slow and steady

it is a cold, grey, blustery day

snow is forecast for “higher elevations” I hope it stays there

but snowdrops are blooming

it is the earliest ever

time is relative

if you are retired, live alone and only have yourself to care for

priorities are different

I’ve never had any trouble finding things to do – and certainly am not bored

but progress can be s-l-o-w

over the years I’ve posted many times about the process of making paper thread

kami-ito using Japanese paper/washi ( kigami)

click on shifu on the side bar for more info

after the paper is cut it is wrapped in a damp towel and left overnight

then rolled on a large slate stone – from the garden shop

this puts a spin on the individual threads – but they become tangled

and in some cases almost “felt” together

you have to carefully separate them – this is the part I find most tedious

several years ago, in Japan, I was gifted 8 sheets of beautiful kigami

it is almost as fine as tissue paper but extremely strong

unfortunately I don’t know the name of the paper – but do have a sample

I started the year by cutting and spinning 3cm. strips

each sheet measures 36.5″ X 25″  (93cm. X 64cm.)

one final sheet to finish

this is the first time I’ve kept track of the minutes/hours involved

from cutting to finished yarn one sheet takes 5 hours 30 minutes

approximately 153 yards – 8 sheets = 1,224 yards

eight sheets – 44 hours – that’s why I never figured it out before – crazy!

compared with sewing thread and 2/8 cotton it is approx. 24 epi

weaving on the loom was abandoned – first there was a threading mistake

I didn’t notice until I’d woven several inches and had to cut off and start again

then there was a mistake in the repair – whaaa!

today it was fixed

more tea towels

same weave structure as the pre-Christmas red ones

all the bits are gathered for backstrap weaving

the strap is a leftover piece of handspun and felted wool

it is strong, soft and I hope comfortable

now to wind the warp and get it on the loom