Touch of Tui

I was asked by a lovely lady from Tauranga if I could weave her several shawls.

Actually the conversation started something like "Are you still weaving?  I want to catch you before you retire!"  One request was for a black and white shawl, maybe with a touch of the iridescence of the tui.  The tui is a native NZ bird which generally appears black with a white wattle under its beak but in the sun it sparkles blue and green iridescence.

 My loom was threaded in an extended advancing twill which gave the ideal platform for big, bold pattern. I tied on a warp of New Zealand merino.   I chose a plait tie up from my archives and wove with an extended advancing twill weft.

The iridescence is portrayed with several shiny lurex threads in the warp borders and at the beginning and end.

 

And, of course, I never dress the loom with a short warp so chose this wonderful tie up for echoing triangles from Weaver's magazine, Issue 21, an article by Ingrid Boesel for a second shawl, again using an advancing extended twill weft.

Both are versatile garments with the fabric drapey enough to wear many ways.

This triangle wrap is available from the Waihi Beach Gallery.

Denim blue wrap

The many faces of this possum merino silk wrap.  Woven as turned taquete with a navy and taupe warp sett at 36 epi and a blue silk weft.

It can be worn with the buttoned edge down the shoulder as a poncho style garment

or with the buttons down the front.

Note how the lines increase in size to the centre back then deminish again.

Undo the buttons and it is lovely as a conventional wrap

or as a pull through scarf

or regular scarf.

My favourite style with draping on the shoulder.

Wrap available from Waihi Beach Gallery.

Coromandel Seascape blankets

A friend was visiting and, as she walked up the stairs, saw my art and asked for a blanket in those colours for her new home.

She chose one, one is at Waihi Beach Gallery and I still have the darker blue one here if anyone interested.

Te Henga Sandstone blankets

When I damaged my leg three weeks and five days ago I had only 65 cm to weave on this run of blankets.  I probably didn't do myself any favours but when I started to improve I slowly wove a few centimetres a day until they were finished.  I could then twiddle the tassels while I had my leg out of action.

 However, I was able to stand and wind warps and work at the dye pot and today we are slowly getting into business.  Less than 1 metre woven and I could feel muscles talking to me so I quit on this Rata warp.

Magic Yarns Workshop

Recently I had the opportunity to attend a workshop organised by the Bay of Plenty Area Education committee called Magic Yarns presented by Rene Corder Evans.  This was the only workshop I'd really wanted to do at Festival but missed out as it had filled very quickly so was delighted to have a rerun available.

Rene has an impressive stash of unusual yarns, many of which we don't have the opportunity to see or use so to be able to sample without an expensive outlay for yarn was wonderful.  Of course texture in our weaving was the objective.

My warp is ramie Nm 15 sett at 30 epi.  8 shaft loom threaded two blocks, straight draw, 12 threads per block.

First sample is Habu silk (69%)/stainless steel (31%)

First half of sample tabby then 3:1 1:3 blocks.

I can see this being fun with a shrinking yarn like merino with just a few threads of the stainless

or knitting machine.

 Sample 2 Hanji paper, tabby didn't allow much texture but more within the blocks of twill. 

The skipped floats were me using pickup to see what happened but it was taking too long in the workshop.

 Next I tried copper wire (about 37 gauge) on the ramie, when wet finished in hot water the ramie did all sorts of hijinks.  Scuptural forms come to mind with this.

 Chizimi, product of Husquavna Viking, is a polyester which shrinks about 30% when steamed.  When I handle the sample the first instinct is to stretch that wonderful texture but there is no stretch in the Chizimi.

 Colcolastic on the other hand has lots of stretch.  The bottom band is tabby and the other two stripes are twill, by this time I was hurrying so samples were 2x2 twill.  (I believe Agnes at Fibreholics stocks Colcolastic.)

 The sixth sample is Sanjo silk lycra and it has the most pull in, bands top and bottom are 2x2 twill while the middle band is tabby which is almost covered by the ramie.

 And the last sample so far is Z twist single.  This would have been interesting to see in the block weave or alternated with the S twist thread but was beaten by Father Time.

I still have some threads of my own I want to sample like elasticated wool from DEA and some overtwisted merino from Anne Field.

Would recommend this workshop with Rene to any weaver though those in Canada might need to plan ahead as the stash is in NZ.

Tidying up a scarf

For quite some time I've been wanting to try a block weave and to feature, or use up, designer and novelty yarns.  Don't think I could pass this mess off as "novel"!  The merino has shrunk as has the possum (some thick bottle green threads on the left of the pic) and those ribbons!!  Someone suggested splitting the ribbon up the middle and twisting each part into a tassel but that left an open edge on the ribbon. 

 

While pinning it out on cardboard I flipped the ribbon out of the way and immediately could see the possibility.  I adjusted knots as best I could and pinned the knot end to the cardboard.  (Has anyone seen my green self healing board - its done a runner?)  Then I 'shot of steamed' and pressed the tassels and put them in the sun to dry.

 

After trimming the ends it looks much better, not perfect by any means but better.  And the ribbon ends?  I put an overhand knot at the fell and then threaded them back on themselves out of the way.  Click the image to enlarge.

 

And when its all scrunched up ....

For a more professional tutorial on tasselling go to Susan's blog

http://weeverwoman.blogspot.co.nz/2009/01/good-twist-to-yarn.html

Green scarf

 I guess its appropriate to be showing a green scarf on the week of St Patrick's day.  Monday would have been my Uncle Pat's 94th birthday.

 

I'm looking for ways to use up novelty/art yarns.  This is woven tabby, or plain weave, with 3 threads of TEX 110/2 between each fancy thread - ribbon, velveteen, silk, even some handspun.  The weft is a lovely soft merino, possum, silk in black.

(Now for sale at The Cargo Shed, Tauranga.)

Pam's Wrap

Pam's wrap - she loves it.

The brief was for a warm wrap to beat the chill of Illinois winter.

By using thicker yarn some drape is sacrificed.  

None the less it fit the bill - a little bit retro, a little bit Kiwi.

Have been weaving blankets; was about to start another one when I realised that some of the mohair was handdyed (and had therefore been in hot water) and some was straight from the warehouse so put the unwashed into hot water for a few minutes so hopefully it will have shrunk it if it was going to.  So, while waiting for that to dry what shall I do?

I've replaced the foam on the knitting machine felt bar with door draft foam trim and ironed vylene on to that so hopefully the needles will slide properly and I'll be able to knit lace.

While dyeing the wool and mohair for the above blankets I threw a little romney sliver into each pot so I now have a collection of bits to spin more "compost" yarn (as learnt at the Majacraft Camp recently).  Must get some mohair locks from the Pokeno place when next heading to Auckland as they add vibrant colour and a little shine.

Last Friday I had a very pleasant outing to lunch at the Ohinemuri Winery in the Karangahake Gorge to celebrate the hanging and opening of an exhibition by Esther Nitschke, weaver from Whiritoa beach.  It'll be hanging right through April so if anyone's passing through the Gorge do pop in; the food and coffee are great too.

These boots were made for walking - or exploring Hobbit homes in old pohutukawa trees.

Exhibition weaving and spinning

I'm still weaving away most days.  Have 4 sofa throws ready to go to Pauanesia next week and am working away at the clear filament projects for my exhibition later in the year.  It   is   so   slow!  I can't see if the threads are crossed, I place them neatly in the shed, close and beat, and sprong, they're all over the place and the selvedges ... just don't look, organic might describe them.  I seem to remember from the last time I used this fibre thinking if the shuttles (stick) drop one more time the whole lot's going out the window.  I was pretty close to it this afternoon!  So what do you do? take a long walk along the beach, that's what.  Relieves the spirit and the muscle tension.

Found this on my camera when looking for another photo.  This is the filament warp before winding on the loom, with many choke ties.

Remember the pile of compost (thrums) in a previous post, about three posts back I think.  Part of it is now yarn mixed with all sorts of things I found in the cupboard, combed silk, sari silk threads, Italian silk throwsters, slivers I deconstructed to pinch the blue.  I plied it with a very fine (Tex 1/18) navy blue cashmere I had to hand to emphasise the handspun variety.  I have about 220 metres so what will that make?

The Beginning

I get so much enjoyment from reading other blogs I thought it time I shared some of my adventures in the fibre world.
My main fibre occupation (read addiction), at present, is weaving. I also have two active knitting machines (several more under the bed), a spinning wheel, bundles of knitting needles, crochet hooks and a sewing machine. I weave on an 8 shaft floor loom and a 16 shaft mechanical dobby and love creating fine wraps, scarves and mohair blankets. I prefer natural fibres, mainly wool and especially our New Zealand merino which I dye myself.
I do a lot of work for a shop in Auckland so will not always be able to share with you the designs I do for Pauanesia. I also have work in Inspirit Gallery near Hamilton.