Back to the Looms

Yesterday while working in the living room, front door open for air, I heard the tell tale, unmistakable call of the Sand-hill Crane. It seemed to go on and on and on. Finally I went to the front door to see what was going on. There, just across the road, wandering back and forth, back and forth, plaintively crying was what I supposed to be 'the mother' crane. It surely seemed to me that she had lost track of her family, was visibly upset and kept up that distraught call. I don't know if they reunited that morning, as it went on for a couple of hours and I had other things to do, but as I have not heard the same lonesome mother 'song' yet today, I assume they found one another.

On another note, I am back to weaving, rug loom strung up and ready for the boat shuttle to zing between the open shed, and the beater to bang its weight on those rags.

I am also ready to resume work on this lampshade

which I 'warped' a while back, but am determined to complete now. It is a very time consuming warp, as it is fine wool yarn, many ends per inch, and as I use my fingers to open the 'shed' in order to weave in the weft material,this does not go fast. Still, it results in more of a tapestry type weave than is achieved with the rags.


More like this one I wove and gave to my daughter.

...a detail of the lampshade in progress. Some fine silk yarn, silk fabric, and some tie-died cotton as well. I have no 'plan' for this design, and allow it to progress as it will.

This is another lampshade on the ready, 'warped' with rag and to be woven with rags as well. I kind of have an idea of what I'd like to do with this, and of course it entails highlighting the individual rags, we'll see how that turns out.