Forever Hellebore

This blog is primarily for my weaving adventures with just a dash of  personal. Its time to share that while I'm never a fast weaver, things have slowed even more around here. There's the normal spring time call of the house and yard, it seems my joints have decided to complain about their situation.

I've been  waiting to see a specialized surgeon for foot surgery, but now my left knee is singing a sad song. I've had it x-rayed and so will start the process with doctors and possibly a surgeon for the knee. Its OA or osteo-arthritis (same as my right foot) and all part and parcel of my SLE or Arthritis Lupus .

I've discovered that everyone in and around my age group has something to complain about so this isn't to illicit sympathy but to simply say,  that sometimes it hurts to weave, so I can't.... and as a result,  posting a weaving story can be slow.

I have been weaving but just for short periods with rest breaks in between! I should have some new for you next time...

So lets take a look at some other items that I've had tucked away waiting to share with you:

This is a pink hellebore that grows in our front garden. I took this picture at least three, maybe four springs ago and posted it here at my blog as part of a spring garden  camera walkabout.  Sandra Rude spotted it and asked if she could 'weave' it at some time. I said an enthusiastic "YES" and then waited.  It took a long time before it came up in the queue. Sandra's new AVL jacq 3g loom needed several tune up's and tweaking until it runs just right. Here is a link to the AVL web site with all of the looms specs  I did receive this computer adaptation of my image from Sandra where the color values are established:

The warp would be black and the other colours are all potentials for the weft. I must confess that I'm not clear on how the color selection works or even how many Sandra can use at one time, but the whole concept is just fascinating!

Here is a link to a blog post where Sandra attended a workshop and explains the method of using Adobe Photoshop and assigning colours.

Just before this past October 2012, Sandra emailed me that the weaving would be under way very soon and the weaving ready to ship before Christmas. It was fun to keep a close eye on the daily progress!

I was hoping to show you the weaving bit by bit as it was revealed to me but it seems that Sandra has had a photographic loss at her blog so there's text but no pictures.  Here's the only one I could find:

This one was taken by Sandra underneath the loom as the cloth is slowly being wound onto the cloth roll while she weaves away above!   Before too long, it was on the way to us and I picked it up at the post office.

Hellebore, woven by Sandra Rude, from original photograph by Susan Harvey

Sandra uses a stabilizer on the back of the cloth and so it can now be stretched over a frame. Sandra just recently sent me directions on that process and the special outer  frame the stretched image will 'float' in.  We may just get it stretched professionally! Until then its carefully rolled up and waiting....

This is one fleeting spring flower that will last a life time!

Then by way of a bonus for you, my brother was in England this past September and one of his stops was at the British Museum. He took these pictures thinking of my interest in textile history.

Ancient Minoan stone loom weights circa 2100-1450 BCE

Stone loom weights and spinning whorls...all found at the city of Troy 2600-2300 BCE

Kind of makes you glad we have the beautiful modern tools we have now huh?  If you love historical stuff like the loom weights above, then, if you haven't already, then you gotta read this book!