Weaving Lab

One of the things I most like about weaving is experimenting. It makes no difference to me if it's been done before. I haven't done it and I haven't done it with whatever choice of fibers I have at hand. The little scarf warp is on Hannah and waiting to go.

The warp is a mix of 100% lace weight alpaca ( brown) and a linen mohair mix (cream). It is a very odd little warp indeed. It's been sleyed differently too. I want an open structure. In fact I want to see how open I can get with this combo. I have sleyed the 10 ends of alpaca one to a dent in a 12 dent reed, skipped 5 and then sleyed the 6 linen/mohair ends every other dent, skipped 5 and so on.

I had to adjust how I tie on too. The alpaca is fine and slippery, the kidlin sticky with no give. Those little bouts had to be tied on first, then the alpaca bouts, then, I tightened and knotted all the kidlin then the alpaca. This won't be woven at high tension and the beat will certainly have to vary with whatever fiber I'm using. It should be fun. I'm looking forward to it. If it's nice, it goes to the shelter auction, if a disaster, well, I guess I can always use another around the house scarf. I was actually thinking that I might want to double it and make it a neck warmer with the addition of some pretty closures. We'll just have to wait and see how it turns out. I have to undo the 11 treadles from the pine tree pattern and set up my two tabby treadles again. Oh wait, maybe I'll scrounge up some buckets too and try that out!

In farm news, the cold snap has brought the deer back. Babies are getting big, spots have been lost and they are looking restless to start moving to lower ground. It's been a sparse deer year but the few bucks I've seen are big and healthy and have some racks to really show off. Gene and I watched an industrious black squirrel bite the green pine cones off of one of the big fir trees in front and push them to the ground from the top most branches. Green pine cones, who knew they liked them that way! I was happy not to be standing under it but watching safely from the front covered porch.

Someone started a fire along the Pacific Crest Trail yesterday afternoon. Both Greensprings Fire and Rescue and Oregon Department of Forestry responded quickly

to the double smoke plumes coming from deep in the woods. It was quite a hike into it too, but the fire was contained and mop up came quickly. Thanks for the quick response, the lack of winds,cool temps and little bit of rain we got earlier in the week. It could have been a disaster up on the PCT ridge. To the folks in Colorado and those in the San Francisco area, we are keeping you all close in our thoughts and prayers.

Ashland is having it's annual sidewalk sale and the few places I got to had some nifty stuff which I let them all keep for someone else. I had the exciting shopping experience of buying a new poop bucket for the dog pen and picking up more biodegradable "plastic bags" for it. I decided to forgo pictures of that new treasure.

Lastly, I couldn't not post without mentioning the anniversary of 9/11. A candle burns here all day for remembrance and reflection. These things are always done better with a puppy in your lap to hold.