Sometimes it takes me a long time to allow myself to change my mind, but once I do, I'm apparently very fast to move on. The current purple and green scarf is super quick to weave; I've done 130 cm in two sittings, and will finish it tomorrow. (I could finish today, but then I might want to cut off my arms tonight, so I'm going easy.) Three days to weave a piece has been one of the quickest in recent years, and I'm pleased about that. The rapid changes/movement in the pattern helps, too, as do one-shuttle weaving! But the design feels so mechanical, and I'm not in love with the piece. In fact, I'm back to feeling rather detached and wishing this would find a good home, fast. I have started to want something more "human" in my cloth, whatever I mean by it.
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I've been coveting three books, but haven't bought them because a) they are expensive, b) I don't know if I will enjoy reading them and/or use the knowledge gained in my work, and c) I just paid for a Symposium because it's right here in Nelson. As regards the three books, the cheapest I found was from The Book Depository (who ships free worldwide) at NZ$104, OR, Amazon in England for NZ$84 plus NZ$29 for shipping. Ouch! I haven't checked the possibility of buying them from different places - too much math!
Anyhoo, I have read some reviews of one of them, but I'd love to hear whatever you thought of any of these if you have them, or if you've seen them in libraries or guilds. Please, please, please tell me anything, however trivial or quirky. (And remember to bring out the violins for those of us who live in small towns without big bookshops or libraries!)
Folding Techniques for Designers - this one I saw in Wellington but the prices at two different bookshops were approximately double The Book Depository price and I was unwilling to pay that much. I wasn't sure if I would ever read it, but I sure enjoyed the diagrams.
Magical Materials to Weave - I'm interested if she discusses fibers other than wool; I assume she does and I'm wondering if they are things I can buy here, or via the Internet
Weaving Textile that Shape Themselves - Ditto, I guess.
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We recently switch all our phone services from the default Telecom to our ISP, which doubled our bandwidth, which finally allowed me to see Randy, Brian and others. Up to dressing the loom is half the work, weavers. I've watched it three time so far and I'm in dreamland every time, but it's time to listen to what they say and learn. Other artists are, of course, just as wonderful, but R&B are special, folks!
6 comments:
Can't help with info about the books, Meg, but I usually end up buying from The Book Depository. The free mail gives them the edge over Amazon almost every time. Also they take about a week to arrive and Amazon books take several weeks.
I must say I love the title Magical Materials to Weave. "Magical" will get me every time. Maybe that's the one you need to stop you feeling detached. xox
In this particular case, Carol, Amazon UK with their shipping charge was only around NZ$6 more, but this is why I so seldom buy anything from the US now - they take up to 3 months! whereas I've had really good luck with Amazon UK in the past. If I go ahead with these, though, I think it would have to be The Book Depository; I have bought from them via Amazon UK before, but this time, direct.
I have those weaving books on my wishlist too... I haven't seen either of them yet but I do know a bit about Lotte Dalgaard because Anna Champeney wrote about her work for the Journal a couple of years ago. Lotte uses all sorts of fibres and is a founder member of the Danish Yarn Purchasing Association which makes unusual yarns available to handweavers. You don't have to be Danish to join! Their English language page is at http://www.yarn.dk/gb/. I haven't felt able to justify joining so far, but am keeping it in my sights for the future. Handweavers Studio in London is promoting both Lotte's and Ann's books with an exhibition at the moment, and Wendy also stocks quite a lot of the yarns used. They have an online shop now, but it's still a heck of a long way to ship so I am not sure how economically viable it would be for you.
Sorry I should have tagged that so it says http://www.yarn.dk/gb/. Or something like.
Oh, the tyranny of distance! I wonder if someone would like to start a cooperative or even a business of getting exotic yarns to Downunder, Cally.
At the moment NZ$ isn't doing well so I can wait for that to improve, but I like The Book Depository more and more. The books themselves are less expensive at Amazon, but in the few instances I calculated, TBD often ended up better!
But first I must weave and sell.
Or, I'll just ask my yarn source if they are game. That may be the easiest, though potentially more expensive. Not sure... Hummmm.....
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