ArgoKnot – Page 89 – A journal of my weaving, spinning, and knitting life

Weaving Baskets…some progress

May 15, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Nantucket baskets may 2011 — Nantucket purse (cherry), and small ebony Nantucket basket, both in progress

I now have four basket projects in varying stages. I need so much hand holding to make any progress that I fear none of these baskets will actually be finished any time soon. Still, slowly, I’m learning a few things.

Here is one gem I learned this week from my basket guru/teacher. At home this month I had started weaving the ‘straight away’ on my Nantucket purse (on right in photo), and one quadrant of staves had begun to go off on an angle. It was quite unsightly, drawing my eye right to the asymmetry of the weaving. I was yanking hard to straighten those particular staves every time I came to that section of the basket, but it was not improving! So I put the basket aside to wait for help from my teacher. I thought she would tell me to un-weave, but she had a different suggestion!

It turns out I should never leave the basket ‘au naturel’ while I’m not working on it. When I put it aside for any amount of time I should spray the staves with water, put on the heavy rubber bands, and then position all the staves as best I can. The next time I weave those staves should stay straight, or certainly straighter. At the end of weaving I spray and re-band for the next time. It works! I’m thrilled that I didn’t have to un-weave anything and that I’ve managed to keep the staves straighter now. It’s certainly not a perfect basket, but I am happy with it!

I finished lashing on the rim of the tiny Nantucket, but the day came to an end before I could attach the handle. Sigh... Why does time go so quickly at our monthly basket workshops? I have the handle hardware assembled and waiting to be attached. I don’t want to peen the handle rivets without some hand holding, so I just have to wait ’til June.

Lastly, I will spend some time this month shaping about 120 staves for a larger round Nantucket basket that I hope to weave while sailing in Maine this summer. It occurred to me that weaving a basket could be a wonderful boat project. However, due to my inexperience and lack of confidence, I want to have all the staves shaped and steam bent and in place around the base of the mold before I head off into the sunset to weave it by myself! I’ll start working on those staves today.

baskets5.2011 — 10" round Nantucket mold and "Japanese Wave Weave" covered vase

(Basket #4 is languishing, waiting for its rim. It’s the tall cylinder that is a glass vase enclosed in basketry, woven with cane, waxed linen and beads in a pattern called Japanese Wave Weave.)

I really thank my stars that I have such a great teacher!

Wednesday Group Tapestry Retreat

May 9, 2011 | 2 Comments

The Wednesday Group held a 3-day tapestry retreat with Susan Martin Maffei and Archie Brennan at the end of April. It was a wonderful workshop, an escape into the Catskills just outside Woodstock, NY, where we lived together at the secluded house of one of our members, sharing meals , working hard each day and sleeping ‘slumber party style’ each night. We brought food to share, tapestries to critique, and lots of materials for weaving. Our hostess took great care of us with her fabulous cooking and generous hospitality.

Wed. Group Retreat, April 2011 — First day lunch gathering

Betty Vera, who lives nearby, came to visit for lunch on the first day. She is half way down the table on the right side of photo. Susan and Archie are at the far end.

We spent the three days reviewing tapestry techniques, mostly how to create smooth angles and revisiting the ‘stealing’ technique. By the end we were all creating smooth curves with stealing. I hope to write more on this shortly! As a finale to the workshop, at our last dinner together we each brought a coin with our name taped to it and tossed it on to the generously full table of food. Now we will each create a small tapestry depicting whatever was within a short radius of our coin. We spent the end of the workshop creating and practicing ideas for these small tapestries which might someday hang together as “Helen’s Buffet” or “Helen’s Feast” in honor of our hostess!

The highlight of the retreat was being able to buy the first copies of the long awaited DVD on tapestry techniques! It is an 8-disc set that comes with a booklet. Gary Benson and Wed. Grouper Sarah Doyle have worked hard to complete this project. The DVD is in production now and should be available to everyone soon!

American Textile History Museum and ATB8

March 29, 2011 | Leave a Comment

It was a beautiful weekend, although as cold as any day in Janurary, for visiting Lowell, Massachusetts to see the American Textile History Museum and the ATB8 exhibition on display there.

ATB8 is as good as I’d imagined! I had edited the catalog so I’d seen large digital files of all the pieces, but there really is nothing like the real thing! What amazing work! It felt wonderful to see the works of a number of my weaving friends, and to see close up some of the pieces from weavers I do not know at all. I came away so inspired to think about design and technique in new ways!

Bob and I walked along the canal and the trolley rails, where many of the mills have been turned into residences. There is even residential space available above the textile museum! The canals come off of the Merrimack River and supplied the mills with power. I wish there had been time to see some of the residential spaces offered. I’ve always wanted to live in a loft!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Booton Cotton Mill now open as museum and residences

American Textile History Museum 3.2011 — petting the sheep!

Basketry

March 25, 2011 | 2 Comments

4″ Nantucket basket with ebony base and maple rim.

It’s so wonderful to know craftsmen and artists in various fields. If not for the basket makers I know I would never have had the wonderful experience of learning from Anne Lima.

This little basket took three days to make, and I have a long way to go on the finishing. My reward for finishing this basket will be to attach the beautiful maple handle with ebony inlay!Ann Lima is a wonderful basket maker and teacher from Matapoisett, near New Bedford and Cape Cod.

She is the daughter of well known basket maker Gladys Ellis, who designed the “Matapoisett Basket” which combines a number of traditional basket techniques with stunning results!

Anne brought a tray of scrimshaw with her, made by a man whose name I must learn! I had to have this little gem for a future basket.

Yes! I’m smitten….

Happy Dance!

March 9, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Need I say more? Lace classes started again so I am a happy camper!

10” of scallop border! I would like to have a yard so I’m almost 1/3 done!