Parallel.......

This past weekend my weaving guild hosted Robyn Spady for a workshop on parallel weaves. Robyn is a top notch instructor, the most well prepared, easy to understand instructor and has the best handouts ever.

Of course, I didn't take but a couple pictures as I was weaving my samples. I wove a total of just under 3 yards of samples, all different treadlings, one shuttle, two shuttles on my M's & W's parallel threading. My warp was a light sage green and very dark navy blue.

My first two samples started out using the same colors as the warp - then I experimented with color for the remainder of the samples, some very successful, some not like this deep red. There were some incredible color combinations but I was too busy to think about pulling out my phone all the time to take photos. A very fun learning process playing with color while learning about all the treadling possibilities with the threading.  

I can see many warps in my future based on what I learned in this workshop......now if I could just mark some more things off my very long to-do list so I can try something new.........

Southwest Sunset Shawl

I finally decided to sell this shawl. It's handspun and handwoven. I kept thinking I'd keep it for myself but I haven't worn it so it's time to see if someone else would love this lovely piece. It's handspun merino wool, tussah silk, mohair, bamboo, tencel, ribbon, rayon with a bamboo weft. Lovely autumnal colors. It's listed in my Etsy shop HERE.

Pottery storage

At our last house we had an alcove with built in shelving for pottery storage - since moving pottery has been sitting in boxes where I needed a piece of furniture for it. Finally we found one and I love it. I love the color, I love the wire instead of glass in the doors and I love that I can now use my pottery again. Everything fit except for a few pieces and they're ones I never use anyhow that should really find new homes. I'm so excited that we now have our soup and stew bowls unpacked and a couple of my favorite mugs. And in the stacks of wall art propped up against the walls was this framed fruit label - it was as if we bought them to go together, the teapots too. It's the only piece up on the walls so far in this house and we've been here for 4 months.........I think I'm going to have to step it up and start hanging some art.

Bailey insisted I take his photo too - boy, look how white that face has gotten!

Towels in progress......

These towels came off the loom the other day, there are 12 of them. This is before washing. I did get them washed but they sit on the ironing board awaiting hemming. Time seems to escape me these days with other things going on in life. Hopefully I'll get to them soon but first I need to double check my threading on the table loom for an upcoming Robyn Spady workshop on parallel threading. At the end of threading heddles there were 4 extra ends. I was not real focused on Monday when winding the warp and threading. I think I just wound 4 extra ends but will check the threading just in case. So, more time spent on that then on getting these towels hemmed today.........

Leather Journals

I've finally taken some time to do the photography work so I could list some of my handmade leather journals in my etsy shop. I got these 6 listed today, more to come when I have time to do more photography work, which I so struggle with. These have high quality watercolor paper pages which are great for painting on but work just as well for writing or drawing. The inside cover pages vary from my hand stenciled designs to my handpainted paste paper to Japanese paper. They are $50, shipping included. Check them out HERE.

More towels

 Been weaving away on the towel warp during snippets of free time - here a tan weft......

 .....here a teal weft......

here a peach weft......two of each color.....will have 2 more to weave on this warp, haven't decided on color yet.

I'm thrilled that I can weave and I also successfully spun on Tuesday with no issues.  I don't think I mentioned here I was having an issue with my hand/thumb area on my right hand. The pain was a turn my stomach pain, it was hard to do even the simplest things, I iced it on and off, I wore a brace most of the day and always while I slept, am still wearing it while sleeping. I'm sure it was from overuse when I was spinning at the fair all day long for days in mid-August, I had also been spinning every evening for a couple weeks before the fair. I was able to sew first but only because I used a rotary cutter, I could not work scissors. I still haven't tried knitting, not going to push it as that can bother my hands on a good day. I'm still babying it, not doing one activity for very long as not to inflame it again, it's still a bit sore but not bad. So, I am far behind on holiday gifts, this may be the holiday season of no handmade gifts from me.