Shoe Strings and Snap Rings

I went to a weaving class at the Yarn Barn this weekend. The Shoe Strings & Snap Rings class was great! There was a lot of information that I could use. A lot of information that I might not use. And a lot of information that I might forget...

But, all in all it was motivating.

I had the epiphany that my complex color blending was too much combined with a complex pattern... so it was anti-motivating. Especially when trying to return to the loom. There was just a lack of rhythm. It was hard to get through one repetition of the pattern, and hard to figure out where I left off with the color blending.

Susan Hoisington really stressed the importance of having a rhythm when working on the loom.

I went through my yarns to find something that might work for the pattern I was using (a modified twill), that didn't need to be doubled up... and found a lovely, deep purple, blended wool/silk hank.

The looms that I learned on didn't have such a heavy beater... so I need to practice letting gravity do my beating, and not smash my picks together. (Considering how irritable I am today, maybe weaving isn't such a good idea.)

I would really like to join a weaving guild. There is a Kaw Valley fiber guild meeting in Lawrence on Tuesday. I haven't heard a lot about the guild, and they don't have a website, so I don't know what to expect. The Kansas City Weaver's Guild meets (in Kansas City) on the second Thursday of the month - but in the morning. Bummer. I might have to start taking a day off of work. I think a community of weavers would be really motivating. Weaving can be such a solitary practice... I loved being in the studio at KU.

This is a pretty hank of wool I bought at the Yarn Barn.