Return to Log Cabin

   I'm back weaving in my little log cabin Loom House at the Museum of Appalachia.  It sits beside the Peter's House where we weave and spin in the winter, and Tina spins on the porch now that it's warm enough.
  Since we have had such a chilly Spring, I just got the new warp on the Rocker Beater loom recently.

  Knowing I was behind schedule getting the warp on the loom, I even spent a Sunday afternoon threading.  It was surprising how many folks stopped by while I was working.  That also explains why I didn't get a lot done while I was there.
  Since this is log cabin, I wanted three inch blocks of color.  I used clothespins to keep the groups separate behind the heddles.  I caught myself chanting, "blue, white, blue, white" or "white, blue, white, blue."

  On Monday, I had 250 fourth graders touring the Museum.  Each group spent about 20 minutes in the Loom House/Peters House area.  I started them out just talking about the Loom House, the Rocker Beater loom and what would have been woven on this loom.  I was sleying the reed in-between groups....but still not weaving.
  I also gave them some things to look for in the Peter's House.
   By the end of the day, I got tied on and did a little sampling with some other colors of weft I had been thinking about.

    I had two schools  on Wednesday, and I was up and weaving!!!!

  It's better than a magic trick! 

It's been a few years since I have done any log cabin, and I forgot how fun it was!  I also forgot how you have to keep on your toes about the edges....sometimes , if you aren't careful, you don't catch the selvedge threads just right!!!!








  With the first rug finished, I added in two red threads on each side to add a little interest to the next rug.  The blocks on this rug are five thick pics per block vs. the seven pics on the first rug.





  The red threads are suspended over the back beam and weighted with film canisters.  (Not too 19th century, I'm afraid!  If only I had a corncob and fishing weights, right?)

  I'll throw three pics of red after I finish three blocks.  There will be stripes for the middle of the rug, then a repeat of the red threads, and three blocks of pattern.  Since these rugs will be hemmed, they should last a long time....even in my kitchen!

Enjoy your Spring weekend!
Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

It Takes A Village

    Welcome to Pearl...our newest weaver!!!  She's part of the Rigid Heddle group at Clinch River Yarn Company, so she already knows a lot about us! 
  With Carol on the mend, she got the B team to get her started on her weaving jouney!  Actually, she got the WHOLE team to get her going! 
  With a few interruptions, she got her warp wound on the board, and taken to the loom.  We'll get it wound on next week.
  Let the fun begin. 






  All around the Studio it was poetry in motion!  Pat is getting started on her soup cozys while Irene was getting sewing tips.















  Shirley has started weaving on her colorful towel warp.  Those spring colors just make you smile!







  The Ladies were lined up and weaving on their projects. 














  We finally got a good look at the pattern for Ms. Ila's second shawl.  I love watching the colors go in and out on these painted shawls!





   And, Frieda's new pattern is suitable for a man's scarf...subtle, yet tasteful.....no bling. 













    Peggy got some tips from Alyce....you learn a lot from other weavers!





  When Marion finished threading, Pat got her started sleying the reed.  She got tied on and started to weave this afternoon.  She took her loom home to do the hemstitching and start weaving the twill examples.
  Carl was busy joining blue jean legs at the sewing machine.  That means he'll be cutting next week!!!












  Would you believe that Betsy is already near the end of her warp?  After hemstitching, she'll have some warp to weave off to use for a soup cozy or two/three/four!!!!  That's been a fun warp!

End of the day.
Pups and Babies back in place.
We'll start again next week...and this village will help all of our new weavers continue their journey!

Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

May Day

 
What a perfect way to start a new month:  a new weaver!!!  Welcome to Marion!  She got her first warp wound and on the loom today.  She started threading, and took her loom home to finish this week!  That means that next Tuesday she'll sley the reed, tie on, and start weaving!!!  (Thank you, Marie, for taking over the "teacher" duties!)













  Helen, our not so new weaver, is weaving along on her warp.  She's going to be ready for one of the floor looms before too long.









  We were able to get a close-up look at the new pattern for Bonnie's scarf.  I think I'll get a closer look next week.....it really is unique.












  Linda started the second towel on the turned twill warp.  She's already thinking about what color to use for the third one!








  Alyce has returned from California, and she's back to work on her towels.  This is a good example of extreme concentration!!!!!












  Time to load the shuttle with more blue jean strips.  Carl has already informed me that we'll be cutting more strips next week!!!!














  Good friends will tie up your treadles for you!!!!  Not only did Bonnie tie up Ms. Ila's treadles, but, while she was down there, she worked on Shirley's loom, too!!!!





   After all, tying up treadles should NOT interfere with finishing your cake!!!!!











  I think Liz is really liking the view on the back row with the LADIES!!!  She certainly gets a lot of weaving done.






 It's done!  Tina wound on a 60 yard warp on the loom today.  It will be ready to thread next week.  This black warp is used for placemats and walker bags. 

    Thanks to Ms. Ila and Charlotte, we were well fed today.  Ms. Ila made a fresh rhubarb cake (oh, so yummy!) and Charlotte brought a vanilla pound cake.  No one needed extra desserts today!!!
  A new month.....a new weaving friend.....lots to look forward to!

Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

Fluff N Stuff

LouAnn and I made it to the Museum in plenty of time to set up for the school kids, I think 2 or 3 different schools came to spend some hours running about the place.  In the winter time LouAnn and I are inside the Peters cabin, but when fair weather once again shines upon us we go our separate ways, she to the loom house and I go out on the front porch.

I put my wee great wheel up on the bench to keep Cinderella's spindle well out of reach of all those fingers.  While some of the kids raced passed me, with "exploring everything right now" on their minds, several of the kids and the teachers and parents seemed interested in what I was doing.  I was able to answer many questions and show how important a skill this would have been 200 years ago.  (Can you see my wild socks?  I always try to wear the unexpected item!)  

After the museum, I had to race home to send Dear One off on a short trip, and then I got to pick up some grandkids from school and take them home to there house, where we were joined by their Mom within 30 minutes.  I then raced home to meet Karin, who wanted to see how my fleece washing set up worked.

We managed to get a fleece from last weeks "sheep shearing day" skirted and in the wash before she left.  We also pulled out one of the clean Jacobs fleeces and I was able to show her how I used the 18 inch hackle together with my wool combs.

This bag has 3 fleeces in it, the top one being white with some lilac patches.  I quickly set to work combing some of the white locks,  then I did a lilac/gray batch and then back to white.

By using the hackle that you can see behind these beautiful bumps of hand combed top I can load 3 combs full on it and pull off a much bigger quantity of top than I could with a single comb full.







This week I was also able to finish the T shirt rug order that I had started a week or two ago, I had already finished it actually, but it was about 6 inches shorter than I had intended.  So I rewove it increasing each section by just enough to give me the ratio of colors that I was looking for, as well as the added length.

I love how the blue stripes turned out on this one,  I had decided that I would get a better looking rug by combining different blues, sometimes light combos and sometimes darker combo.  It did not disappoint!  I will deliver to the buyer, and we will discuss other things that she would like for me to make.





Life as always is busy, but I get done what I can, when I can.  Everybody has been very patient with the extended time that it is taking me to get these orders done.  I have one more rug that needs prep and weaving, and then I can weave what I want for the fall show.

Until next time, Happy Weaving, Tina

80% Chance

 

  You know how it is with those "best laid plans"....right???? 

  I have always wanted to try Deborah Chandler's "hybrid method" of warping a loom.  This method would be great to use at the Museum, I thought, since I wouldn't have to take a raddle or lease sticks.  This was my thinking on Wednesday, when there was only a 60% chance of rain here in this area.  So, I gathered up my 6 dent reed (for rough sleying) and my warp....and I thought I was ready to head to the Museum.
No...........
  My alarm system starting acting up, and I ended up on the phone with the company for an hour.  In the end, they had to schedule me for a service tech on Thursday morning. 

  Sure enough, the tech was here at 8:00 this morning...and for two hours, I was punching in code on the panel to stop that annoying little beep.  But, now the system is on a wireless phone that doesn't require my house phone to be in service.  All in all, this turned out to be a good thing.
     Now, back to the Museum warp:  I used my time to reread the "hybrid method" and walk myself through the process.  And, it hit me....how was I going to move the reed behind the heddles????  AND, this method would require me to leave that reed at the Museum (since I would not have time to get the heddles threaded.) 
  So, back to the tried and true (I'm a back to front warper.)  I have loaded up the crate with the raddle, lease sticks and sticks for the warp beam. 
   The forecast for today was 80% rain with a high of 58 degrees.  Needless to say, the warp didn't go on the loom today, either!  It can wait.  Tomorrow is another day....in fact, I'll be there in the morning for a school group....and only a 10% chance of rain for tomorrow!!!!!

  An update on Sheep Shearing Day at the Museum.  Karin took over the carding, combing and spinning duties on Saturday.  She did a really fantastic job.
  We had nice weather and lots of great questions.

I hope it's sunny where you are!
Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

Dear Carol,

Dear Carol,
  Please rest assured that while you are healing at home, we, the Tuesday Weavers, are doing our part to insure that more handwoven items will be available to those folks who need them!  We continue to weave quality items in a happy atmosphere....just like you taught us!

  The new floor plan is working very well, and Liz is especially happy to be with the Ladies on the back row.  I'm not sure what is going on with Sharon....she seems to think that she would miss something going on in the kitchen.  Peggy got her warp tied on with Marie's help.  Ms. Ila finished the first shawl, and is ready to start on the second one.  The black weft is really working with that warp.















   Carl and Linda are holding down their corner of the Studio, too.  Linda finished one towel, and is ready to start another one.  Carl is using some of that roll of printed denim for this rug.  He's thinking about mixing it up with some denim blue jean strips.  I think he's mulling over his options.




 In preparation for our discussion on Chapter 4 of the Mary Black book, Tina wound a short warp for demonstration.  Since the Ashford loom was handy, she just popped it right on the loom.



 






   In addition to Tina's demonstration, Betsy brought us a great sample of a "laid-in" technique.  Her grandparents had bought napkins and tablecloths that were woven with laid in motifs when they visited China back in the early 1900's. 
  Truthfully, I don't think you're going to see many examples of finger manipulated weaving from our group.....just saying.







  And, you'll be glad to know that Jocelyn was able to keep our energy level up with some oatmeal cookies (that were sooooooooo yummy!!!!!)  So sorry you missed this!
  Liz brought some smoked Gouda cheese and crackers to counterbalance the sweet stuff.  Good idea, don't you think?
  Thank you Jocelyn and Liz!!!!!

See.....we're being productive!
  Be patient....follow your doctor's orders!!!!  (You can get started reading Chapter 5 in the Key To Weaving....it's about Twills!!!!)
Get well soon!!!!!

LouAnn

Sheep Shearing Day #2

LouAnn posted photos yesterday of us setting up the booth for Sheep Shearing day at the Museum of Appalachia.  Today I get to show you how the tables look with the display items in place!

Here is the table I use to showcase some of the clean fleeces from past years.  You can see the table on the far left is set up to receive the first dirty fleece straight off of the sheep.

This week I moved my wee great wheel and clock reel to be between the dirty fleece table, (which was still empty) and the clean fleece table.

On the other side of the booth are the tables for the finished pieces of clothing or rugs that we have made with wool, so that the public can see just how handy wool can be.

LouAnn's tape loom got a good workout today!

Here is one of my fleece rugs and a sample of what purple wool fabric looks like before and after washing.

The dirty fleece table was still without a fleece for a long time!!!!!  We have come up with a solution for tomorrow though.  We kept a fleece back from todays clip that we will unveil as soon as we get there in the morning and we will be ready right away to demonstrate the process from the very beginning of skirting and washing, all the way through combing, carding and spinning yarn to finished  woven or knitted products.

It was cold and breezy today, but the public were real troupers, and I came home with more fleeces to wash, Karin is going to take the fleeces from tomorrows clip.

You can't have too many fleeces....

Until next time, Happy Fleece Washing, Tina