silk doings

i've finished the woven silk shawl. i had wanted to bring it to colorado with me, but i wasn't done with the fringe in time. here it is in the sink, fulling. it's softer after the wash, a little less stiff, but still with some shape. though the muga and eri silk are soft and lustrous, the darker peduncle silk lends a fuzzy, slightly rough feel to the shawl which isn't unpleasant.

when i was at treenway silk, i picked up some more peduncle silk (the brown overshot thread used in the shawl above). as well as some spinning silk fiber, interesting double spun 60/2x2 yarn, incredibly fine 120/2 yarn, and recycled silk sari ribbons which i used for a small coiled basket bowl we crafted at the guild meeting.

i love silk; the smell, the crisp feel, the scrunch sound it makes when you squeeze a skein, as well as the softness, the luster, and the dual personality it has.

while in boulder i was also able to pick up some more texsolv heddles for the loom, giving me 125 heddles for each shaft. i hope it's enough for whatever projects may come!

bigger, but better?

now for a full sized version! here is my second egg basket, a little asymmetrical, but it works. i'm pretty sure it could hold a few bricks, but i'm not really willing to try out the theory. there are a couple of other varieties i would like to construct; nantucket, onion, coiled, oh whichever catches my eye. we'll see.

weaving in three dimensions

since becoming a weaver i've started to pay more attention to baskets. i love to find them in yarn stores being used as display; they feel good together with fiber (a pb & j relationship), their natural hues being a perfect backdrop to the vivid colors. i want to start incorporating them more into my personal life, perhaps even into my artistic life.

my friend bonnie is a basket maker and has many of them about her weaving studio. one particular shape, the egg basket, has garnered my attention the most. she offered to teach me how to make one, and i gladly jumped on the opportunity.

yesterday, we started on a medium sized basket, getting the handle and rim together, but had to put them aside to wait on further supplies. after lunch, we got to making a small egg basket, which enabled me to understand it's construction, and near instant gratification. it's so dainty, it fills the palm of your hands when held together! i love small things.