This week has been a disappointing week for the weaving thing. I’ve applied for two grants in my life, and didn’t get either of them. The first rejection hurt more than this recent one…so maybe you just get used to it. But like applying for a job, you have to commit to it’s fruition in some way. With this grant I thought I could combine my weaving skills with my work in disabilities but it isn’t meant to be. Hopefully someone else will get a grant on a similar project as we’re all in this life together and it certainly doesn’t have to be me specifically.

At such times, I go on my usual path of questioning the meaning of weaving and my textiles, why do I do it, why have a blog, why join guilds, why, why. Maybe I’d be better off selling up my studio and going to the gym each day. But in the end I come back to knowing it’s all good. I do it all for myself because I gain something very rich out of it. So rich that I don’t have the words to explain to others.

So why have I got socks as my feature photos? Well I think I have found success in socks, at last! This pair is almost complete thanks to Sensational
Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. This book really sets out how to knit socks for people like me, who knit but need tight guidance to ‘get it’. Charlene also has very explicit instructions for using 4 or 5 dp needles and 2 circulars. If you’re using circulars, don’t bother buying from Spotlight (Australia) as their circulars fall apart. IMHO, just go straight for Aldis at Yarns Galore. They make knitting pure joy. For dpi’s I like Caseins or Ivore from Swallow.

Sock yarns are really getting interesting. Opal now have a collection based on one of my favourite artists Hundertwasser I got this yarn from Ecoyarns and they have several colourways based on his work. Just imagine what other artists we could use similarly to paint our warps and slivers.

I’ve had an attack of the CWA
lately after watching "Not all tea and scones". So I tried making a Pumpkin Fruit Cake. The way we use pumpkin in Australia seems to be quite different to other countries and deserves at least a thesis on the subject. We put it in scones, baked dinners, soups and salads.For the fruit cake I used the Queensland Blue pumpkin and it turned out alright, but not in the CWA (Country Women’s Association) league. I don’t think I’m ready for any competitions.

I am so enjoying my adventures in weaving lately, and I think my goal is to create the most beautiful and ‘heart stopping’ textile ever. My twill pleated scarves wove off nicely and already one is off to England.

I’m now sampling with a networked design using plain weave and false satin. I’ve sampled with the design in false satin and the background in plain and visa versa. I’m also experimenting with overtwist wool in the weft. The colours of the silk sample aren’t my usual but I will dye the warp extensively once I decide on the design and appropriate sett.

I’ve circled the exciting discovery I made whilst weaving.I always like to factor in some stripes and the turned twill stripe was accidently set inbetween the design in such a way that it became part of it. This will allow me to use different colours in this area.

The dyeing part of the woven shibori process is so exciting. Look at the drab mess of tied up scarves after they come out of the final dyepot and then the unravelling in the second photo.

These particular scarves have three different dye processes on them combined with woven shibori. The first was warp painting of the tencel warp with a colourful scheme. Then dyeing the silk weft before tying with Landscape dyes. Followed by the last dye on the tied shibori which was a very dark indigo style blue and violet. The way I’m building up colour in my work lately reminds me of painting. This is the only way to get a depth of richness in colour work. In weaving the warp becomes the underpainting and can be painted in such a way that it accepts other colours on top of it, either with further dye processes or with the weft colour and/or how it is woven.

I have a lot of dyeing on the go at the moment and it takes days. But I think doing your own dyeing is so rewarding that it’s worth it. Being in Australia and having a lack of colourful yarns to choose from is also probably an advantage of sorts. We all just have to dye it ourselves.