![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-2sRfQKcSYCI\/VT5hBZg5VzI\/AAAAAAAAIys\/EWAIFsvBb4A\/s640\/IMG_20150425_085451.jpg\")
<\/p>\nI spent most of last week back in Wisconsin helping my brother go through my dad’s house. \u00a0He turned 90 a few weeks ago and his health isn’t as good as it was, so he’s moved into a senior living center and would like us to sell the house. \u00a0We spent three solid days going through paperwork, clothes, art. \u00a0Memories both happy and sad abound in that house and it was both physically and emotionally exhausting. \u00a0I took very little with me – I’d already purged a lot when we moved to California nearly 20 years ago so it was more of a chance to identify those few things that would remind me of home and family. \u00a0After a week of sorting\u00a0I was more than ready for something entirely different.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nothing is more wonderful than class supplies all lined up and ready to go. \u00a0It’s potential energy embodied. \u00a0This is what my little workstation looked like on Saturday morning while I (im)patiently waited for Laverne Waddington<\/a> to school me in the basics of backstrap weaving. \u00a0I’d passed up two earlier opportunities to take Laverne’s class because I still had so many other things to pursue but now I’m at a point where making cloth in this way is important. \u00a0The portability of everything is a big point in it’s favor – as well as learning yet another way to make durable, gorgeous narrow-wares.<\/p>\n Another point in Laverne’s favor is the evidence of her knowledge and experience. \u00a0I’m kicking myself for not taking pictures of her samples (she was happy to have us do so), but it’s all there on her blog. \u00a0And she’s also taken a decidedly non-traditional approach to this craft. \u00a0She’s studied all over South and Central America, as well as Asia, and has combined what she thinks\u00a0are the best of all the techniques when she weaves and teaches. \u00a0Her piles and piles of pieces, both large and small, are quite persuasive. \u00a0She also\u00a0does a tremendous amount of preparation on her students’\u00a0behalf – there were three\u00a0warps pre-wound and ready to go for each of us (there were eight in the class) and she brought everything we’d need to get through the two days. \u00a0Each of those warps came home with us, along with two more that we wound ourselves, so we’d have plenty of opportunity to practice.<\/p>\n First off was basic weaving. \u00a0We started in the same place young children do – the backstrap equivalent of plain weave so that we could get used to the motions and feel of the process.<\/p>\n With no equipment other than a few pieces of string, we were making little bands. \u00a0Getting a feel for the right amount of tension and working with us as the loom was the goal. \u00a0Being able to weave\u00a0this little band set\u00a0us up to move on to something a bit more challenging after lunch –\u00a0a\u00a0wider warp and using a proper backstrap for\u00a0supplemental weft inlay:<\/p>\n The time I’d been spending with inkle and tablet weaving helped me to get my head around this pretty quickly. \u00a0Again, super-chunky yarn (close to a worsted-weight knitting cotton) so that there was plenty of room to work the patterns and using eight strands of 8\/2 tencel as the supplemental weft. \u00a0I really, REALLY loved this. \u00a0Laverne had many pieces that were much finer and done in silk. \u00a0Lots of opportunity here to do some interesting work but not get twitchy about the length of those floats! \u00a0At the end of day one, we each wound\u00a0a warp of a finer cotton and then added heddles and a rolling stick so that we’d be ready\u00a0to practice\u00a0the same technique at home.<\/p>\n Day two we then moved on to our next technique – pickup. \u00a0Once again a pre-wound warp was waiting for us, but\u00a0we had to complete the set-up on our own – which included tying string heddles and moving the cross. \u00a0After a false start which included dropping and re-picking my cross,\u00a0I got started with\u00a0plain weave:<\/p>\n And then, after much fiddling, I made my first group of tanka ch’oro.<\/p>\n Fabulous! \u00a0These little guys are all over my Peruvian bags – and now I can make them, too. \u00a0Haltingly, not perfect, but nevertheless. \u00a0Me and my chunky cotton are on our way. \u00a0We then wound our own two-color warps for practice and reference and then it was time to head home.<\/p>\n All in all, a very pleasant and instructive weekend. \u00a0Lots of things rolling around in my head – and I’m finding similarities between techniques and equipment all over the place. \u00a0The live-tension (literally!) of backstrap made it’s way to my tablet loom and it’s right there on the AVL. \u00a0Thread management is what weaving is all about. \u00a0Once that’s down, we get to make beautiful cloth. \u00a0I’m already looking forward to my next class with her in October. \u00a0And I’m determined to have samples\u00a0to prove that I’ve been practicing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I spent most of last week back in Wisconsin helping my brother go through my dad’s house. \u00a0He turned 90 a few weeks ago and his health isn’t as good as it was, so he’s moved into a senior living … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-LhH-af4QJ7s\/VT5hCrFVHAI\/AAAAAAAAIy4\/viontXpa7io\/s512\/IMG_20150425_115908.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-wxPU8QHLRmw\/VT5hDznoBBI\/AAAAAAAAIzE\/_zaX8sW2qRA\/s512\/IMG_20150425_162237.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-EPWK8IEjaGs\/VT5hF5T2VGI\/AAAAAAAAIzQ\/dNERXBTzf9U\/s512\/IMG_20150426_133808.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/--7HqL2nig9k\/VUATK30cXmI\/AAAAAAAAI2A\/gLajxquPHJk\/s640\/IMG_20150428_160924.jpg\")
<\/p>\n