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My plan since October has been to weave these stinking placemats and napkins over Christmas break and I still haven’t finished ONE warp! I don’t even have Mac dressed yet. ARGH! Frustration is setting in…
I’m planning on working on it this afternoon. I’ve gone back to my original idea and I’m skipping the overshot. It’s going to be too complicated and too much of a gamble. I don’t have time to do a sample and I really think the yarn is going to be too fine even if I use two shots per pattern pick. I’m okay with it though. I think it really does make it more like me if I skip the overshot blocks. I like to keep things simple. So I am and that’s just how/who I am. :)
In my world of ceramics, I’ve had some exciting developments. I made some mugs for a friend to give to his girlfriend for Christmas. I had been planning to make these for him since this summer (when I didn’t even know how to make them) I was not expecting him to pay me for them at all. It was a gift for him to not have to pay for his gift for his girlfriend. Well once he saw them, he insisted that he pay me. I tried to tell him no, but he wouldn’t allow it. So I am accepting a little. But I’m still giving him a really good deal. He also bought two bowls for his gf that I made. And I ended up giving him two more because he wanted them and I said they were HIS Christmas present. :) There are other possible sales coming up, but I shouldn't say anything until they're final.
Okay, I was not expecting to sell ANY of the things that I made this semester. Seriously. Not because I don’t WANT to sell them, I just didn’t think it would happen. But apparently, buying things from friends is cool and it doesn’t matter if the stuff is a bit sub-par (I’m sure those buying the items would disagree. It’s probably just me being all negative because it’s something I made and I only see the flaws when I look at it.)
Anyway, it just makes me super excited to get going with my clay work!! I must!! I must!!
Well my mother has an electric kiln she bought last year(?) for $65.00 (SUPER GOOD DEAL!!) Anyway, it needs a little work (new coils, new switch, new cord) but I don’t think it’s really anything major. So I think I’ll probably e-mail the ceramics teacher at school and ask if he would be willing to look at it if I brought it up there. He’s pretty easy-going so I’m sure he’d be willing to help me. Also, my husband’s grandfather is a master electrician so any electrical work that may need to be done shouldn’t be too much of a problem to get fixed. I’m hoping to make that happen when school starts back.
Also, I’ve been knitting more cowls lately. I think I’m getting faster I completed almost two yesterday evening. The only reason why I didn’t finish the second was because I was showing my sister-in-law how to knit and I stopped to eat dinner. (Both of which were good, fun things) I’m currently knitting with some acrylic yarn I have in my stash. I’m not really crazy about acrylic or any other synthetic fibers. I just don’t like them. They don’t feel or behave right. That’s partially due to only being able to use natural fibers with the dyes we use in the dye studio. But I just really prefer natural fibers. They feel nicer, I understand how they are supposed to behave and they’re NATURAL!! Anyway, I’m thinking it might be good to build up a little bit of an inventory of these lovely items and having some synthetic ones will be good because natural wool can be a pain to wash. So it’s all good. :) Phew! It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long since I wrote, but so much has happened!! Christmas is just around the corner and I’m looking forward to it. :) I’m excited to give mostly handmade gifts this year. I hope everyone likes what they get!
~JoAnna
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Busy busy busy!
I haven't had time to post lately because I've been so busy with the end of school. I took my last final of the semester yesterday. Yay!! I got an A in the class. (Good feeling) Another yay!! :) I'm still waiting to hear back on three other grades, but I'm pretty sure I'll get A's or B's. Very unlike me. I haven't had a lot of semesters where I didn't get at least ONE C. Math and chemistry classes mostly...and my history classes. Or when I had two fibers classes at a time.
Speaking of fibers classes... :) I'm SOOO excited about next semester! I'm finally getting back over to the fibers studio (After a year's absence) I've been taking ceramics classes (And enjoying them very much) But I really do miss the fibers studio. I'm very excited about Weaving II. My instructor said it will be very different from how she has taught it before. It will all be very experimental and conceptual. It will be a big challenge for me going from two semesters of functional, 3D work to 2D, conceptual/sculpture-like (possibly) work. I'm kind of intimidated. But I know it'll be good for me to stretch my brain and push myself in a different direction.
I haven't had time to work on my placemats for a few weeks. So it's just been sitting there half in the reed, half out. I had some minor setbacks and I'm going to re-sley the reed because I think 30 epi is going to be too close. So I'm gonna re-sley at 20 which is frustrating to do in a 15 dent reed because it means a sleying sequence. (1-1-2 in this case) It's not really hard to remember, but it's annoying. Plus I wound off two bouts that I don't need now that I've changed the sett. I think I can still pull them off and save them (Even though I've already cut the ends. If I just put a bunch of ties on it and make sure I tie the cross really well, I should be fine. I wound off two extras on the blue warp too and I would need 5 bouts to make something else. (Towels, runner etc.) If I have time, I might make a runner for the set in a plaid. That could be really nice. The warp isn't really long enough for anything else so that would be lovely. I just have to decide what to do for that last bout. I was thinking I might throw a bout of the variegated that I'm using for the napkins in there to sort of tie everything together. But we'll see. At least I have a plan. Now I just have to get weaving!!
~JoAnna
Speaking of fibers classes... :) I'm SOOO excited about next semester! I'm finally getting back over to the fibers studio (After a year's absence) I've been taking ceramics classes (And enjoying them very much) But I really do miss the fibers studio. I'm very excited about Weaving II. My instructor said it will be very different from how she has taught it before. It will all be very experimental and conceptual. It will be a big challenge for me going from two semesters of functional, 3D work to 2D, conceptual/sculpture-like (possibly) work. I'm kind of intimidated. But I know it'll be good for me to stretch my brain and push myself in a different direction.
I haven't had time to work on my placemats for a few weeks. So it's just been sitting there half in the reed, half out. I had some minor setbacks and I'm going to re-sley the reed because I think 30 epi is going to be too close. So I'm gonna re-sley at 20 which is frustrating to do in a 15 dent reed because it means a sleying sequence. (1-1-2 in this case) It's not really hard to remember, but it's annoying. Plus I wound off two bouts that I don't need now that I've changed the sett. I think I can still pull them off and save them (Even though I've already cut the ends. If I just put a bunch of ties on it and make sure I tie the cross really well, I should be fine. I wound off two extras on the blue warp too and I would need 5 bouts to make something else. (Towels, runner etc.) If I have time, I might make a runner for the set in a plaid. That could be really nice. The warp isn't really long enough for anything else so that would be lovely. I just have to decide what to do for that last bout. I was thinking I might throw a bout of the variegated that I'm using for the napkins in there to sort of tie everything together. But we'll see. At least I have a plan. Now I just have to get weaving!!
~JoAnna
Friday, December 4, 2009
Beginning of the end
I began putting the first warp on for my culminating project in college. I scared myself pretty bad the other day. I got to thinking, I won't be living in our little apartment in just a few months. We may not even be living in the same town! I've lived here since I was 5 years old! I'm scared and excited at the same time.
More about the project though. (I'm excited) I think I've already said this somewhere, but sometimes I just need to write things again. It's like hearing it out loud and I'm a very auditory person.
I'm supposed to combine my two concentrations within my major of interdisciplinary studies. My concentrations are interior design and art. Well, personally, I think those two things go hand in hand anyways. I started trying to formulate exactly what I was going to do.
I've decided to make four place settings for a table. I will be weaving placemats and napkins and I have thrown ceramic plates and bowls. They all have the common colors of green and blue. (because those are the colors of yarn I had...And I love those colors!) I'm going to weave two green placemats and two blue placemats. The napkins will be a variegated yarn that combines the blue and the green. I have made two plates that are primarily green and two that are primarily blue. Same goes for the bowls. I wanted all of the pieces to have a common theme, which is the colors. I have also used a motif that is constantly stuck in my head, three stylized leaves.
I have been considering weaving an overshot edge on the placemats that uses a honeysuckle pattern, but I'm afraid that my sett will be too tight. I guess I really should have sampled. I think I'll have some space to sample at the beginning of the warp. So I'll probably do that and see what happens. The placemats only need to be 22" long. (compensating for shrinkage and hems. I would like them to be 19") Anyway, I have 108" (3yds) for warp length. Minus 27" of shrinkage gives me something like 80" to actually weave. Well 80 divided by two does not equal 20 so I should have enough room to sample a little at the beginning. It just seems strange for the warp to be so short, but I'm getting exactly what I need. Two placemats.
Anyway, I'm almost done sleying the reed (I warp front to back) Threading will be frustrating...It usually is. Mostly because I don't really have enough room in my apartment to fold down the back of the loom so I can actually get to the harnesses. Perhaps warping back to front would make more sense, but I've not learned to do that yet. So we'll just ignore that and do this the only way I know how.
For the actual project part of this whole thing I have to write a ten page reflection paper explaining why and how these two majors are combined and why I chose to do what I did. I think of it like an artist's statement. Although I really prefer my artist's statements to be about a page long when talking about a project. Oh well. I can do this! Now, if only I was at home working on it...
~JoAnna
More about the project though. (I'm excited) I think I've already said this somewhere, but sometimes I just need to write things again. It's like hearing it out loud and I'm a very auditory person.
I'm supposed to combine my two concentrations within my major of interdisciplinary studies. My concentrations are interior design and art. Well, personally, I think those two things go hand in hand anyways. I started trying to formulate exactly what I was going to do.
I've decided to make four place settings for a table. I will be weaving placemats and napkins and I have thrown ceramic plates and bowls. They all have the common colors of green and blue. (because those are the colors of yarn I had...And I love those colors!) I'm going to weave two green placemats and two blue placemats. The napkins will be a variegated yarn that combines the blue and the green. I have made two plates that are primarily green and two that are primarily blue. Same goes for the bowls. I wanted all of the pieces to have a common theme, which is the colors. I have also used a motif that is constantly stuck in my head, three stylized leaves.
I have been considering weaving an overshot edge on the placemats that uses a honeysuckle pattern, but I'm afraid that my sett will be too tight. I guess I really should have sampled. I think I'll have some space to sample at the beginning of the warp. So I'll probably do that and see what happens. The placemats only need to be 22" long. (compensating for shrinkage and hems. I would like them to be 19") Anyway, I have 108" (3yds) for warp length. Minus 27" of shrinkage gives me something like 80" to actually weave. Well 80 divided by two does not equal 20 so I should have enough room to sample a little at the beginning. It just seems strange for the warp to be so short, but I'm getting exactly what I need. Two placemats.
Anyway, I'm almost done sleying the reed (I warp front to back) Threading will be frustrating...It usually is. Mostly because I don't really have enough room in my apartment to fold down the back of the loom so I can actually get to the harnesses. Perhaps warping back to front would make more sense, but I've not learned to do that yet. So we'll just ignore that and do this the only way I know how.
For the actual project part of this whole thing I have to write a ten page reflection paper explaining why and how these two majors are combined and why I chose to do what I did. I think of it like an artist's statement. Although I really prefer my artist's statements to be about a page long when talking about a project. Oh well. I can do this! Now, if only I was at home working on it...
~JoAnna
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