Comments on: Winding with Spider

By: Geodyne

Geodyne — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:26:30 +0000

Karen, you may be interested in visiting my blog to see the approach I’ve taken to making a cone-winding last!

By: Shirley Treasure

Shirley Treasure — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:36:53 +0000

Hi Karen,
I just got back from tutoring at Fibres West so I’m doing some catch up with everyone’s blogs!
I name all my looms after their previous owners, my weavebird is Jo-Anne and a few of my other looms names are as follows: Belinda, Dan, Meg & Lucy. I love the name Spider.

Funny how topics come in waves, this week I was telling my class that while studying George Elliot’s, ‘Silas Marner’ I was inspired to jump head 1st into weaving after reading all the beautiful spider imagery that portrayed the weaver & his surroundings in the town of Raveloe.
Then today I was listening to some pod casts (weave cast & cast on), again more spider stories and as I was weaving just now, I have been pondering, if we describe a spider spinning & weaving its web as an ‘art form’ why is what we do, described (by others) as a hobby or craft? You would never say “That spiders’ web is a beautiful craft / hobby!”
I also need to weave to be me. I must blog about this!!!
Cheers
Shirley

By: Benita

Benita — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:28:27 +0000

Oooo! A cone winder!!! I am jealous!

Actually, looking at it has given me an idea about how to wind cones using my bobbin winder – the wooden cone thingy is the key.

I need to go and talk to my husband….

By: Peg in South Carolina

Peg in South Carolina — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:07:10 +0000

I think the ability to wind on cones is marvelous. I assume you have to go up and down the cone, back and forth, very quickly? I have a hand cone winder and that is what the yarn does on it. You friend might be able to make some money with his wood cone………

By: Cally

Cally — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:31:53 +0000

I have mixed feelings about naming things. A lot of objects in my life do end up with names – my sewing machine and my car, for example – but the anthropomorphism gets me into terrible trouble later on. Our first car was called Jessie (her number plate was JES) and when she final disintegrated and had to be sold for scrap it broke my heart! Furthermore, Stuart does an excellent line in funny voices so when I talk to our appliances, some of them answer back. How can you throw out a broken fan heater when you can hear it muttering? My looms are as yet unnamed, or at least they haven’t told me what their names are….

By: Geodyne

Geodyne — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:33:46 +0000

Kaz, thankyou! Your timing is impeccable. I’m awaiting delivery of a sectional warp beam and have been spending time trying to think of the best way to wind yarn onto cardboard cones as I don’t want to buy a bobbin rack. I bought a second-hand electric bobbin winder just yesterday, with the thought that there had to be a way to use it to do the job. I’d love to see a photo of a cone youve wound with it.

Now to prepare a last for inside the cones….especially as I don’t have a lathe to hand at the moment. I had been thinking perhaps a pared-down demijohn cork – they come with a hole in the centre ready-drilled.

Spider does seem the perfect name for a tireless winder, and implies no snarls!