Our big adventure

I will be off line for one month, until Labour weekend while Peter and I take a break to Europe.  We'll fly to Crete with a stop in Dubai to catch some sleep.  Explore some of the islands including Santorini and Naxos before starting for home with several nights in Athens and two nights in Dubai.  We'll fly, boat, bus and walk, walk, walk (off some kilos I hope).  Along the way I'll celebrate my 60th in a town called Rethymno and have lots of weaving, embroidery and fibre-y places to explore and share on my return.

Shibori scarves

Grey shibori scarf threaded and treadled in overshot.

Green shibori scarf with resists both vertical and horizontal.

Rinda's tunic

I've been laid low with a spring cold bug so resorting to knitting archives.

My daughter is allergic to wool (imagine that in my house with more wool than a yarn shop) so I try to make her interesting garments from non-wool yarns.  This tunic was made of pure acrylic, not my favourite to use.  It was made as a vest but Rinda suggested the rib on the bottom to convert to tunic and as I thought it a trifle on the tight side I opened the side seams and added the band of rib right up to the neck.  It only shows on the right side seam on the front and the opposite side on the back.  Now a striking garment with the addition of the wide belt.

Gives me encouragement to try again!

Here it is!

Isn't this fun.  Took a couple of hours to felt as it isn't merino fibre but very light and lofty.  You will have to imagine the middle photo with arms poking through the long felted bits, a bit like armholes.

Blankets and wrap

Whew that last post was a bit down.  I am actually at peace with it all.  At present we're trying to get Mum to accept rest home care as she is not coping on her own in the villa despite all the support.

I have been weaving blankets.  Sent a red blanket and matching cushion with thrums fringing to Inspirit Gallery and have just sent off three blankets to Pauanesia in Coromandel Seascape tones of which I can't post pictures as they should be in the spring brochure of Pauanesia.  I do think they are some of the best I've made so far if I may say so!  Here's a shot of the mohair weft.

Then just for fun, and I don't know if it'll work because I didn't wind enough warp to sample (silly me), I tied a warp onto the deflected double weave but rearranged the reed so there is a big gap in the middle and I'm hoping that when this felts it will create long ropey threads.

Love your Mums

I know we've just celebrated Father's Day but its my Mum dominating my life at present.  She turned the grand age of 98 in August and until recently kept fairly good health apart from the expected broken bones, osteoporosis and arthritis.  Nearly 12 months ago she had a "turn", possibly a stroke or heart attack combined with dehydration, and has not picked up from that and now the mind is going.  It comes and goes but recent memory is very poor but back 60 or 70 years ago no problem, clear as a bell.  It was a heartbreaking shock the first time she didn't know who I was, but that was almost better than what she says when she does recognise me, lets just say not pleasant.
Anyway I just wanted to say love your Mum's with all your might cause when they get older you'll need that strength.

Katikati mini exhibition

A while back I mentioned the exhibition at Katikati.  By the time I went in to collect my things the ceramic dolls had gone so I spread my things out a little to take the photo.  There were several other paintings and another table in the area.

The thing that surprised me was I only had two woven pieces on the table, the rest are all knitted.  I shall have to work on that.

A glorious Bay of Plenty day today so think a walk on the beach is in order.

Deflected double weave

For a long time I have been fascinated by the possibility of the curved threads possible with deflected double weave.  Recently I just wanted to weave something for myself so got out every article I had been storing and started studying.  I couldn't get my head around creating my own pattern (a lot of family stuff going on at the moment to stress me) so took one from the Handwoven magazine hoping working on it would ignite the light bulb.  I changed the value of the colours from the mag and now understand how that part works and I have tasselled the ends rather than the felted circle daggy bits in the mag article.  Just love the resulting scarf and, even though its technically double weave, the New Zealand merino is so soft it'll be fun to wear next winter.