Thanks for The Paw Prints

iNdi@ who uses threaded rods to make dye marks, is India Flint, the (eco-)dye goddess; she's come to Nelson and Blenheim for workshops at least twice that I'm aware of, but I never even thought of singing up because, you know, I am intimidated by the art of dyeing... Goodness, the workshops could have been Two Big Ones that Got Away... And I finally, belatedly, connected the dots.

Here is her website which has spectacular photos, here is her blog, and here is her dye book which has become a must-have around here. Scroll down on the last link about half way to find her book; view this page with caution; it's seriously dangerous one. Good thing the writing is so tiny I can't read them easily...

She's from the West Island of New Zealand, or as she calls is, the big red island north of, Antarctica: Australia.

Speaking of something else I was intimidated by, in the 90s was given a TAFTA (The Australian Forum of Textile Arts) magazine and was completely blown away in a bad way (so arty!) and avoided the acronym like a bad, confusing, omen, but their website could be a good resource today.

Meanwhile, Trapunto remains somewhat illusive, or will it take me another day to connect the dots?

Thank you for the friendly wave, ladies. (You, too, Taueret!) I really appreciated them. And there's no deadline for the paw prints :-)

Hardware Lust

Every trip to the hardware stores is a dangerous one for me, because I keep finding things that look intriguing and I want to have (or want to need) them. These are this weekend's finds:

Threaded rod in zinc (affordable) or stainless steel (a bit dearer) in around four width and 1 or 2 meters in length.

Modern art micro sculpture or a cute logo pretending to be functional; comes in two sizes.

Aha! So I've been saying it correctly all along and Ben and the hardware stores can learn from me!!

This is my 1010th post. (Yeah, zoomed passed the 1000th without realizing.) I'm feeling a bit frazzled and disjointed. Do you mind leaving a paw print or other form of a friendly hello in the comment section? Thanks, much appreciated.

Bag Ladies

Marlborough Weavers' 2009 challenge has been to make a bag out of our woven pieces. I've plenty of woven bits but haven't decided which to use to make what kind of a bag, and I have 18 days left to do it. Here are two from Win Currie. I also found Geodyne's spinning group had a similar challenge, as seen here. Scroll down slowly, but make sure you see all the photos!

To Do Lust

Because Taueret is an American transplanted in Australia, and I'm a Japanese transplanted in New Zealand by way of the USA, we make jokes about our accents and vocabulary; most often, she of mine. Which makes me sometimes aware of my changing accent; from the pure unadulterated Minnesotan, to the rather international one I picked up while working at the Asia/Pacific HQ of a multinational in Tokyo working with people from all over the region plus North America and which people couldn't quite place, to picking up a lot of NZ (often originating in Scotland) vocabulary.

I was very aware of this when I first arrived, and I used to write hilarious Christmas newsletters, but gradually I ceased to notice the new acquisitions and differences. 15 years on, I sometimes have to think hard if someone is speaking in a North American or English accent because in many ways I've become so used to the variety, never mind the Aussies.

But our vowels are distinct. In linguistic terms the position where the vowels are produced have rotated back in New Zealand, and I suspect forward in Australia. Most often quoted difference is our favorite meal "fish and chips"; in New Zealand it is closer to "fush and chups" whereas around Sydney it's almost "feesh and cheeps", and this is more evident in the younger generation. I once had a colleague nicknamed "Trix" who was sometimes called "rucks" which baffled me every time I heard her called that.

I seldom think I have a New Zealand accent, and automatically revert to what I still think is a Minnesotan in both accent and vocabulary, (people point that out to me often enough!), particularly when I am with Nancy (mostly Northern California but also UK and Australia for a long time) and Pat (California and New York). But lately I sometimes catch myself speaking like, well, a Kiwi.

Urgo the title of this post. This morning, I caught myself while taking to Ben what I needed to do today. And it's funny because it's not just my accent; it's my whole attitude to life.

Food for Thought

I've always thought weavers, over all, have done well with the changes in technology and keenly adapt new ways of doing things. I've also been curious about the great number of scientist/mathematicians, musicians, and people from non-visual-art background. And many of us are not secretive, but willingly share sources and techniques, don't we?

I read this post about "Disintermediation Era" this morning, and am thankful I'm a weaver.

Unicorn Tapestries Close Up

Cally has posted terrific photos of some of the Unicorn tapestries at Stirling Castle here. I've seen many photos on web sites, but never seen any close ups and Cally's photos give me a better understanding of the crafts-person-ship, and a fond memory of a novel I read about the making of the original tapestries.

Note to Self

Right, Missy, you have two and a half months before you go home, so these are the things you need to think about, and once you plan your days, stick to your plan.

TODAY
Hardware store.
Write pre-trip, while-away, 2H2/10, and Life-After-March TO DO lists.
Include garden clean up before Dec 6.
Write To Do list for Napier road trip.
Don't forget Wish list for J trip.
Oh, yikes, tax return before J trip.
Shadow Weave infor for Mom
Loose as much weight as possible before J trip.

DESIGN STUDY
Before Wednesday 5PM
1 design module work
catch up reading block book
weave at least 6 samples, including at least one asymmetrical.
Rework syllabus around J trip.

WEAVE
Do I want to weave Mom a blanket, or something different?
Finish Megg's scarf and post.
Finish baby blanket and post.
At least one warp of cottlin towel Mom asked for in Jan 09.
2 warps of towels if no other gifts.
Combine above with block samples??
Joy Weave on 4-shafts?
more gold & blue/teal/green?

PROJECTS
Plan the second Textile Awards in case this goes ahead.
Plan next year's Area Exhibition piece.

BACK BURNER
More shadow/corkscrew/echo weave
More log cabin
Shibori/dye

STICK TO YOUR PLANS!!
71 days and counting.

More on Japanese Living Human Treasures

The previous post came about because of a correspondence on Japanese Living Human Treasures and women's art making. I just checked and Wiki and it says what we commonly call the Living Human Treasures are not the official term; the correct name is Holders of Important Non-Tangible Cultural Asset, meaning, nifty skills. I checked the names and under Textiles and Dyeing, there are 29 obviously male title holders, 7 female, and 8 unknowns, because artists sometimes adopt pen names, which seem gender neutral, though sometimes I can guess from the meanings of the names. Many protect dye traditions; there is one embroiderer. Seven folks come from one specific style of dye pattern tradition. In addition, seven organizations have been deemed collective holders of skills; these organizations protect and promote local styles of weaving or dyeing, including specific regional Ikat styles.

Can I also add there are whole bunch of performance art categories, and other craft categories include ceramics, metal (including sward making) and wood work, paper making, lacquer work and doll making, but not painting nor sculptures.

Is Japan Mysoginistic?

Yes, at least publicly and legally. At least up until the 90's (and I don't suppose it's changed under the prolonged recession but I'm not sure,) women could not take out a mortgages. A few women got together and started a bank (with a pink ribbon logo) to do just this, but they had to have a male CEO and the bank closed rather too quickly. We have very few MPs, ministers or CEO's. It is hard to get accolade for any work other than "women's work", which would be nursing, and perhaps early childhood education. Even top chefs, top weavers, and heads of flower arrangement and tea ceremony schools are almost all men.

The very word "nurse" ("kango-fu"), although a description of profession, denotes woman (the suffix "fu"), in the same way fireman, postman and chairman denotes men, though I realize in the English language it also means "human".

In the early 90's when it became evident we needed more men in nursing, particularly geriatric nurses, (and this happened around the time I left Japan, so my knowledge is admittedly murky, but,) they established a different qualification based on a different training scheme and named it "kango-shi", a man ("shi"), in the same vein as fireman ("sh0h-b0h-shi") or pharmacist ("yakuzai-shi", nothing to do with Yakuza, mind,) but not doctor ("i-shi"; here "shi" means teacher; the Japanese language has homophones by the truck loads.)

In the language's defense, we also have many, many gender neutral professions, driver ("unten-shu", hand, ) MC ("shikai-sha", person), shop-owner ("insert-item-ya", shop, including postmen who delivers, "yubin-ya") or chairman ("shuseki", chair). There was some kind of an equal employment opportunity law passed possibly in the bubbly 80's, but a) employers can specify skills that eliminate all but the most gun-ho women from trying, and b) there are still tons of want ads for "pretty ladies between the ages of 18 and 24 looking for an easy way to earn high salary" and the like.

I hasten to add, I don't think many Japanese women think about this much, and when they do, they may not be bothered, because "segregation/separation" has its merits. Japanese gender specific responsibilities can certainly makes life easier for women; women are seldom expected to lift heavy stuff in a supermarket but just mind the till. Though, again, at least until the early 90's.

Literature, from diaries, poems (poet, "shijin") to novels (novelist "sakka"), the playing field have been comparatively level, though I have heard female authors complain publishers sometimes ask to sleep with them if they want to be published. And even the best of them sometimes can't escape being prefixed "women", ("jyoryuh-sakka", "jyoryuh-shijin").

Sometimes this is why women give up hitting their heads on the not-so-transparent glass ceiling and decide to marry belatedly. (But not in my case; well, not strictly.)

But fret not. Inside the home, women often have a lot of power. For example in many homes wives/women have total control of the money, often even the larger purchases, and the children's education. That is why the wife is sometimes called "Yama-no-Kami", God (not Goddess) of the Mountain!

PS: Back in the 70's, I thought replacing "man" with "one" was shorter and smarter than "person", i.e. "fire-one", "mail-one" and "chair-one" to match the use of "one" as in "one does not flaunt one's success," but nearly 40 years later, they sounds superbly comical, don't they!

Made a Booking

Just booked my tickets home from mid-Jan to mid-Feb next year, and am already missing Ben, you folks, and the Internet, but looking forward to family time and Japanese aesthetic experiences. And some concentrated weave talk time with Mom!! It's the first time in 9 years I'm going home for a non-emergency trip and it's nice to be able to plan things, because the last two planned trips were canceled due to Ben's parents passing away as soon as we told them we were coming to visit! Really!

I have to be vigilant, however, because I have to weave a few warps before I go, I have one deadline in late Feb and I think another in March, and I have to plan the design study with Ali (I've fallen off that wagon since September and am just climbing back on it now) so I can do things while in Japan.

That, and tidy the garden for our Street Christmas Party to take place at our garden, probably on December 6. So, no time to stare lazily at the screens now.

PS: If you ever hear of any textile/fashion places of interest or events in late Jan/early Feb in Japan, please let me know?