Just take a “weft” at the light…

Weaving humor is not always great… you are welcome to groan…

A view from inside the belly…

So, we’ve left the browns and reds, and are not heading into the oranges and yellows! Nice, sunny, cheery colors! My brother would approve, considering he’s in favor of all shades of orange! He would wear glow-in-the-dark orange frequently, if only his corporate gig would allow it!

The orange phase…

Multiple yarns in the weft

These days, we call the yarns in the loom the warp yarns. And, we call the yarns in the shuttle, the weft yarns. Way back when, weavers would call the weft yarns, the “woof”. In a similar train of thought, the shafts that move up and down in the loom used to be referred to as “harnesses”. I suppose that’s what happens when you have an art form that is a trillion years old!

Running through the shed

Yum… just, yum…

The process of weaving can be very relaxing – meditative almost. There are plenty of moments during the set-up that I have to be completely focused. But, at this stage, it’s awesome to just watch the colors blend together and let the mind wander…

Coming around the bend

Ah, sweet progress!

I guess for someone who’s not a weaver, the constant clanging of the shafts might be loud. The metal heddles sliding along the shafts creates a bit of noise! There are other types of heddles that are quieter, I’m sure. But, the truth is, I don’t hear it anymore! I just slide up the volume on the tv (2) notches and I’m good to go!

Shafts are always in motion

Profile shot!

Weaving is a brilliant mix of realism and magic, structure and creativity, left and right. When folks ask me about being a weaver and all the time or detail that goes into it, I typically respond with, “Well, you have to be the right kind of crazy!” But, I think that’s true for any artist developing their craft. It takes lots of passion to carry you through hours of detailed work that leads you to something new and exhilarating! So, a big cheers for all the artists out there! We’ll all be crazy together!

And p.s., I’m almost done with this one! Next week, I’ll cut it off! Talk to you soon…