Category Archives: WI Northwoods

Open Studio, WI Northwoods, woven shibori

Finding Focus

October 12, 2017 janicezindel 6 Comments

My word, I’ve been away from this blog for a long time, so it is time to remedy that. It is mid-October, getting to be late autumn in the WI Northwoods.

After a couple brief periods of unusually warm temps for this time of year, we have now settled down into cool, crisp days, and frost warnings some nights. The cooler temps are a reminder that snow is coming and there is outdoor work to be done, including splitting wood for the kitchen woodburning range, before the snows arrive.

Back in February I had cataract surgery on my right eye, followed by a few restrictions, in the dead of winter,… no snow shoveling, no carrying wood, no chopping ice, which was then followed by inflammation and more drops. This was over a couple months. A new right lens in my glasses and I was told my vision was 20/20. I could decide before the surgery where I wanted my focus to be, so I decided the fell line on the loom would be good, 16″ from eyes to that point. Except, in the words of the opthomologist, “your eyes didn’t cooperate with our computer model.” It ended up more like 10,” so I can read my tablet and books fine, up close, without glasses, but the fell line and beyond is fuzzy, and reading my laptop screen is a challenge.

The left eye wasn’t yet bad enough to change my vision/ability to see, so she wanted to wait. I called regarding an October re-visit and was told she was leaving that clinic in two weeks, someone else would have to see me. Then I was told I couldn’t get in to see him until late February. Wonderful, because for the past month my vision is getting fuzzy again. I tell you, getting two cataracts taken care of should not take up 1.5 years of anyone’s life.

So, I’d been procrastinating for months, needing time to think about my future, the rut I felt like I was in, and trying to balance commitments with determining what I want in the coming years. I am not young, and in another week will be another year older. I had pretty much come to a standstill with everything in my life, but happily now getting out of that rut and back into the studio, ready, well, ready in a couple days, to weave and create again.

I’m having an open studio this weekend (Sat. & Sun., Oct. 14-15, 10 AM to 5 PM) and the studio is nowhere near ready. I’m expecting perhaps two people, if they want to make the trip down from the UP, a woman who wants to take up weaving and wanted to visit and see/try my looms. I haven’t advertised it much, and tourist season is over in the WI Northwoods. I couldn’t schedule it last weekend, no one would have stopped by as it was Cranberry Fest weekend, I was demo’ing the sock machine at Eagle River Gallery for three days, and it was also the Northwoods Art Tour. Hence, postponing it to this weekend, rain or shine. Whether anyone stops by or not, I’ll be working at the looms, perhaps a bit of spinning, and there are socks to be made.

Tonight, I’m finishing up some cleaning in my studio, wiping dust off looms, noticing that after this warp I’ll be taking all the heddles off the Glimakra Standard and giving them a wash and rinse in the kitchen sink, they have turned a not-so-lovely shade of light gray. I’m also decluttering, … moving boxes that had been packed for a possible move next year, moving spinning wheels upstairs, leaving one in the studio.

Tubes of 16/2 Bockens Cotton from Sweden, for more woven shibori scarves, which reminds me, I need to revive the indigo vats early this coming week.

Bags of fleece waiting to be washed, carded, and spun.

There are packages of fleece that I’ve ordered waiting to be washed, not to mention two big bags of alpaca that my younger daughter brought here months ago, possibly last year? They all need to be removed, too, temporarily.

I opened a bin I’d moved to the studio, with beautiful Henry’s Attic yarns purchased in the early 1980’s, just as fresh, clean, and beautful as the day I bought them. They are whispering, calling to me, and I have a project in mind.

This picture does not show the true colors of the navy and variegated blues yarn, that will become towels for MY kitchen.

A few years back I did a series of towels, using bleached and natural Swedish cottolin, 22/2. Some towels were 100% cottolin, others, I used different wefts from those large cones on the top shelf. There will be more of those towels, also for my kitchen, and likely some for the Eagle River Gallery next spring. As you can see, there is a LOT of weft to use up!

Over the past few months, quite a number of weaving books migrated up to the living room, and now must be carried back down and re-shelved.

And last, but not least, the 1908 Gearhart sock machine seems to be workiing better again, though still a bit temperamental. I did get two pairs of socks made this past weekend, so hopefully the sock-making drought is over and that will be more to accomplish this winter.

So, back to the studio, where, to finish the cleaning up and decluttering. Then, I need to make a warp yet tonight (it’s 11:02 PM right now), that should have been on the loom a couple days ago. I may be up all night, but whatever, I need to get these things done. I ordered a warping trapeze awhile back, it’s time to give it a try, then get the warp threaded, sleyed, and tied on, so I can begin more woven shibori scarves.

After that, I am finding a new focus in my weaving, to new-to-me areas, which I’m really looking forward to trying. They may or may not work, but it’s good to try new things and keep learning!

It’s late, there is an entire night of work ahead of me, and a little sleep much later would be nice. I’ll be back!

A Different Kind of Luxury, indigo dyeing, porcupine, spring, WI Northwoods, woven shibori

Indigo Days

May 22, 2013 janicezindel Leave a comment

Woven shibori samples, Monk’s Belt threading.

My second time indigo dyeing included 3+ PFD cotton swatches, nine woven shibori samples (Twill, and Monk’s Belt), and one woven shibori scarf (border area of Monk’s Belt). I’m using the cotton swatches basically to test color before dipping the handwoven pieces.

This was my first attempt at achieving shades of indigo (photo above), and had some success and look forward to trying for more (and keeping accurate notes).

Scarf with woven shibori borders.

The last piece dyed this day was my first woven shibori scarf, woven to have a border at each end, and solid blue in-between. After the first dip, I could see a couple areas where the dye he not penetrated through the cottolin threads, so it was given a second dip, leaving it a very dark blue. The samples and scarf were rinsed many, many times; after nearly dry they were pressed and hand-hemmed.

I had hoped to have more scarves woven and be on the porch dyeing again, but have been sick the past four days. While sitting here, thought perhaps tomorrow I could at least dye a bit more PFD cotton (I’ll do something with those swatches someday), but a check of weather revealed the high will be 44 F. So, three or so days of weaving, then more indigo dyeing Friday through Monday when warmer and sunny.

My 5 gal. indigo vat is parked in my kitchen on my woodburning range (not in use at present), and even with a lid on, I can smell the contents. Hoping to move it out to the porch soon, but need the nights to warm up more. Now, I need to start gathering supplies and begin learning shibori techniques, as well as how to get various mottled, cracked, and other effects on the cotton (non-shibori). There are 28 yards here to use for learning.

After a last snow/sleet/ice storm late Mother’s Day night, spring has finally arrived in the WI Northwoods. Forsythia are in bloom, the lilac has leaves, and my apple tree, too. Perennial herbs are emerging. And with windows open at night, I am treated to a symphony of spring peepers, the whippoorwill singing, an owl hooting, coyotes howling, and a couple other unknown nocturnal birds calling occasionally. And of course, the loons on the lake call to each other during the night.

My yard has turned into a porcupine hangout! A few nights ago, about midnight, through an open window, I heard a sound I’d heard before, and it suddenly dawned on me what it was,… porcupines chewing on wood. On my wood sawhorses on the porch! Last fall they had done this and I’d laid the sawhorses up on their sides up on a long table, but I’d set them down again so I could do my dyeing on the lakeside porch. Well, what could I do but shout, stomp, and herd them toward the steps and off the porch, then moving buckets aside, hoist the sawhorses up out of their reach. Sorry, no photo. But,…

Baby porcupine on the ground, mom trying to climb.

On the afternoon I started to not feel well, I looked out to see a porcupine on the old salt lick (hasn’t had salt on it for perhaps 15 years). I grabbed my phone/camera and went out, and discovered there was also a baby underneath it! Mom, in an effort to distract me, immediately tried to climb, bumping her head on the “roof” of the structure, and quickly discovered she could get around it,…

Mama porcupine climbing high.

… and climb much higher. I snapped a couple photos and went back inside. Perhaps an hour later, I looked out again,…

Baby porcupine, turn its back to me and raising its quills.

… and the baby was on the empty salt lick, mom was still up the tree. After a couple more photos, I left them alone.

As I write this tonight, it is raining, and looking outside,… there is a porcupine on the salt lick.

My nighttime reading, “A Different Kind of Luxury, Japanese Lessons in Simple Living and Inner Abundance” by Andy Couturier (Stone Bridge Press). The book profiles ten individuals living in old, mountainside homes, living simply, growing their food, practicing their arts, living intentional lives.

Coopworth roving, spinning, WI Northwoods

A Day Made for Spinning

September 16, 2009 janicezindel 4 Comments

It was so beautiful in the WI Northwoods today I just had to take my spinning wheel, chair, and basket of roving out onto the lakeside porch, this afternoon, and sit and spin. With only the peaceful sounds of nature, the breeze blowing through the pines, birds, crickets, a pileated woodpecker flitting around the nearby trees, and manmade sounds, my windchime and the whir of my spinning wheel, it was a pleasure to spin more of the Coopworth roving I brought home two years ago from the WI Sheep & Wool Festival.

The Coopworth roving is spinning up beautifully, and I’m wishing I’d brought more home this year. I plan to make this 2-ply for some winter knitting.

When I look up, this is the view of our little lake, with a bit of autumn color in the trees across the way.

Meanwhile, back at the woodshed, I heard a crash the night before I left for southern WI. As I drove out I found “someone” had been in the woodshed, and knocked over a good portion of the front row of split wood! Weasel? Raccoon? No clue, just hope it doesn’t happen again. Tomorrow? I’ll be stacking wood before splitting anymore.