"Luscious Yarn", by Rose Pelvin

I found this beautiful yarn on TradeMe (NZ Version of eBay) to the detriment of my bank balance. It is 55% silk and 45% cashmere and has a lovely light, soft handle. It's a joy to work with. This scarf was 7 inches in the reed and just over 60 inches woven length, all from one 50g hank, with a little bit left over. If you want more details about the yarn, contact me.

by Rose Pelvin

More about the Bags, by rose Pelvin

That dirty water was not a pretty sight! Here are the bags of fibre drying in the breeze, and taking a surprisingly long time over it. I probably put too much in the bags.

by Rose Pelvin

"Christmas Greetings", by Chris Beech

Wall hanging woven in Theo Moorman technique, design adapted from cross stitch patterns.

Wishing all the weaving community a happy and safe Christmas and New Year. Special thanks and greetings to blogmum Meg

Cheers
Chris

A message for members with yukky fibre to wash, by Rose Pelvin

Briscoes are selling mesh "shopping bags" that I thought would be ideal for washing the very dusty alpaca fibre that many of us bought at Linkwater during the year.  I bought one of these bags ages ago ($4.99) but never got around to using it and now can't find it. I bought another and sent it to my grandson for putting togs and wet beach stuff in.

Finally I bought 2 more today ($2.50 each now) and here is a picture of them in use. They each have a rubbery band which I took to be a wrist strap but have employed it to close the top of the bag.  You will see by the plimsoll line on the bath that the fibre really does need washing!

If you are looking for these bags they are up near the counter (on the floor today and not very recognisable because they are in a rolled up package.)  I expect when I rinse the fibre (and clean the bath) I will be able to hang them out in the nor'wester and have beautiful fibre in no time.  I'm not making any promises about spinning but at least I have taken the first step.

Merry Christmas everyone.
Rose

"Red and Gold Scarf" in Deflected Doubleweave, by Judy Bool

In a 2007 copy of Handwoven (Issue 133), I found an interesting article and draft by Madelyn Van Der Hoogt on Deflected Doubleweave. I had been researching double weave and the striking black and white picture of a silk scarf had caught my eye.

The draft is for 8 shafts with 4 ends of colour A alternating with 4 ends of colour B. For my first project I chose two Mora yarns; one old red and the other old gold. Epi and ppi 20. I made my own selection from the treadling blocks. Because of the loose set, weaving progressed quite quickly. Mora yarn does not shrink when fulling so the finished article has a nice open hand.

On loom

Side A after fulling

Side B after fulling

Finished scarf

by Judy Bool

"Friday Night Rain", by Meg Nakagawa

Sometimes this weaver stops gabbing and gets off the computer and weaves. 

The warp is 110/2 (2/17) merino; the weft is merino/mohair mix.  Both were commercially dyed in the same/similar color schemes of lavender/lilac/purple/dark forest green.    I used three short similar-but-different drafts, weaving sometimes from the top of the draft, sometimes from the bottom, to add variation in the structure.  (In retrospect, some parts look like weaving mistakes!) This combination of yarns usually creates a light, almost lacy cloth, but this piece turned out a little heftier in comparison.

I imagine running to a social function after work on Friday night, in a city somewhere like Tokyo; rain starts to descend, but the spirit is filled with anticipation/celebration.    

I love dressing looms and weaving, but not quite fringing, so this sat under the living room couch for over a month, which is not very long by my standards! 

by Meg Nakagawa

Weave It, Felt It - Part 4

A number of throw rugs from Chris, Joan and Rose were hung in pairs between the stained glass windows on one side of the church.

On the other side were long hangings from Peg. This was a popular one with the public.

More of Peg's work was hung in the front of the church

by Rose Pelvin

Weave It, Felt It - Part 3

Linda (and another Linda and another Linda) stood outside all day, beckoning the the visitors into the display.

This year the display overflowed into the church. Ou rwell-dressed models pointed the way.

 Meg's re-purposed red wrap and Adie's knitted and felted bag adorned the "red corner".

One of the small "designer" flax baskets from Denise

Rose's red and white runner was a reminder that Christmas is coming.

by Rose Pelvin

Weave It, Felt It - Part 2

One of Win's signature "frilled" scarves, mainly alpaca and silk
but felted merino on one edge to create the curves.

Judy's Bronson Lace scarf, woven in the softest cashmere - lovely to handle.

Deflected Double Weave makes the rich pattern in this red and gold scarf from Judy

“Underwater Fantasy No 2”, Merino wall panel by Christine

Two eye-catching evening wraps from Denise. One is nuno felted.

"Flotsam" wrap by Christine. Nuno felted, with some of the fabric cut away.

"Medusa's Slippers", felted wool with snakes! People loved these!

by Rose Pelvin

Weave It, Felt It

Win's handwoven wool wrap and Rose's indigo-dyed cotton tray cloth.


Sue's window hanging, inlay in fine white wool.


Chris's "Blue Yonder" throw rug showing changing blue tones.


Judy's "Two Greys" scarf in deflected double weave


One of Denise's "Seaweed" Necklaces


One of Katie's stunning felted collars


Christine's felted animal print bag with plaited leather handle, and scarf to match.
And Adie's triangular felted bag.


Wendy's collection of colourful felted balls was popular and
rather depleted by the time I took the photo.

by Rose Pelvin

Garden Marlborough Once Again

From Friday 5 November to Sunday 7th the Marlborough Weavers and Felters will be holding their annual display. "Weave It! Felt It!" is held to coincide with the final weekend of Hunters Garden Marlborough, one of the really big events on the Marlborough calendar which culminates in a Fete in Seymour Square on the Sunday.

The display is across the road from the Square, in the St Andrew's Church complex (the stone church with the glass spire.) Friday and Saturday 10am till 5pm and Sunday 11am till 4pm. The same venue also provides tea and coffee and a sitting-down spot for rest and recovery for those with retail fatigue. If you are in the area, do come and visit. Most of the work is for sale. Free admission.

by Rose Pelvin

October Meeting: Visiting Richmond Weavers

Nine weavers travelled across the hill to meet up with Richmond (Nelson) Weavers' group today. This annual exchange started in 2008 when Marlborough visited Richmond, making this year's third such event.

Today's meeting started with morning tea, (since it was 10.30 by the time Marlborough arrived), followed by an extended show and tell; a report on the 60th birthday of the London Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers and a yarn store in Northern Italy the size of an aircraft hanger (!) by Julia who has just returned from Europe; then lunch, (Richmond group always puts on a fabulous spread), followed by general mixing. In addition, there was a generous lunch spread prepared by members of both groups, and a wee sales table by members wishing to reduce stash, towards which Marlborough Weavers inevitable flocked at the end of the meeting.

There is a greater variety of works, and some finds from other lands, when close to 20 weavers bring woven and other textile items to talk about. Within our own groups, we get used to each other's styles and color pallets that we can often guess who wove a particularly piece, so it's refreshing to have this opportunity.

Among the "finds" there was a miniature vertical 2-shaft loom, about 25cm high, made by a doll house maker in Nelson. It had wire heddles and the harnesses lifted the pedals were pressed. So if you have very tiny hands, you could weave on it.

There should have been a pictures of lunch, it was really quite lovely, but this writer was too busy talking most times, and trying out different asparagus sandwiches and eying a dirty yellow cone of Swiss silk at other times. Apologies.

by Meg Nakagawa

Wall Hanging, by Judy Bool

My personal challenge for 2010 was to weave a wall hanging. An article by Betty Booth in Issue 21 of The Wheel magazine was just what I needed.

The warp was 22/2 black Cottolin and 16/2 black linen, wound together.
The pattern weft was the cottolin and linen wound together with an unspun woolen variegated yarn, used double, for the pattern rows. I also used a metallic yarn in this pattern row.

Finished size is 60 inches by 30 inches.

I am pleased with the final result - but would I weave another? Maybe. It was enjoyable laying in the fancy yarns but nobody told me that linen has a mind of it's own!

by Judy Bool

Waffle Weave Baby Blanket, by Chris Beech

7 shaft 12 epi wool

My personal challenge for 2010 was to weave something in waffle weave, and the need for a baby gift inspired me to act! I was in a hurry [baby getting older], so elected to use instructions for a Weekend Blanket from Handwoven Nov/Dec 2003. I can only assume their American weekends are much longer than ours! Either that or I don't have the staying power they do.

I was reasonably happy with the blanket, though the waffle cells weren't as deep as I had hoped. Yarns were all from the stash, which was satisfying but did involve some compromise - eg the turquoise acted differently to the other yarns.

Multiple weft colour changes and long floats were an issue, but I solved that by leaving tails at the selvedge, and covering them with a ribbon border rather than my preferred crochet edging.

by Chris Beech

September Meeting: More on Chinese Knots

Further to the Chinese button photos, here is the genuine article with the knotted buttons and the loop buttonholes, just as June showed us.

And yes, this is the frogging we talked about. (Amazing what you find in the Hospice Shop.)

And here is something I forgot to show - how to personalise your tools (or whatever) by adding a turkshead to the handle. It could be extended to cover the whole handle. Not particularly practical on this sort of tool, but fun to show you can do it.

by Rose Pelvin

September Meeting: Chinese Knots

September meeting saw Rose patiently leading us through the intricacies of Chinese knots. She also gave a brief introduction to turksheads and celtic knots, which we will try at a meeting next year.

Thank you Rose for your never-failing enthusiasm.

Tricia and Sue fiddle with their knots

Joan perseveres with her knotty problem. Check out that sumptuous scarf!

Rose's scarf sported a turkshead ring

By Chris Beech

Treasures of Tricia Jane

No, sorry, it's not a new wool shop opened in town; it is PART of Tricia's stash - a really cheerful sight on another rainy weekend. Look at those colours and be inspired.

by Rose Pelvin

93, Not Out, by Peg Moorhouse

I got back from holiday to find that Peg needed to set up an exhibition today at Fibre Spectrum in Nelson. It got done with a hiss and a roar! It will be there for all of September.

by Rose Pelvin