🎁 Towels for the Times

There is an awful lot going on in the World right now and frankly, not much of it is good. I guess that's why many weavers are doing just that... weaving, or spinning.   

Counting our blessings where we find them.   

In the evenings we find ourselves watching movies and seeing people in them all gathered together for meals,  concerts and wonder at it all.  People hugging one another and walking side by side.  We took such simple things for granted.

Its almost like someone did open up Pandora's Box and let the demons out!

I started winding this warp  in the 'before times'. Ten yards of  soft,  nice quality Egyptian cotton.  It was in my stash as a large three pound cone, along with another three pound cone of black. Not entirely sure where I bought it but its lovely. (I think it was Lone Star Loom Room.)

The idea behind this warp was to simply sit and weave  and enjoy the process. Listen to music or podcasts or just the silence.   Then the pandemic hit and we  stayed inside our homes and the choice to use bright cheerful colours as weft really made sense to me to help lift spirits.   Little dancing boxes. 

I wish I could share the soft lofty feel of these towels. You can see how squishy they are!
Grape, creamsicle, honey, and key lime.

Then there are the blue cool tones: bubblegum, peacock, blueberry and raspberry.

Towel number nine was created from having left over yarn on many pirns. So I created a colour way that worked together to use them up.  I call this one Candy Mix..... but it easily could be called "All colours under the sun matter".   This towel  is winging its way to my daughter as she is trying to work out what colour to paint her kitchen so something in this one will work!  😁  🌈

The 16 shaft draft was sett at 24 epi and they were woven to 35 inches. Width in the reed was 24 inches.  After a small turned hem they measure  21 wide by 28 inches long. So a fair amount of shrinkage.   The threading is a point twill and so is the treadling; all the pattern is in the tie-up.

A couple with the hem flipped to show the other side, which is equally nice. Boxes again, or if you look at them with a tilt of the head, there is almost a Celtic like intertwining.  If I had woven two towels in each colour, I would have turned one towel the opposite way and so they would be a nice set.   Maybe next time....

Here's the draft from Handweaving.net that I used showing two repeats of the treadling.   The draft is our road map to a successful project, along with some 'local knowledge'.

Maybe that's why everyone is feeling so discombobulated right now? There's no clear road map to a goal. Life feels on hold and if things are opening up again, it feels weird.   

So perhaps the little daily personal successes mean so much more right now. 

Some lovely peonies from a friend's garden.... and left on our front doorstep as a gift.   Huge blossoms and so lush.  The white ones were especially fragrant.   Thank you Donna! 💞

All in Good Time ⏰

It would appear that some things in Life simply can't be rushed.  They evolve " in the fullness of time".    Okay, I get that and can even appreciate it.

But this project borders on the ridiculous!

I wound this ten yard warp  four years ago just before we moved in 2016. I thought it would be great to put a nice long towel warp on the Megado and weave off some kitchen towels.   It was tucked away in a box and forgotten until I found it in January.   The project notes were long lost and so I sat and counted every last warp end to see what I had to play with.  I also wondered what was in my head by using this heavy cream beige colour! It doesn't easily pair with much..... but I soldiered on.

I played with some drafts at Handweaving.net, which by the time they made it to the actual warp on the loom, didn't thrill me very much.  The pattern was too diffuse, no clarity to it, or too intensely busy.  So the threading remained the same as it was already in place and I 'borrowed' tie up's from other drafts to see what I could come up with.   

I got this below and I liked it. 

It somehow reminded me of hardanger embroidery.   All was going well until the dobby died on me. Repairs were impossible as it contains all 1990's technology bits and pieces that no one can even get spare parts for anymore.  So there was a delay for a new refurbished dobby from Louet to arrive and set up.  (See older post for details)

Weaving resumed and just in time for a medical crisis with hubby Bruce in mid April. It involved large kidney stones, blocked plumbing, infection and a hospital stay.   It is still to be continued as he's waiting for an urgent medical procedure. I found I was alone at home and could weave 24/7 if I liked, but I simply could not focus on either loom.   Oh, and throw in a pandemic for good measure!

I wound warps instead.... and found it strangely calming.    Two warps, ten yards long for future projects! Incidentally they are both on the looms now....

So here's my melded draft, which is woven " as drawn in":

I wove seven towels and decided towards the end of the warp to weave a long runner as a change.  Finally the cloth beam was unrolled to produce a nice satisfying mound of fabric, and I got stuck into finishing right away.

I want to wet finish before hemming but the cloth is simply too long for the washing machine which would just twist it up, so I like to serge the towels apart and wash the shorter lengths.  The edges are very secure this way, and later when I use my steam press, the edge is totally flat for hemming.

That's when the old serger died.    It was 19 or 20 years old so not totally unexpected but  really?  It had to go now?

Two days later I was back in business with this younger model with more bells and whistles! 😊   (The old serger will eventually be repaired / tuned up and sold in time.   More waiting again)

So here are six of the seven towels  in a nice satisfying stack. I'm calling them my " Country Kitchen Towels" as they have an old timey look to them.  They are approx 20" by 30-31" and all are hand sewn so can be used as either a towel or small runner. 

Cinnamon Stick and Peach Cobbler

Plum and Vanilla

Herb Garden and Sage

Towel number seven is a compilation of all the colours as I had part pirns of all colours left over and this was a neat way of using them up. It reminded me of some 1930's table cloths I saw in a museum once.

So, last but not least there is the table runner. That turned out very nice and looks good on my large dinging room table!   Same warp, same pattern but this time I used 8/2 bamboo weft. It wove up beautifully, looked even better after wet finishing and pressing.   Fringe is a neat two inches and the runner measures 19.5 inches by 62 inches.

A final close up view: you can see the sheen which picks out the pattern beautifully.  The tea cup and saucer is part of a small set brought back from Hong Kong in 1953 by my Dad, who was in the Royal Navy, for his mother. The dragon on the china is raised  and is hand painted.   I just found out last evening that a friend inherited a cup with the exact same pattern from her grandmother. It must have been a thing back in its day.

🌎 One Day Among Many

Sorry about the missing pictures, but this is a problem that Blogger is looking to resolve.

Welcome from the  'bunker' formally known as our home.  We enjoy our house and yard, but the instant you are told NOT to go out, you are suddenly filled with a desire to go shopping, visit friends and just get out there.  I can get over that urge!

Well, we tend to stay home a fair amount anyhow so there's not much change really.  We got some groceries ordered on line and delivered to our front door, we both have three months worth of our medicines, the car's gas tank is full and we have propane for the BBQ.   We have scads of books, internet, on line streaming services..... and even some toilet paper left.  We're just fine here.

Hubby is puttering around the house and yard. Fixing irrigation lines and doing light garden work.  The primroses, crocus, heather and tulips are up.  Everything  that needs pruning has been done and the hedges have been trimmed up. Power washing was done  two or three weeks ago.    I guess window cleaning is next up soon. Maybe when it warms up some more?

The Covid 19 pandemic is top of mind for everyone and the uncertainty is the hardest part.    I have seen some interesting memes on FaceBook:

Your grandparents had to live through and fight in World War 2.... you are being asked to sit on the couch. You've got this...."

The virus doesn't move, people do..... so practise social distancing!

Adopt the attitude that you have the virus and then work hard to prevent passing it to others.

Our days seem to have settled into a routine.  Coffee and news in the morning, then house chores and / or laundry.... then lunch. I go into the studio after lunch and work on several things, all of which are under way and not close to being finished.

I have been spending all of my weaving time on the Megado and my 9.5 yard 8/2 towel warp.  I have about five or six towels done. This the one currently underway and its a muted plum shade

The roll is starting to build nicely  and its a great stash buster as I dig through the cottons looking for choices for the next towels.

Here's the winding station with all the part pirns of colours and I may just do a towel with multi colours for each pattern change to use them up.  The blue and teal is for the crackle weave on the Spring which hasn't advanced at all  and is patiently waiting for my attention. 

I've been doing project planning and warp winding.  I have several projects and drafts all worked up.

I like having a longer warp on the Megado for towels and so dug around in the stash and found a lovely  two pound cone of natural 8/2 Venne cotton and have been winding six bouts of  one hundred ends, ten yards long.  I have also wound another warp, also ten yards, of 10/2 cotton for table runners. Here they are hanging on the beater bar assembly of the tapestry loom.  (This weavers equivalent of "laundry on a treadmill" right now  😁 )

I still have one more bout of one hundred ends to wind of the cream cotton. This is where I confess to a guilty pleasure. I like to stream nature shows on my computer and sort of half watch, half hear them as I wind away.  David Attenborough has a delightful way of narrating the episodes and no matter how dire the situation environmentally, he always ends them on a positive note.

Here's the colours for the runner and the cream is the Venne cotton.

Here are the drafts:

So between what's under way and the warps waiting, there's lots of daily activity here.   I have taken my Etsy shop off line and in 'holiday mode' as I don't want to deal with post office trips.  So that's why there is a large white empty box on the right hand side of your screen.   We will get back to normal eventually but I believe it will be many weeks of social distancing as areas of infection peak and diminish.   Past history of pandemics show second and even third waves so we must be very careful. It could come back to bite us on the arse otherwise!  😳

I don't believe that people will return to normal spending habits for some time as they recover their financial lives.  So things like my scarves and shawls are not essentials.   I'll keep weaving to keep myself busy and build up my inventory for the better times to come. 

As you can see, I have many scarves, and a good number of shawls on hand.  Towels and runners are my only gaps  ..... and one runner will be for our large dining room table and will be 98 inches long!   I've been promising to weave one for us and apparently I have the time right now. 

So if you are at home  refusing to be an Uber ride for a virus bug, enjoy the time that comes along with this situation.  Read a book, watch movies, write, paint,  spin or weave.  Whatever your heart and mind feels like doing.   If somedays, its to simply do nothing, then that's okay too.   This is a stressful time for everyone and we must be kind with each other, including ourselves. 

Some humour for you:   

"May You Live in Interesting Times..."

I try to keep my blog to weaving with a dash of grand kids and only pinch of my personal life, but as the  subject line says, "these are interesting times".   Actually, its more like scary times with this Covid 19 sweeping the world.

This is a natural disaster. 

But the world has gone through and survived such pandemics before. It will pass, but it will take time.  It will take much patience.

Please check your local health authority web page for up to date information and advice and take them seriously.

Wash your hands...    soap and water, for 20-30 seconds,  is actually more effective than hand sanitizer.

My husband and I have cancelled all medical appointments, planned visits with friends and family and will be staying home in isolation for the duration.  We both have underlying health issues and so feel this is best for us.  We took care of much of our future business via phone calls and on line and  have arranged for grocery shopping on line with delivery to our front door.  Due to high demand I must shop on line at midnight and they are limiting certain items, but we are fortunate to have this option in 2020.

We are also very fortunate in Canada to have excellent healthcare system and very dedicated staff but there are limits to what they can do if the system is swamped by vast numbers of infected people.  This is why they want to flatten the curve so please self isolate and stay home.

As weavers and spinners, we have wonderful tools at hand and large stashes to play with.   I'll be weaving and enjoying the back patio when its warm enough to sit out there.   Hubby is planning to progress with his music lessons on line and get proficient with his ukulele and new guitar. He also has art supplies and will be dabbling in paints.    We have streaming services and internet so we are all still connected.  FaceTime means I can talk to the grandkids and  see how they are.

Grand daughter Madison had her 5th birthday party cancelled but she and her mother played with paints instead.

She and Grandad can compare their art via FaceTime !

Flattening the curve saves lives but it does extend the duration that we must self isolate.   Pace yourself and be prepared for  many weeks and possibly months.   You can still go outside and go for a walk..... just by yourself or with your housemate. We plan to go for a drive and maybe sit on a log by the ocean to get fresh air and connect..... but by ourselves.

The phone works and so call friends, email and see how everyone in your social circle is doing.  Call a neighbour to see how they are.  Stay connected.

An interesting side line to all this enforced isolation is that there are less cars, planes and people moving and so pollution levels have been dropping worldwide. They can actually see and monitor the drops in levels from satellites in space.  Venice's canals have cleared and they can see small fish in the waters.  The  yellow clouds above some cities in China have cleared up.   Maybe the planet will use the pause to heal?    It will at least demonstrate the real impact that we have on the Earth and make the climate change deniers think twice.

For those of you who must work, please do so from home if you can, and if you still report in, keep your distance.  Two meters or 6 feet of distance. Wear gloves if you have them  and always wash your hands!   Cough and sneeze into your 'chicken wing' (elbow).

We have been complaining about how modern life is too fast paced and so consider this  time to slow down and smell the spring flowers and reconnect with your spouse.   😊  🌷  😷



And now for some historical trivia ....

Kelowna is a city in south central British Columbia, Canada ..... but this flu spread around the world with the returning soldiers from WW1.

100+ years ago... Kelowna was experiencing the Spanish Flu pandemic.
Here is part of an article from the November 7th, 1918 Kelowna Record an a Public Service ad from the same edition.
"Dr. Knox has made some observations on the epidemic in general which might be useful. The vast majority of deaths are caused by pneumonia developing, and fully 50 per cent, of these are caused by going out too soon and returning to business before complete recovery. Many cases not serious in themselves have through carelessness of this kind developed a relapse and pneumonia. 

When a case occurs in a household put the patient to bed at once, phone the doctor, and he will give instructions as to the method of isolation, protection for the balance of the household and treatment. 

Children should not be allowed to play in groups in the street and parents must realize that to obtain the full benefit from the closing of the schools children must be kept at home. They should not be allowed downtown unless accompanied or sent on some specific errand. People in stores should be careful to sneeze or cough in a handkerchief and refrain from spitting on the floor or sidewalk. Hands should always be washed before eating. People suffering from colds or sore throats would be wise to remain home if possible until recovered.