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helwenForgot to note that I took some of the pile of needles that the Berg Yule trees left behind and mulched the potatoes with them. Apparently potatoes like pine needles.
Dentist appt. this a.m. went well. Yay!
Tomorrow is the start of Webs' weekend tent sale. Some things, like the local shepherds' fleeces, you have to be there in-person on Saturday. But some other sale stuff is obtainable over the internet, especially as they're having an anniversary sale right now: Webs.
Today I have to go through what I have for yarn already, see where I could use something to compliment existing yarns, and collect samples of those yarns so I can get the size and color right.
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mizpagan and I were talking yesterday about woolens in medieval and renaissance times. We went to the exhibit at Smith, primarily to look at the Bruyn Altarpiece, which will be on exhibit only until May 27. We're not sure what's happening after that (maybe travelling?). It's a beautiful piece of artwork, and the exhibit includes commentary on textiles, historical context of the painting and elements and style, data on the pigments used, etc. One of the display boards mentioned wool damask, which I'd never heard of, but mizpagan had, as well as wool satin. It certainly is possible to do satin with any fiber, since it's a type of weave, but I'd never thought about it for wool. Just goes to show how little I know about the history of textiles, eh?
So, well, I don't know that I'll start weaving damask, satin, or brocade textiles anytime soon, but it does sound intriguing. Therefore, keeping an eye out for some softer wool weaving yarns tomorrow is definitely in order! Most of my wool yarns are for outer wear - durable Shetland mostly.
Of the fleeces I have for spinning, those Shetlands seem to be softer than the machine spun stuff, the Iceland is also for outer/harder wear, and the Romney can be either, depending on how fine I spin it.
The weaving is coming along, and if I can keep up the pace it might be done in the next few weeks. At which point I'll make two swatches so I can try washing and drying them. One of the senior weavers at Webs recommended doing that first, but I'm not overly concerned with the finished width of the fabric. I know I'll have enough to make a jacket and have a little left over, so I'm treating it like any fabric I would have bought from a store. Once I have the swatches, I'll take pics and post everything.
The reasons the weaver advised this is because if the swatch shrinks a lot, you may wish to add more warp before you go any further, and shrinkage can also affect the look of the design. But I don't believe these particular fibers will shrink too much, and I do intend to wash the finished garment, not dry clean it. Some fibers don't handle washing and drying very well, like rayon. Which is why I don't use it. Why spend hours and hours making something, if it isn't going to last a good long while? Feh.
Dentist appt. this a.m. went well. Yay!
Tomorrow is the start of Webs' weekend tent sale. Some things, like the local shepherds' fleeces, you have to be there in-person on Saturday. But some other sale stuff is obtainable over the internet, especially as they're having an anniversary sale right now: Webs.
Today I have to go through what I have for yarn already, see where I could use something to compliment existing yarns, and collect samples of those yarns so I can get the size and color right.
mizpagan and I were talking yesterday about woolens in medieval and renaissance times. We went to the exhibit at Smith, primarily to look at the Bruyn Altarpiece, which will be on exhibit only until May 27. We're not sure what's happening after that (maybe travelling?). It's a beautiful piece of artwork, and the exhibit includes commentary on textiles, historical context of the painting and elements and style, data on the pigments used, etc. One of the display boards mentioned wool damask, which I'd never heard of, but mizpagan had, as well as wool satin. It certainly is possible to do satin with any fiber, since it's a type of weave, but I'd never thought about it for wool. Just goes to show how little I know about the history of textiles, eh?So, well, I don't know that I'll start weaving damask, satin, or brocade textiles anytime soon, but it does sound intriguing. Therefore, keeping an eye out for some softer wool weaving yarns tomorrow is definitely in order! Most of my wool yarns are for outer wear - durable Shetland mostly.
Of the fleeces I have for spinning, those Shetlands seem to be softer than the machine spun stuff, the Iceland is also for outer/harder wear, and the Romney can be either, depending on how fine I spin it.
The weaving is coming along, and if I can keep up the pace it might be done in the next few weeks. At which point I'll make two swatches so I can try washing and drying them. One of the senior weavers at Webs recommended doing that first, but I'm not overly concerned with the finished width of the fabric. I know I'll have enough to make a jacket and have a little left over, so I'm treating it like any fabric I would have bought from a store. Once I have the swatches, I'll take pics and post everything.
The reasons the weaver advised this is because if the swatch shrinks a lot, you may wish to add more warp before you go any further, and shrinkage can also affect the look of the design. But I don't believe these particular fibers will shrink too much, and I do intend to wash the finished garment, not dry clean it. Some fibers don't handle washing and drying very well, like rayon. Which is why I don't use it. Why spend hours and hours making something, if it isn't going to last a good long while? Feh.
