Loom Has Arrived

As of yesterday, I am making my entry into the world of weaving tapestry. Ordered my Mirrix Zach...see previous post...and three days later, voila! (or viola, as we used to say when we were kids) said loom arrived at my door via FedEx. Thank you FedEx man! Tom helped me get it together-very easy and fast-and I warped the puppy...not very fast, but it was easy. I decided I would experiment with hand spun yarn. What works, what doesn't and I chose the largest heddle I had 8 epi, so as not to make things too difficult for myself-or take two days to warp. I warped with linen yarn-strong, but definitely, now that I've woven for a few hours, not something I would choose again for a first warp...just saying! I found a few yarns that I've spun that work. Especially nice is the silk/bamboo in the pretty aqua color. Looks great, even weaving and it covers the warp as it should.

Of course, in my mind I am thinking I will be making these awesome tapestries in no time. I have tons of photos picked out and designs of my own in mind, I am set! Whoa! Wait a minute! It's not quite that easy. Tapestry weaving is slow and I don't have all the things I need to make a good tapestry, even if I miraculously became a 60 year old prodigy. I need A. Practice. B.Tapestry Yarn-the real thing. C.Miscellaneous tools. D. A lesson or two. I am thinking it will be like when I taught myself to knit and crochet and spin...it's not quite like that at all. That said, I love it!!! I truly do. I love that I can possibly create artwork with fiber. That is a lifelong goal. That was my dream when I was 18. I can have that dream-40 years later, but I can have it!

So, it's back to "school" for me. Learn the ins and outs of tapestry weaving and one day, maybe sooner than later, I will be able to weave something outstanding. Meanwhile, this is what I have managed to weave so far...Not too bad for a rookie!

JUST AN OBSERVATION

I know it's just me, but I find it really annoying to have hair weaving (which really isn't weaving at all as far as I'm concerned) come up every time I Google weaving...the real sort of weaving. I find it especially annoying when I look at images because there are those ugly headless/faceless locks of hair just dangling there in mid air as if they belong in the weaving category or hanging from the belt of one of my Native American ancestors-fact o' life, some of them did that. It's hair-hairdressing, hair do's, hair styles, yes! Weaving, NO!

Nuff said.....

Zach Has Been Ordered

That sounded bossy, didn't it? I mean, my loom(a Mirrix Zach) has been ordered and I eagerly await it's arrival...meanwhile, I've window shopped for Perle Cotton in a host of colors...I want to weave with Perle Cotton, am I mad?...and have downloaded files of photos that can be manipulated in PS to make wonderful cartoons for weaving, and I am not through with that yet. The YouTube page has been fairly smoking from watching all the "Tapestry" and "Mirrix" videos. I am so spongelike when it comes to fiber! I think this is the most fun I've had in years...well, at least since I learned to spin.

Back to the colorful cotton...I don't know why that appeals to me...maybe it's low cost (comparatively) and outrageously huge variety of colors from which to choose? I can't say. I just know that I think I could surround myself with the whole line of DMC Perle Cotton and Embroidery Floss and just have a high old time at the loom with it! The color makes me giddy!

Perhaps my book will arrive today. I hope so!!! I only have a few more days of Spring Break, then it's back to work on Monday....I am sad, where did it go and why so quickly?...the bad side of working and having a holiday. I want to retire!!!!

So...for me it's off to get a cup of coffee and perhaps, while waiting for that book, pick up some wool and needles and knit up a pair of socks today.

I've Made Up My Mind

This is the loom I've chosen. A Mirrix Zach-22" of tapestry weaving lovliness! I can hardly wait until tomorrow to order it!!!

I've just about finished sorting out the stash and re-arranging the studio. Moving the knitting things to the other room-I'll be doing my painting in there too. I guess I'll have two studios! this studio will be dedicated to spinning and weaving.

Last night I found a couple of websites that have tapestry yarns! Oh!!! The colors!!!! I have to start stashing some of this stuff for weaving. I'd love one in every color, please! A big Lotto win would help. I could easily spend several thousand on just yarn!

Tom also ordered me a "How To" book from Amazon the other day. Hopefully it will be here today or tomorrow so that I can do some reading up on how to become a tapestry artist. Called "Tapestry Weaving: A Comprehensive Study Guide". I know, that sound pretty boring to most people, but, to me, that is the kind of book that I'd have given my right arm for back when I was 18 and wanting so much to go to art school. Well, it took me 40+ years to get there, but, here I am and I'm going to learn how to do this! Exciting stuff!!

I need a cup of coffee!