different threads
four full sheets of lokta spun and dyed with purple hollyhock flowers
3/4 oz., – definitely a labor of love
I chose not to ply it, it will be used as weft
this paper is STRONG and the yarn is fine
I’ve changed the way I label handspun/dyed yarns. Some of them become mystery yarns very quickly and it’s embarrassing not to remember when asked “what is it?”. duh!
the woven shibori is off the loom, it was a pleasure to weave with my new end-feed shuttle which helped the weaving to go quickly and I think it improved the selvedges
lovely wrinkle-y linen
using a 2 inch pole and knotting the pull-up threads as tightly as possible, then pushing it all together tightly. I’m not sure all 4.5 yards will go on the pole, hopefully it won’t need to be cut.
This is going to take some time.
Karen Selk was the guest speaker at the Victoria Weaver’s Guild
Karen was one of my first weaving teachers, what a difference it makes to get a good start – in weaving as well as life
she spoke on her 30 plus years as owner of Treenway Silks and illustrated the talk with marvelous pictures of her silk buying travels in India and China
enjoy some of her display, it was a 100 times better “in person”!
Beautiful color. Did you dye with the flowers fresh or dried. I shall be putting hollyhocks on my “must grow” list. I used to have them but over time they all died out.
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Deb – I freeze them over the summer. India Flint has a theory that freezing and then dumping in hot water shocks some plant material into giving up their colour. These are the purple/black variety, I collect and scatter more seeds in the Fall. I can send you some but it won’t be till Oct.
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I have some delphinium sitting in my freezer to try that same dyeing system. I definately need to start planning my planting. Do your hollyhocks need a lot of water?
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Deb – they are in the hottest place in the garden, next to the veggies, so they get quite a bit of watering
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Thank you. That helps me a lot. Maybe you need a gardening blog as well!
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oh, NO! there are times when one blog is more than enough.
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so true, in all walks of life, the benefits of a good start! that spun and dyed paper looks luscious. thanks for sharing some of karen’s goodies!
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Aimee – I know we think the same on the teaching subject. I was so surprised with the hollyhocks the first time I discovered it, and it doesn’t seem to fade away.
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jean, i have a bunch of “black” hollyhocks just waiting…you’ve inspired me! isn’t that lokta something? i love watching you scrunch (well, imagining it from your photo) up that woven shibori. it will be a great project. do you ever get it all prepped to go into the dye pot and then think…what if the dye is mud? i really mean it comes out just plain bad. when i put all of the pages for the bloodroot and violet book in a bundle and then in the pot, i held my breath.
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Velma – yes, yes, yes!! sometimes I wonder if we’re absolutely crazy. this one should be ok, indigo on linen but the big indigo vat is frozen – don’t want to wait months, – so need to make a pot in the house and don’t think it will be deep enough. oh, why didn’t I choose to be a potter???
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because potters have those flaky things on their fingernails!
CAUTION: household indigo alert, remember the incident! (grin)
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Velma – I remember – and I’m still not grinning. What a MESS!! obviously you are feeling better.
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what a great exhibit! it’s very cool to see the cocoons for the various silks. this purple is a lovely shade; have you tested the lightfastness of it? some of the purples i’ve dyed have gotten greyer with time; i wonder if the hollyhock will stay nice and bright? your spun paper is amazing as ever, i can’t wait to see what you do with it.
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Anastasia – I dyed with the hollyhock last year and the colours haven’t changed, the colour on the silk is already very gray. I have a student today so am warping the loom while she weaves. The paper will be weft.
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Your lokta is so fine… Are you using a drop spindle or wheel? I’m still using kozo, spinning on an ashford “basic/traditional” wheel and am relatively happy with my results for what I use it for! I think I am least patient with the cutting of the paper process! It takes sooooooo long! I hope to travel to Japan next year to study at Kawashima so I better start getting patient!!!
btw your hollyhock dye colour is beautiful…
Cheers
Samm
(samanthamenziesartist on facebook if you feel like a visit!)
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Sammiam – I spun the lokta on a Bosworth “Journey Wheel” it is really too fast but I’ve been using it for years and love it, sometimes spin paper on a drop spindle. I spent 6 months at Kawashima in 1987 studying kasuri. At that time the school was still teaching very traditional weaving and dyeing.
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Oh my I missed this one… but how beautiful that paper is. I learn so much every time I come here!
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Renee – there is always so much to learn
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