I’ve spent the last few days getting the turned summer and winter warp ready for threading. Unglamorous, but necessary! I’ve spread the second warp in the raddle (which will space it out when weaving), inserted the lease sticks, and rearranged the heddles to accommodate the S&W threading, which puts half the heddles on the first two shafts. Fortunately I have 2400 heddles, so coming up with enough heddles for the 1100-odd threads in the warp wasn’t a challenge. I’m now ready to start threading.
In case you’ve forgotten what this pattern is about, here’s one of the simulations I did back in September:
Meanwhile, I have been toying with an intriguing new idea for the design. In this design, I’d make a large “egg” about fifteen inches tall, covered with the crinkly black-and-red “lava” fabric. The egg would have cracks in it, with part of the top half missing, as if a baby bird had just hatched. Peering inside the egg – lit internally with hidden LEDs – would reveal the glowing red-and-orange phoenix-patterned fabric, lining the interior of the egg. The overall impression would be of a hatched egg (with the implied phoenix already flown away), still glowing with the impression of the phoenix.
There are a number of design considerations, not least of which is that I’d have to create the armature underlying the eggshell myself. (I’m thinking clear acrylic for the basic shape, since that would allow the LED lighting to “glow” through the thinner parts of the outer fabric, giving the impression of a cracked lava egg.) Not a huge problem, though, as I already have some experience casting forms with silicone molds – see the saga of the chocolate feet if you don’t believe me!
I’m quite fond of this idea, as the design is intriguing, the meaning subtler, and the construction complex enough to hold my attention. I plan to meditate on it awhile, though, while I’m weaving my samples. I have plenty of time, and better ideas may crop up.
I’m unlikely to have time to work on it this weekend, though, as other obligations call. I need to finish cleaning up chocolate detritus, go to a guild meeting and a study group meeting, write some more book blog posts, and begin work on my book review. Lots to keep me busy!