Weavers in Training

Our group of students started out at the beginning of May with a warped loom and directions for weaving a four shaft sampler.  We hoped to get them hooked on weaving before we got down to the nitty gritty of winding warps and dressing a loom for the first time.    

This past weekend, a group of seven got their feet wet with the real stuff. 

You will notice that student and mentor faces aren't quite so relaxed as they were on the first fun day of weaving, but everyone worked without complaint and even when there were errors to fix, did it with composure and good grace.

These are the toughest days for our newest weavers; learning how to handle the warping process on their own.  As a guild, we are attempting to provide a safety net so the offer is open to help them whenever assistance is needed.  We keep our fingers crossed that our new weavers will stick with it until they can fly solo.

 

Watch this little video to see everyone absorbed in the weaving process.

 

 

Second Annual Learn-to-Weave Class

Suzanne welcomed our seven students to the Second Annual Learn to Weave class.  We are fortunate to have meeting space available to us, free of charge thanks to generosity of Sky Peaks Retirement Community.

The space has everything we could ask for except for curtains.  Before we could begin anything, we had to hang sheets over the windows so the PowerPoint presentation would be visible.

Our approach requires a lot of volunteer time from guild members who warp up the looms in advance and then attend the session as mentors.  We want students to have a positive weaving experience.

The guild has acquired a number of looms for the equipment library so students can use them in this class and use them while they begin their weaving journey.

Not every one is starting from scratch. Sally was a weaver 40 years ago but "life got in the way."  She is refreshing her skills and recently purchased a used floor loom locally.

Jen demonstrated how to repair a broken warp thread because it will happen and it's really not a terrible thing to repair, once you know how.  She said her weaving teacher would snip a warp thread as she was weaving so she could learn how to repair it.

While everyone was busy at work, Suzanne was winding balls of yarn for the students to take home.  They each have two bobbins that will need to refilled a number of times before they weave all the 60+ samples in the Weaver's Craft Issue 13  instruction book.

We concluded with a discussion on how to read drafts.  This was a lot of information for our students to digest in the 5 1/2 hour instruction period, lunch break included.  We packed everyone up and sent them home to work independently.  They'll be back here again for two days at the end of this month to learn how to warp a loom.  I enjoy dressing my looms as much as I like weaving, so I hope we'll be successful in passing on some more of our enthusiasm.

Death-by-Chocolate Dye Day

Today was our death-by-chocolate and dye-day meeting and it was a beautiful day for our 2014/2015 guild year finale.  Thanks Gayle and Jim for letting us once again meet at your place - it was the perfect setting.

Jen was our dye-master for the day, mixing the colors and tending the indigo pot, which is a fickle bit of chemistry.  Yarn had to be slowly lowered into the pot to avoid introducing oxygen, and by the same stroke, when a skein was removed, Jen quickly popped a bowl under it to keep the drips from introducing oxygen - a long process for our dedicated leader.

And this is the said fickle bit of chemistry.  It looks like an experiment gone wrong, only this is exactly what it's supposed to be like when the pot is healthy and full of dye potential.

And gloves are advised unless you don't mind your hands becoming the same shade as your fiber.  Notice the deep indigo skeins already hanging in the back.

We had two acid-dye pots, one red and one yellow, in addition to the indigo pot.  Although acid dye is designed for protein fiber like silk and wool, some adventurous folks did a tie-dye combo using both indigo and acid dyes with fun results.

The indigo pot was giving such deep rich colors, some folks dipped quickly for royal blue and variegated results.  Everyone seemed to have a plan in mind, so I look forward to seeing how we use these skeins.  Mine, a deep blue 8/2 Tencel, is on the left.

And then there was the aptly named death-by-chocolate table.  The selection was varied but all chocolate.  The favorite seemed to be the Kentucky Derby bars, which were a pecan-pie in the center with tollhouse cookie on the outside - recipe to appear in a fall newsletter.

We got a little silly near the end as we waited for yarns in dye baths or indigo skeins to aerate. Gloria pulled out a silk blank and asked for suggestions, and someone produced a roll of vinyl tape so she could tie off sections.  This is the result.

That's all there is to it, and now she has a lovely shawl.  Beryl and Igor's pup is our model's assistant. It couldn't have been a better conclusion to a guild year.  Our next guild meeting will be in September at the South Valleys Library.  But the good news is that starting in June, we will have weaving clinics the second Saturday of each month to keep our momentum going.  As Frank Sinatra sang, it was a very good year!  

April Weave-In

Our April meeting was held on a Saturday instead of the first Wednesday evening of the month.  We met at Gayle's home because, while she awaits the delivery of her new loom, she has enough space to set up five Schacht floor looms, the favorite of our guild members.  The sixth loom is an eight-shaft table loom.

This is the culmination of a year-long study of profile drafts, which we evaluated by breaking into interest groups according a style of weave, e.g., summer-and-winter. We've been trying to put a face on profile drafts and now we're putting what we've learned to work.  Each loom is warped for one of the weave structures and then everyone is invited to try the looms.  Sally is trying turned taqueté and liking it very much.

This loom is warped for an eight-shaft turned twill.  The idea is that each drawdown represents a profile draft. The lovely thing of Schacht looms is the little stick in the middle that holds the directions. This is Nancy's new loom that she just got and warped up for us today.

This direct tie-up Wolf Pup is warped for huck lace, which doesn't seem to lend itself readily to profile drafts.  It took a lot of attention from four seasoned weavers to finally get the correct treadling.  But collaboration is part of the fun in weaving.

Collaboration goes for loom maintenance as well.  Two looms needed a little mid-session tweaking.  It's good for the new weavers to see this kind of problem solving - a learning experience I'm sure they hadn't anticipated today.

The eight-shaft table loom was a collaborative effort too.  We decided that it takes three people to create a smooth weaving experience:  One throwing the shuttle, one to flip the levers on the top to raise the harnesses and one to read the draft to the one working the levers.  We took turns with this and instead of being a frustration, it was quite fun.

This Wolf Pup is warped for  summer-and-winter.  Nancy got the draft figured out and then walked me through a turn on it.  Most of the looms were warped in rayon so this one warped all in wool was a fun departure and I thought the stick shuttles were interesting too.

This was a four-hour program with a break for lunch and also for a guild meeting.  The rest of the time we milled around, sampling the different warps and the treats in the kitchen.

I am confident when I say - a good time was had by all.

Our Second Weaving Outreach

We were surprised to begin the afternoon with a group of girls and their moms, an arranged "play date."  One of the girls had come last year and loved it and now wanted to share it with her friends.  They instantly gravitated to the table we set up with cardboard looms and went right to work.

The moms gravitated to the station Nancy had set up to show the wide variety of things she has woven with a simple rigid heddle loom.  We hadn't anticipated having the library's entire meeting room area since last year we had just half of it and were all of us smushed into this space.  It was nice to have open and differentiated work areas.

It wasn't all just families and kids.  We did attract some adult interest too.  But what a difference it was from last year when the adults tried the looms and the kids were all about the cardboard looms  I keep wondering if the most beautiful Saturday this year played into this.  Our main audience was kids.

My loom was adopted by a group of girls.

Who left their shoes there when they went to try other looms.

I guess when we set out reach other weavers, we don't have an audience in mind - or maybe we do. We expect adults who are looking for an avenue of self expression.  We never dreamed our audience would be pre-adolescent girls who applied huge pressure on their moms to get looms.  One mom laughed when her daughter looked at her in all seriousness and said - do we have one of these at home?

Do You Want to Learn to Weave?

The Reno Fiber Guild was so pleased with our weaving outreach last March that we are going to do it again in partnership with the South Valleys Library  You are invited to come in to the South Valleys Library and try your hand at hand weaving.

 A variety of looms will be available to sample: 

Cardboard looms that teach the basics of tapestry weaving;
Floor and table looms that are used for weaving many items such as scarves, shawls, towels & rugs;
Inkle looms that weave narrow bands used for bookmarks, hatbands, belts, & guitar straps.
Rigid heddle loom: A small, light loom that can weave a variety of items.

This is one of the cardboard looms from last year - fun to weave and then take home.

 These small introductory looms were enthusiastically greeted, even by the boys.

Each loom will have a mentor to answer your questions and help you weave for yourself. 

All ages are welcome and you are encouraged to try any of the looms in the room.  If you have ever thought that weaving might be a good creative outlet, you're right.  In addition, the library display cases will contain handwoven items, books, fiber and weaving tools during the month of March.

Come to the South Valleys Library on Wedge Parkway, March 28th from 1:00-400 and try your hand at hand weaving.

Our Annual Christmas Party (Blocks, Blocks, Blocks)

 The Reno Fiber Guild has an unusual holiday tradition.  Each year, instead of a gift exchange, everyone brings something for a themed basket of goodies and raffle tickets are sold for the grand prize.   There is one lucky person who will take home everything in the basket.  The next year, the winner selects the theme for the next raffle basket (which is reused) and the whole thing repeats at a festive Christmas party.

This year, our past year's winner selected "blocks" as the theme.  It was a difficult challenge - but guild members rose to the occasion with a spectacular group of gifts.

Gloria was our winner this year and pulled out a lot of "block" weave items from her basket.  Won't this look lovely in Gloria's kitchen or bath!

And .....how about a glass "block" with lights for

Christmas decoration!

                        Or ...... a quilting "block" pot holder.

Tongue in cheek - Nevada Bar handmade soap

 

And a couple of scarves - handwoven blocks on the top and a recycled sweater "felted" scarf peeking from underneath.

 

It was a fabulous party with good food and friends in abundance.  Many thanks go to Lorene who has hosted this annual party several times in the recent past. 

 

Happy Holidays from the RFG!