Thursday, May 31, 2007

More setbacks

Well, there has been another setback on the tallit. I took the hand-spun, handwoven tallit and atarah off the loom today, and wetfinished it. The navy blue dye bled! Throughout the entire tub and ruined everything. I am heart sick.
This sucks!!!!!
Well, good thing I love what I do, so back to the beginning. I learned from my mistake. Althoug I dyed the yarn myself, I rinsed it until the water ran clear. I didn't know the dye would find a way to bleed. I should have used synthrapol, or a color catcher to remove the residual dye before weaving it. Please learn from my mistake. Even if you have been dyeing for years, if you have gotten so that it's 'old hat', don't let stuff slip. Do every thing you can to make it work, even if you are sure you don't need to.
Gotta go, I have got a lot of work to make up.
Cherri

Saturday, May 26, 2007

what's on the loom?

Just thought I would post some pics of what's fresh off my loom, and what's on the students' looms in the Roseneath studio.
Here's a nice alpaca/silk warp crossed with a very fine handspun bombyx silk weft scarf:
And here is a beautiful warp going on the loom by my newest student at Roseneath:Your comments and encouragement are always appreciated.
Cherri

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Work, errors, and frustsration



Here are pics of a tallit I am weaving. It is not due until Oct. but I am working toward having it done in a couple of weeks.
Somehow, in the process of negotiating this, I misread the design, and after weaving half the tallit, realized I had done so.
Now this wouldn't be a great big deal, the warp is only about 2000 threads. But it is also hand-spun. About 1500 yards of which have already been spun and woven into the tallit.

I love what I do. It is frustrating to know that this mistake has been made, and that if I negotiated these tallitot in person, I might have caught my error. It could drive me insane, as I ordered the fiber from Wales, and it took a month to get it. I handspun the yarn, and dyed it myself. In other words, I am 100% invested in this.

I can use 1/2 of what I have woven to make a tallit bag, but 1/2 of it isn't going to be useful to the client. Someone PITY ME PLEASE!!!!!

Monday, May 14, 2007

Amazing Fun!

Wow! It sure has been fun around here lately. We had a great dye workshop, several wonderful classes, and have finished a number of pieces including chiengora, and handspun silk. My son moved the futon out of the studio at Roseneath, and we have gotten 2 additional students there. There is currently a waiting list for that studio. I have openings for the Glen Allen studio, though.
Last Saturday, I taught a Tie-dye workshop at Bay School in Mathews, Va and this coming Saturday, I have a fiber arts dye workshop at the Cultural Arts center at Glen Allen. If you are interested in joining that, please visit their website.
There is also an upcoming drop spindling workshop the first Sat. in June.
I am also finishing up a tallit, and negotiating a new one. I'm having so much fun. Hopefully, you are too.
Stay in touch.I will post pictures of some of the latest work.
 
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