Me and my backstrap

This little loom has traveled around the world with me. It is so compact because I am part of the loom.

It is made up of a “C” clamp, a backstrap, which is, like it says, a strap that goes around my back, cards and me. My backstrap is a little crooked but it was my first attempt at weaving without a loom from an article by Laverne Waddington and holds a special place in my heart. I encourage you to look at the amazing pieces she creates with only a backstrap and dowels!

I can recall my long gone cats wandering around as I sat on the floor weaving it. A Swedish modification is the two pieces of wood on a wire I use to attach it to me and my backstrap. My modification is I no longer sit on the floor. I can always find a place to attach or tie the end of my weaving.

Those square cards are what make this a four shaft loom for card weaving.

This little device has brought me hours of fun wherever we may be. I needed a diversion last week so took it out of the drawer and wove a tencel band from a photo I saw on Pinterest.

Now what to do with it?

Keeping busy

I was right about the ice in my last, truncated,  post. There were more cold water rescues and deaths under the ice than I remember in the past. 

Weather has been all over the place- snow, lots of snow, 60 degrees, rain, lightning, ice melt and not quite raging rivers and temps below zero this weekend. There were some fabulous cross country ski days tucked in there, when Tim was able to lure me from my fiber den. 

  
  
My fingers have been nimble and warm at home. 

  
I finished weaving this christening outfit in time for the blessing. It was stunning if I do say so myself. 

  
  
And fit like a dream. It’s woven with 720 fine mercerized cotton threads as warp and cotton and silk weft. 

Tim likes his new sweater and under/over shirt made of alpaca and wool.  

  
  
A mandolin may already be hung from this strap.

  
And our fireplace matches are tidy in a bag I wove. 

  

My to do list has not shortened one bit though.  

On thin ice

We’ve had a sustained deep freeze and lovely snow. Today I drove across Lake Champlain (on a bridge not ice) and saw lots of tents – the modern ice shanty. Some were alittle  close to open water for my comfort. 

  
  
My latest passion is tablet or card weaving. I may try to make 52 bands in 2017. I’ve already made a few. 

  
  
I’m working on hat bands, a mandolin strap, a bag for my tablets, a bag for fireplace stuff, and want to make a new backstrap before we head off the grid. The new backstrap will let ME be the loom tension. Very handy and portable.  I did it in Tasmania but was using someone’s discarded nylon  camera strap as my backstrap-perhaps a bit too high tech.

We have a cardinal in the ash tree and an unhinged peacock in the white house. Trying to find balance and stand for issues important to me. And playing with and hugging grandchildren! ( and watching youtube videos to figure out 
 

Cards anyone?

I am getting the hang of my latest venture into card weaving. I warped and wove this second sample last night.

In contrast, I am about halfway done tying on my new warp of 500+ threads. Before I started, I looked up how to tie a weaver’s knot or sheet bend and found this great video.

Now that I have done it about 200 times, I have finally figured out how to keep the knot from “capsizing” and falling apart.