Tartan Workshop

I just bought another Blogger app for my iPad so I’m flying blind on this post.  Anyway, twelve weavers from the Central Oregon Spinners and Weavers Guild dragged our equipment the Diocesan Retreat Center on Thursday morning for a three-day workshop taught by Linda Evans.  This facility is a former horse barn and more than roomy for classes.  We arrived with prewarped looms.

The morning was spent in lecture and we were rearing to go after a delicious soup and salad lunch provided by the Center.  Each of us had chosen a tartan from the Tartan Registry and worked with Linda in advance on warping instructions.

I chose Campbell of Breadalbane instead of Campbell of Argyl because it only uses four colors.  I figured four colors and bobbins was plenty of challenge for my first experience with plaid.  This is my sample and I was getting ready to start the scarf.  I’m using 8/2 tencel set at 24 epi.

Dean chose the McKay tartan since it’s a family name and he liked the colors.  I do too!

Believe it or not, this is a registered tartan.  It’s called Rainbow and is a recently registered.  There are two kinds of tartans, symmetrical and asymmetrical, and this is the latter.  Linda finished it while we were there.

I liked Patty’s Forbes tartan and was also surprised to learn that Forbes in a Scottish name, also Gaelic Irish.  Linda mailed us all the information yesterday for all of our tartans and I printed out about a half dozen this morning until the printer ran out of ink.  I made an account with the Registray and have gotten three threading counts so far and am looking forward to weaving other tartans, but for now I’ll be content to read and understand tartans with the thread order already printed out for me.  

I like this tartan too and think it would be a terrific Christmas scarf.  I plan to weave scarves as working samples.  One thing became clear to me - the more tiny stripes, the more fiddly it is and more time it takes to weave.  Regardless, I’m hooked!

Both Friday and Saturday mornings presented treacherous driving conditions,  How treacherous?  I drove the 18 miles at 40 mph and slowed to 20 to make the turn off the highway onto the access road and even in my Forester, the back end swung wide.  I was wide awake when I  arrived, and thankfully Marci, the Retreat cook who lives on a ranch just across the road, had strong hot coffee and warm nut bread waiting for us.

I emptied the car yesterday after I got home, reorganized my work area so I could keep my loom up until I finish the Campbell tartan, and reorganized myself to head off for the St Pat’s party at the Bend Art Center - so many fun people I’ve met since I moved to Bend!!

Alexis stopped us on our way out for our official picture with St Pat’s portrait, that’s Pat Clark, our mentor and founder of the amazing art center.  There would be no art center without her, her art knowledge, sense of humor and teaching skills.  More Bend magic :-)

I almost forgot!  I learned two weaving hacks from other weavers.  I have always used film canisters but stuffed the excess yarn inside.  Linda wraps her around the outside and then snaps the lid on to secure it.  Donna uses these kumihimo bobbins with s-hooks but since I took these shower curtain hooks and washers, I weighted with them.  When it’s time to advance the warp, you just pull the bobbin down and the yarn unspools - that’s all there is to it.  So that’s now my new way to weight warp yarns separately.