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NEW! Free Weaving Drafts
I would like to present our first free pattern, The Four Pettled Flour, just in time for those special holiday projects. This is a draft for a WAL (weave-a-long) for Weavalution, but I wanted to offer it to all our fans. It is a 4-shaft draft and is 36 picks which should be a fun challenge to most.
For the sample, we used a green cotton warp with a white cotton weft. Over the next week, I will be making a table runner with the pattern for the WAL with red and white weft and a doubled green warp. Just enough Christmas colors to make you puke. I might even top it off with silver bells!
The pattern was created by my very talented partner and husband, CJ Bloomer, to be used by anyone in any medium as long as it is not for profit. All we ask is that if you use it, include a link to the draft and make sure people know it was made by CJ Bloomer of Silver Wheel Yarn. Then leave a comment here so others can see your finish project and hear what you think.
Yes, we know the name is weird, my husband has a funny since of humor.
Enjoy!
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Self- Promotion Month
According to a blogging friend October is Self-promotion month. This sounded like a good idea to me, so I think I will help everyone to get to know me, Traci, personally.
1. Who are you?
That's a deep question that I'm sure I'll spend the rest of my life trying to answer. However, I'll do my best with what I know now.
Professionally I'm a designer of fibers, but I'm also a keeper (and passer) of ancient knowledge. I like to call it "experimental archeology."
2. What is your artistic passion?
I hand select all our materials, allowing me to create one-of-a-kind works. Each piece has been designed to bring out the natural aspects of the fibers and highlight what makes something beautiful. It isn't just the whole item that is beautiful, every single fiber is beautiful. That is why my hand weaving is unique. I don't just have pretty yarn that makes something pretty. I will always take that extra step; pick that perfect skein; or learn that new skill, that will make the work breath-taking beautiful.
3. Why did you get into art?
I wasn't born into it, nor have I been doing it "as long as I can remember" like some will claim. I am self taught. As a teen, my hobby was collecting random skills, many which still serve me today. Fiber was one of those skills that I took to like a fish to water. "One day I woke up and knew how to knit. The next, I woke up and knew how to spin. The next, I wove. Now it's my heart's song and I wouldn't know what to do if it was no longer my life."
4. How do you inspire yourself?
I am a prodigal daughter of the Appalachian Mountains. That quest to "come home" and find my lost heritage is my inspiration. The characteristics of natural fibers and how my technique and skills can display them; that inspires me.
5. Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years.
In five years I want to be supporting my family with my craft, have shows in the US and abroad, and be THE premiere weaver in Kentucky.
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October!
If you haven't noticed, it is quite a ways into October now and good ol' Kentucky has come through with her customary crazy weather. Despite the 30 deg temperature swings and the constant threat of tornadoes (was that a snow flake!) you can really start to smell Halloween. There something about the chill in the air; wet leaves; and spiced cider that will always make it for me.
I am in the middle of a beginning weaving class. I have three of the brightest and most energetic women. If every student was as enthusiastic as these there wouldn't be a scrap of knowledge not known. The second half of the class in Monday, I look forward to it.
We have been invited to be guest speakers in a Historical Textiles Class at the University of Kentucky on Nov. 17th. This is a good opportunity for us to reach people of our own generation. I think it is so important that people realize that this isn't something that is completely lost. It's really eye opening how much work goes into making cloth, but the main point should always be the beauty in hand made things produced by craftsmen that love what they do. It's something that you cannot find in high production settings. I believe that this is a wonderful class for graduate students and a good chance for us.
I have a large amount of personal projects started, which is crazy since the shopping season is coming up and I should be making things for others. Anyway. I have a baby cardigan on my knitting needles (it's a friends baby, so don't get to excited), a sweater in the works on my drop spindle (yes, I'm crazy for drop spinning enough for a sweater, but mommys are special), and a huge project taking up my wheel, 1 loom, and soon the dye pot for a good friend across the big pond that we have two more weeks to complete.
Even so, we just went on a materials shopping spree and have lots of pretty colors and soft yarns to play with. CJ is warping the big loom today for a shawl and I will be pulling a half finished project that just isn't doing it for me from the rigid heddle. I haven't decided if I want to do a scarf or a shawl...hum?...but, I should even be thinking of that, I have to spin more so we can finish what we have started (bad, Traci!)
So, that's where we're at. I want to post a few new projects, but due to the crazy weather, it's been over cast and wet, and pics don't look good like that. So, you'll just have to wait a little while more.
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