The Trouble With Tribbles - Peg Loom Weaving Workshop

This is my Mom's first Peg Loom Weaving

Well what a fun day!  It was my job to write the report for the day for 'Guild's Newsletter'.   I wanted to get it written because if I leave it for too long I will forget as my life gets a bit hectic.  I thought I would post it here as it explains the day.  I am not 100% happy with it, but as many things in my life it will just have to do.  Once I start tweaking I could tweak all day!  I much prefer 'Random Bloggy Writings'.  My Alpaca 'Tribble' weaving is in the Washing Machine right now, on a hand wash cycle, I hope it has survived.  Here it is as a 'work in progress'

Peg Loom Weaving Workshop 12.5.12

With Jaqueline Jeynes of Pen Coed Textiles

Jaqueline travelled from her home near Cardigan Bay to deliver her ‘Peg Loom Weaving’ workshop in Birmingham.  She brought with her a range of Peg Looms, fibres, fabrics, yarns and a wealth of experience and knowledge to impart.  Jacqueline has been a tutor with the Open College of Arts for twenty years, providing support for students on the ‘Understanding Art and Textiles Design’ courses. 

Very quickly members were given practical instruction in how to warp a peg loom and begin to weave.  Jacqueline provided many ideas and examples as to the versatility of these simple, portable looms.   Pen Coed textiles provide a variety of looms by mail order and all of these are made to a high standard of finish by Jacqueline’s husband.  The ‘Combi’ looms are rather ingenious and have three sizes of pegs all on the same solid base.  This is excellent value for money in comparison to other Peg Looms available and ‘Pen Coed Textiles’ have applied for the patent on this design of loom.  Peg Looms are not a new idea but the single loom containing three sizes of pegs is an innovative and versatile design introduction to the ‘weaving market’ enabling the Peg Loom Weaver to produce a wide range of fabrics from a single loom. 

Members were weaving a wide variety of commercial yarn, hand spun yarn, novelty yarn, ribbons, rags, chiffon, fleece, fibre and ‘raw’ fleece, producing a wonderfully varied array of textiles and fabrics.  A wide range of textural and colour effects were explored by the group as a whole with some fantastic results.  Jacqueline also explained methods that could be used for adding, beads, buttons and making a feature of decorative fringes.  Shaping is also possible on the Peg Loom.

Whilst the history of Peg Loom weaving is unclear it is believed to be an old method of weaving cloth.  The main advantages of a Peg Loom are the simplicity and the portability.  The pegs can also be used for ‘Stick Weaving’, producing strong dense fabric.  Peg Loom Weaving has gained in popularity over the last twenty years and Jacqueline has a book that is currently at the printers.  I am sure many of us cannot wait to get our hands on a copy as there is a gap in the market for information and design ideas/instruction for this particular method of weaving.  Workshop participants had a relaxed, informative and creative day and I am sure individuals left with a wealth of ideas and intentions to continue ‘Peg Loom’ weaving at home.  It was most enjoyable to work with Jacqueline and as always to work alongside each other.

I  like this one using yarn, chord and rags.

This one grew very quickly and is made with hand spun yarn

This one is destine to be felted

I love the Colours and textures of this piece

I like the way this one explores colour

More experimenting with colour effects

A Cheerful 'Jubilee' inspired piece

This Piece is very Pretty

Quick update from the Washing Machine, it looks as if the 'Tribbles' have survived.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a nice day so it can go on the Washing Line to dry.  Lord knows what I can actually make with it though.  I suggested to my Other Half it would make a lovely cat blanket, we just need to get a kitten!  He gave me the silent treatment!  I think that means yes...I can get one!  

What A Tangled Web We Weave!

I have been putting my little Ashford Kiwi spinning wheel through it's paces.  I have been pushing it to the 'Pepsi Max' of it's capabilities.  I am in experimental 'Lucy in The Sky' style territory.  If there are rules, they are there to be broken!  Finally I have made a little dent in my Alpaca stash.  I have realised that if I want have any chance of spinning a 'decent' yarn with it I am going to have to be brutal and lose a massive proportion of my haul.  Just keeping the better quality fleece.  It seems like a terrible waste to me, but some of it has too much vegetable matter in it and I do not have the hours in the day to pick it all out.  I have also only ever spun Alpaca unwashed and uncarded.  The next lot I spin will be washed and carefully carded.  I still have at least seven black bags full to play with!  Tomorrow I am going to Weaving Spinning and Dyeing Guild and I am doing an all day workshop, 'Peg Loom Weaving'.  Well I have a plan.

In among by Gizmos and Gadgets I have an under used peg loom, and the most delightful little 'Owlie' bag.

The pegs fit nicely in the 'Owlie' bag.  I have used the loom briefly at work where as a collaborative project the kids all had a go at weaving a group piece.  We used an assortment of odds and ends, bright acrylic and novelty yarns.  As I say, the loom is under used.  The pegs were too much of a tight fit so Euan has very kindly and diligently filed the end of each peg and now they are a much better fit.  I have done a little bit of 'Googling' about peg looms and know you can pretty much weave anything on them from rags to raw fleece.  I didn't want to buy anything in addition to the too much fleece and yarn I already hoard so the natural conclusion I came to was to prepare some of my 'Free' Alpaca.

I have literally chucked it through the wheel and made some Super Duper Ultra Bulky 'Yarn' as I Navajo Plied the already thick singles.  The little 'Kiwi' groaned under the pressure.  My Other Half came across a ball of the said yarn today and said 'What the Hell's that!  It looks like a creature!'  It does as well, it reminds me of that episode of Star Trek with all those 'Tribbles'

I wonder how they will weave up tomorrow?  I will of course be back to update you regarding my adventures.  Beam me up Scotty!

Nettle and Courgette Tripoline with Feta Cheese

Let me tell you there is nothing nicer than a heavily charred courgette.  Nope they are definitely not burnt!  Don't even think it!  Well done, but not burnt.  Can't you tell I am a Mom and used to saying stuff like that?  I went on a forage again, don't forget that rhymes with porridge.  I braved the nettles, feeling like an experienced porridger forager by now, I used my bare hands and pinched the nettle tips out assertively and paid the price. . .getting stung again.  When I got home I got creative in the kitchen.  I figured you can substitute spinach with nettles.  I fried off the courgette in spray oil!  Yep spray oil.  Any fool on a diet  healthy eating plan, uses spray oil. . . don't they?  While my 'Tripoline' pasta was boiling I added the nettles to the pan with the courgette and stirred them around until they were cooked.

Tripoline

I must say this 'Tripoline' strikes me as being considerably posher than spaghetti.  When the pasta was cooked I added the nettles courgette and crumbled Feta cheese.  I combined all the ingredients together well and seasoned with plenty of salt and pepper.  Rather delicious even if I do say so myself.

                This Italian 'folk' saying seems rather apt:


   Italian: Nessuno conosce che cosa sta cucinando nella vaschetta meglio di chi fa la mescolatura. 


   English: No one knows what is cooking in the pan better than the one doing the stirring. 

In this house that is too true!

Beware of the Ginger Ninjas!

Enter those who dare!  This is the sign on the gate to the Chickens half of the Garden.  I love it!  I don't worry about the neighbour's cats, there are three or four that show regular interest in the chooks.  They come in to the garden but have so far not got too close.  I am sure three chickens could kick a cat's butt!  They regularly have a good peck at Euan and can actually hurt.  They peck my Mother and they occasionally give me a nasty peck on the back of the legs when I am not expecting it.  They are very worthy of this sign!
                They eventually came out to play at about four yesterday afternoon and seemed none too worse for their trauma.  They were very nervous at bedtime going back in their coop, I helped them each to bed by giving them a shove!  Never mind pushing an elephant up the stairs!  You try getting a reluctant chicken into it's coop.

They stuck together yesterday...safety in numbers, I rarely photograph three Hens in one picture.  I am pleased to report three eggs were collected this morning too.  The neighbour has had his fence repaired and my Ginger Ninjas are safely in bed.  All is well. . . . . 

Trauma in the Coop!

My Poor Chickie Wicks!  I went to the coop as usual this morning, they normally come bustling out for a chat and are desperate to be let out to run around doing what chickens do all day.  Today was a different matter.  They appeared petrified to see me and squawked, flapping madly, hitting the ceiling of their coop.  I tried to calm them down with my voice but that just seemed to make them even more frantic.  I noticed quite a pile of freshly scraped soil by their coop door and a rubber mat we have there was turned over.  I set to work straightening it all before I took this photograph, that looks like 'Fox' scrape marks to me!

Now I am no expert but they do look like scrape marks and something had been causing a commotion up there, what do you think?  Two of the girls were flapping around making terrified clucks.  When angry or scared chickens can also make a low 'growling' type of noise, they were doing that this morning.  The more timid of the three has just retreated into the nest box with her face to the wall she does not want to move.

I opened all the doors on the coop and spoke in a calm and upbeat manner, but they are not having it!  There is no way they can be coaxed out today.  The poor things look like they are having a nervous breakdown.
They have undoubtedly had quite a traumatic experience.  I am already down to two eggs each day now, I do not know what has happened to the third egg!  I did say to the chickens last week 'Someone will be for the pot if you keep laying two eggs a day'!  The next morning I had three eggs.  Then we have gone back to two again.  Euan was very cross with me for telling them that!  he says they are like sisters to him!  Trauma effects laying so I had two eggs this morning but I am not expecting any tomorrow.  They have stopped laying in the past as a result of a large and loud thunderstorm and they have stopped laying twice last year when I went away and left my Other Half in charge!   Never have these Chicken babies appeared frightened of me before, they even let me bath and blow dry them and chat away quite happily.  It is sad to see them so neurotic, especially as I can't seem to make it better.

 Do they look terrified to you?  They do to me.  I have been up there this afternoon with a large can of corn kernels.  While they still don't want to come out to play, they gobble the corn and it seemed to help them to temporarily forget their troubles.  Poor poor girls, these are the chickens that like to play in the snow, the rain and whatever else the elements throw at them.  Not today.  Euan has asked for his own alarm clock so he can set it to wake him to go and check on them in the night!  I will be making some kind of barricade tonight and hoping for the best.  I will probably stack up flower pots that will hopefully fall and startle a fox.  It is the time of year for hungry fox cubs.  My Other half has a day off work tomorrow he said he will make the fences safer, two of my neighbours either side lost fences last week in the gales, we managed to fix ours the same day, the neighbours still haven't so we think the fox is able to get through the back gardens where previously it couldn't.  I have worried all day!  I think I will be sleeping with one eye open tonight!  I bet the poor chickens won't sleep at all!  

From Sheep to Chic - Textile Artist Linda Moss

I just remembered I forgot!  I forgot to tell you about last Month's Weaving, Spinning and Dyeing Guilds 'Talk'.   It was called 'From Sheep to Chic' and the speaker was Linda Moss.  Linda is a textile artist who works mostly with fleece from her own sheep.  She keeps 'Soay' Sheep that are a 'Rare' breed, registered with 'The Rare Breeds Survival Trust'.

Soay Sheep Society

Soay sheep are unlike any other breed of sheep.  They are one of the earliest most primitive breeds of sheep.  They originate from St Kilda in Scotland, the remotest part of the British Isles.  It also has the harshest climate in the British Isles.  How Soay Sheep came to be in St Kilda, no body knows.  They are adapted for the really harsh climate and are excellent conservation grazers, they are content in woodland or hills.  They lamb much later in the year than other breeds, biological programming ensuring optimum survival of their young.  Linda lives high up in the Shropshire Hills, where again the weather can be exposed and much colder than lower ground.  These little sheep are extremely hardy.  They usually have only one lamb and they make very good mothers, they can pretty much be left to their own devices and they will deliver a lamb without problems on their own in the field.  Although Linda occasionally has Bottle fed lambs around the clock.   I can remember Linda said they do not flock, so you have to tempt them with a bucket of food to round them up, also conventional sheep fencing does not suffice to contain this breed, although they are small they are agile and feisty.  There coloured fleece is a treat for many crafters.  They do not need to be sheared like other sheep as they shed their fleece naturally or it can be picked/pulled off to be gathered.

This Photograph shows the fleece shedding - this lucky sheep is being cared for at a sanctuary ran by 'Enfield' Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance

They are also good for meat, (sorry I cringed writing that).  The meat portions are much smaller but apparently delicious.  Rather than eat the lamb, farmers would wait until the Lamb is older than seven months and then it is called a Hogget and the meat is also called Hogget...not lamb and not mutton, the portions then are bigger than they would be but still considerably smaller than your average lamb.  Enough already of all this talk of eating little Hoggetsies it is not a nice thought!  Delicious on the plate maybe but not a nice thought when you look at the cute little Baa Lambs.  I am such a 'Townie' and would really have never made a Farmers Wife!  My meat comes in packs not from animals of course!
You can read Linda's  Artists Statement Here and also see samples of her work, felting, Dying and crochet to make hats, scarves, bags and jewellery.  I loved the bags made with natural fleece that had been wet felted.  Some of them had buttons made from natural materials, stone with natural holes in them (as opposed to drilled holes), leather or horn.  Bags like this could have been made in Bronze Age Britain as the techniques and materials were all available then.  Bone, leather, stone and horn would have been used for buttons.  It is believed felting is the earliest form of fabric dating from at least 10 000 years ago.
Do pop over and read more about Linda Moss and look at more examples of her beautiful textile work.  Very inspirational stuff.
            Now me needs a little sheepy.  We have just about chicken proofed the garden (well we actually gave half of it to the chickens and gave up)!  I wonder if I could persuade my Other Half to Soay Sheep proof the back garden?  I have also heard about a Piggy Wig that needs a new home as it is upsetting its Llama and Alpaca brothers and sisters!

Mental note to self:  Must Buy Lottery Ticket!