I'm back!

wee!

A week without my computer was too much, but I'm back now!

While I was gone...

many things happened. For one, I turned the spare bedroom into a studio, and so will work on getting more weaving done. Especially since the monster loom is ready to use.

For another, the shawl sold, about a week after the show went up. I'm very pleased, and hope to get into a show again -- I'll make sure to have more pieces, especially woven ones, if I do.

In other news, I was happy as a pig in mud at the Folklife Festival, and spent most of the day talking to various basket-makers. I bought two (tiny) basket, and got lots of interesting info. For example, I did not know that America had a native bamboo, but that's what rivercane is. Unsurprisingly, the Cherokee used it extensively pre-removal -- floormats, basketry, blowguns were just a few of the things it was used for. The woman doing the demonstration was trying to recreate the pre-removal floor mat patterns, but she had very little material to work with -- which is a common problem with basketry and textiles, since they tend to be useded to destruction.

There is also blackash.org if you're interested in more northern form of basketry.