Saturday, July 26, 2008
So, on to weaving.
First it was knots, then crocheting, then sewing, then knitting, now weaving. I realize now that I am interested in the manufacturing of textiles or at least certain aspects of their manufacture and now that I have been knitting for a little while, I realize that I have become interested in weaving. I view looms as one of the first applications of mechanical technology that humans ever made and I find them incredibly interesting. I like the problem they solve and I find it interesting how each loom I have seen solves it. I have just received Craft Magazine issue 8 which explains how looms work and even has a cut out for a pocket cardboard loom. I will probably use this or a different small loom of my own design to experimentally weave a little bit at least. In a few days I will probably tire of it for some time and pick it back up again months or years later, but the point is that for me there appears to be no limit to the joy that can be derived from creating things, especially things that have to do with string and knots. In some ways I am preparing for near worst case, post peak oil sort of situation. The only part of the process left to explore is the creation of thread and rope which I believe can be done by spinning. Then I will probably make tools to help me spin and spin some of my own threads, just to see that I could do it. At that point I will possess both the knowledge and the tools to make a cloth item from raw, naturally occuring materials. How wild would that be? Even if it is only a hankie or something.
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3 comments:
I was totally confused by this post until I came to the end...I assumed because it was about knitting that this was written by a girl - Mary - but I knew this was definitely not Mary's writing. The I saw it was posted by you, E! How awesome! I'd love to see some of your weavings. We just had a textile show here at the Art Center - it is a bottomless medium.
I find your enthusiasm for things fantastic, my friend. I was thinking about textiles the other day (not in a post petroleum/apocalyptic sense, tho) and how there are now bamboo fabrics which are supposedly quite amazing. It led me to wonder if you could make thread or wool or fabric from other plants closer to home, like palmetto bushes. Consider, these plants are quite fibrous, grow without any problems - are actually difficult to keep from popping up in most of the south, and are very hardy.
Anyway, I agree with Kelli, textiles are bottomless and for most of civilization have stood for the quality and advanced-ness of a particular culture. It is one of those things we take for granted, and I am glad to know that it fascinates you.
elliot, you are awesome. i want to learn to knit, but i'm intimidated by the counting thing. i can crochet a little bit, but it is not as versatile, i feel.
here is a link about how to make your own spinning device!
http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/make-dropspin.shtml
if you want to be a little bit crazy, my dad grew cotton in our yard in port charlotte once. i don't know why. i think that it grows pretty easily in the south, but i'm sure that the internet could tell you everything that you need to know. i remember it being painful to pick the cotton away from the spiky bits, but it did help engender empathy for all of the slaves and sharecroppers. anyhow, you could try that and then build something from the ground up, spinning and then weaving, etc. you know, until we have the not-commune and those sheep mary was talking about.
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