Whee!

[altivo]

It's a heat wave. Got all the way up to +5F this afternoon and only went down to -2F so far tonight. Tomorrow we're supposed to make it into the 20s.

Finished the weaving workshop in great shape, with my project piece almost done (hope to get it completed this weekend, while I'm on a roll) and some valuable new insight. The other two workshops I've taken have been fun and inspiring, but this one really made light bulbs go off. Several bits of knowledge that I already had congealed into ways to leverage that knowledge into creative output. Best of all, I learned to design at the loom, creating new shapes and imagery on an already threaded warp. No painstaking draft, no following a chart, just a new freedom to play. It's like getting wings.

Photos of the finished table runner shortly.

Comments

[goldenstallion.livejournal.com]

Dear Rider.

Glad you are having fun with the weaving. Takes me back to my fiber arts class in College (got an A+). I enjoyed it because of all the creative aspects plus a lot of technical stuff at the same time. Brain exercise.

So gonna have a heat wave at last? You know, these cold days make selling global warming a lot harder. Yes, it is happening but nobody around here believes in it lately.

I swear Bear and I are the only ones (well Al Gore) who see it obviously.

Imperator who could use a bit of warming today. GIMME HUG!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

*hug hug hug*

Well, I believe there's global warming, and I don't think it matters what the cause is, we still better be worried about it and trying to reduce it.

Yep, weaving is brain exercise. This one was especially. Photos soon I promise.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

That sounds great.

I think we actually did some weaving in crafts class when I was in elementary school - it was more for the fun of it than anything else, of course, so we didn't do anything fancy, but I remember I enjoyed it. :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

At that age weaving is usually simple frame looms and objects like hot pads or wash cloths. Bright colors, quick, and satisfying for kids. I remember doing those too.

Weaving on a multishaft loom is quite different, a real technical and artistic challenge.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

*s* Well, yes, I suppose it wasn't much of a challenge, compared to what you're doing now.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Oh, it is indeed a challenge for young children, and actually a satisfying activity for many adults. There's nothing wrong with simpler forms of weaving and I certainly didn't mean to belittle it in any way. :)

I think more people, and especially men, might still be involved in weaving at some level if the equipment and lessons weren't relatively costly and hard to find. It has elements in common with mechanics, computer programming, and art all at once. A smallish loom can easily cost as much as a desktop PC these days, though, and that tends to put people off.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Heh, OK then. :)

And yeah, if looms cost that much (I never really thought about what they'd cost, but it does make sense that they would not exactly be free), then I suppose it's understandable that not more people are doing this, too. Not that I'm really convinced it'd be hugely popular even if it was more affordable, but I can see how it'd be more popular as a niche hobby, at least, kind of like - say - knitting. (One could probably debate whether knitting is a niche hobby, but what I mean by that is something that's not so common that a large percentage of all people will do it, like reading, playing video games, and so on.)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

In the context of my weaving guild, I'd say that men are attracted to weaving by the mechanics of the loom itself. These can be pretty complex and elegant now. Once they actually try it, though, many get caught up in the artistry. We have several who are quite productive at rug weaving, all original designs now. Weaving has been largely a men's craft through history, at least in the Western world.

Woman seem often to take a different approach. They are interested in the end product, and a certain percentage of them are willing to deal with the mechanics and math in order to achieve that end.

Children are interested in weaving and spinning both, and in about equal numbers by gender as far as I can see. I'm convinced it's socialization that drives men away from arts and crafts with "soft" results. In the case of women, it's the "math is hard" attitude, which is also nothing hard wired but is learned behavior. They express interest in weaving, but when you tell them how to get started, where they can get used tools and lessons, they almost always react with "Oh no, I couldn't. It's much too complicated and difficult for me." In Scandinavia and most of the Americas, though, women are the ones who have kept weaving alive and documented the techniques and structures.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

I'm convinced it's socialization that drives men away from arts and crafts with "soft" results. In the case of women, it's the "math is hard" attitude, which is also nothing hard wired but is learned behavior.

Oh, yes, absolutely - that's something that always bugs me a lot, too. People are so quick to ascribe certain traits to intrinsic gender differences when in reality, it's really all just about how you grow up and what you learn as a child (and also as an adult, for that matter).

That being said, I think both spinning and weaving are quite interesting, myself, and I've thought that if I had, say, a malamute, it'd be neat to collect her winter fur when she sheds it (a little brushing might help there, and with any luck, she'd enjoy that, too ^^), spin it, and then use it for knitting, or possibly for weaving something.

Of course, it'd be even cooler if you used shed wolf fur collected at a facility such as Wolf Park. *s*

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

I've managed 7C. Compared to the last couple of days, it's warm.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Not above freezing yet here. In fact, it's snowing again, lightly, as I write.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

*claps his paws* Yay, I'm glad it went well for you, sometimes you get that shot of inspiration that just makes things flow so much easier :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes. It also helps if you've already been creating your own designs. There were seven students in the group. Three of us grabbed the idea and ran with it, while the rest struggled and even after three days, weren't sure they understood what was going on. At least two of them readily admitted that they had never tried to design patterns on their own, relying entirely on "cookbook" type instructions provided by other weavers.

[saythename.livejournal.com]

You toss that stuff off so rapidly I have to point
out how really hard it is to weave. I tried it once
and went back to Calc III. Keep at it!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Calculus? Pooh. The arithmetic of weaving is little more than the simplest algebra and usually less, more like fractions and proportions at worst.

There is a certain amount of physical skill required, or at least enough confidence to try things and improvise if necessary. I was self-taught, from books, and wove for 19 years before actually attending any formal instruction.

I don't think it's hard, but it does require some determination and persistence. You need to be interested enough to keep at it until the light goes on. If you aren't that committed to weaving as such, then you're probably right. Most people are happier with knitting or crochet. XD