busy days
the progress of making shifu yarn is very slow
the first ball of spun thread and the torn bits of paper
by clicking on the picture you can see the quality of the paper
the kozo fibre makes it strong even when cut into 2mm (1/10 inch) strips
one full sheet of paper – 39″ X 26″ (99.5cm X 63cm)
weighing .75oz (21.26gm.)
I haven’t calculated the time taken to get to this point but it is greater than 10 hours
and I have 10 sheets (maybe more) to prepare for a major weaving project
planning the next warp – if the current one ever gets finished
once again I received another weaver’s stash
cotton and some very nice linen
it will take more than one lifetime to weave all this
keeping my eye on the weather and hoping to get some good indigo seeds
the back fence protects me from the back lane and hungry deer
and some rowdy high school students
it collapsed in the first winter wind and was rebuilt
I am delighted with the result
the builders were happy to reuse the rotary cut, old boards and they didn’t have to go in the landfill
www.onesmallstitch.Wordpress.com u 
jean, hints of a big project are so enticing! the thread looks very good–are you spinning on a turkish spindle, or do you have a winder that makes this kind of ball?
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Velma – shifu takes so much time it will keep me working through the winter. Spinning on the little rim weighted turkish spindle from IST Crafts on the Isle of Wight.
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lovely shifu combined with one of those “reclaimed” yarns
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Neki – think the shifu is going to go with silk.
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Your shifu turned out lovely. Can’t wait to see what you make with it. Your indigo looks just like mine – I already have some seeds that I hope are mature but I think I will pick some flower stalks and bring them indoors just in case. I’d hate to have no viable seeds come spring!
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Louisa – I’ve never had any luck bringing them in before the seed are fully developed. The shifu is going to take quite awhile.
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*GASP* *Drool* the linen! Lovely shifu, time well spent.
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Kristin – only a few cones are linen and not special, still available from weaving suppliers. Many more hours to go with the shifu.
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Check out Paper Threads, Yarns and Textiles on Facebook re spinning and using paper thread/yarns.
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Mary – thanks, I have visited them and have Susan Byrd’s book. Hiroko Karuno’s book Kigami and Kami-ito is my bible, short, clear, comprehensive instructions from a master. I’m not especially into the “artsy” stuff. My introduction to shifu was at Kawashima textile school in 1987 and I’ve been experimenting ever since.
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I like your fence! Does it keep cougars away too?!
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Kjerstin – I definitely don’t want to see one of them but certainly hope they would have to think twice. Keeping the deer out should solve the cougar problem.
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