Sorry no photos today. Yes I have a new camera after the old one died last summer, but I don't seem to be able to take good photos with it so it sits hidden in a cupboard.
Wednesday two friends came over to learn to spin! YAY! This is in addition to another friend who is also learning to spin! Great fun was had and two are reporting great progress!
Thursday - shh - don't tell, is my conference day. I keep a conference with myself all day. This event repeats every Thursday. The subject of my conference is my National dress project. This past Thursday I succeeded in 1) numbering skeins of yarn headed for the dye-pot 2) tieing other skeins of yarn for ikat dying. I used thinly sliced bicycle inner tubing to tie the places off. I figure that traditionally they probably used pig gut. Those two things occupied my morning.
3) My Thursday afternoon conference session focused on the belt I am trying to weave for the National dress. I am still not satisfied with the results. Yes, they are better than the last disaster, but something is definitely not right and I suspect the wool and cotton mixed warp is the problem. Basically I think it looks hideously bad.
4) Then I went to my course and sat happily and worked on the pulled thread embroidry for the front of the blouse (collar and back placket still to go and I am not finished with the front yet... and I've been working on it for several weeks). We still need to check on the vest trim, the weave for the vest and what the tex of the warp and weft is, and get the pattern for the cap. Now I understand the vest trim is velvet, which makes little sense (to me) because it is spun velvet. Ok, how is velvet spun? I thought it was woven?!?! I understand the principle of weaving velvet, but spinning it...??? I wonder why no one sees this dress? Why no one makes this dress?
Also I hear the vest fabric is very shiny wool (also very thin and fine) To me that means a very fine combed top, closely spun worsted. It is the only thing that can really provide a shiny wool. Okay I've been spinning at 84 tex, and have spun a 50 tex, so maybe I am looking for a 25 tex. Um, yeah, I know. It IS possible to BUY this fabric. But come on! Once upon a time, other people - not machines - actually spun the fiber and wove the originals, so it should still be possible today - or are we less skilled than our ancestors?
Don't answer that question!
I need samples of that trim and that vest fabric!
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