Dance on a Volcano (Ocarina)

The second in the Mayan Music set is subtitled "OCARINA". The sound patterns I have used here evoke a more harsh, trill sound like the wind pipes used by the Matans, hence the title Ocarina

Los Endos (Drums) Mounted and On my wall

Well here it is, mounted on its stretcher and on the wall. Can't decide whether to put in the modern part of the house or the old barn section.

I have decided the two pieces will go under the same heading of "Mayan Music" - this one is subtitled "DRUMS"

Los Endos

This is the second in the 3 piece set I have conceived and the first i will weave until I resolve how to do Ripples. It's warped and ready to go - here are the screen shots of the PCW design; it's an overshot so there will be a fine tabby in the actual woven piece.



I have always had this 'drum-sound' and 'lost civilisation' image for this piece. So I did some fascinating research into the ancient Mayan culture, for whom textiles was and still is a major part of their culture. Four key images recur in their textiles. Two of these were able to be designed into the piece using the threading I developed for the main image.


This one is the "earthlord", a key pagan image in Mayan textiles







And this one is "The Vulture"





The main pattern, which comes from the threading, is part of the theme in these pieces of 'waves' - in this case I want to give the feeling of intense sound waves. Mayans had, like most cultures, an important role for music and their music was based around purcussion, like drums and small wind instruments, like the Ocarina. This piece is DEFINITELY drums to me!! Big, wide sound waves!



It is on 8 shafts in overshot, likethe other two pieces (though Ripples will probably be done on more shafts)

B****R! Ripples requires more shafts

Right, it's official - I am saving up for a 32 shaft Megado!
After many hours of experimentation, "Ripples of a Blue Girls Tears" needs more shafts; at least 12 and ideally 16. I have tried to modify it within the confines of 8 shafts but it's impossible. I can reproduce the image perfectly as designed, but I need the extra shafts to enable a stable ground weave in the tabby of the overshot. I could ignore that it's not a stable structure, as its going to be stretched over a frame, but that is cheating! I now have two projects 'on hold' due to shaft restrictions: The African Queen can also only be done exactly as I want it if I have 16 shafts.
I have another large project in overshot which needs a few more hours work and that WILL work on 8 shafts. ....its called Los Endos in the Project Pages.

Gail is underway

Gail is practicing to get used to her new loom.; a 32" 8 shaft table loom.
She can start her own blog now!

Whoo...hooo! Got my loom back!

I am happy to announce I can have my loom back when I get back to France tomorrow as I have found an 8 shaft Ashford table loom at a a demon price for Gail.
I have been looking for one of these as it can be easily adapted to use the mechanical dobby system I have spare from the Octado...more work in the garage to distract me from weaving lol

Going Native!

A bit of "freehand-fun" whilst I wait for the yarns for "Ripples" - I am off to the UK on Friday so have had them delivered there.
I have done a blanket, done to be a wall-hanging actually, so it will be stretched on a frame and hung in the gite. It's just over a metre long.
It's my design for a traditional Navajo blanket, pretty much made up as I went along. It's loom woven with a warp spacing of only 6 epi so it's entirely weft-faced. I have used a lot of "pick-up" to do the patterns and there are several changes of lift plan throughout. I used up loads of bits of yarns I had; mostly wool with lots of fancy yarns, boucles and fuzzy yarns; all different weights and thicknesses with the main warp in a cotton boucle. If I ran out of something, I changed the design and used something else out of the bag! Good fun!
Can't wait to get going on "Ripples" though!