🧵 My #Weaving Journey: (continued) In linear storytelling, we're now up to June 2019. Abby was doing two in-person courses in 2019, one in Texas and one in Prince George, BC, Canada. I flew up to Canada which worked out nicely for making new friends in Prince George, and figuring out a way to weave while traveling. #FranquemontUniversity #StudentWeaver #AndeanBackstrap

🧵 My #Weaving Journey: (continued) So interesting note I can add to the last two posts in this thread. Turns out that I did NOT in fact figure out properly the band viewed only over a YouTube Live presentation.

We'll put a pin in this conversation, but the blue/yellow/red band here has more in common with this burgundy/yellow/green motif in center frame. #FranquemontUniversity #StudentWeaver #AndeanBackstrap

🧵 My #Weaving Journey: (continued) One of the realities about learning through long-distance lessons was that I had to find ways to weave anywhere, anytime. I would have video conference calls with my teacher (3 time zones and 10,000+ km away, on the other side of the equator) and so I had to get inventive.

I would sometimes drive to work early, park, and set up for a video call. These two pictures are from a lesson morning in May 2019.

#FranquemontUniversity #StudentWeaver #AndeanBackstrap

🧵 My #Weaving Journey: (continued) A small detour from my lessons and chores was instigated when my instructor @abbysyarns was hosting a YouTube live. A weaver there had a band hanging down her back that Abby said was a pattern I've never seen and I should go weave it.

Sure. Just take a screenshot of a YouTube live video and solve for the pattern. On my own. In the US.

(Lifetime band #07: Started May 9, 2019 and completed Sep 4, 2019) #FranquemontUniversity #StudentWeaver #AndeanBackstrap

🧵 My #Weaving Journey: (continued) By May 2019, I was getting ready for two big events: (1) Flying to Canada to take my third 3-day intensive from @abbysyarns and (2) preparing to do a small two hr class of "just one pattern" at a weekend retreat.

Abby gave me the "chores" of any young weaver in the courtyard: Set up Tanka Ch'oro for new five-year olds and teach them that.

Sure. Just that.

Here are my first prep warps.

#FranquemontUniversity #StudentWeaver #AndeanBackstrap

🧵 My #Weaving Journey: (continued) Once I finished band #5 on 14-Apr-2019, I started band #6 the very same day. I was finished weaving one day later, 15-Apr-2019.

I played with the main figures typically taught "on four-pairs," making certain I could do them from memory, flip the orientation or color at will, and generally doodling with patterns.

#FranquemontUniversity #StudentWeaver #AndeanBackstrap

🧵 My #Weaving Journey: (continued) Lifetime band #5 was a repeat lesson -- could I weave the standard first 4-pairs patterns that were in band #2?

I started the band on 14-Feb-2019 and finished on 14-Apr-2019. Also during those two months, I spun 4 ounces of khaitu (high twist yarn for weaving) from some breed sampler packs.

#FranquemontUniversity #StudentWeaver #AndeanBackstrap

Time to start documenting my progress on projects... No matter how small!

Here are my #FranquemontUniversity #AndeanWeaving finished bands from 2022. They're in order left->right, in the spirals.

It isn't everything I've worked on - I have another 7 or more in various stages of completion... But FO progress is something I don't always track, and I have a perpetual struggle with chronic start-itis.

So here are my 3 completed practice bands, and I'm hoping to finish about 1 per week this year.

Also a HUGE WELCOME to any of my fellow weaving peers and colleagues who have found this thread on Mastodon after my post over in our Discord community.

What? You didn't know there was a healthy international textiles community alive and well on Discord?

Sure is! Check out the link and description over on https://abbysyarns.com/webshop/chat/ -- and come see where those of us participanting in #FranquemontUniversity are hanging out (when we're not on Mastodon)

🧵 My #Weaving Journey: (continued) Comparing my first two bands woven in class with @abbysyarns -- you can easily see how this influenced my color choices in the next bands I wove.

It took me a bit before I started choosing my own color schemes. But the bulky demo band (outside the regular learning path) and my first "I measured this warp myself for me" band sure do resemble those first learning warps.

#FranquemontUniversity #StudentWeaver #AndeanBackstrap

🧵 My #Weaving Journey: (continued) Back in 2018 when I was first adding more twist to commercially available 2-ply wool yarn, friends would ask me to explain further.

Here's a couple photos to show the difference between what the yarn started like (as sold) and what I was transforming it into.

Now four years later, I look at the "finished" yarn I made and think "that could still use more twist."

#FranquemontUniversity #StudentWeaver

🧵 My #Weaving Journey: (continued) After I made my bulky demo yarns and bulky demo warps (see thread above), I also had to make sure I had weaving stash. My early weaving was done on commercially available 2-ply wool yarn to which I added high-twist on spindles, manually.

Dec 2018, I acquired my first cones and set about adding high plying twist. (Please ignore the old habit of a "flying buttress" anchor on my spindle.)

#FranquemontUniversity #StudentWeaver

I have very mixed feelings about this project... I can't say enough about how much I love the result, but DANG, it's a slog to get there.

Handspun chainette yarn, compared with a fairly short-repeat chain-plied, beaded yarn - from the same singles.

So far, I have about 70 yards wet-finished, with about the same, maybe a bit more, remaining. Still cranking away at the i-cord machine.
#FranquemontUniversity #FranquemontFibreShenanigans #Handspun #Knit

🧵 My #Weaving Journey: (continued) I rarely use "stories" features on platforms, but I did enjoy seeing that four years ago today, I was posting more fun photos of my bulky yarn demo preparation for #AndeanBackstrap weaving samplers.

These are ATYPICAL weaving demo bundles, designed to be easy to see from a distance. I made these in 2018, with no forewarning that they would be useful on Zoom in lockdown. #foreshadowing

#FranquemontUniversity #StudentWeaver

🧵 My #Weaving Journey: (continued) While I had only completed two narrow woven bands up to this point, I was committed to my "MAKE SOMETHING BIG ENOUGH TO SEE" idea.

And so my "Duplo Blocks" demo band was born (for weavers that need to be able to see what I'm demonstrating) and this is "Lifetime Band #03" -- wildly off the "normal" learning path (finished in Dec 2018, still in use)

#FranquemontUniversity #StudentWeaver #AndeanBackstrap

@hollie Haha, I've been here a while now, just updating my Pinned Most-Edited Intro because, of course I keep improving it.

As for backstrap weaving -- lots of resources to encourage you, if you want. Also, have I mentioned #FranquemontUniversity lately? LOL

https://abbysyarns.com/webshop/product-category/fu/

Latest #introduction post (🧵 threaded for history)

I am a #spinner and #weaver -- primarily drop spindles and #AndeanBackstrap weaving. I'm also an "Adjunct" over at #FU #FranquemontUniversity where I support the work of #AbbysYarns in Peru.

I've been part of #SCA #Caid through #textiles #medieval #reenactment and #bardic

I'm on hiatus from teaching #FCBD (formerly ATS) #bellydance where I coined #ThisBodyThisDay and #NoPressureNoShame

My Weaving Journey🧵 starts at
https://artisan.chat/@cayswann/109481530778903499

🧵 My #Weaving Journey: The first time I learned about #AndeanBackstrap weaving was from an in-person 3-day intensive with @abbysyarns (long before the creation of #FranquemontUniversity )

We started where all small children and beginning weavers start in the Andes: On what is described as 3-pairs and with Tanka Ch'oro

We're also introduced to the notion of variations and weaving from memory, #NoCharts and body mechanics for weaving.

I'll probably thread some posts about my learning and weaving just to provide context and an ongoing narrative. So please enjoy the full thread 🧵

#FranquemontUniversity #AndeanBackstrap #BackstrapWeaving #Memorized #NoCharts #AlwaysLearning

I so rarely get to see my 1st (on L) and 2nd (on R) woven Andean jakimas or narrow bands next to each other. But this photo popped up in memories from 4 years ago today. In the background, what I call my "duplo" khaitu (bulky wool high-twist 2-ply), designed for easy-to-see demos. 🙂

These bands were woven using a thick cotton mini (weft), which I think makes adorable white selvedge polka dots, like beads. ❤️

#FranquemontUniversity #AndeanBackstrap #BackstrapWeaving #Memorized #AlwaysLearning