Finding the Sweet Spot

 So what the heck does that title mean?   

Well, I started weaving again. I wove short 10- 15 minute sessions and then waited to see how my back responded to the motion.   Sometimes I had to take a day or two off, and then I'd try again.   It seemed to be going well overall and the inches were slowly adding up on the loom.   

Progress. 

Then I added more repeats and a bit more time.... and waited.   Soon I was weaving a full 20-30 minutes with rest breaks and some days an Advil and a day or two off.   

Feeling better about how things were going!

Then the 8 yard warp of 8/2 Venne cotton and linen wefts was all done and  cut off the loom!   All 2 1/2 pounds of it!

I had another warp all prepared and so got to work beaming it.   I took my time and slowly wound on with frequent rest breaks.  But there is bending to depress the brake peddle and movement back and forth between the back and front to shift my weights. 

Once it was beamed I stopped for the day.  That night my back grumbled and let me know it was unhappy, so I knew the next few days would be 'rest days'.   Then I woke to a very unhappy lower back and now I'm on an enforced healing / rest time period once again. 

It would seem that moderate to severe arthritic changes to my lower spine, with stenosis (encroachment of the nerves exiting the spinal column) is my new Boss and is very clear about telling what I can and can't do.  😢    There are some positives to this situation:

• I didn't herniate a disc like last time
• rest will settle things down in time
• I will weave again
• I have towels to hand sew and play with finishing
• I can thread and sley slowly when the time is right and 'Boss' says I can 
• My Hansen e-spinner is nearby and doesn't hurt me! 

I'd like to add that my husband has been very good at pitching in when I need help and donning an apron and cooking when I can't.   We're coming up to 40 years next fall and I think it might be working out after all ! 💕 😉  

So it's all about finding balance and being content to listen to my body.  I don't plan to quit or sell this loom so I must be patient.  No doubt there will be more set backs and maybe not. 

Finding the sweet spot much like we do on our looms when weaving......

The Very Beginning

 

These are members of the Richmond Weavers and Spinners (of Richmond, BC) working away at their drop in....  

In the fall of 1995 I stood in front of these windows as a total newbie and looked in and admired the looms they have all arranged like bait I was 2 days late for their monthly meeting and 5 days later my Hub told me he was being transferred to the Okanagan.  By the spring of 1996 I was making a start on my weaving journey. All I knew was that I saw the looms and wanted to learn how to do that!

In the years since, I took to weaving, then spinning, then some dyeing.... you know how it goes, but the start of my marvelous journey was all their fault.... 

Thank you so much! 🌹

A New Year: a fresh start?

 Happy New Year to you!  🎉

I normally do a weaving year review, but I took 7 months off recovering from a spine and back injury and so my only effort has been two shawls and a lot of hand spun yarn.   I have yet to photograph them and present them here as yet.   When we finally get a decent sunny day, that is my goal!

I started weaving on a towel warp as shown previously but  nerve impingement in my right shoulder put a stop to weaving yet again.   Then we have been preoccupied with Christmas and trying to stay warm.    Stay warm?   well, our furnace quit on December 13th and we have been without furnace / heat pump heat since then. We are relying on space heater and a gas fire place to keep warm.   Sweaters, socks and fluffy housecoats are in vogue here. 

We called the heating company this morning to "put a fire under them" to see where our new furnace fan is out there. It's coming air freight from the USA. I'm thinking we should have got Amazon to ship it!    But it should be here soon. 🤞 Edit: as of today Jan 3rd  its apparently on back order and we're no closer to a solution.  😢

So what have I been up to?  Well spinning is a nice way to spend time, and I'm all up to date with Netflix, BritBox, Acorn and Primevideo.  I read *a lot* and love my Kindle.

I also spend time at handweaving.net and cruise the patterns.  They just released 4 shaft overshot miniatures:   Bertha G. Hayes Miniature Overshot Drafts

I've also been going through my weaving book collection and in particular " Janna Weaves" by Janna van Ledden- Valk.  A bit on the spendy side to acquire but I'm feeling inspired by the drafts.  Yes, there are drafts for high numbered shaft looms but there are 8 shaft and 16 shaft drafts too.

I'm also looking to do weavings based on themes.... and still working that out in my head for now.  For example, Pompeian art and mosaics.  Some examples....   some neat colours to work with in these.

I'll close for now with a draft I have been working on from "Janna Weaves".  Yes, the warp is wound  so that is encouraging.   (16 shafts/ 16 treadle)   Click on the image to enlarge.

Falling to Pieces

I was so happy to be finally returning to some normalcy.   Weaving again, even if for short periods and slower.    It takes me longer to weave an item and so I nibble away at the inches carefully. I was on towel number four of seven when I noticed an ache in my right shoulder that radiated to my top of my spine.    I stopped right away and used an ice pack and some advil. 

Next day I felt like a truck had run over my shoulder  and now the pain radiated down the outside of my bicep to my elbow and down into my wrist.

No, it's not frozen shoulder, but nerve impingement. I swear if I didn't have bad luck, I'd have none  at all! 

So for the past three weeks, I medicate, and apply ice packs and  no weaving or even spinning (as that's my dominant arm / hand).  I have been playing with drafts and designs.... and reading some of my weaving library. I figure that if I can't weave as much or as often, then when I do a new project, it should be something special.

Oh, and yes I'm feeling a tad bit depressed.  I already had a seven month holiday due to my lower back and stenosis so I thought I would be able to enjoy my life more again. 

NOPE!

I developed a ganglion cyst on my right instep and I can't even wear shoes. So waiting on a Doctor to deal with that and I'm certain it will involve needles and pain.  

Then my big toe on my left foot became infected and so I am dealing with that issue as well.

So.... yeah, depression is a thing.  😬

The blue gel icepacks are a life saver!  I rest one behind my shoulder and lay my elbow and arm on a second one and that's my evening in a nutshell. 

I do have two lace shawls to photograph but its been way too dark to photograph them properly so they wait patiently.

I had to pause my Etsy shop due to a nationwide postal strike..... so no joy there. Bah Humbug to all those concerned. 

I'm getting a lot of reading done and we have been enjoying the joys of streaming TV  .... with ice packs. 

For those of you who are weaving up a storm, throw one for me please!

On My Loom Now 📸

 When I start something new, I usually weave some towels to get use to the changes. New dobby on the loom, so more towels.  

This is a 16 shaft twill and basket weave, most likely from Handweaving.net but I seem to have misplaced the number. It drove me crazy looking for threading errors! So I have declared there were none....

8 yard warp of Venne cotton and all wefts used for the 7 towels will be linen. This is 9/2 French linen from Brassards. The reverse side is darker....a mirror image.

It’s good to be weaving again, even if for short periods. If my back starts to make its presence known, I stop or move onto something else. 

The draft is nifty and I have had it in my ‘to-do’ file for a long time. There was a post it note attached with the handweaving.net number and it dropped off. I checked my copy on Fiberworks as I usually keep the number under the ‘notes and records’ and I didn’t add it….. but this would have been years ago so I’ll just have to look around on the website.

I’m also enjoying the weaving and looking at it from the view point of where to add colour in the warp next time I weave it up again. How to make the celtic knot work more ‘out there.'