home after a too-short visit, I'll pull out my copy of Learning to Weave by Debbie Chandler, complete some calculations for my envisioned project, and get down to warping. Oh, the possibilities!

She is a weaver; through her hands the bright thread travels. -- Judy Collins