Sunday, June 25, 2017

Pauanesia Scarves 2017 Part 2


Don't you just love a stack of scarves.

First up kakapo and in particular, Sirocco.
Kakapo are flightless, nocturnal, ground dwelling, vegetarian parrots on the critically endangered list.  A few years ago there were only 50 kakapo alive and this has risen to 154 birds in 2017.
Kakapo forage on the ground and climb high in trees.  They often leap from trees and flap their wings but at best manage a controlled plummet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opv8vZ6RvB0


  Next up Kiwi, the national icon of New Zealand.
New Zealand soldiers were nicknamed Kiwis by Australians during World War I and it has stuck ever since.
The Kiwi is related to the emu and cassowary of Australia and the extinct moa of NZ.
It is a flightless bird with loose hair-like feathers, strong legs and no tail.  There are 5 varieties, brown kiwi of the North Island, Great spotted kiwi from the top of the South Island, Little spotted kiwi now found on Kapiti Island, Rowi the rarest of kiwi found in Westland and Malborough Sounds and Tokoeka, meaning weka with a walking stick (love it) and found in South and Stewart Islands.


Kokako

The clear organ-like song of the kokako has led to it being described as angel tongued and devil faced.  It is one of the rarer and most striking of New Zealand birds.  
The orange wattled South Island kokako was declared extinct in 2004 but the blue wattled North Island kokako is resurging in numbers with more than 600 breeding pairs.


And the Tui.
Tui are boisterous, medium-sized, common and widespread birds of forest and suburbia.
They belong to the honeyeater family feeding mainly on nectar from native plants but also fruit and  insects and, less commonly, pollen and seeds.
It has been so much fun working on this series for Pauanesia.

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Wild geranium scarf

 Shibori on the loom with resist threads.

 The shibori "snake", resist threads pulled very tight and ready for a visit to the dye house (aka my laundry).
Wild geranium.
When my Mum did pottery she said she could control everything about the pot until it went into the kiln then she had to learn to like what came out.  Its much the same with shibori; until I pull those resist threads out I don't really know what I'll get.

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Pauanesia scarves 2017

I've been asked to weave another range of scarves for Pauanesia based on New Zealand native birds.
I got home from Australia late on a Friday and was at the loom first thing Saturday morning.  Nothing like a deadline to get me moving.

First up Kotuku, the white heron.
Kotuku breed in South Westland.  After breeding they disperse widely to coastal freshwater wetlands throughout the country.
Image result for kotuku


 Then the black Robin or Chatham Island Robin.
Black Robin on Rangatira Island.jpg
This sparrow sized bird is endangered with just 250 birds at present.  In the 1980s the population was down to just 5 birds including one fertile female "Old Blue".


And the red is inspired by the red beak of the pukeko.
Image result for pukeko


I'm working on the second half of the order but came down with a winter bug so production is at half speed.

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

I've been on holiday

Its been a while hasn't it!  Anyone miss my cheery posts?
First it was school holidays and we had our two delightful grandkids to stay for a few days.  I had this strange dream that by having a warp on the loom I'd have moments to work on it.  Come on GranD.

We had hardly delivered them home when we were packing our suitcases for a couple of weeks in Australia starting in Melbourne.  I'm the first to admit I'm not a photographer but a few pics that inspired me. 



Holiday days are always full on for us.  We went to a couple of jazz concerts, managed to get in to the Van Gough exhibition on our second attempt (so many people the first time they closed the ticket office), spent a day tramming, training and busing to Queenscliff among other activities.
After a relaxing couple of days at Heathcote staying on my cousin's farm we moved across state to the Grampian mountains for some tramping.  I was taken by the rock formations, quite different to anything I've seen here at home.  Sorry for so may pics; I couldn't choose just one.
Stepping stone walking track.

This is called the Balconies.  The young lady spent a lot of time sitting down on the ledge and I have to admit my heart was in my throat.
These were the signs saying don't go there but I heard her say well there isn't a fence to stop us!
The Pinacles


Shibori inspiration

Wild life - emus.
Lichen (echo weave maybe)
Bunjil (creator deity, ancestrol being)
About 1/8th of the rock with the painting of Bunjil.
The cave had a wire cage around it as in the past the art had been painted over with white paint.

And there the photos stopped even though quite a bit more holiday to go.  Spent the time in the old gold mining towns including Bendigo where, to the uninitiated, there is a wool mill.

Coming home through customs I got caught by the dog as I'd had an apple in my backpack.  The lady removed my neck cushion and ear phones then said whats this and proceeded to pull out yarn, and more yarn.  What's in this pocket; oh more yarn.  What's down here; surprise more yarn.  What's in here; oh your coat.  OK put it all away now!  Thank goodness she didn't ask me to open my suitcase.

It was a great break but always good to be home.