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Posts by curiousweaver

May 21

Inkle Saoris

Converting an Inkle loom for Saori style weaving

I’ve done ALOT of weaving on inkle looms over the years and even had a comprehensive exhibition with them many years ago. I think the inkle loom is another very accessible loom for new weavers. It’s only  drawback for some, is it’s limit in width.

By default, the inkle loom does warp faced weaves. This means the warp (the thread under tension)  is so close together that the weft threads aren’t seen.  Beautiful pick up patterning can be done on this type of set up. But to force the warp threads apart you need to convert the loom with ‘spacers’ so you can weave the weft to and fro, to display its own ways.

To do this you need some plastic tubing that fits snuggly around the heddle peg and the top peg. I’ve  adaptated  a method I learnt in Lavinia Bradley’s wonderful Inkle Weaving book. You can cut the tubing into rings or place deep slits into the tubing as I have done.

My motivation for doing this is that I have to travel shortly and will be ‘naked’ without a loom. This little inkle loom will fit into my bag and easily convert, with this method, into a balanced weave  loom when and if I want.

I’ve had a few people ask me about Saori and how it is different to ‘normal’ weaving. I have to say that it isn’t different and also that it is. It’s more about the approach to weaving and creating with weave combined with a freer mix of techniques within the one textile. I now find myself drawn to yarns and their structure rather than weaving draft patterns when I go to set up a weave. This is a nice place to be at times and having both at my fingertips makes me a lucky weaver indeed.

May 20

OldBar

Winter – a time for weaving

As winter finally shapes up the days are glorious. Winter is so wonderful here in Old Bar. Usually the sun shines clear, unimpeded by clouds or rain with a warmth that makes everyone smile and walk with that hopeful step of the pure joy of being alive. Sometimes with days like these, I can, just for a moment, imagine there is no hardship, wars, angry people or sickness.

These sun soaked days are leading to more local interest in weaving textiles. Textiles that capture the organic and changeable beauty of the local environment. Studio days are filling up so a photo montage of happenings is apt at the moment. I’m totally impressed by the way some brand new weavers are approaching weave. You can see their heart, thinking and even their experiences  manifested in how they weave, what colours they choose, even how they place each row.

May 3

handbeater2

Small Tapestry Beaters from Japan

Just in for Australian weavers – Small Japanese style tapestry beaters. These are exquisite small combs that allow you to place yarn and build designs into the warp when you don’t want to weave the same thread all the way across.

For many years I used a hard wearing table fork that an older weaver gave me (thank you Pen)  and I still love it. It’s really nice to use tools that you already have. However, for a bit of luxury and for the collector these custom weaving combs are really special. Priced at $70.00 plus post they are 6 cms wide by 17 cms long (to the tip of the handle). Read more

May 2

teals1
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Teal Weaves

This is my most recent experiment with shaping a lightweight jacket and adding sleeves. I wove almost 5 metres of fabric emphasising teals. The reason for this is I wanted the jacket to match my shoes! I know it’s pretty lame but was a good incentive.

The scarf type piece around the neck can come off or on as I like and I’m very happy with it all. There was virtually no waste and any shaping was added with darting which keeps the ‘waste’ on the garment and possibly adds to its durability.

I was reading this post by Weaving today on sewing with handwoven fabrics and I quote the advice in the article – “NEVER cut handwoven cloth doubled; ALWAYS cut a single layer; and IGNORE pattern instructions to cut a piece on the fold. Either flip the pattern over to cut the  other half or, better yet, transfer pattern halves to new pattern paper so you can lay out the entire piece. DOUBLE- and TRIPLE-CHECK the straight-of-grain. As for seam finishes, they are ESSENTIAL.” Pretty scary instructions especially with the yelling directives! Read more

Apr 24

carmelweave
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Carmel from Studio Artes

Go to Youtube video about CarmelRemarkably weaving the Saori way goes beyond an enjoyable activity and art in our lives. It can actually extend the senses and become a way of communicating with the world around you.

Carmel from Studio Artes in Sydney can be seen in this youtube video immersing herself in the cloth she weaves. Carmel, who is deaf and blind, uses the rhythm of the weave process and its tactile sensations to create beautiful art  cloth. Her world isn’t dependent on ‘seeing’ colours but on actually experiencing them. Sue Byatt and teachers at the studio use taste and experiences to provide her with her own unique colour palette. For example, the taste of a segment of orange communicates an orange colour, the smell of lavender – a gentle purple. I’ve often heard of people who identify musical tones with colours but this is another extraordinary human experience. In what must often be a lonely internal world for Carmel, it’s so heartening that the arts, and weaving particularly, can be a tool for assisting people to find not only meaning in their lives, but a real thread of connection to the world in some form.

Carmel’s work is published by Studio Arts at Blurb. It is an expressive collection of images of her work and you can view the book online before buying :) . Carmel is now to get her own Saori loom and I asked Sue what Carmel’s  favourite colour was expecting a colour from the rainbow. But it’s ‘ocean’. Congratulations Carmel. I don’t think I can look at blue again without seeing ‘ocean’.

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Apr 20

Image from Saori no Mori, Japan
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Saori Inventiveness

Image from Saori no Mori, Japan

Saori Japan is so inventive with its products and working methods. See how you can use the bobbin winder to ply interesting yarns for weaving. It’s not something that can be as easily achieved with a wheel or spindle. It plys the yarn with a s twist then its opposite the z twist. Very effective with light and dark yarns together creating patterns which differ from each other depending on the twist direction in the yarn. How easy it that!

Many people have inquired about the Saori clipping rod. How could such a’ low tech’ solution save so much time. You have to see this in operation to believe how expedient this tool is. As always Saori are about leaving the maximum time for creating weaves rather than dwelling in the set up – as enjoyable as the set up can be, these inventive approaches allowed me more weave time.

You can also see these videos from Saori Japan on the Saori Instruction page. So many ideas and not enough time!

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