Curious. Creative. Living Boldly.
Nov 24
in India and Bhutan in Penny 0 comments

More prayers…. descending out of the amazing mountains of Bhutan toward India

Our incredible journey through Bhutan was nearing it’s end as we descended rather quickly through more amazing mountains.

We had our last glimpses of the Himalayas… with the white snow capped peaks and my memories accumulated of so many wonderful parts of Bhutan. Children carried on backs with beautifully hand woven cloth.. and their chubby little fingers open with trust. Smiles and gracious hospitality. Spectacular scenery. Incredible mountains and mountain passes. Chillies. Chanting. Music. Dancing, ritual and ceremony…. so many wonderful things in Bhutan. Prayer flags with wishes for humanity blowing in the breeze and fading with time and the cycles of life.

Our descent was steep at times and by now Max has developed quite strong arms from all the turning around the hairpin bends. It is pretty arduous for him because the driving is actually quite physical and strenuous… and we both have to concentrate all the time because of the road conditions and traffic.

As was with most days there were often little ‘issues’ with various cars and we always stopped to give a hand. Max is always ready to get under the bonnet or car, and open the tool roll or box of parts. On the rally there have been brake lines broken; flat tyres; broken fan belts; broken alternators; timing issues; spark plug issues; overheating cars… all of which Max has been quick to stop and give assistance… as with others on the rally as well when we had a flat tyre one day. All of a sudden there are cars around with all hands on deck; everyone with different levels of expertise and what others have to offer. There was much laughter at unscheduled ‘pit stops’ ! Chocolate biscuits from Snjezana appeared often and were so appreciated. Yesterday our large 10 litre bottle of water was invaluable for two overheating cars as we crawled toward Guhawati.

Before then though our last night in Bhutan was magical. We were fortunate enough to camp on sacred ground where 6 monks spend in retreat. It was very special. I went for a short walk both in the evening and morning… and I quietly reflected on my journey through Bhutan.

Then our last descent to the plains of India where we once again had to be vigilant with out mosquito protection. I think I am going to miss the altitude where mozzies were not a concern.

The haze and heat and dust reminded me very quickly we were in India, yet the excitement that we had all arrived safely was visceral. Lunch was an excitable event with joyous laughter and repeated requests for glasses.. and our orders. We had to remember that we were back in India.. and we laughed.

Yesterday we breathed the clean mountain air for the last time in a while as the chaos of India was a bit confronting for me. It was hot. It was noisy. It was chaotic. I wished I was beamed back and teleported into the mountains of Bhutan… but our journey continues today after wonderful friendships made and incredibly privileged experieces; and now toward Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos… and so another journey begins.

Bhutan-7384 Bhutan-7395 Bhutan-7398 Bhutan-7404 Bhutan-7463 Bhutan-7457 Bhutan-7472 Bhutan-7466 Bhutan-7491 Bhutan-7506 Bhutan-7524 Bhutan-7531 Bhutan-7536 Bhutan-7561 Bhutan-7569 Bhutan-7556 Bhutan-7590 Bhutan-7589 Bhutan-7611 Bhutan-7654 Bhutan-7673 Bhutan-7728 Bhutan-7732 Bhutan-7789 Bhutan-7784 Bhutan-7862 Bhutan-7854 Bhutan-7747

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About the Author:
I am a Journeywoman. I live my life as an explorer. An adventurer. An Observer. An Artist. There is no differentiation between how I live my life and the art that is an expression of it. It is through my experience adventuring the unknown, that I learn more about myself. My aim through this connection is to live where my expression is fully in alignment with the essence of who I am. “In the field of Fine-Art Photography, Julie stands apart from others with the way she sees the world and expresses her connection within it. Julie Stephenson’s photographs are sublime. Her work is an expression of her deep connection; and a gift to the world.”

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@skeinydipping

@skeinydipping

🧐 Curious 🎨 Creative 💪🏻 Living Boldly! @idoamazingthings 😁 Content with wool in my hands Artisan weaver of blankets and wraps. Pop to my website
  • Pro-tip for weavers. Most weaving using wool, benefits from a soak, as I’ve shown you here. Why?  To let the fibres expand and settle into the weave. This is especially important for woollen handwoven items where warmth is one of the goals.  Machines must not be used. The water must be the same ambient temperature as the weaving, so it is not ‘shocked’ by the temperature of the water. Then just a gentle hand press into the water without agitation for a short soak.  I then drain and shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  If you don’t already soak your weaving; give them a soak to let the wool ‘bloom’. You will be so amazed by the difference a bubble bath makes! There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more of my process; and my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets, and pro-tips; save this for future reference and follow along. #Protip #artisanmade #handweaving #weavingtechnique #madebyhand
  • Just off the loom and time for some bubbles! Not for me!....but my handwoven blankets. Why do they need a soak? So the fibres expand and settle into the weave.  Weaving a piece doesn’t just finish when you cut it from the loom. This is how to finish your hand weaving. The blanket is wet and heavy, but I need to shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets; my process; and to remind you to give the items you knit or weave a good soak; save this for future reference and come follow me.   #handwoven #handmade #fibreart #artisanmade #weavingtechnique
  • Time for some bubbles… Not for me!....but my handwoven blankets just off the loom need a soak.   Why?  So the fibres expand and settle into the weave.  This is how to finish your hand weaving. Weaving a piece doesn’t just finish when you cut it from the loom. The blanket is wet and heavy, but I need to shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more on my process; and my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets; save this for future reference and come follow me.   #handweaving #madebyhand #fibreartist #handwovenluxury #artisanmade
  • Split ends? Brittle sun-damaged tips? Do you have that problem? 🤣 I don’t. Hehehe But I can help solve your problem if you do! For those of you who have the good fortune to feel beautiful raw fleeces in your hands, sometimes the fleece just needs a bit of extra preparation before it is spun. If the fleece has matted, brittle or fragile tips, I need to remove that tender part of the staple. There are many ways to do this, but I have my preferred way. It’s simply a snip. With the weak part of the fibre removed, my yarn will be smooth and strong, to use in some of my blankets.  Losing a little of the staple length is ok, because I’m carding a rolag to spin a yarn using the long-draw technique. I’m going to show you how I do that in an upcoming post. You can save this pro-tip. To see more spinning and weaving tips; and the next steps in preparing fleece to spin; follow me!   #handweaving #woolfleece #madebyhand #rawwool #handspinning
  • I use very simple tools to weave my beautiful handwoven blankets.  My rigid heddle loom is just a rectangle. My shuttle is really just a flat stick with a notch at each end; and my heddle is just a single reed. I also use another flat stick to help with the shed. I also have a very simple hook to thread and sley the reed.  Colour is my ‘thing’, so I don’t require a lot of heddles or fancy pedals to create intricate patterns. For more insights into my weaving studio, the stories behind my blankets and how each blanket evolves; love you to come along and follow me.   #handmade #artisanmade #weaving #loom #handwovenluxury
  • Have a problem being in two places at the same time? It’s a tough one without a teleporting wand; but I can help you warp your rigid heddle loom without needing to be in two places at the same time! It seems that dumb bells are actually quite a clever solution. 🤣 Here, necessity was the mother of invention; and I’m sure I’m not the first person to have used this solution; but it was what came to mind and was at hand! Hehe. For more pro-tips on weaving, my handwoven blankets; and a bit of fun; you can save this tip for future reference and follow me. #madebyhand #handweaving #protips #handwovenluxury #artisanmade
  • It’s warping day. On a previous reel I explained what a warp was, and today I needed to tension warp threads to wind the warp onto the back beam.   I can’t be at both ends at the same time, so being a rather practical and creative person, I came up with a plan! Perfect solution! Doesn’t save me going to the gym though! hehe Here I’m using my fabulous Ashford Rigid Heddle 48” / 120cm loom. You can save this for future reference; and to see more pro-tips on my handwoven blankets, and have a bit of fun on the way; come along and follow me. #handweaving #madebyhand #warping #studiovibes #protip
  • I just stared. I haven’t used my spinning wheel for a while, and I found myself being overwhelmed with not knowing what to do. I haven’t had much time on the pedals of my beautiful relatively new Matchless @schacht_spindle_company spinning wheel, so I was a bit unsure about my setup for spinning a woollen yarn. I thought about returning my wheel to its spot in my room; but decided to crack on and have a go. I wasn’t going to dodge this challenge! As soon as I placed my @louet_australia carders in my hands. I immediately and intuitively started to card the staples of wool into beautiful airy rolags, ready to start spinning beautiful woollen yarn. I really love to spin long-draw style, which I’ll show in a future post. If you’ve enjoyed this post, and want to find out how I spin yarn and weave blankets; you can follow me. @skeinydipping #handweaving #spinningyarn #artisanmade #madebyhand #uniquegift
  • It’s been a year since I’ve spun my own yarn? What should I do? To find out what I did; and see how I weave my heirloom handwoven blankets, I’d love you to follow me and share with a friend. #handspinning #weavingart #handmade #artisanmade #uniquegiftideas
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Pro-tip for weavers. Most weaving using wool, benefits from a soak, as I’ve shown you here. Why?  To let the fibres expand and settle into the weave. This is especially important for woollen handwoven items where warmth is one of the goals.  Machines must not be used. The water must be the same ambient temperature as the weaving, so it is not ‘shocked’ by the temperature of the water. Then just a gentle hand press into the water without agitation for a short soak.  I then drain and shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  If you don’t already soak your weaving; give them a soak to let the wool ‘bloom’. You will be so amazed by the difference a bubble bath makes! There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more of my process; and my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets, and pro-tips; save this for future reference and follow along. #Protip #artisanmade #handweaving #weavingtechnique #madebyhand
1 day ago
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Just off the loom and time for some bubbles! Not for me!....but my handwoven blankets. Why do they need a soak? So the fibres expand and settle into the weave.  Weaving a piece doesn’t just finish when you cut it from the loom. This is how to finish your hand weaving. The blanket is wet and heavy, but I need to shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets; my process; and to remind you to give the items you knit or weave a good soak; save this for future reference and come follow me.   #handwoven #handmade #fibreart #artisanmade #weavingtechnique
2 days ago
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Time for some bubbles… Not for me!....but my handwoven blankets just off the loom need a soak.   Why?  So the fibres expand and settle into the weave.  This is how to finish your hand weaving. Weaving a piece doesn’t just finish when you cut it from the loom. The blanket is wet and heavy, but I need to shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more on my process; and my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets; save this for future reference and come follow me.   #handweaving #madebyhand #fibreartist #handwovenluxury #artisanmade
2 days ago
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Split ends? Brittle sun-damaged tips? Do you have that problem? 🤣 I don’t. Hehehe But I can help solve your problem if you do! For those of you who have the good fortune to feel beautiful raw fleeces in your hands, sometimes the fleece just needs a bit of extra preparation before it is spun. If the fleece has matted, brittle or fragile tips, I need to remove that tender part of the staple. There are many ways to do this, but I have my preferred way. It’s simply a snip. With the weak part of the fibre removed, my yarn will be smooth and strong, to use in some of my blankets.  Losing a little of the staple length is ok, because I’m carding a rolag to spin a yarn using the long-draw technique. I’m going to show you how I do that in an upcoming post. You can save this pro-tip. To see more spinning and weaving tips; and the next steps in preparing fleece to spin; follow me!   #handweaving #woolfleece #madebyhand #rawwool #handspinning
3 days ago
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@skeinydipping
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I use very simple tools to weave my beautiful handwoven blankets.  My rigid heddle loom is just a rectangle. My shuttle is really just a flat stick with a notch at each end; and my heddle is just a single reed. I also use another flat stick to help with the shed. I also have a very simple hook to thread and sley the reed.  Colour is my ‘thing’, so I don’t require a lot of heddles or fancy pedals to create intricate patterns. For more insights into my weaving studio, the stories behind my blankets and how each blanket evolves; love you to come along and follow me.   #handmade #artisanmade #weaving #loom #handwovenluxury
5 days ago
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Have a problem being in two places at the same time? It’s a tough one without a teleporting wand; but I can help you warp your rigid heddle loom without needing to be in two places at the same time! It seems that dumb bells are actually quite a clever solution. 🤣 Here, necessity was the mother of invention; and I’m sure I’m not the first person to have used this solution; but it was what came to mind and was at hand! Hehe. For more pro-tips on weaving, my handwoven blankets; and a bit of fun; you can save this tip for future reference and follow me. #madebyhand #handweaving #protips #handwovenluxury #artisanmade
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It’s warping day. On a previous reel I explained what a warp was, and today I needed to tension warp threads to wind the warp onto the back beam.   I can’t be at both ends at the same time, so being a rather practical and creative person, I came up with a plan! Perfect solution! Doesn’t save me going to the gym though! hehe Here I’m using my fabulous Ashford Rigid Heddle 48” / 120cm loom. You can save this for future reference; and to see more pro-tips on my handwoven blankets, and have a bit of fun on the way; come along and follow me. #handweaving #madebyhand #warping #studiovibes #protip
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I just stared. I haven’t used my spinning wheel for a while, and I found myself being overwhelmed with not knowing what to do. I haven’t had much time on the pedals of my beautiful relatively new Matchless @schacht_spindle_company spinning wheel, so I was a bit unsure about my setup for spinning a woollen yarn. I thought about returning my wheel to its spot in my room; but decided to crack on and have a go. I wasn’t going to dodge this challenge! As soon as I placed my @louet_australia carders in my hands. I immediately and intuitively started to card the staples of wool into beautiful airy rolags, ready to start spinning beautiful woollen yarn. I really love to spin long-draw style, which I’ll show in a future post. If you’ve enjoyed this post, and want to find out how I spin yarn and weave blankets; you can follow me. @skeinydipping #handweaving #spinningyarn #artisanmade #madebyhand #uniquegift
1 week ago
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It’s been a year since I’ve spun my own yarn? What should I do? To find out what I did; and see how I weave my heirloom handwoven blankets, I’d love you to follow me and share with a friend. #handspinning #weavingart #handmade #artisanmade #uniquegiftideas
2 weeks ago
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@skeinydipping

@skeinydipping

🧐 Curious 🎨 Creative 💪🏻 Living Boldly! @idoamazingthings 😁 Content with wool in my hands Artisan weaver of blankets and wraps. Pop to my website
  • Pro-tip for weavers. Most weaving using wool, benefits from a soak, as I’ve shown you here. Why?  To let the fibres expand and settle into the weave. This is especially important for woollen handwoven items where warmth is one of the goals.  Machines must not be used. The water must be the same ambient temperature as the weaving, so it is not ‘shocked’ by the temperature of the water. Then just a gentle hand press into the water without agitation for a short soak.  I then drain and shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  If you don’t already soak your weaving; give them a soak to let the wool ‘bloom’. You will be so amazed by the difference a bubble bath makes! There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more of my process; and my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets, and pro-tips; save this for future reference and follow along. #Protip #artisanmade #handweaving #weavingtechnique #madebyhand
  • Just off the loom and time for some bubbles! Not for me!....but my handwoven blankets. Why do they need a soak? So the fibres expand and settle into the weave.  Weaving a piece doesn’t just finish when you cut it from the loom. This is how to finish your hand weaving. The blanket is wet and heavy, but I need to shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets; my process; and to remind you to give the items you knit or weave a good soak; save this for future reference and come follow me.   #handwoven #handmade #fibreart #artisanmade #weavingtechnique
  • Time for some bubbles… Not for me!....but my handwoven blankets just off the loom need a soak.   Why?  So the fibres expand and settle into the weave.  This is how to finish your hand weaving. Weaving a piece doesn’t just finish when you cut it from the loom. The blanket is wet and heavy, but I need to shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more on my process; and my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets; save this for future reference and come follow me.   #handweaving #madebyhand #fibreartist #handwovenluxury #artisanmade
  • Split ends? Brittle sun-damaged tips? Do you have that problem? 🤣 I don’t. Hehehe But I can help solve your problem if you do! For those of you who have the good fortune to feel beautiful raw fleeces in your hands, sometimes the fleece just needs a bit of extra preparation before it is spun. If the fleece has matted, brittle or fragile tips, I need to remove that tender part of the staple. There are many ways to do this, but I have my preferred way. It’s simply a snip. With the weak part of the fibre removed, my yarn will be smooth and strong, to use in some of my blankets.  Losing a little of the staple length is ok, because I’m carding a rolag to spin a yarn using the long-draw technique. I’m going to show you how I do that in an upcoming post. You can save this pro-tip. To see more spinning and weaving tips; and the next steps in preparing fleece to spin; follow me!   #handweaving #woolfleece #madebyhand #rawwool #handspinning
  • I use very simple tools to weave my beautiful handwoven blankets.  My rigid heddle loom is just a rectangle. My shuttle is really just a flat stick with a notch at each end; and my heddle is just a single reed. I also use another flat stick to help with the shed. I also have a very simple hook to thread and sley the reed.  Colour is my ‘thing’, so I don’t require a lot of heddles or fancy pedals to create intricate patterns. For more insights into my weaving studio, the stories behind my blankets and how each blanket evolves; love you to come along and follow me.   #handmade #artisanmade #weaving #loom #handwovenluxury
  • Have a problem being in two places at the same time? It’s a tough one without a teleporting wand; but I can help you warp your rigid heddle loom without needing to be in two places at the same time! It seems that dumb bells are actually quite a clever solution. 🤣 Here, necessity was the mother of invention; and I’m sure I’m not the first person to have used this solution; but it was what came to mind and was at hand! Hehe. For more pro-tips on weaving, my handwoven blankets; and a bit of fun; you can save this tip for future reference and follow me. #madebyhand #handweaving #protips #handwovenluxury #artisanmade
  • It’s warping day. On a previous reel I explained what a warp was, and today I needed to tension warp threads to wind the warp onto the back beam.   I can’t be at both ends at the same time, so being a rather practical and creative person, I came up with a plan! Perfect solution! Doesn’t save me going to the gym though! hehe Here I’m using my fabulous Ashford Rigid Heddle 48” / 120cm loom. You can save this for future reference; and to see more pro-tips on my handwoven blankets, and have a bit of fun on the way; come along and follow me. #handweaving #madebyhand #warping #studiovibes #protip
  • I just stared. I haven’t used my spinning wheel for a while, and I found myself being overwhelmed with not knowing what to do. I haven’t had much time on the pedals of my beautiful relatively new Matchless @schacht_spindle_company spinning wheel, so I was a bit unsure about my setup for spinning a woollen yarn. I thought about returning my wheel to its spot in my room; but decided to crack on and have a go. I wasn’t going to dodge this challenge! As soon as I placed my @louet_australia carders in my hands. I immediately and intuitively started to card the staples of wool into beautiful airy rolags, ready to start spinning beautiful woollen yarn. I really love to spin long-draw style, which I’ll show in a future post. If you’ve enjoyed this post, and want to find out how I spin yarn and weave blankets; you can follow me. @skeinydipping #handweaving #spinningyarn #artisanmade #madebyhand #uniquegift
  • It’s been a year since I’ve spun my own yarn? What should I do? To find out what I did; and see how I weave my heirloom handwoven blankets, I’d love you to follow me and share with a friend. #handspinning #weavingart #handmade #artisanmade #uniquegiftideas
View on Instagram
@skeinydipping
@skeinydipping
•
Follow
Pro-tip for weavers. Most weaving using wool, benefits from a soak, as I’ve shown you here. Why?  To let the fibres expand and settle into the weave. This is especially important for woollen handwoven items where warmth is one of the goals.  Machines must not be used. The water must be the same ambient temperature as the weaving, so it is not ‘shocked’ by the temperature of the water. Then just a gentle hand press into the water without agitation for a short soak.  I then drain and shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  If you don’t already soak your weaving; give them a soak to let the wool ‘bloom’. You will be so amazed by the difference a bubble bath makes! There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more of my process; and my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets, and pro-tips; save this for future reference and follow along. #Protip #artisanmade #handweaving #weavingtechnique #madebyhand
1 day ago
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1/9
@skeinydipping
@skeinydipping
•
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Just off the loom and time for some bubbles! Not for me!....but my handwoven blankets. Why do they need a soak? So the fibres expand and settle into the weave.  Weaving a piece doesn’t just finish when you cut it from the loom. This is how to finish your hand weaving. The blanket is wet and heavy, but I need to shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets; my process; and to remind you to give the items you knit or weave a good soak; save this for future reference and come follow me.   #handwoven #handmade #fibreart #artisanmade #weavingtechnique
2 days ago
View on Instagram |
2/9
@skeinydipping
@skeinydipping
•
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Time for some bubbles… Not for me!....but my handwoven blankets just off the loom need a soak.   Why?  So the fibres expand and settle into the weave.  This is how to finish your hand weaving. Weaving a piece doesn’t just finish when you cut it from the loom. The blanket is wet and heavy, but I need to shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more on my process; and my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets; save this for future reference and come follow me.   #handweaving #madebyhand #fibreartist #handwovenluxury #artisanmade
2 days ago
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@skeinydipping
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Split ends? Brittle sun-damaged tips? Do you have that problem? 🤣 I don’t. Hehehe But I can help solve your problem if you do! For those of you who have the good fortune to feel beautiful raw fleeces in your hands, sometimes the fleece just needs a bit of extra preparation before it is spun. If the fleece has matted, brittle or fragile tips, I need to remove that tender part of the staple. There are many ways to do this, but I have my preferred way. It’s simply a snip. With the weak part of the fibre removed, my yarn will be smooth and strong, to use in some of my blankets.  Losing a little of the staple length is ok, because I’m carding a rolag to spin a yarn using the long-draw technique. I’m going to show you how I do that in an upcoming post. You can save this pro-tip. To see more spinning and weaving tips; and the next steps in preparing fleece to spin; follow me!   #handweaving #woolfleece #madebyhand #rawwool #handspinning
3 days ago
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I use very simple tools to weave my beautiful handwoven blankets.  My rigid heddle loom is just a rectangle. My shuttle is really just a flat stick with a notch at each end; and my heddle is just a single reed. I also use another flat stick to help with the shed. I also have a very simple hook to thread and sley the reed.  Colour is my ‘thing’, so I don’t require a lot of heddles or fancy pedals to create intricate patterns. For more insights into my weaving studio, the stories behind my blankets and how each blanket evolves; love you to come along and follow me.   #handmade #artisanmade #weaving #loom #handwovenluxury
5 days ago
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5/9
@skeinydipping
@skeinydipping
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Have a problem being in two places at the same time? It’s a tough one without a teleporting wand; but I can help you warp your rigid heddle loom without needing to be in two places at the same time! It seems that dumb bells are actually quite a clever solution. 🤣 Here, necessity was the mother of invention; and I’m sure I’m not the first person to have used this solution; but it was what came to mind and was at hand! Hehe. For more pro-tips on weaving, my handwoven blankets; and a bit of fun; you can save this tip for future reference and follow me. #madebyhand #handweaving #protips #handwovenluxury #artisanmade
6 days ago
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6/9
@skeinydipping
@skeinydipping
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It’s warping day. On a previous reel I explained what a warp was, and today I needed to tension warp threads to wind the warp onto the back beam.   I can’t be at both ends at the same time, so being a rather practical and creative person, I came up with a plan! Perfect solution! Doesn’t save me going to the gym though! hehe Here I’m using my fabulous Ashford Rigid Heddle 48” / 120cm loom. You can save this for future reference; and to see more pro-tips on my handwoven blankets, and have a bit of fun on the way; come along and follow me. #handweaving #madebyhand #warping #studiovibes #protip
6 days ago
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7/9
@skeinydipping
@skeinydipping
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I just stared. I haven’t used my spinning wheel for a while, and I found myself being overwhelmed with not knowing what to do. I haven’t had much time on the pedals of my beautiful relatively new Matchless @schacht_spindle_company spinning wheel, so I was a bit unsure about my setup for spinning a woollen yarn. I thought about returning my wheel to its spot in my room; but decided to crack on and have a go. I wasn’t going to dodge this challenge! As soon as I placed my @louet_australia carders in my hands. I immediately and intuitively started to card the staples of wool into beautiful airy rolags, ready to start spinning beautiful woollen yarn. I really love to spin long-draw style, which I’ll show in a future post. If you’ve enjoyed this post, and want to find out how I spin yarn and weave blankets; you can follow me. @skeinydipping #handweaving #spinningyarn #artisanmade #madebyhand #uniquegift
1 week ago
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8/9
@skeinydipping
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It’s been a year since I’ve spun my own yarn? What should I do? To find out what I did; and see how I weave my heirloom handwoven blankets, I’d love you to follow me and share with a friend. #handspinning #weavingart #handmade #artisanmade #uniquegiftideas
2 weeks ago
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9/9