Tuesday textiles, also chocolate

I spent the morning experimenting with the latest idea in the narrow band caper. I decided to end work on the current design and move on  up the warp to make room for more ideas.

Most of them didn't work,since changing the weft color completely obliterated the design, so that was good to know. Then I tried another idea and realized it was for a nine pattern thread set-up, not the five I had in place. Then I did a few other things, all useful learning, none resulting in anything to see.  Just as well I'm used to setbacks. 

So I improved the shining hour by making fruit and nut chocolate chunks.

And noticed a weird phenomenon, shadows where they can't be 

The eastern sun was catching the chrome headlight on a car outside and bouncing the shadow back through the kitchen window curtain onto the opposite wall. Accidental art.

Then, too hot for knitting group today, I was catered to by a visit yesterday from one of the group with kimonos to give away.

Back story: not just a skilled knitter, she's the colorwork person whose sweaters you've seen in my knitting group reports, she's also an opera singer and has  produced opera, too. 

A few years ago she needed kimonos for a local amateur production of Mikado, and acquired, cheap, sight unseen, a box of what turned out to be wonderful garments. She's now trying to rehome them to people who'll appreciate what they're getting. Including the knitters. 

So since she knew it would be too hot for me today, when she planned to bring them to the group, yesterday she came here to show me.

They're silk mainly, with beautiful details, lined cuffs, lovely inner fastenings, matched designs over seams. A private trunk show!

One is coming to live with me. It's wearable as a robe, I think. Here it is 

Then on to Textiles and Tea with a great young weaver who has burst onto the scene with such rapidly developed skills it's hard to realize how young he is. 

This piece is about the danger and passion of the life of a young gay man. He's very much influenced by the drawings of Egon Schiele, and if you're not familiar, check him out, great artist.

Detail of the piece above 

His parents on their wedding day, amazing techniques.

This piece won an award, very early in his weaving life.

He's an impressive man as well as a great weaver with huge art skills. 

Happy day everyone. My Tuesday was full even without the knitting group. 

Keep cool if you're in the heat band. Eat chocolate.

Goldwork from Putnam Museum,Iowa, Wool, and other marvels

Written on what I've designated Fiber Friday, some great stuff crossed my path, to share.

Here's a stunning nineteenth century embroidered silk kimono, in the collection of the Putnam Museum, Davenport, Iowa

Worth a trip to Iowa if you're near enough. One of the earliest museums west of the Mississippi River. Edited for correction, thank you, Rose!

And, other end of the fabric spectrum, back to the beginnings of another fiber, here's a short and great documentary on wool, sheep to wearing. I was surprised to find that wool is only a tiny fraction of the fibers currently in use. 

You see and hear from shepherds, processors, spinners, knitters, by hand and production, with a great incidental song about tending sheep on a UK farm in winter.

Hand shearing

Nearer home, I got out for a walk, Helen Hip cooperating today. In fact I did

it instead of going to Friday knitting group, because I thought walking in the sunshine would be better for her than scrunching into a library chair, which is not really designed for sitting in, more for stacking.

The new long coat is proving itself, warm and light and windproof against today's sharp blast.  So this is good. I don't want any excuses not to walk, that would be so easy, because walking is so good for your spirits, getting out in the sun and (bitter) wind. Then getting home to a pot of tea and a little something, today a poptart.

There was crocheting, both kinds, I find I need to switch around between projects, or my fingers start to lock up annoyingly. It doesn't hurt, they just won't move on request.

And regular crochet, granny squares. Or, as I would rather call them, Senior Squares! Granny indeed.

In other good news, finally the medication I've been fighting to get finally arrived this afternoon. First they didn't believe it, then my doctor had to attest personally that she'd ordered it, then they delayed then they gave me an arrival date, then they changed it, quite a saga. 

It's cheap stuff, not a big expense, but I wonder if they're tapdancing while the supply chain stutters along. Anyway for now it's okay. Irony abounds -- this stress was all about, what else, my blood pressure meds!

If you're shopping for holiday gifts, remember

Happy day everyone! Keep warm. Make things. Eat poptarts. Why does predictive text try to tell me to eat polystyrene?? 

 

Blinken is currently arranging to release billions to Ukraine, from seized Russian assets, yay!