Wrapping up the February meeting

Although there were a couple of other pieces of Show and Tell, they are destined for the Challenge at the Nelson "Sun, Sea and Sand" Education Event coming up in May so they will stay under wraps for now. Other members are working on their entries.

What's on the Bobbin Cottage loom? This time it is warped up ready for weaving with either rags or roving. This is a new concept for our newer weavers but is back where a number of us started. Here is Joan showing a fleece rug that must be over forty years old. These things just don't wear out . . . but it is nice to replace them every now and then. On the loom is a more colourful version but the technique is the same. It is hoped lots of people will "have a go."

An added bonus this time was a beautiful Stansborough Gotland throw brought along by Cherrie. The warp was in three shades of grey and the weft a lovely soft blue.

After we all admired the colours and the handle, the inevitable question arose . . . could we weave that pattern? How many shafts would it need?

Out came the pen and the back of a grocery docket to make a rough sketch of the weave . . . and yes, with eight shafts we could do this. A tidy version of the draft was later produced on the computer.

I don't think any of use will be going into competition with Stansborough, but it's nice to know how things are done and that we can learn from every new thing we see.