New studio

Well, I'm waiting to hear back from the properties management company to sign contracts on a new fiber arts studio in Richmond, VA. I'm starting this one with about 800 squ ft.
Hopefully, we will be expanding within 6 months. The intent is to open a studio where my students have greater weekday access to the studio, and where we can have larger looms, and a greater variety of equipment. I have a freestanding warping mill that I love, and would like to share with my students. It would be nice if they could try the mechanical dobby loom. I want to teach morning weaving classes, and weekday spinning classes.
As we expand, I am also planning on offering sewing, needlepoint, cross stitch, and much more! I'm lining up teachers now. The studio is very close to some fairly nice and affordable hotels, restaurants, and shops, so it's time to promote the weaving vacations, and week-long weaving classes much more.
Currently, it looks like we will be moving into the studio the first week of Dec. and Our first official class there will be 12/6. I have openings for a few more weavers, and have tabletop tapestry looms, rigid heddle looms, floor looms, and free standing tapestry looms. Take your pick, and join our fast growing community of fiber artists.
This is exciting! I'll post pictures after the contracts are signed.
Cherri

updated Rigid Heddle Loom Review

Since publishing the Rigid Heddle Loom review, I have woven on/with the Kromski Fiddle, and the Harp, and wanted to update the review, with these looms. I also want to say that I read recently that some floor loom weavers consider rigid heddle looms to be ‘toys’. Well, they are fun, they are small, they generally provide a quick weave, so my rigid heddle looms are my toys. My floor looms are my toys, and my tapestry loom is my toy. My work is my play. And I do a LOT of it. Don’t worry about what others think. How much fun are you having?

OK, to review the looms:

Beka. It’s a a simple loom. I like the Beka because it’s an inexpensive way to have rigid heddle looms to take from art center to art center without renting a larger vehicle. They are lightweight, and graceful looking. These looms assemble in less than 5 minutes. The ratchet brake is fairly secure, but the end of the 2 beams screw into the side supports, and (Dislikes) these tend to tighten themselves so the warp doesn’t advance without working with them every time. The block that holds the rigid heddle up, or down, is just that, a block of wood, as a result, the heddle slips off a good deal. I also don’t find it comfortable as a lap loom. I just doesn’t rest well against the table, and if tilted, the rigid heddle is even less likely to stay in the up or down position. If you have the money for a better loom, don’t spend your money here. This loom should cost approx $110 for a 20″, and $127 for a 24′ . Included equipment are 2 stick shuttles, a pickup stick, and a threading hook. Be aware: No warping device is included!

Schacht rigid heddle looms Schacht is an ok lap loom. Again, it’s very rudimentary, streamline, and graceful looking. It’s very light weight, and easy to travel with. I like the Schacht for the same reason I liked the Beka. I also like the fact that Schacht notches the block that holds the rigid heddle up, or down. As you know, anything with the Schacht name is not “economy” priced. I dislike it because it is rather an economy loom,by design, yet at nearly twice the price of the Beka. The warp brake is tightened by screwing the block on the back beam, which allows slippage, leading to frustration in my classes. So between the price, and the slippage, I don’t use Schacht. It comes with a clamp, warping peg, stick shuttle, and threading hook. Generally, these looms cost approx $180 for a 20″ loom, and $200 for a 25″ loom.

Kromski Harp is a lovely loom. I didn’t plan on liking either Kromski because the hinged loom seems like a rather silly idea to me. LIkes:The rigid heddle loom is already so much smaller than other looms, why hinge it. Yet one of my students who travels a lot said, “simple, to fly with it”. Yes, it would travel better in that small state. I began liking the loom as soon as I finished putting it together. The wood is finished. The various supports are turned wood, or otherwise decorative, there is a system with the loom to assist in threading, the loom comes with a nice heddle/reed hook, a DVD, clear instructions, a pretty rigid heddle, clear assembly instructions, warping devices and shuttles. It’s a good deal. I got the 16″ for $189, which is a good price for a package that includes everything you need. Dislikes: I didn’t like the density of the reed, but that’s because I’m so fond of the Leclercs, which come with a more widely sett reed. I’m concerned the hinge will come loose. I can’t figure out how to carry the loom, as the hooks come unhooked when the loom is folded. You pretty much have to buy a carry bag to keep the stuff together (good thing they sell one). I have enjoyed it in the few days I’ve had it. It is the only rigid heddle loom that I’ve bought to teach on that just beckoned me to use after class. I will buy more of these if this holds up. It’s actually a good buy.

Kromski Fiddle is a cheaper alternative if you want a Kromski, but don’t want a hinged loom. It’s a comfortable loom to use. I got the 16″ version for about $130. It comes with the hook, a warping peg, shuttles, and assembly instructions, as well as that cool system for holding the apron rod to make warping easier. It is simpler to assemble than the harp. Dislikes: The wood is unfinished. It does not come with use instructions, or a DVD. The heddle is very closely sett, and Too bad. I will use both the Kromski looms again. Very good loom. I would pay more, and be more likely to buy this again, as well as recommend it if it were finished wood, and if it came with some use instructions. Overall, it’s a very good loom.

Ashford has a nice looking loom. It’s a lot like the harp without the warping board attached. I thought I was really going to like it. It looks rather modern with it’s colorful ratchets and it’s wonderful instruction booklet. Another nice thing about this loom, is that the craftsmanship is quality. The looms are soundly constructed, finished nicely, and fairly well designed. The very best feature of the Ashford Rigid Heddle looms, is the clear, instruction manual that accompanies the looms. A full color instruction booklet that is nearly failsafe is priceless for self-taught beginners. This is a wonderful feature! For some reason, however, I find the ratchet/dog system failed me several times, and winding on the warp is not a simple task, because the loom doesn’t have a crank on the warp beam. All of the above mentioned looms are simple in design, and structurally should make very good lap looms. I found this one is the best lap loom. It rests easily on the table, and the heddle stays firmly in place when the warp is sufficiently tight.The 24″ runs about 165.00 and it comes with 2 stick shuttles, 2 threading hooks, a clamp, and the precious INSTRUCTIONS!

Leclerc Bergere is a tabletop rigid heddle loom. It has metal ratchets, and dogs, handles to wind the warp on, and the rigid heddle securely rests in the notched “castle post”. It’s a more complex design than the aforementioned rigid heddle looms in that it is raised off the table by legs, and has a castle type device for the heddle, rather than simply a support block. It comes with a styrene boat shuttle, 2, 28″ long stick shuttles, metal lea sticks, a set of 2 warping blocks (each has 2 pegs for creating a cross in your warp), and warp sticks with cord. As you can see, this is a loom, and if you want to learn the entire process of warping, this is a great place to start. You get a lot of equipment for a weaving studio, and a very good table top rigid heddle loom. I really like this loom. It’s good for me because as an instructor who travels to art centers(that don’t own looms) to teach, I can take a loom that I can actually teach the entire process of dressing a loom on, and it translates to the student’s floor loom also, because the loom is designed to be dressed back to front like a floor loom. The rigid heddle rests firmly in the notches, and there is a ‘rest’ position for threading it. it travels well with the loom warped by simply putting rubber bands around the joint where the rigid heddle rests in the castle post. It comes with a very clear, though instruction booklet that will easily get a beginner started with the loom, and with some elemental tapestry techniques. However, what I don’t like, is that it is not graceful and complact. It doesn’t have a simple design, and really isn’t a lap loom. Also, although I like Leclerc looms a lot, the craftsmanship on the older Leclerc looms is better. The craftsmanship on the loom is rudimentary. At just $165, this 24″ loom stands head and shoulders above the others for my purposes. (best overall rigid heddle loom in this review)

Leclerc Penelope II is a rigid heddle tapestry loom. It is weaves 22.5″ and works as an upright double rigid heddle loom. It can be used with a single rigid heddle, but comes equipped with 2. The craftsmanship is very good on this loom, the beams are braked with metal ratchets and dogs, the beams also have cranks for easy beaming of the warp. As the loom is designed to be used vertically, the rigid heddle supports are designed to hold the heddles securely in this position. The loom is designed to be warped with lea sticks, and in a ‘back to front’ fashion. Again, this makes it a wonderful pre-cursor to a floor loom, if that is the direction the weaver is headed. This loom gives very good tension on the warp, and is comfortable for a variety of tapestry techniques for tapestry, but is not an efficient loom as a substitute for plain weave, or pattern weaving quickly because of it’s upright position. I’m very impressed with this loom. It comes with tapestry bobbins, metal lea sticks, 2 warping blocks, which have 2 pegs each, for creating a cross in your warp, heddle hook, and 2 long stick shuttles. Now, for the downside, it also comes with an instruction booklet that has instructions for the Penelope, but not the Penelope II. As of the date of this review, I had not been able to get instructions from the company on how to use the 2nd rigid heddle with the loom, as the instructions are for a single rigid heddle design. Thanks to Schacht for the clear instructions on how to thread a 2 heddle rigid heddle loom. What do I not like about this loom? As I mentioned, it’s not for someone who wants to ‘crank out’ rigid heddle work. Other than that, I can’t come up with a single thing I don’t like. It’s definitely a rigid heddle loom for the tapestry weave, or a weaver who wants to do 4 harness work on a rigid heddle loom. . At $235, this loom is a bargain. (I own 5 of them, and am getting ready to order 3 more… mostly for teaching, but occassionally, for some ‘me’ time).Excellent loom

Be a part of the solution!

I won’t go ‘partisan’ on you. But let’s be a part of the solution. Support Americans. This year, instead of buying cheap stuff or expensive stuff in department stores for holiday gifts, give American made quality fine craft and fine art items. Support America by recognizing quality in your own country. Don’t go out and buy cheap Wally Market stuff, actually spend a little extra, pay cash, so you aren’t sinking yourself deeper in debt, and buy a fine American made quilt, or afghan, or handwoven throw. Buy pots from the local potter, prints from the local photographer, and scarves from the local felter. Don’t look for cheap, junk. That supports poor craftsmanship. Actually spend what you can, and be a part of the solution by keeping your money local.

Be aware that wool, alpaca, and other local fiber producing animals are not harmed in the harvest of their fiber, and it is a renewable resource. Buy items made from easily, readily and locally re-newable resources.

When I was at one of the ‘gourmet’ grocery stores the other day, my kids and I were tastin gelato, and the attendant giving us samples kept saying,” This is locally produce from Maryland, from Pennsylvania, from Georgia…..” We are in Richmond, Virginia, so our ‘locally grown produce is from Richmond, and the surrounding counties. If it took more than 5 gallons of gas to get it to me, it’s not local. Thanks.

If you agree with this, cut and paste the above message on your blog, in your e-mails, and at your workspace. We need to be a part of American as a sustainable economy. Again, buy locally. Buy nationally. Buy Quality.

More on the local alpacas

Teri got back with me about all the fun things Fireweed Alpacas is involved with in the near future. Here is a list of some of the upcoming fun:

State Fair of Virginia
Saturday, September 27 9 am – 9 pm

National Alpaca OPEN HOUSE
Sunday, September 28, 12 pm – 5 pm
2280 Camelback Road
Maidens, VA 23012
(804) 556-2526
fireweed@boone.net
www.fireweed-alpacas.com

4th Annual Taste of Goochland
Tuesday, October 14
5 – 8 pm
Boy Scouts of America
1723 Maidens Road (this is actually on our property! See you there)

Teri is having the open house in Maidens, and it’s a great opportunity to see the alpacas in their home environment. The “Taste of Goochland” is an opportunity to come out and see what Goochland County has to offer. It’s a large # of Goochland businesses reaching out to the community to introduce themselves. It was great last year. Fireweed Alpacas did participate and drew a great deal of attention with their crias and adult alpacas. There is much more information coming from Fireweed, and an opportunity that my local fiber friends will LOVE! We can participate with shearing day, and earn fiber to boot.

Stay tuned.

Cherri

Rigid Heddle Loom Review - copy from Wordpress blog

In order to do this, I want to preface it by saying the Harp is not reviewed. So if you are looking for that review, you won’t read the whole post looking for it. The rigid heddle looms I have used and am familiar with are the Beka, Leclerc Bergere, Leclerc Penelope II, Schacht, and Ashford.

The simplest is the Beka. It’s a very rudimentary loom. It’s a very simple design, inexpensive and easy to assemble. I like the Beka because it’s an inexpensive way to have rigid heddle looms to take from art center to art center without renting a larger vehicle. They are lightweight, and graceful looking. If you have never used any other type of loom, or any other rigid heddle loom, you may be satisfied for a while. They are too rudimentary for me to use for long. As a result, I don’t use them for the art centers anymore. The block that holds the rigid heddle up, or down, is just that, a block of wood, as a result, the heddle slips off a good deal. I also don’t find it comfortable as a lap loom. I just doesn’t rest well against the table, and if tilted, the rigid heddle is even less likely to stay in the up or down position. If you have the money for a better loom, don’t spend your money here. This loom should cost approx $110 for a 20″, and $127 for a 24′ . Included equipment are 2 stick shuttles, a pickup stick, and a threading hook. Be aware: No warping device is included!

Schacht rigid heddle looms Schacht is an ok lap loom. Again, it’s very rudimentary, streamline, and graceful looking. It’s very light weight, and easy to travel with. I like the Schacht for the same reason I liked the Beka. I also like the fact that Schact notches the block that holds the rigid heddle up, or down. As you know, anything with the Schacht name is not “economy” priced. I dislike it because it is rather an economy loom,by design, yet at nearly twice the price of the Beka. The warp brake is tightened by screwing the block on the back beam, which allows slippage, leading to frustration in my classes. So between the price, and the slippage, I don’t use Schacht. It comes with a clamp, warping peg, stick shuttle, and threading hook. Generally, these looms cost approx $180 for a 20″ loom, and $200 for a 25″ loom.

Ashford has a nice looking loom. It’s a lot like the harp without the warping board attached. I thought I was really going to like it. It looks rather modern with it’s colorful ratchets and it’s wonderful instruction booklet. Another nice thing about this loom, is that the craftsmanship is quality. The looms are soundly constructed, finished nicely, and fairly well designed. The very best feature of the Ashford Rigid Heddle looms, is the clear, instruction manual that accompanies the looms. A full color instruction booklet that is nearly failsafe is priceless for self-taught beginners. This is a wonderful feature! For some reason, however, I find the ratchet/dog system failed me several times, and winding on the warp is not a simple task, because the loom doesn’t have a crank on the warp beam. All of the above mentioned looms are simple in design, and structurally should make very good lap looms. I found this one is the best lap loom. It rests easily on the table, and the heddle stays firmly in place when the warp is sufficiently tight.The 24″ runs about 165.00 and it comes with 2 stick shuttles, 2 threading hooks, a clamp, and the precious INSTRUCTIONS!

Leclerc Bergere is a tabletop rigid heddle loom. It has metal ratchets, and dogs, handles to wind the warp on, and the rigid heddle securely rests in the notched “castle post”. It’s a more complex design than the aforementioned rigid heddle looms in that it is raised off the table by legs, and has a castle type device for the heddle, rather than simply a support block. It comes with a styrene boat shuttle, 2, 28″ long stick shuttles, metal lea sticks, a set of 2 warping blocks (each has 2 pegs for creating a cross in your warp), and warp sticks with cord. As you can see, this is a loom, and if you want to learn the entire process of warping, this is a great place to start. You get a lot of equipment for a weaving studio, and a very good table top rigid heddle loom. I really like this loom. It’s good for me because as an instructor who travels to art centers(that don’t own looms) to teach, I can take a loom that I can actually teach the entire process of dressing a loom on, and it translates to the student’s floor loom also, because the loom is designed to be dressed back to front like a floor loom. The rigid heddle rests firmly in the notches, and there is a ‘rest’ position for threading it. it travels well with the loom warped by simply putting rubber bands around the joint where the rigid heddle rests in the castle post. It comes with a very clear, though instruction booklet that will easily get a beginner started with the loom, and with some elemental tapestry techniques. However, what I don’t like, is that it is not graceful and complact. It doesn’t have a simple design, and really isn’t a lap loom. Also, although I like Leclerc looms a lot, the craftsmanship on the older Leclerc looms is better. The craftsmanship on the loom is rudimentary. At just $165, this 24″ loom stands head and shoulders above the others for my purposes. (best overall rigid heddle loom in this review)

Leclerc Penelope II is a rigid heddle tapestry loom. It is weaves 22.5″ and works as an upright double rigid heddle loom. It can be used with a single rigid heddle, but comes equipped with 2. The craftsmanship is very good on this loom, the beams are braked with metal ratchets and dogs, the beams also have cranks for easy beaming of the warp. As the loom is designed to be used vertically, the rigid heddle supports are designed to hold the heddles securely in this position. The loom is designed to be warped with lea sticks, and in a ‘back to front’ fashion. Again, this makes it a wonderful pre-cursor to a floor loom, if that is the direction the weaver is headed. This loom gives very good tension on the warp, and is comfortable for a variety of tapestry techniques for tapestry, but is not an efficient loom as a substitute for plain weave, or pattern weaving quickly because of it’s upright position. I’m very impressed with this loom. It comes with tapestry bobbins, metal lea sticks, 2 warping blocks, which have 2 pegs each, for creating a cross in your warp, heddle hook, and 2 long stick shuttles. Now, for the downside, it also comes with an instruction booklet that has instructions for the Penelope, but not the Penelope II. As of the date of this review, I had not been able to get instructions from the company on how to use the 2nd rigid heddle with the loom, as the instructions are for a single rigid heddle design. Thanks to Schacht for the clear instructions on how to thread a 2 heddle rigid heddle loom. What do I not like about this loom? As I mentioned, it’s not for someone who wants to ‘crank out’ rigid heddle work. Other than that, I can’t come up with a single thing I don’t like. It’s definitely a rigid heddle loom for the tapestry weave, or a weaver who wants to do 4 harness work on a rigid heddle loom. . At $235, this loom is a bargain. (I own 5 of them, and am getting ready to order 3 more… mostly for teaching, but occassionally, for some ‘me’ time).Excellent loom

Bye for now.

Cherri

view other blogs

This blog seems to be picked up by the search engines the most, but I want to make sure that you, whoever is visiting the blog, realize that it is only an archive, and the continuation (newer posts) are at
http://www.rivercityweaves.wordpress.com

So if you are here for information on dog hair yarn, chiengora, weaving, weaving classes, weaving lessons, spinning, spinning classes, or lessons, about commissioning work, Cherri Hankins, her studios in Richmond or the area surrounding it, or felting, hand-felting, hand-made felt, or fiber art, please visit the wordpress site.
Thanks,
Cherri

Felted Vessels class re-scheduled

Because of the storm on Sat., we had to move the date of the Felted Vessels class in Mathews, VA.
It has been re-scheduled to 9/24 (Wed.). For more information, or to register, please contact Bay School at:

The Bay School
P.O. Box 1524

Mathews, VA 23109

kimmoore_bsa@verizon.net - director

gracesmall_bsa@verizon.net - registrar
Sorry for any inconvenience, and I'm looking forward to working with you.
Cherri

Classes this fall

Hi, If you are still following this blog, instead of Wordpress, I'm posting information on my fall classes. The classes and workshops are posted on my website:
http://www.cherrihankins.com on the instruction page. You need to click the link on that page for classes and workshops. There are classes on weaving, and felting and a very few on spinning.
If you are interested in learning to spin, I will take spinning students on an individual basis for private lessons, or on Sunday afternoons with my regular weaving class, or we can try to get a class together of 3-5 students, and hold the class on a day and time that we find our schedules mesh. I teach weaving at my Glen Allen studio, which you can book through me, or through the Glen Allen Cultural Arts center. I also teach weaving at my Roseneath Rd studio in Richmond, and at the Visual Arts Center in Richmond. You will also find that I offer some weaving classes in Orange, VA, and Mathews, Va at the Arts Center in Orange, and Bay School of the Arts.
Felting classes and workshops are available through The Cultural Arts center at Glen allen, and Visual Arts center of Richmond as well as Bay School of the Arts in Mathews, va.
I do have an embroidery class in Mathews also.
If you have questions, or see a class you are interested in, but it's not in your area, e-mail, or call me, and we will try to put a class together to accomodate your needs.

Please check out my youtube videos on the fiber arts. My username is Maidensweaver and you can see my youtube page at
http://www.youtube.com/maidensweaver

Oh, My! How's your mental acuity?

I'm reading a great book right now by John Medina. It's called "Brain Rules".
It deals with boosting mental acuity, and maximizing your own use of your brain. It's a users manual for your brain.
I owned Mac computers for 17 years before I heard of Procare, or ONe-to-one, which is Apple's personal training for Mac users. I have learned more in one year of personal training than I ever learned in the previous 17.
I didn't turbo charge my Mac, I simply learned how to use that turbo charged machine, and that's what Medina's book is like. It teaches you the proper care and feeding of your brain, then teaches you how to train it and use it.
Check it out when you get a chance. it comes with a DVD. I don't own any stock in, nor do I gain in any way financially by my endorsement of this book. I'm just so pleased with a good thing, that I want to share it.
Cherri

2 week weaving intensive

21 07 2008

A lady contacted me today who would like to take a two week weaving intensive in Aug. I can only come up with one week right now, but can do the last week in Aug, and the first week of Sept. I’ll be teaching morning or afternoon, and the alternating spot would be for opening studio work. I don’t think I can set it up for the studio to be open in the evenings, but may be able to work something out. Originally, I thought I could do this at Roseneath, and give the students a key, but am aware that this won’t work.

I would like to see if anyone else is interested in learning to weave in a two week intensive class. In the first week, you will learn to plan your project, dress the loom, and weave a plain weave project. Then, you will dress the loom again, and weave a double weave project. Week two, you will weave a simple reversing twill project, and learn to read a draft, tie-up your loom, and weave a two shuttle weave. Whew, that was a lot. It’s a great opportunity for folks who don’t have time for a weekly class, but really want an immersion into weaving.
Again, the dates would be:

8/25-9/5 2008

Weekends will be open studio time, so you can weave on your own, if you have your (the loom you will be using for class) loom set up. Cost would be $800.00. That’s 400.00/week. It would include 3 hours of instruction/day, and at least 4 hours open studio time/day and loom use on the weekend of the first week. Class would begin at 9 am Monday 8/25.

Please e-mail me if you are interested, or know of someone who is interested. There will be a max of 4 students in the class. maidensweaveratearthlinkdotnet

Thanks,

Cherri

Here is a great slideshow of my trip to Touchstone to teach. It's not fiber arts in the slideshow, but features my photography, and the Center for Craft, and my friends as well as their mediums.

touchstone

Link to wordpress blog

Hi everyone.
I'm sorry the link didn't work to the wordpress site.
Here is the correct link:
http://rivercityweaves.wordpress.com/
Hope it works for you. As it turns out,
There is a computer here, just not wifi, so when someone else isn't on the computer,
I will try to stay in touch over at wordpress.
See you there, and thanks for asking about the link.
Cherri

new post is on the wordpress blog

Just want to let you know that the newest posts are on the Wordpress blog.
Please check it out there:
http://www.wordpress.com/rivercityweaves

Thanks!
Cherri

Learn to Weave in a Weekend Results

As I try to learn Wordpress, I am humbled by my own naivete. I have uploaded the pictures from the Learn to Weave in a Weekend class to my Flickr account (maidensweaver), and have done the administrative stuff for flickr to share them, but am to brain tired to figure out the rest tonight.
I'll upload a few pics here, and my impression at the end of the class....just for you. Then, if you want to see the rest of the pics, you can check out flickr, until I rest, and educate myself.
We began Friday night with 2.5 hours of class. The students received a vocab list, a syllabus and a tour of the building. We talked about each student's expectations for the class, and their goals regarding weaving in general. One lady owns a loom.
Once I knew their needs, I could determine my role in this. We planned their projects, determining epi, warp length, etc and made a guide string. The lady with a loom has a warping board, so she learned on our board, instead of using the warping mills. Then we tied the warp with choke ties, and ties that preserve the cross, inserted lea sticks, and ties the lea sticks to the loom. That ended Friday for most of us. One student began winding on, and she threaded the heddles completely on Friday night.
Saturday, we had 6 hours, so those who weren't threading heddles began. So on Sat, we threaded heddles, and sleyed the reed until about 2 pm, then we began weaving.
The students wove, under my supervision until 4pm, and then the days class was over, and I had to leave. They used the remaining hour that the art center was open for open studio time.
Sunday, they finished weaving off their pieces, and some hem-stitched, others ties fringes, etc.
One student made a 8" change in her weaving right in the center. That meant that as she approached the end of her weaving she came up short. Not wanting to disappoint, I attempted to help her get min. waste by extending the back apron rod so it came to within an inch of the heddles, and we removed her reed from the beater. Well, it worked. We had to have another student lifting and really pushing down certain harnesses, but the student was able to achieve a balance of the symmetery of her piece. I learned there is such a thing as zero-waste weaving!
You will see this in the flickr photos.
Here you will see a tapestry wall hanging in rag and yarn, a tapestry rag rug, and 2 basic, plain weave rag rugs. I enjoyed these students. They were very focused and positive to work with.
Thanks for a fun weekend.
Cherri

Learn to Weave in a Weekend

OH, what a fun class. I have 4 students with enthusiasm and a very positive attitude.
This group of students has flown through the process of dressing the loom, and are now inserting weft to weave off their projects. One is doing a rag rug, and two of the others are doing rag runners while the 4th is doing a wall hanging incorporating rag, charged yarn, balanced yarn, and other inclusions. I also had a make-up class today with the student I would be neglecting tomorrow due to being in the WiaW class.
She is making unbelievable progress. On day one, she almost completely dressed her loom. She came in during lunch this week, and completed threading heddles, and today (lesson 2), she sleyed the reed, tied onto the front of the loom, inserted header, and began weaving. She is doing a fairly simple rag piece using t-shirts.
I am truly blessed to be their teacher. Life is Grand.
Check out the pics. Don't forget that I will be using Wordpress to parallel this blog until I know whether I like it, then I will be (sniff) shutting this one down for the other.
My username at wordpress is Rivercityweaving
Bye for now, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Cherri

Tess' reversing twill

My student, Tess, did a really nice reversing twill that I wanted to show you.
She began weaving in the fall, and wove in my classes in Oct and Nov, then started back in the spring. She bought a 4 harness counterbalance loom, and a table loom.
She continued through 6 (?) months of weaving, and then we halted for the summer. She has become fairly accomplished. Look at what a fine job she has done. And all the time she has been with me, she has been in school, working on a post-grad degree!That's dedication;0)
Remember that if you click on the photos, you can see a great deal of detail, as they become much larger.
Cherri

Gone to Press!

Wordpress that is. I really enjoy Alice's blog. I always thought she was a computer whiz because of all the bells and whistles her blog has. She assures me it's not her, but that wordpress automatically does those things. So, I'm moving. This blog will stay here for a good while, as I decide whether like the new neighborhood, but check out the new site, and see if you don't like it better.
the url is different....obviously, so watch for
http://www.rivercityweaves.wordpress.com
It's a Richmond thing. Probably, a lot citys on the river adopt the nickname Rivercity,
but I like it, so we'll see how it goes.
Let me know what you think, ok?
Cherri

Why am I slow to post lately

I know I haven't been posting regularly this summer and there is good reason. I hate to just write to you and not add photos of the work that's going on. Well, I started a warp at Roseneath in beautiful alpaca/silk. It's a long warp and I intended to make a tallit-like garment for my son. Being slow to weave some projects, I left it in stasis while weaving other things. Finally, I began crossing it with handspun silk. I love it. Then I took a commission that the remainder of that warp would be good for, and I made a treadling error that I didn't want to take out, and didn't want to keep. The option was: cut the offending section off, use the remainder of the warp for the commission, and weave on! Right! So no pics there. My loom in the home studio has a long warp with the cognac colores alpaca/silk. And you have already seen that, so no point in more pics of the same old. The loom I was going to use at Glen Allen, was stalled with a 11 yard warp that started out to be burgundy and slate grey. I was adding stripes of a variety of colors, and some time during the week, I decided I hate the colors together, and hate that warp. I drove all the way to Glen Allen just to hack it off the loom, and throw it away! Some things are just not going to work for me. Well, I have now measured out an alpaca/silk warp (hmmmm looks like a common thread here if you will pardon the pun) for the loom at Glen Allen, but I have a new month beginning in a week and a half. That means any loom I put this warp on may be unavailable for July, and I would have to just cut the warp off.
You know......some of you do, how often I cut warps off so a student can use the loom. Well, not going to happen to my precious alpaca/silk warp. Once I get the head count for jUly, I'll be good to go.
While I wait, I'm going to order some bamboo yarn. Although I hate to spin it, I'm lovin' the feel of Amy's most recent scarf. If it's OK with Amy, I'll post pics. She is a good weaver, and has a very good design 'eye'.
So, I'm slow to post because I'm gardening, enjoying weaving,don't have much to photograph, and I'm busy ripping off warps!!!! Good thing my favorite thing about weaving is 'dressing the loom'.
Does anyone else just love to dress the loom, and really not care if they weave it off?

Cherri

Diversions

I'm distracted a little. Until today, I haven't had a commission that had to be done, and in the interest of a little nurturing in the wake of Mom's death, I have been gardening a little. I have this great little courtyard outside the studio door that I have always loved, and never had time to keep up properly. Well, my DH gave me a refurbished, old fashioned wooden-frame screen door for Mother's Day, and it has inspired me to step out a couple of times a day and week, plant and generally stimulate the growth of beauty.
Most days, we have morning coffee here, together. We greet the day listening to the birds sing, and mentally documenting the growth of all that we plant and cultivate together. (eeeewwwww, that doesn't sound like us at all, but it's true)
So I decided to post pictures of our efforts.
This is my little courtyard. I'll post pictures later in the summer, so you can see how it progresses. Beyond the courtyard and the grape arbor, you will see the garden with our beautiful squash blossoms! They are probably our favorite summer gift to one another.

Summer Challenge

Sorry not to post for a week. I've issued a summer challenge to my students, and will do the same to you. It's for the weavers. It's just to get you planning your projects, and to inspire you to think of ways to use color and the interconnectivity of color and your draft. The challenge is as follows:
Let's get the creative juices flowing with something to stretch your
imagination. Looking at your draft....assuming it's 4 harness, I want
you to choose 4 colors. color 1 is a shade or tint of color 2. Color
2 is a pure color (primary- it doesn't really have to be the primary,
but not mauve, or some other secondary or tertiary color). Color 3 is
the compliment of color 2 on the color wheel, and color 4 is a neutral
(black, white or grey).
Now for the hard part.

The dominant will be whatever color you put on the harness that
appears most in your draft.
So if your draft is 1,2,1,3,1,4,1,3,1,2,1, whatever color you put on
harness #1 would be the dominant color. Whatever you put on 4 will be
the diminutive color. Each color has a specific harness.
So all threads on harness #1 will be the same color, on harness #2
will all be the same, etc. You get to choose your pattern, but no
straight twills!

Are you in?
Cherri

today's treasure

Today, I decided to use the loom waste from the most recent commission, rather than throw it away. I wove it into a rather coarsely woven tea towel. It's not for most people, but it's right up my alley. It's a 8/2 line linen warp and primary weft, with a tow linen pattern weft at each end. Since my husband always grabs tea towels and uses them as dishrags, it really doesn't make sense to weave my tea towels of 35/2 linen, does it?

Just thought you might like it.
Talk later, I've got to get back to the alpaca/silk warp.
Cherri

New weft on the alpaca/silk warp

I've put up some new photos of the alpaca/silk warp with a handspun, laceweight single.
It's varigated in the roving, and I like it tremendously for this warp. The fabric density is 50% of the density with the pink varigated. This weft was about 1/3 the diameter of the previous, and more densely spun. The colors are more subtle with this mocha warp. All in all, a good decision. I have included a couple of objects for perspective. First, I used the needle, then realized that they do come in all sizes. So here it is with a mechanical pencil that's fairly standard. The warp is set at 24epi.
The weft seems to be weaving up at about the same.
I'll keep you up to date on this project.
Cherri

My fun little instructional video 'blips' are up at a fairly new website called graspr.
You can check out graspr here:
http://www.graspr.com
The fiber arts vids seem to be done by fair novices, so It's a good opportunity for some more seasoned fiber artists to step up to the plate, and show some aspects of the process. No givin' the soup away! Just a few little blips to whet their appetites for our classes folks!
See Ya on the flip side.
Cherri

Tea Room Review - Cuppa Tea

Today, in an effort to lift my sagging spirits, I took Virginia and I out to Cuppa Tea on Morris St. in Richmond. Did I review this last year? Perhaps, but I'm going to do it again, because in my arrogant opinion, it's absolutely delightful! The tea room is quaint, the decor is tasteful, and the Wagners are charming people.
They carry many different blends of tea, more on that later, and serve an absolutely divine afternoon tea, or light lunch tea.
Virginia chose the tea, after 'sniffing' through the tea safe of samples. She chose Yin Yang. Perfect. Although the afternoon was hot, neither of us regretted ordering a hot cuppa this afternoon. The blend was very summerish and light.
We ordered light lunch rather late in the day (4:00, traditional tea time) and had several tea sandwiches and a sweet scone with devonshire cream and jam.
I'm sure I won't remember the names of the sandwiches, but let me tell you what they were. There was a chicken salad with grapes in wonton paper cups that was very traditional and good. The Mediterranean tuna (to a non-fish eater) was fabulous with fresh cilantro. The roasted red pepper pimento cheese on dark bread was good, even to Virginia, who doesn't like pimento cheese. There was one especial little treasure on the plate, and that was a lemony carrot 'slaw' sandwich. How could there only be one each? When asked about it, Lurline was very candid about her secret ingredient, but I won't tell. You have to go in for yourself and try it, then ask.

The scones were an afterthought to us, as everything prior to the scones was so very good. I'm a plain scone person myself, and prefer the Double Devon cream to the more sour spread that we had today, but that is absolutely a personal preference, and nothing to slight Lurline and Allen for.

Summer is the perfect time to take a teacher friend out to tea, or take your kids for afternoon tea to re-inforce the wonderful training in etiquette and manners you have been working on. Or take your Mom, while you still have her, 'cause I really missed mine today... Today, I was the mom. Virginia is my daughter;0)
You can visit Cuppa Tea's website by clicking on the title of today's blog.
Cherri

Tag You're "It"

Alice 'tagged' me, so I'm going to run with it. It looks fun.
She sent the questions with her answer, which you can find on her blog:
http://ladyoftheloom.wordpress.com/
And now I'm next. If you are tagged on this post, you will need to pass the torch.
Cherri;0)

Questions and Answers
What were you doing five years ago?
May of 2003:
1. Teaching at the Hand Workshop
2. Weaving my first tallit
3. Showing my work at 'shows'
4. Cooking at church on Wed. nights.
5. Serving on a Pastoral Nominating Committee at Hebron Presbyterian Church

What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?

1. Meet with Richmond Times Dispatch folks at the studio
2. Teach weaving at Roseneath Studio
3. Finish "Pillars of the Earth"
4. Cut into that watermelon
5. Weave some of the new varigated yarn I just spun into the brown alpaca/silk warp

What are five snacks you enjoy?

1. Nachos
2. Lychees
3. Salted Macdonald's french fried
4. Fresh, hot, home-made buttermilk biscuits
5. Scones with Double-Devon cream

What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?

1. Pay off debt
2. Build a house in the country with a driveway that snakes along a stream.
3. Help build the Technical School in Kenya - http://www.penuelministries.org
4. Give my husband a gift of lasar eye surgery
5. Build a Fiber Arts Center for teaching and promoting fiber arts

What are five of your bad habits?

1. Eating high fat foods
2. Being more inspired by deadlines than my muses
3. Not making my bed
4. Speaking before thinking- those of you who know me, know this!
5. Saying, "yes"

What are five places where you have lived?

1. California
2. Texas
3. Wyoming
4. Virginia
5. North Carolina

What are five jobs you’ve had?

1. Fiber Artist
2. Medical Records Clerk
3. Insurance claims clerk
4. Mother
5. Volunteer

Which five people do you want to tag?

1. Margaret H http://lifeneedleworkandeverything.blogspot.com
2. Manasi http://yarnahoy.blogspot.com/
3. Peg http://talkingaboutweaving.blogspot.com
4. Maggie http://maggi.typepad.com/maggistitches/
5. Hazel B http://www.hazelbuys.com/

Latest commission

Here are pics of the latest commission.
It's a memorial. The client sent the fibers from her deceased dog, and I spun them and
wove the piece. I thoroughly enjoy weaving the wall hangings from natural fibers, and fibers from peoples loved pets. Some people choose to honor a living pet by using their fiber, and some memorialize beloved pets that have died by using their fiber.
It's a joy to get to know these special clients, and have them share their stories with me.
Hope you enjoy.
Cherri

What are we covering in the spinning classes?

I got a request about what we will be doing in the week-long spinning classes in Brookfield, Conn. and Farmington, PA. First, let me say that Brookfield is an hour from Manhattan, so if you are planning on taking that class, you should plan on making an evening 'run' into the city one or two nights, and Farmington, which is near Pittsburg, is very rural, and it is a residential craft center, so we will have a wonderful bonding experience.
Day 1: We will begin drafting, and learn the mechanics of spinning, we will dye some wool for use later in the week, and we will do some hand carding. Students will spin a bobbin or two of singles.
Day 2: We will learn to ply our singles together, and navajo ply, we will continue our dyeing. Students will learn to clean wool, and set twist. Student should produce a couple of skeins of yarn today
Day 3: We will use the drum carder, and will do some blending on the drum. We will learn to use inclusions in our spinning, and will produce a skein or two of yarn. Some students will continue to navajo ply.
Day 4: We will learn to use combs, continue drum carding, and spinning. Students will learn to spin boucle, and will spin a skein or two of boucle yarn, unless they are still having sooo much fun navajo plying that they are committed to just that.
Day 5: Students desiring to drop spindle will learn that, others will 'blend in the draft', spin from the lock, and dye yarns.

Hope that helps. The class is great for beginners, as well as intermediate spinners.
Please e-mail me with questions.
Ciao!
Cherri

Rate my blog!

Good morning!
I'm still learning about blogs, etc, but today I found out there is are blog rating services. Please take time to rate my blog at:
http://www.blogged.com/blogs/cherri-hankins.html
Also. If you haven't checked out my videos, here is a link to them:
http://www.youtube.com/maidensweaver

Talk later. I've got work at the studio that NEEDS to be done;0)
Cherri

chiengora piece

I'm posting a pic of one of the latest chiengora pieces.
It's Lakota, the wolf, and turkey feathers and part of a turkey beard.
C

spinning from the fleece

I also wanted to post some pics of the yarn produced from spinning directly from a raw fleece. I don't pull locks, and tease them, or anything. It's just drafted directly from the fresh fleece. This has been navajo plied, which you can see in the close-up of the lovely loop-d-loop produced by this method. Yes, this loose, furry, textured yarn is what I was looking for, and I rejoice in every moment I spend producing it.

productive morning

Last night, I put up the pics of the piece on the Lillstina. What I didn't tell you was that the alpaca/silk gives a light, drapey fabric if woven properly. Well, the lovely hand-painted, hand-spun is a bit heavy, and unyielding to be THE weft for this piece. Besides, to me it looks a little Southwestern, which just happens not to be 'me'. So, I spun some other hand-painted roving (yes, I just keep hand-painted rovings laying around) and got a finer yarn, still wool, but we'll see how it weaves up.
Pictures are posted with this article. You can see the size difference. I may slip by the studio or studios today and see if I have some alpaca or silk that I can dye to go with this warp in case this doesn't suit the "picky princess" (myself).
Cherri

OH, and my grape arbor in the morning

One last pic, of my grapevine in the morning.

What's in your World?

FINALLY, a few pics. Here are pics of the current work on the Lillstina. It's a twill derivation from Ann Dixon's book. The warp is a brown alpaca/silk sett at 24 epi. The piece is about 15" wide, and the warp is a hand-spun yarn from a hand-painted corriedale roving. I'm not sure it's the right yarn for this warp, so watch for changes. Other pics are my roses.....yes, I love flowers from private gardens, but you can KEEP almost anything out of a shop.
Then there is this wonderful collaborative piece that Sue Seif is weaving. It's an alpaca/silk warp, with a chiengora weft. I spun the weft. It's Sue's dog's fur. I was able to spin a fairly fine yarn from him. He has LOTSA personality! Hope you enjoy the pics.
Sorry not to post more often, but Mom is no longer fighting cancer. She died peacefully at home on Tues. having spent time with each of her children, and Dad. My prayer was that God would be merciful in granting her a gentle 'passing', and I believe he did.
Now, I'm weaving on 3 looms, and spinning finn lamb, shetland lamb, wolf, and lincoln directly from the whole fleece(no carding, cleaning, breaking into locks, just pull the fleece into my lap, and spin from it. Ain't life Grand?
See ya soon.
Cherri

Book review - the Handweaver's Pattern Directory

As many of you know, I was hesitant to appreciate this book. Change does not come easy for some. The book is worthy of a spot on the weaver’s library shelf. It cannot replace “Mastering Weave Structures” by Sharon Alderman, nor Marguerite Davison’s “A Handweaver’s Pattern Book”, which was my fear. Anne Dixon has given the 21st century weaver a naughty little bathroom book for weavers. It’s the book you will sneak away into a quiet corner with to be aroused into weaving something you would otherwise not consider. Why would you do this, you might ask. Because the book shows patterns with pleasant lines, and a variety of colors and fairly simple to understand directions on how to create some of the weaves. There is a broad selection of patterns covered and some hand-manipulated techniques also. The fact that the weaves are in so may different colors, and that some of the ‘standard’ weaves are also shown with ‘color and weave’ effects is food for thought for new weavers and old.
Why will this book not replace Davison’s?
Davison’s book demonstrates a greater diversity of treadling options for twill variations, and she documents many historic weaving patterns like Blooming Leaf, Murphy’s Diaper, and Lee’s Surrender. Hang on to Davison, and enhance your library by purchasing Dixon also.
Why will this book not replace Alerman?
It’s goal seems to be to offer some inspiration, through color, and simple instruction. It is also more of a manual on taking a basic recipe for design, and demonstrating several ways to vary that recipe to create your own designs from the original. Alderman, however delves deeper into the basic structure of a weave. What makes a Huck weave ‘huck’, and how can the weaver come up with her/his own huck designs, without losing the integrity of the fabric. Alderman speaks the language of a seasoned weaver, an architect of fabric. It’s not what Dixon is attempting. Dixon takes the initiated weaver through the basics of how to create the weaves, not what defines the weave and it’s structure.
I like Dixon’s book, and it has it’s place on our shelves. Anne Dixon has done a nice book, and I haven’t, so kudos to her, before I ‘criticize’ the book. Let’s talk about what its limitations are. Although the book can inspire, and instruct you how to weave a variety of patterns and structures, it doesn’t go into any depth explaining the various structures. The explanations are vague, and to my own understanding, some are (ahem) different from what I have been taught. For instance, does Anne say that woolen spun yarns are made from fibers that are carded, which makes the fibers “lie in different directions”? That just isn’t my understanding of carding. “Crammed and Spaced” is variable sett weaving. Let’s just call it what it is, and keep life simple. Anne also shows some of the post-loom treatments, but now how to accomplish them. For instance, how does one hem-stitch? These are minor criticisms, however, as I think the book will tempt me into a private corner for some enchanting daydreams of weaving the beautiful tricolored hucks on p. 166, or the Danish medallions on p.159. Thank you Anne Dixon for this inspiring little book, and the time it must have taken you to put it together. You have my respect. Thank you Lisa H. for giving me the book as a gift.

warping the Lillstina

AAAHHHHHH, a beautiful sunny day in which to warp my Lillstina. I had to do a minor alteration in the loom to make it more functional, but am so incredibly happy now that I began warping it after midnight, and continued on well into the new day.
The warp is a 360 thread alpaca/silk yarn sett at 24epi. Originally, I intended to sett it at 36, but found it very difficult to wind on because of the texture of the yarn (the halo actually). If I find my camera, I'll post pics later.
Next, I think i'll head over to Glen Allen, and work on my tapestry.
A cartoon needs to be drawn, and that's what has held me up, but it's time to do it.
I have a different color of the alpaca silk warp going onto my 16 shaft Macomber at Roseneath, along with a linen rug warp on the small 8 harness Macomber there. That's for a commissioned tapestry.
Well, too much time on the blog, means too little time on the loom, so I must go.
Don't forget the 12shaft AVL mechanical dobby loom is for sale and looking for a good home. There was an inquiry yesterday, but she was a very new weaver and has a very nice loom. As many of you know, to begin with a dobby loom, can deprive the new weaver from really learning the basics of weaving, and the interplay between the tie-up, treadle sequence and threading sequence. Although, there are those who think a dobby loom is one of the best ways to explain the interelationship of those elements.
Of course I would see it bass-ackwards (as my grandmother used to say).
GG.
Cherri

What are the kids classes I'm offering?

This is for those of you who have asked what classes I'm offering for youth this summer.

The Visual Art Center of Richmond got theirs up on the website early, so some of them are already full, but here they are:
July 14-18
9 am - noon Weaving (this is on the floor loom) for ages 9-12
12:45 - 3:45 Tie-dye ages 9-12

July 21 - 25
9 am - noon Felting (making felt from wool; not knit and shrink) ages 9-12
12:45 - 3:45 Weaving (floor loom class) ages 10-13

Aug 4 - 8
9 am - noon Felting (making felt from wool, not knit and shrink) ages
12:45 - 3:45 Weaving (floor loom class) ages 10-13
If you would like to contact the Visual Arts Center about registering for a class, please call 804.353.0094

At the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, the classes have just gone onto the web, so you may find openings here. The class offerings and dates are different also.

July 28 - Aug 1
9 am - noon Tie-dye ages: 9-12
1 pm - 4 pm Felting (making felt from wool; not knit and shrink) 9-12 years

Aug 11 - 15
9 am - noon Tapestry weaving with a twist ( students will learn tapestry weaving)9-12
1 - 4 pm Gettin’ Stitchy We will sew and embroider projects the kids choose 9-12

If you want to register for classes at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, call 804.261-2782

loom for sale - 12H avl mechanical dobby

I have failed to mention that I am interested in selling my 12 harness mechanical dobby loom. It is an avl. Works well, and has many dobby bars, pins/pegs, and 2 peg wrenches, built in raddle and price????
HM, it's only $2000. Not bad for a 12 harness loom of any kind, but for a mechanical dobby, it's a great price.
Anyone interested? Here is a pic of the loom, and it's dobby mechanics.
Cherri

AAAhhhhh, the good life (Happy Mother's Day)

Wow, was that a great weekend? It seems like forever since I was home for 48 hours straight. I weeded my herb garden, and am turning it by hand. It's been 3 years since I've been able to do that, because of pain in my joints and tendons. We worked like dogs this weekend. We raked and burned the remaining leaves, and planted herbs and flower seeds, my husband put up a new clothes line, and a screen door for me. My daughters gave perfectly personal gifts, and I spoke with my son (who is 'traveling abroad' for a few more months).
Oh, back to fiber talk....uhhhh,.....oh, I'm spinning a lot of different fibers, setting up the large 16 harness macomber with an alpaca/silk warp for weaving a gift for my son. A commission is in the works for a client in CA., and my weaving and spinning classes are humming along. Blessings abound!
Hmmm, what's new? I have a weaving class in Mathews, Va on Wed. If you are in the northern neck of VA, and want to learn to weave, we will be working on rigid heddle looms this week. The class is from 10-4 and we will cover a lot of ground. When I last checked, there were still openings. Call Bay School of the Arts.

updates

Well, I'm in a lull. This month, I have very few dates to work. I'm enjoying the more relaxed pace. I'm running (trying to fight the obesity factor), reading in the breeze on the balcony, digging in the dirt, and of course spinning and weaving. I have measured out a couple of silk/alpaca warps, I have dressed and re-dressed the tapestry loom, I am spinning a chiengora commission, and am spinning some old english sheepdog, and in general, just chillin'.
This Thurs, I will be chatting with Julie Young of the Richmond Times Dispatch about chiengora. Apparently, it's of interest that I LOVE to spin and weave dog fur. Anyway, watch for that article in the Richmond Times Dispatch.
OH yeah, I am finishing up my spring series of weaving classes at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond this month. I have a couple of weaving, spinning and felting intensives in Richmond in June. One Spinning intensive in Connecticut in June, Spinning intensive at a residential arts center in July, and back in Connecticut in Aug for the felting intensive. i'll also be teaching about 14 kids classes this summer, and uhm, keep up with my own studio students and produce my commissions. Looks like a serious Type-A summer, whatcha think?

I think I better enjoy this lull. Well, you gotta realize that about 25% of classes will cancel for lack of enrollment. This year, with the economy what it is, I wonder if the kids classes will book heavier because parents will pass on the family vacation, and opt for a week or two of special day care(art camp) to make up for not taking the family vacation.
I'm already missing my intermediate weaving class for kids. The art center (won't mention which one) opted to not do it this year. HHHMMMM????? I've got my theories on that one.

Well, for now, I've gotta go. If you want to take a class, let me know. I'm up for private lessons. Cause you know what? All those classes aren't gonna make, and I need some new fiber buddies.
Cherri

More Spinning and felting

In addition to the Touchstone classes, I have some classes at Brookfield center for Craft, in Brookfield, Conn. The same Serenity of Spinning class is available in June, from the 18 - 22. We will focus not only on spinning, but learning in a very success oriented session to assist you to have the greatest possible peaceful experience at the wheel. In Aug, again from th 18-22, I will be offering a felting intensive at the same Craft school. This is one of my absolutely favorite classes to teach. Join me for the fun. We will explore beginning felting, felting flatwork, felting vessels, jewelery, and hats. Come join the fun.
Pictures of sample work is included here.
Visit the class schedule at Brookfield here:
http://www.brookfieldcraftcenter.org

Residential Arts Centers and Spinning

This is just a plug for my out of state classes. I have a fun week coming up in Farmington, PA at Touchstone Center for Crafts. Here is a link to the website:
http://www.touchstonecrafts.com
If you think spinning looks peaceful, and want to jump in and find out for yourself, please join us in this class. We will explore wool, learn to draft it, spin it and ply it. Oh, did I mention that we will also dye some of it! Spinning wheels are provided and no experience is necessary! Just come with a desire to learn and an openess to enjoy one another in this class.

It's time for you to finally get away, and send yourself to Summer Camp;0)
We will thoroughly enjoy the solitude of this wonderful, creative retreat.
If you have questions, please e-mail me at tallitweaver@gmail.com
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Cherri

Nice gathering and Embroidery, stump work

Last night was fun. Although several of us had digital cameras, we were all so involved that we forgot to shoot. One of the visitors last night was Margaret Henderson. She is currently a student at Visarts, and she is the president of the local chapter of the EGA (Embroiderer's Guild of America). Margaret is a gifted stitcher, and I will include pics of a 3 dimensional work of hers in this post.
But first, here is a link to the EGA blog
http://gentlepursuits.blogspot.com/
and Margaret's blog:
http://lifeneedleworkandeverything.blogspot.com

I was very impressed by this small work of Margarets and hope you enjoy the pics. In addition to being an avid stitcher, Margaret is making it a point to teach embroidery to young people.

chiengora - yarn spun from dog hair

I'm working on a commission of yarn from dog hair again. People think of this more and more in the spring, as their pets blow their coats. If you are looking for someone to spin your pets coat into yarn, it should be comb out, not clip. I spin it at $.030/yd.
So 100 yds is only $30.00, 200 is $60, etc. My min. order is $50.00.
I also do commissions where I both spin and weave the chiengora (dog hair yarn).
Looking forward to hearing from you, as I'm almost finished this commission, and love working with such fine fiber.
Cherri

just a couple more

Here is my fav, and another.