Tuesday, July 06, 2010

Oh! The Places You'll Go....

I'm in London this morning, having spent the weekend with the very kind and generous Cambridge Guild of Weavers and Spinners. We had a short workshop on knotted pile, and happily everyone at least got to the knot tying stage, but I forgot to go into the whole waving-of-hands-describing-the-construction-of-the-bags, so alas, I will have to come back some day and rectify the lapse :).

Before leaving, I shipped off the shawl to Deb, the soon-to-be Mother of the Bride:

Debsshawl

You can click the photo and get a larger picture: the fabric is just lovely, soft and drape-y, and the colors are stunning.

Deb's inspiration for this shawl is some silk paper she made a while ago:

silk paper

Deb dyed the warp chains, and I think the fabric and colors turned out perfectly! It does remind me of Marimekko fabrics, as someone commented previously, and it will be a perfect wrap for a summer wedding.

It was interesting being the technician, not the designer, on this project. Usually, from conception to execution, I use my own ideas in weaving. I may take inspiration from someone else's work, or use a sett, or yarn or set of colors I've seen somewhere, but the idea, the project is my own. This time I was trying to meet someone else's vision, which requires communication, understanding, luck and good will. I think we met that challenge. The subject of artist vs. technician is a rich one, and one that I'd like to think about further.

For what it's worth: I am now in the class of travelers-who-take-too-few-knitting-projects on board the plane:

pumpkinhat2

The Peanut will be a Pumpkin for Halloween and Fall this year :). Those of you at home who forced me to pick these colors for the hat: you were right Lindsey and Eileen, this looks just like a pumpkin (I wanted a brighter orange....). This hat was knit between SF and Newark, leaving me nothing to knit on the way to the UK. I slept a bit, and then woke to a breakfast snack and an hour to landing. I actually spun in my tiny little window seat cubby, on this the smallest of Goldings with some silk::

redsilkspindle2

My hostess in Cambridge, Tricia, should recognize her bath towel and couch cover on the last two photos, and when she sees this, please pass on a wave from the train to Madeleine and Isaac, whom I missed as the train pulled away to London.

5 Comments:

Blogger Judy said...

It sounds like you've had a lovely week!

6:43 AM  
Blogger Lynn said...

Oh, that shawl is lovely! (and 20/2 silk is on sale at WEBS this week, hmm)

9:05 AM  
Blogger Amy Kuhlmann said...

The ONLY possible downside to that gorgeous shawl is the danger of outshining the bride. Just stunning!

2:48 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

the shawl is stunning!!!!

12:46 AM  
Blogger woolydaisy said...

i love the hat color!! have you had bangers and mash yet? washed down with a nice ale!

7:37 AM  

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