tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18257584384986948062012-01-29T12:35:45.607ZI enjoy handspinning & dyeing, and using yarns in knitting, handloom and inkle weaving.Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.comBlogger1611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-90560452630961491942011-12-08T17:50:00.002Z2011-12-08T17:51:58.340Z

I have just discovered a new UK website for professional handweavers, launched this week: The Weave Shed at http://www.theweaveshed.org which is sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Weavers and Central Saint Martins College of Arts & Design.  The information is a bit limited at the moment, so I've just sent them a list of some websites of professional weavers that I have links to, and weaving

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-70714149064045394882011-11-26T14:23:00.001Z2011-11-26T14:23:52.649Z

The month of November is drawing to a close, however, it is not over yet and not too late to draw your attention to WOVEMBER - started by Kate Davies and Felicity Ford who are calling on everyone to: Wear 100% Wool this Wovember and help celebrate that REAL WOOL comes from REAL SHEEP. There is a petition on their website calling for the word WOOL to mean wool - real wool, from real sheep - and

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-20815676682537375672011-08-14T23:41:00.001+01:002011-08-14T23:42:33.513+01:00

Meg put up a post on her blog, 31st July, "Calling all Hands". I remembered it today, whilst making an alteration to my inkle loom warp.  This is what Meg said in her post: "Anytime on Saturday, August 13, take a picture of your hand/s; spinning, knitting, weaving, baking, reading, holding your child's/grandchild's/long-time-love's hand/s, whatever. It doesn't have to be craft-related...."

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-40895163702587749402011-07-23T17:28:00.001+01:002011-07-23T18:50:23.659+01:00

 Today, I washed some alpaca.  I have three full fleece, around 1 kg each, and I'm washing just the amount I think I can get dried each day.  As the weather is good today I washed a couple of trays full, and put them out in the sun. Pheobe likes fleece. Especially in the warm sun. Thinks Pheobe: "Well, it's nice and soft, and warm, but I prefer that Blue Faced Leicester you washed last

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-77088067746260898252010-11-28T19:21:00.002Z2010-11-28T19:27:04.120Z

A family photo - my three little three upright spinning wheels.Originally uploaded by Dorothy L A family photo of my upright single treadle spinning wheels. All production wheels, all developed from the traditional Scottish upright wheels taken by settlers to New Zealand. Click on the photo to see a larger version hosted on Flickr.On the left we have a 1976 Rappard Little Peggy. She's a two

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-50397823774002228472010-10-05T13:01:00.002+01:002010-10-05T13:07:27.014+01:00

I have just learnt about a current exhibition at the National Wool Museum of Wales, on until 8th January: Warp and Weft 2 - from handloom to production. This coincides with another superb event at the Oriel Myrddin Gallery in Carmarthen,Warp + weft, contemporary woven textiles, which features work by the following weavers - Peter Collingwood, Sue Hiley Harris, Ainsley Hillard, Makeba Lewis, Lucy

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-21757879484980507702010-08-08T13:43:00.003+01:002010-08-08T14:07:57.455+01:00

The YarnMaker website is back where it belongs and updated with PayPal buttons, an image of the cover and a pdf of the contents page.I had a phone call on Friday afternoon from the tech. department of my web host company, who assured me they have set up a warning email to let me know if a problem arises again (so the website won't vanish without warning) and given me temporary extra server space

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-27181187337226777002010-08-05T19:46:00.007+01:002010-08-06T12:47:21.768+01:00

I'm sure some of you have noticed that the YarnMaker website is down for the second time this week. The first time I was told it was something to do with volume of email I'd left on the email server having exceeded some limit. I don't know what the limit is, they have never sent me written details of the service and so I'm not clear in my understanding of how it works. I deleted all emails on

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-66980918974315036302010-07-06T15:14:00.020+01:002010-07-06T16:54:21.985+01:00

The first edition of YarnMaker is coming together, and a subscription form can now be downloaded from the website www.yarnmaker.co.uk for anyone wanting to book their copy in advance of publication.The admin side of business is demanding for a newly set up company, but talking to people who want to write about their special interest makes up for all the dull moments, and assembling the articles

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-91247444620409884282010-04-19T20:49:00.004+01:002010-04-19T21:02:43.026+01:00

My new website is now up on the 'net, see here: YarnMaker: handspinning from fibre to textiles, it's a fairly basic site for now as I am busy working on the first edition, I'll revise it when the magazine is in print.Thanks to everyone who is taking an interest, I appreciate your enthusiasm and support.

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-44342051529086081132010-03-29T22:27:00.009+01:002010-03-30T16:37:49.897+01:00

I have reached the point where I need to declare a blog holiday, though I'm sure regular readers have spotted a slowing up in posts and detected a lack of weaving time.I'm not short of things I want to make and write about, and there's pile of books by my desk that I was going to review. Top of the pile however was the wonderful true live adventures of Christopher Aslan Alexander, described in

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-80159486520431793302010-03-20T14:42:00.003Z2010-03-20T15:02:44.596Z

Lesley recently commented on my blog post of 2 years ago My Workshop "Dot your studio puts me to shame. I have the space but it's a total mess!". I wish it looked today like it did back then. If it looked like that I'd be able to get to the warp board and wind a warp, and I could be weaving on my Toika loom.I thought of taking a photo of how it is today, but I didn't like looking at the photo

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-24155415180666671892010-03-07T18:03:00.008Z2010-03-09T17:53:26.003Z

My sister pointed out that I haven't blogged for a while, days have slipped past here and I hadn't realised how they were turning to weeks, so here's a bit of an update on a couple of projects.I finished the scarf that I was weaving with a handspun madder warp and have enjoyed wearing it the past couple of weeks. Here it is pictured with one of the scarves I wove last year. They both had

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-16560278818934655632010-02-22T21:41:00.009Z2010-02-22T22:54:56.207Z

I could ask you to guess what is pictured below:For most people this is an unsual sight and unexpected, probably not a fair question.This is the underside of my Ashford Traveller spinning wheel.Ever since I got this wheel I was trying to track down and eliminate odd creaks and groans from the wheel. I tightened and replace many screws. In spite of my efforts it was getting more creaky, and

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-24780061418103496432010-02-09T16:44:00.005Z2010-02-09T17:19:51.867Z

I have always loved willow baskets and for sometime now been wanting to learn to weave them. I bought books, tools and a some willow a couple of years back, but then I was stuck. None of the books I had told me enough to give me the confidence to get started.In the middle of January I happened to pick up the Derbyshire County Council Adult Education brochure for Spring. In it I found a one day

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-15762692864936787342010-01-30T14:30:00.004Z2010-01-30T15:20:20.897Z

Just before Christmas the first prototype bobbin made by Mike Williams for my antique spinning wheel was ready to test.We calculated the diameter for the flyer whorl based on information in Alden Amos's "Big Book of Handspinning" which is the only book on handspinning I have found which addresses the mechanics of how spinning wheel works. Mr Amos writes extensively on the subject of "

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-66051404273856526632010-01-19T18:12:00.005Z2010-01-19T18:29:10.060Z

Deborahbee left a comment on my post Handwoven Scarf, from the wool to the finish that I think deserves a detailed response:I want to use some 2 ply handspun but am nervous of holding the tension.I have 6 ends on the warping mill and then lost confidence. I am going to re read your posts seeking tips.I think you are probably finding, just as I did, that handspun wool yarn feels different to the

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-17026396318574959142010-01-01T23:00:00.002Z2010-01-01T23:54:55.640Z

It is very wintery here, yet another day and night below freezing and a while to spring, however, the extra daylight is noticeable and the extra cold might mean less slugs about the garden in the springtime. I think it's time I thought about what plants to grow this year and got my seed order in. I need madder seed for starters. Madder doesn't like soggy ground, unfortunately the place where

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-27347738444170001432009-12-31T14:26:00.011Z2010-01-30T15:14:53.510Z

(Click on the photo to view at a larger size.)Having decided red is a good colour for a scarf for my Mother, I went to Wingham wools and bought a collection of dyed merino tops. The rich shade they call "cherry red" became my starting point and reference for selecting the other shades.I picked out a couple of reds darker than the cherry, then a pink, to balance the pink I chose pale and deep

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-32824317649618487072009-12-24T22:48:00.004Z2009-12-24T23:09:26.174Z

The shortest day and longest night are past, the snow lies deep around us and this part of the world looks like the picture of a Christmas card. It is beautiful and peaceful.The days of December have been slipping by fast, in part because of an ambitious present, a special something for my Mother's Christmas day birthday. It's a handwoven scarf from handspun wool, my first ever weaving project

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-69725097925747063672009-12-04T20:25:00.002Z2010-04-12T11:44:01.663+01:00

I thought you might enjoy some photos showing how beautiful the wood of my antique spinning wheel is after applying beeswax polish using 0000 grade wire wool and then polishing with a soft cloth. (The red bow is a cotton cord made with a lucet, just a temporary tie until I get a leather shoe lace.)I can't do more with this wheel until I have the flyer back and a prototype bobbin to test, that's

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-44930228786014132832009-11-27T16:45:00.004Z2010-04-12T11:44:51.874+01:00

I really have no space left now for anymore weaving or spinning equipment, and one or two spinning wheels (of 5) may have to go. But I think I'll be keeping this one:This elegant wheel was advertised on ebay, and to my astonishment no-one else bid and I got it for the starting price, which had probably been set too high too attract general interest. Maybe also a rural location and need to

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-38079074866186670622009-11-17T15:54:00.005Z2009-11-17T17:30:50.829Z

My Mike Crompton Band Loom has a new tension block in place and I'm weaving a trial band, this is the new block -It's longer, and a better fit in the width than the original -With a warp on the loom and the tension wound up tight, there is minimal sideways twist now,We are also testing a guide plate on the side of the block, to counteract the tendency it had to tip forwards under tension, if it

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-51946298264036900902009-11-06T21:12:00.001Z2009-11-06T21:16:44.225Z

I did eventually got a warp onto my Mike Crompton inkle loom. It's actually easier and quicker to warp up than the smaller Ashford inkle loom, because it's less fiddly. I can stand next to it and wind the warp as easily as using a warping board. I also found it comfortable to sit at for weaving, and light enough to move from one room to another depending where I want to work.The photo in my

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-1606923124417270562009-10-29T18:45:00.001Z2009-10-29T18:49:54.826Z

I have woven Janet Phillips' sample blanket again!I wondered why I was doing this, I thought of other things I could weave, but there's no getting away from it. The sample blanket in linen was very different from the same in cotton, and the only way to learn about these weave structures in wool and be able to compare the way it behaves to the way the other fibres work, was to wind the warp,

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-1905832216266308032009-10-23T22:40:00.003+01:002009-10-23T22:55:44.674+01:00

While my Henning Band Loom is being repaired I decided to try out patterned band weaving on my inkle loom, following the instructions in Anne Dixon's "Baltic Style Patterns on the Inkle Loom".This is Anne Dixon as in the recently published "Handweavers Pattern Book" or "Handweavers Pattern Directory" as they call the U.S. edition. She has also published three booklets on Inkle weaving which are

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-62001520324883637902009-10-18T16:28:00.003+01:002009-10-18T16:47:00.300+01:00

I'm still getting my strength back after being ill so long, and at the same time trying to lead the life of a healthy person. I reminds me of trying to skateboard when I was a kid. You get on it and find your balance, and off you go, then one little wobble and suddenly your off - you have to pick yourself up, rescue the skateboard from where it has shot off without you and crashed into a tree

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-12254716951639863752009-10-02T22:00:00.004+01:002009-11-17T17:32:13.597Z

There's generally a lapse between me weaving something and writing about it, but with all the excitement of inkle weaving and my new Henning band loom the story of weaving Janet Phillip's sample blanket in linen yarns is over a month old. This is what I was up to at the end of August. I had this on the loom between my Japanese Indigo dye sessions.A fellow weaver asked recently if I use a temple

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-87574824295006931892009-09-28T18:45:00.000+01:002009-09-28T18:48:23.120+01:00

Here is my new Mike Crompton floor standing inkle loom, purchased from Frank Herring & Sons. I included a stool to give an idea of height, and where you sit to weave on a loom like this. It has a screw tensioner and all the pegs are removable, handy for storage and also for changing the loom layout to suit a different warp length.I know... it would look better with a warp on, and you'd like to

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-49101371271311632012009-09-28T16:30:00.007+01:002009-09-28T19:16:52.154+01:00

This blog post is going to be more pictures than words, as I don't know much more about this loom than what I can share in pictures. We'll start with the single sheet of paper that is all I have to tell me what this loom is. There is no instruction book. You can click on any of the three black and white images below to see them enlarged.Editing to add: I have just looked at the above picture

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-45207122321762650552009-09-25T16:00:00.000+01:002009-09-25T16:27:27.066+01:00

In August I got out my linen yarns, warped up the loom and wove Janet Phillip's twill sample blanket in linen. I shall write about that soon, in another post (or two). I loved the look and feel of the linen so much I went off to GTM Sales to buy more of their lovely yarns.When I got back, I got side tracked. I had four colours of yarns that looked so lovely together I wanted to weave inkle

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-45756240200523947602009-09-19T23:00:00.005+01:002009-09-19T23:57:37.607+01:00

For a second time, I filled a jar with leaves from my Japanese Indigo plants, covered the leaves with water and left them soaking.(Other names of this plant are Persicaria Tinctoria, formally Polgonum Tinctoria, also called Dyer's Knotweed).There were less leaves in the jar and I left it for 9 days (instead of 7) because I was busy with other things. The yellow colour of the liquid around the

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-83368377192852729702009-09-09T13:00:00.001+01:002009-09-09T13:11:33.195+01:00

I expect it is normal for new weavers to start with a simple loom, maybe a small second hand 4 shaft table loom, or a rigid heddle loom, just to get the idea of what weaving is and see if they like it.I started with an 8 shaft Toika floor loom, after a couple of years added a table loom to the collection (8 shaft Leclerc Voyageur) and now I have bought my first dinky little 2 shaft loom, a dear

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-21327489511969117012009-09-03T15:22:00.006+01:002009-09-08T14:26:17.029+01:00

In the centre of this photo is a pale jade yarn which I dyed a week after the other yarns, in the remains of the dyebath.When I finished the first dye session I had poured a very yellow looking solution back into my Kilner jar. I wondered whether it was very yellow because of becoming over reduced, and whether there was any dye left. The instructions that were given to me with the plant seeds

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-63080161777875120962009-08-26T10:53:00.006+01:002009-09-08T14:26:50.448+01:00

These skeins of yarn (commercial spun, not my spinning) are all dyed with indigo from Japanese Indigo plants (Persicaria Tinctorium) grown at home, on the front room windowsill and in the greenhouse.The yarns in the top row are a Traub worstead spun wool, in the bottom row spun flamme silk from Gaddum & Gaddum Ltd. (I intend to use these yarns in weaving scarves).And this is what the plants look

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-1308505572159163472009-08-22T11:00:00.010+01:002009-08-22T14:52:49.329+01:00

There's a delay in getting my post about indigo dyeing to you, I went to the library today with a memory stick to upload photos for my blog (I can't upload any from home due to our firewall settings) but found when I got there that one important photo was missing. I'll try and get it sorted out on Monday.So instead, you're getting a post about our cats and some friends.This cat is nobody's cat,

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-62575355275848485742009-08-15T21:40:00.003+01:002009-08-26T16:15:49.138+01:00

That's right, colours not death!!I'm beginning to feel more myself, in fact, I feel quietly normal 3-4 hours a day which is really useful. My brain is starting to work again so I can formulate ideas and then carry out tasks involving different stages and co-ordinating things. Hurrah! Better not get excited now and try and do too much, just in case it winds the clock back.It took about 3 weeks

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-7863419880679098732009-07-24T21:43:00.005+01:002009-07-24T22:46:28.225+01:00

I'm feeling better most days now, so that's much better than a month ago. I can manage a short walk - but yikes! Where did my muscles go! At least the consequence of a walk is normal muscle aches rather than the horrible achy virus fatigue - and I love getting outside, whatever the weather.I've still the swollen glands, lost my voice the other day when I went round to a neighbour's for an hour

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-50411933347979007052009-07-12T12:21:00.003+01:002009-07-12T13:47:40.873+01:00

I am very glad of having heaps of interesting books to hand.For about ten days now I've felt able to read a book. In order to read, I need to be able to concentrate for at least half an hour and take in what is written. I can do that now. I can't read lots, but I can read a bit most days and enjoy it.On my bad days (Thursday and Friday were Bad Days) I feel no better than I was a month ago.

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-43535102905155566362009-06-27T10:56:00.004+01:002009-06-27T11:10:52.565+01:00

Shani has discovered this wonderful weaver before me! Do read her excellent blog post.I was listening to Radio 4 this morning and there, on the travel programme Excess Baggage, Sandy Toskvig (who it turns out weaves on a 4 shaft loom) was talking to weaver Ismini Samanidou, this is a quote from the Excess baggage web page: "about her travels from Mexico to Malaysia and from North Carolina to

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-40140959354432299172009-06-27T09:00:00.002+01:002009-06-27T11:25:55.821+01:00

I wrote the post about Ismini Samanidou in a moment of inspiration.However, I know that there are many kind and thoughtful readers, including those of you who left messages on my last post or have e-mailed me about my health. Thank you so much for the caring and supportive words which have helped me get through the past month.I don't like writing about me - the one subject I think rather boring!

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-11644049900901743482009-06-02T15:56:00.005+01:002009-06-02T16:41:53.249+01:00

This blog is supposed to be about my weaving, spinning and dyeing, not about me.Temporarily, I'm writing about me. (I don't expect to leave this post in my blog archives.)As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I've had 'flu. Last week I felt a lot better. The week started with a glorious sunny Sunday and we went to a rare plant fair in the grounds of beautiful Adlington Hall. I found a some very

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-25924232209300780782009-05-15T22:19:00.003+01:002009-05-15T22:34:50.004+01:00

I had an e-mail last week from a weaving friend asking where I had written about lashing-on. I couldn't find it myself straight off, in fact I had to use Google to find an entry in my own blog!So now, for my own use and for the benefit of anyone else who can't find old entries, I have made a page to index my blogs about loom set up and weaving. See top left.Yes, I've done a couple of other

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-90737925893634719732009-05-08T15:43:00.003+01:002009-05-08T16:05:50.303+01:00

Surprise, surprise, another new book..(?) o.k. you already know, I collect books like nothing else...This is a good one. The best bit is that having bought this book, there's a long list of other books I thought I might want that I can now say I don't need. I might borrow them from the library instead(!) but I have got myself a reference book that covers many different knitting techniques. This

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-86626859395643778482009-05-03T16:33:00.001+01:002009-05-03T22:54:46.223+01:00

I have been thinking about sketchbooks, prompted by Nigel and Peg who are both interested in approaching weaving from the angle of new design. Peg is now keeping a sketchbook on her computer - this link will give you a glimpse into Peg's e-sketchbook.Nigel and Peg both like the book Creating Sketchbooks for Embroiders and Textile Artists, by Kay Greenlees, pub. Batsford, 2005, ISBN 0-7134-8957-X

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-26981661567552964992009-04-28T21:55:00.001+01:002009-04-28T21:58:06.736+01:00

At the weekend I wove the next of my sequence of scarves on a Noro Kureyon Sock yarn warp.I am very, very pleased with the result. The weft yarn is Araucania Yarn, hand dyed, from Chile. I took the photo of the scarf in progress so you can see the colours in the warp which are cool shades of brown and grey and how the warm brown shades in the weft set it off.The weave pattern is a 4 shaft

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-8599211011855814512009-04-19T11:01:00.001+01:002009-04-19T12:44:00.190+01:00

The message has been passed around weavers in the UK that a company called GTM Sales Ltd. in Stalybridge had bought up the end of stock from an Irish firm, William Ross, which closed recently.A couple of weeks ago I enjoyed an afternoon out, I drove over to Stalybridge (not far from my home) and found their office on the ground floor of a wonderful old mill (note: this is not the building

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-32959818278865381432009-04-11T22:23:00.006+01:002009-04-12T09:47:56.110+01:00

I have a wonderful new book that arrived in the post today, I must tell you about it...Actually, I have a number of wonderful new books that have been turning up in the post and I've been keeping quiet about it. I have totally failed so far to keep to my planned book budget. My sister reminded me that the same thing happened last year when I said I was going to stop buying books - that time I

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-2073388298223165842009-04-07T21:20:00.004+01:002009-04-07T21:37:14.343+01:00

When I wrote the green scarf woven on a Noro Kureyon Sock yarn warp, I mentioned that I was puzzled that the selvedges that looked so neat on the loom were a bit wiggly after the scarf was off the loom and washed.I think I have solved the puzzle. It came to me at an odd moment, as answers often do. I suddenly recalled that all the time I was weaving this scarf I was learning more about letting

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-62461291833262407792009-04-05T11:04:00.002+01:002009-04-19T12:48:45.453+01:00

I had no knowledge of handweaving until 2005. It didn't exist in my world. I suppose I'd heard of it, I think I'd seen an odd loom in a museum, and I have a vague memory of visiting a village of artisans in France on a french exchange trip as a schoolchild where a handweaver sat at a loom weaving a rug.I'd also only once seen a spinning wheel, in a museum at Ironbridge but what I remember most

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-38140883296172791112009-03-24T11:02:00.005Z2009-03-24T18:17:08.009Z

This is my second scarf woven with Noro Nureyon Sock yarn for warp and Trekking sock yarn in the weft. Set at 15 epi, woven on my Leclerc Voyageur loom. I'm really delighted with this scarf, it looks amazing with my favourite red jumper (seen in this badly lit photo).I wore it to work and the reactions were very interesting. A couple of people were unreservedly amazed and impressed. A couple

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-3983943112022646492009-03-21T13:36:00.003Z2009-03-21T14:23:55.731Z

I was going to load up pictures of my weaving today, but when I got down to the library today, for some unknown reason their computer won't link to blogger, so no photos today.Instead, Deborah has asked for some tips on getting a dye garden started, good books etc.These are my book recommendations for learning about plants you might use and growing them:Dye Plants and Dyeing, by John & Margaret

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-59975952276553719292009-03-07T14:30:00.001Z2009-03-07T14:49:11.479Z

A couple of weeks ago I wearily escaped from the work on Friday afternoon just before the shops were closing, and there across the street was the wool shop. I could walk past and go and find my car.. or I could walk in the shop. Hmm. I walked in and bought some sock yarn because I liked the colours. They are Noro Kureyon and Sirdar Town & Country.I just looked at the combination of yarns and

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-34263596491931583782009-03-03T21:33:00.003Z2009-03-03T21:47:24.778Z

I've been strongly tempted several times in the past month to write about my day job and explain what is going on. But I think it's better not to blog at all than to mix work and pleasure! I've got some photos taken now of the first weaving project on my new Voyageur loom, but I can't upload photos from home and couldn't get a library computer booked until Saturday a.m. I've been having fun and

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-63946570375630302382009-02-19T19:32:00.002Z2009-02-19T19:37:45.485Z

Before you ask... I'm getting settled into a new day job at the moment and different working routine. So I don't wear myself out, I'll let the job settle down and then fit the other bits of my life back around it.I have been spinning wool and flax, planning several weaving projects, and reading some good books, so it's not all-work-and-no-play. I'll be back when everything fits into place.

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-18768329369878788452009-02-08T15:00:00.000Z2009-02-08T15:08:33.067Z

The photo is a bit out of focus, but here's a domestic cat (Pheobe) showing how her well her camouflage is adapted to the domestic environment (!)Tabby stripes and twill stripes:Leaving cats aside for the time being, this blanket is one of a small collection we have woven by Keith Stow, a weaver living in Sowerby Bridge, Yorkshire, who I understand finally retired about 3 years ago. I wish I'd

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-72661590508011646552009-01-30T22:40:00.004Z2009-04-19T12:53:40.946+01:00

Are you ready?Here are the boxes:part unwrapped:and after a couple of hours unwrapping and putting bits together... it's a Leclerc Voyageur, 24" and 8 shafts.Note it was very well wrapped indeed - many thanks to Frank Herring & Sons of Dorset, they were very helpful in answering questions, delivery was prompt and their packing left nothing to chance. Of course I was rather tempted to buy the loom

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-18221618638747194332009-01-26T22:10:00.005Z2009-01-26T23:41:37.497Z

It's a coincidence that there's been a few significant changes in my life at the start of 2009. Mostly not related to my fibre / weaving interests, so I'll just mention in passing that the start of a new working hours and different work locations last week kept me from writing about the many things I'm thinking about and working on in my 'spare' time.So, where shall I start? Not with the new

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-43852197020029269832009-01-12T16:24:00.004Z2009-01-13T22:09:06.043Z

In writing my bibliography I was startled to discover I had not written about a very, very good book that I discovered last year on silk. I did write on "Silk: what every weaver should know", with details of other books, so I must have purchased this particular book after I'd published that entry. I also wrote last May on the local history of silk spinning and weaving.I was hunting high and

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-31050134487218327792008-12-31T22:20:00.002Z2008-12-31T22:46:27.826Z

I've been working on a Bibliography for my blog, for which you'll find a link in the sidebar. This has entailed reading back through all my blog posts and running back and forth to the book shelves to check details. It's a task I was indirectly prompted to do by Leigh - who asked several months ago if I would think about joining up to the Library Thing. I had time this week to look at Leigh's

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-44186555221163208812008-12-23T20:55:00.007Z2008-12-23T22:57:58.397Z

I've been meaning to get back to writing about colour, and hanging up multi-coloured Christmas lights in our front window on the evening of the winter solstice brought back many thoughts about colour.There is a fashion for blue Christmas lights. A nearby town has a magnificent tall Christmas tree, it passes muster in daylight, but at night the sole decoration tiny blue lights leave it looking

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-47216788343664095702008-12-13T16:16:00.006Z2008-12-13T19:13:32.673Z

I have both end feed shuttles (2 makes) and boat shuttles (2 makes). I am going to write here about my Crossley (no longer made, were also sold in the U.S. as AVL) and Schacht 38 cm end feed shuttles and my Schacht boat shuttles.I also have an Ashford shuttle, for some reason this one likes to dive down and vanish to the floor through the middle of my warp threads. Instead of weaving with this

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-33766498371331212612008-12-08T17:35:00.003Z2008-12-09T11:45:52.633Z

Funny thing is, I don't know what "meme" means. But I know I've been tagged by Leigh to go to my 6th photo folder and pick the 6th photo. So off I went, and I pulled this one out:Click on the picture to see it enlarged.I took this photo of the hares in January 2007, I was leaning over the back wall at the top of our garden. The hares were moving very fast and covering a huge amount of ground.

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-32845047896929709302008-12-04T16:11:00.025Z2008-12-04T18:45:21.427Z

Here is a reminder of my latest warp colours:I set out to weave a colour sample in more muted colours than I used in my first colour sampler in September, see below.I spent a long time not getting started on this 2nd sampler, wondering how useful / important it was. Now it is done I am very pleased with it and feel it was well worth while. Not only did I get to explore how different colours

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-71776195604926603602008-11-21T13:13:00.002Z2008-11-21T13:27:13.753Z

Many thanks to Peg for the series of posts she has written this month showing how she prepares her loom for weaving.The first one she wrote, on 3rd November gave me an idea. Peg uses a table behind her loom. When I first read this it slipped into the back of my mind. When I came to put a warp on my own loom last weekend, and I was thinking through the process, I remembered the table. So much

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-31459292218379625272008-11-18T15:13:00.015Z2008-11-19T11:15:54.466Z

My loom now has 14 treadles, all set up and working beautifully, the warp is on and I'll be weaving later tonight.Here is part one of the story.The difficulty with adding treadles is that, as Sue commented on my last post, it unbalances the loom unless you add shafts at the same time. The countermarch system doesn't have "balance" in the name, but it is all about good balance. The weight of the

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-9684203583102076992008-11-10T23:24:00.003Z2008-11-10T23:40:14.874Z

It's late, and I'm tired, and I shouldn't be sitting up at the computer... but I wanted to tell you about the new treadles for my loom. I haven't got them yet, but they are promised. It all came out of a discussion after tea this evening about wood and woodworking and the progress of the new staircase, and I mentioned that if I had more treadles I wouldn't have to use the universal tie up for

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-4791971682350323612008-11-09T17:20:00.004Z2008-11-09T18:05:02.313Z

As you can tell from previous posts about my weaving, I'm interested in learning about the use of colours in weaving.My colour samplers taught me that some surprising colour combinations worked well together. It also taught me that the same colour combinations in a different weave structure seemed to behave differently.I decided it was time to read more about how others understand colours and

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-71217883626790549102008-11-07T23:01:00.003Z2008-11-07T23:34:55.335Z

I thought I'd better respond to Barbara asking where I am in the comments to my last post. Hi Barbara! Hi Everyone!I'm not exactly hibernating just now, just a bit quiet ;)I don't normally write about the rest of my life here. I don't like particularly like talking about myself, so many other subjects are so much more interesting! However, I think I'd better explain that I'm a bit weary at the

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-62205622847664692252008-10-21T17:36:00.001+01:002008-10-21T22:41:36.997+01:00

O.K., so you knew that, or to quote molesworth ""as any fule kno"" (see end). The import of my chosen title is this - what one woodworker has put together another can modify / adapt / rebuild as necessary.So, having for some time thought that my loom didn't look quite right and might not be the proper shape, and then I after getting irritated during the last piece of weaving by the upper jacks

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-28562619344261281822008-10-18T17:41:00.000+01:002008-10-18T22:21:24.535+01:00

Here's a picture of me in the second jumper knitted to my own pattern:Sorry about lack of smile for the camera! I was a bit anxious about whether I had got the set up right - I was using the camera's self-timer setting and had to guess the focusing. The camera was on a book shelf pointing in roughly the right direction and I just hoped for the best. It worked - what a super camera! I'm using

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-52026575515119012342008-10-13T17:37:00.010+01:002008-10-13T20:08:41.292+01:00

I wanted to take a series of colour photos of two more colour samplers that I've just finished weaving. You may recall that I took lots of photos of the first two, having taken them outside on a sunny day. Since I finished these samplers on Friday we have only had sunshine at times when I am at work. I'd hoped to get photos this morning, but it was particularly grey and dark.Maybe some other

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-41982161295397554052008-10-06T16:19:00.001+01:002008-10-06T19:51:56.774+01:00

We have a large garden where there's spaces for interesting weeds to lurk. This means I can always find useful dye plants, such as nettle, dock and bramble.Early this summer I dyed some Shetland wool tops with nettles from the garden. I have learnt by this experience and consequent advice from more experienced dyers that if you put combed wool tops in the dye bath they felt a bit. Oops!

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-56524144001874598782008-09-26T16:19:00.003+01:002009-03-24T18:18:51.378Z

I have completed two samplers on my 15 colour warp, one in plain weave and one a 2/2 diagonal twill. There's enough warp left on the loom to weave another but I'm taking some time to think about what else I want to try out.We enjoyed a few days of Autumn sunshine last week (wonderful, after a wet, grey Summer!) so one fine afternoon I took my samplers outside where the light was good and took a

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-63510987043980597802008-09-22T16:19:00.000+01:002008-09-22T19:41:44.964+01:00

Texsolv heddles are slippery things. If you aren't careful they slip easily out of your hand. They slip off bars that your thought you'd just put them on, and they need handling with care to make sure you have them in the correct order on both the shaft bars.Adding extra heddles on to my loom for the my latest sampler, I found that a cardboard shuttle bobbin just fits the hole in the end of

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-53680875752952891612008-09-18T16:19:00.041+01:002008-09-18T18:45:21.184+01:00

Here at last are the pictures of my colour and weave sampler. I didn't take one of the whole thing, but dimensions are approx 30" wide and a bit over five feet long.There are 16 different colour repeats across the width - see my earlier post for details - and the same colour repeat patterns are repeated in the treadling, first in plain weave and then in twill. Pattern & treadling sections are

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-51800425296906679302008-09-12T17:41:00.001+01:002008-09-12T19:21:38.384+01:00

Sitting here, looking out of my window in the Derbyshire Peak District today I see dull greens, and lots of grey. There's a few bright colours around the garden, but typically for this summer the dominant colour is mid to deep grey sky and light grey mists.This latest weaving project is therefore particularly appealing. Here's the yarns again:I'm setting up to weave a multi-colour sampler to

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-19925370216495398562008-09-08T17:37:00.018+01:002008-09-08T19:24:29.586+01:00

Still no colour and weave blanket photos. If you read my last post, you will know that it is at Quarry Bank Mill, Styal, Cheshire (England) this week in the annual exhibition of the Alsager Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. I'll get it back next Sunday evening (14th) and photos will follow thereafter.So, as consolation, here's a gallery of photos of getting the colour and weave warp on the

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-55006074157267515032008-09-02T22:39:00.004+01:002008-09-08T17:45:03.038+01:00

I hope that's the question on your mind - where is that colour and weave sampler?Not here, is the answer. I've not got it.It was off the loom last week, washed, I ironed it Thursday night, but before I'd taken any photos it became an exhibit for the Alsager Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers 2008 exhibition. As did my Janet Phillip's sample blanket and the chenille sampler.The exhibition runs

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-80916709414919375452008-08-24T12:41:00.006+01:002008-08-24T14:01:51.337+01:00

I have bought two more weaving books. These are not books that I needed. They do not really add anything to my weave book collection and don't tell me anything I didn't know... but I think most of you know that I am a great bibliophile and can't resist a good book.That being said, I've made a resolution not to buy any more weaving / spinning / dyeing books this year and instead to start saving

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-51653831598133025272008-08-17T17:35:00.007+01:002008-09-08T17:44:27.871+01:00

... or Color and Weave for those of you over the Atlantic.I'm just taking a break from sleying my reed. My latest sampler which is a colour and weave experiment takes nearly the full loom width. It occured to me that it's a good idea going out to maximum width on a sampler before I try it for something special, so that's something extra that I'm getting out of this project.I wanted to stop and

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-69020469445688365082008-08-16T23:06:00.002+01:002008-08-16T23:35:25.529+01:00

"Why blog?" seems to be the question of the moment, and I've read some interesting answers from other people.Here's why I blog.Because Leigh kept saying I should... 'cos I have a lot to say. Wasn't that nice? Some people say I talk too much, but when something grabs my interest it gets my 100% attention and then I'm away. I have never been one to do things by halves. All or nothing.Then Peg

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-68751636413823984162008-08-05T17:36:00.001+01:002008-12-10T01:11:28.766Z

After my twill sample blanket was off the loom, I had a couple more metres of warp to use. I'd been quite generous with allowing extra - the sample blanket is 3m long, loom waste on my Toika Norjanna requires 1.5m and I'd made a warp of 6m just in case anything went badly wrong and so there was plenty to play with.After a couple of days of thinking about trying different patterns, or a different

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-59875457021577185812008-08-02T16:33:00.000+01:002008-12-10T01:11:30.539Z

Where does time go? Over a week since my last post, and I've had these photos saved on blogger, waiting for me to write about them for nearly 4 weeks... there's never enough time for everything I'm trying to do!More sample blanket pics - or as a review of Janet's book in the latest Journal of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers suggests it will come to be known: "The Phillips Blanket".So, where am I up

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-21447305218684929262008-07-22T12:57:00.016+01:002008-12-10T01:11:31.809Z

Last night I finished knitting a little jumper for age 3-6 months, knitted in a Trekking sock yarn and wonderfully untraditional baby colours. It took less than one 100g ball to knit this. The pattern, and idea for using sock yarn, is from Viridian Yarn, and the person who put me on to this idea was a very kind and helpful shop assistant at K1 Yarns shop on West Bow in Edinburgh. I wanted to

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-86833598412943546242008-07-20T11:00:00.000+01:002008-12-10T01:11:33.055Z

Janet Phillip's book directs countermarch loom owners to use a universal tie up to weave the sample blanket - unless you have 14 treadles. I have 10 treadles.I had heard of universal tie up before, and although I could understand easily how with a jack loom you can tie one shaft to one treadle, I did not see how on earth it could work for a countermarch. Generally, with countermarch looms the

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-1154533131581917252008-07-17T17:00:00.001+01:002008-12-10T01:11:34.690Z

Here are photographs and some of the story of how I got my sample blanket woven. This special blanket was designed by Janet Phillips and the instructions for weaving it are in her new book Designing Woven Fabrics.This was not only the widest warp I have used so far, but also the most complicated as the ten different weave structures had different numbers of threads and there are two green

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-75997890121228576832008-07-10T19:03:00.004+01:002009-11-17T17:33:00.039Z

From this box of yarns I ordered from William Hall & Co.:(not the yellow, that's for another project)I have woven this:With a determined effort, weaving 8 different patterns each evening for the last couple of days, I finished my sample blanket before going on holiday last week. This is the blanket designed by Janet Phillips. Her book, Designing Woven Fabrics, gives the instructions for weaving

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-75398606305648389102008-06-29T14:14:00.005+01:002008-07-20T11:50:33.700+01:00

There are 50 treadle patterns in the sample blanket I'm weaving from Janet Phillip's Designing Woven Fabrics, (see also Janet's website) and so far today I have woven no. 38 which is a shadow twill and no. 39 which is weft Bedford cord. Plenty of "ohs" and "ahs" going on at my loom today!! Love that shadow twill. Photos will follow, another day.I had this comment from Kas on my last post:I

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-70169363071566671292008-06-24T11:19:00.004+01:002008-07-20T11:51:12.356+01:00

As the title suggests, I've been making weaving a top priority for my spare time the past couple of weeks. Another priority has been getting two new cats settled into to our home, 1 year old Annie (a little black bundle of energy and fun, she'd been stuck in the cat sanctury from 5 months old and was raring to go... talks non-stop!!) and 2 year old Pheobe (aunt to Annie, altogether a more

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-22922798375137995312008-06-04T21:55:00.005+01:002009-11-17T17:33:23.421Z

Those yarns I ordered.... I have wound my warp, the warp is wound on the back beam and now I'm threading heddles.I made lots of mistakes as I started before the cat died and my concentration was not good then, nor for a few days after. It's improving. It's good to have a very interesting project. I'm taking photos and will have a report on this in the next week or so.My project is to weave

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-2296884049662873572008-05-29T13:13:00.002+01:002008-05-29T13:24:16.562+01:00

My cat, Oscar, is gone now.Thank you everyone for your kind comments.When my grandma met him she said "Oscar is a proper cat". He was.

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-17749065032980682752008-05-24T22:24:00.002+01:002008-05-24T22:43:50.786+01:00

Intermission, as in pause. I'll be back. I'm knitting but not weaving at the moment. Planning weaving, spinning projects etc, reading knitting patterns, weaving patterns and reading about silk production, but not much to say just now.My cat is dyeing.My time has been spent going to the vet, lying awake at night grieving, trying to look after the poor thing and also trying to appreciate when he

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-37364327915613044882008-05-13T13:32:00.000+01:002008-05-13T13:40:23.820+01:00

Yesterday I wanted to plan a yarn order. There are two particular projects I have in mind. The first is to weave a twill sample blanket, following instructions in Janet Philip's new book, Designing Woven Fabrics.This requires 6/2 and 12/2 cotton yarns. Most helpfully she gives weights of yarn required in her book. I am going to alter the colours slightly. The two main colours she uses are

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-78143606990344018442008-05-10T12:05:00.001+01:002008-12-23T18:41:33.469Z

I've been lent a most readable history book, East Cheshire Textile Mills, published in 1993 by the Royal Commission on The Historic Monuments of England, now, sadly, out of print.I live in the west of Derbyshire, close to the Cheshire border, and one of the mills featured is a watermill only 20 minutes walk from our house. This book brings together places and buildings I know with the story of

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-53324387657217260522008-05-04T22:40:00.000+01:002008-05-04T22:58:16.505+01:00

I have a new book, it is A Fine Fleece: knitting with handspun yarns, by Lisa Lloyd,just published by Potter Craft in the U.S., ISBN 978-0-307-3334683-4. I'd seen a couple of brief reviews of this book and thought that I'd buy it on the basis that if I didn't like it I could probably find another home for it without too much trouble. It arrived a couple of days ago, from Amazon U.K. (for £12.59

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-17313905293341374372008-04-28T19:49:00.000+01:002008-04-28T22:01:53.771+01:00

I've been stuck at home for the past week with a bad viral infection. When not asleep, sipping hot drinks or knitting (it got so bad for a couple of days I couldn't knit...) I have spent more time than usual at the computer.I've wandered around the 'net a bit, and I had fun going through the blogs signed up to the Weavelist. I was interested to see that many of the weavers on the list also knit

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-86453612825938192742008-04-28T00:39:00.001+01:002009-04-19T12:54:56.292+01:00

I was going to write about this very useful book a couple of months ago, I took the photo but didn't get much further than that. At the time, there had been a discussion on the Weavetech discussion list about identifying what type of fibre was used in a yarn by carrying out a burn test. This book includes burn test information.It is:Handbook of Textile Fibres, by J Gordon Cook B.Sc.,Ph.D.,

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-55230424213515302802008-04-23T18:11:00.000+01:002008-12-10T01:11:38.450Z

The dyeing I have done, before this month, has been entirely with natural dyes. I never intended to only use plants stuff and natural dyes, but the more I used these dyes the more things there seemed to be to explore. I love the natural dye colours. Living as I do surrounded by a beautiful landscape, the natural dye colours are the colours of the world I live in.However, I must confess that I

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1825758438498694806.post-84964097516751615232008-04-21T18:08:00.000+01:002008-12-10T01:11:38.768Z

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a problem with my inkle bands - the first few inches woven were uneven, especially at the edges.I warped up the little loom again last week, thinking about this problem as I did so. I wind the warp around the loom first, and then put the heddles on (yellow threads in the picture below). The yellow heddles are restraining alternate threads, the un-restrained

Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488670649558382921noreply@blogger.com1