Change the Shed

Using an eccentric outline to shift the shed on Change the Shed

Using an eccentric outline to shift the shed on Change the Shed

I’ve been doing Change the Shed for one year and almost 10 months now. I started this free live program at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. There are now over 70 episodes and I’ve really enjoyed communicating with other tapestry weavers about what we’re working on and talking some about whatever my current project is.

The clip below was just one moment from today’s meet-up. I was explaining how I often use an eccentric outline to shift the shed when adding just one butterfly. It is a good example of the sorts of things I talk about on this program.

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The wildflower tapestry: weaving on the big loom

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The wildflower tapestry: weaving on the big loom

I’m back to weaving on my favorite loom. I had a few ideas for tapestries while hiking the 500-mile Colorado Trail last summer and one of them is taking shape on the Harrisville Rug Loom.

In the spirit of curiosity and adventurousness that the Colorado Trail hike only strengthened, I am doing some experimenting with this tapestry. Perhaps not drastically so since the forms I like to weave are clearly present. I’m just using different materials than I usually do. It is the first time I’ve ever woven a large tapestry with yarn that I didn’t dye myself.*

For the last 15 years of my tapestry weaving career, on large tapestries I have used Harrisville Koehler Singles or Harrisville Highland dyed by me. That allows me to make the gradations I love and to make virtually any color I can think up. In this tapestry I’m using 100% commercially dyed yarns. I have found that a little shocking sometimes. For example, the photo below where I’m adding the Daffodil color on top of Indigo was one such moment. I would probably never dye this bright yellow color, but there is it. It is an experiment and I’m withholding judgement until it is all finished. If I don’t like it, the sheep are making more wool as we speak.

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Change the Shed: Handbasket cut-off!

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Change the Shed: Handbasket cut-off!

In this week’s episode of Change the Shed, I cut off the Handbasket tapestry. I am reasonably pleased with this tapestry in large part because it was so much fun to weave! I wove much of it on Change the Shed over the last 9 months. Those of you who follow that program have seen it grow, experienced the decisions I made moment to moment, and in the live event yesterday, heard me talk about the things I might do differently as well as what I liked about it.

One year of Change the Shed

One year of Change the Shed

I started Change the Shed just over a year ago. Yesterday was the 55th episode. I started broadcasting from my studio when the COVID-19 lockdown first happened in Colorado thinking it would only last a few months. I know I didn’t think it would last very long because when I started, I did it every day. That wasn’t sustainable as we moved into months and now a year of dealing with this global pandemic. I am now doing it about twice a month on Wednesdays.

We’re all weary of this pandemic. But there is hope. There are vaccines that are working and more and more people are getting them. Frankly, hope helps.

I have enjoyed the challenge of weaving on camera. Actually, I should say that I have enjoyed the challenge of making mistakes on camera. The teacher in me feels this is valuable. The artist cringes every time it happens.

The adventure of every day live tapestry... on YouTube

The adventure of every day live tapestry... on YouTube

I have lost track of how long I’ve been doing a live meet-up on YouTube every weekday morning, but I suspect tomorrow makes it 3 weeks. It seems like just a day ago that Colorado got stay-at-home orders and also like an eternity. Time is so different when routines change so drastically.

Change the Shed is what I’ve called this 30-minute daily tapestry check-in. I’ve heard from so many of you that it is helpful and I’ll keep doing it because it is helpful for me too. I do love talking about tapestry weaving. The subjects are varied and depend somewhat on whatever weaving I’ve put on the table that day. We’ve talked about yarns and techniques and tools and not much at all about the wider world (thankfully). If you want a little update on what it is and how to join in, you’ll find all the information HERE. Every weekday at 10:30 am Mountain on YouTube.

Change the shed: weaving together

Change the shed: weaving together

Making, crafting, creating… these are wonderful ways to spend time. Many of us participate in group activities such as guild meetings or informal groups with friends where we get together to weave or spin or knit. The worldwide COVID-19 crisis has confined many of us to our homes as we allow the front-line workers to have the best chance at conquering the devastating effects of this health threat. I believe it is helpful to have structure to our days and that weaving tapestry can be fulfilling and calming. I also think that if each of us can remain steady and have some focus, it makes a difference to the world. It changes how we show up for each other and that might well make all the difference.