Friday, October 24, 2008

Uploading photos to Blogger while in the US of A is LOTS faster than from home so today you get pent up photos from my trip so far. At the moment we are awaiting the arrival of the the 3rd of the the three-some from high school that did everything together, listening to music, going to the movies, etc. In the mean time here are some pictures. At top is a picture of some of the looms at the Weavers School. The class was so good I cannot begin to fill up the space with superlatives. Madelyn is a super teacher and there were looms to do every common (and some uncommon) weaves. I was disappointed in my own shortcomings as most of the looms are Baby Wolf jack looms and I didn't have the knee power required to lift the shafts for plain picks between pattern picks for the summer and winter which was one I really wanted to do. I did lots of twill and a double weave colour gamp that I never thought I could do. Of course, with all the looms set up and ready to go, it was easy to concentrate on weave structure. I hope I can hold the knowledge in my head long enough to do it when I get home. The weave that is at the head of the School's web page is one we did and it looks completely impossible but is actually easy. I now own my own sample of it woven with my very own hands.

Here is one photo from Rhinebeck, the entries in the spinning award. The first prize in weaving was a twill scarf in what looked like naturally brown wool--nothing fancy but well executed and that I know is what counts. When we were getting ready to cut our fabric off the looms at the Weavers School we had to weave a border to tie a new warp to and I wove the best tabby I've ever done, knowing that future classes would see my ending border when they sat down at that loom.


At right is some of Eleanor Roosevelt's knitting. I went to Val Kill, her home, and was somewhat disappointed that only about 4 of the 20 rooms are open to the public. There was also a VIP function on at the site and I got to see James Earl Jones ride by in a golf cart. There was nothing knitting related there. I was tired and thought, well, FDR's place is right down the road so why not. I went through the museum but could not summon up leg power for the home. In the museum I cruised and found a whole wing/gallery devoted to Eleanor and there was all the stuff I wanted to see including a whole exhibit of her needlework including the example shown here. There was a short movie before you get into the gallery and she was knitting everywhere. They said she knit during UN sessions. Take that, all you men who think women can't knit and think at the same time.

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