Campbell Creek Weavery

Good news, bad news

2012-01-19T15:10:00.000-05:00

The CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) group that I've belonged to is very clear that local produce trumps organic produce in what farms are part of the CSA. It's got me thinking about what trumps in my yarn hand. And I promise not to continue the card metaphor.

I felt so good about weaving with yarn from Vermont Organic Fiber Company. It was a 50-50% blend of organic Merino wool and organic cotton yarn. It was soft and warm for baby blankets and mufflers. Sustainability determined their price structure: their goal was for participants at every stage of production - from shepherds to the spinning mill - to receive what they need to stay in business, which meant that organic did not cost more. Unfortunately, they sold their O-Wool knitting yarn line and went out of business.

In Norte Chico - currently Peru - in 3000 - 1800 BCE, the Andeans were growing cotton in naturally colored pink, blue, and yellow. I dream of yellow towels and baby blankets in traditional baby colors. We now have organic naturally colored cotton in shades of brown and green.

I understand that rayon is made from recycled bast fibers, so I like weaving with it. Well, I'd probably like it even if it weren't recycled. I'm neither a textile engineer or a chemist, but the processing the cotton, hemp, linen, jute, and such go through to become rayon must be amazing. Rayon sparkles brilliantly, and none of the source fibers do.

Bamboo also goes through chemical processes to transform the trees' pulp into the silky yarn with a marvelous sheen and hand. Some producers use a more environmentally safe process than others. The good news is that bamboo grows so fast that it's sustainable, but it's not organic or necessarily ecologically safe.

I live in North Carolina, and textiles are a major concern in our identity and our economy. Maybe were is more accurate in our economy. I like that I have a source for yarns that are still produced in North Carolina. I've heard rumors that alpaca farmers in the Asheville area produce a fine weaving yarn, but I haven't been able to get any details or contact information.

It'd probably be easier if I had one criteria that trumped all others. Maybe Kermit is correct when he says "It's not easy being green."

Sheila Hick's exhibit at the Mint Museum of Craft + Design

2011-11-22T14:45:00.001-05:00

One of The Mint Museum of Craft + Design's current exhibitions is Sheila Hicks: 50 Years http://www.sheilahicks.com. She gave a talk as part of the opening program, and I could have listened for hours more. During Q&A time, she was asked when her craft moved into the art world. "Oh, you think like an American." And went on to say that the greats of the art world painted portraits of people in their finest garb - textiles - and even the nudes were reclining on divans of the most sumptuous upholstery - more textiles. I wish I had told her how much I appreciated that comment. Instead, I made some inane comment about her Nebraska roots showing after all this time living in Mexico and Paris. "The frontier!" she responded as she signed my book.

To complement this textile exhibit, the Mint Uptown http://www.mintmuseum.org increased the number of textiles in the gift shop. I had sent in samples because I thought that more handwoven items would reflect the role of textiles in North Carolina's history, economy, and identity. The timing must have been providential. The shop ordered ten scarves, shown below (the eight remaining - the yellow bamboo and one of the rayon boucles sold already).

Mint's textile offerings now

my scarves: bamboo and rayon boucle

A scarf shown with a lovely crafted coat.

Weaving pattern names

2011-11-09T15:01:00.002-05:00

I think that even non-weavers know what a herringbone twill looks like, and maybe even Goose-eye twill. Bluejeans are such common attire that the Jean pattern is well know. Overshot patterns have names that might be known: Wheel and Rose, Whig Rose, Snail's Trail and Cat's Paw. Some of the overshot patterns are really weave structures - I just love the names.

I've been weaving Huck scarves recently for an order, and I realized Huck patterns don't seem to have names. To remedy this anonymity, I've started naming some patterns.

One pattern I call Venus' Mirror - it's the aqua image.

Venus' Mirror

Another is Greek Cross - it's the natural/white image.


Greek Cross

Lauren in her wedding shawl

Know of names for Huck Weave patterns? I'd love to learn the names and maybe even the tie-up and treadling. Or maybe others will start using these names and add others as they find them. Think of the possibilities!

creating new weave structures

2011-07-20T15:27:00.000-04:00


my first twill design!

Well, I'm not sure they are brand new weave structures. I do know that I've not seen them before and that they are not designs I'd want to weave or wear. What's neat is that they are mine.

I've been learning about designing weave structures with Bonnie Inouye's Exploring Multishaft Design. I put on a 5-yard warp and designed within the parameters she suggested. I was afraid it was


second, with area of plain weave in twill fashion

going to be like workshops where you're handed a clump of clay or stack of paper and told to create whatever you want, and then your spiritual state is assessed through others' interpretation of your creation - that I balked at creating in the first place. Oh, joy! It wasn't like that at all!


curved lines

Bonnie has a 16-shaft loom, and I have an 8-shaft loom. I did grow frustrated that I wasn't able to explore all the avenues that were opening up to me. I'm not sure that I designed a plait weave - the twill diagonals interrupt each other and go over and under each other, like braids,


does the design look plaited?

After the samples, I was very ready to weave something more than 6" x 6" and have a usable item afterward. So I've got towels in a lofty and thick naturally colored (brown) organic cotton in waffle weave on the loom now. No, not an original. Sigh.

nice selvedges

2011-05-17T16:04:00.001-04:00


With unwoven warp ends

Over the years, I've picked up a few hints from other weavers about selvedges. Those edges that sewers use to determine straight-of-grain and then cut off. Those selvedges. For handweavers, they are troublesome. The woven piece (called a web while it is still on the loom) can narrow as it lengthens. There are tools for that, and there are techniques. Interesting bit of trivia: left-handed weavers usually have better right selvedges, and right-handed weavers, left. Wonder if ambidextrous weavers have equally pleasing selvedges on both sides?

I guess I want prospective buyers to know that when they purchase an item I've woven, the top of the towel or baby blanket or scarf or shawl will be about the same width as the bottom. Or maybe I just wanted to show off the nice and even selvedges on these cotton chenille towels ...

From the selvedges, can you tell which is my dominant hand ?

Color

2011-05-07T19:42:00.000-04:00

On-line yarn stores always caution that the actual color may vary depending on one's computer. My non-technical understanding is that number of dots per inch (pixels?) affects color quality. I know I've bought yarns that weren't the color I thought they were going to be.

As I post my pieces on etsy.com, I have difficulty getting the color portrayed accurately. I scanned a scarf so that I could import the image into Paint and use the color edit function to determine the red-green-blue values. I think it does saturation levels as well. I thought I could then use those values to hone the images before I upload them to etsy. Only the photo editor I have doesn't use the same scale.

I uploaded the scanned image to my etsy shop and removed the camera images I had. Then I finally removed the scarf from the printer/scanner and found the scanned color is far too blue. Lovely color, but not the correct color.

I re-uploaded the camera images which are more accurate. At least on my computer they're more accurate. So I am very conscientious about describing the colors in the description of the item. We each may have different perceptions of teal and fuchsia or the color of flax seeds, but that's the best I can do. Maybe I should offer samples of the yarn for a small fee...

Connections

2010-12-12T21:18:00.000-05:00

As evidenced by my web page, http://www.CampbellCreekWeavery.com, I value connections and stories. One of my etsy customers offered on her order of two naturally colored organic cotton towels that her brother had mentioned a couple of years ago about Colorganic cotton. I'm moved that she remembered something her brother said a couple of years ago. Isn't that something many of us want: to have our words, our thoughts, remembered?

Another customer told me that her aunt, for whom she purchased a shawl, would appreciate knowing it was woven by a Quaker. And then shared her family tree of denominational affiliation. I'm moved by our spiritual journeys providing connections to each other, especially in this age of divisiveness.

Vav Magasinet's towel competition

2010-12-09T21:50:00.003-05:00

my hanging towel

Vav Magasinet, the English version of a Swedish weaving magazine I subscribe to, sponsored a towel competition. I wove two cotton chenille towels and seriously considered sending them to Stockholm. My towels in a Swedish towel competition is rather like Ghana entering the Winter Olympics. The design might be original; at least I haven't seen towels like what I make. My towels have a rosepath design and a knitted loop for hanging. The knitted loop is on small needles and took far more time to knit than I anticipated.

from Vav Magasinet

But I'm kinda sorry that I didn't make at least one of the towels a higher priority. The teaser picture in Vav's most recent issue are very lovely and very traditional Swedish towels. My hanging towels might have shook them up a bit!

2010-11-18T21:54:00.000-05:00

My cousin ordered a blue baby blanket for her sister's grandson. I wove two, and they're finished already. This yarn seems almost stiff and not what one would want next to a baby's soft skin. And then, after it's washed and dried, it just begs to be touched and fondled. Just like babies!

Towels have been separated, and the hem allowances carefully measured and pinned. But my sewing machine wasn't working well. I couldn't get the upper and lower tensions set correctly to save my soul. I am grateful that that's not how one's soul is saved! I took the machine in to have it properly adjusted or maybe a tune-up. Ended up buying a new Pfaff machine. Repairs would have cost at least $200.00, and the new one was on sale for $250.00. Of course, I had to buy new bobbins, so it was more than $250.00. The old Pfaff was 40 years old, and the new one should - according to the dealer - give me 20 years of good service. Wonder if I'll still be sewing in 20 years? This new one has the same feel as the Singer I learned on, and I think I can do bound buttonholes on it. Maybe I'll get that Harris tweed blazer made yet!

I am still in shock that I bought a new sewing machine today!

color! bright beautiful color!

2010-10-12T20:53:00.000-04:00

Towels are off the loom, and the material is thicker - more absorbent - than I anticipated. Pleasant surprise. I have to postpone separating, hemming, and washing them because I got an order for another shawl from a contractor bidding on a project. Textiles are such a tactile experience that it's much easier to show them off when they can be touched. Wonder if our virtual world will ever expand to where an item can be felt in addition to seen ...

Picture is of one of the shawls now on the loom. It's very different than the towels: the towels were a complex pattern where I needed to keep track of each shot; the shawl is simply over-under-over each thread, then under-over-under on the next 'row'; the towels are rather bland until the color is developed by hot water, and the shawl is vibrant; the shawls are made of a highly textured yarn, and the towels are made of a fine thin thread. I love being able to vary what's on my loom-cum-palette.

Next project

2010-09-06T18:22:00.000-04:00

In college, I noticed that registration occurred about the time I was disillusioned or bored or tired of my current classes. The ones for which I was signing up sounded so exciting, so new, so different. Term after term. Not sure whether that says more about me or life in general.

So now that I've been weaving these lovely towels for a couple of months, I'm planning my next warp. Lots of color, for sure. Something that doesn't take as long, for sure. Baby blankets? Don't have to buy yarn for that, which is a plus. Rayon & cotton scarves? Have some yarn on hand, and probably have a market for them. Or something completely new and different? That's a fun thought ...

Loom with a view

2010-08-27T21:34:00.000-04:00

I'm glad I wove the naturally colored brown on natural towels first. The naturally colored green has only a hint of hue before the color develops through heat in the washing and wet-finishing (aka pre-shrinking). After three of the brown towels, it's rather nice to have a fresh view as I sit at the loom.

Carefully defining the organic yarn as "naturally colored" does get a bit cumbersome. I'd just use "natural," "brown," or "green" except that I'm so pleased that there's no dye involved anywhere in the processing. Are there other ways to refer to it? I'm open to suggestions -

2010-08-25T13:23:00.000-04:00

Three of the six towels woven. I pondered whether to take the woven ones off the loom and finish them. I'm eager to see how they look when the natural color develops with heat. But it takes more time to retie the warp than I wanted to spend, so I'll practice delayed gratification. The next 3 towels are naturally colored green on natural, and the green doesn't look very different than the natural at this point.

handwoven towels in organic naturally colored cotton

2010-07-14T17:30:00.000-04:00

Finally have a bit of rhythm going with these towels. One aspect is rhythm in the actual physical movement sense. The other is finding that I can tell - even without the magnifying glass - when I've made an error, which means I don't feel the need to double-check every shot.

I do believe they're going to be lovely towels -

On the loom

2010-06-20T15:35:00.000-04:00

Towels in a fine (36 ends per inch, so fine I got yarn cuts as I wound the warp) organic cotton. The twill pattern produces kind of a plaid effect. Plan is for 3 to be naturally colored green on natural, 3 naturally colored light brown.

I wound the warp a while ago and was just about to start threading the loom when I got the nice order from Wooden Stone Gallery. So I carefully bundled the warp and put the chains in a drawer (away from the cats who love yarn). I'm hoping that it goes on the loom okay: fine yarn snarls and tangles as easily as fine hair.

Why should I buy handcrafted items?

2009-12-15T14:29:00.000-05:00

I listened to a local radio show this morning about serving locally grown foods in holiday meals. One person offered that locally produced foods offer more meaning to the meal, and that holidays are all about meaning. I've been wondering what I can offer buyers as a reason(s) to purchase individually crafted items. Maybe meaning or having a story to tell about the item is one aspect that's missing from a mass-produced item. Watch Antiques Roadshow and see how often the story behind the antique is what makes it valuable, maybe not at auction but to the owner.

So when I weave, I can assure buyers that I weave because:
> weaving is one of my gifts and I feel that we're meant to share our gifts,
> that the items are not necessarily one-of-a-kind but limited (maybe I ought to label things 1 of 4),
> that there's no sweat shop or child labor involved, and
> that my prices are lower than many craftspeople's because I don't want to participate in an elist market.

My items that are organic (naturally colored cotton towels and table runners, blankets and scarves out of organic Merino wool and cotton) or sustainalbe (bamboo scarves) speak to care for our environment and the devasting effect of pesticides and deforestation, et. al.

Maybe meaning grows as connections and stories grow. I need to reflect on taht for a while.

Opportunity in the North Carolina Triad area

2009-12-08T14:38:00.000-05:00

Green Hill Center for NC Art has invited me to participate in their 2009 Winter Gala Sale. I have a baby blanket, two shawls in handpainted rayon/cotton, and 8 scarves in handpainted rayon boulce, bamboo, and organic Merino wool/cotton available. If you're in the Triad area of North Carolina, stop by the Greensboro Cultural Arts Center between 12/5/2009 and 1/15/2010.Green Hill Center for NC Art has invited me to participate in their 2009 Winter Gala Sale. I'll have a baby blanket, two shawls in handpainted rayon/cotton, and 8 scarves in handpainted rayon boulce, bamboo, and organic Merino wool/cotton available. If you're in the Triad area of North Carolina, stop by the Greensboro Cultural Arts Center between 12/5/2009 and 1/15/2010.

Campbell Creek Weavery

2009-11-16T17:34:00.000-05:00

Weaving is the production of cloth by interlacing yarn through fixed yarn held in tension. The yarn moving through the shuttle connects not only the individual threads but centuries and continents. Old and new interlace and are woven together. Handweaving connects us to the Turkish weaver whose 10,000-year-old piece of fabric still exists. Handweaving connects us to the weavers who use backstrap looms in Guatemala and Sierra Leone. Handwoven fabric connects us to Lydia the dealer in purple cloth.
Protection from the elements is a basic human need, reflected in how quickly clothing appears in creation accounts: God provided animal skins for Adam and Eve as they left Eden; Spider Man taught the Navajo people to weave, Spider Woman, to spin.
My love of textiles comes from my mother, who taught me to knit when I was 9 or so. My first weaving venture was selling potholders - made on the potholder loom Mom used at camp - to neighbors. In high school, I sewed a skirt in which the intersecting threads were clearly delineated, and I realized I wanted to make fabric "from scratch."
I love color and texture, the feel of the yarns as I touch them, and the hand of the fabric. I design my woven pieces to let the yarn speak for itself. I learn something new with each warp - sometimes about the interlacement of the yarns, sometimes about myself.

Places that carry my items:
Wooden Stone Gallery, Davidson, NC http://www.woodenstonegallery.com
Linda’s Children’s Shoppe, Matthews, NC
etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/CampbellCreekWeavery