Tuesday, 20 October 2015

USA Day 9

Today was dominated, for me at least,  by my problems with a credit card. I have been unable to get cash or pay for anything. I failed for the last time in Flagstaff and then inquired where I could change sterling. There is only one place in Flagstaff to change and it is way off our route. At this point someone suggested I ring up Visa and after two or three abortive  attempts get through, I was passed to the fraud department. And they had put a stop on my card. The story, highly entertainingly if you are not personally involved is that two days before I left for the USA, I changed my address and telephone number to those of the new house - and then the next use of the card after several days  was at a tiny bookshop in the depths of Utah. So they stopped the card at once. They asked all sorts of weird questions to which, fortunately, I could remember the answers. Like what did you use the card for on such and such a date. Eventually, they unblocked the card though I have not tried it again. But it ought to be okay.

In amongst all of this, we went round Flagstaff Museum. I have fallen badly for Chaco pottery and searched without success for a book on it. When I was in the bus again, I searched the web. Nothing. I have great plans for weaving designs based on the Chaco designs. You would think they were done yesterday not a 1000 years ago. I have seen a handful of modern reproductions which are very expensive and based on containers modelled on animals - which I do not like. I like their plain bowls. So I will content myself by designing and weaving yardage. I think Lampas. Only a week or so ago, I put a large amount of unmercerised cotton in the attic. It will have to come down again.

I cannot wait to get home and set about Fibreworks.

I ought to say that tonight, the last night, we are in the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. Frank Lloyd Wright designed desert resort in 1929.

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I am weaver and - -. I dye my yarns with acid dyes, I paint my warps, put fabric collages and stencils on my weaving. I have three looms, a 12 inch wide, 12 shaft Meyer for demos and courses, a 30 inch Louet Kombo which is nominally portable but has a stand, two extra beams and a home-made device containing a fan reed. And last a 32 shaft Louet Megado which is computer controlled, has a sectional warp and a second warp beam and I am the proud owner of an AVL warping wheel which I love to bits and started by drilling holes in. I inserted a device for putting a cross in. I have just acquired an inkle loom and had a lesson from an expert so I can watch TV and weave at the same time. I am interested in weaving with silk mostly 60/2 although I do quite a bit with 90/2 silk. I also count myself as a bookbinder with a special interest in Coptic binding.