Elves On Duty

 

Just look at all those busy elves!!!  The Weaving Studio (aka Santa's Workshop) was just humming with activity today.  Although there aren't as many weavers on duty, things were getting done.

  Marie has been busy in her home studio weaving a new batch of kitchen towels.  Using this Strickler pattern, she was able to use up lots of bobbins of thread.  Look at all of the color combinations!!!!!

   It's Christmas break for Liz, so she got to join us in the studio and thread the table loom for a project.  It's always nice to see our weaving friends!

  Patty's huck lace towels are looking great!  (She had a funny story to tell me about her tux cat, Boots.  It seems he brought her a rabbit this week!!!!)

    I think I messed Barbara up when I stopped to chat!!!  She is weaving this amazing Atwater Bronson pattern, and it's so easy to lose your place!!!

  She was able to unweave and find her place!  Yeah!!!

  Betsy is threaded, sleyed, and she's binding on the front beam!  Next comes the tie-up!  This warp is colorful!

  Tina is making progress with the crossed threads.  She's in the process of threading the threads that were out of place.

  Pat's working on a new color combo for this rug.  (This also means she's using up a lot of stash!!!)

  It doesn't happen often, but it's been known to happen sometimes.....Marilyn lost her cross!  It's not the end of the world....take a deep breath.  

  Lou Ann is providing emotional support.

  Shirley is feeling much better, and she's back to her scarf warp.

  Betsy is working on some placemats....always popular in the shop!

  So sorry Sharon's trip got cancelled, but that also meant she got to shop at IKEA while she was in Atlanta.

  Healing hugs to Charlotte.  Get better soon!

Merry Christmas to ALL of our fiber friends!!!

LouAnn

Projects

   We have several on-going projects here in the Studio.  

  Laura and Jocelyn are working on a logo for our group that we can use on our hang tags.  I'm sure we'll find other uses for it, as well.  Laura gave an update on the project at lunch.

  It looks like Pat has been working on her piece for the Convergence display in Knoxville.  That yardage is amazing!  We will be participating in the display at the Emporium Gallery downtown in July.

  Carol has woven a towel using blue, green and one more color!  I can't wait to see all the projects on display!

  Marie's scarf is from the "Use It Up" challenge as we try to use up left over yarn in the Annex.

  The scarf on the table is also part of that project!

  Courtney might be a new weaver, but I think she's catching on just fine!

  She brought one of her finished placemats to show us today.

  BIG thank you to Sharon H. for taking pictures for me today while I worked at home.  It looks like I sure did miss a bunch!

Happy Weaving!

LouAnn

Always Learning

 

  One of the things I love about weaving is that there is always an opportunity to learn new things!  One of the advantages of weaving with a group is the learning that takes place between the weavers.  We freely share with each other.

  Our new weavers, Courtney and Betsy, are right in the middle of it all!

  Case in point:

  Pat got the Rigid Heddle warped and started weaving.

Mary got the rigid heddle warped and started weaving.

Diane got the rigid heddle warped and has been weaving.

  Marie is teaching the weavers how to make the turn on a mobius scarf on the rigid heddle.

This is part of our "clear the tubs" effort, which will reduce our stash plus add variety to our woven items in the shop.  It's a group effort and a learning opportunity!

  Marilyn and Lou Ann are always sharing tips and tricks as they weave on their towels.  There's a rumor that Lou Ann has been especially good this year, and Santa is bringing her a new loom with all the fixin's!!!  WOW!

  Marilyn's DIL has penned a novel set in East Tennessee.  Although the story is fiction, it is based on a local tale of haints (ghosts) in a small town.  Mary was familiar with the story (she lives near the actual town.)  I'm adding it to my Christmas list!

   Patty LOVES her new tee-shirt!!!  Weavers have that "warped" sense of humor!  

  On her loom is a warp for two bamboo shawls.  She's weaving huck lace (for the first time!)

  Liz is using all eight shafts for this towel pattern.  (Be sure you click on the picture to get a closer look!)

  It was time.....Tina had regrouped the threads to weave her throws, but that resulted in crossed threads that had to be adjusted from time to time.  She spent her time today pulling crossed threads and rethreading.  It just takes time and patience.

  Jocelyn is all merry and bright as she threads a new brown warp.  This is a repeat of her brown and orange placemats.

  Barbara has her warp threaded and sleyed, so now it's time to tie it on the front bar.  Stay tuned!

  Bonnie solved the problem with her summer winter pattern, and now she just has to decide how big she wants her blocks to be!

  Linda has switched to a multi-color greens for the next towel.  Towels are a good way to use up threads!!!

  

  Pat was enchanted by the honeycomb throw in the November-December issue of Handwoven.  This is her version!!!

Yeah!  Shirley is on the mend, and she stopped by for a visit today!  We were so glad to see her!

Go on....learn something today!

LouAnn

It's Beginning....

 

.....and you know the rest of the song!

  Margi is creating some ornaments using pieces of handwoven cloth and pinecones.  If you look closely, you'll see it's a little gnome!  She's our own little Christmas elf!

  Carol has been busy helping her new weavers.  I'm sure they wonder sometimes what time warp they have dropped into!  There's lots going on around the studio.

  Since we are working hard to decrease our supply of yarn stored in the Annex AND we are trying to increase our supply of scarves (especially ones that would appeal to men,) Marie is doing a quick workshop on Rigid Heddle weaving.  They are great to use when there is such a mixed bag of yarn available!  For some of our weavers this is their first time using a RH, and others just wanted a refresher course.  Thank you, Marie!!!

  Elsewhere in the Studio, they just kept weaving!!!    I got busy and didn't get the other half of the Studio.  Marilyn, Liz, Patty and Jocelyn were super busy.

This is my excuse for not getting enough pictures!  I needed to sample the warp for the Hollywood rugs....which turned out to be a "get to know the loom" lesson.  All's well that ends well.

Peggy brought her throw to share with the group.  This was woven with her stash of leftover sock yarn.  

Can you guess what is Peggy's favorite color????

(I wish you could feel it!  So soft!!!!!)

  The Weavers are sending out big HUGS to Shirley, who is under the weather.  Get well soon....we miss you!!!!

Happy Weaving!

LouAnn

Start 'em Young!!!

 

  I have often wished I had known my great-grandmothers, and I could have learned to weave from them.  But, I have been blessed with my weaving friends, who have shared their knowledge with me.

  Today, we had a young visitor who has been asking her mom about weaving since she saw it in one of her books.  Audrey's mom came by the Center yesterday, and found out that there would be weavers on Tuesday!!!  

  And, here she is!!!  Audrey got to see a loom being threaded and several folks were weaving.  Then it was time for Audrey to weave on a loom!!!  

  

  We were joined later by Isaiah and Elijah.  They took a turn on the table loom, and Pat showed them the big barn loom.  

  Their dad says that they want to learn to weave, too!!!

  Weaving isn't always so easy...after all, it takes three weavers to wind this bobbin!  I'm not sure about the whole story....maybe Charlotte will tell me.

  

  Betsy is winding on this colorful scarf warp (there's enough for three scarves.)  This will be her first time using all 12 shafts!!!!

  She has three colors picked out for the weft.  

I'll keep you updated!

We are really going all out for color!!!

Lou Ann's towel warp just makes you smile!

Marilyn just finished another towel on her loom this afternoon.

  Another color magnet!  Sneak a peek in her basket!  Shari just lets the yarn tell the story as she creates her one of kind scarves.

(Marie and I loaded a tub with "Shari yarn" for her to take home and play!!!)

  Bonnie is not happy!

  I know that look--  it's the pattern, not the people.  Time to regroup and reconsider!

  There's Tina and Pat--putting their heads together and making a plan!  Pat is weaving the hem for her three color clasp weave rug.  I think she's ready to weave some good ole rag rugs for a change of pace.

  Tina has some crossed threads coming off the warp beam that need to be attended to...the bumberet is threaded in threes, and she had to make adjustments.

She doesn't have a lot of room to work since we are a little crowded!  (Yes, that's another loom between Tina's loom and the barn loom.)  But, she only has 10 more inches on this blanket!!!

Ta Da!!!!  She did it!  That is two blankets/throws that are finished!!!

  Weaving is fun...and frustrating...and my favorite thing to do (especially with these folks!)

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!

LouAnn

What's Up???

 

  Now that we are finished with the Foothills show, it's time to get back to business:  purging the tubs in the Annex before the big move to the new Annex.  Today, Pat has us organized sorting tubs with fabric.  We had some tubs of fabric strips that needed to be rolled into balls.  We separated wool from cotton, and sheets that could be dyed for placemats.  We have denim as well as blue jeans that can be used for rugs.

   It was all hands on deck as we worked through all the tubs.

  As Carol serged the hems on some newly woven projects, Betsy wound up strips of wool that will make some great rugs.

  When all the tubs were returned to the Annex, it was time to pull out the looms.  Marie did some repair work on the Baby Wolf that Liz uses.  She just has the right touch with anything mechanical!

Laura, Jocelyn and Margi had their own meeting about our logo, which is another goal we have for the new year.

  Bonnie has her loom threaded and sleyed, so now it's time to tie on the warp!  

  Carol is working with Courtney....her warp is on the loom!!!  (I apologized to Courtney for last week's picture.  She approved this one!)

  Linda has switched to a multi-colored weft for this towel.  Can you see how the colors form pools on the towel?

  I wanted to show you Pat's rug using three colors for the clasp weft.  (I think she's ready to do some rag rugs next!!!)

Enjoy your week!

Happy Weaving!!!

LouAnn