Yarn Bits

Inspiration

                                                   

Yesterday, Tuesday, was a glorious day and I visited the Royal Botanical Gardens with a few friends.  www.rbg.ca  If you ever want some colour inspiration this is the ideal spot to find it.  At the moment the tulips are showing their colours, but iris and lilac are soon coming into their own. There are always fabulous blooms somewhere in the gardens. The restaurant in the main building  has great offerings for a quiet lunch and there also is the tea house for lighter fare.                                        

                         

I have finished the woven table runners for Fawn Ceramics at the distillery.   www.fawnceramics.com  As soon as I have them pressed I'll get a picture and post it.  Meanwhile this is the profile draft I used for this set of runners.

Ongoing Projects

                                                    It seems I have several projects going on at the moment.  Some have been around for quite a while as various life interruptions seem to impede a lot of progress. I've returned to the lace knit sleeve which I am knitting on to a woven piece of fabric.  This is a test piece to see if the sleeve will actually hang well and to find the correct length of knit lace section and the correct length of the cuff. The current plan is that the cuff will be quite long and the lace section wide  and 'puffy', having an Elizabethan type of style.  The final decision is still up in the air, but I am getting closer to finishing this trial piece and making decisions.  At the same time I have begun to knit swatches from all our Tencel yarns to determine some approximate gauges with suggestions also for needle sizes. I have also knit a swatch using some silk noil yarn along with Tencel and love the result.  The Tencel added some weight and lustre to the knit fabric.  I went ahead and immersion dyed some of the silk noil and am planning a top for myself. Don't ask when it might happen, but at least all the materials are ready and waiting.  I'm also weaving some table runners for a shop at the Distillery District.  Weaving happens during the day and knitting happens in front of the television at the end of the day or at other times  when I can't get to the loom.

This Saturday Don and I will be at our last knitting show for the season.  This show is a local one which focuses on machine knitting, so that should acquaint us with another audience for Tencel.  Apparently the knitting community is just beginning to become curious about this great yarn. We have applied to the Knitters' Fair in the Fall in Kitchener, Ontario and have been put on a waiting list for now.  Stay tuned and we'll let you know if we are able to participate in that show.  It's a good one.

Website Adventures

I was lucky enough to get a subscription to the  UK magazine "Selvedge" for Christmas from Don.  It was on my suggestion, I must admit, but it is a great read and gives a little insight into what's happening across the sea.  As a result I also get their newsletter and from there discover a few interesting sites.  This time around I found a site   www.howaboutorange.blogspot.com  What intrigued me to investigate further was a picture of fabric covered thumbtacks.  On this blog there are complete and simple directions for making these tacks.  We all know how many bits and pieces of leftover fabrics we have stashed away.  Here's another unique use for them.  This graphic artist also has some really neat fabrics for sale.  There are links from this site to many others as well.  Have fun.

I just drove over to Hamilton this morning to deliver postcard invitations to the Just for Us Originals event on April 5  www.just-for-us.biz  See a few posts back for more talk.  There is a business in Hamilton called "The Pearl Company Arts Centre"  www.thepearlcompany.ca  The building was formerly a costume jewellery business, hence the name.  Barbara Milne, co-owner and curator at the Pearl, organizes 'art bus tours' the first and second Friday evenings each month in and around Hamilton.  Don and I were on one of the tours last summer and enjoyed it immensely and will definitely do it again. Being old Hamiltonians, it was interesting to wander through some of the areas that are becoming part of a developing arts scene there.  Barbara was kind enough to take some postcard invitations to the Just for Us event to drop into the grab bags that she hands out to all the tour participants.  Thanks Barbara.  It's always just as much work to get the word out about these events as it is to plan the event itself, so we are grateful for any help we can get to spread the word.

Typical Day

Last Friday was a pretty typical day here at the home base.  I was weaving, working on a series of woven shibori scarves that need to be finished soon to display and sell at the Just for Us Originals event on April 5.  I talked in more detail about this day in the last post.  www.just-for-us.biz  I'm now weaving number 5 of the 6.  It's the gathering, dyeing and the ungathering that has to happen after the weaving is finished that has me worried.  Don was busy winding skeins for handpainting.  Yarns Plus is showing and selling at two knitting shows this spring, one in late April and another in early May.  Luckily I have been knitting some samples in preparation for these events. Using our 3/5 Tencel, I now have 4 pairs of socks and a 5th pair underway.  I think I can borrow a handknit shawl that used our finer 2/10 Tencel and I have a few knit scarves with showing the finer yarn, so we're getting there.

I attended a luncheon and lecture by Sally Melville at the Burlington Art Centre this afternoon.  Sally is a fabulous speaker.  Today's topic was "Creativity", what it is and how to get it and use it.  Sally is an author and an avid knitter, but everything she said could easily be transferred to weaving as well.  I recommend that you get a hold of some of her books.  I have one of them which I think I have referred to in a past blog--"Book 3: Colour  the power and the glory", but I'm going to try and find some additional ones as well.  She had wonderful examples of her knitting designs with her to share.  Congratulations to the Burlington Weavers' Guild for a truly enjoyable and inspirational Sunday afternoon. There are two more lectures hosted by the Guild, one by William Hodge on June 1 entitled "The future of the Fibre Arts" and another on Number 2 by Arthur Greenblatt who is the executive director of the Dundas Vallery School of Art.  His topic is "The Unpopular Image of the Artist in the Popular Culture".  You can reserve tickets ($35.) by calling Eleanor Roberts at 905-637-1788 or Lesley French at 905-639-9544.  I certainly found it was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Back to Reality

O.K. Don and I are now trying to cope with reality after a month of escape.  Suffice it to say that we had a fabulous time doing just about nothing except enjoying the sun and warmth for the past few weeks.  We did a lot of reading, a little scrabble (Don really worked hard at his game, what concentration!!), a little knitting and now and then we walked around the neighbourhood and did some exploring.  We did spot a manatee one day and on another day got quite close to an iguana that be gan to get somewhat agitated with my picture taking. We spotted it as we were about to go into one of our favourite cafes for our afternoon coffees-Leigh-Anns. Apparently these exotic critters are posing a problem because they are not native to this area of Florida. They are just abandoned by owners who tire of them.  The colour and patterning on this iguana was fabulous.  The picture really doesn't show it too much, but you can get a sense of the copper colours on his legs and feet.

We are back now and ready to do business.  More later.

No Time

I don't know where the time has gone so far this month.  Don and I have been house sitting and cat sitting for our son in Toronto.  This has meant that we were running between two homes for a week and that our usual schedule was interrupted and absolutely no weaving was done.  We are back home now, but busy preparing to leave for a holiday on Wednesday.  I may be able to post from time to time while we're away, I'll see how it goes.  I wouldn't be able to post any images I don't think, but I could let you know what we're up to.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all our customers and wishes for good health and happiness in 2008!!

Over the holidays Don and I worked on the latest edition of the newsletter for you.  Please note that we will be away for a bit over the next little while, details in the newsletter at www.yarnsplus.com 

  I have finished the pair of socks now and am amazed that there is still a little yarn left from a 3 oz. skein of 3/5 Tencel.  I'm off to the studio today and will be starting another sock, another style and from a 4-colour skein, English Garden.  I'm interested to see how the colour patterning works out with 4 colours, rather than 3, which is what I used for this last pair.  Stand by for results.

Beginnings and Endings

Today has it all.  The end of the chenille scarf orders is ready for delivery later this week.  M y sock knitting project is at the critical stage of turning a heel, which I have not done before.  It is coming with me tonight as Don and I are off for our very first babysitting adventure.  I'm thinking I'll have plenty of time to experiment with this new skill.  I have instructions and have been told to just follow along and it will all work out.  I also have a new 2/16 tencel warp ready to dress the loom for 6 woven shibori scarves.  The warp is 15 yd. and the sett will be 24 epi.  I really love working with the 2/16 tencel.  It is a lovely light weight when woven up.

Wish me luck with the sock project and the grandma thing tonight.  I had better succeed in that task or we won't be asked to stay with Cole again.   

Interesting Visits

Just a few interesting sites I've found of late.  The first one I found through the Online Weavers' Guild.  It is a business which sells all kinds of wire for all sorts of purposes.  www.wires.co.uk  You can order little kits which knit up into wire jewellery.  There is a particular one that I might order.  It is a cuff, knit with a frilly-type edge.  I think the kit idea is a great way to get some experience using the wire.  I'm thinking I could use it with my little "Weave-It" and make small wire squares that could be joined later, reminiscent of chain mail. The second site is www.downtownknitcollective.ca  which is the home for the Toronto knitting guild.  They have monthly meetings which I haven't been able to attend yet, but at some point I hope to get there.  They also host quite a large annual knitting show at the Japanese Cultural Centre in Toronto.  Yarns Plus is considering getting involved if they will have us.  Have a look at their links.  There is a project called "The Streetknit Project" which collects warm winter clothing to help the homeless make it through our cold winter season.  I know I have several knit scarves that I have experimented with just hanging around.  I'm sure woven pieces would be accepted also.  Perhap you could have a look around your studios and see what you might find to contribute.

Online Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers

I mentioned this online guild in a previous post which is based in the UK and since then have joined. www.onlineguildwsd.org.uk The members of this group have a wonderful sense of humour, perhaps even a little irreverent, which leads to great discussions. I have taken some time today to follow some links and have, by no means, exhausted all the possibilities of exploration. Some of the most intriguing follow......................

www.texnet.org.uk  this site covers all sorts to textile work with links galore

www.theloomroom.co.uk great links, go to "About Me" page and scroll to find links within the text

www.laurafry.com  a weaver living in B.C., Canada

www.allfiberarts.com interesting links

Have fun exploring the world of textiles and being inspired in your own work!!                                                                                                                   

Shades of Black

Don was busy today packing up 2 00 pounds of undyed Tencel yarn of various sizes to deliver to the local dyer's in Brampton.  It has been delivered and will probably be ready to ship out to customers in a couple of weeks.  Check out the website colour samples or call and order a set of shade cards.  1-877-448-4544   The black Tencel that we have had dyed ourselves has proven to be so popular that we are completely sold out of the black 2/8 Tencel and getting dangerously low in the 2/10 and 2/5 sizes.  Every size that we carry we also have dyed black because it is very very difficult to get a good dark black colour when trying to dye yourself.  Also the black that we have ordered from our suppliers doesn't come close to the shade of black that our dyer can get for us.  It really is a great black.   

I was finishing a chenille scarf warp, trying to meet another wholesale deadline.  Tonight I will set up the loom for more chenille scarves.  Josette and I are part of the Moose Show in mid-November and as of today I do not have any chenille scarves ready for that sale.  So it's off to the studio for awhile.

"Wrapped in Art" Invitation

Josette and I have been invited to take our studio/gallery exhibit "Wrapped in Art" on the road, so to speak.  The organizers of the Creative Sewing and Needlework Festival in Toronto are celebrating their 20th anniversary the last weekend of this month.  www.csnf.com/f07_index.html    They visited us during Nuit Blanche and were wowed by our show and now have invited us to move the show to their festival as a special part of their anniversary celebrations.  So we will be able to expose the wearable art creations to a much wider audience. 

A big part of today for Yarns Plus was packing for the Central Region Weaving Seminar on Saturday at the Neilson Park Creative Centre in Toronto.  www.neilsonparkcreativecentre.com  Everything is sitting in the warehouse/garage and will be put into the van tomorrow afternoon so we can set up our sales booth tomorrow evening.  The organizers were able to arrange for some setting up time the day before the show which is always much appreciated by the vendors.

Just to let everyone know--the Harrisville loom has been sold and is going to a very good home in Georgetown.

Nuit Blanche

  There should be a t-shirt that reads "I survived Nuit Blanche".  All kidding aside, last night was great fun.  So many people enjoying spectacular art in all its many forms.  I lasted until about 3:30 a.m. and Josette stayed the course until 7:30 a.m.  I knew a few hours sleep was absolutely necessary before returning today for the regular 12:00-5:00 shift. Bravo to everyone at the planning level.  Our "Wrapped in Art" exhibit was enjoyed by many and Josette and I answered numerous questions and gave many explanations for the various techniques used in the show pieces.  Visitors were introduced to knitting, nuno felting, shibori, screen printing, machine embroidery, stitch and slash, dyeing and weaving, of course. If you can, come and see these wonderful wearable art creations for yourself.

Can anyone guess the material the wrap in the closeup is made of?

The Return of the Blogger

I have been down and out for the past couple of days with some troublesome flu virus, so no blog postings.  Why is it illness strikes when you can least afford to lose time??  Like it or not I had to get at it today because the MarieJosette studio/gallery had to be cleaned thoroughly which also included all our floor to ceiling windows. So off I went with my trusty crackers and gingerale. Tomorrow night "Nuit Blanche" arrives and with it our "Wrapped in Art" exhibition of wearable art wraps, shawls and capes opens.  We did finally get all the wonderful work hung and displayed beautifully, if I do say so myself. Josette and I hope that many of you will be able to come and see all these artwear pieces.  There is weaving, of course, and knitted creations, dyed and pieced work and some spectacular Numo felted shawls. I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow.  The exhibit will run until the end of October. 

This image shows you the final fringe on the stole that I wove.  A few postings back I talked about going to Mokuba, the fabulous ribbon store in Toronto, to find some additions to my fringe because it needed some black to mingle with all the browns, rusts and orang es.  Here is the final result.

The Day After

                                         Don and I are just sorting out the various bins of yarn following yesterday's weaving seminar in Mississauga.  A huge thank you to the Mississauga Handweavers' and Spinners' Guild for organizing and hosting this great day.  It is always a lot of fun to re-connect with all your weaving friends and find out just what has been happening in their lives over the past year, because this may be the only time you see them until another year passes.  It is such a huge undertaking to make all the arrangements for such a day.  The coffee and delicious muffins were most appreciated as most of us vendors were up before the crack of dawn to be ready for the attendees who expect to see an array    of wonderful colours and textures.  It was also hugely helpful to have some helpers who quite willingly lugged the various and sundry bins and boxes for everyone.  All in all a most delightful day.   

You can view all our photos more clearly and in a larger format by simply clicking on the photo.  It's definitely worth it.

Almost Ready

                                     

        Much of today was spent preparing for the 5-Counties seminar on Saturday.  I was washing out handpainted warps and Don was washing out some skeins, as well as continuing to wind off yarn onto half pound tubes.  It was a glorious day outside, perfect for drying yarn, thank goodness.  We have everything ready to start packing up tomorrow.  Now it's time to check signs and handouts, the paperwork.  The yarn you see in the photo is handpainted 3/5 Tencel.  We are experimenting with this 3/5 weight, both for weaving and for knitting.  We asked the mill to twist the 3/5 for us to try out before ordering any large quantity.  We have about 20 pounds on hand if anyone else wants to try it out.  It dyes well, as does all the Tencel yarn. Later this evening I'll knit a swatch to see how it behaves.  

Ribbons Galore

Yesterday I visited a fabulous ribbon and trim source in Toronto on Queen Street West called Mokuba.  The shop carries only ribbons and trims.  You have never seen such a collection; silk, rayon, polyester, fur, beaded and on and on. There was every colour imaginable in a variety of widths.  I had woven a stole with handpainted silk warp in browns, rusts and coppers and then used black tencel for my weft thread.  When I was knotting the fringe I did not add any black tencel into the fringe and so it just didn't seem to belong.  I was searching for some black ribbon of some sort to add to my fringe.  I chose a black twisted ribbon and some glittery, slinky copper fine cord and some sheer, slightly gathered fabric to embellish my fringe.  When I have it all pulled together, I'll post a photo. If you are in Toronto, be sure to visit Mokuba.

Behind the Scenes at YarnsPlus

Don and I would like to invite you to join us behind the scenes of YarnsPlus.  We will be sharing some of the trials and tribulations, joys and fun of the yarn business.  Of course, you will also hear all about my adventures with my weaving projects and my attempts at knitting. At the moment we are both busy preparing for the next show, the 5-Counties Weaving Seminar, which will be at the Rivergrove Community Centre in Mississauga on Saturday, September 15. I am trying to prepare a good selection of our handpainted tencel warps, while Don is busy winding our tencel and chenille yarns onto half pound tubes.  It is always a little stressful getting everything together for these shows. Too much to do and so little time to do it.