Indholdsfortegnelse for March - April 2015 i Handwoven

I love to visit weavers in other places, and I have had the good fortune to go on textile tours to Scandinavia and Latin America. (The Middle East and Far East are on my bucket list!) When weavers of different nationalities come together, there is always joy. First, there is the joy of knowing that, while we are a small minority in our own countries, we are part of a vibrant worldwide community. There is also the joy of sharing and being inspired by each other’s designs, techniques, colorways, tools, and materials. Each encounter influences our future weaving in ways conscious and unconscious, subtle or striking. This issue is dedicated to the joy of fusion weaving, with projects and stories of encounters between weavers and cultural traditions. Backstrap weaver Laverne…

More and more weavers are finding Facebook a place not only to interact with friends and family around the world, but also with other weavers. Some groups are even taking their online connections and turning them into real-world interactions. The 4-Shaft Weaving page on Facebook was created by PattyAnne Caruso and Joyce Brisebois in 2012 “to provide a place where weavers of all experience levels can grow together.” In less than two years, the group has grown to over 4,000 members from twenty-six countries. Members share projects, ask questions, dispense weaving advice, and engage in lively discussions ranging in topic from artistic versus functional weaving to the merits of warping back to front versus front to back. Tutorials, drafts, and resources too numerous to name are freely shared. Encouragement abounds.…

The warp in a Navajo rug is made of one single, continuous thread. Similarly, the tradition of Navajo weaving extends to today’s native weavers through their mothers and grandmothers before them. And while the difficult techniques of handweaving a Navajo rug remain unchanged through the generations, today’s weavers are truly modern, freely expressing themselves in their work. Like many of us, Diné women who weave today are also pulled in different directions by the demands of family and work and craft. (Diné is the Navajo’s name for themselves, and it means simply “the People.”) But these soft-spoken yet matter-of-fact ladies find a way to return home to themselves through the joy of weaving. LEARNING BY HAND AND EYE Many Diné weavers start learning to spin and weave at a young…

Over the years, my weaving explorations have led me down some unexpected paths. In early 2014, I was browsing the Ralph Griswold Archives via handweaving.net when I came upon the Album of Weaving Patterns, published in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1912. Having majored in Russian in college, my curiosity was piqued by this publication from the pre-Soviet era. Who were the weavers of czarist Russia, and what were they weaving? I belong to the Complex Weavers Early Weaving Books and Manuscripts study group, and so I decided to weave my swatches for the study group using one of the draft s from this publication. Most of the draft s are easy for a weaver with some experience to understand, but the Russian language and Cyrillic alphabet have changed over the…

SURPRISINGLY SUPPLE SILK SCARF WOVEN WITH RAGS Renew, Reuse, Reweave Japanese peasants from the mid-18th to the early 20th centuries used sakiori (rag weaving) to recycle old fabric into new cloth for warm, durable work clothing. The best available material for this was used cotton items cast off by wealthier people. What interests me about sakiori is the concept of using the best available waste material to make something that preserves its desirable qualities. We live in a time when there is an overabundance of clothing, and the thrift shops are overflowing with cast-off textiles. The gold standard for cloth has always been silk, and I have found it to be readily available in thrift stores. The qualities of silk that I seek to preserve are its softness and drape.…

IF BAKING BREAD IS YOUR BAG, HERE'S A PROJECT FOR YOU! I suspect that many a weaver is also a baker. Bread is the stuff of life in much of the world. The pleasure of creating the perfect crumb in a loaf of bread is much like the satisfaction of achieving the desired “hand” in a well-woven textile. And opening the oven door to freshly baked loaves has much of the same appeal as unrolling a completed weaving from your cloth beam. Both events are little births. I have been a baker of sourdough loaves for as long as I have been a weaver. The two activities flow well together in my day, and there is great pleasure in moving from loom to oven, patiently watching my creations develop. I…

SARAH H. JACKSON tries to weave each day and feels blessed by her passion for weaving. When not weaving, she enjoys reading, knitting, and bike riding. EVA HOVDE DOUTHIT is the Oregon rep for the Handweavers Guild of America and an active member of the Portland guild. Inspired by Japanese aesthetics, her newest interest is eco-dyeing shifu. ANNE VITELL finds beauty in everyday creation. She knits, spins, embroiders, gardens, and writes about her experiences on her blog, www.whispermoon.typepad.com. MARGARET ZEPS ignores the rain outside her Oregon studio, continuing her forty-five year love affair with weaving, inspired by travel and worldwide weaving traditions. LAURA DEMUTH of Decorah, Iowa, has been weaving for thirty-five years. She especially enjoys teaching, weaving traditional Norwegian textiles, and tending a small flock of sheep. MICHAEL F.…

GETTING TO KNOW EWE (AND RAM) Heritage Weavers & Fiber Artists are proud to introduce Jack and Jill, the sheep who live at the Historic Johnson Farm in Hendersonville, North Carolina. For the last two years we have carded, spun, and woven Jill’s fleece for our sheep-to-shawl event, and this year we are using Jack’s fleece. During a monthly gathering of spinners, members take part in preparing Jack’s fleece by trimming, teasing, and picking the fiber. Next will come carding and spinning in preparation for the weavers at the Spring Festival in April. —Susan Trotter SURPRISE STASH CHALLENGE Last year, our guild’s surprise stash-busting project was so popular that we decided to repeat it. Here’s how it worked: Each person put a pound of yarns into a brown paper bag…

MECHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA: STOREY. 2014, PAPERBACK, 256 PAGES, $15.95, 978_1612123356. Many weavers have contemplated starting a business selling their handmade cloth, but don’t know where to begin, much less how to set themselves apart from the competition. Following the success of the first edition of The Handmade Marketplace, Kari Chapin contacted more artisans who have successfully started their own businesses and asked them to share their own unique advice and insights. Though some might expect that in starting a business you should focus primarily on sales; in reality, selling is only about a third of the process. There are several questions to consider before the selling begins. How much work do you actually want to put into your business? How would you describe your company in just a few adjectives? What…

I’ve noticed that a number of new car models claim the ability to automatically apply brakes when the car senses danger. Sensors located in the front and rear bumpers can anticipate a collision and start to brake before the driver can put a foot on the pedal. Now I think this is absolutely ingenious. If only a loom manufacturer could invent a sensor to remind me that I have woven beyond the sweet spot and it is time to advance my warp. How cool would that be? Not a loud obnoxious foghorn-type sound, but maybe a sweet little ping like the sound of a tuning fork. My better sense tells me this is not going to happen, and even if it did, I know I would try to outwit the…

As a teenager, I was fortunate to be chosen as an exchange student to Germany. The generous family I lived with enjoyed showing me a few sights and we visited “Checkpoint Charlie.” At that time, this active barrier existed between West and East Germany. We have seen that barrier demolished and only remnants now remain of the border. I recently purchased a beautiful edition of Oscar Beriau’s Tissage Domestique. I speak very little French, but amazing online translation apps helped me understand any text that was not obvious. Modern technology has made our world smaller. In this age of electronic communication, we are able to interact with people easily from all over the globe. On Facebook fiber groups, I communicate with like-minded souls in Italy, England, Mexico, and all over…

In 1981, my wife and I had our first child. I was in the midst of finishing my dissertation and teaching at a university. My wife was working, and I used a denim baby wrap that matched my blue jeans to carry our son to the university. From Midwest university professor to East Coast business manager, my clothes changed from blue jeans to suits. Thirty-four years later and moving from east to west, from manager to retired grandpa, and from living in the city to living by the ocean, I have not yet given up my appreciation for somewhat more formal clothes. Last year, I became a grandfather for the first time. At my daughter-in-law’s request, I wove a baby wrap carrier, based on her color selections, using plain weave.…

TROUBLING COTTON I am deeply distressed by Alden Amos’s article on the history of cotton in the January/February issue. While historically accurate, the article does not begin to convey the true costs of cotton production in the United States. To say only that “sadly, it also encouraged the growth of the plantation system based on slave labor,” is to so sorely understate the historical facts. The invention of the cotton gin set off a period of forced migration of slaves, destruction of slave families, torture, incredible brutality, and death that has never been equaled in this country. For those who do wish to further their understanding, I recommend Edward E. Baptist’s recent book, The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism. — Carol Lehman, via…

Are you looking for some fun fiberrelated activities to attend? Check out this small selection from our online calendar. You can find additional information about conferences, festivals, classes, and more on weavingtoday.com. April 16–19 The first-ever Interweave Yarn Fest will be held at the Embassy Suites in Loveland, Colorado. The event will feature workshops by Handwoven contributors, fiber demonstrations, a free-to-the-public marketplace, and much more. Information on how to register, the schedule of events, and other info can be found at www.interweave yarnfest.com. April 17–May 7. Marigold Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, will be hosting Expressions in Weaving: A Group Exhibition, featuring handwoven tapestries by four New Mexican artists. More information on the exhibit and the artists can be found at www.marigoldarts.com or by calling (505) 982-4142. September 18–20.…

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN: LEGACY. 2013. HARDCOVER, 412 PAGES, $80, 978_0_9797974_6_0. It is a delight to discover and review Susan J. Byrd’s thoroughly researched and spirited celebration of shifu, the Japanese art of weaving with paper thread traditionally made from the inner bark of trees. As a college senior, Byrd’s interest in making washi, Japanese paper, took her to Japan and to a live-in apprenticeship with Sadako Sakurai, a skilled shifu weaver. At the end of a year of shifu immersion, she approached the task of creating her own exquisitely beautiful shifu kimono using a 40/2 cotton warp and a 3 mm wide paper-weft thread. By publishing her book twenty-_ ve years later, she has shared her lifelong commitment to help preserve the shifu tradition, now recognized by the Japanese government…

It’s easy to imagine that people have been weaving with rags since the first woven cloth became, well, raggedy. Indeed, some form of rag weaving is nearly ubiquitous across cultures and national boundaries. In North America and Europe, we mostly picture cheerfully colored rag rugs made from old clothes and bedding. These items are associated with thriftiness and comfort and are found across socioeconomic boundaries. In Japan, rag weaving is called sakiori, from the verbs saku (to tear or rip) and oru (to weave), and it was used by the peasant class to make clothing from the mid-18th century to the mid-20th century. Sakiori was born in the homes of poor laborers as a response to dire need. fleece islands of Japan are devoid of native fleece-bearing animals and cotton…

California Natural Fiber Fair—Arcata September 5-6, 2015 At the Arcata Community Center. Vendor hall, half and full day workshops, all day free demos, fleece, food and fun! (707) 599-2729 www.naturalfiberfair.com Idyllwild Arts Summer Program—Idyllwild 50+ workshops for adults in a wide range of media, including Navajo Weaving, Fabric Design & Techniques and Millinery Design. Located in the beautiful mountains of Southern California. (951) 659-2171, ext. 2365 www.idyllwildarts.org/adultartscenter Monterey County Fair—Monterey September 2-7, 2015 Wool Fleece and Handcraft Show with Wool Auction at the Monterey County Fair. For further information please visit our website. (831) 372-5863 www.montereycountyfair.com Saori Studio Los Angeles—Sherman Oaks SAORI freestyle weaving classes. Come and play with color and texture! Reconnect with your creative soul in a serene setting. Authorized dealer of SAORI looms and accessories. saoristudioLA@earthlink.net. (310) 488-1425 www.saoristudioLA.com Instagram…

Noren are Japanese curtains made of cotton that hang in storefronts. Traditionally, they serve as sunshades as well as advertisements, oft en featuring the store’s name or trademark. Today, they are also used indoors in doorways or windows or as wall decoration. I made my noren to hang in the doorway to my studio. I saw many noren outside of businesses on a trip to Japan several years ago and decided to weave my own. My guild, the Portland Handweavers Guild, did a yearlong study of Japanese textile techniques, and I participated in two study groups: weaving and sashiko, a Japanese embroidery technique. I combined ideas from the two studies, using a variation of a 6-shaft supplementary-warp-and-weft pattern from Sixty Scarves for 60 Years to create a woven fabric reminiscent…

One day after the 2012 summer wildfires in Colorado, I began to imagine making a woven shibori pleated scarf in which the wrinkles (or crinkles) mimicked flames. I designed flamelike colors of red-orange, gold, and brown in stripes for the warp, using supple threads of Soysilk and bamboo. The scarf ’s texture is created using the woven shibori technique introduced first by Catharine Ellis (see Resources). The weft was polyester sewing thread—red, brown, and black, used in a series that gradually shaded from one color to the next. I wove the scarf in twill with the sewing thread for a soft hand and after every eight picks of polyester weft , I wove in a heavier gathering thread to create the pattern of the shibori pleating. After weaving, the nylon…

To advertise here, call Stephanie Griess at (877) 613-4630 or email SGriess@interweave.com EQUIPMENT Fireside Fiberarts www.firesidelooms.com (724) 283-0575 Custom-built Jack and Tapestry Looms, Commuter Benches, and Rotary Temples. Foxglove Fiberarts Supply www.FoxgloveFiber.com (206) 780-2747 Equipment for spinning, weaving, felting and dyeing. Wholesale only. Kessenich Looms www.kessenichlooms.com (269) 673-5204 Step right up. It’s new. It’s improved. It’s oldfashioned! Schacht Spindle Co. Inc. www.schachtspindle.com (800) 228-2553 INSTRUCTION A Place to Weave www.yarnexpressonline.com (781) 863-1449 Individualized weaving instruction; Yarns, Looms, and Weaving Supplies. Details on website. Shops/Mail Order SHOPS/MAIL ORDER Bountiful/Alpine Meadow Yarns www.bountifulspinweave.com (877) 586-9332 Your Spinning and Weaving Specialists since 1988—Outstanding Customer Service Carol Leigh’s Hillcreek Fiber Studio www.hillcreekfiberstudio.com (800) 874-9328 (TRI-WEAV) Weaving, spinning, natural dyes, tools, supplies, and instruction. Continuous-strand weaving. Carolina Homespun www.carolinahomespun.com (800) 450-7786 WEB STORE & MORE…

Inspired by the “Crossing Borders, Crossing Threads” theme of the 2013 Association of Northwest Weaving Guilds (ANWG) Conference, the Portland Handweavers Guild (PHG) adopted “Inspired by Japan” as our 2013 Theme of the Year. Our goal was to involve as many members as possible in learning about the textile techniques and traditions of another country. We created four year-long study groups that would provide most of the items for the ANWG booth. They covered four main areas: Japanese weaving techniques, including sakiori (weaving with strips of cloth, preferably strips of kimono); kasuri (tied-warp resist-dyeing and weaving); indigo dyeing; sashiko (stitching); and kumihimo (braid/cord making). Study groups gave monthly updates at guild meetings. Many guild members wanted to participate but did not choose to join a study group, so to help…