04 Monday Jan 2021
Posted in Daily Band Practice
I changed the original motif today. I really liked the black in yesterday’s motif and thought it would be fun to add some today too. The original pattern in Inkle by Evelyn Neher is all white.
The pick-up of this motif uses three warp ends. The thickness really makes the design pop. I can see so many possibilities for incorporating this motif into an overall design.
warp, weave, be happy! ~ Jennifer
03 Sunday Jan 2021
Posted in Daily Band Practice
Day 3 introduces black to the design. I am not sure which I like more. Doing the pick up with two warp ends at a time makes the motifs really bold.
Happily, I found out fellow band weaver, Marieke Kranenburg, of The Bandweeflblog: Adventures in Card Weaving and Band Weaving, is going to do a daily band practice also. The blog is in Dutch, so I translate it to English using Google Translate. Marieke’s daily band practice has a lovely twist that makes it uniquely hers, which any daily practice should be. She has chosen to spend her daily band practice finishing all of her unfinished objects (UFOs), in this case, bands she has pulled of looms in various stages of completion to start other bands. Isn’t this a great idea? We all have a project or two (or more than we are willing to admit), that have been sitting, just waiting to be finished. Read more about how she developed her daily practice here. Three days in and Marieke has already finished three unfinished bands. Way to go! You can follow her daily updates and see those completed bands here (the daily band practice posts are in English).
I am so excited to have unexpected company in my #dailybandpractice. If you start your own daily band practice, please share what you are doing, the more the merrier.
02 Saturday Jan 2021
Posted in Daily Band Practice, Design
This motif is from page 24 of Inkle by Evelyn Neher. Isn’t it amazing how manipulating a few warps creates such visual impact.
If you look very closely at the band, the motif is off slightly off-centern this is not a mistake. My loom is warped with 23 warp ends, but today’s design is 12 warp ends wide, making it impossible to be exactlyin the center. Before I warped my loom, I looked at all of the patterns I want to use on this band and discovered the widest is 23 warp ends. By warping for the widest motif, I figure I can use the same warp for all the motifs.
Warp, weave, be happy ~ Jennifer
01 Friday Jan 2021
Posted in Uncategorized
Happy New Year!!!!
If 2020 taught me anything, it is that time is a funny thing. This year time seemed to flow like molasses at warp speed. When things started to shut down I thought that we would have so much more time to do the things we never seem to have enough time for, like weaving. But, amazingly, the opposite happened. I seem to have less time for everything, especially weaving. Weaving is very important to me, and yet, I can never find time for it. So, 2021 is all about intentionally making time to use my inkle loom.
This year I have finally committed to do a daily weaving practice. Or should I say a daily band practice. Yes, pun intended. 😊
A few years ago, I took a workshop tapestry weaving workshop taught by Tommye Scanlin. She talked about her practice of weaving a tapestry diary. Her tapestry diaries are a way to practice her art daily and to chronicle her year. That was the first time I had ever heard of a daily weaving practice; the idea has intrigued me since. Her tapestry diaries are amazing. You are sure to enjoy them and should peruse her gallery of tapestry diaries.
Another artist who has influenced me to do this is Windy Chien, author of The Year of Knots. Windy decided to learn to tie a new knot every day for a year and chronicled her practice on Instagram, @theyearofknots. The work she produced for her year of knots is a feast for the eyes.
A horizontal stripe warp has always been my favorite for pick-up patterns and will be the warp for each band (unless inspiration leads me in a different direction – you never know when inspiration may strike). Choosing this warp perfectly fits with another inkle goal I’ve had for a very long time; to work through one of my favorite inkle books, Evelyn Neher’s self-published book Inkle. Using just her patterns on a horizontal stripe warp will get me through the first 72 days of the year!
To keep myself on track, I made a few simple rules for myself:
1. Interact with my loom for at least 15 minutes every day, either weaving or warping.
2. Post my progress daily.
3. Enjoy the weaving.
I invite you to follow along with my #dailybandpractice here on my blog, on Instagram @dailybandpractice, or on Facebook @inkledpink. And, here is day 1!
Do you have a daily weaving/fiber/art/ or other creative practice? Have you ever done one in the past?
Other inspirational daily fiber practices you should definitely check out:
1. One Button A Day (@ginabsilkworks on IG), by Gina Barrett. She hand stitched an amazing button a day for a year. The final collection is museum worthy. Check out both years 2016, and 2020.
              2. One Year of Stitches (@1yearofstitches on IG) by Hannah Claire Somerville. While we have all sheltered in place, Hannah has “stitched in place” since March, a stitch a day. The stitch she chose is so perfect to chronicle such a bizarro year. She has been stitching her way through the years since 2016.
3. One Year of Stitches and Buttons: Embroidery Hoop 365 Project. In 2017 Ashley Hackshaw aka, Lil Blue Boo, stitched on one embroidery hoop for a year with a mind-bogglingly fantastic array of stitches and buttons. The finished project is a wonder to behold.
inkled pink 