Posts by curiousweaver

Breaking out with YELLOW!

This week I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone to yellow! It’s so not purple.

I was struck by the beauty and colours in our frangipanis and thought this could be captured in a scarf with a yellow and grey random warp. I used a mix of tussah silk, spun silk, wool and cotton. As the warp was only 7 metres long I didn’t have any problems with tension at all, although I did cut off the first scarf and re connect for the second. This always helps with any lurking tension problems.

I wound a selection of colour mixes for the warp and interspersed a lovely Dairing yarn from Avril. I got this when I was in Melbourne in November. Unfortunately I was sick when I was there so couldn’t absorb the wonderful Dairing shop as much as I could have. For the neck wrapping segment of the scarf I used a wool/lycra singles which shrank up softly and differently from the rest of the scarf.

I’m really happy with the scarf and especially the tussah silk which has a crisp edge to it. More photos when both scarves from the warp are finished.

Saori for weaving and designing textiles

I am an authorized dealer for Saori looms and handweaving accessories in Australia.  Saori is more than a tool for creating textiles it is also a philosophy  developed by Misao Jo in Japan. It invites community and an openess in which freedom and relaxation ensues. It doesn’t actively promote the technical aspects of traditional weaving and celebrates differences and uneveness if it occurs within a cloth…just like people! We’re then invited to create clothing or scarves from our cloth working out the best way to create uniqueness and accommodate the unusual.

The techniques utilise a different part of the brain to traditional weaving and this is one of the many reasons I’m a weaver…I never stop learning and enjoying it.

Weave, weave…

I’ve been busy surfing the net and loading my brain up with weave, weave and more weave. The video here is from Saori no Mori Osaka studio and is a nice introduction to the calming and creative pace of the Saori philosophy. No mistakes, no restrictions or rules – and no sampling! This is very attractive to me although I know sampling is a wonderful way to get things ‘right’ I find it quite tiresome. I’m very ashamed to admit this and I’m sure my lack of tenacity in this area holds me back no end. But it’s still liberating to just get right into enjoying creating a beautiful weave textile that just appears with minimal or no planning. Just knowing some techniques helps bring out the experimentation.

From the immediacy of this process comes the most delightful textiles and clothes. Flicking through my large collection of Handwoven (USA) and even VAV (Swedish) weaving magazines, I find that many hand woven textiles do emulate machine woven industrial cloth. What am I striving for here? I know I just love textiles and knowing how to make them and the process of creating is part of it, but Saori inspired clothes are so ‘joyful’. I can’t think of another word to describe them.

Below are some images I took in Japan. The last one is the very talented designers at Saori. They just drape and create on the model – the most amazing clothes.

From Saori Worcester USA – An example of new yarns. A creative collection of tops and Saori overload. How about crochet too.

From Saori Santa Cruz USA – A lovely sleeveless hooded jacket.

From Saori Berkeley USA – You just can’t go past purple.

From Saori Ikekuburo Japan – The wow factor is in all of these and these. And more. Then add some woven circle brooches.

I don’t think we can run out of ideas.

Article in The Journal (UK)

I’m over the moon to have an article published in the prestigious Journal for Weavers, Spinners and Dyers (UK). The current Winter 2011 is listed here. It is Warp Painting and Easy Ikat – a Primer on page 24. What joy!