Day 3, Shaft Shifters

Hi again, Alice!

This was the final day of the Jason Collingwood 3-end Block Weaves Workshop. What a lot of information we all took in! Jason is a really organized teacher...I think some of us were on design-possibilities-overload. It was (every bit of it) inspiring, challenging, and made us think "what if...."



Since it was the last day, too, Jason demonstrated several ways of creating "weft protectors" with different knots. Now, if I were a sailor or a Scout I would have known most of them, but I am neither. Maybe I need a book of knots?
















And...the last day was devoted to shifting shafts and the technique to do that. What a cool idea!














At lunchtime Jason showed us a power-point presentation of photos from his very ancient village, photos of his looms, and photos of his father, Peter, as well as the senior Collingwood's macro-gauze pieces.

This whole workshop has inspired me to actually try my hand at a decent-sized rug for the cottage, and ideally a nice runner for the hall at the bedrooms. For now, though, I need to get back to finishing my samples!

I hope you are enjoying the warmer temperatures. It has been wonderful to go without a heavy coat!

Hugs, Nancy

Workshop, Day 1, Jason Collingwood

Hi Alice,
This was the first day of the Jason Collingwood 3-end Block Weave Workshop. Goodness the day went fast! It was wonderful to have a bit of a refresher (he taught the Plain Weave Rug workshop exactly a year ago for our guild, which I took) so many of the beginning techniques were the same, though he threw in the bits about tying the ends which are NOT in hedddles to one heddle or the other, and then the floating warp threads being tied to heddles as well.

There was a lot to take in, and great demonstrations, as well as each of us weaving our chosen colors.

We learned twining, both with linen and a two color decorative twined border, as well as the four strand sennit braid (hope I have that right! and just now I am too tired to go look it up!) A few photos of Day One for your pleasure.






















Weaving in ends of the twining


Four strand square sennit