Tapestry Weaving
Rebecca Mezoff
Testing out the Duet tapestry beater from ...

It is no secret that I love my tapestry forks/beaters with metal tines. Many people make them with dog combs. The metal tines slide through the warp easily and if the handles are shaped well, they provide a nice snap for work on tapestries large or small.

Over the years I’ve purchased many tapestry forks from Magpie Woodworks, Thomas Creations (Threads Thru Time), and Timber and Twine. These are beautiful hand-crafted tools and every tapestry weaver should have at least one of these in their toolbox.

But I have had so many students who were unable to get one of these forks or had to wait many months just because when a tool is hand-made one at a time, it takes a long time to produce them and more people want them than can get them.

Testing out the Duet tapestry beater from Schacht

Still Hiking! Colorado Trail Thru-hike 2021 | #hikingweaver

Still Hiking! Colorado Trail Thru-hike 2021 | #hikingweaver

I am writing this from my phone and mile 412 of the Colorado Trail. I am in Silverton, CO having walked here from Denver. I have 75 miles and about 5 days of hiking left.

The trail has been stunning, challenging at times, amazingly beautiful, and full of curiosities. I am grateful to have the time living outside and experiencing the backcountry of Colorado in an extended format.

I have been telling the story of the trail in my Instagram feed. I invite you to go there to see photos and read about the hike. If you want the story chronologically which is how I wrote it, start with THIS post and then scroll up (that should be the photo below on July 29, 2021).

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Reflecting on a career in tapestry | The Weave Podcast

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Reflecting on a career in tapestry | The Weave Podcast

Gist Yarn produces a wonderful podcast called Weave. I was interviewed for one of the earliest episodes and last week, we did an updated episode. We talked about my weaving life, my teaching philosophy, and a bit about a new tapestry yarn that is now available for pre-order. The yarn is called Array. I wrote more about the yarn which I’ve been testing for at least a year HERE.

You can listen to the podcast episode HERE or wherever you get your podcasts! It is episode 140.

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A new tapestry yarn! Made in the USA.

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A new tapestry yarn! Made in the USA.

GIST Yarn is a wonderful small company based in Boston. Started by the brilliant Sarah Resnick, it is a yarn and weaving company that values materials sourced in the United States. Sarah and her team are committed to supporting local agriculture, mills, and dye houses and their weaving yarns are gorgeous.

I have admired Sarah’s business for many years now and was thrilled when she asked me about a new project she was thinking about, a tapestry yarn made from US wool in a US mill.

If you’re a tapestry weaving, you know that there aren’t all that many yarns that come in a wide range of colors that include gradations. This holy grail of tapestry coloring, having light, medium, and dark versions of the same hue, only exists in a few yarn lines and none of them currently are made in the USA.

Preparing for a long walk in the woods

Preparing for a long walk in the woods

I’m getting ready for a long walk in the woods. Preparation for about 5 weeks living out of a backpack is a lot more complicated than perhaps it should be. Some people can throw their gear in the pack and pick up food along the way, but I have a health issue that means I absolutely have to have gluten free food. Because the trail towns on this particular trail are so small, this means I have to have my food arrive on the trail every 5-7 days. Often the USPS follows through on that. This year Emily is going to help me out in three spots as well which is lucky for me because it means I’ll get a shower and clean clothes as well!

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My travel weaving kit: Have loom, will travel

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My travel weaving kit: Have loom, will travel

I’ve done a few different posts over the years about my summer travel fiber kit. This year I’m taking it on a long backpacking trip so it has to be especially streamlined and lightweight. I’ll be hiking the Colorado Trail this summer for about 5 weeks. At least I hope so. You never know whether a long trail will actually happen end to end. So many things can take you off trail from injury to illness to weather. But I’m going to give it a try.

I’ve given myself a 6 ounce weight limit for this fiber kit with an additional few ounces for a drawing/journaling kit. So half a pound total for my entertainment on trail (plus I bring Kindle books on my phone which I need for camera and back-up navigation).*

I'm taking a break! The mountains are calling.

I'm taking a break! The mountains are calling.

Those of you who watched the last Change the Shed or saw my newsletter last week know that I’m taking a little time away from my office. The last several years of writing a book and producing two new online courses* have taken a lot of the zing out of me and I’m ready for a long hike.

One of my favorite activities is long distance backpacking. That just means backpacking but for a long time over hundreds of miles. Backpackers call it thru-hiking if you finish a long trail. I’m going to attempt that this year, but I’m not making any promises. I’ve had a few health challenges recently and I’m not going to force my body to do anything it isn’t ready for. But I’ve been training and am feeling strong and the miles are coming easier.

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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.