Winding a Warp Outside

The sun was shining and the studio needs a thorough tidy up before I can wind the warp I need so I removed myself and the equipment outside and did the job in pleasant surroundings. Noone could call the studio pleasant surroundings. It is just too crammed. Memo to self. The studio is really very unwelcoming. Maybe I need to do something about this.

 

I am going to warp up a Guild loom with yarn left over from the small Newbury Coat  and take the loom to the Newbury Agricultural Show next weekend. I will set up a display about the Newbury Coat and let the public have a go. All the undyed yarn went to the Guild spinners last Saturday and they have plans for a major project. I did keep six dyed skeins and, after the warp was completed, I wound some shuttles, then turned the rest into balls.  Anything not used can go back to the Guild eventually.

 

I managed to weave 18 inches on the Louet this morning which is three sections. There are 25 verses and I had thought of two verses per page. If the title is by itself and I have the first verse by itself, then I need thirteen sections. I have already thought of a way of improving the structure of the book but it is too late now! If I find I have any sizeable amount of warp left, I will try it out. It involves weaving a small section between each large section so that, when the board is inside, there is more space available for the fold between sections.

 

Yesterday I drove over to Bromyard to see some more Open Studios. I love the country north of Malvern towards Bromyard. South Worcestershire is the Severn Vale with the Cotswold  escarpment to the East and the Malvern Hills to the West. The top soil in the Vale is said to be 20 ft in some places. So it is good for fruit trees and asparagus. Cherry trees are left to Kent and the Vale grows apples and pears but mostly plums. You are no good if you can't tell your Orleans Early from your Marjorie Seedlings (to which I am very partial).  So flat country with orchards. But Hereforeshire grows hops and cider apples and black cattle and has little hills and little farms and hamlets. Lots of glimpses of little valleys. I have not the courage to move there. No shops without a car, the roads are not cleared much in winter. Not sensible. But oh the views! And the trees! 

 

The studios were in a barn and visitors had tea in an orchard in the sunshine. Lots of lovely things, paintings, printed linen. I have bought some Christmas presents. Then back home by way of North Malvern to see another community of artists, paintings, prints, clothes made from vintage patterns and a spectacular leather worker who had a whole window of Selfridges in London to herself to show her way-out handbags. Again a few Christmas presents. Except for a Japanese style print which may not be leaving this house.

 

The print was by Tony Muckle and I see that the handbag lady, Sarah Williams, has her bags on the same page. The print currently shown to the right of Tony's portrait is the one I have bought.