Tag: School of Weaving

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October 2017 Newsletter

You’re the fringe twister… twisted fringe twister!

If you’ve been finding that twisting fringes has been twisting your melon then I’ve put up a short “how-to” video showing how to twist fringes on handwoven items.

Don’t be a twisted sister, subscribe to our YouTube channel as I’ll be putting up more video shorts.

Brand spanking new weaving kits

It’s getting chilly on the west coast of Canada so… I’m thinking scarves… I’m thinking mohair… and I’m thinking new kits for October.

What better time of the year to weave that mohair blanket you’ve always thought about but have shied away from. If a project always takes you far longer than expected, get cracking on our Spring Stripes Mohair Blanket Kit. Even if it takes six months to complete, you’ll still be in time for those crisp spring days!

Taking its colour themes from Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, I present to you the Natty Sherlock Scarf Kit. Designed by Mavis MacMillan of Salt Spring Island using two of our silk yarns. Her striping sequence is based on three numbers from the Fibonacci number sequence.

This scarf is perfect for keeping the chill off your neck and impressing your friends at the same time.

The latest Online Guild episode

If you bought your Spring Stripes Mohair Blanket Kit before you reached this section, I salute your impulsiveness. Now you’ll want to view the latest Online Guild episode, “Episode 9: Making a Mohair Blankie….. Yes!” which is available to Online Guild members now.

I think this episode is great but then I’m slightly biased, so don’t take my word for it have a look at what Online Guild members are saying about Episode 9.

What a fantastic episode!! Mohair is beautiful but I had no idea how to tame it. Thank you Jane! – Inga

Join The Online Guild

Overenthusiastic dyer vs overenthusiastic buyer

Due to an overenthusiastic dyer, we have an overstock of 20/2 Birch Tussah Silk, so we’re having a flash sale of 20/2 Tussah Silk – Birch #30 until Monday Oct 22. If you’ve got a 20/2 Tussah Silk project that’s crying out for birch colour then strike while the iron’s hot, carpe diem, just do it, etc. Forget birch coloured bombyx silk, that’s sooooo last year.

Due to an overenthusiastic buyer, we have an overstock of the following Bambu yarns:

These are all down from $15 to just $12 until Monday Oct 22.

There’s never been a better time to start weaving in these temporarily over-abundant colours.

Schacht Inkle Loom

A new product on our website was suggested by the lovely Susan. She’s getting her students started on weaving for which the Schacht Inkle Loom is ideal.

Single foot loom operation

Recently, we had a long time customer and friend in the studio with a bummed out knee. Whilst discussing treadling with one leg a light bulb went on, “why don’t you try the Octado.” She did and it was an instant fit. Even if you’re just tired of climbing underneath your loom, or if it’s difficult to get up and down to change your tie-ups, have a look at the Louet Octado Loom.

I spy with my little eye…

Aeons ago (or maybe it was six months ago) we stocked the very popular Thread Count Magnifier; they practically flew off the shelves. We have just received a new shipment of twelve dozen of these little gems.

Order now to avoid future disappointment.

 

You’re on Salt Spring Island? Drop in to see us! We’ve got lots of Maiwa clothes in stock. We’re open Mon-Fri 10-4.

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September 2017 Newsletter

 

Workshop Registration 2018

We are so grateful to all our students who travel from far and wide to attend workshops here at JST.

I’d love nothing more than to have the opportunity to teach everyone of you one-to-one but there are more of you than me!

We cannot accommodate everyone at our in-house workshops – even our wait lists are very long – so we’re going to be transitioning our curriculum to the online guild, starting with Colour and Design in 2018.

Last year I made a commitment to 100 students to run them through the entire curriculum of 5 workshops, one workshop per year. I am honouring this commitment so won’t be opening registration for in-house workshops to the public.

The next Online Guild episode

The next Online Guild episode, “Episode 9: Making a Mohair Blankie….. Yes!”, will be available on October 12.

If you haven’t yet taken the plunge, here are the features of joining the Online Guild:

Join The Online Guild

Online Guild Index completed

Our very wonderful Ginette has methodically created an index for all the Online Guild episodes released so far. If you’re already a member you’ll find it an invaluable aid. If you’re not a member yet then it’ll whet your appetite!

Download the JST Online Guild Index – episodes 1 through 7

Knit City Sep 30 – Oct 1, 2017

Knit City is coming up fast. We will be bringing a lovely booth, full of goodies for weavers and knitters.

If you want to pre-order and collect at Knit City, order on our website as normal but at the checkout make sure to click on the checkbox next to “Ship to a different address” and enter our address (142 Richard Flack Rd, Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 1N4, Canada). Then select “Local Pickup” and you won’t have to pay that pesky shipping charge. Don’t forget to add in the “Order notes” that you want to collect at Knit City, otherwise your order items will remain sat in our office, gently weeping.

Knit City, Sep 30 – Oct 1, 2017

http://knitsocial.ca/

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May 2017 Newsletter

Mercerized Cotton, the end of an era

We’ve carried mercerized cotton for over 25 years. However, recently UKI has changed their policies and small stores like ours have to buy 20 cones per colour per weight in order for them to deal with us. Unfortunately we cannot afford that inventory or space.

Whilst we’re sad to let the entire range go, let’s turn that frown upside down by offering you the chance to purchase every last 500g cone that we have left at 25% off. We only have full cones left and we will not be winding down to 100g balls. Take advantage of this offer while it lasts because once this stuff’s gone there ain’t no more!

Take me to the mercerized cotton

Color & Dirt Collectors

It’s taken weeks but you’ve finally finished your latest beautiful creation. Just give it a quick wash and it’ll be ready for its glorious debut… but the dye has run! The yarn was supposed to be colour-fast! You stupid washing machine, how could you do this to me!!!

Fear not, for ye shall soon achieve dye-run-redemption via the wonder of Color & Dirt Collectors. One sheet added to your wash water, whether you wash by machine or by hand, will grab any fugitive colour lurking around in your yarn. They are truly amazing!

Color & Dirt Collectors available for purchase on the JST website very soon… hopefully next week.

Maiwa delivery

Maiwa supports traditional craft through an ethical business model. Working mainly with India, Maiwa is involved in the trade of embroidered, blockprinted, handwoven, and naturally dyed textiles.

Maiwa encourages the highest quality from craftspeople, knowing that the rare beauty of a skillfully produced piece will command higher prices in the open market.

Higher quality gives the artisan a measure of trade protection as the work cannot be cheaply copied. Fair compensation for such work elevates the craftsperson from the realm of unskilled labourer to that of artisan.

We’ve taken delivery of new Maiwa garments – dresses, shirts, beautiful quilts, table linen, napkins, yardages – all in naturally dyed organic cotton and linen.

Saturday opening

The JST store is now open on Saturdays 10 – 4 for the whole of summer. Come in, browse around, say hi to Klare.

Jane Stafford Online Guild Episode 5 update

In this episode I have taken the opportunity to have a guild meeting. I explain how I decided on the guild model and how it works. There is some info on how to find pdfs and volume control on Vimeo and I introduce you to the Online Forum.

We have a section called unfinished business 🙂 where I review frequently asked questions from episodes 1-3. I go over counting the cross, tucking tails, jump the bump and dive the dip, great selvedges with alternating weft threads, dealing with the problem of a broken hemstitching thread and floating selvedges.

Then we get into the first segment of project planning. So much information in this episode. Hope you enjoy it. Remember to post your thoughts on the Forum.

That’s my kind of thing, sign me up!

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April 2017 Newsletter

 

“Absolutely love these video’s! Now I have Jane in my studio anytime I want! I think this was a fabulous idea to create this online Guild, so many helpful tips and learning moments! And as usual, I had big smiles and chuckles as I watched Jane in her unique teaching style!” – Mary, Seattle, WA, USA

 

Why the Online Guild?

Guilds in North America have been the keepers of knowledge. They are the places where you find those out-of-print books that hold such a wealth of information. The old books hold the knowledge, the history and the passion of weavers who have gone before us. It is the idea of a library that inspires me most.

The Online Guild is our library; instead of books we have videos.

When you join the Online Guild your yearly dues help pay for the production of the videos. No matter when you join you will have full access to everything that has been published to date and you membership lasts for a full year. Whenever you join you get access to everything in the library that has ever been created. I plan on creating content for many years and it could take me 40 years to get it all onto the shelves 🙂

Let’s share the journey together. Become part of the JST Online Guild family.

 

The unstoppable Jan Korteweg

Last week I had a surprise visit from my very first weaving teacher. You can blame everything on her. Ha ha. When I was 21 and the idea of being able to create my own cloth to make my own clothes was just taking root it was Jan Korteweg who showed the way for me. Some 39 years later she is still a strong thread in my life and when she popped in to get more yarn I was thrilled. Not only did we have a great visit, she brought along a study she had just completed on stripes. Jan is now in her eighties and is using up her stash of yarns. She works from a source of inspiration as do I. Hers was the painting by Canadian icon Emily Carr, Blue Sky. Jan went through her stash of colours from the photo: cottons, linens, those great yarns used for making towels and a billion other textiles. She pulled her palette together with the aim of using up all her stash of those colours. The result was five warps all exploring stripes. She wove them at 20 epi and approx, 16 ppi, so they are warp-predominant letting the colours warp shine through.

 

The brilliance of Sherella Conley

I first met Sherella Conley in 2009 when she wanted to purchase a new multi-shaft loom. She choose a David 90 from a special edition that Louet had produced in oak. Then she started attending workshops and her brilliance became apparent. Sherella turned 90 last year and her ability to turn out stunning traditional textiles is very apparent in the runners she is weaving for her daughters. Like Jan Korteweg, Sherella is intent on reducing her stash of yarns too. She combined all her yarns that were alike, and that had similar shrinkage rates, and used them for weft on a linen warp. Her pattern is from Marguerite Porter Davidson’s eternal source of inspiration A Handweaver’s Pattern Book.

Sherella used 2/12 Natural Linen sett at 18 epi and her threading was the traditional Rose and Star overshot pattern.

 

High Five Charlotte!

Charlotte came to work in the studio five years ago as my office manager with no intent to become a weaver but, as you know, weaving is contagious. She is now creating her own stunning textiles and selling them on Salt Spring Island.

Charlotte was commissioned to weave a stole as a special gift and she choose her favourite yarn, silk. This piece is a testament to beauty of plain weave. A 2/30 silk in two colours sett at 24 epi and woven at 24 ppi. She designed a beautiful graphic and played with her weft colours. When she was finished the piece she had enough of her warp left over to create a gift bag. The long fringes on one end were the loom loss going through her heddles to the back apron rod. She has hand sewn the leftover fabric into a bag with long fringes on one end. The person receiving this gift is very lucky indeed. High Five Charlotte, I am so grateful you walked into the studio five years ago and became part of our family.

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March 2017 Newsletter

Oh My Gosh….we are waiting for Spring – we can hardly wait!

I hope that you have all survived the cold and snow and if you are lucky to live in warm places….well……how lovely, we are so happy for you!
I should not complain because I spent February in India travelling around with Charllotte Kwon from Maiwa and 22 intrepid travellers visiting some of the most amazing artisans on the planet.
We had lovely warm weather in India and it was hard to write home and tell Grant and gang about it while they were under so much snow.  For all you real winter dwellers out there, it is hard to understand how wimpy we can be out on the wet west coast.  We try to be strong but we whine a lot :^).

IMPORTANT NEWS ABOUT FIBRES WEST

It is coming up really soon!!!!!!!….next weekend to be exact.  JST is bringing a big booth with all kinds of great yarn for weavers and knitters and looms for you to try out.
While we try to bring a good cross section we can’t bring everything so if you have special requests please let us know by March 13th at the latest.  For instance we don’t bring our mercerized cotton because we just don’t have room for all those weights and colours but we will bring your special orders with us if you get them in online.
If you want to order for pick-up at Fibreswest all you have to do is enter our home address in the address bar and you will be able to choose pick-up as an delivery option.
No delivery charge for pick-up.   Our address is 142 Richard Flack Rd., Salt Spring Island, B.C. V8K 1N4.

So come and visit us at the Cloverdale Exhibition Grounds March 17th and 18th.

JST’S ONLINE GUILD UPDATE!

Flowers aren’t the only thing Blooming around here :^)

We have had a remarkably upbeat, positive response to our Online Guild.  Episodes 1 and 2 are now streaming….and I can’t believe I get to say this…..but, all over the world!!!!!   We have members in Ukraine, South Africa, England, New Zealand, France, Australia, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, USA and Canada and maybe other countries that I haven’t noticed.   I am overwhelmed by the support and encouragement exhibited so far.   Episode 3 will air March 16th.  So far we covered the importance of making good warps in Episode 1, dressing a loom from beginning to end in Episode 2 and Episode 3 is all about, good posture, shuttle handling, great selvedges, mending broken warp threads, finding that wonderful rhythm at the loom and hem stitching.

If you haven’t had a chance to sign up for JST’s online Guild…all you have to do is click here.    The 2017 Membership is $75.00 $99.00 for 10 videos released every 5 weeks.  Each video is 1:30 – 2 hours long and will stream to you over and over and over as many times are you want, as long as you are a member of the Guild.  Take the opportunity to ask questions and become part of a growing community that shares its love of weaving and learning about it on our Online Guild Forum.  You can read all the posts here but you must be a member to participate.  All this for $7.50 $9.90 an episode.

I just thought I’d share a few reviews from the JST Online Guild Forum…..a place for all members to become acquainted and ask questions.

Episode 1….Loved it! The instruction on counting the warp threads was worth the cost of the year’s subscription. I’m dragging my feet on warping my next project because I want to watch episode 2 first!  Elizabeth

I learned so much about warping that I had missed in other classes. You stressed some of the important little details and reviewed them several times. I also learned more about counting the threads . Thanks for all the excellent instruction. Margaret

Absolutely love these video’s! Now I have Jane in my studio anytime I want! 😉  I think this was a fabulous idea to create this online Guild, so many helpful tips and learning moments! And as usual, I had big smiles and chuckles as I watched Jane in her unique teaching style!  Mary

Episode 2……
Wow, never did back to front warping! I love it and was able to dress my loom with cotton boucle With NO problems! Thank you so much! I have a Renewed desire to weave again 😊 Valerie

I love episode 2 as much as episode 1!  Thoroughly enjoying this and finding it immensely helpful, especially as a newbie weaver Janet

Thanks Jane lots of good tips to improve the threading experience. If I can get them to work on my loom my back will be thanking you. Jennifer

Photos from India

I know this newsletter is getting a bit long but I really wanted to share some photos from India.  Travelling with Charllotte Kwon and seeing India through her eyes is just one of the most remarkable experiences anyone could have.  To see the work that Charllotte, Maiwa Handprints and the Maiwa Foundation do in India is life changing.

This was my third trip assisting Charllotte and I just want you to understand that I am not an intrepid wanderer or traveller, but I would follow Charllotte Kwon anywhere simply because of the good work she does, for the fact  that she is so much fun to be with and that I always learn so much about so many different things.  I am indeed and very lucky girl.

I am always happy to share stories from my trips…… if you’ve ever been on Salt Spring and have dropped in, you’ll know that I’ll talk till the cows come home!  But for today I think I’ll just post a few of my favourite photos from the trip.  Thanks for reading and for all your support.

Happy Weaving

Jane

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October Newsletter

The JST Schedule is Here!

The moment you’ve all been waiting for!  What everyone has been calling about!  It’s here, the time is now!

Working on the 2012 schedule has been exciting.  In addition to all our weaving workshops we are thrilled to have Cheryl Huseby Wiebe teaching two spinning workshops and Joan Carrigan teaching a basketry workshop for us this year.

Check out our full

WORKSHOP AND RETREAT SCHEDULE for 2012!

Helpline

Jane’s Helpline is filling up with some very exciting and useful information. Our newest addition is Jane’s Canvas Chart.  Jane has spent her life sampling and testing yarns on their own and in different combinations for her workshops and production lines.  She knows everyone doesn’t have time to sample to this extent so she is sharing the knowledge gained from that testing with everyone.

Fabulous Contributions

We are so lucky that our customers are also our good friends and friends share.  We wanted to show off what some of you have been up to.

This cashmere stole was woven by Salt Spring weaver, Barney Guthrie.  Barney does beautiful work in silk, weaves tartan in fine merino and just blew us away with his stole below.  The hand and drape were just amazing.  Barney used 5 cones of our 2/28 cashmere to create this piece.

Some of these pieces are the result of a retreat here at JST.  Below is Linda Knowles’ Double Weave scarf in Zephyr that she made after taking our Double Weave workshop in August.

Jeanette Newton used Zephyr for her dented stole in sage and teal after taking our  Pushing the Boundaries of Awesome Weave aka Plain Weave workshop in May:

 

We have more projects to share with you in our next newsletter, but we’re keeping it short this time so you can concentrate on the retreats!

However, some light entertainment that you might find fun can be found below:

If you’re really serious about weaving, every detail counts.

If you don’t believe us (you should), check this out.

(Thanks to Ingrid Servold for sending us the link!)

We also wanted to share news about a new DVD called Blue Alchemy, Stories of Indigo produced by Mary Lance.  It can be purchased through Maiwa in Vancouver.

I am off to Vancouver next week to teach my new workshop, the Delectable Sari for the Maiwa Symposium. I’ll be back with more stories for the next newsletter in a couple of weeks. Until then, happy weaving,
Jane