Do you know how to walk? Lift foot, move foot forward, put foot down, shift weight, lift other foot...
On Feb thirteenth I took the dogs out for their mid-day walk and... Somewhere in the process of putting my left foot down and lifting my right foot, I realized my left foot was sliding, slipping, and the next thing I knew I was sitting down saying "Oh fuddle!" My left hand hit the ground before the rest of me did. There is a feel to a broken bone. I knew my arm was broken. I gave the dogs a mini mini walk, got them in, sent emails to employers saying "I'm going to the hospital. My arm is broken, please tell everyone", and called a taxi.
At the hospital they took off my mittens, watch, rings... and I went to see the doctor, have x-rays, see the doctor (again), get the arm set - two men pulling my arm in opposite directions until the bone is in place: AH!; have more x-rays, and see the doctor (one more time).
I have lots of free time but I can't DOOOOOOOOOOOOOO any handiwork with my left arm in a cast!!!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Conference day 3 - and a half!
Last Thursday - Feb 2 - I began warping my loom. First I took the end of my thin black warp, tied up with a bright pink mop string, from the bag; found the end loop and placed that over the warp beam stick. I secured the warp beam stick to the back of the loom and got my raddle. The raddle is divided into one centimeter sections with metal spikes. I hung the raddle on the loom castle and measured out 115 cetimeters and marked the beginning and the end of that distance. I covered most of the spikes with paper bags and then carefully placed my bundled warp on the other side.
Because I had wound the warp using four threads per pass around the warping tree, and the goal is ten threads per centimenter, I began counting out warp threads 12 in the first raddle slot after the first marker, then 8 in the next one. I continued with 12, 8, 12, 8 accross the raddle till almost the end when I had first run out of the first cone of the four I began with when winding the warp. We had counted the warp threads at that point and knew I needed just 40 more pairs. So we had ended all of the four cones and started the two extra cones I'd bought as "just in case". We had originally thought I'd need only 3 cones of thread... Anyhow the last 40 rounds were just two threads each and there had to be 10 of those in each raddle slot at the end.
By the time I was done with that it was time to go to my sewing class. I was exhausted from the intensity of counting threads, trying to be sure NONE were crossed - makes for really bad weaving and I do not want really bad weaving! Next conference day I will continue warping the loom!
In my sewing class I continued to work on the pulled-thread lace for the front of my blouse. By the end of next Tursday I ought to be able to move the embroidery ring and start the top portion of the blouse front.
Then on Saturday I began dyeing! First the wool into soak in nice hot water so the dye vat wouldn't be a terrible shock and so the wool could take up as much indigo as possible. Then I began making the indigo dye vat. After four dips in idigo at 60 - 90 seconds I decided to let the color develop a while, then washed the skeins and hung them to dry. They'll get more dipping soon enough. It looks like the ikat-tied bundles are doing really well. The rest is not taking up the idigo evenly, which is terrible. But I'm really happy about the way the ikat bundles are going because it is so much work tieing them up, and if it weren't working, or if the indigo was seeping under the ties I'd be really upset. As it is I am feeling positive that this will work.
Sorry about the lack of pictures. I know they'd really help!
Because I had wound the warp using four threads per pass around the warping tree, and the goal is ten threads per centimenter, I began counting out warp threads 12 in the first raddle slot after the first marker, then 8 in the next one. I continued with 12, 8, 12, 8 accross the raddle till almost the end when I had first run out of the first cone of the four I began with when winding the warp. We had counted the warp threads at that point and knew I needed just 40 more pairs. So we had ended all of the four cones and started the two extra cones I'd bought as "just in case". We had originally thought I'd need only 3 cones of thread... Anyhow the last 40 rounds were just two threads each and there had to be 10 of those in each raddle slot at the end.
By the time I was done with that it was time to go to my sewing class. I was exhausted from the intensity of counting threads, trying to be sure NONE were crossed - makes for really bad weaving and I do not want really bad weaving! Next conference day I will continue warping the loom!
In my sewing class I continued to work on the pulled-thread lace for the front of my blouse. By the end of next Tursday I ought to be able to move the embroidery ring and start the top portion of the blouse front.
Then on Saturday I began dyeing! First the wool into soak in nice hot water so the dye vat wouldn't be a terrible shock and so the wool could take up as much indigo as possible. Then I began making the indigo dye vat. After four dips in idigo at 60 - 90 seconds I decided to let the color develop a while, then washed the skeins and hung them to dry. They'll get more dipping soon enough. It looks like the ikat-tied bundles are doing really well. The rest is not taking up the idigo evenly, which is terrible. But I'm really happy about the way the ikat bundles are going because it is so much work tieing them up, and if it weren't working, or if the indigo was seeping under the ties I'd be really upset. As it is I am feeling positive that this will work.
Sorry about the lack of pictures. I know they'd really help!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Second Conference Day
The second day of my personal conference went well. I worked for about 2 hours tying thinly sliced bicycle inner tubing around what will be the weft for my national dress. The photo (which will come as soon as I figure out how to reduce the mb size) shows the set-up I use and you can just see some of the markings in the board and the ties I’m using. The bicycle tubing is powdered and makes my hands dry. It also makes them stink of rubber. After about two hours of that (four groups of yarn, each with thirty ties), I washed my hands and applied hand-cream before spending another hour winding some plain weft that doesn’t need ikat tying before dyeing.
In the early afternoon, I worked on the belt some more. The first photo shows where I began and the last shows where I ended. It’s really difficult to tell that anything happened. When I am able to continue the warp has been advanced so it will look like I’m back at square 1 again. This week I found the routine easier to follow. It’s easier to distinguish threads and I am always working from left to right when picking threads. I eventually got my clamp and clamped the Inkle loom to the board. The board is the same one I use to wind yarn to tie for ikat dyeing.
I went to my sewing class in the late afternoon and continued working on the simple pulled thread design I chose. Note to the world: this pattern is NOT the approved one for this blouse. I am saving my eye (singular) and my sanity. My sanity should NOT be the issue – the blouse is supposed to be more valuable than my sanity. Yes but the official plans specifically state that I can substitute store bought lace instead of the specific pattern… this is more work than store bought lace … No, That’s not gonna fly! Okay, I’ll just go buy the hideous lace from the shop. I can cover this up and no one but us will know it’s there.
Friday I went to the weaving centre and had some help and lots of advice in winding the warp for my loom. The winding went fairly quickly – about three hours – and the warp is long enough and has the correct number of threads! As soon as possible I need to dress my loom (it’s naked!!!). So on my next conference day I will be dyeing and dressing my loom!
In the early afternoon, I worked on the belt some more. The first photo shows where I began and the last shows where I ended. It’s really difficult to tell that anything happened. When I am able to continue the warp has been advanced so it will look like I’m back at square 1 again. This week I found the routine easier to follow. It’s easier to distinguish threads and I am always working from left to right when picking threads. I eventually got my clamp and clamped the Inkle loom to the board. The board is the same one I use to wind yarn to tie for ikat dyeing.
I went to my sewing class in the late afternoon and continued working on the simple pulled thread design I chose. Note to the world: this pattern is NOT the approved one for this blouse. I am saving my eye (singular) and my sanity. My sanity should NOT be the issue – the blouse is supposed to be more valuable than my sanity. Yes but the official plans specifically state that I can substitute store bought lace instead of the specific pattern… this is more work than store bought lace … No, That’s not gonna fly! Okay, I’ll just go buy the hideous lace from the shop. I can cover this up and no one but us will know it’s there.
Friday I went to the weaving centre and had some help and lots of advice in winding the warp for my loom. The winding went fairly quickly – about three hours – and the warp is long enough and has the correct number of threads! As soon as possible I need to dress my loom (it’s naked!!!). So on my next conference day I will be dyeing and dressing my loom!
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