Tuesday

After the excitement of match-making this morning, I had to do something about the two-faced twill piece, so I finished weaving the first piece. Ugh.

I wanted to do something different, so I went in the direction of what I thought of as big, bold, and "graphic". It works in theory. If you get a few black/white pieces of 3.5cm square and place them on a white/black sheet 20.5cm wide, you could make some striking "pictures". And my squares can be seen from some distance, even though I used three light/medium blues in the weft and didn't create as much value contrast as black and white.

But they are 1/3 vs 3/1 twills. What you see from a mid-distance is the same as what you see close up. There are no surprises; there is nothing to discover later; and that makes it legitimately boring. Trust me on this.  So though I had a more interesting plan for the second piece, I might rethread tomorrow morning, based on basically the same idea, but with a little more close-up interest. I'm not comfortable weaving cashmere on the big loom, either. 

As regards my relationship with Santa Fe, I'm still courting them and I get nervous about what I weave. Better late than ugly, but my tardiness is getting a little ridiculous, so I'm nervous+ nowadays.

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In preparing my envelopes for Weaver to Weaver, I found myself staring at crossword puzzles in a magazine. I thought to use them as a starting point for a tie-up or a lift plan sometime. Ben didn't get it, but I know you'd understand.

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We've been having some stupid weather; big wind dying suddenly, blinding sun, sudden darkness followed by a shower, sometimes blinding sun and shower. It's making me silly, so the basement is the right place to be.

Fish scale cloud all over the sky around 3PM. We get clouds, we get this kind, but seldom all over like today.

Around 6PM. I've probably shown you these hills many times over the years, but again, it's not that often I can see the many ridge lines and gradation this like this.

Is the universe telling me to go achromatic or analogous?

Morning's Work

I've contacted everybody who signed up for Weaver to Weaver. If you have not heard from me, if your name didn't appear at the bottom of the original post. please let me know.

If/when you blog about assembling/receiving envelopes; do please remember I'm terribly curious, so tell me. If you don't blog but would like to show us, email me and I'll post it here.

Again, thank you, everybody, for your participation.

37

Wow! 37 weaverly love going through our various postal systems. Thank you for signing up to "Weaver to Weaver".

The Real Last Day

I'm sorry if I sounded grumpy yesterday but I've been in a "big" panic trying to track down many of you. (That's "Meg Big", so, like, OTT-hysterical-Drama-Queen to most of you.) In apology and appreciation for your patience, I'm extending the due time slightly; you can email me re. "Weaver to Weaver", if you like, until the end of Monday NZ Daylight Savings time, which is GMT+13hours, which is this time at a location near you.

To see how, or to check that I have received your email, please check the original post.

Strong wind has been blowing sporadically for the last three weeks, more or less continuously since Friday, and non-stop for about 24 hours so far, and it doesn't look like it's stopping any time soon. I don't have to feel guilty about not weeding, but that leaves me weaving the two-faced twiller I'm not excited about. For today, I am calling myself Dorothy.

Last Day to Sign Up

Slow Saturday

I'm actually having so much more fun than I thought I would. No, wait, I expected to have exactly this much fun. And did you know it's Christmas Eve in a month?

Goodness, Weekend Again?

Hay fever this year has been bad. Common consensus is, normal medication doesn't work. It's been dry and windy most days. Sometimes my brain tells me I don't feed it enough oxygen. And yet, I'm not cutting out dairy nor coffee this year so perhaps it's a little self-inflicted. And I decided not to question why it is thus this year.

In spite of that, I've also been trying to garden some. I have a wee area I can show you  - I grew dahlias from seeds two summers ago and put the bulbs/tubular into the ground that autumn. They bloomed well last season, and I stuck the dried flower heads into the ground. I can't remember how many plants I had, so I don't know if the flower heads had many seeds in them, but I counted at least three new plants. I also bought two more packets to fill the gap. We'll see how it goes. Do you see what I mean by the dryness, though; the tomato-and-basil patch was drenched Thursday night. There are, suffice it to say, areas so bad if I were weeding, you wouldn't be able to see me. I've half a mind to photograph them now so after I've cleared the way I can show you before and after pics. Maybe not.

I have been weaving the first of the two-faced twill pieces, and not liking it one bit. It's boring, because it's just two-faced twill; you see the squares from a distance, but there's nothing to discover while wearing/handling it. I could have made the insides of the square more interesting. Used the blocks more intelligently. Something!  It's an expensive mistake.

Drawing was interesting. I'd forgotten how much I love willow charcoal - so gentle, so fickle, so organic. I took up post in the corner of the classroom hoping I might get a back view, as if I almost don't belong in class but am just looking in. I love this model but/and (un)fortunately she is so experienced there is never really a "back" view with her. Still, I didn't like the view I had, so did a little dance within my roughly-1-square-meter, and found this view.

If you're right handed, as I am, you're supposed to stand on the left of the easel; to get this view, I had to stand on the right of the easel, so I did most of the drawing with my left hand. So, I drew, rubbed, drew, erased, and on and on, and soon both my hands were covered in charcoal, and everything started blending. I couldn't completely erase any part, and I couldn't darken some parts any more. Which suited me fine because this model is shaped like a wood nymph/fairy, svelte but muscular, not big but shapely small muscles.

The front of her body was drenched in the midday sun. Normally Ronette recommends we put in dark background to highlight the... errr... light; I never liked that technique and I wasn't going to do it yesterday. I like the wood nymph evaporating into the light and all I could hear was the flutter of her wings.

I enjoyed drawing this. I couldn't step back to check the proportion; she's thinner and the leg/arm angle is wrong, but all things considered, I think it was accidentally beautifully blended.

The rest of the afternoon I ran errands and checked out stationary shops (or sections within bookshops as we no longer have an art supply shop unless we go to Richmond, 20 min away, inside a picture frame shop,) for ideas for Weaver to Weaver. I didn't need anything, but wanted ideas, different uses of tools and materials I already have, or color and textural combinations. Without going overly Christmassy or scrapbooky. (I'm not so anti-Christmas as I am totally-anti-commercialization of a religious holiday AND of organized religion. I prefer Thanksgiving or Japanese New Years of family, food, and hanging out.)

See, when I propose these... things, I don't have any idea what I'm going to do. This week I came up with one idea that needed... paint!  Me and paint, not a good combination. I now have three ideas and a couple of idea-seeds. I have a warm feeling of weavers' un-Christmas stockings!

Sign-up is due the end of Sunday your local time. I hope a few more of you join us.

Thanks, Insomnia. I think...

Last night was 2ish-5ish kind of a night, but unlike other insomnia nights, I wasn't as fully awake and I hoped I'd fall asleep soon; I even pretended to be asleep. To no avail. However, all was not lost as I came up with a simple but effective and not-my-usual idea for the next cashmere warp. And quick to thread!

It's simple, there is a lot of room for variations so the three scarves from the same warp can look a little different from each other without rethreading, and the twill will give the pieces a lovely airy hand. But wait. Shafts in this draft are divided into Block A-outside, Block A-inside, Block B-outside and Block B-inside. Because the warp colors change, swapping the appearance of the twill within the block doesn't produce an attractive look. (See the tiny bit at the bottom?) So why not keep the outside uniform across the width of the cloth, and give each inside separate maneuverability?

Now I've given four shafts each to Outside, Inside/oranges, Inside/purples, and Inside/greens. I get more flexibility, and if I flip the appearance of the twills, the outside throughout the width of the cloth will have a uniform look so that is an a option, too.

Grin!

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At the top of Alison's design course instructions circa 2002, she wrote we shouldn't design based on what we've got in the stash. Being a novice back then, I was game for anything, but I was mindful Alison, then, was known as a rug weaver, I thought it's easier to make pictures on rugs than on cloth as my understanding of rugs was "tapestries with giant pixels."  

Often I hear wood-/stone-carvers/sculptors claim their design/work is inherent in the material and their job is to chisel away, well, the negative space until the work shows itself. Is this akin to "My Yarns Decide" school of design in weaving?  

I haven't figured out how I can translate my "design process" results onto my loom. That said, I have a set of tools I use when designing sometimes; other times, I pick and match material, (fiber, size, sheen, color,)  draft, size/sett/pick, and purpose. It's not an either/or but more/less weight/time spent with the tools. How I design depends on time allowed, material on hand, purpose of the piece, price if any, the client if it is a commission, and my taste/mood.

If projects don't progress smoothly, often on Insomnia nights I make decisions based on gut feelings, and these usually work. It's as if components of the projects are already in my head and my subconscious takes charge. I used to think this was cheating and I've examined my choices and changed bits, but some of these ended up being Big Disasters. I sample to see if my gut-felt decisions are the best, but I'm less skeptical of this method.

And then there are times, in those moments between sleep and wakefulness, I see what I have to make and work recreate that picture. I sample to see what option is closest to the mind picture and if I can improve on it, but I bypass a lot of grunt work. Sometimes I feel this is Big Cheating, but heck, it's my mind-picture, it's mine to use.

I'm not sure where I stand on the spectrum of Thinking-led/Yarn-led designer. Or is it a triangle with the third being Inspired? How do you design your work?

Design Elements/Components/Bits/Parts

Not having much luck in designing 3-horizontal-block drafts for the cashmere warp, (although I'm pleased to report I picked up a great habit of winding a warp immediately after finishing the previous and vacuuming the loom/basement...)

I've been trying to figure out where I go astray in Alison's design process so she can solve my problem when I ring/call her. It's taken me a while to learn that if I knew it, I may be able to solve it on my own. Doh! So then I started retracing every step I made this time around. Which has been slow because I have a 4.5cm high pile of papers, and now I must remember which ones were significant and which were not two and three months ago, and why. When I can't remember if I had breakfast this morning, let alone what!

Anyhoo, I came across an index card I used as a bookmark when I did Alison's course the first time in 2002. I had scribbled, with a hard pencil, in my typically illegible handwriting:

Elements of Design • Line • Shape • Tone (light/shade) • Texture • Color
Principles of Design • Repetition • Rhythm • Proportion • Balance • Emphasis

I've also been dipping into the graphic design book. They, like us, have a language of their own which is difficult, and funny, to wade though, but last night I came across this:

The Seven Design Components:
• Unity - proximity, similarity, repetition, theme with variations
• Gestalt - figure/ground, closure, continuation
• Space
• Dominance
• Hierarchy
• Balance - symmetry/asymmetry/overall balance
• Color

This book's main focus is designing books and magazines, and a quarter of the book is given to typeface, something I always thought I'm interested in, but it turns out, not. But I am enjoying the bits about negative space, (something I don't see easily); finding out my prejudices, (there was a lovely line about asymmetry which, when I find it, I'll add here; it was an eye-opener;) and that my preference is for the old/static/calm/stale/bad designs. Amen! Didn't I tell you I have a strong affinity with your grandmother's curtains? I wonder if what I read will start to show up in my drawing.

Do you have design-related lists like these? Share!

EDIT: Here it is: "Asymmetrical balance does not look the same on both sides, but the dissimilar halves are in a state of equal tension..."

"Weaver to Weaver"

Can we please pencil in either an SSVE or something like it sometime in the first half of next year? And tell me which you prefer?

Today I have another idea that's hopefully very low stress but fun: a friendly hello from one weaver to another.

1) Collect small free or inexpensive items that inspire you as a weaver, that show something of your weaverly thinking/feeling, or something achingly lovely. Put a few in a "normal sized" envelope; I'm thinking a medium Christmas card size, or "business" size roughly one-third of an A4 or Letter size sheet.

2) Email me how many envelopes you've got by the end of your day, Sunday, November 25, 2012 Monday, November 26 NZ time, which is this time around the world. Let's say, between one and three envelope/s per weaver.

3) Include in that email also your name and physical address and your or another blog or Flickr URL or somewhere else people can find out more about you and your work. If you haven't got any, that's not a problem.

4) On Monday, November 26, Tuesday, I'll match you up with an/other weaver/s and send you their contact detail. You guessed it, if you have three envelopes to send, you'll hear from three weavers, too.

5) Send your envelope/s to your partner/s on or before Monday, December 31, 2012. That's any time from Nov 26 to Dec 31. For overseas mail, use Air Mail.   

6) Sit, wait, and enjoy.  When you receive your envelope, make yourself a hot/cold cup/glass of something and sit in your favorite chair. Tell us about it if you like.

You might prefer to do 2) and 3) first so you will hear from me re. 4), find out about your partner/s, then collect/assemble. You may also want to check the Air Mail postage before you start.

You might want to write a short letter. Or not. You might include a tiny drawing, a photograph, a sample swatch, a bundle of thrums, or something else entirely. If mailing overseas, be careful of plant matters as some countries are very strict about what comes into the country.

What I have in mind is a friendly hello from one weaver to another, celebrating the end of one year and wishing a lovely colorful new one, in a tangible way. Who knows, your partner/s may become your weaving buddy/ies in 2013. But please don't overthink it; you are supposed to enjoy it.  

Is anyone game? Is this still too much for this time of the year? It's something you could do in the next 10 days if you like, or after the holiday rush whichever holiday you celebrate. Not a weaver? Not a problem, though you might receive uniquely weaverly love. But who minds that!?

If you're in, please email me, not comment on this post, with: 
Number of envelopes between 1 and 3,
Your name and postal address,
Your URL.

EDIT: Alicja brought up the point of English being the main language of communication. It is, in so far as you need to understand the guidelines and be able to communicate with me. But it's not required in the actual exchange/contents of the envelope. In fact, weaverly love may become more intense without words. So she writes, in English. If you know of compatriots who may have difficulty with English, please have them contact me anyway, or offer to help them if you have time? I know Japanese and English, and can manage with electronic help some of the major European languages.

EDIT: Final list reads: Alicja T (3), Jane Dallaway (2), Cally B (2), Julie B (3), Heather W (2), Jane Deane (2), Holly H (2), Kaz M (2), Ela R-G (2), Helen R (3), Heidi P (3), Jo M (3), Janet S (1), Dianne D (1), Terri B (1), Noor I (2). And me (3).  

EDIT: If you post about envelopes you prepared or received, please send me a link. If you don't blog, you can send me some pics and comments/thoughts.
Meg, Ela, Meg, Jane, Cally, Jane , Kaz, Cally, Alicja, Jane, Meg, Heather, Julie, Ela, Dianne, Alicja, Alicja, Kaz.