tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272540152024-03-18T14:31:30.379+13:00 Unravelling Weaving, Trying to Make Sense of my Time at the Bottom of this Planet, Occasionally Tending our Sisyphaen Patch
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by the Goddess of Procrastination and Expert ForgetterMeghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.comBlogger2480125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-47757897491262963672024-03-06T16:34:00.003+13:002024-03-07T09:45:27.168+13:00Agriculture Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJgqmt5fRs0NK3ga2xh-PoWKknjHgAZegnxQtz9vLHx721W-bKcT0CVrQwBikjofyDgtfXAeLWzxyywx44iw0vRdQf8ivjTlYV9PrxmlNv_roGYHTKvBzwC_sRhDwDbSyZHRK-pZ0vqXPjPwlQh53APPq0g1QZaetcxpP3_zaofrh2gajbLER/s3968/IMG_20240306_103127p.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJgqmt5fRs0NK3ga2xh-PoWKknjHgAZegnxQtz9vLHx721W-bKcT0CVrQwBikjofyDgtfXAeLWzxyywx44iw0vRdQf8ivjTlYV9PrxmlNv_roGYHTKvBzwC_sRhDwDbSyZHRK-pZ0vqXPjPwlQh53APPq0g1QZaetcxpP3_zaofrh2gajbLER/s320/IMG_20240306_103127p.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">The temperature has cooled down a little in the last fortnight, although it's bound to go back up again as we only entered autumn six days ago. Our last 20% of Roma tomatoes have not grown in size, nor turned red, nor even orange, and many seem to be just hanging in there for that last blast of heat. The minis did worse - they started falling off in their respective stages of growth, so we picked everything and pulled out the plants. I hope to put in some broad beans after cleaning up and feeding the soil.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">It's only a momentary reprieve after the harried summer of veg, as there is so much, (more than I can ever hope,) to do in the coming wet season. I was feeling angry at being deprived of my best weaving season, (I weave more in the summer,) so I'm trying to make the most of now.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * *</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXGevMiIMn7miTqe7fJWdjdmjMJT68QvIReJ2WVXK4IMP2zqKaKj2tM8shwXo6UmkL5wUUdWHB5iwdSu1UdN75EUNt07F9RnWiG83JV0HoM6dT3BFPO1Wyw6WE4QMEGbQSDlDKG731REs36ZzsAq9b5xWG7qvFcUsZCTKmKWhrbOcV9aLfLEH/s3081/IMG_20240305_154445.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3081" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXGevMiIMn7miTqe7fJWdjdmjMJT68QvIReJ2WVXK4IMP2zqKaKj2tM8shwXo6UmkL5wUUdWHB5iwdSu1UdN75EUNt07F9RnWiG83JV0HoM6dT3BFPO1Wyw6WE4QMEGbQSDlDKG731REs36ZzsAq9b5xWG7qvFcUsZCTKmKWhrbOcV9aLfLEH/s320/IMG_20240305_154445.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><p>I wove a second, smaller sample with wefts I have enough of to weave proper
pieces. My beat is better, although the fell must come a little
further forward for best results, and the warp needs advancing more frequently. I have managed to come up with a more readable way to print the treadling, and marked some of the picks, so it should be easier but I still get confused. The treadling isn't all that complicated, so I persists, but this cognitive decline annoys the heck out of me. <br /><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;">Anyhoo, my thoughts about weft candidates: I'm going to compare colors which are near each other in the sample, bypassing a green in one pic with a yellow in another behaving similarly against the warp. I might sound as if I'm contradicting myself in that respect, but I'm good; I only wanted three or four good options. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeBgh2Vk0H-6Ve9E7fPNq6cVkGdzDuqSxrnAXYUVcp_AwcXXAhZl5CQ9z5WdpErEM_BBQ8XtXYwgYYS6NBcNfXHz8-9_s7L4vGQ6K1k9NbXFbg81orLV1JKvTKShBF6WDdIQdON3yTT-5SxZ7tjMKhKKKAuMqIqJWqn2lltKsZARxK9Yu0UOZ/s3950/IMG_20240306_162200.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="3950" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeBgh2Vk0H-6Ve9E7fPNq6cVkGdzDuqSxrnAXYUVcp_AwcXXAhZl5CQ9z5WdpErEM_BBQ8XtXYwgYYS6NBcNfXHz8-9_s7L4vGQ6K1k9NbXFbg81orLV1JKvTKShBF6WDdIQdON3yTT-5SxZ7tjMKhKKKAuMqIqJWqn2lltKsZARxK9Yu0UOZ/s320/IMG_20240306_162200.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I still like the lighter colors that don't overwhelm the delicate variation in the warp, while Ben still prefers darker values. Above, I find the top pale blue somewhat overwhelming; the middle yellow green friendlier; and the bottom "lime sorbet" slightly subdued. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFf4m4SKJbeeytE-Wed71pHSbRa_5QGGSrwZLIpGAKy7IUDopPSgoO9IkRZL0Bujl6WZfniUQbEALhVx2zcGlFnBXKmMrdmBE8DKpeZ7TWw1r2YVYojxW1NSgxjabRT-__TJPIYuBq5b8WmSS7bsZlMywwZ7ggJ_HoEQppahwpJzzJSraxJqmC/s3968/IMG_20240306_144213_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1392" data-original-width="3968" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFf4m4SKJbeeytE-Wed71pHSbRa_5QGGSrwZLIpGAKy7IUDopPSgoO9IkRZL0Bujl6WZfniUQbEALhVx2zcGlFnBXKmMrdmBE8DKpeZ7TWw1r2YVYojxW1NSgxjabRT-__TJPIYuBq5b8WmSS7bsZlMywwZ7ggJ_HoEQppahwpJzzJSraxJqmC/s320/IMG_20240306_144213_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Here, the top yellow is slightly brash; the middle dirty yellow too dominant; while the bottom dirty yellow lovely. The interesting thing is, the two bottom dirty yellows are in fact very similar colors, so much so when they were in the same bag, I wasn't sure if I had two colors or just one. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFziCDtVLl1Pu7Eoy0Z2MArHaoLI-vv-ZKAU9mx9CHYvet_XDjWKE7BHuEfQQgp7lHMIaKJE3poIifyF0PqfdT251JyigoJVKLdxo2pBcA1V8gAVUAnz0XQ5hpyv7yZ29zF6vC9UrqKVsdg6rtV90OruCME3fsuyPZqvfQhW4N3eRsFOovqDW/s3968/IMG_20240306_144313.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2180" data-original-width="3968" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFziCDtVLl1Pu7Eoy0Z2MArHaoLI-vv-ZKAU9mx9CHYvet_XDjWKE7BHuEfQQgp7lHMIaKJE3poIifyF0PqfdT251JyigoJVKLdxo2pBcA1V8gAVUAnz0XQ5hpyv7yZ29zF6vC9UrqKVsdg6rtV90OruCME3fsuyPZqvfQhW4N3eRsFOovqDW/s320/IMG_20240306_144313.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">This warp highlights very slight differences of hues and values of the wefts. Looking at the second sample made me return to the monochromatic part of my first. When I wove it, I liked the palest gray best, even though it muddled the hues of the warp, making it look dull. Today, I prefer the medium-light gray, (the bit sandwiched between pale gray stripes,) as it shows off the different hues better. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm not sure which one I'll start with, but I have enough good options now. I also made a couple of new drafts with shorter treadling repeats; they look like simpler versions of the first draft. I am thinking of weaving three pieces with different treadling, or not; if I get used to the longest original treadling, I might stick with it. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8S8Npgdo7n1aIehDWx4e-do_CwXXlu2JGnaN6kh2RuEJuNAQocf2V-U0x40qyGryTa6fmDhlEzGf4eYQdP_qRQAirRJzZoXhxHZ7jPz2OvjyniEGc1sInvOT7zXBzyrOzAU32gYCCnxWx21IqBCoh9LSMgZwM3lbggNF59-801S-xNbXqsyH2/s3968/IMG_20240305_154642.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8S8Npgdo7n1aIehDWx4e-do_CwXXlu2JGnaN6kh2RuEJuNAQocf2V-U0x40qyGryTa6fmDhlEzGf4eYQdP_qRQAirRJzZoXhxHZ7jPz2OvjyniEGc1sInvOT7zXBzyrOzAU32gYCCnxWx21IqBCoh9LSMgZwM3lbggNF59-801S-xNbXqsyH2/s320/IMG_20240305_154642.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thinking further about solid colors which can show off these drafts, I came across some "natural" colors/browns in the bottom of one box. The two on the left are yak yarns from our usual cashmere source. I knew she had them, but I stick with what I know, whereas my mom bought anything. I don't think she's ever woven or knitted with yak, but I'm reading about them now and I might use them in combination with cashmere. Apparently yak yarns don't full <i>at all</i>, so I'm not thinking of using one in the warp and the other in the weft, but some testing will be forthcoming.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">EDIT: I take back some of the vehemence I feel about the fragmented/eclectic nature of Mom's yarn stash. If she hadn't ventured into cashmeres, I never would have on my own, and I am glad she did. Still, it's a heck of a messy lot. :-D <br /></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-7261409391166813142024-03-01T17:43:00.003+13:002024-03-04T21:59:46.057+13:00So, That Took a While... Or, Yet Another Glutton for Punishment Project? <div style="text-align: left;">Goodness, this recent lack-of-idea phase was long and thorough. I wrote paragraphs after paragraphs, but they looked all the same: "Joy, blah, blah... Interesting, blah, blah... I don't want to... " Even I tired of hearing/reading me. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I think one reason was I wanted more complexity than what I am used to weaving on four shafts, but also the speed and physicality of a foot loom. For whatever reason, I revisited old draft files, and found an "options" file. I make these when I'm brain-storming with myself, after setting the parameters like purpose, fiber, color, size, loom, "the look", etc. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOTzErFVUiL_oJp2AIAsMsxys4fzbli1RWo2qP_wxfoUQdR5YGY_ML5kVcJhJ-lK-R-5qLZAaAsApC_ElQSvdfOs62vN8f__We6T9UljIeyVuJ4skmbEjjkiDaYind8GukSOh0PsvPR1Sgb4_u400x_wm6nnspMizgWKWJ5wDAjfEXNk0wG0S/s1878/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20152023.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1413" data-original-width="1878" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOTzErFVUiL_oJp2AIAsMsxys4fzbli1RWo2qP_wxfoUQdR5YGY_ML5kVcJhJ-lK-R-5qLZAaAsApC_ElQSvdfOs62vN8f__We6T9UljIeyVuJ4skmbEjjkiDaYind8GukSOh0PsvPR1Sgb4_u400x_wm6nnspMizgWKWJ5wDAjfEXNk0wG0S/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20152023.png" width="320" /></a></div>This file is so big I can only show you a portion but you get the gist. This is also a very fun phase of any project. The original project was a commission for a solid red piece using 100%
cashmere one way and 70% cashmere/30% silk the other. You know pattern
was paramount. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9cr2Fw4mlqs83_BfhxyKNmMFQILTlPwa8ctgBWSHdoTtKKmUm0QxNtI2d_ARALyHgP__HzhLdgPoHrTt0gzrVyGnAjYyW82PgMsQklbzIgmJJOC_niRmfw049ifKweeDPrNBkXVQg4xYYffq8s8Zvfl9kOM5QNiTAuIO8KAuXoVGmVfovFI_/s1265/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20153518.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1131" data-original-width="1265" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9cr2Fw4mlqs83_BfhxyKNmMFQILTlPwa8ctgBWSHdoTtKKmUm0QxNtI2d_ARALyHgP__HzhLdgPoHrTt0gzrVyGnAjYyW82PgMsQklbzIgmJJOC_niRmfw049ifKweeDPrNBkXVQg4xYYffq8s8Zvfl9kOM5QNiTAuIO8KAuXoVGmVfovFI_/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20153518.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I manipulated a section, trying to create movement, and came up with this. Not bad. Except it's not the best answer for the current project, because I decided:</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">1) I would use one of the pre-made multi-colored warps, which will <i>not</i> show the pattern effectively. In fact, neither warp was wide enough for a threading repeat, so I used them both. The value variance in the right warps makes showing off the pattern even harder. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntjIxwo7rIGPsTQQVqlgPofgSlyO7XC-Yd3EEu_PyVIp5UDdJVPmzmVR7aLAOX8jN-jzziI0FWmAffXiTC_82M_WPHhI7AHPwKW1PiapM7st7TFNb3pssuLP93FjWeqH1ehoWMXkzMo0mV_CEY87YctIvTwye4-m2p_8bpuB-IT7j41PHTTqF/s3968/IMG_20240228_143430.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntjIxwo7rIGPsTQQVqlgPofgSlyO7XC-Yd3EEu_PyVIp5UDdJVPmzmVR7aLAOX8jN-jzziI0FWmAffXiTC_82M_WPHhI7AHPwKW1PiapM7st7TFNb3pssuLP93FjWeqH1ehoWMXkzMo0mV_CEY87YctIvTwye4-m2p_8bpuB-IT7j41PHTTqF/s320/IMG_20240228_143430.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">Gah!<br /><br />2) I wanted to sley this at 16EPI rather than my recent standard 18, because it's cashmere, and 16, (or even 15) makes the feather-weight fabric I can't from any other fiber. The ultra-heavy underslung beater makes controlling the beat difficult, so the diamonds are bound to be flattened, but this is something, with practice and vigilance, I should be able to manage. <br /><br />3) Though woven on four treadles, each treadling repeat is long with a succession of similar-but-not-same sequences. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPo30h2NqP-eQQTEWFS7QaNg9KNtz4esB_KEQLefLELWQL1A7gvDlBFt_dMpUviy-z6cvj0boUqSN8ORw1w4-ExvoDOGzeoKvcgSjhmSSif8GCjTt8tsh5dwbALop6BMbzZ26Qj2BvHBlOHAelD72FRowFmjvj5BN-udN3ajC1e098OIZ-tlmz/s3968/IMG_20240301_161711.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPo30h2NqP-eQQTEWFS7QaNg9KNtz4esB_KEQLefLELWQL1A7gvDlBFt_dMpUviy-z6cvj0boUqSN8ORw1w4-ExvoDOGzeoKvcgSjhmSSif8GCjTt8tsh5dwbALop6BMbzZ26Qj2BvHBlOHAelD72FRowFmjvj5BN-udN3ajC1e098OIZ-tlmz/s320/IMG_20240301_161711.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>(Not sure why this pic looks so blurry but trust me on this.) With my
non-existent short-term memory, I tried two ways of printing out the
treadling, but I still lost my place constantly. I can print it out with
even fewer rows/columns on each sheet but having pages and pages on my
flimsy music stand feels awkward. I also wonder if I can find a small
magnetic board to go on the stand so I can use magnets to help: I had a
desk-top version when I was a secretary. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Alternatively I could simplify the treadling, which sounds saner, but I haven't given up just yet. </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyPd4cCtc_R0YReKo01qDC0eelIolXyzC0VYfwAeUTHIYWcLljH15X030Clez6hf8P_NVmjhLfbsb9dp6BHJbAQ27kWVg9EJPMWscCnKZR7qawBe0yDkUuQksajoTaxPO7_uwez1xG8CvCVhbEfCmycYUsm3ISMtOGi6XTfd_ZtDRqG84wfh-c/s3968/IMG_20240301_141837.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyPd4cCtc_R0YReKo01qDC0eelIolXyzC0VYfwAeUTHIYWcLljH15X030Clez6hf8P_NVmjhLfbsb9dp6BHJbAQ27kWVg9EJPMWscCnKZR7qawBe0yDkUuQksajoTaxPO7_uwez1xG8CvCVhbEfCmycYUsm3ISMtOGi6XTfd_ZtDRqG84wfh-c/s320/IMG_20240301_141837.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yoNL7R__EsNpOd2lqLxKXMd1mrFQrvZLXtqZPfEyAL8VJ1ifs0CH8dMKlFlLa8oFZFrWCYQVYWPZ6n8Aoqy_Tgi6hLFpTuBlc7wnF9L45KCtf6DICsY9YDU8kh7bntRZlusqqP1EpPp37McBpF9mmwg9XzJtxmhKgmaNvHXCiVk6EriGXM0a/s3968/IMG_20240301_145456.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yoNL7R__EsNpOd2lqLxKXMd1mrFQrvZLXtqZPfEyAL8VJ1ifs0CH8dMKlFlLa8oFZFrWCYQVYWPZ6n8Aoqy_Tgi6hLFpTuBlc7wnF9L45KCtf6DICsY9YDU8kh7bntRZlusqqP1EpPp37McBpF9mmwg9XzJtxmhKgmaNvHXCiVk6EriGXM0a/s320/IMG_20240301_145456.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">4)
After sampling, I didn't like the bitsy stripes made with dark
purples on the right, so I moved one and removed nine. It looks
tidier. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIr0QgTKj_9kmT0hYrdFGb7hna7gBc5GJTExt0W6cpUtUvgqNwFgl5MyoAKYT8n0UgX1nPVCkD9MoOktLbjURkTERm6vNXyiyIgpHYD0OcwxcXJe8pOaGjbVS8DBXhetUIaFdY4omHSniP04Jd05ruw65zS0I0j_42xtnGRDQ5rq-2AnLMg9M/s3968/IMG_20240301_161202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIr0QgTKj_9kmT0hYrdFGb7hna7gBc5GJTExt0W6cpUtUvgqNwFgl5MyoAKYT8n0UgX1nPVCkD9MoOktLbjURkTERm6vNXyiyIgpHYD0OcwxcXJe8pOaGjbVS8DBXhetUIaFdY4omHSniP04Jd05ruw65zS0I0j_42xtnGRDQ5rq-2AnLMg9M/s320/IMG_20240301_161202.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">Moving on to the first sample. It's a big one because I needed to
practice gentle beating and gnarly treadling. All the wefts were
cone-end bits or thrums so it looks bumpy, and I don't necessarily have
all these colors for a proper piece. Never mind, this is only
preliminary. I sampled 100% 26/2, 100% 20/2 and cashmere/silk 18/2. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAB-Ei4U9kUyLzJm9Ql5pVkZVokuLUABSVBJrYkSRWVseQny-pjcIk3R-shCN7i0OgM8Kv0vGiN5SNMCh1R6po3YYaFKiR7OkE1rskR2ig0OV-Bw_twTWAX-IShRABThyvjdA60xNvgtvQFaOh_bdnJRwlSUxmhYrcn4y_kLcMAddfJheo_tqy/s3968/IMG_20240301_161225.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAB-Ei4U9kUyLzJm9Ql5pVkZVokuLUABSVBJrYkSRWVseQny-pjcIk3R-shCN7i0OgM8Kv0vGiN5SNMCh1R6po3YYaFKiR7OkE1rskR2ig0OV-Bw_twTWAX-IShRABThyvjdA60xNvgtvQFaOh_bdnJRwlSUxmhYrcn4y_kLcMAddfJheo_tqy/s320/IMG_20240301_161225.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Cashmere doesn't full much, but the cashmere/silk (in pale pink) doesn't full at all. On the other hand, you can see how the lustre shows off the pattern even against warp ends with similar values. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCN_VLQ5xkxwDySxxaXvGwar4vSxGpUrBUi-Bqvri7k7ead9mxII_Xl2P5QZj1yNDVixosGK-6MlZxXUlo9RYYqwGAv0f8n1-OZVBNPizFxUhIPoO3Fhn_dT6rbpZkGux6W7eXBiRbxc0PkfvxppepsVRGZYe5kKsLnP3WIX-c6yLzx3NRA_pc/s3968/IMG_20240301_161404.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCN_VLQ5xkxwDySxxaXvGwar4vSxGpUrBUi-Bqvri7k7ead9mxII_Xl2P5QZj1yNDVixosGK-6MlZxXUlo9RYYqwGAv0f8n1-OZVBNPizFxUhIPoO3Fhn_dT6rbpZkGux6W7eXBiRbxc0PkfvxppepsVRGZYe5kKsLnP3WIX-c6yLzx3NRA_pc/s320/IMG_20240301_161404.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Because I had a lot of achromatics, I tried different values, and I liked the palest gray best, although it does wash out the hues in the warp. White or black work, but I'm not a fan of either as a solution to dealing with "difficult" color combinations, so if I'm going in that direction, I'll look for the palest of yellow or green, or dark blues and purples. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisahO_u6QLPYpLtVEc6EllD8wwyo3QTErC_p8U_P5JjBJyNDv0XyotXSqgf8kAZs5Kco6p4FnIhsuov-r32WcIfTDanQ2HqRztkdNOAjla1kpIJUjOSOU_4TO5qAl6N30ZG3KYDvtd0OgC09mMJxtPtFrOr0a6tVYku5ThUz2iv1bYColy56qG/s3968/IMG_20240301_161350.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisahO_u6QLPYpLtVEc6EllD8wwyo3QTErC_p8U_P5JjBJyNDv0XyotXSqgf8kAZs5Kco6p4FnIhsuov-r32WcIfTDanQ2HqRztkdNOAjla1kpIJUjOSOU_4TO5qAl6N30ZG3KYDvtd0OgC09mMJxtPtFrOr0a6tVYku5ThUz2iv1bYColy56qG/s320/IMG_20240301_161350.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Of the colors sampled, I liked the very- to medium-pale yellows and oranges the best, but Ben said, "Today, I like the dark ones because I can see the pattern." He's not wrong there. <br /><br />Coming up next: practicing the beat and treadling, (not giving up yet,) while auditioning weft colors I have enough of to weave a piece. This is a 10m warp, so I hope to get two long pieces or three short. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Also, consider solid, or "very close" color warps for this or similar drafts to really show off the pattern. That is so my thing. <br /></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-50810084114487143062024-02-10T14:57:00.000+13:002024-02-10T14:57:05.414+13:00I Daresay I am a Better Weaver Than a Weeder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsG1iNLFv9w_oZJCJGyk0uGA-yWdPFYFz-obXi46lnMalP2Ez0UPYvyx-lCTfR1NU4lvn0VcbSm3jy_XseP4g3jXLB2VCR319gzCl1yCj502isLwr1nUv41d6MY-VYtK0thSJQjFTRMssMOm3ct9PMYcJneBDeyCPNTXPkoZChSseguzLsTAT/s3968/IMG_20240210_130309.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsG1iNLFv9w_oZJCJGyk0uGA-yWdPFYFz-obXi46lnMalP2Ez0UPYvyx-lCTfR1NU4lvn0VcbSm3jy_XseP4g3jXLB2VCR319gzCl1yCj502isLwr1nUv41d6MY-VYtK0thSJQjFTRMssMOm3ct9PMYcJneBDeyCPNTXPkoZChSseguzLsTAT/w320-h240/IMG_20240210_130309.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In the last days of January, I made four cotton warps in quick succession, still struggling with blues. Then I did nothing for 11 days weaving-related. Even though I've been fairly productive and healthy this summer, (take away a couple of days on a couple of occasions I was knocked out by vaccination side effect; I never ever used to be so "delicate", even as recently as my second Covid jab!) Normally I wouldn't worry about the 11 days since I'm now retired, but I did promise the new Suger Gallery Shop manager on December 19 I'd come around with a few things in the new year, (therefore becoming semi-retired,) and now it's <i>February</i>, heading towards <i>mid</i>-February. Not only have I not done that, I don't have anything I want to show her on hand, nor made plans. <br /><br />OK, I lied. I thought about it quantitatively a lot, but qualitatively nada. I've been thinking of a "quick" cashmere warp or two on the 4-shaft jack, but I don't want to make "boring," so I'm stumped. We've arranged our furniture in the living room last October, so I can't set up an 8-shaft there, either. So the choice has been either an interesting piece on 4 downstairs, or on Klick in the stash room, which involves much tidying up and putting away, which I don't mind as long as I have a good project/idea/plan, but I don't. Yet. Plus, I had to put away my warp-making thinking cap because, seriously, I'm trying to reduce the number of pre-made warps, and did quite well last year, so I don't want more without weaving some first. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWH40nNizYB5qUC6pigLJJVZwYkoEMKq0hGe2rUNxyMrIwf7d2ibgBcBzfbESyjmANR8QZM8FgCYCxbPhAjUx23BJTjBS5aVMzgRGosWKupvV5R3or0GecVwo674rjqINzjimAL_pbrT6CX9H1RmdEsUbPnD3XtfhtrnKfD3GsxvDtdaM6VFSa/s3968/IMG_20240207_073953.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWH40nNizYB5qUC6pigLJJVZwYkoEMKq0hGe2rUNxyMrIwf7d2ibgBcBzfbESyjmANR8QZM8FgCYCxbPhAjUx23BJTjBS5aVMzgRGosWKupvV5R3or0GecVwo674rjqINzjimAL_pbrT6CX9H1RmdEsUbPnD3XtfhtrnKfD3GsxvDtdaM6VFSa/s320/IMG_20240207_073953.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">What I'm learning is, unlike flower gardening, (the way I grow them,) veg growing is such a high-maintenance, every day job, weeding, checking bugs and ripeness, and at our place, checking daily or even several times a day for wind damage. We've had 50- and 60kms winds on several occasions, and 30kms all the time. I untied the tomatoes from stakes at one point so they don't break where it's tied, and stuck and restuck stakes a few times a day so the plants lean on them instead. That I have them growing more densely probably doesn't help, (or does it?); some natural attrition has occurred, and I manage to weed as much as my arms reach, so they are doing OK, but in spite of their good looks, are far from ripe. Yesterday was a rare cool day I could stand to have the oven on, so I slow-roasted the reddest looking ones, but they were so not ready none of the dried pieces had the summer sweetness of acid-free toms. <br /><br />This veg-growing is like having kids or pets, I tell you. <br /><br />While I await my orange gems to ripen, there are other signs autumn is definitely approaching, and with that comes the exciting/dreadful prospect of the cold/wet-weather gardening. I'm mindful my arthritis has been oh-so-much better since I stopped pulling out the really difficult weeds and break clay. This summer I told myself it's OK just to pull the top of the weeds, when I do weed, because it's been so dry and getting the roots out is too difficult. But also, I've managed less and less every hour/day/week I work outside, so even on conscientious years, the sum of work I get done year have been curtailed, not to mention our weeds came through 60cm of mulching once. So what's the plan this season? Do we want to grow veg again next year? And if not, do we have a long-term "solution"?? <br /><br />Some days I get so angry having to balance gardening and weaving, when I have ideas or plans I'd like to work out, especially because if I weave, I get scarves, but if I weed, in two or three weeks the weeds come back, in some cases more robustly because I made nice gaps for them to grow into! In a way, this has been nagging me since last April-ish, particularly this summer since I tend to get more weaving time in the dry, hot season. While the thought of growing into a nice old lady pottering around a nice old garden is (somewhat) inviting, and I do genuinely dislike living amongst so much mess, "old" is the key; I have to take care of my body and apply due caution, not to mention, think of how many good weaving years this body got left. <br /><br />* * * * * <br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">An intriguing thought that requires further thinking: the lockdown internet activity as an equalizer of sorts. <br /></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-69066089815878672662024-01-23T18:36:00.000+13:002024-01-23T18:36:19.434+13:00Tuesday Instinctive or Experiential/Learned Knowing Blues<div style="text-align: left;">One of the things Esther brought up last Tuesday was: there are things she knows, (in/about her making, but also in life,) which she doesn't have to think/test but can rely on. While I agreed on principle, I wasn't sure if it applied to my weaving, with the exception of a small portion about colors, and even that, I wasn't sure. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Esther has been in ceramics for a <i>long</i> time, and a gallery art educator for as long or longer. While I have no doubt she has instincts, my immediate thought was she must have learned/harvested skills from her formal education in teaching and ceramics, and her years of creating class contents based on artworks and artists in a given exhibition. In other words, at least part of her instinct/knowledge must have come from and were improved by her experience, i.e. "learned". At the same time, I don't want to deny (possibly/seemingly) unlearned instincts exist, for her or for anyone, because these "where did that come from?" type surprises <i>are </i>some of most pleasurable experiences in our making, and produce some of the most satisfying outcomes. <br /><br />It's easier to talk about me, because I know some things about what goes on inside my head, but more because I knew next to nothing about weaving before I began. I knew names of a few natural fibers and some of their characteristics as a wearer/user, (mostly care instructions,) but looking back, so very precious little else. In my case, it's safe to say, the knowledge I have about weaving that I don't have to test every time came from studying, experimentation, and experiences, including dismally failures. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Sett comes to mind. In early days, I sampled a lot and settled on a range of setts for each of my favorite yarns. I'm sure you have a similar mental chart of your favorites. I don't wrap them around a ruler, but start somewhere along these numbers and resley if necessary after sampling. That's my learned instinct/knowledge. <br /><br />I can't think of another instinct/knowledge just now, but that maybe one characteristic, learned or not; some instincts are passive knowledge which stops us from grabbing something hot in the oven with bare hands, (I do this oh-so-often!) although we may not think about it until we open the oven. Rosie, the bookbinder, and I laughed so hard one Christmas, because we both experienced being advised by respected/adored mentors to try alternative ways, which we <i>knew</i> wouldn't work for us, but we tried anyway spending precious material/energy/time, only to confirm we were right in the first place. We couldn't tell why we foresaw the disaster, but nevertheless gave it a go out of respect for the mentors, and maybe even hoped to be surprised/astounded/awe-stricken. Meh. <br /><br />One instinct/knowledge I put in the unlearned category is colors, although is it preference rather, and/or is there a difference? Most people have it, although in my case, the more I work with colors the less strongly I feel about my any one particular, thus my mantra, "there are no ugly colors, only ugly combinations." These days I use more of my All-my-life-until-2000-single-most-hated-color, orange, than navies, blues and grays.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I can tell you when it started: in 2000 I did a color studies course though the guild. As you can imagine, part of the requirement was to make color wheels and wrapped samples of different relationships like complementary and triadic. I had no orange paint, pen, coloring pencil, crayon, yarn, paper including origami, or cloth, so I bought a tiny tube of orange guache and the smallest, cheapest ball of yarn. The orange portion of the course felt disproportionately long and arduous, but as my mind took in complementary, simultaneous contrast, and the like, as the focus moved away from orange itself to more orange-ish and orange-in-relation-to-others, I became OK with it. Plus our living room windows face west and northwest, so if there is a sunset, we can't avoid it. (My high school colors were orange and blue; I never wore them, and it wasn't a particularly inspiring blue, so I'm good.) <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">After studying orange, I came to use orange in my weaving comfortably. In fact, it was almost thrilling at the start, knowing I conquered something. I also applied this with peripheral greens, (green is still not a favorite hue), and learned the usefulness of olive- and yellow-greens. Mind you, I liked yellows, so yellow-green wasn't a far stretch. I must add, even when I've studied a color, even when a color combination works, I can't necessarily elucidate why something works or why I like it. Sometimes it's merely a choice, not a necessarily preference of one over an equally good other; other times it can be out of habit. <br /><br />And now we come to the navies and blues, which are different "colors" in Japan. They have long been my favorite hues, and when in stores, fashion, ceramics/kitchen, even furniture, my eyes still spot navies first, then other blues, without my realizing. I have more navy blue yarns than any other single color. Yet I don't know if it's from confidence, conceit, or even fear, but I have never studied blues, just used them, and I've come to see my use of blues as haphazard, and results, accidental. They are not really considered, studied, and when they work it's because I happened to have/put together a nice combination. And I don't have confidence even if the result is nice. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">My brain now feels like it's on a loop. Instinct... Knowledge... and now preference... But one last point: Esther found it interesting I spend time studying colors I don't like, but not the ones I like. Touche!!! I couldn't explain it, but jested, "Japanese, female, Catholic," my shorthand for, "glutton for punishment." I spent so much time experimenting with merino, cashmere and skinny, mercerized cotton, too, so why not the color blue?</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * * <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXqBLlxM5jPevqsK8a0VbTuNUiXSxHWr-8pNzcohgcWBOcFCUCQyh9jq8XAj35VpIl1mJRbd_OGt6-MswfalbHGWEDzFtdKs38Xi0-Y81NPNC5pZI9Bxg81IC1waDmBhonJhtXSOwUS2kFueQ9iLdFT9e9-DwHbKzDFlOsNkM7dnMFnNIR8S8/s3968/IMG_20240123_171209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXqBLlxM5jPevqsK8a0VbTuNUiXSxHWr-8pNzcohgcWBOcFCUCQyh9jq8XAj35VpIl1mJRbd_OGt6-MswfalbHGWEDzFtdKs38Xi0-Y81NPNC5pZI9Bxg81IC1waDmBhonJhtXSOwUS2kFueQ9iLdFT9e9-DwHbKzDFlOsNkM7dnMFnNIR8S8/s320/IMG_20240123_171209.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">On the right is the second blue warp. Although the blue hues are washed out, I like it better because it's more harmonious. It's A-B-Aa-Bb repeating in narrow stripes, A and B second right and center blues below, shown in more accurate colors, and a and b being two middle yellows in the second last pic below. (I took over 30 pics of these warps alone, but did not get anything close to real colors.) <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLbEuVvrM9Z-_0_uW8bNtxT2dqac53D081VyrH1EedpUcI9BqAaF3e-IPJ1QwZLlDvPcZexYOV_FAkOq_LFeOuUE3xkhtVIo5LVpqzQTtK_x81QeaJxW4iZ1r6XHRQq9ewaIDPAEIO2fd9sWgUYGiO3UqI83kz5bifQbJxlHXiSp_izAieFsg/s3968/IMG_20240114_144024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLbEuVvrM9Z-_0_uW8bNtxT2dqac53D081VyrH1EedpUcI9BqAaF3e-IPJ1QwZLlDvPcZexYOV_FAkOq_LFeOuUE3xkhtVIo5LVpqzQTtK_x81QeaJxW4iZ1r6XHRQq9ewaIDPAEIO2fd9sWgUYGiO3UqI83kz5bifQbJxlHXiSp_izAieFsg/s320/IMG_20240114_144024.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">The colors in the first warp are closer to real life here, but the second right blue is still bleached. It's disappointing because it's one of my favorite colors among the 20/2 cottons, a cool Delft blue, so I made my "watermark" closer to it in the photo below. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7qenxjXsq-6NBFgLHC596E_0tqvJ5VEP-gkm05Ic04oNRNfAUhO_XH6dvAsGp92MXnqfmFPpw72ViNE69zr8evmmbaxlgmyvrgh_qoIQf5k9BlSgfrAOHyZTh7ZwnAoNA1gyJWTApO0jWVKxZe32TformuEh3IO53vQOOlkSf4MfhtOF01sz/s3968/IMG_20240123_170718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7qenxjXsq-6NBFgLHC596E_0tqvJ5VEP-gkm05Ic04oNRNfAUhO_XH6dvAsGp92MXnqfmFPpw72ViNE69zr8evmmbaxlgmyvrgh_qoIQf5k9BlSgfrAOHyZTh7ZwnAoNA1gyJWTApO0jWVKxZe32TformuEh3IO53vQOOlkSf4MfhtOF01sz/s320/IMG_20240123_170718.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I was going to make a third blue warp using only these two, in narrow stripe, taking out the yellows from today's second warp. But even in person, my favorite blue, on the left here, looks like a version of gray in the company of others, and since this is all I have left, I decided to save it for a more suitable project. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEP0dWKRgVHQcZAobjkbJmM-UiRX3j-tWhhpztL5zl3mBmP1ViFcp-0nDyS2m568eyOYFgZJ1hS45B81piMUiDZoCdhIH2ki6yqaLnlwueROApW7YpYZen0fOqUO-RqXSgfxK8NTQxJaBxFZnk7FhZdQZ3uzo3LtaiiEKE9g6Lyet0R8Kd1MY/s3968/IMG_20240123_163004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEP0dWKRgVHQcZAobjkbJmM-UiRX3j-tWhhpztL5zl3mBmP1ViFcp-0nDyS2m568eyOYFgZJ1hS45B81piMUiDZoCdhIH2ki6yqaLnlwueROApW7YpYZen0fOqUO-RqXSgfxK8NTQxJaBxFZnk7FhZdQZ3uzo3LtaiiEKE9g6Lyet0R8Kd1MY/s320/IMG_20240123_163004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Of course a yellow warp is always welcome, and I am looking at these now. Aren't they uplifting? <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgognAbhMMZvyAIIUD8pq-GGDQLYZ11p-Apc1m_06HuNHG7kfxxMAlehVFo97pCrj9N8MU6vjNIhGsfh3lPfNMG0mlw6rz1E0M7mr3QOv4g1J5egn0jwp62dDYlIUkSUbQKsjNyVnlP2JiiYhH6J04sR3JvRTKiTwr1ftCIZs1nd-jrRgTZF4gV/s3968/IMG_20240123_170606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgognAbhMMZvyAIIUD8pq-GGDQLYZ11p-Apc1m_06HuNHG7kfxxMAlehVFo97pCrj9N8MU6vjNIhGsfh3lPfNMG0mlw6rz1E0M7mr3QOv4g1J5egn0jwp62dDYlIUkSUbQKsjNyVnlP2JiiYhH6J04sR3JvRTKiTwr1ftCIZs1nd-jrRgTZF4gV/s320/IMG_20240123_170606.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm not a fan of teal, and again this photo doesn't show the colors accurately, particularly the far right with more yellow in it in person, almost like a darker version of the middle. I don't like teals as <i>colors</i>, but I know they do a fabulous job with yellows, making the cloth shine like metal. Yes, I'm thinking about that, too. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I hadn't visited my source's website for 18-ish months, and I was shocked to see <a href="https://www.deayarns.co.nz/cottons220.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">they may be whittling down the 20/2 colors</a> (two of the links don't work,) with half of what they do have being... green!! <a href="https://www.deayarns.co.nz/cottons260.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">While options for 60/2 is more attractive</a>, I can't see 60/2s well any more and I'm not sure if I'll continue to use them beyond what I already have, (<i>quite</i> a lot,) especially in the warp.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">To be continued. </div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-52538236030918171792024-01-18T18:46:00.000+13:002024-01-18T18:46:06.785+13:00Tuesday <div style="text-align: left;">Tuesday was Town Day. I had two medical appointments in the middle of the day but nothing else, so it started out at a leisurely pace.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_19JPUVUl4pWTXN5_q5iVHvNh-ASVsbF_aoEAmbWpnN4NxXZpBzlzVFzDSw4pwV0Qp4tfUpeyG22PyDkz5u4TEYgJtGEwGCK6d456MToWx-57E0YBYEVwogZYi4podYl9axGVvCmJlPl4p6pSx7Mj0gmMVIc_Ntzpfe7dbS-0cvb_lRNBX0f/s3968/IMG_20240116_092209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_19JPUVUl4pWTXN5_q5iVHvNh-ASVsbF_aoEAmbWpnN4NxXZpBzlzVFzDSw4pwV0Qp4tfUpeyG22PyDkz5u4TEYgJtGEwGCK6d456MToWx-57E0YBYEVwogZYi4podYl9axGVvCmJlPl4p6pSx7Mj0gmMVIc_Ntzpfe7dbS-0cvb_lRNBX0f/s320/IMG_20240116_092209.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>I took a picture of this fancy rubbish bin at the back of the PO Box station; (we no longer have post offices, just counters at the back of affiliated bookshops.) It has solar panels on the top part and compacts the rubbish x5 apparently. I'm glad it's there, but look forward to see non-fossil-fuel-generated power used in public places in a more meaningful way. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YdvnZwoV8qthiShh63fbcpM_i4NlORMWJ01GvNTEJ3-MwkCI3BhQorvOkh_yie-lLsXkXamtzrdYL6mBjFrwur-kUIna07j-RydPqSkofgbD6KFaBY_xKOSWb8lBjhVlqRag99OyKA_SERQidkTKgq4KszX_j3kjrYRTq6gXZQu4BVysuUBL/s3968/IMG_20240116_093452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YdvnZwoV8qthiShh63fbcpM_i4NlORMWJ01GvNTEJ3-MwkCI3BhQorvOkh_yie-lLsXkXamtzrdYL6mBjFrwur-kUIna07j-RydPqSkofgbD6KFaBY_xKOSWb8lBjhVlqRag99OyKA_SERQidkTKgq4KszX_j3kjrYRTq6gXZQu4BVysuUBL/s320/IMG_20240116_093452.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>This sign stopped me in my tracks; I don't know how to interpret it. A very well-dressed woman in her 40s (??) walked past, smiling; no, I'm a retired pensioner, thanks, but do you know what this means?? <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqo5pxz2d1D4Dz9-CkmWDI-FqfWbotUxPM3HFavknOXEdj2dD_7DisIoaZvbpvmejA04p_F7NqULBGMCQBy3t0GfzlPWG145xHFNtLv3tVJ6i5h2riar6qgcd3txi8_YQvyG_Lsuf0ys6oEqDsnP1J5CEh_YeFjXmZxZiaZ28_sEoFUi6bf0f/s3968/IMG_20240116_110009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqo5pxz2d1D4Dz9-CkmWDI-FqfWbotUxPM3HFavknOXEdj2dD_7DisIoaZvbpvmejA04p_F7NqULBGMCQBy3t0GfzlPWG145xHFNtLv3tVJ6i5h2riar6qgcd3txi8_YQvyG_Lsuf0ys6oEqDsnP1J5CEh_YeFjXmZxZiaZ28_sEoFUi6bf0f/s320/IMG_20240116_110009.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Out of habit, I check bookshops and their stationary/art supply section whenever in town. Luckily, I didn't desire anything on Tuesday, but I couldn't help being attracted to these covers that could be recreated on textiles.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8oHpP8Y93FwXHc3yJihoD1xgWkOstA-Dfr4vvPkP1g7AQjCkCpsvRTQGqF6ObMyjRnf0-B2KyXxdA-vEXcOEnFeQcVPdeO5nuHeScXtmXV8XCVOdJH2r-z-pocu-x7y20PgOdLHamJL8KLJ5SzZTwnDP83EpbVKb4usz34PWRuoou-951le_/s3407/IMG_20240116_110029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3407" data-original-width="2793" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8oHpP8Y93FwXHc3yJihoD1xgWkOstA-Dfr4vvPkP1g7AQjCkCpsvRTQGqF6ObMyjRnf0-B2KyXxdA-vEXcOEnFeQcVPdeO5nuHeScXtmXV8XCVOdJH2r-z-pocu-x7y20PgOdLHamJL8KLJ5SzZTwnDP83EpbVKb4usz34PWRuoou-951le_/s320/IMG_20240116_110029.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>I think of reworking <a href="https://www.megweaves.co.nz/search?q=pebbles+" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">my pebbles</a> all the time, and maybe this was a sign. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdwvuB9UvrnwGFiFRUd0Cg2YFtUuDSi1N1d6d6pZ_6TzWnx6yBNQBfqlNF1XvdxVC7JEEj50OmRzq_R-3JKz3OLTlmd4IsUaapisG9cSmCKheW0pCiQEJPS_v6_f8_lb3-F6bULD2RDmPk9Jd-FDZyNWWihDOB2VLckg6WF4fJeCrC-RTZ9rr/s3968/IMG_20240116_110136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdwvuB9UvrnwGFiFRUd0Cg2YFtUuDSi1N1d6d6pZ_6TzWnx6yBNQBfqlNF1XvdxVC7JEEj50OmRzq_R-3JKz3OLTlmd4IsUaapisG9cSmCKheW0pCiQEJPS_v6_f8_lb3-F6bULD2RDmPk9Jd-FDZyNWWihDOB2VLckg6WF4fJeCrC-RTZ9rr/s320/IMG_20240116_110136.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>And then I saw this cover and good thing I didn't like the inside, or else I might have concocted a weak reason to need it. Coming out of the second bookshop feeling smug about my economy, I ran into Esther on Trafalgar Street. It turned out we were both free mid-afternoon so we intrigued an Afternoon Tea. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aowSdseAtktqgQdk4WstqZQQ-sh1A5SQhm1lihxfYPI-aP27qAGc8mg51iir4LH5t7MdfDt7jCzhxRTIXf5GIAluIBcJqc0HexeKNsHSCAtRLNDhb3tjJam3cD2eTOt-VLscGADg2EOj0DmBljNUQfZGx1tPLZ_bg_EyZiJ0IQCkf2FBFG6h/s3968/IMG_20240116_121119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aowSdseAtktqgQdk4WstqZQQ-sh1A5SQhm1lihxfYPI-aP27qAGc8mg51iir4LH5t7MdfDt7jCzhxRTIXf5GIAluIBcJqc0HexeKNsHSCAtRLNDhb3tjJam3cD2eTOt-VLscGADg2EOj0DmBljNUQfZGx1tPLZ_bg_EyZiJ0IQCkf2FBFG6h/s320/IMG_20240116_121119.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The first appointment was my second Singles shot, the perks (???) of being over 65. As they advised I might, I reacted badly the first time, spending two days in bed, so I had cleared my already-empty calendar for the rest of the week. <br /><br />These outside the clinic, I wasn't sure if they were alstroemerias; the leaves and flowers say they are, but I don't know if I've seen bulby bits on mine. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2n-RH_Zs64_sgx_XQbKRlF63k5YHmhIukm1MGyHC9uCU5tgooqx_NuqnWuNFHUx4vgfElY83dXnDfvhA_M6QqD8M6_Y76pOFNBYZbgN3N5GWcGGpCNi9VmrQ7llerZHocIoquV8Cp38ziFMCdCZxro3e2ksD_HHSp451uBPI98xvrIbprj3c6/s3968/IMG_20240116_122959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2n-RH_Zs64_sgx_XQbKRlF63k5YHmhIukm1MGyHC9uCU5tgooqx_NuqnWuNFHUx4vgfElY83dXnDfvhA_M6QqD8M6_Y76pOFNBYZbgN3N5GWcGGpCNi9VmrQ7llerZHocIoquV8Cp38ziFMCdCZxro3e2ksD_HHSp451uBPI98xvrIbprj3c6/s320/IMG_20240116_122959.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Nelson doesn't have a lot of World Headquarters, so I had to record this for posterity. I then had lunch at Broccoli Row, a Vegetarian institution in Nelson with the same owner and at least two staff since they opened in the mid 90s. And they still do (Green Lipped) Mussel Chowder; we were hard-pressed to find a cafe in Nelson that didn't serve chowder when we moved here in the late 90s; these days, at the top of my head, I can only think of two other. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Then I went to my second appointment: mammogram. What worries me in retrospect is, the appointment took such a short time, and without being indelicate, the technician <i>didn't</i> squeeze the living daylights out of my girls as they have as long as I can remember. The machine was new, so can they get away with it? Because I'm willing to do this only once every two years. <br /></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">I went back to Broccoli Row in less than half an hour to meet up with Esther. We had some interesting talks about making, confidence, Internet-selling, and for want of better terms, instinctive-knowing vs experiential-knowing. I'm still digesting the words/ideas. <br /><br />One thing to think about, though, is when speaking to non-weavers, I assume they don't know much about weaving. It's worked while speaking with visitors to exhibitions, folks who bought my pieces, or to artists in other fields. But some of my friends, and Ben, have heard me bleat for ages, and from time to time I am taken aback by the depth of their understanding. I can't figure out how I should modulate myself. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7b_stYq6crsgCMcLWwpfbHvDuXlshowkHIfsunpiT-cg_dPW-yRZIR6PizscWWK9ZlkN-szEr8wftlCdaaGnxVGgc4STYAefQucwZ9pIACRZbP8cOvXaLeyOhcBY6rnxwzc-oBqmojRB2_vxMVqVKqMETHdjFgDXbr9QzXyAEmzXgt4lx9dq/s3968/IMG_20240116_155627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7b_stYq6crsgCMcLWwpfbHvDuXlshowkHIfsunpiT-cg_dPW-yRZIR6PizscWWK9ZlkN-szEr8wftlCdaaGnxVGgc4STYAefQucwZ9pIACRZbP8cOvXaLeyOhcBY6rnxwzc-oBqmojRB2_vxMVqVKqMETHdjFgDXbr9QzXyAEmzXgt4lx9dq/s320/IMG_20240116_155627.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Marge in her 2024 colors, near the bottom of the Cathedral Steps. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNSs1jxzTDr0jZIQfP-mHKRol3L4JSNfRBmgxGjdS-UNw6_JyTtAsbTdJ28FcTAfyKQu5owNaJCpbKeItPkuCPa_HFm-U_uvMX9HY-oWolB_Cr4-XOqniaFfle_c76jkaM2aBhM9C5aeFcEa5bW-de9TII7v6hI-Ru0zAOJJ_vR4jetVNXpaq/s3968/IMG_20240116_172427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNSs1jxzTDr0jZIQfP-mHKRol3L4JSNfRBmgxGjdS-UNw6_JyTtAsbTdJ28FcTAfyKQu5owNaJCpbKeItPkuCPa_HFm-U_uvMX9HY-oWolB_Cr4-XOqniaFfle_c76jkaM2aBhM9C5aeFcEa5bW-de9TII7v6hI-Ru0zAOJJ_vR4jetVNXpaq/s320/IMG_20240116_172427.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">On the loo door at Ben's work. Before going home, we went to the supermarket and bought dinner ingredients so I wouldn't have to "cook" for a couple of nights. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * * <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When I go into town, I try to get maximum stimulus for my making, but it's getting harder and harder as independent shops disappear and everybody carry samey merchandises. I was going to go to a couple of galleries, too, but the day turned out inadvertently social, so that'll have to wait. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYP8CEQxLAduS0jvZs-zjT0JMtVkSeACjJUXoxTEuUOPCGJgBaYOjtPu7rBkhp64gHLCNe5yp5JIHK2TuaF3FE0iUyBrLN_N0BwD6cP-bQN15A582HgrdlxhkMkaEY_Unn2URKfwCQzfnUipq8u5A-WldYqKhxGAdc6Y7J3pZZGhSRBCvukna_/s3968/IMG_20240117_095344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYP8CEQxLAduS0jvZs-zjT0JMtVkSeACjJUXoxTEuUOPCGJgBaYOjtPu7rBkhp64gHLCNe5yp5JIHK2TuaF3FE0iUyBrLN_N0BwD6cP-bQN15A582HgrdlxhkMkaEY_Unn2URKfwCQzfnUipq8u5A-WldYqKhxGAdc6Y7J3pZZGhSRBCvukna_/s320/IMG_20240117_095344.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>I threw out my old Delivery Slip pad with half a dozen forms left just a few weeks ago, thinking my Gallery Store days were over. But with a new manager at the Suter, and another possibility I've been thinking about for half a dozen years, I got a new one. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKPnKhyphenhyphenb5YiEQl0GxZ8oYEKjng5UwY05HNrd_2ZAtxt08HabiAZAxH-Iau26GaC2qi5CpGXeeNlwZoBDRgvqng1rWQxeQpzOS-HG4dD8OM15AugRicxItkH4lKfKHMgTPlbqgwOgS1JjTkT8VtQF87L04EIJ7a8_spDCxC4C1pk1wmaUqHh13/s3968/IMG_20240117_095552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKPnKhyphenhyphenb5YiEQl0GxZ8oYEKjng5UwY05HNrd_2ZAtxt08HabiAZAxH-Iau26GaC2qi5CpGXeeNlwZoBDRgvqng1rWQxeQpzOS-HG4dD8OM15AugRicxItkH4lKfKHMgTPlbqgwOgS1JjTkT8VtQF87L04EIJ7a8_spDCxC4C1pk1wmaUqHh13/s320/IMG_20240117_095552.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It was early but I started walking towards my clinic for the jab, hoping something will grab my attention for a half an hour on my way. Fate did not disappoint: I saw in the corner of my eye the top left ball of yarn in the window of a yarn shop Cruella. (We also have a cafe called De Ville in Nelson, because I know you had to know.) <br /><br />These are Shoppel Zauberball in singles; 75% Wool/25% Polymide, two on the left, and 100% wool on the right. The company also produces two-plies, and together I believe they are sold as sock wool. If you're used to merino or cashmere, even the 100% feel impossibly "tight", and I really didn't want Polymide anywhere near me, even if the label says it'll biodegrade in 5 years. And they are expensive, (I'd say "<i>very</i>",) at NZ$36/100g; NZ$67-ish for two plies but I forgot the weight. But it was the colorway on the left, (the two balls are of the same colorways,) that caught my eye in the first place, because they felt like <a href="https://www.megweaves.co.nz/2023/11/oh-what-different-post-this-has-become.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">relatives of my cotton warp</a> currently on my 16-shaft, so I went back four hours later and ooohed and ahhhed some more and got them. The gentler 100% is more in the image of a spring garden. <br /><br />They have many more subdued colorways, and a few monochromes. I was taken by the yellow, brick orange, and the blue monochromes, but I can do those on my own, or at least I have to try. <br /><br />What will I do with them? I'll look at them and handle them for a while, unravel and feel them. And when I've done enough, I think they will become cushion covers. Though single, I wonder if they can even stand to be in the warp on a table loom, because I don't like variegated yarns making strips in the weft. Oh, if they weren't so pricey, I have a perfect chair I pinched from the back of a girlfriend's car to cover.<br /><br />Knowing I can only knit tubes and rectangles, do you have other weaving/knitting suggestions? I very likely have a number of single-color yarns I can match with either. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4c7H2VIal1uHWhshqumfDWgBzYEX8mok0aXFF51sWg_k8Z94q-wpYp6ghOalP56OHo8OunqkEwT188vBmqGGyKVM6ERUhwEyUTbQSzHOwM4LyyWFjTeiJoBkjOm90KEvHj6oYSwb3RyxvmWG0vy5qsijjhQikJCDuYwtH-RVk8lenpVe1_gSl/s3968/IMG_20240117_105055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4c7H2VIal1uHWhshqumfDWgBzYEX8mok0aXFF51sWg_k8Z94q-wpYp6ghOalP56OHo8OunqkEwT188vBmqGGyKVM6ERUhwEyUTbQSzHOwM4LyyWFjTeiJoBkjOm90KEvHj6oYSwb3RyxvmWG0vy5qsijjhQikJCDuYwtH-RVk8lenpVe1_gSl/s320/IMG_20240117_105055.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">And speaking of doing blues on my own, I've been planning a gentler but more interesting pale blue warp, in the usual looking-at-cones-in-all-lights-over-multiple-days/weeks/months method. <br /><br />That was Tuesday. Came Wednesday and, not to mention it was hot and humid, I had the same post-Shingles-jab symptoms as the last: headache, sore throat, fever, and upper body that felt like I was beaten up in the back alley by a couple of thugs not exactly yesterday, but maybe a week ago. One paracetamol takes most of it away, but four hours later the body screams out for more drugs; I made the intervals five hours because I'm not a fan of pharmaceuticals. It's now late afternoon Thursday, the day felt much cooler, and I've needed only one. I still have the fever, but the muscles aren't driving me nuts. Tomorrow, I might be able to swing my arms and make another warp. <br /></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-25426103723737762062024-01-14T22:59:00.002+13:002024-01-14T22:59:41.978+13:00Still (Not) Thinking about Thinking <div style="text-align: left;">I haven't stopped thinking about, or more accurately having different feelings about, the thinking/design issue I wrote about in the last post. One discovery is, I don't spend enough time cogitating/exploring ideas before moving onto what almost feels an automatic "design process;" one reason why my end piece/s are same-y. Sometimes I suspect I unconsciously have ideas about the end piece/s, and work backwards towards the initial thought.<br /><br />An opposite question is, how much do I want to invest in making "nice pieces" to sell? Not having any answers or preferences or ideas of what to do next, I went downstairs to tidy the messed up tied-unit-weave warp yesterday, so I can thread it again, but didn't start because I hadn't come up with a new threading scheme. I looked at the pre-made warps, looking for something I may be able to put on the four-shaft Jack for a quick project, but nothing stood out. <br /><br />I have wanted to make a blue cotton warp for a while, probably because it's been so hot and humid. Without thinking much, (which was the whole point, bypassing the thinky bits,) and without being able to see well in the twilight, I cooked up a crude plan and stood before my warping board. It was nice engage with my tools, nice to be doing something that may produce a few scarves if all goes well, but the way I (almost didn't) plan/ed it was facile, unsatisfying, and the resultant warp, ugly. It screams out, "I didn't put my heart and soul into it." I don't want to make this about, oh, river or the sea; I'm hoping interesting weft colors will make them... interesting. I'm hoping these colors will grow on me. <br /><br />Call me childish, selfish, hedonistic; I suffer from an inability to think deeply, understand profoundly or observe dispassionately, and yet I forever seek satisfaction not only from the end piece/s, (this seldom happens,) but gratification of having put my heart and soul into the making. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wRlcytK0bw0hyo6lLDQC99NdEgKgMNCS5h8UxaNAeiDx2LuMtvX0hrEO70ol0mewbUY34vYbGLPtbk8YLHxmVjrsjiw6wbV0fRJE7T2YDi-4-b4Hww3LiC2iaxmVpDkbQ2cxNeVtr6-Ic7iuxlJTMWyD6z2k1bXY5nQm21TPL6cXCimTTtHf/s3968/IMG_20240114_144024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wRlcytK0bw0hyo6lLDQC99NdEgKgMNCS5h8UxaNAeiDx2LuMtvX0hrEO70ol0mewbUY34vYbGLPtbk8YLHxmVjrsjiw6wbV0fRJE7T2YDi-4-b4Hww3LiC2iaxmVpDkbQ2cxNeVtr6-Ic7iuxlJTMWyD6z2k1bXY5nQm21TPL6cXCimTTtHf/s320/IMG_20240114_144024.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Meh. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">For a couple of days this past week, I binged on reading and listening to the <a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LRB articles and podcasts</a>. I like listening to writers' interviews because I think I understand them better than artists'. Even then, I can never get rid of an acute and specific FOMO, because often authors or reviewers or even my friends speak of things in books and stories I completely miss. (Joyce was so not the guy to read for my B.A.) </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">It brings me back to when I started school; it's the first week and everybody else in class could read music, while I didn't even have the slightest idea which page we were meant to be looking at, let alone sing the first song: a simple, short song about the Japanese flag, the red circle in the white field. How often have I screamed in my head, "Where on earth did you get that??" <br /><br />On LRB, Toibin is my undisputed favorite. The other day, an interviewer mentioned in passing that Toibin thought "Animal Farm" was about farm animals, not a critique on society. <a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2009/december/missing-the-point" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I just had to look it up right away.</a> Oh, I am so on your wavelength, Mr Toibin; what a relief/joy/privilege to be in the same club! <br /></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-56554063884380321512024-01-08T01:19:00.001+13:002024-01-08T01:19:29.537+13:00Thoughts, Transformations, End Products<div style="text-align: left;">I have to jot down a few things my maker friends and I talked about just now. Like minutes ago. These may come to something, or not, but these makers have heaps more experience making, read in depth, <i>and</i> think about making, than I, so there's always something to be learned. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">This post is not logical/orderly/comprehensive; just notes, stream of consciousness stuff. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I think my question came out of an academic making project being abandoned (?) because the maker thought her thinking wasn't reflected enough in the final piece/s. I asked her if it was necessary, and she said in this case, yes. <br /><br />This brought me to something I kind of suspected; that I can think, (I enjoy it,) and read some, (though I struggle with high-minded art writing,) but <i>as</i> I think, I'm giving sideway glances to design processes I learned, so my thinking is not purely thinking about an idea, but thinking with the next step in mind. I haven't found a satisfying way to connect my thinking to what comes off the loom; as if there is a big schism/leap somewhere; as if I move on to designing too soon. Or because it's easier, I've increasingly concentrated on the technical aspect of designing that should come after much more exploration. I don't explore enough. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />And then there's the other thing. I've been listening to a sprawling Ross King book called, "The Judgement of Paris: The Revolutionary Period that Gave the World Impressionism" for the third time. It's about that time in Paris and France; the politics of Académie; Louis Napoleon/Franco-Prussian War; when painting's focus moved away from religious and historical "records" to the everyday life and regular people. The story focuses on the life and activities of Meisonnier, (yeah, who?) and Manet, but includes many, many painters and writers we know, and the one who came out as a real vanguard is Courbet. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">Needless to say, there's much explanation on what different painters tried to do on the canvas. But I can't get rid of the quasi-envy painting/sculptures, jewelry making and ceramics, even tapestry weaving and felt-making, what I call "free form" making, offer easier canvas//base/platform? to express thoughts, than the grid on the loom. Is this the limitation of our discipline, or is it merely that I haven't found a way?<br /><br />I reiterate: I haven't found a way to express my thought on the grid on the loom the way I believe my thoughts in my head should be expressed, and I don't know how "graphically" the transfer should be, how digested and regurgitated and morphed the final aesthetics should be. Now I'm only blurting out words that seem to fit the mood. <br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I'm getting lost in a maze, but I'll keep going. One of the problems I have is that some of the "textile/fiber arts" I've seen are facile; that they have been easy/graphic transfers of the artists' thoughts using textiles. Others have been superb technical achievements without much discernible non-technical ideas, and though there is nothing intrinsically wrong with these works, sometimes unsatisfying. In the second case, it's entirely possible I'm too dense to see, or I'm not meant to see. My friends tonight said the final product should show "the grammar" of my thinking rather than "the words". Of course I'll have to be the judge of when my words end and my grammar begins; I'd imagine it depends on the project, and it depends on the mood of the day, but I am the arbiter, (after all I can't control others' perception,) and I have to be satisfied... with the degree of transformation? <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I didn't realize I have been thinking in the back of my mind about what sort of things to make for the Suter Shop; silly-time-consuming stuff that's thrilling and rewarding to make but for which I can't even conceive adequate monetary value, or "nice" stuff, "merchandise", "bread and butter" "products"? The flip side is I could focus solely on quality and craftspersonship; I can strive to make pieces that are parallel and perpendicular and luxurious and joyous and excellent, as these are of such importance to craft. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Tonight it feels like a battle between making excellent craft, (being about the end product,) vs my garnering maximum joy/thrill/satisfaction in the process of making, (being about the maker.) <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil19IUD9hUWxSm0i-yRcJ9iejAMFL5n80vBXtEjv24n9JvEREGwaF0-A-B1L9wCzJgXnZqCv_oeuWGD4w3VVokv1-TZYZYK4Ih4atTd5xdi0xpRrYS49p_0HJWRjQJ3vllDnyCC106ZcMrW6Q_qJkdO5Ww1Ss8KwxtxoQv3fGMgr2O31hDNYDQ/s3968/IMG_20231224_141059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil19IUD9hUWxSm0i-yRcJ9iejAMFL5n80vBXtEjv24n9JvEREGwaF0-A-B1L9wCzJgXnZqCv_oeuWGD4w3VVokv1-TZYZYK4Ih4atTd5xdi0xpRrYS49p_0HJWRjQJ3vllDnyCC106ZcMrW6Q_qJkdO5Ww1Ss8KwxtxoQv3fGMgr2O31hDNYDQ/s320/IMG_20231224_141059.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Fallen Alstroemeria petals in the sink; sometimes they just fall into places. And with that, I bid you good night. <br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-18625677428142810292024-01-03T15:26:00.001+13:002024-01-03T15:26:21.531+13:00It's not Often I'm Lost for Words But<div style="text-align: left;">Hello, friends. I hope your year got off to a colorful start. I was going to post pretty pics on Jan 1, but as you can imagine, my year so far has been surreal, because nobody we know have been directly affected beyond the first jolt, and there've been no disaster-specific communications with them. Media coverage from Japan is more available to us cf. 2011, but mixed with much idiocy on X, while there've been bugger all in NZ except the picture of the burning plane.<br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">As of now, 9AM Japan time, here are things that stick to my mind: <br />*The quake was equal to the size of 1995 Hanshin/Awaji (Osaka/Kobe) Quake, but the Sea of Japan side is not as densely populated, which is probably why NZ media only covered the removal of the Tsunami warning, but not the quake. It was much shallower and <i>oh-so-much longer</i> than the usual big quakes. <br />* As of this morning Jan 3, bullet trains are running on schedule. This is partly due to their rail often being physically elevated or otherwise far from everyday traffic, especially outside large cities, so it's easier to inspect. From Dec-30-ish to Jan-3-ish has traditionally been when <i>many</i> travel to be with family, and now that Haneda is in turmoil, this was doubly needed. Whether folks can go home from their respective train station is another issue, re. road closure, petrol shortage, etc. Some flights resumed to/from the region, also. <br />* Speaking of flights, the plane which was hit by the JAL passenger plane belonged to Japan Coast Guard, about to deliver supplies/equipment to their division/s in the quake-hit regions. You may have heard everybody on JAL escaped, but five of six on the Coast Guard plane perished, with the captain in critical condition. <br />* Any time is bad for disasters, but it's really bad now, because for about a year anti-mask/anti-vax folks have been loud, and the latest is that the earthquake was man-made. As with many other disasters, a variety of anti-[group/nation/ethnicity/individual] posts are exploding. Also, since former PM's assassination, dubious political contributions have come more to the fore, with public hearing held last month, (I'm not 100% sure about this,) so trust in the government and media is lower than low. <br />* It's raining in the quake-hit region today, with warnings for the wider region over the next few days. <i>And</i> it's the colder part of Japan, getting colder until Marchish. <i>And</i> it's still shaking; usually shakes as strong as the original can happen for a week. I have no words. <br />* I have to add this, though. Taiwan is also super quick and generous <i>every time</i> we face disaster. Some of their people were there, from memory, on Jan 2 already. So very appreciated. <br /><br />I talked to Mom yesterday at an hour earlier than the usual time. I wasn't sure if she knew it was New Year's Day. She now speaks unclearly and I'm hard of hearing, so it was hardly a conversation, same as the last several months. I'm glad I changed the time, because the quake hit half an hour after we hung up. I wonder if I should call again soon, or leave her in peace, as she many not even know about the last few days. </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />OK, enough. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * * <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">While reading about Gaza, and sometimes vaguely wondering how that's going to affect my Syrie project, I also try to keep up Ukraine. It's been excruciating keeping updated every day on both fronts, and I now avoid photos/vids, but I try to pick up at least the big stuff. <br /><br />Since New Year's Eve I dropped a handful of comments trying to be sympathetic/encouraging. On one, I said something to the extent, "I hope and pray the madness will end soon, and Ukraine can start rebuilding in peace," and was taken aback when I got around 40 likes from folks with names in Cyrillic in a few minutes. Then of course a non-Ukrainian person jumped on the opportunity saying hoping and praying is worthless without action; I agreed, but "I don't disclose my minuscule contribution 'public'". Then this nUp edited his response so my response looked silly, then a nUpII jumped in about how many $ their government has contributed, etc., etc. etc. You get the picture. For a while I left them, (neither were bots,) to themselves, but it was so the wrong place and nUpII started to get ugly, so I deleted my comment. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Then a friend posted about the cost of living in NZ, and his friend jumped on my comment, so I thought maybe it <i>is/was</i> me, and deleted that comment, too. I can see how this mine could have been misunderstood in this case, but golly, I couldn't be bothered, because he was challenging my "basic values and eagerness for consumption". Mate, you don't know how cheap I've been the last 20 odd years. I'll stop commenting altogether for a while. <br /><br />Re. donations, though, as I said in my last post, small amounts repeated do add up. For Ukraine I buy PDFs on Etsy, because I got started shortly after Feb 2021 when there weren't active solicitations from Ukraine yet, (remember when folks outside Ukraine started promoting Ukraine-based AirBnB and Etsy?); it's easy; and even though I know it's needed, I can't bring myself to donate towards weapons; and I'd already established something of a relationship with one vendor in particular. My $ has gone to <a href="https://www.etsy.com/nz/shop/OrchardOfDreams?ref=l2-about-shopname" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yuliia</a> in the main. We've used half a dozen of her recipes, and they've all been easy to follow, delicious, and for this iffy baker, successful, not to mention her stunning photography. I can do more if NZ$ is stronger against US$, but, again, "Thank you, Pension." <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As of January 1, 2024: </div><div style="text-align: left;">US$10 = NZ$15.82 =381.41 UAH (Ukrainian Hryvni)<br />And <a href="https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Ukraine" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here are some examples of prices in Ukraine as of last month</a>, although we can imagine there are vast differences between regions, and most importantly, availability. <br /><br />* * * * * <br /><br />Now this one is guaranteed uplifting. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br />I have an online Australian-in-the-Philippines boat designer friend named Michael. (What am I saying! He's an Aussie; of course his close friends call him Mick!) He has different POVs and passions from mine, which are ever so intriguing and valuable, even when I don't fully understand, because boat folks use as much jargon as we do. <br /><br />On Jan 1, he posted a 15 second clip from a video which intrigued me, so I watched <a href="https://www.youtube.com/clip/UgkxpaQWIjI1dI6gvOoipSGVb7Hc7rIGbGCA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the whole 1:05:19</a>. And boy, was it worth it! Let the space/math/science bits wash over you if you prefer, but listen to the gist of the message, and enjoy the unapologetically upbeat host. I think I can use it in the way I weave this year. <br /><br />* * * * * <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Today is Day 11/22 of Ben's summer holiday, and unlike other years we've done zero house projects so far, sleeping in, reading, screening, eating carbohydrate instead. (It's been too hot to cook/eat proper meals, so I hate to check our blood sugar levels.) Today we start slowly, and try to get a few things off the decades-old To Do list. <br /><br />I hope I didn't bring you down too much. Think of colors! Think of textures! Think of evenly-tensioned warps!! But also, let's keep in mind so many around the world who are having a terrible time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM8piI6idwpl6Tn-kSOPWolFPYwXhFxEBhya2oUtivjImabOKADVrl-nlf1hvvH20XievS4BYVn8NzxrAgSfWM41hCMHojgsFvHLBOCpdBNlxJY_nQR3jSUymutBjNUkwWUIFEIccB9II3gBB2300mbeN7Nc5fiXXtLlcH_q8VFuXWFrxU01r8/s3968/IMG_20231231_200630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM8piI6idwpl6Tn-kSOPWolFPYwXhFxEBhya2oUtivjImabOKADVrl-nlf1hvvH20XievS4BYVn8NzxrAgSfWM41hCMHojgsFvHLBOCpdBNlxJY_nQR3jSUymutBjNUkwWUIFEIccB9II3gBB2300mbeN7Nc5fiXXtLlcH_q8VFuXWFrxU01r8/s320/IMG_20231231_200630.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-44520620499234285442023-12-31T17:53:00.004+13:002024-01-01T00:23:30.103+13:00Things I Encountered for the First Time in my 65th Year Part II (The Less Tragic Bits) <div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">I haven't done two posts/day in a while, but I didn't want to finish with a downer so here come the good bits. </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />* * * * * </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Since turning 65, I started receiving pension, and that's made a big difference in my outlook on life. For the first time I am saying out loud I had no net income since I left my last office job in February 2000, (except for a six-month stint in 2004,) which is over half of my adult working life. It's not that I never thought about this, and I always said Ben "lets me do this", (and when he was alive, "with a little help from Dad,") but to declare it freely feels honest and liberating. So let's hear it: financially I've been a looser and a waster, and there's nothing I can do now to remedy the past. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I felt really bad for a day or two after I typed these sentiments, but that won't change the past. That post, "Did I Live My Life the Right Way?" was supposed to be a look back at how I could not look at weaving as a financial venture, or change my ways to try to make it so. I was and am a slow weaver, and "minimum 10 in each gallery" was the best I could achieve, thanks to slow sales. Local galleries were my safest bet, even though Auckland and Queenstown may have been more lucrative as I was reminded often, I am a control freak and if I can't visit the galleries often to see how things were displayed, what was selling, those places weren't for me. (I did try Wellington in 2007.) And I had heard enough stories of some of the well-known galleries/shops not paying artists or paying upwards of nine months later after much reminder/peasing; who needs that?<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I also know that in my job in the 80s at IBM to the ones here at the Polytech, I always felt varying degrees of dissatisfaction, admin/secretarial/even entry-level IT jobs never rising above "busy work". I got paid just for showing up and I put in 110%, because I don't know any other MO, but there was never time to put thoughts into what I was doing, to make something better, to instill quality into the output. Regardless of the outcome of the pieces, I get that satisfaction from weaving. (Or unimaginable regret/disgust/dismay I never felt in office jobs. :-D)<br /><br />I also couldn't get rid of the defeatist aftertaste of having retired because I couldn't sell my work. But it's true: I couldn't, so I did. And that led to the loss of confidence and detachment which prevented me from trying to make nicer/different things without diluting my making, or approach other galleries. <br /><br />The best remedy was to get back on the loom, with Sunflower II, after long months of pulling out weeds and breaking clay with my hands. It felt lovely to be weaving again, thinking about colors for this project, plans for future ones, and knowing this piece is going to be... OK! I missed having projects one after another, not rushing to "make things" but to keep thinking of the next project and the one after, as future projects are destined to be better than the current. In my head. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Opportunely, Esther told me the Suter Shop had a new manager, so I went to meet her. Annie is lovely, calm, professional, and we seem to have similar ideas about what the Suter Shop should be. Even better, the shop itself had calmed down, shedding the gift shop busyness, heading back towards a craft-oriented "local" gallery shop. And that on the 19th of December is quite an achievement! Textiles were not shoved in the bottom shelf, some just rolled up like in a teenager's close, but displayed all around/near/between other attractive work. I told her I might bring something in the near future, but that will be next year. We'll see how it goes. <br /><br />I am not coming out of retirement. Nooooo! But I hope I can still make a few nice things in my own time. This may be my last hurrah in making-to-sell, and if so, dare I hope it last several years? This could also be an atonement for my financial failure, not a reparation, but a reconciliation with myself. <br /><br />* * * * * <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Also new this year: Pension now allows me to think about things we put off, particularly in the years I travelled to Japan to help my elderly parents. Looking back I don't know if I was indeed helping, if they felt I was, or if the trips were just nice holidays for me while Ben stayed behind working. <br /><br />The Top Two of the things I put off have been replacing the primary heating system from wood to electric, and fixing my teeth. Re. the heating, it has not been just the cost, though; the most popular method being heat pumps/air conditioners, we've had a couple of assessments but I don't like hot or cold air blowing in my direction. We are getting too old to haul firewood up steep and turning steps, and we seem to need more wood/heat as we get older, so we need a solution soon. I am even toying with the idea of solar panels, (they they are again!) to store power rather than heat water. The more straight-forward is of course the teeth: I don't like going to the dentists. But one front tooth keeps chipping away. <br /><br />* * * * * <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />"They" say one should do good deeds and not talk about it, or something to that extent. But I'm going to, not to boast, but because I've been so very happy about these. It's been worth paying taxes, even in the years of my negative net income, now that my pension is allowing me to give back a little, and be nit-picky in the process. <br /> <br />Something I'd long forgotten was I always hoped to donate to a good cause in a "big" way, and in a somewhat sustained manner. I used to give to large organization at times of natural disasters around the world, but I haven't trusted large organizations for a couple of decades, too much administration cost, with money/goods not reaching the folks who actually need them. So this century, it's been to local organizations I can see and visit in Nelson, and preferably good so I can contribute to local retailers if not NZ manufacturers. <br /> <br />This winter, for the first time, I donated a good number of NZ-made soup mixes, <a href="https://www.kingsoup.co.nz/products/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">King's</a>, every time we went to the supermarket, sometimes multiple times a week. This is a reliable product that we bought when we first came to New Zealand to cook on a black pot belly stove in our round black ceramic pot; tastes good and not pre-processed/artificial; comes in a small-ish packet making 8 servings, (we tested a few to make sure;) fits the donation box criteria, (here, supermarkets have large bins you can drop donations in, super easy;) and inexpensive and affordable for me. At first I felt good, but like all good deeds, once you get in the habit, it's just part of life. Until the temperatures warmed up and these packs were moved within the store. I haven't found a suitable warm-season replacement that is healthy and NZ-made, (I figure, why not help two parties if I can,) but if not, I'll stick with Kings, (we have soups in summer?), or go with healthy Australian. :-D And because sadly some folks are <i>really</i> going to need help under our new government.<br /><br />The other thing I've done over the years was to donate books, particularly to young people, and this has been super easy since the opening of, you know, <a href="https://www.volume.nz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Volume</a>. (Full disclosure, owners Stella and Thomas have saved my sanity figuratively and "literally", almost weekly.) Not only does the shop participate in seasonal donation drives, I can buy online and just put a note to please give to a suitable school/persons. <br /><br />Goodness me, I am choosy; I scour Volume's website, publishers'/authors' websites, watch interview vids if any, and even some Amazon reviews, (UK or Australia if I can find any as their views are closer to Kiwis',) before deciding. It's now almost a hobby. I've upped my game of late, and I'm super happy about the books I've chosen and the opportunities I have. Enough said. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48pWeORZglbf1cPZWirS6gzCVrOa0e0MXeX-AIDBgny-6tTu7SsFfkZBnL8ucSPbsQwYkZ2R1BIyYvZnXaGohXOGJ_11EEDOOActClzFsqhApMCaEcis0MPhSDFjG4Gz9xmuI_5tQDye3Ro83987tWd_IQKkDqFVQjVvtGRFImg8ttHqAmOD1/s3968/IMG_20231030_122643.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48pWeORZglbf1cPZWirS6gzCVrOa0e0MXeX-AIDBgny-6tTu7SsFfkZBnL8ucSPbsQwYkZ2R1BIyYvZnXaGohXOGJ_11EEDOOActClzFsqhApMCaEcis0MPhSDFjG4Gz9xmuI_5tQDye3Ro83987tWd_IQKkDqFVQjVvtGRFImg8ttHqAmOD1/s320/IMG_20231030_122643.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In October, I spoke to a young library staff in the neighbouring
town of Motueka, as we drove near their fancy new building we were
totally unaware of. In the true spirit of a vocational librarian, (i.e.
it is her vocation,) what made her happiest about the new building was
the community is using their conference space, including local schools who
have seen funding cuts for books and resources. So I'm on the right track, though I might have to expand the geography. <br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />* * * * * </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I organized a party for "strangers". As I mentioned in the last post, Ben's department has been going through a number of organization changes since 2019/20 with staff leaving/joining. I've been lucky enough to make friends with a few of the wives, mostly online, one leaving Nelson altogether. And many staff being of the younger lot, there have been three new humans joining the "family". By chance, (I asked on FB if anyone wanted to adopt plants I propagated,) I learned Mrs Christchurch was coming on a family holiday to Nelson, and because I talk/type before I think, I asked if she would like me to organize a get-together so her kids could make a grand debut, and she was game. <br /><br />The magnitude of the endeavour slowly reached me that night. We're talking the middle of a busy summer holiday; at least five staff who have left; and six current staff, three of whom I've never even met, though Ben insists I met one. Can I get a hold of everybody? As luck would have it, Ben had the email addresses of folks who weren't my FB friends, and the current Manager helped me read the new folks, so using DM and email, it wasn't difficult. Although in the emails, I always said, "Meg, Ben's Wife". And in the final, formal invite, I forgot to put in the date. :-D <br /><br />The get-together was last Friday. We had around 12 grownups and four littlies, and it was a cacophony of merriment, reminiscing, catching up and comparing notes on IT work places. Two more grownups abstained because they woke up with coughs; two forgot after they returned from walking the Abel Tasman the previous day, (we settled on the 29th because they would be back!! :-D) and one family couldn't make it after another a do earlier in the day. It was really indeed lovely to catch up, meet people I've been talking to online, but also to talk properly outside the office. And I offloaded a dozen plants, and even got lovely feedback about my weaving, including from one person I did not realize knew I wove. <i>And</i> I got to hold a five-month-old, the first babe since Jan 2001 after my nephew #2. <br /><br />It was in a large room, but sans windows, sans much air flow, and yeah, we were more than a little nervous, but then there was the food drinks so the masks came off. Ben woke up with a cough and I with a scratchy throat on Saturday, so we'll test in the next few days even though we're without symptoms today. (We have six boxes due to expire in January, so might as well.) We are still living cautiously and Ben masks up often when indoors, me when in close quarters indoors, so I can't say nonchalantly that it was all worth it. But... it was fun, and lovely, and very much worth organizing. And I keep telling you, Ben really works with some of the nicest folks we know. <br /><br />It's not the first time it happened, but it was the first time I was very much aware I was oldest in the room. That's going to happen more and more often, I reckon. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * * </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOzegkl7LuNISv6EHib3kQXORjYQYmoTngN4iyocyMm_nb0mgThpG2V25n6tyiVLcicF4i0USSfM5RqGk839-UZj2csSLVwPLNig13dX4izrOnZdv9SeFiPNu7q-oaCGS081fHUqOnb_uYRaMFgGXJfdjAs3DWOkrm70xbUtAC0gwnjeJF-84/s3968/IMG_20230505_092246.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOzegkl7LuNISv6EHib3kQXORjYQYmoTngN4iyocyMm_nb0mgThpG2V25n6tyiVLcicF4i0USSfM5RqGk839-UZj2csSLVwPLNig13dX4izrOnZdv9SeFiPNu7q-oaCGS081fHUqOnb_uYRaMFgGXJfdjAs3DWOkrm70xbUtAC0gwnjeJF-84/s320/IMG_20230505_092246.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>I might have known about the Green Bin scheme for a couple of years, but Esther definitely recommended it late last year, and we joined in April. The company collects up to 240L/70kg, (which is not a lot,) of garden rubbish every fortnight. We have to haul it up the steep driveway, but then the rubbish is gone. It's much more convenient, pleasant, and encouraging than saving the rubbish all year and getting a large skip once a year about now to load up the stuff. It also makes me go outside for short spurts even if I can't be bothered investing a whole day of weeding and digging and breaking clay. <br /><br />This is definitely one of the top, bestest things we started this year, and we intend to continue the subscription. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div>* * * * *<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUxzBvde9jtVJizwA-T_JoUy9S6yeHQDbZ8sx81LLUcPfGfmtq327aXyarIKKaXNFpzPtdB3PYhnam3BXvEr9dSXNOmM3X4bgaNZPIA8Nb6OHxH6SAXbAVmdedn0MYMZwsZ_LTvbpfymsYhwYMBSt5DFFpX1xvfLoNhjzBR13v0x6Dt0Hu9Oh/s3968/IMG_20231221_114315.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUxzBvde9jtVJizwA-T_JoUy9S6yeHQDbZ8sx81LLUcPfGfmtq327aXyarIKKaXNFpzPtdB3PYhnam3BXvEr9dSXNOmM3X4bgaNZPIA8Nb6OHxH6SAXbAVmdedn0MYMZwsZ_LTvbpfymsYhwYMBSt5DFFpX1xvfLoNhjzBR13v0x6Dt0Hu9Oh/s320/IMG_20231221_114315.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I've finally started buying Paperblank notebooks for myself in 2019. Before that, only as gifts as I was so afraid of ruining them. But jotting down a few lines of mundane blather each day has been useful in noting some of life's "events" lest I'll forget the next day. Tonight is the last I write in the Morris, and tomorrow I start on Vincent. (It's a bit too sparkly, but never mind, it's in my favored shape/size.) This feels like a steady component in a life without too many steady components. There is nothing new about these, but that's OK, too. <br /><br />And thus I conclude what I think is the last post of 2023. (Can't guarantee, still not 5PM here.) Dear friends, I hope the turning of the calendar gives you hope and resolve and most of all a little light in your 2024. <br /><br />See you on the other side. <br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-64485330333480788682023-12-25T15:42:00.043+13:002024-01-01T00:33:40.450+13:00Things I Encountered for the First Time in my 65th Year Part I (But It's Not All Bad)<div style="text-align: left;">If brevity be the soul of wit, time and time again I prove myself witless. I worked on this post off and on for four months, finished and posted on Christmas day. That evening, then one of these issues came back to bite us, and I wondered why I feel compelled to (over)share, and I withdrew. But a week removed, I feel if this allows one person to laugh with me or at me or feel relieved their year was a tad saner, why not. So with lightness of heart, but never forgetting the folks with real problems, here I go again. <br /><br />* * * * * * </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">A word of <strike>caution</strike>, <strike>warning</strike>, something: there's no need for alarm or concern. Most issues were solved; others are now part of our lives. </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * * <br /><br />At around October last year, I started wishing the year would end soon and that 2023 would be a much better year. I can't remember what exactly was bad about 2023, except I did have a mild spell of depression, not bad enough to consult with the doctor but a prolonged period of extreme ho-hum. Plus an over-the-top new hay-fever symptoms that were painful and kept me inside with windows closed for maybe six to nine months. Little did I know 2023 had nothing on 2024. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">This year started OK. I wove a bunch of Swedish Cottolin, and moved on to the multi-color tied-weave, before the big loom broke, and then I messed up the threading/sleying while checking to see if the loom was fixed. I haven't touched that loom/warp since, but I know I will get back to it. The loom is in the basement, so not a bad place to work in the height of the summer, or the winter for that matter. <br /><br />I did a lot of gardening, making up for nearly a year's neglect, and because friends got in on the veg gardening early. Most of winter and spring was spent aerating the veg patches, breaking chunks of clay by hand, and of course weeding. This work hasn't stopped, but I've learned to pace myself, rather than to follow the veg's schedule, because it's getting harder and harder on the body. <br /><br />In August, our world started to... I won't say crash or crumble, but let's say it's been a dozen-gazillion paper cuts day after day after day. We seem to be on a break at the moment, but the year has changed our attitude from "glad that's over" kind of easy outlook to "what next?" dread all the time. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * * <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Ben was hospitalized for bacterial infection after a routine test on August 1, after a 20-minute test took nearly an hour due to two faulty test kits. Neither of us had ever been really sick, the only time we went to the hospital was to visit family, plus a super detailed health check available through work back in Japan, which we signed up for because neither of us had ever stayed in a hospital. I tried hard to remember what Mom had in Dad's always-ready bag, packed an abridged version and brought it with us after a specialist nurse told me to get him get to ER ASAP. After nine hours in the ER, he ended up in a ward and was stuck there for four days. They never figured out which bacteria was the culprit, except Ben was told, "not Ebola." I hope not, because he had a pre-op roommate! <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">We learned hospital stay is all about waiting; waiting to be seen by a doctor/nurse/specialist, waiting for meals, waiting for tests, waiting for results, waiting for a doctor/nurse/specialist to "be right back," and waiting for the lovely tea lady to come around to make tea/coffee and leave bickies. And hospital wards are noisy! Everybody's machines are ticking and beeping; nurses are being called all the time; some folks talked loudly, and to boot they had an emergency bell test, (or was it failure?) Down the hall there were seriously sick folks, and the air was heavy with hushed conversation amidst all the other noise. <br /><br />On the plus side, Nelson City Council revamped the bus system and the new all-electric services commenced also on August 1. They didn't gauge usage/popularity beforehand, but just started running several new lines at once, and made the connection at the CBD (city center) better, so I didn't have to take the taxi to/from the hospital. Best trip took 45 minutes, worst 90 late at night, but it felt so civilized to have public transportation in little old Nelson. And since I'm over 65, non-busy hours I ride free, otherwise half price. Last I read, the buses remain very popular. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * * <br /><br />A pension office staff gave me the wrong information on the phone. I didn't believe her but the young woman was so adamant, I had to accept it. It turned out she was wrong, and long-story-short, I had to make several phone calls and resubmit forms, causing other folks to rework my case. I did get an admission of error of sorts from a second staff, but, oh, what a lot of bother! Also unusual for the usually knowledgeable and courteous office. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I am, though, having increasing problem understanding simple admin procedures, so I try to read things several times before asking questions, or worse expressing displeasure. But also, I've correspondingly decreasing patience with <i>other</i> people's mistakes. After all, they get paid to do their work. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * * <br /><br />In the same week I learned my bank changed its notification policy, but put it only in a small print, so I missed out on the government contribution portion of voluntary retirement fund savings. I made a complaint, and the staff asked me what outcome I was hooping for, (which I thought was a strange question,) but I gathered my courage and said I wanted either the bank or the government to pay me the amount. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">In this scheme, account holders must deposit a minimum amount to qualify for government contribution every year; for waged folks it happens incrementally but automatically every time they get paid, but for us unwaged, we have to make a deposit. The staff checked the last ten years of my deposits, confirmed I always
deposited requisite amount immediately after the bank reminded me of the
due date. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">The hard part was, it took him a few days to find out where the change was "announced", at the bottom of their regular financial reports, instead of a targeted email as in all the past years. He thought it was unfair, and guess what, I got the amount from the bank, which to the unwaged, was no small win. My bank is well-known for good customer services, and the chap was a ever-so calm but conscientious. I was rude at first, but wanted to adopt him at the end. <br /><br />* * * * * <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the same week: the coating on my eyeglass lens "melted", which apparently happens when folks feed the wood burner, or open a boiling pot or hot oven, with our faces too close. It was a first for me, even though I've been wearing glasses with similar coating for nearly 30 years. Anyway, Jim, whose taken care of my optical needs for as long, said insurance covers this. <br /><br />So I rang, emailed, filled online forms, but nothing. About a week later, I received an form email with a claim number, saying someone will call me. Another nothing for a week and a fortnight? I had to get back to Jim because it had taken too long and I got the glasses back, and Jim sorted it out at his end. <br /><br />A month or so later, insurance folks sent us the annual invoice, in which for some strange reason they decided one of Ben's cars we had since 2006 suddenly moved to a different city! In retrospect, we should have just emailed back, but I rang, and it took a long time to get that sorted, and check the info on the other car. <br /><br />Then, because they had just upgraded their system days before, could they go over the details of our house and contents insurance? I said no, I've got to go, but the woman went on and on about the responsibilities of the policy holder, at the same time saying she was verifying all data was transferred from the old system correctly, and it became easier to just answer. We've had the same policies with the same people for over 20 years, and re. the house or contents, (who lives here, how many stories,) nothing had changed. But she insisted the information wasn't in the system, and she will update it for me, for $48!! I said don't because nothing had changed since the start, but she said it's too late, she's already input it. I felt tricked! <br /><br />Had I presence of mind, I would have checked documents received in the past years to see if I could prove that the information was there before their computer system upgrade. But I was too flustered I didn't. So we were charged $48 for nothing, for being a loyal customer with only a couple of claims in over 20 years. (OK, they did replace a car in 2001, but it wasn't an expensive car.) <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * * </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">2004 turned out to be an Unprecedented Year of Technology Updates, another first. I hate mindlessly upgrading for the sake of upgrading, (and what do we do with all the electronic rubbish?) and if we must, we've staggered our purchases, but this year was all go: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />1) Ben's 10-year-old desktop, except the monitor upgraded after the first lockdown, which was starting to cause trouble when he was working from home; <br />2) Ben's new laptop, after his ancient tablet suffered a slow death; <br />3) Ben's personal cell phone, after his work-issued cell became outdated after 4(?) years; <br />4) My laptop, which wasn't old but always had power supply problems in spite of frequent parts replacement, and; <br />5) My phone battery, because I dropped it on the bathroom tile and it started ballooning, which alarmed Ben... alarmingly. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">6) And because of the many purchases, we accumulated enough points for Ben to get an eBook reader, which he needed after the loss of his tablet, laptop being too clunky and bright. <br /><br />Luckily, Ben sold 1), 2) and 4) for parts. Poor guy, he's what you call a nerd, but his somewhat Greenie wife doesn't let him indulge in modern, short-lift-expectancy toys. All the savings we made in petrol and living frugally during the lockdown years disappeared, if it hadn't already to cover the high cost of food, but that's Twenty First Century life, I'm told.<br /><br />* * * * * <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">My Dad and I have low blood pressure and that was one thing we weren't going to have to worry as we aged and accumulated health woes. Well, that changed for me a couple of months ago; I was told to loose weight and lower BP or I'll have to go on meds. It's still under observation, but I have been marginally more physically active, or at least aware on days I'm not, and we were suddenly eating outrageously healthily, until the arrival of the festive carbohydrate season. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Must. Do. Better. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br />* * * * *<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I had a woman come knocking on my door one day asking if we'd be interested in fully-funded solar panels. She mentioned a supposedly government-funded organization, and she could send an engineer to assess our suitability. But what really made me suspicious was, we just had an election and an "all-for-businesses, nothing-for-free" government was elected. I doubted such schemes, if it existed, would stay. And our government tend to do things directly, and the onus is usually on us to apply, not them coming around to see if we want free anything. Plus, I daresay, mine is not the street where people who need help live, and
"government" money would do better elsewhere, (although,
Right-leaning parties may want to curry favour with folks on our
street.) <br /> <br />She didn't have an ID, and wore a polo shirt that just said, "Solar", but other than that, didn't look dodgy. I politely/pointedly declined when she asked for a copy of our power bill. It was a first cold call of this kind, not online or by phone, which made it a little creepy. <br /><br />I also thought about how easily I open our doors, and whether we need some kind of security system; I think about that often, but secretly think something bad would never happen on our street. I'm not sure if this is wise any more in a year when our Courthouse was closed once, the Airport twice in December alone because of unspecified threats, while our new government run their thoughtless mouths like everybody else's Right Wingers. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * * </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There is the reorganization of the Polytechnic (tertiary but not
university) organization nationwide that Labour started before the 2017
election. Ben works in one. There is a whole lot I could rant about but they are not necessarily fact-based, so I'll just give you the gist that really bothers me. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Although stuff had been happening like staff leaving, nothing directly affected Ben's work until October/November that I was aware of. <i>After</i> the election, when it was clear Labour lost, the powers that be kept travelling, holding all day meetings, and distributing steeply vertical, multi-page organization charts, (with some slots still unfunded,) in which every Polytech IT staff around the country were to be slotted in. After intense consultation, with folks safely slotted, a big announcement was made that effective April next year, operation will be switched to the new mode. And then the new government, after six weeks of gestation, announced their first Wish List, among them, "begin disestablishment of Te Pukenga (the consolidated Polytechnics,)" followed by the ministerial announcement Polytechnic management will revert to the local level by the start of April. My vague feeling is, this was a whole lot of announcement with not thought/plan/specifics, because to which stage will they return? But... enough. Watch this space. Or not. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * * </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On the same week, in Early November, came Ben's big inheritance problem. Long story short, A family member passed away a year and a half ago, with ten years' of unpaid taxes on a farmland, (not sure if the deceased even knew about it, or if it came up with the inheritance,) and since those nearest and dearest have forfeited said "inheritance", Ben was among the next in line. This one consumed us for a fortnight, until Ben's sister came forward saying she forfeited the same six months ago, and crucially her forfeiture was accepted about the time Ben received the tax office letter. For now, we've sent her all the documents we/she understood were needed for her to submit to the appropriate place, but who knows what will come next. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * * </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Still a week left of 2023, I sincerely hope this is it for the bad news for us. If you lasted this long in the Ben and Meg's Horrible Year 2023 Saga, I promise the next bit is a bit more uplifting. <br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-4340759714020184322023-12-24T18:29:00.004+13:002023-12-25T00:20:20.372+13:00Dear Ivy<div style="text-align: left;">I have enjoyed learning from your Dad what you have been up to. And while I don't want to change <i><b>anything</b></i> you do, I thought I'd tell you something about my weaving machines, which we call "looms". And if my explanations aren't easy to understand, I think your Dad can help. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LecOlBHamunjsiq7_ik-VNa_9mrha_Tee_O6RMq9n24RblfUZzxu_vhwth2WPVzdHCxWOfOXh-JAD3LB83rT9WBYlBPj7Z1gtRrzOmLzuwefB1JbmWNC1MaoHkhXPKgNYUA7LrRWnC4bC5egsbT42vDQ8NjKaBBfPkldT5zThlaucfSRYH8g/s3968/IMG_20231224_171415.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LecOlBHamunjsiq7_ik-VNa_9mrha_Tee_O6RMq9n24RblfUZzxu_vhwth2WPVzdHCxWOfOXh-JAD3LB83rT9WBYlBPj7Z1gtRrzOmLzuwefB1JbmWNC1MaoHkhXPKgNYUA7LrRWnC4bC5egsbT42vDQ8NjKaBBfPkldT5zThlaucfSRYH8g/s320/IMG_20231224_171415.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Once, when I was at university, I became interested in how weaving
worked, and like you I made a loom myself. It was like this one, but
much, much bigger. These are called "frame looms", (like picture frames,)
and weavers sometimes use them to make "pictures". <div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83OVrHsYbUFAGzRfQkTI2L2dmSIobcKvS-w17mojz7eHpSwia2OdYVvOwCAR90PURuYd3VAsaJqHN9gZEehs9kvoo4k3Qgv08-J6n4a7RyuPCvC3PeEaeqfcdpfQq5PrxshzJB8QPVyBRAyKM9NdB9TmgOrp09c92YnSVVEUK5p59ZzMQuNtS/s2498/pP1370551.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1628" data-original-width="2498" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83OVrHsYbUFAGzRfQkTI2L2dmSIobcKvS-w17mojz7eHpSwia2OdYVvOwCAR90PURuYd3VAsaJqHN9gZEehs9kvoo4k3Qgv08-J6n4a7RyuPCvC3PeEaeqfcdpfQq5PrxshzJB8QPVyBRAyKM9NdB9TmgOrp09c92YnSVVEUK5p59ZzMQuNtS/s320/pP1370551.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">I didn't make a picture, but I used a similar loom to make the fabric for this bag a few years ago. I'm posting the photo sideways because that's how I wove it on the loom. <br /><br />There are bigger looms for making big pictures; the pictures are called "tapestries", and the looms are called, guess what, "tapestry looms". I don't have a tapestry loom, <a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=weaving+on+tapestry+looms&t=ffab&atb=v354-1&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">but here are some pictures</a>. Some are as big as a whole wall.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">The way to use these looms are much the same as how you might have woven on your invention, or I on my big frame loom; you pick the warps, (usually the up/down threads,) by fingers/hand, needles, or a tool called shuttles, and squeeze the wefts, (usually from side to side,) between them. In fact, you can weave this way on most looms, because the first purpose of a loom is to hold the warps securely in their places, so
you can put the weft through.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * * </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now I'm going to tell you a tiny bit about shaft looms, which seem complicated, but they aren't. They just look it. There are very many kinds of shaft looms, it would make my head spin trying to explain them all, but they do two things: they hold the warps in place, and they lift up some of the warps, while leaving other warps down, to make a gap where you can pass the weft through. <br /><br />Remember, the warps are the yarns that stay in place more or less, while wefts are the ones you pass between warps at each step, to make the cloth. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkk4qL5EG9ae6f6_cq9mR3dABPEwuD7NaPQRqdLvPIYocCjwR4VGXtOdcl4at37I1rHIH0t9GHbURRbkmaBJKy0rOCcUo2SIVeMZ3Kh1lr9ztegxEUGACtwsOKgGaIOsWrJrtG4AYLb3-x5Wp-ieHGAlr-m_vM35X8hZs-KC74odGXjzq-4oC/s3968/IMG_20231224_175732.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkk4qL5EG9ae6f6_cq9mR3dABPEwuD7NaPQRqdLvPIYocCjwR4VGXtOdcl4at37I1rHIH0t9GHbURRbkmaBJKy0rOCcUo2SIVeMZ3Kh1lr9ztegxEUGACtwsOKgGaIOsWrJrtG4AYLb3-x5Wp-ieHGAlr-m_vM35X8hZs-KC74odGXjzq-4oC/s320/IMG_20231224_175732.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here is a picture of some wefts being lifted, and you see the gap where the wefts can pass through.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisd61Ttce353Z1YfdLVW5WUBOwv5JXLsH4-gL4dnc7749JJDPYsi7ra20k8W0VB-Xj0rb_QReTnKyLuZrQlYhLJIafM0eiU20yI53VuwRoFDETUM9pzKiOh2AwwfHa0tqpUqrYTgByFUHuX92diq6T6UFT4zTRQWOdLUfURhAoOjexNClQZxt-/s3968/IMG_20231224_175809.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisd61Ttce353Z1YfdLVW5WUBOwv5JXLsH4-gL4dnc7749JJDPYsi7ra20k8W0VB-Xj0rb_QReTnKyLuZrQlYhLJIafM0eiU20yI53VuwRoFDETUM9pzKiOh2AwwfHa0tqpUqrYTgByFUHuX92diq6T6UFT4zTRQWOdLUfURhAoOjexNClQZxt-/s320/IMG_20231224_175809.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE72iLuLD3xuhxL1LVKPUouXM1x03SqYvbw6-BgTbk-vGEIM2Mb5u_7u0hTR6HzCARsk1O_fCD6VF-WtxbuLPJkjXIeKp5_dovEtAqHO9OKORuuIrHhnIgkPoNr82GVTuqV1RGUHMkoJD0C5UgzTm5ilPcXBd4MqWtcf7b23BzArCjoz-b3oDG/s3968/IMG_20231224_175838.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE72iLuLD3xuhxL1LVKPUouXM1x03SqYvbw6-BgTbk-vGEIM2Mb5u_7u0hTR6HzCARsk1O_fCD6VF-WtxbuLPJkjXIeKp5_dovEtAqHO9OKORuuIrHhnIgkPoNr82GVTuqV1RGUHMkoJD0C5UgzTm5ilPcXBd4MqWtcf7b23BzArCjoz-b3oDG/s320/IMG_20231224_175838.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>These show my weft going through the gap. My weft is wound on a cardboard bobbin I made. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGb4PNlLELRJvg1y0wdla1Zg4w-uLHdFvHhhSAFasbo6iUWNDPmAUhxYdqV-b4PujUE-anYF8jiLYO7SE-atBbASOxiSUQXjMuDcckXLIYwdVEMSSZM03bFpzAYzhxKPfEGE6sDweb8V58OYIeMpHaZfR-4-m_0AriiADKphYnMcgEnvCUnBus/s3968/aIMG_20231224_175909.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGb4PNlLELRJvg1y0wdla1Zg4w-uLHdFvHhhSAFasbo6iUWNDPmAUhxYdqV-b4PujUE-anYF8jiLYO7SE-atBbASOxiSUQXjMuDcckXLIYwdVEMSSZM03bFpzAYzhxKPfEGE6sDweb8V58OYIeMpHaZfR-4-m_0AriiADKphYnMcgEnvCUnBus/s320/aIMG_20231224_175909.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Shaft looms also have a tool called the beater, so the wefts can get pushed straight against the wefts before, making the cloth look neater. (Although sometimes, like in my bag, I didn't want the lines to be all straight.) <br /><br />That's it. The simplest shaft loom, called a "rigid heddle loom", gives the weavers two sets of warps: a first set goes up when a second set stays down and your weft passes through the gap; then, the first set, which went up the last time, stays down, and the second set goes up, and your weft passes through this new gap. <br /><br />Fancier looms has many shafts, so you can have different sets go up and down, making more complicated-looking patterns possible, but the mechanism is all the same. Instead of us lifting some of the threads by finger/hand/needle/shuttle, the loom does it for you. While complicated looms allows us to weave complicated-looking cloths quickly, some of the neat tricks we can do on simpler looms become harder or impossible to do. But that's for another day. <br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I look forward to seeing a picture of your scarf, Ivy. </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * * </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">A Very Happy Christmas to you, your family and friends. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfN4GKwoFX2M5vcoBofNm5Ew2X7uVqEZQZsw70uLLqli9tLmm6E1YEr8OgHlCEIw2f3b2TS43CAvcTwLk4jZ2-63jlUSns4ddlQT3sndTFCjYD8UJCrFtYuCGgY7sUQLSuV1-ALYJDpmrCnOx3_lQC8JaLcib6zU-VX3o-4AvwbrdqcUKCWMh/s2816/UP2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2112" data-original-width="2816" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfN4GKwoFX2M5vcoBofNm5Ew2X7uVqEZQZsw70uLLqli9tLmm6E1YEr8OgHlCEIw2f3b2TS43CAvcTwLk4jZ2-63jlUSns4ddlQT3sndTFCjYD8UJCrFtYuCGgY7sUQLSuV1-ALYJDpmrCnOx3_lQC8JaLcib6zU-VX3o-4AvwbrdqcUKCWMh/s320/UP2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pohutukawa - New Zealand Christmas Tree </div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-6434197305625300702023-12-18T17:53:00.000+13:002023-12-18T17:53:07.683+13:00Did I Live My Life the Right Way? <div style="text-align: left;">It's really summer here now; it's sunny and hot and some weeds are in flower and this year we seem to have thrice the garden bugs, (the icky kind,) than usual. Still, we are alive, not amidst a war, not amidst a natural disaster, living a nice, First World life, in Ben's last week of work before a three-week break. I can't complain.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A while ago, after a minor life disaster was overcome, I became angry I wasn't weaving, that my life became beholden to a random garden schedule and other life administrivia, as Laura Fry calls them. So I "took a day off" and started a new piece on the Sunflower warp. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIi4-n_MwPqIX5Bqr83pQGGYgkO39cDLIz0GYxzlqg9BN2hwBsWcQ9nRAwFaVkp4HRVPbw3aRPLW-7DI61tXCwvRXvB1_67gEhUqcl2U11aFi2BYE7bqGEyruseYr0raEnk_WbfU703hu_xU7zgf2dJDOT2sEuPuGMvUgTkYKOX9NEHeec_vM/s3968/IMG_20231218_155640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIi4-n_MwPqIX5Bqr83pQGGYgkO39cDLIz0GYxzlqg9BN2hwBsWcQ9nRAwFaVkp4HRVPbw3aRPLW-7DI61tXCwvRXvB1_67gEhUqcl2U11aFi2BYE7bqGEyruseYr0raEnk_WbfU703hu_xU7zgf2dJDOT2sEuPuGMvUgTkYKOX9NEHeec_vM/s320/IMG_20231218_155640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I was pleasantly surprised I got right back on the saddle, just lifting, weaving, beating, until my attention started to wane after, oh, 7cm? Salvedges were good, and the usually weird tension wasn't weird. Until Day 2. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">You know, I got greedy about colors, overthought the lifting, and started thinking all sorts of potentials while weaving; my lifting got erratic and I had to unweave quite often. Then I remembered one of the things I used to do was to line up wefts, sometimes just the tie-down, sometimes just the pattern, sometimes both, so I could concentrate on the lifting and only <i>when</i> to change colors. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWjVrnykKkdMBlm8XOzxq6p9TNJNfciLUBM9G_W0bY0WLpAHpPEC5D0_jqT9rQ5BptEroNC7cuRPy5K6BNXull2TkvVnHloUvB1Ehhur0DXbhYxD_vM3ukkDPHADPDGJwkIlTSQqIt3kG44Q7TdPZ-N1UjhjFeThDM8sYj5r7en_XzpPscZbG/s3968/IMG_20231216_150920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWjVrnykKkdMBlm8XOzxq6p9TNJNfciLUBM9G_W0bY0WLpAHpPEC5D0_jqT9rQ5BptEroNC7cuRPy5K6BNXull2TkvVnHloUvB1Ehhur0DXbhYxD_vM3ukkDPHADPDGJwkIlTSQqIt3kG44Q7TdPZ-N1UjhjFeThDM8sYj5r7en_XzpPscZbG/s320/IMG_20231216_150920.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">These are the tie-down 60/2s for the next wee while. Gradation is pretty, and lovely for harmony, but also sometimes too sedate, so I'm happy to go with these, but may inject a surprise color here and there. For now I'm picking up pattern colors from the ice cream tub more or less in gradation but not strictly, as you can see in the top pic. And some weirdness in the tension started to appear about 1/5 of the way in on the left, but it's not serious. I might fiddle with it the next time I weave, or ignore and go on. <br /><br />And suddenly, (or not, I have to think about this one,) I wondered if I wanted to investigate the state of galleries in town, to see if I wanted to sell again. I'm not going to hurry the weaving, particularly these ones which are crazy labour-intensive, but in the most general sense, did I want to get back on to <i>that </i>saddle for one last hurrah for as long as I can manage, my body can manage, and I can feel excited about the things I make. We shall see. <br /><br />I was going to write a completely different post today, (ergo the cryptic title,) but here we are, a quiet, satisfied, weave-y post to start the week. <br /><br />More to come soon, good people. <br /></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-8215161727365480702023-11-29T13:48:00.000+13:002023-11-29T13:48:08.048+13:00What Do I Mean by Tied (Unit) Weave? - a Very Short Version <div style="text-align: left;">As I mentioned in the last post, my problem with writing this post has been to explain in words, using correct tied unit weaves jargon, something I've done instinctively since I first wove in this manner in 2010. Then to gauge what you might know, and/or if you want to even know what I do. (Let me know, all three of you reading this blog? :-D) </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">So, I decided to give you this very short version. I hope I covered every anomaly. If you know tied unit weaves, no problem. If not, I've listed three trustworthy sources I turn to at the bottom of this post. Or you can ask me anything, and I shall endevour to reply as best I can. If additional post/s emerge/s from there, all the better.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * * </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">My Wagamama* Tied Unit Weave<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* For warp and weft, I choose colors and numbers randomly, not corresponding to the structure. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">* I use 20/2 cotton for the warp and pattern wefts, and 60/2 for the tie-down. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />* I have sampled two, three, four or five shafts for tie-down, usually in straight draw or point; (in case of two shafts, 1-p-2-p-2-p-1-p instead of point.) Once I wove a five-shaft-undulating twill tie-down in a workshop, which I liked very much, but darn it, that's the one sample I seem to have lost. (t is for tie-down threads/shafts; p for pattern.) <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* I thread in pairs, i.e. tie-down and pattern alternately, t-p-t-p. I sampled t-p-p-t-p-p but from memory I wasn't pleased with the result in that instance. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* I use whatever number of shafts left for pattern and thread them randomly.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">* For tie-down shafts in pattern shots, I follow the standard order for the chosen tie-down scheme. For example, successive pattern shots may be: </div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1&p</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 2&p</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 2&p</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1&p <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">* (T is now for tabby/ground shots, and P
for pattern shots, [whichever tie-down shaft/s required plus all/some/none of
the pattern.]) I often select pattern shafts by <a href="https://www.megweaves.co.nz/2020/12/now-looking-with-words.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">looking at the ways the levers were positioned on each loom</a>. One such example would be two shafts clockwise, using 1 and 2 for tie-down: <br /> T<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1&3&5<br /> P<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> 2&5&7</div><div style="text-align: left;"> T<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> 2&7&8</div><div style="text-align: left;"> P<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1&8&6 </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* Sometimes I insert two pattern wefts, e.g.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"> T</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1&5&6</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1&5&6&7 <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> P</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"> 2&6&7<br /> 2&5&8 <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"> T</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 2&7&8<br /> 2&5&8<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> P</div> 1&5&6&8<br /> 1&7</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * * </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">If you are interested tied unit weaves, here are three good resources:</div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* Strickler's "A Weaver's Book of 8-Shaft Patterns" lists gazillion drafts on eight shafts, divided into an array of weave structures, each chapter starting with a brief description of the structure. Chapter 15 covers Summer & Winter; 18, Other "Tie" Weaves. Oh, the book describes <i>sinking</i> shed, which I did not noticed until a few years I had the book.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* At the comprehensive end, now-defunct Weaver's Magazine put out a compilation of articles in book form, one of which is "The Best of Weaver's - Summer & Winter Plus". Most are project instructions, but about a quarter of the way in is, "An Introduction to Tied Unit Weaves and Their Relatives", by one Jacquie Kelly, accompanied by photos of woven samples and descriptive drafts, (thick yarns are drawn plump.) If you need visuals to understand weaving, this is for you. <br /><br />The chapter in question is an article taken out of one of their magazines; I wished I could tell which issue, but I haven't been able to find it the book. If you belong to a guild with back numbers of this awesome magazine, you might get lucky, in which case I would love to hear from you so we can share the info. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* Donna Sullivan's "Summer & Winter" takes a deep dive into the best known of tied weaves, Summer & Winter, including use of colors, treadling variation, etc. It also has photos of the prettiest woven pieces. At the end of the book are 21 pages on "Other Tied Unit Weaves", which is mind-boggling in its scope, with drafts. There is still <i>so much</i> we could do! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * *</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Wagamama" is selfish, willful, self-centered, etc., in Japanese. It has nothing to do with noodles. :-D</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GeIhvaUKFuF8-osOjKFGEZfAkXfcE7JAJVdXhuH2e_e6yP8Cw3g9PTeasvFEELhfgVtJFS6-lU4YON3vhgMoU6TsOia3yn_U2q8K1ZIJWnIbhJnilt63qhnvEVMXzAeIYA6-0m98ev0abok0w8j__giNifHHLdYrOMqgpcLGgfedm90YsXOe/s3968/IMG_20231129_122018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GeIhvaUKFuF8-osOjKFGEZfAkXfcE7JAJVdXhuH2e_e6yP8Cw3g9PTeasvFEELhfgVtJFS6-lU4YON3vhgMoU6TsOia3yn_U2q8K1ZIJWnIbhJnilt63qhnvEVMXzAeIYA6-0m98ev0abok0w8j__giNifHHLdYrOMqgpcLGgfedm90YsXOe/s320/IMG_20231129_122018.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-64865186463528973732023-11-21T15:32:00.002+13:002023-11-21T15:59:10.306+13:00Oh, What a Different Post This has Become<div style="text-align: left;">Hello! It's really been a while. I hope you are well. And weaving. My life has been... eventful <i>and</i> same-old at once, but included no weaving for four months. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeKHGHkLw2_lPiWD1-oRGCttm4sAuG5zZxKA8c7VdvZjEkrsdmIgPb2QUKw_-WO5imesj1yCLB2p3yrLP3kX9x_DAnj18RZT1VP35FYpXyrwZ6mACxvV-lKo3LQB3pN7GPETX0PexJS3-lWc8PyQLmu9xEJ2o3XBbDxDJOU9qmFz6IknZx-wd/s3968/IMG_20230901_130932.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeKHGHkLw2_lPiWD1-oRGCttm4sAuG5zZxKA8c7VdvZjEkrsdmIgPb2QUKw_-WO5imesj1yCLB2p3yrLP3kX9x_DAnj18RZT1VP35FYpXyrwZ6mACxvV-lKo3LQB3pN7GPETX0PexJS3-lWc8PyQLmu9xEJ2o3XBbDxDJOU9qmFz6IknZx-wd/s320/IMG_20230901_130932.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>First thing first; I did something unthinkably stupid. After I wove the first tied (unit) weave sample in early July and had loom problems, (the shafts weren't lifting/dropping propery,) I only tied <i>some</i>, not all, of the ends in front of the reed, thinking I'll get to the next sample as soon as the loom was fixed. But it took a couple of weeks to get the problem sorted. And then one morning, on my way out to weed, I tested to make sure the lifting was indeed fixed, without tying or advancing the warp so they wouldn't slip out of place. (<i>Insert head-exploding emoji.</i>) The shed on the big loom is generous, so in doing this, many untied ends slipped behind the reed, (which would have been no big deal,) but some slipped out of the heddle as well, and at 42EPI, it's tricky to remedy. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">The truth is, I wasn't thrilled with the threading anyway; I thought 11 was too many pattern shafts for the kind of look I think I had I mind, so I was already thinking of rethreading. But to have the warps slip through because of laziness thus <i>having</i> to rethread was disappointing-with-swear-words. The warp is still sitting in a hot mess, but I'll get to it. And threading will be better than before. :-D<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I've also been working off and on on that post where I try to explain "my" kind of tied (unit) weave. I've been weaving tied weave in a particular way since my first warp, it's been a discovery/revelation to relearn how it's different from the usual, to try to explain what I do instinctively on the loom in writing, in the correct tied weave language. The weaving itself is not a big deal; if you came over to my basement I could show you in a couple of minutes, and if you know tied weaves you'll get the gist. Or do you even want to know? And if I insist on telling you, how much about the normal tied weaves should I to include; or skip the normal bits and give you just numbers so you can work it out if you ever want to? Do you even want to know what I do? </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I'll probably write about it (badly) in the not too distant future, because it's the sort of thing I enjoy clarifying for myself. At the root of this indecisiveness is my faltering fluency, not with the structures themselves but the language of tied weaves. Still, onwards. <br /><br />* * * * * </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />August was a bad month that included a short hospital stay, (Ben, not me, but a first for either of us beyond visiting or routine checks;) Japanese pension screw up; bank pension fund screw up; and insurance non-response, none by my doing. Phew! In the end they all came out right, but I was exhausted, and felt really dumb and old. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I have a circle of friends who aren't what you call "keen Kiwi gardeners" but who had success in their veg patches last summer, and very early on they started talking about this year's crop. So I joined them, ridiculously early for me, preparing a veg patch, in between regular weeding. My veg patch prep involves lots of clay breaking, and because of my bad right hip, I tend not to use the large forks/shovels but hand tools, which sprung a whole new right shoulder problem! Still, I got some area cleared and seedlings screaming to go into the ground planted. Some apparently much too early e.g. tomatoes, but they've survived; in fact, practically all survived so now I have two rows of over-crowded acid-free and mini toms, but I'm loathed to take any out. Peppers, on the other hand, I sowed twice to no avail, so I shall try a third time. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">In September garden work was a soothing antidote to August, and I was genuinely thankful. The title of this post refers to the change in my mood from my end-of-August draft to mid-September draft, when I was singing praise to Mother Nature. But came October and my body was hurting all over and all the time. I longed to return to the Great Indoors, the big loom in particular. Almost on a whim, we went away to Golden Bay not two hours away for five days in late October, (the first time we left the Nelson City limits since January 2021, no restrictions or anything, just the way we live now,) which was soul-cleansing. <br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Yesterday was the first summer day with too-bright lights and sharp, itchy sun; it'll be pretty much thus until around April, and we're told it's going to be a hot summer, but I'm still about halfway done with the veg garden alone, so more Sisyphean work for me. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I am more of a flower gardener, so this veg garden thing feels so high maintenance. But food prices remain high, in addition to shortage/absence of certain veggies due to weather events, and more immediately, so much veg now comes in plastic packaging, I do feel virtuous growing my own. I like the idea of being able to pick as many/few as we need for each meal. Just quietly between us, I wished Ben would take more interest in the garden, but he's been so completely disengaged in the last few years; although with some coaxing/begging, he will help me with the big/heavy stuff.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">* * * * *</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">This "more gardening" has been part of my effort to become a more self-contained, contented <i>old</i> person, gardening being one of the things old folks are <i>supposed</i> to love. I want to be a happier old person, not obsessed about constantly being informed, not having to form/express opinions, being a more pleasant, satisfied soul. You know. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">To that end, from time to time I visualize being such an old person, but in those visualization, there is never joint pains; the work is more rewarding; weeds are much slower to return; and somehow bird/cat damages are kept to a minimum. In real life, I have never caught up with the garden work in most of the 27 years in this house; for the next four months no matter how much hours I put in, the place will always look unkept; and the work gets harder on the old body. Grumble, grumble. <br /><br />At times I also worry about hypothetical circumstances where we must suddenly move out of this house because of health reasons. This house with many steps on a steep hill is not for the frail. When we bought it in our mid-30s, we joked we hated finding/buying a house so much one of us would move out in a wooden box; but now it's becoming clear if we're lucky enough to live a long and relatively healthy life, we will probably move into a house on a flat section, if not an age-care facility, at some point. And when the time comes, never mind the nightmare of all the <i><b>stuff</b></i> we own, how much will it cost to hire someone to make sense of all this outside mess? Oh, this has kept me awake many, many nights. Then I dream of spontaneous combustion and try to go back to sleep. <br /><br />* * * * * <br /><br />Lest you think I'm all grumpy and depressed, that's just part of the time. Some days I have enjoyed showing off small sections my winter/spring garden. Before the weeds came back with vengeance. :-D Here are some. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YJUtBKOY6d4nR9bD4nWVy65wgm6Uz0dXr6mOgjBgypsQ-kB2iZjrt4YI_rfihnASEnHnHC3CJP21llKZVy-fmFZfNyyHvSqvShr5nnPSTdaL1brmavecHzgeBevpl0ICQrxzwufRYpqLwdAeRxViJRJoM8c6CuvnDrY89NU7hutSvztgSsEl/s3968/IMG_20230813_110354.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YJUtBKOY6d4nR9bD4nWVy65wgm6Uz0dXr6mOgjBgypsQ-kB2iZjrt4YI_rfihnASEnHnHC3CJP21llKZVy-fmFZfNyyHvSqvShr5nnPSTdaL1brmavecHzgeBevpl0ICQrxzwufRYpqLwdAeRxViJRJoM8c6CuvnDrY89NU7hutSvztgSsEl/s320/IMG_20230813_110354.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhCNbU5zKB-QdxgiUEWgqL6X0xigYmPcmQcIixE5MS3yh_dd_I0UC26wYEGSbW0_OonmSBSQrZVSiYYqEnxuYfVft99yh-RThYVnRE81BWyP3SpbUUcifpXhppVCkr1VXDQpUkFSw2IJ5IuNQQ5-gZ3Ed0a5hSjBfrJT5KmEkgPnZYLth6KDa/s3968/IMG_20230822_151046.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhCNbU5zKB-QdxgiUEWgqL6X0xigYmPcmQcIixE5MS3yh_dd_I0UC26wYEGSbW0_OonmSBSQrZVSiYYqEnxuYfVft99yh-RThYVnRE81BWyP3SpbUUcifpXhppVCkr1VXDQpUkFSw2IJ5IuNQQ5-gZ3Ed0a5hSjBfrJT5KmEkgPnZYLth6KDa/s320/IMG_20230822_151046.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSuYcgF6-Owl-8XWp57oFeSWBjZ-4fw8485Cob3zZpZ-oo_5DK8LbdWcd5T0ZssjWPQj0fI-X2X0eJBTZd0KHmGNK_4M_QDtz96u7ya1XZIXuYhh8f1UxIq7vePHsX1w8MHJUe-tCU2128FxFXbEpsZA-7X-jP8n4DRXslZippN4Gp1rGj7hE/s3968/IMG_20230824_164232.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSuYcgF6-Owl-8XWp57oFeSWBjZ-4fw8485Cob3zZpZ-oo_5DK8LbdWcd5T0ZssjWPQj0fI-X2X0eJBTZd0KHmGNK_4M_QDtz96u7ya1XZIXuYhh8f1UxIq7vePHsX1w8MHJUe-tCU2128FxFXbEpsZA-7X-jP8n4DRXslZippN4Gp1rGj7hE/s320/IMG_20230824_164232.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_AaoNmdNTko-zX-PoSQuWGff8RRcqEMInbr5QugWGvhtAo_5kUR3CZfrikk2MTta0zWxCTDAspjn2BUZHPlaYU4nyAg9fsSIqTQeoXatvVIwVU7VQV4fq3A5e_2BY8L-ex5R5w71MlfKbQLG8ix7pvqVybIWUGOl5AAcPd1hyphenhyphenhNTpi3LbMYe/s320/IMG_20231017_113931.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTtnZcEhc4C9Kkp_ZfRTfUgDgSrA7erYXgBwoepBIgpcxwPcFunCuQ7d4IDUWqjo3f5i-lM_irTQWwj2-nhOnmn-qknKhcVbysg1Qvi2ZYOSqFemOXhnt-EVWRalyTOLE_QnKhWCZoTJ0j7ptutEGTRSNstz0-lrowCK4HtnT7Q2Mz8KRvSh_/s3968/IMG_20231119_192352.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTtnZcEhc4C9Kkp_ZfRTfUgDgSrA7erYXgBwoepBIgpcxwPcFunCuQ7d4IDUWqjo3f5i-lM_irTQWwj2-nhOnmn-qknKhcVbysg1Qvi2ZYOSqFemOXhnt-EVWRalyTOLE_QnKhWCZoTJ0j7ptutEGTRSNstz0-lrowCK4HtnT7Q2Mz8KRvSh_/s320/IMG_20231119_192352.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGFEO38dkvbBBD3O0nQ9tYmrJ5YOL9sgCbtstogNpp8ptS87fDD4ffkiPnNRHEJa8V86_xjIfPTLlQ4VkBgEO88MLjD3SpDVERWViTlVvORiFvWobh0sStahIDur0FViqL7jpD47ne83j9vaRs-b4N6TYK9vtc7e69iFUz7XJPwIC2GhkNy9_/s1797/DMC-GX1-20231029-5%20cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1797" data-original-width="1708" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGFEO38dkvbBBD3O0nQ9tYmrJ5YOL9sgCbtstogNpp8ptS87fDD4ffkiPnNRHEJa8V86_xjIfPTLlQ4VkBgEO88MLjD3SpDVERWViTlVvORiFvWobh0sStahIDur0FViqL7jpD47ne83j9vaRs-b4N6TYK9vtc7e69iFUz7XJPwIC2GhkNy9_/s320/DMC-GX1-20231029-5%20cropped.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Oh, I also killed our favorite lime tree by overenthusiastically getting rid of mold on the deck about a meter away. Since late October, this has been a 30cm stick out of the ground. On the other hand, mold returns when it rains. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITfavPJMdvYNkaCGe3d69CmkYCSXkkrUEEgJwwnbi7TZK5Oo1Cvdoc_rfRKqL_Srd4GGozr3MoxNvkyZbXcG0Jj6W5_1M5Yb156xF4UENKG-ax2-hTRRkq83HBu-pQF4BsqzvTfwdJ0YJDU_56onmXmWQwfyreGtx-SiMINIC0rbiYMOX01c-/s3968/IMG_20230923_101031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITfavPJMdvYNkaCGe3d69CmkYCSXkkrUEEgJwwnbi7TZK5Oo1Cvdoc_rfRKqL_Srd4GGozr3MoxNvkyZbXcG0Jj6W5_1M5Yb156xF4UENKG-ax2-hTRRkq83HBu-pQF4BsqzvTfwdJ0YJDU_56onmXmWQwfyreGtx-SiMINIC0rbiYMOX01c-/s320/IMG_20230923_101031.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /> </div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-88879225413608905932023-07-23T19:10:00.000+12:002023-07-23T19:10:08.689+12:00It's Just One Thing After Another<div style="text-align: left;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mQCzGX6FPFmjbOdM2mMvSkgVS4c10TF2ZoMOVO3TN0QAcA-eNr9K8tXmDZZ7robIT-4AbWRXYkmtSLCk2IJGaUR6DSMN0fjNA1gxbSCoIXpsh0E95A_yMtSO-yP9HpcZslc9BJDl-Qp3cg6gPE_fG4mtcTJo37LU5liWazjq-Sx_uA8Yd8VE/s3968/IMG_20230723_182826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mQCzGX6FPFmjbOdM2mMvSkgVS4c10TF2ZoMOVO3TN0QAcA-eNr9K8tXmDZZ7robIT-4AbWRXYkmtSLCk2IJGaUR6DSMN0fjNA1gxbSCoIXpsh0E95A_yMtSO-yP9HpcZslc9BJDl-Qp3cg6gPE_fG4mtcTJo37LU5liWazjq-Sx_uA8Yd8VE/s320/IMG_20230723_182826.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>You might think I live carelessly, and I don't blame you if you do. I wonder about it myself. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>I damaged my eyeglasses; I went outside and got two night's worth of firewood as I usually do, came inside and opened the wood burner to feed a couple, and the sudden temperature change did something to the layers of the lenses. The world has been blurred for the couple of weeks; it's a little like how movies and music films portray psychedelia, especially from the 60s, if you know what those look like. First time in 50 years of glasses and 26 years in this house and wood burner. I tried some of the old pairs in the meantime, but the blurred new ones (one year old) fits best, and the trusted optometrist said I could keep wearing them, so here I am, popping paracetamols like candy. (Not really, just two a day.) </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>I think my eyes and brain are on overdrive trying to cope with this new... psychedelic world. I can do things in the kitchen, but slower, and I have to take breaks to close my eyes often. I try an older pair now and then, but that's probably making things worse. </span><span>I've tried to read up on tied (unit) weaves, but quickly ran out of patience the first couple of times. I haven't tried sample weaving, but I can't cope with the idea of handling 60/2 cottons. I haven't ventured out to weed yet, but if all I need to settle myself down in one place, look down and pull, I can manage, couldn't I? Pruning trees are out of question, as are tasks I have to look both far and near in quick succession. At the very least, I should get off the computer, but I haven't always managed that. <br /><br />Life seems just one thing after another. The lenses come from China, and before Covid they took a couple of weeks to arrive, but this last pair didn't arrive and optometrist re-ordered either the lenses or frames from the US, and I had to wait two months. If your eyes are so bad you're legally blind without glasses in some jurisdictions, (yup, that's me,) that's a long time, and I feel entitled to be a little melodramatic. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>At the start of last week, for three days I had pretty bad hay fever symptoms, but it's been cold for a few days and it stopped, for now. I'm feeling terribly difficult to be happy or enthusiastic or not-<i>that</i>-old, folks. Do send me some good thoughts! <br /></span></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-69596492677712018742023-07-09T20:22:00.003+12:002023-07-13T15:33:22.688+12:00Another Loom Update<div style="text-align: left;">I posted almost exactly this on my FB page on Saturday: <br /><br />"With the warp on the big loom currently not under tension, we threw an old bed sheet over it and continued our investigation. Ben first checked every connection beyond the foot pedal, and found nothing clogging the tubes and joints. He them bypassed the shaft-dropping piston, and the shafts lifted as usual but dropped with a big thump. I could have easily finished weaving the warp that way, but not satisfied, he took off the offending piston, and pumped it manually half a dozen times, loosened and tightened every screw on it, and voila, the air stopped leaking. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">"We don't know how it became clogged in the first place, and we don't know if this is a long-term fix, but it's back to normal for now, confirming our hunch the problem was something akin to my joints - move it a few times and it'll go back to "normal" operation.
<br /><br />"I admit, we'll be holding our breaths. There were a few things that happened in the 21 years we've had this loom, most/all of which I'd forgotten since Ben usually fixed them in a minute or an hour. He had fun learning about how each part operates in more detail, the food pedal in particular. But if it happens again, it's manual pumping first, then to have the piston serviced or replaced.
Stay tuned! (He got a bottle of Highland Park 12 year old out of the operation.)"</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">So you'd think I'm jumping up and down with joy, sampling my heart out, but not just yet. Thinking about and creating sample drafts, (many of which I hope will be good enough to use in proper pieces later,) is taking a very long time, even though they were never a big deal on the table loom. I'm relearning the logic of what I did more instinctively/visually before. The one good thing I discovered is, I can use an "active pen" on Fiberworks with this laptop, (one of those pens you touch the screen with,) which speeds up the filling of the squares so much. (Undoing/deleting a square still has to be done the old way, though. :-D) Here's an example: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNzZn5IeOpgag6HOzxA5TRZesioCyFGYRbgbL5p58HoR-mC-Zxpd7wpH_Nren06GszyR4X_nMYKDrjHld7A8R_XjJEzFhLFTEHSQm12-I5Ee1Av8s8-lOWTLLoZ4csE-PQE_IEZal_trb37EwsUPl6p3kW8euH90l5gh0rcDNdXPv07B5UTwP/s1416/sample%20draft.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1416" data-original-width="1097" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNzZn5IeOpgag6HOzxA5TRZesioCyFGYRbgbL5p58HoR-mC-Zxpd7wpH_Nren06GszyR4X_nMYKDrjHld7A8R_XjJEzFhLFTEHSQm12-I5Ee1Av8s8-lOWTLLoZ4csE-PQE_IEZal_trb37EwsUPl6p3kW8euH90l5gh0rcDNdXPv07B5UTwP/s320/sample%20draft.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">None of the colors are accurate, as is the threading, (because both were done randomly,) and the thickness of green pattern weft is wrong. But I am entering every pattern shed by said spiffy pen, line by line. No wonder, eh.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm still working on the post about what I mean by tied weave, a little different from the normal tied weaves as far as I understand, but the tied weave jargon is making it confusing, and I keep changing the way I explain things. But I promise you, it is coming, if you are interested. So... more to come. <br /></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-43967230085009517532023-06-25T13:01:00.005+12:002023-07-13T15:33:56.835+12:00Loom Update<div style="text-align: left;">No, still not <i>about</i> tied weaves, but about the loom. But it's not all bad. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">In all we went to the air compressor (and other industrial machines) shop four time over two and a half weeks. I spoke with the specialist engineer, who told me there was clogging somewhere beyond the foot pedal, i.e. with the mechanism controlling the lift/drop of the shafts, and air traveled back to the pedal looking for an outlet. Ben spent some hours cleaning, plodding, blowing into, etc. He replaced the pressure gauge, "serviced" the compressor, (this was also done by the pro 13 months ago,) got rid of condensation in the tank big time, and confirmed there was no problem from the compressor to the foot pedal. There is still a dodgy valve where tank connects to the hose(?), but the latter is permanently, not requiring valve action, so we left it as is. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Ben then determined the problem is somewhere around the "down/drop" piston, but he couldn't access it easily with the warp already on, so we shall investigate after I weave this warp. <br /><br />The air appears to leaks at a similar rate to when the leak was first discovered, but we've increased the pressure, so the shafts lift <i>marginally</i> faster, (super slowly for a functioning loom at the best of times), but drops slowly enough I could almost put the kettle on between picks. I'm not 100% if all the required shafts lift all the time, either. If I step on the pedal before all the shafts have completely dropped, sometimes the same/previous shafts go up, sometimes the next, so I'm keeping an eye on the shafts as much as on the web as I weave, which isn't too bad with the somewhat predictable tied weave, in comparison to say a fussy twill. As well, this project requires carefully thinking of weft colors at every step, so compared to a swish-swish one-shuttle weave, the speed is annoying.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSd5yQEsMwqIXidgsyz9D34z1cal0F1vSIAo5YpTJ6yY7DuhBXGk7hOOOHEaY4CvrjSAJDEWSz6wOF9l--5-9HMlO07UOPtWp5tdAFUrAfXeCyZVvCkl--m8D5XnUOvOVpLdj9KZ68IgvCeYcXLbiizUHWSkY6lMpcUA7HrpzPjrrpYSy55p4/s3968/IMG_20230622_114721.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSd5yQEsMwqIXidgsyz9D34z1cal0F1vSIAo5YpTJ6yY7DuhBXGk7hOOOHEaY4CvrjSAJDEWSz6wOF9l--5-9HMlO07UOPtWp5tdAFUrAfXeCyZVvCkl--m8D5XnUOvOVpLdj9KZ68IgvCeYcXLbiizUHWSkY6lMpcUA7HrpzPjrrpYSy55p4/s320/IMG_20230622_114721.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Earlier in the week I reached the high/low point of hair-pulling agitation. Opportunely Ben found a bunch of card stock about to be discarded at work, so I started making more paper bobbins. I prefer gray, but these are white, and slightly stiffer than my usual, so they're harder on the fingers, but good distraction. Then I found more recyclable material at home, tabbed dividers in old ring binders; at this rate I'll never run out of paper bobbins, but I do go through them quickly, including winding off unused wefts after a project, so... bring it! <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjo6DG_Ali-mvBPlBnIAeaFp98lhPh20RPOnRF7P2IFj3Q8qDEZj2n2BWVsGEI7SrlsbIwj6K8xyFUbrbEWpa3BI6uZjiH5MKLfLm_IU7DbAsNw-1tu8WFcSynAyw-H2IyRYavKa90yYtuUobg0tGKonzm3mNLTSORH7uiHGetSu8W9XXXef1/s3968/IMG_20230624_113106.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjo6DG_Ali-mvBPlBnIAeaFp98lhPh20RPOnRF7P2IFj3Q8qDEZj2n2BWVsGEI7SrlsbIwj6K8xyFUbrbEWpa3BI6uZjiH5MKLfLm_IU7DbAsNw-1tu8WFcSynAyw-H2IyRYavKa90yYtuUobg0tGKonzm3mNLTSORH7uiHGetSu8W9XXXef1/s320/IMG_20230624_113106.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I also wound some pattern wefts, in the blue-green/green/yel-green/yellow/orange/red range. I'm not ignoring the purples/blues, but this is enough to start sampling and maybe one piece. Because this is the first time I'm weaving irregular tied weave on the big loom, I want to experiment with a broad range of issues/possibilities, so I'm sampling to my heart's content, and if the loom proves too dodgy, I'm OK if I don't get a proper piece off of this warp. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOj0KBLCNyPAao-bbuOSX_3JIeBXwjvtOOVuyd7dhrCmRPNuEJRgOEnEjiFobXzMbmYEkjKZxfKT4NRuFcjrsn3HA4pbI9ZIXU9YhK3lEWZONBnPCg7B596_OHinHAKnyhQmVSe7j2O1whc5AYV79ucc6GGeTk2332AwJfSEXwTEmGOj4qC8Y/s3968/IMG_20230624_134915.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOj0KBLCNyPAao-bbuOSX_3JIeBXwjvtOOVuyd7dhrCmRPNuEJRgOEnEjiFobXzMbmYEkjKZxfKT4NRuFcjrsn3HA4pbI9ZIXU9YhK3lEWZONBnPCg7B596_OHinHAKnyhQmVSe7j2O1whc5AYV79ucc6GGeTk2332AwJfSEXwTEmGOj4qC8Y/s320/IMG_20230624_134915.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I was winding the bobbins upstairs because that's where my cotton cones are, fuming about the state of the loom. Then I noticed there is a tied-weave warp ready to be woven at any time not too far from me. I am ever so one-track-minded. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhF6sZDMbg_OqUrokdRUnkvHhdybhMcmClbHuBDjlqfI31aj3ZzRj34TX0VA7go0TeQaO85HaET4F6Rg2A_HARwMHAM9ep0iH4AyFdK-nHGxipUNCxqKd1Z8ntYd0ulVTIlX8Ulm9vn146T-jfJjlM_UW-CYdOpWDJpGupFNehmffGYRLgsvk/s3968/IMG_20230624_140423.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhF6sZDMbg_OqUrokdRUnkvHhdybhMcmClbHuBDjlqfI31aj3ZzRj34TX0VA7go0TeQaO85HaET4F6Rg2A_HARwMHAM9ep0iH4AyFdK-nHGxipUNCxqKd1Z8ntYd0ulVTIlX8Ulm9vn146T-jfJjlM_UW-CYdOpWDJpGupFNehmffGYRLgsvk/s320/IMG_20230624_140423.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>With the loom ready, I needed some tabby wefts. (I rewound all the unused ones on the new white bobbins, so I see right away if something is a 2/60 tabby weft, not 2/20 pattern. The thread sizes are not hard to distinguish, but this way it's instant.) Lacking in some darker/saturated wefts, I wound a few more. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIbZQ4uxc25PYBor28fUGhW_AUYPxoGEucfKY3B1aWubkDktUs0DuXSjGCCkSayjLu86TgwS_ArfSZYaOmOXBLzWAZ_RVz1xvVNpB-PwkAGUksjYlXBwJe9MVdHPVpVzK7hCh49v5fYa3sVWqHWPJbCGcJBNuzhUy-o5BbaB-If8GukvyF2zz/s3968/IMG_20230624_182200.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIbZQ4uxc25PYBor28fUGhW_AUYPxoGEucfKY3B1aWubkDktUs0DuXSjGCCkSayjLu86TgwS_ArfSZYaOmOXBLzWAZ_RVz1xvVNpB-PwkAGUksjYlXBwJe9MVdHPVpVzK7hCh49v5fYa3sVWqHWPJbCGcJBNuzhUy-o5BbaB-If8GukvyF2zz/s320/IMG_20230624_182200.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">And this is the start of sample, this one with white pattern weft to map where/how the pattern wefts. I threaded in undulating twill on shafts 6-16 for the most part, but there is a small section of network twill towards the right. Because the pattern wefts are threaded at random, this is how I learn/see for the first time where they sit. The slight color change reflects the change in the tabby weft, except the very last bit where I ran out of white and used a yellow pattern weft. The next portion will be woven with a black pattern weft, in a similar fashion, for more mapping. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I am weaving standing up on a footstool Ben built me long ago for my office chair. The height happened to be perfect, but for weaving, I prefer wider so I can move around. The pedal needs lowering, but I can't tell how much. I like weaving standing up because I have a broader view of the web, and feel as though I can weave wider pieces more comfortably. I can also see exactly which shafts are up. With the current setup, however, I'm not "walking" the treadling/pedaling, and hope to remedy it when Ben works out the footstool and pedal height. <br /><br />Alright, extra credit to observant readers who spotted the dent I sleyed 14 rather than the usual 7 ends. <br /></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-55430315583561563642023-06-20T19:15:00.005+12:002023-07-13T15:34:22.857+12:00Not Happening<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">On the whole, we've been having a settled, lovely autumn/winter conducive to cool-weather gardening, with occasional rain, (far fewer than forecast,) for weaving, interspersed with "I just can't be bothered" days. I finished threading the tied weave warp on June 2, finished sleying and sorting out the tension, etc., for sampling on June 7, but haven't started, because...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzUdsS3k4TWiFMZaHnJta4qUqCFjwdFwRLbWldAYu6H4N9No7Jcw4gPhgYSIk0cvj1aNpokLS4AKyONuoholDL7nLxfOCLaLKk0O_xrnM4b6wrzVbtZi1-sGKeSORShlibkPeB26gmlhHbGBrhm1dwa8HvEs-jRL094EGflVh3PYN1CjYknv1/s3968/IMG_20230612_092238.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzUdsS3k4TWiFMZaHnJta4qUqCFjwdFwRLbWldAYu6H4N9No7Jcw4gPhgYSIk0cvj1aNpokLS4AKyONuoholDL7nLxfOCLaLKk0O_xrnM4b6wrzVbtZi1-sGKeSORShlibkPeB26gmlhHbGBrhm1dwa8HvEs-jRL094EGflVh3PYN1CjYknv1/s320/IMG_20230612_092238.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>After 21 years of service, the air compressor setup is causing problems. At first it looked like air leak from where the compressor air enters the foot pedal, *blue cord,) so we remedied that; and because the old ones were plastic, replaced plugs for the unused holes with spiffy new metal ones. But it still leaked, so we left the pedal at the specialist, who rang to say there's nothing wrong with the pedal itself but something-something is leaking? causing pressure to build up inside the pedal, causing it to leak. Wha??</div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The logic didn't make sense to Ben, either, so the ideal scenario is for him to talk to this Malcolm guy, but Ben's been super busy at work and we've been able to work on my problem about once a week, and Malcolm works part time. Incidentally, Ben found the pressure meter and a valve on the compressor plug have died as well, so those have been/will be replaced. It'd be hilarious?? if this valve business solves the whole leak problem, but I'm not counting on it... It's starting to get depressing, two weeks of putting sampling on hold while we rush to the specialist to get unsatisfactory results; we're heading there for the third time soon. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtEgVFn8v0k9USQBe_BpAAPG6e_5NlycMyMC0a3QgUoqHtaoUdLcRb63HYszCZBtDdy5FbiYqVWWgPkcB34mQAih605sbComYlmi1Mep3LutKtJs357QZiHdQqrdvWe8oWQULLhvlaE0B868rDYRvrcueO8GffbyOvP8NRmIVYHkHl7QmGEvzv/s3968/IMG_20230612_092159.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtEgVFn8v0k9USQBe_BpAAPG6e_5NlycMyMC0a3QgUoqHtaoUdLcRb63HYszCZBtDdy5FbiYqVWWgPkcB34mQAih605sbComYlmi1Mep3LutKtJs357QZiHdQqrdvWe8oWQULLhvlaE0B868rDYRvrcueO8GffbyOvP8NRmIVYHkHl7QmGEvzv/s320/IMG_20230612_092159.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">We were/are scheduled to have rain off and on all week, so I anticipated a happy, colorful week. I haven't had peace of mind to even think of weft colors or drafts, but that's on me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I was going to write about what kind of a modified tied weave I'm going to use on this project, but this post is now long enough, so I'll stop here. I'll start a new one about the weave structure. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-25137387470919925832023-05-20T12:17:00.002+12:002023-05-20T12:27:05.365+12:00Why Don't I Draw? / On Color-Experiment-Art-Therapy<div style="text-align: left;">I've been gazing at <a href="https://www.pinterest.nz/search/pins/?q=Jes%C3%BAs%20Cisneros&rs=typed" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the works of Spanish artist Jesus Cisneros</a> several times a day, because I am yearning to draw little whimsical sketches, a little every day, and color them in, but I have that usual mental block when it comes to drawing. Last year's Bard drawing worked because I was only "copying" the same painting. A few years ago, before I embarked on Will, I had a Matisse and a Modigliani portraits phase, which I enjoyed very much; I've thought of revisiting Matisse, but haven't actually done any. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I wish I could draw freely subjects I like: domestic scenes, interiors, kitchen scenes, or kitchen/weaving/sawing/art tools and supplies, or cakes and pastries and tea cups on tables. It's not that I've never tried - I had a capsicum-drawing phase late last century, but I was never happy with them so it didn't last. The funny thing is, and now I know this painfully well, that some of the "baddest" drawings are what I like best later, while "OK" ones often turn out boring. So I'll be happier if I did a bunch of bad drawing now, to perhaps color them in later and self-congratulate, or cut them in shapes to paste, or scan/copy and manipulate. Still, long evenings are lovely; at least I have been indulging in befriending watercolor and brushes. <br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The original plan was to make collage fodder for my journal (and other) swaps. It so happens I've been out in the garden most days, and by the time I finish dinner I'm exhausted; these "no thinking" stuff on paper also turned out to be an antidote, stopping the incessant replay of "tomorrow's garden jobs" at all hours. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Because I'm working under artificial light, colors look duller while I work, and I'm surprised/shocked how bright and saturated some look the next morning. Gradually "intention" started to creep in. Most sheets, I work over two nights, wash, and/or majority of elements going in the first night, and editing the second. I posted a couple to the FB journal swap group page, and friends' comments steer me in different directions. Here are some examples from the last ten days. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zVgXAa3k4zFFygJwH2ut0PB-XkzOB06rNJsYf_TJgMzoRNb1GzEbTLW30iwVJgvy4PWv1vr9EVf2_gWdGdqAngV1zFcQrKa3MHeDzhgdXd707szAmVDmRKeu62puFtYfozAHUgW9gMIcTd7sSvuwvlKRbfeCGYs8VRP8wJdTilZDkgdl5Q/s3968/IMG_20230509_105801.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zVgXAa3k4zFFygJwH2ut0PB-XkzOB06rNJsYf_TJgMzoRNb1GzEbTLW30iwVJgvy4PWv1vr9EVf2_gWdGdqAngV1zFcQrKa3MHeDzhgdXd707szAmVDmRKeu62puFtYfozAHUgW9gMIcTd7sSvuwvlKRbfeCGYs8VRP8wJdTilZDkgdl5Q/s320/IMG_20230509_105801.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>I needed saturated but nuanced yellow sheets. This was #3, where I incorporated more yellow greens and oranges; originally they were to be covered by yellows, leaving just nuances rather than the original colors, but I liked the orange bloom so much I stopped working.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0TDyXY9EfD6neE7h10yEbsovxzMV0MUSZz0nK0UfylPimZdiAXTetnBBAMugqDyfSTszjfKH6wL26IkqL0U5yI6GSrrgaYotmzigTq4qovLuAC1U-oS2coD_WuBADlh2380v-GmJKDpyu76VQNeEZCT-gls3mTzuk0zq0jQU5IC-qz-0iQ/s3968/IMG_20230509_105418.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0TDyXY9EfD6neE7h10yEbsovxzMV0MUSZz0nK0UfylPimZdiAXTetnBBAMugqDyfSTszjfKH6wL26IkqL0U5yI6GSrrgaYotmzigTq4qovLuAC1U-oS2coD_WuBADlh2380v-GmJKDpyu76VQNeEZCT-gls3mTzuk0zq0jQU5IC-qz-0iQ/s320/IMG_20230509_105418.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Then I concentrated on the bloom, and made this very pale sheet. I knew this would come handy in collage, but I felt ambivalent about its done-ness. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYF647JRL1xx_QapA3jl7IepWnTE1Q3UnFRbb5UHQxl28k3ObItOgfiyDNh7ziAcydC9zXsGwNSAfI7y01oeQgPQoYx4lkPpGOA6X68eQBrACVU6vUeiGyd3AcKYBedNzcW-FDRWrVM9ayXZj31o1m_crZVsaHd3DATSxKVU1ttadzfMQqtg/s3968/IMG_20230510_114953.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYF647JRL1xx_QapA3jl7IepWnTE1Q3UnFRbb5UHQxl28k3ObItOgfiyDNh7ziAcydC9zXsGwNSAfI7y01oeQgPQoYx4lkPpGOA6X68eQBrACVU6vUeiGyd3AcKYBedNzcW-FDRWrVM9ayXZj31o1m_crZVsaHd3DATSxKVU1ttadzfMQqtg/s320/IMG_20230510_114953.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>After several yellow-all-over sheets, I decided to "diversify" one night. Truth be told, I was running out of some yellows, oranges and greens, so I used some colors I have plenty of, ergo the pink. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3ftgY5V7oK0HRkF7MrugkNknTbDnLyuHWXOhnuv4VqyOulQ3i8BaOo_7kR_t5n9uQ7MIeWZnhtTeM569m3dvJl4KVAB8HI4OGgIxlkP-XQCJuZz5fFlaTz4syBoq90IyyF188FnhfgOEHUXienRec44MJklYlrp6yu8PpxZFWtPqpelWgQ/s3968/IMG_20230517_100041.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3ftgY5V7oK0HRkF7MrugkNknTbDnLyuHWXOhnuv4VqyOulQ3i8BaOo_7kR_t5n9uQ7MIeWZnhtTeM569m3dvJl4KVAB8HI4OGgIxlkP-XQCJuZz5fFlaTz4syBoq90IyyF188FnhfgOEHUXienRec44MJklYlrp6yu8PpxZFWtPqpelWgQ/s320/IMG_20230517_100041.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">The top sheet I made up one evening, and worked on some more the second. The bottom sheet is the same as the bottom sheet in the previous picture, with additional colors. The first layer on this sheet was so very saturated I had to add new colors rather dry and lightly, or they became mixed with the bottom layers almost instantly. Another good swap friend Tess commented it looked "shiney", which in turn made me think about saturation. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN97hJB5aykXCFEVrfJnNkHN62Rc5KFh2CIUS1NDbHz6verNyfOMv1qCbRr5295b2vsvL9kMxJFPRNgoE7a3h3bIwhPbPWEqmARMOVxX6Yj7wlefq8yuIY81thxk7Fxo8t4nz_KMZAIOrVF01tiQ3BGlpYFTVz9QTVYwO6kmGhkaLGpuZJNA/s3968/IMG_20230520_111922.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN97hJB5aykXCFEVrfJnNkHN62Rc5KFh2CIUS1NDbHz6verNyfOMv1qCbRr5295b2vsvL9kMxJFPRNgoE7a3h3bIwhPbPWEqmARMOVxX6Yj7wlefq8yuIY81thxk7Fxo8t4nz_KMZAIOrVF01tiQ3BGlpYFTVz9QTVYwO6kmGhkaLGpuZJNA/s320/IMG_20230520_111922.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">So the next two evenings I thought about saturation. The first sheet, you can see I tried layers, so even in the too-muchness, there are nice nuances. The bottom one, I don't know what I was thinking, really. I associate this degree of saturation with circuses and carnivals, totally not to what I intended to make, but they will work cut up and pasted in journals, I think. But all was not lost. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbFOYgWhK_6Qy7XpKYWXeWzU8kdCnOueEMlnts_s9O_J53D0uqfpkAx28VVKKn7vzJF9aDYSaIcGeQRvQocrEbmKiWCEfCdzruZeGJ0aWWf4hGwEwKYaSWZeQAkU8T8p82DptYxsknGLeHupG4KRk4ZLCPQj0n_Yn4X16aD7_mYg1tl_gvA/s3968/IMG_20230520_112228.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbFOYgWhK_6Qy7XpKYWXeWzU8kdCnOueEMlnts_s9O_J53D0uqfpkAx28VVKKn7vzJF9aDYSaIcGeQRvQocrEbmKiWCEfCdzruZeGJ0aWWf4hGwEwKYaSWZeQAkU8T8p82DptYxsknGLeHupG4KRk4ZLCPQj0n_Yn4X16aD7_mYg1tl_gvA/s320/IMG_20230520_112228.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Here are some nice layers from the top sheet, worked over two or perhaps three nights.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOa84mREmG49aZ44xhTa1quQUPCcixspCymyl6d2mI3Siw4w0UCDuLx9Ubc2lULs2Ez48xwkZzW8jlrqrYODYwByviHKGIy3eA3wwacDHbh9TZJoWFsx1Bm6ODEz4xnG4yMzKDu7CUwIBoIN4FKQsjUKcVNb6pIA1VvGyNYqSDkfqOoyjfg/s3968/IMG_20230520_112136.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOa84mREmG49aZ44xhTa1quQUPCcixspCymyl6d2mI3Siw4w0UCDuLx9Ubc2lULs2Ez48xwkZzW8jlrqrYODYwByviHKGIy3eA3wwacDHbh9TZJoWFsx1Bm6ODEz4xnG4yMzKDu7CUwIBoIN4FKQsjUKcVNb6pIA1VvGyNYqSDkfqOoyjfg/s320/IMG_20230520_112136.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>The bottom sheet starting to look so loud, I made an attempt at some bloom. But the most surprising was the top right kite-shape; although with a mix of good colors, it looked totally blurred and unfocused, and I revisited over and over to see how I could improve it, or if it was better left with "less". In the end, I had a dark green in my brush hovering over the entire sheet looking for nice home, and inside the kite was the only "vacancy" I found. And I'm so glad I did, because it finally brought a visual focus, a tightness to the whole shape. Phew! <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvdF66bT293RsR7Axu0PW5q6IU7fYtl2ow5nc_qIml6-UDZ9vYNIxIo-B8o_EuxCo8x3097d_0IzgiHeUDMuYu-y6ZCn1mgDcCPKqjz4jin7QmZKIn6mX5rpc2NuIbx3s5j6xLwQh72bBiKVvrmkkQwXrifUp-dWlFf6e4xkqcHvTVtS8Ug/s3968/IMG_20230520_112000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvdF66bT293RsR7Axu0PW5q6IU7fYtl2ow5nc_qIml6-UDZ9vYNIxIo-B8o_EuxCo8x3097d_0IzgiHeUDMuYu-y6ZCn1mgDcCPKqjz4jin7QmZKIn6mX5rpc2NuIbx3s5j6xLwQh72bBiKVvrmkkQwXrifUp-dWlFf6e4xkqcHvTVtS8Ug/s320/IMG_20230520_112000.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Sorry this one is blurred, but it best represents how watery the latest attempt is. Exhausted by the two loud piece, I've returned to layers and layers of wash plus some colors, on top of the bloom sheet, second from the top picture. This is after one or two nights, and probably unfinished, but some show breathtaking delicacy I hesitate to ruin. I may revisit, I may "touch up" some, I may leave them as they are, in which case I'll show you up close later. But a good contemplation on less vs more, and the opposite of what happened to the kite shape above. I'll start a new sheet, and just stare and stare at this while I work on that. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlL8T0GrszE0cKkZ1jcfa8cQPLc7EN3Kh7MxIag4GQ-qb132oyrmwlsSGrhAL1gv4gxWWk7qUBuz-mHUP4dfV92xW8eOy3tfYJ4C4OGeNKq0Nax5PznRHW84NV3QzDX32bJRr6gml5vmk1UpGKeTR2C5TcAc2qv2i2IbTcci4-WnSSs_fKMg/s3968/IMG_20230510_114924.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlL8T0GrszE0cKkZ1jcfa8cQPLc7EN3Kh7MxIag4GQ-qb132oyrmwlsSGrhAL1gv4gxWWk7qUBuz-mHUP4dfV92xW8eOy3tfYJ4C4OGeNKq0Nax5PznRHW84NV3QzDX32bJRr6gml5vmk1UpGKeTR2C5TcAc2qv2i2IbTcci4-WnSSs_fKMg/s320/IMG_20230510_114924.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>In journal swaps, we are encouraged to, and most folks enthusiastically, decorate the envelopes, too. I've been a slackest member in that regard, so I brought out my lino and woodblock and printed out a bunch of envelopes. My main goal was to improve my inking and print skills. The beauty of these swaps, though, is if I print badly, (or even well,) I can add elements so the (bad) print job recedes into the background. (Also at the bottom are some of the yellow collage material.) <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFT4wDv5RBPsQFdt5ImMezFqk6hSi521-zeGqCv6lBtIvJ8ePBKRWIBif70aQgqCmOeZppy4HdAPFkEREd8EWyj5NjUSrv_Jq28T59UJTh71vq-HqImcNel5T6RzUQSpG8SRDKdxjPlC6Py1WYNUDrE76VTycZhhUiXOyS1sN5AaOLFbj6UQ/s3968/IMG_20230510_115425.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFT4wDv5RBPsQFdt5ImMezFqk6hSi521-zeGqCv6lBtIvJ8ePBKRWIBif70aQgqCmOeZppy4HdAPFkEREd8EWyj5NjUSrv_Jq28T59UJTh71vq-HqImcNel5T6RzUQSpG8SRDKdxjPlC6Py1WYNUDrE76VTycZhhUiXOyS1sN5AaOLFbj6UQ/s320/IMG_20230510_115425.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I particularly liked the red print on red paper, a new swap with one of my steadiest swap mate Fran, on the subject of Covid/Lockdown. Of the two designs, I like the top one better, although even for me they are so similar I have to look for the fish or the fin in the middle to see which is which. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I still want to draw simple scenes/things, but for now I'm happy with these experiments; I even sense there may be a couple of new woodcuts/linos coming up. And with prints, it's the carving I enjoy, so I'm not worried if they turn out to be more of the same. <br /><br />I also think I'm OK to thread the big loom, although still not sure about the tiny camping/fishing seat; I'm thinking of kneeling on inflatable rubber cushions, (think Swiss balls, but in the size/shape of cushions.) I can't stop visualizing my weaving that warp! I just have to rethink the time I spend cooking, weeding and weaving.<br /></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-18211433493130328312023-05-13T16:54:00.000+12:002023-05-13T16:54:02.161+12:00Of Weeds and Hips<div style="text-align: left;">There has been no weaving or weaving-related activities taking place, due to my self-inflicted hip problem earlier, and the arrival of the brisk season plus a new toy called the Green Bin. This is another random, meandering post. (In great details, nevertheless; goodness, I'm long-winded!) <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">The days are finally cooling down, and I am in my element weeding for a few hours in the afternoons, and doing light-hearted things in the hours after dinner watching and not watching whatever is streaming on the computer. Oh, I love the cooler season! The next couple of months are my favorite time of the year. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Autumn arrived very late this year, and this might be just a cold spell and we may return to the lukewarm temperatures again. The big maple still has 20-25% of the leaves and cherry hasn't started falling yet. The hills in the distance had its first snowfall just this week. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqN_RBQwz1HjMNuhPoRKNuWtZmV88atMM8sylQSosHuexF1s7XUmY2mg3Qh0oFCrLir1o0S3B847prUgA5ePO0P4IXpH7nxSyMq27nrWNKflabhV6TfzLfFTM8miHfCKPeJI8Tv2mv4F_SWBfhI6kzxGngLryC3_1-_NTEUbWNG5Pak3bEHw/s3968/IMG_20230505_092246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqN_RBQwz1HjMNuhPoRKNuWtZmV88atMM8sylQSosHuexF1s7XUmY2mg3Qh0oFCrLir1o0S3B847prUgA5ePO0P4IXpH7nxSyMq27nrWNKflabhV6TfzLfFTM8miHfCKPeJI8Tv2mv4F_SWBfhI6kzxGngLryC3_1-_NTEUbWNG5Pak3bEHw/s320/IMG_20230505_092246.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>This is what is known as the Green Bin; we opted for the 240L rather than 120L; and we can throw in most garden waste up to 70kg, (no soil, no flax leaves,) haul it up the steep driveway to the main road, and the rubbish will be taken away every other Monday for only $5.35/fortnight. I may have been aware of this service, I can't remember, but Esther recommended and we slow-jumped on the idea. Weeding constantly, steadily, incrementally, and have it taken away regularly suits the chances in my old body/head/stamina, rather than ordering a huge skip once a year and having to load it up within the week. (For that, we save a year's worth of garden rubbish in about a dozen wool bags, and some compost. One year we had too much and picked out bad roots, bulbs, and vines, bag by bag, but most years we just chuck them all out.) </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">When it arrived, at 7.07AM a week ago Friday, the 240L bin looked bottomless, but this week, after a fortnight of rain, I weeded for eight hours over two afternoons, and filled 2/3 of the bin with very wet weeds, which is about the maximum weight Ben can manage up the driveway. I'm a little disappointed because I was hoping for... maybe twice as much at least. While discussing the size of the bin to order, size-wise, Ben imagined we could load it up on the back of the Pajero, but it's too wide to fit and too heavy to lift. We haven't experimented with dragging it up the driveway, yet. :-D At roughly $5.35/fortnight, it's still a great incentive for me to get outside on a regular basis. And maybe it's a good thing it doesn't require 80 hours to fill the whole thing. And the rest will go into the wool bags to supplement the bin in weeks we don't have enough, or to let compost and to deal with maybe this summer. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />It's crushing to contemplate the magnitude of our mess, though sadly this is nothing new, us being the great indoors people. But once I'm outside, I am able to concentrate on the weed in front of me most of the time, and the brisk air and birds lift my spirits. When someone else's power tools come out, I just raise the volume of my audiobook. There is one tui that has been around for months now, and doesn't seem to be too afraid of us. Sadly the kowhai doesn't have a lot of flowers this year, again, so I hope he gets to have the tree to himself. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Oh, the self-inflicted hip problem. One Monday I woke up and I had sharp pains on my right hip and I couldn't put any weight on it. I didn't recall sleeping in a weird position, I didn't fall off the bed, I wasn't sure how I got it. By Tuesday afternoon, I realized I am fine standing up, and it suddenly dawned on my I had the same problem some years ago, caused by my not sitting straight. Because I'm so short there's been only one chair in my life I could sit on comfortably. (Well, actually, a few, they being my parents' dining set, with one remaining in Mom's apartment until the last days in 2019. If it could have been taken apart, I would have brought it home; I even contemplated sawing a few places; and it <i>wasn't</i> ugly!) You can imagine in New Zealand my problem is worse. I find myself sitting with my weight on one side or another, and it's worse when I sit on the floor, which I do often because chairs are so uncomfortable, but I prop up the same side, (it must be the left?) with a cushion for some reason. <br /><br />Last time it took months to remedy, ending up in the purchase of a nice-looking but not exactly comfortable rocker/recliner, but this time I stayed standing up most of the day for a few days, (and boy, I got a lot of cooking done, all the ironing, and even some print work!) and the pain went away by the end of the week. I'm dying to go downstairs to keep threading the tied-weave, but that's very problematic as I sit on a tiny folding camping/fishing thing, and even at normal times I have to quit after a couple of hours because my lower limbs go all funny. I am now considering different ways of sitting on the floor, or a stack of books, for that.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, this hay-fever-related problem isn't going away, and we look set for a very warm winter, so... life is never boring. <br /></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-78204609894270735522023-05-01T19:01:00.001+12:002023-05-01T19:01:47.501+12:00The April that Was<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhunt35K1IP6tilgO-ZoznmOpp-YcjrqNs37tdHatST3xsN8Npp_0MypmjBdCyYMoJiJEMoiHDCWWR76Hq-2aiA6VvCskK0NnLuYz2DGaONDwnjxegDx5LcCbrLh7l4KuGHjsCmjhDc575aOkjZ_EoSGxHJeFnRGzCpVJSM5hJ4Mv2GLfyg/s3968/IMG_20230422_105509.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhunt35K1IP6tilgO-ZoznmOpp-YcjrqNs37tdHatST3xsN8Npp_0MypmjBdCyYMoJiJEMoiHDCWWR76Hq-2aiA6VvCskK0NnLuYz2DGaONDwnjxegDx5LcCbrLh7l4KuGHjsCmjhDc575aOkjZ_EoSGxHJeFnRGzCpVJSM5hJ4Mv2GLfyg/s320/IMG_20230422_105509.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I gave myself a week to take care of my Letter Journal bottleneck, to various results. This is an unfinished spread, (i.e. someone else has to work on it to "complete" and sign it off,) but my favorite; I worked on this the week leading up to the Bard's 459th and the First Folio's 400th, in a swap with my usual friends. This steady group produce <i>very</i> layered, always
surprising, and even if difficult at the time, always, always
rewarding collaborative results. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I got a little adventurous and joined another swap with not my usual friends also; this is always a gamble. I struggled with different view on simple/layered, collaborative/not, and communicative/not, but I survived, finishing my bits early the following week and now await mine to return. I had a bunch of little life stuff that needed attention, also had a mild cold, so the rest of the week was a write off. Except life's little stuff included a good crop of feijoas, (still ongoing,) and making sorbet every few days. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5Ihsr8dx2vk7SnIjtjPYUi1DRWIGHqRxnDNgTsdun7Lo-O6HEmo0L58nwtoJ4UWktQjJ_qWT2wu1k8U9iEcPoY0yyIE-CMOylMQ3g3h4bjvamQd_nFLiu2tdjYOePO-_eLCgMrjIvbvIBObTQudq2tieaIZjKIcu9BWSK8kGuuU2YDtDKA/s3750/IMG_20230429_104541%20crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="3750" height="51" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5Ihsr8dx2vk7SnIjtjPYUi1DRWIGHqRxnDNgTsdun7Lo-O6HEmo0L58nwtoJ4UWktQjJ_qWT2wu1k8U9iEcPoY0yyIE-CMOylMQ3g3h4bjvamQd_nFLiu2tdjYOePO-_eLCgMrjIvbvIBObTQudq2tieaIZjKIcu9BWSK8kGuuU2YDtDKA/s320/IMG_20230429_104541%20crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I had a doctor's appointment, not for anything specific, but for an annual overview to get my annual blood test organized. Since we had time, (since my latest "ailment", the shoulder problem, having magically disappeared,) Dr sue and I discussed the weird effect of hay fever on my face/eyes, to which she said some people some years need HF meds year round in NZ, and face cream for skin sensitivity and hot compress for the eyes were what she would have prescribed, short of a cortisone cream. I also brought up my cognitive problems, for which she set up a short assessment. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Today I had said short assessment, which I aced 30/30, but Nurse Jo and I discussed age-appropriate decline, but what specifically are they in my case?? I said my having been healthy most of my life makes me notice every little defect, and I sometimes don't know which ones to ignore and which ones to worry about, or for how long. At any rate we're going to meet in six months if there are noticeable changes. One of the questions, though, was today's day of the week and date/month/year, and I have a hard time saying it the NZ way, (d/m/y), still prefer either the US (m/d/y) or Japanese (y/m/d), and I always have to think a bit. But lucky I had to do a lot of pension-related paperwork earlier in the year, I know it's 2023 for sure, because I got a little confused about the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 before that, and I still think in terms of "which lock down".<br /><br />There is one aspect that bothers me more than most, and that's my not being able to find things. Like this morning when I cut some rosemary to drop off at friends' and I put down the secateurs, somewhere I would have to walk passed later, just long enough to tie all the branches into one big bunch, and loaded in the car, and... I spent 15 minutes looking for it. And to make it easy to find, years ago I painted it very bright orange! It's worse when I know I'll need something later and put it in a "special place" - that is a guarantee I won't be able to find it. I am seriously considering carrying a small notebook and a pen or a pencil around my neck in my house, because I can get quite angry at myself wasting so much time and then waste time being angry or disgusted. Dear me! <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">There is no question I need to exercise more, though; lifetime of obesity, high cholesterol since middle age, (what exactly is the definition of middle age anyway?) and recent cognitive issues can all be helped/delayed greatly, and since I don't like gyms and swimming but don't mind walking, I just need to get my unsmall butt in gear pronto, with or without Ben. And it's nice we're heading into the cold season, because it's nice walking in the brisk air. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3Hk-xEsPhoIjhWDiEcby66QKVMzZLHZsMu87HoMJpwGGqQ4AFDap1FgsMDFsQvEnk2oIMVm3RAg8cKpuIop-oGmHkyOWBMpV0Y4dLFQqrhDBetajsBc97V49ehoKegJvdLk0-ySGZUjh2gA8IFgIAT-OXEodSQw5xu9BoUclLz26juxy4w/s3968/IMG_20230429_153731.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3Hk-xEsPhoIjhWDiEcby66QKVMzZLHZsMu87HoMJpwGGqQ4AFDap1FgsMDFsQvEnk2oIMVm3RAg8cKpuIop-oGmHkyOWBMpV0Y4dLFQqrhDBetajsBc97V49ehoKegJvdLk0-ySGZUjh2gA8IFgIAT-OXEodSQw5xu9BoUclLz26juxy4w/s320/IMG_20230429_153731.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We had our 33rd anniversary on Friday. Ben had the day off, but we had errands, groceries shopping, and my doctor's appointment, so that evening we indulged in my favorite food group, cold cuts of meat, in sandwiches, and leftover soup. On Sunday, however, I attempted Ben's favorite cake, angel food cake, only for the second time in my life. It was Mom's favorite to bake when we lived in Minneapolis, (and later Tucson,) in the early 60s and I had until a few years ago her giant angel food cake tin with three little fingers to stand it upside down, but in one of our "seriously low carb" phases, I gave it away. Looking for some depth, I couldn't find any metal tins, but the portion was perfect for splitting into two in these two vessels. That CorningWare is also Mom's from the 60s, although in the last few years I broke the lid. I knew it would still be useful. The recipe itself isn't difficult, I just needed a way to stand it on its head. In future, I know to halve the recipe to make one small cake, (and quarter the sugar;) I use the recipe from my copy of 1969 Betty Crocker, so there is a good chance Mom's recipe was the same, or very similar. Although I don't recall her having her own Betty Crocker, we did have a tour of General Mills; I vaguely remember it. <br /><br />Weaving-wise, I'm suspending the clasped weft project; I'm probably not going to use the warp I showed you in the last post for that purpose, but returning to threading my tied weave warp. <br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-45973572052490690692023-04-19T15:12:00.002+12:002023-04-19T15:12:52.104+12:00Moving On<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFcS_XTQoD4dhy4h091xTA0aFvHYxOQGoCNxpjjQa4i9D87s44n62vECI1H3VAKX1ZTquCoFL0jPHCfEvdUDQIrxcGbJOZXXalXjp76Zx-HZ3F2XwuCpypvcXw2jDMoxVqgKJgQZttyjJepRIpvr6p6acd9FDsLBV_NvkuBOuHiah7vUrcg/s3028/IMG_20230419_122037.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2888" data-original-width="3028" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFcS_XTQoD4dhy4h091xTA0aFvHYxOQGoCNxpjjQa4i9D87s44n62vECI1H3VAKX1ZTquCoFL0jPHCfEvdUDQIrxcGbJOZXXalXjp76Zx-HZ3F2XwuCpypvcXw2jDMoxVqgKJgQZttyjJepRIpvr6p6acd9FDsLBV_NvkuBOuHiah7vUrcg/s320/IMG_20230419_122037.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>On Monday, I thought I'd be productive and augment/widen this warp, wind it, and even thread it for another clasped weft. Except I'd forgotten I had the dark colors in the center of the warp, not on one side, and that felt like a game-changer for the purpose. <br /><br />Because I missed the big birthday anyway, (not only the giving-of-the-pressie, but we both had reaction to our third Covid Booster,) there is no reason I need to rush this one. I started thinking: "What is it I want to make?" OK, before that, what do I think when planning/weaving a clasped weft piece? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">1) First and foremost, I notice hues and their interplay in most textiles, but with clasped weft, weft colors, (why monochromatic felt so new to me;) hues, values, their relationships, balance/proportion. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">2) Second, obviously the shapes of/lines dividing the two/different weft areas, (which monochromatic wefts bring to the fore;) included are balance/proportion, balance/contrast, repetition, even moods like pointy, rounded, elongated, etc., should I/viewer look for any. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">3) Then there is the underlying weave structure, which appear at times vividly, and other times not so well behind the "busyness" of the above two elements. But I'm always terribly into interesting structures/patterns, avoiding plain weave where I can, even if this hampers the precision of shapes/lines possible with clasped weft on plain weave. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">One thing I noticed on the Navy/Orange piece, is where threading moves quickly, e.g. 1-2-3-4, there are vertical stripes in the finished piece which weren't evident while weaving; where there were some floats, e.g. 1-1-2-2-3-3-3-4-4, the warps are covered better and no stripes appeared. This also relates to 4). This piece was woven 20EPI for cushynesss; I may revert to 18EPI but I'm not sure that will solve the problem. All three pieces have left home now and in the samples, these strips are not obvious to invisible. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">These were woven on four shafts, so the complexity of background pattern is limited. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">4) And lastly, (that I can think of at this moment,) there is the warp hues/values. They are not as obvious or as consequential as I think I would like them to be, but if they are too manifest, they will distract from the main event, the 1) and 2) above. Hues/values obviously influence the finished look, i.e making the dark end darker and the light end lighter in the first two pieces of the previous monochromatic warp; actually, the navy in the third piece looked very nice against black, too. But it can make the overall picture murkier, even messy. <a href="https://www.megweaves.co.nz/2018/05/woewow.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Have a look at pieces I wove</a> on a warp I made at the same time as the one I'm about to. See the dark bits in the middle? I'm not crazy about that. And the more I think about it, the closer the warp hues/values should be linked to background pattern. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">For now my gut feeling is, because I think this warp is pretty, but perhaps not as clasped weft background, perhaps I shouldn't make a clasped-weft-specific warp, and use this to have a pattern-focus towards the center as well. <i>OR</i>, is this a more challenging challenge? <br /><br />Duty to my swap mates notwithstanding, this week I thought a bit of color play might yield fresh insight, so I'm doing small mixed media. Of course there is the fact I like mulling over weavy-thinky things. But then I can't get away from my Senior Brain worries my skills and abilities are only going further downhill, and the only way I can think of to combat that is more weaving. (Note to self: this did not happen to Mom until she was <b>well into her 80s!</b>) I'm not pessimistic. I'll go downstairs and continue to thread tied-weave; I can't wait to start sampling that one. I'll keep thinking about this warp as well as clasped weft, and try to transfer my head-picture onto something on the looms. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I must also start the cool season weeding. I had a 2-week reprieve from that weird hey-fever/face/eye thing in February; it came back in March with the autumn wind; but we've had rain in April, and the wind isn't as fierce, so it's not as bad. Autumn came suddenly this year. Liquid maple turned from green to dark purple overnight, skipping all the lovely colors in between, I might have already told you, but still holding tight to the branches. It's actually been a pretty autumn, pleasant, and not cold like some years after the initial chill. There is oh-so-much to clean at our place, inside and out; annual doc appt at the end of the month; so many interesting books to read; I've no time for sulking!<br /></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-31973651898933361112023-04-16T16:12:00.001+12:002023-04-16T16:13:22.065+12:00Monochromatic Cashmere Warp Pieces Three and Four <div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwS344UW92bm0oFR6B-OaRn91Cdzbu2bwUu1yWof7GXjQXg2UZFNUZ5LCME6Hkn3GqJqrauDYfWpCm9ItFQX1yJQ9ckpgiyVxUj58JV9LkTwcPZVslPf_XfjdNRzNlCcCEkR5lpGL9LvPtcZ3WlEHj_uxTvpIkozz5zI1QuElS1idOcwNKw/s3807/IMG_20230416_113209.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3807" data-original-width="919" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwS344UW92bm0oFR6B-OaRn91Cdzbu2bwUu1yWof7GXjQXg2UZFNUZ5LCME6Hkn3GqJqrauDYfWpCm9ItFQX1yJQ9ckpgiyVxUj58JV9LkTwcPZVslPf_XfjdNRzNlCcCEkR5lpGL9LvPtcZ3WlEHj_uxTvpIkozz5zI1QuElS1idOcwNKw/w96-h400/IMG_20230416_113209.jpg" width="96" /></a></div>In short, this piece was a (giant) flop, because of the erratic beating. What's worse, I was unaware of it while weaving, and only saw how bad it was when the remainder of the warp came off the loom. And it took me over a week to come to terms with it. But more on that later. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9GyBchb7aL4kcvzkqLerlSU6wmpnIusOs2DD6MK3m-dhTAYLnrMvDrZ4IQOJb77bdXBmcIJmMp4eKp8w4q4A0IRWuJbycpbjUDzomeWQdiautOqzFYgUd7i_yd0asixEIwhM00YVuKOFkA7UJTaOQi4XtWvysGxnUdTI3_hY0BoSvbGF23g/s3968/IMG_20230416_112431.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2244" data-original-width="3968" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9GyBchb7aL4kcvzkqLerlSU6wmpnIusOs2DD6MK3m-dhTAYLnrMvDrZ4IQOJb77bdXBmcIJmMp4eKp8w4q4A0IRWuJbycpbjUDzomeWQdiautOqzFYgUd7i_yd0asixEIwhM00YVuKOFkA7UJTaOQi4XtWvysGxnUdTI3_hY0BoSvbGF23g/s320/IMG_20230416_112431.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I had another intended giftee for the third piece. This person, with a big birthday coming up, often surprises with bold colors and patterns in their leisure wear. I wanted to weave in that spirit. First I re-rethreaded to bring in more movement, (middle sample,) but I wasn't successful, so I re-rethreaded, (right sample,) which I liked better. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I struggled with the colors, too, but finding a recent photo of the giftee's new-to-me pants, I tried navy and oranges, seen at the top of the far right sample. The very top combination would have been nearest to the photograph, but they are 26/2, which would have taken longer to weave but also change the lines I've gotten used to weaving with 20/2. I could have gone either way, with the orange, (second from top), or a somewhat toned-down but closer-to-the-photo burnt orange, (third), but Ben and I thought bolder would be better. The 20/2 navy is my absolute favorite, a color I thought I might use for myself one day, but much better to weave a special pressie for a special person!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMPnZx3H5tKC_B-rQMzGq-hKYSnBfwVw3yOVQsIkW-sx2r6WOsXMnXreZ9yJzH8KbzHZXkkyqWFqXtuDQCJdG4jIdJjGgNvQZjOGK7lOznOXX0tRdS_MKyCT4fnLa6CPDpotFj2y_B67aoJOHt4pUqF1kxu9bun9A4eKo2YNKWY3Ivs7hWA/s3968/3%20IMG_20230404_184920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMPnZx3H5tKC_B-rQMzGq-hKYSnBfwVw3yOVQsIkW-sx2r6WOsXMnXreZ9yJzH8KbzHZXkkyqWFqXtuDQCJdG4jIdJjGgNvQZjOGK7lOznOXX0tRdS_MKyCT4fnLa6CPDpotFj2y_B67aoJOHt4pUqF1kxu9bun9A4eKo2YNKWY3Ivs7hWA/s320/3%20IMG_20230404_184920.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Introducing hues to this warp at first disappointed me when the delicate interplay of the achromatic yarns was taken over by the colors demanding my attention. But gradually their boldness allowed me to get a little adventurous with shapes.This portion felt particularly fresh in spite of the treadling mistake. (This photo shows the colors pretty accurately.) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjVHIwmf4jsMsHAhf4HXWuBWwkGCNljVbDidC7ovURa08fhl4a4Q7ZtFcYpodHGxQ2mkuK6fX-0IPB4MtH1XgIJ2gzQU1tLA7sWXwzI652LXm7A-XFeD5Qy-Mj7d_tJY1ndKDXV4FycAu92nVDKAT5oMtPP2IQaMXAdNWQkMuKuERx_7UFA/s2962/IMG_20230416_113848a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2962" data-original-width="2055" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjVHIwmf4jsMsHAhf4HXWuBWwkGCNljVbDidC7ovURa08fhl4a4Q7ZtFcYpodHGxQ2mkuK6fX-0IPB4MtH1XgIJ2gzQU1tLA7sWXwzI652LXm7A-XFeD5Qy-Mj7d_tJY1ndKDXV4FycAu92nVDKAT5oMtPP2IQaMXAdNWQkMuKuERx_7UFA/s320/IMG_20230416_113848a.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>However, I must beat harder when I'm excited about what I see on the loom; this very section caused the biggest disappointment in the beat department. Witness how relaxed I felt after the "combs" and went back to the gappy beating I aimed for to produce an airier final texture. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1187QDwxUvaiGPeCW_1jSdLmObgnj2nuYEisz9XK-O25mFZ0hnJxr0Pf7xupPeHzAcwj49sRmePDQLGIEcmmptrogWQEK_ZUHmTOcrrxjJWygoPBHwAdeLy71uBCa2ZP79zvueJjFiSIpNKOsIsjNF2VsHMYlC_bl-KAL9NkFpBoqF37zw/s3968/IMG_20230410_154636.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1187QDwxUvaiGPeCW_1jSdLmObgnj2nuYEisz9XK-O25mFZ0hnJxr0Pf7xupPeHzAcwj49sRmePDQLGIEcmmptrogWQEK_ZUHmTOcrrxjJWygoPBHwAdeLy71uBCa2ZP79zvueJjFiSIpNKOsIsjNF2VsHMYlC_bl-KAL9NkFpBoqF37zw/s320/IMG_20230410_154636.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Clasped-weft, particularly in twill, presents a unique problem in how much give to allow where the two wefts clasp. The loops full enough in the washing to not present a problem, but in succession, sometimes the shapes can look stitched together. (Again, accurate colors.) <br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0XFW451iBh_v0jbOlShEAacEf0pOX0mdIXQDP6U762xWcv6Qu-NUETJq_MISDY7h7N0uZNbK5x0mLjuX03Z6hDWNzHkF70SaImVokWQCjtD18fTwsgWxqWu1CiBmPjsny-1YofZclOKhPn9AadpEYI4iIlgDqOUxsBakeyU4iKQmvwjVaQ/s3968/IMG_20230410_154618.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0XFW451iBh_v0jbOlShEAacEf0pOX0mdIXQDP6U762xWcv6Qu-NUETJq_MISDY7h7N0uZNbK5x0mLjuX03Z6hDWNzHkF70SaImVokWQCjtD18fTwsgWxqWu1CiBmPjsny-1YofZclOKhPn9AadpEYI4iIlgDqOUxsBakeyU4iKQmvwjVaQ/s320/IMG_20230410_154618.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">In rethreading, I brought back longer floats; this allows "islands" of colors depending on the clasp position. This bothered me while weaving, but in a finished piece, it's not all bad. Longer floats, though, change how precisely lines/shapes can be controlled, which is why tapestry is (usually?) woven in plain weave. I'm not sure if this is important for my purposes, or if I prefer the weave pattern to be interesting as well. (<i>Well, of course, the latter!!</i>) <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg703jXEudVXjRQGiM9D4lwQxXZhNxrNUaK-yK4AZXwfnGw1YKLVLCwXQHXK6V0g0QfKVv8AevZvHYkQFBoZbI_SnYwyn7lO3D0xqL-tGpMx-0HcSFu-YWhnk9TUVXe1xIox_EInyj5WQrhb8vNCiGPpwQXoeRwuH11WCinjzJmuhmIWfcTzg/s3968/IMG_20230416_112202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg703jXEudVXjRQGiM9D4lwQxXZhNxrNUaK-yK4AZXwfnGw1YKLVLCwXQHXK6V0g0QfKVv8AevZvHYkQFBoZbI_SnYwyn7lO3D0xqL-tGpMx-0HcSFu-YWhnk9TUVXe1xIox_EInyj5WQrhb8vNCiGPpwQXoeRwuH11WCinjzJmuhmIWfcTzg/s320/IMG_20230416_112202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The fourth, warp-end swatch, was woven with Mom's oddball leftover; super fat and glossy. I can't even guess the size of the yarn but something I consider a knitting yarn, with plenty of silk, not as airy as 100% cashmere after finished. Throughout, I was struggling with the white warps' tension - here I was just in a rush to finish the warp. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMUxUMEbMVKGOmJRWUSJb-Vppwd02VfkTvzIDpDMI8Jcav6P9Wy9eTZe9rJwCgBfnYJ85d0Dce2-vgbgkHbBrFnQHXnJ9qzuETl85scyH3G6urjN7RJzG8Xf4WLrOrqLv8xb72Xd3TB7XxnVk3BNABifpxia-BBHopu9BkZ0saNt8sJKZxA/s3968/IMG_20230406_131746.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMUxUMEbMVKGOmJRWUSJb-Vppwd02VfkTvzIDpDMI8Jcav6P9Wy9eTZe9rJwCgBfnYJ85d0Dce2-vgbgkHbBrFnQHXnJ9qzuETl85scyH3G6urjN7RJzG8Xf4WLrOrqLv8xb72Xd3TB7XxnVk3BNABifpxia-BBHopu9BkZ0saNt8sJKZxA/s320/IMG_20230406_131746.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The next warp on the four-shaft will be the left one, although as with this monochrome warp, I will have to add a couple of inches, probably on the dark end, to weave wider pieces than I planned when I made the warp. Most colors in it are not bold, but I'll leave that to the wefts, with warp colors adding interest rather than clashing. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Now to the real issue with the third piece. I am sick of each and every project being a gamble on how alert I can stay to all aspects of weaving as I work. It's hardly as if I'm slacking off and dismissing problems while I work, but I've always had a one-track mind; I have problems paying attention to multiple things simultaneously; treadling, beating, selvedge, draw-in... <br /><br />I've observed some older weavers' skills or tenacity deteriorate, although many just stay the course and keep weaving beautifully and skillfully. (How dare they!) I've said many times I've always been technically weak, but I'm having to face the "is my best days over" too often. It's bad for my self-esteem, even with my usual compartmentalizing and seeing objectively matters relating to weaving. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">At the not-so-back of my mind is when, a few years ago, a bad cashmere warp made me suddenly stop weaving altogether, not even consciously, for maybe a year and a half. I didn't know if I would ever get back to it, I didn't care, I just walked away for a time, <i>and</i> I didn't feel guilty about it. Long-time readers would know how absolutely unusual that is. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I want to avoid that; the not weaving. I can only hope the best remedy is to keep weaving. At least if I keep weaving, there is a higher probability I'll make something nice, in comparison to not weaving. Had I had the presence of mind, I might have put on another warp and worked right through in time to finish another scarf. This warp came off the loom nine days ago, so it's not as if it was completely impossible. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">In retrospect, I knew this was a no-goer the moment I laid the remainder of the warp on the floor that evening. Because I didn't have a genuine debate as to the worth of this piece; it was more a brain-freeze, a weaver-in-the-headlights week. I couldn't, or didn't, gauge how bad this was, nor think of a remedy. Instead, I ignored it, then finally wet-finished it, dried it, then moved it around the living room without really looking at it or touching it. <br /><br />If there was anything good about this piece and the last week, I'm thankful it was only a nine-day brain-freeze, that since last night I see my next steps clearly. And in view of my Senior Brain, at least the steps of setting up the loom is among the tasks that can keep me focused <i>and</i> I enjoy. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">So, dear friends, onwards! (And Happy Birthday to Mr Fancypants!) <br /></div></div></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-1109728852774951912023-04-03T10:49:00.000+12:002023-04-03T10:49:17.281+12:00It's Official<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xiYjMsixjoFOECcFwpxwoNmyLNmnXtottuysCvnDB4bdzG25dVAP-RUw9NbqSr0SfqfXzE3z2rCRyj8SPg22bIfXGiFM47yOHfgs6iZuvMdLEm1dpbD0mb-raLDpZ4GGcLey7PuxZH2hoXTJUpoqan0iOVnQnB0WE1fV8CkM18HXIZ1OLg/s2368/IMG_20230403_093126%20cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2368" data-original-width="1673" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xiYjMsixjoFOECcFwpxwoNmyLNmnXtottuysCvnDB4bdzG25dVAP-RUw9NbqSr0SfqfXzE3z2rCRyj8SPg22bIfXGiFM47yOHfgs6iZuvMdLEm1dpbD0mb-raLDpZ4GGcLey7PuxZH2hoXTJUpoqan0iOVnQnB0WE1fV8CkM18HXIZ1OLg/s320/IMG_20230403_093126%20cropped.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>Exactly a week ago, I got a letter summoning me to jury duty in the morning of May 15. It would have been my third time; in 1998 I got summoned twice in quick succession, and I went on the appointed mornings, but I was never picked. Ben also got summoned some years later, also twice within a few months, and he even served in a domestic violence case, but it was easy because the culprit admitted to the deeds. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Japan didn't have jury system between 1943-2009, i.e. when I was growing up. (Since 2009 they've had a quasi-jury system where "lay judges" hear cases alongside professional ones, but I don't know anything beyond that.) Watching the telly and reading the newspaper, I grew up thinking jury system is another example of a shiny Western thing, democratic and aspirational, but I personally never wanted to participate. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I've always seen the world in black and white, and whosoever claimed to see both sides, or the middle, were noncommittal, either from lack of conviction or the will to study an issue. I was so adamant it took time to reconcile with the fact I was starting to see gray areas in my "old age" (mid-40s??), and <i>was</i> noncommittal on sometimes. Totally not suitable to take part in deciding someone else's predicament. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">More recently, as the world seem to move faster, so much information being readily available, I became less engaged from the general goings on, and more easily swayed, relying on persons who I believe know better. I also see how little I know of most anything, and I've become less confident.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Then there are other, "real" considerations: my body aches more/often; my hearing is considerable worse; my comprehension slower and incomplete, if not misdirected; one hip is semi-permanently dodgy and I can't sit in the same position for long; I can't lift my right shoulder in a certain angle; my muscles don't stretch as easily and can't reach the "high" shelves which didn't use to be "high"; the newly acquired face/eye problem I thought was just temporary this summer may now be a recurring thing. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Once in a while, nine times since the 2020 Lockdown, I've had instances of thorough confusion about mundane things I usually know/do without thinking, the sort of things I read about associated with dementia. Worse, while being confused, I'm fully aware it's the sort of thing I don't have usually have to think about. My attention and endurance are measured in nano-seconds. As for the forgetting, I've arrived at a place where some of it doesn't appear so bad, because I'm not so angry or embarrassed about forgetting so much so soon. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">And while not all of this relates to jury duty, I'm not sure how outdated my values are in comparison to the social norm/common sense. I genuinely don't feel comfortable being responsible for someone else's predicament, when I have enough problem deciding things for myself. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Esther thinks older generations' opinions are just as important in a
jury, and I agree in general, but I'm going to leave it to healthier,
more confident 65s and over for this particular task; I'm declining all
participation. (There is also provision for Covid-related issues, as I
imagine most every other jurisdictions.) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">You might have guessed; I'm 65 today. Mom has said in the last decade of two, "insert_my_age is nothing, wait until you're insert_her_age!" But it's is not a competition, and today I am the oldest I've been in my life. Oh, boy, do I try not to say this to folks younger than I! Worse, I've mentioned this a lot here, I'm a heck of a lot less fitter than she was at this age, and looking around I've been aging faster than folks of the vintage. Which is a little disappointing because until my early 50s, I looked much younger than my chronological years. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I imagine my life getting even smaller each year. I'll get further left behind by technology if/when Ben looses interest; I've noticed since smart phones he's not interested in all technology, just some. I imagine weaving less and slower and less accurately, but I'm also less worried about speed and have time for the fussier. Sometimes. The number of things I wished I could/would do will increase; I'll finish reading fewer books; I'll be longer-winded, repeat myself more, and ask others to repeat and speak up even more; annoy more, add value to less. And, yeah, I'll probably be more acerbic, rather than mellowing, and less self-aware. And fat. <br /><br />I am not self-pitying, not grumpy, but realistic. Later today I'll keep weaving a significant-birthday present for someone else. And I'll give my 29385604th try making a pie crust, which has been a bane of my kitchen existence since 16, cranking out Baked Alaskas on ready-made crusts. In the evening, I'll LINE with Mom, opening with my standard joke of the last few decades: "Thanks for your contribution on that auspicious day, Mom!" <br /><br />Like Ali told me the day before my 60th, I got up, and it's been another day. <br /></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27254015.post-48682914357977928322023-03-31T13:00:00.040+13:002023-04-02T00:23:50.609+13:00The Way I Read (Some) Books<div style="text-align: left;">Having friends who think deeply is a gift; that I have some with knowledge of not just literature but psychology, sociology and the business surrounding books is an undeserved treasure, for which, (or whom?) I don't express appreciation often enough. I know in my head I should be careful not to exhaust them with my flippancy, but I can't shake Mom's motto she raised us with, either: it's rude to just sit and not take part, (which, strangely, my sister was allowed, but not me,) that we must all participate to the fullest extent to show appreciation of everyone's company.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Crikey. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">The other day I inadvertently shared something I've never shared with anyone, ever. We were talking about the benefits of good books, their ability to make us "think", but that thinking manifested in different ways to different people, at different times, with different books. And I blurted out, "I insert myself into the book."</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm talking about fiction. But not all fiction. And sometimes I don't get to choose. I am an extra: an apprentice fetching a pail of water; one of the many old ladies squeezing fruits while gossiping at the market; a kitchen maid; even a weaver emerging from the dark house, shielding my eyes from the afternoon sun. I am a daughter, a spinster, a widow, but usually an invisible someone who can move around unnoticed within a limited area. And I see, and eavesdrop! Too often I think the central characters are risking great danger and being silly, except, heavens, if they ever listened to me, there will be no story, so it's a good thing I don't have the chance to go anywhere near the center of the story. But the spaces and situations I occupy or encounter by chance are vivid. They are the "other side" of the story. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />I love to read historical fiction and magical-realism, especially for young adult. Sometimes while I'm reading, I see me in the crowd; other times I create a wee backstory, and I slip into the role. Try as I may, it's not up to me to know which books I can get into, and I sure never went anywhere near Harry Potter because the magnitude, and the speed, of Rowling's imagination was more than I could handle. Discworld, on the other hand, I'm so there, all over, everywhere, loitering, being one of the many in the noisy, roudy crowd. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And here's where it gets a little weird. I am in Vincent van Gogh's biographies, too, but only in the post-Paris years. I'm a rank amateur drawer/painter, a working class female of indeterminate age. I have a tiny raggedy notebook I made myself, maybe a feather or reed and some ink, maybe a stick or charcoal I picked up from the fire, and I sometimes like to watch that strange Dutchman paint outdoors. I've never spoken to him, because I'm afraid of him; I can't tell when he's drunk, and he smells bad. Sometimes I look in the same direction as the Dutchman, and try to draw something, in secret, but he never notices me. Sometimes I stand some distance away and watch him, painting flowers and haystacks and stars and Montmajour, so quickly, with so many colors, like he can't stop the pictures sputtering out of his hands. <br /><br />Sometimes there are other men watching him; they think they are so cleaver hiding behind a tree, scribbling in notebooks, though some boldly walk back and forth behind the painter. They never notice me, and the Dutchman never pays any attention. I heard someone gossiping these men are called "biographers", and in years to come, they all make up their own stories about the Dutchman and make more money than the painter ever did from his paintings. <br /><br />Ah, to be alive in this world! <br /></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01350447919000146804noreply@blogger.com1