Jun
27
2006
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When I was on holiday I wasn’t
motivated to write much in the way of a travel diary, it took all my brain
to just take in the sights.
However I did manage to doodle and draw some of my own celtic knots based
on all the beautiful decorative stonework in Scotland and Ireland. The
craft of stonemasonery in these countries have a wonderful past and continuing
tradition.My free, asymetrical design captured how I perceived Ireland.
Although I was only there for a few days it seems a place which is ‘re-knotting’
itself into something new and perhaps unknown. Ireland’s past history and meaning
trying to be seen through the maze of new development and building.
So when I came across Sara Lamb’s celtic knotwork pickup pattern suitable
for an inkle loom I was keen to get going on it. I’m using 20/2 silk doubled
for the ground weave set up and multiple strands of fine space dyed rayon
for each of the 12 pattern threads which need to be much thicker than
the ground threads. It’s coming along well. I’ve included a PDF file on
the threading configuration I used for Sara’s pattern. If you set up the
inkle loom like this you can see that the first pattern row will start
with an UP shed. This makes the pick up and push down of the pattern threads
on each row of the design minimal and works with the threading rather
than against it. [See Sara's description] Also see Tracy DeGarmo’s site
for a pattern.
I’d like to thank Sara for her wonderful weaving blog, it really encourages
me to get weaving. Next on the loom I’m finishing those bookmarks, and
staring a new painted warp for some woven shibori while knitting scarves.
This is the one I’m doing at the moment.
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| Celtic decoration at Jerpoint Abbey Ireland |
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| My perception of Ireland today |
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| Getting started on the Inkle loom |
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| The beautiful celtic knot pick up design |
Jun
19
2006
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I’ve always been attracted
to weaving with strips for some reason. West African strip weaving allows the most vibrant use of colour and design, incorporating different weaving techniques such as weft faced weaving alternating with warp faced or balanced weaves. With this weave as inspiration weaver Deirdre Wood creates wall tapestries using strips. I saw this exhibition at Hove Art Gallery near Brighton in England last week. I’m always encouraged by what smaller galleries have on exhibition. They seem to do such a good job, compared to the larger galleries. I really enjoyed the exhibition which looked at African strip woven mud cloths as inspiration for the weaves. Most of the strips were woven in a double faced twill or satin type weave which allowed a different colour on the back.
Contemporary weaver Sara Lamb also uses strips in fresh ways with beautiful colourways, joining strips of inkle loom woven bands to make bags and trims. Pictured here is a top I made from ikat woven 4″ wide strips which have intermittent silk tapestry (weft faced) weaving throughout, similar to West African strip weaving. In joining the strips, I found that a wide, close machine zig zag in matching thread did a better job than hand stitching, mainly because the fabric was quite fine (20/2 cotton). I think hand stitching would work better on thicker fabric. |
Deirdre
Wood’s work with woven strips |
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A top (back) made from ikat woven strips with insets woven in the
West African tradition. Each strip was joined to make a fabric wide enough
to make a top. |
Jun
17
2006
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I know my website has been down for weeks due to changes with my hosting company. I was away on the ‘trip of a lifetime’ and everything went pear shaped the moment I left the country.
However, as you will see I have been seeking out any handweavers around the United Kingdom. These are photos of the Avoca Handweavers.
This was so interesting to see, the mill was established in 1723 and has continued in some form till the present.They have a combination of handlooms (pictured here) hattersleys looms and modern power looms for their production, which I thought combined weaving approaches very well. Their current success, I think, is also in their well designed range of scarves, throws and fabrics for clothes. They use very attractive colourways, novelty yarns and brushed mohair although sticking generally to basic weaves (possibly for productivity reasons).
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| Me at Avoca Handweavers in Ireland |
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| One of the weavers at Avoca |
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| The weaving in progress |
