Fall shows

I have two shows on schedule this fall.  The first is Best of Missouri Market at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, Missouri,  on October 6 and 7.  The second one is the Unique Boutique at John Burroughs School in LaDue, Missouri, on November 17 and 18.
I am well on my way to preparedness for both shows.  I've really worked hard this year to get stock made.  Last summer I was moving, so the fall shows left me with not much left over.  A good thing about that is I have LOTS of new colors and designs.  And, I'm continuing to make items.

If you're in St. Louis during these weekends, come by and say hi!

Day lily pinks warp

I just finished my day lily pinks painted warp.  I'm now threading on a beige and maroons painted warp.  It is surprisingly pretty.  Can't wait to get it up and running.  I also have a placemat warp on the Hammett, but am concentrating on getting the 720 threads of the painted warp through the reed and heddles and wound on!  THEN, I'll let myself work on the placemat warp.  Small goals and rules I set for myself seem crazy when I stand back and look at them, but ... they work.

Webs (www.yarn.com)  has 10/2 mercerized cotton on sale, and I bought four colors to use for painted warps.  I'm most of the way through winding the first color.  I'd like to get all 4 wound and painted before winter.

With the heat wave and drought we're in, the yard work is down to watering the tomatoes and hostas a couple times a week, so I'm getting some good quality weaving time in - and, the loom room has an AC.  Whoo-ee.  I have arrived.

Below is a photo of one of the day lily pinks shawls on the loom.

Section-ally

So, I wove about 36 yards of placemat warp, and am now ready to section warp for some double binding rugs. I've made these before, but it must have been on the Newcomb, because when I counted heddles needed, the Hammett fell 200 short. So, last night I made a jig and tied 200 heddles. Put them on this morning, set the spool rack up for winding on and am ready to go.

I'm on the last full shawl on the Winter Sunset Warp. I've been doing lots of other weaving related tasks besides finishing that warp off. I dyed a Pinks warp, but am having a hard time finding the right colored Tencel to cross it with. I think I now have 3 colors either on hand or in the mail. This warp is VERY bright and I'm hoping to tone it down a little with the wefts.

I also wound and dyed another warp and this one is a problem child. I was trying for Grand Canyon colors, and wanted to dye the base coat a light sand color. But, no. It came out an ugly brown. Also, I used up the last of my natural 10/2 cottons and some of it was mercerized and some not, so those two took the dye differently. I knew that was going to happen, and was looking forward to yet another variation to show up in the finished product. But, you know, when you have one ugly color, the variation is ugly, too

So, yesterday, I overdyed the warp. I put it in a Forest Green bath of about 1/2 intensity. It did help some. I'm now considering what colors I can paint on that will jump out there and outshine the background. We'll see. As I say, problem child.

I have more 10/2 mercerized ordered, and will continue to wind and paint warps as much as I can this summer. Have to have time to weave, too! And, label all my product. Lots to do!

Here's a a pic of the Pinks warp.

Yes!! Winter Sunset Painted Warp!

Finally, after a couple tries that resulted in very beautiful but different painted warps, I have a warp I am comfortable calling Winter Sunset.  It is gray blues, silver blues, reds, and a little coral.  I crossed the first shawl with a silver blue tencel, the second with a burgundy tencel and the third I am starting now with a greyed blue tencel.  The greyed blue is taking some fortitude to go ahead and weave it.  It looks so different from the other colors.  I'm hoping after the whole shawl is done, the grays and purple blues will come out nicely.

I'm also winding more warp for another paint job.  This one is 10/2 unmercerized in natural.  I'll underdye a base coat first.  I'm not sure of my colorways yet - will just see what happens.

On the Hammett I have rag placemats.  This warp is a blue with small yellow stripes every 1-1/2 inches.  I am crossing it with a yellow cotton sheeting right now.  I did a teal blue weft for a set of mats, too.  I'll probably weave another placemat warp before calling it done on placemats and going on to Log Cabin rugs.

Lots going on in the weaving room!

First days of summer

This being officially summer now, and my goal being to paint and weave as many warps as possible before fall, I was happy today dawned sunny. We've had several rainy days lately, and more came in tonight, so, I laid out the plastic and dyed this morning. I started with a silvery blue 10/2 mercerized and used Fire Red, which should mute to a darker red, and Blue-Gray, in sections. I'm still trying to find that Winter Sunset combo. We'll see if this works.

I have thrown the last shot of the last shawl on my current painted warp project and only have to hem stitch the edge. Not a day too soon to get the next one painted!

I had a fun morning last week helping some friends tie up an old WPA 4 shaft counterbalance loom that has been handed down in their family. I enjoyed myself thoroughly, and best of all, the shed opened like magic after the tie-up was completed. Here's a photo of me under the loom tying treadles to lams. Thanks, guys, for letting me help with this lovely old loom. It's nice to know it's back in action.

Working on the painted warp

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted.  Actually, that's not true.  I can believe it.  I have been incredibly busy.   As always, spring means much more to do outside, and I've been busy building raised beds and planting them, mulching trees and hostas, weeding, etc.  Plus my first grandchild was born last month.  So, weaving has been sproradic at best.

I did get the Pendleton rug warp worked off and am now in process of winding warp for rag placemats and table runners.  I'm using a two tone green warp with a black accent thread every inch.

I am on my third shawl on the painted warp which was the subject of my last post. I've used a different color weft for each so far, which makes for unique and individual pieces.  The photo below isn't real accurate for colors.  They're much deeper than the photo shows.  I may try another take tomorrow to see if I can get the light right.  But, it's enough to give an idea of the colors coming out.

I have wound 10/2 mercerized in a silver color to try another painted warp.  I hope to get that washed and ready to dye next week.  I am still trying for "evening sunset in winter" colors.  We'll see what I get this time!  Always an adventure!