The Bird Did What??

I think you'll find this a fascinating read, much as I did!

This is small excerpts from Hyperallergic post on how the bird based

color system became Patone 

An effort to describe the diversity of birds led to one of the first modern color systems. Published by Smithsonian ornithologist Robert Ridgway in 1886, A Nomenclature of Colors for Naturalists categorizes 186 colors alongside diagrams of birds. In 1912, Ridgway self-published an expanded version for a broader audience — Color Standards and Color Nomenclature — that included 1,115 colors. Some referenced birds, like “Warbler Green” and “Jay Blue,” while others corresponded to other elements of nature, as in “Bone Brown” and “Storm Gray.”

Ridgway’s scientific work was inspired by Milton Bradley, who, along with selling board games, was a proponent of color education. He published Elementary Color in 1895 and manufactured a color wheel that, when spun, visually mixed different hues. Daniel Lewis, author of a 2012 biography of Ridgway, wrote in an article for Smithsonian magazine that the ornithologist paid tribute to Bradley in his color system with “Bradley’s Blue” and “Bradley’s Violet.” Lewis added that Ridgway’s “book evolved into the Pantone color chart,” the first edition of which was printed in 1963.

Math and Knitting

When I saw this--I was blown away!  I know math is involved in most aspects of our lives, but 

to think Pat Ashforth & Steve Plummer - Mathekniticians did this with knitting--

like oh WOW!

Plunge yourself into their world of Woolly Thoughts and you'll be magically transported

I've down some Illusion knitting, but this takes the cake!

This is their fanciful afghan--okay, my brain is in overload!  I'm so glad

their brains are working for me!

Waulking The Cloth

I was walking through my memory album the other day--this album contains all my memories of adventures, trials and tribulations.  I came across the photos of the days when we would Waulk cloth for a demonstration at a local plantation.  In those days, I would weave wool yardage in traditional Scottish fashion to be Waulked at these demos.  And we would waulk the cloth with our Scottish friend singing a Gaelic song for us to keep time and pound the cloth!  

  

Waulking (in Gaelic ruadh) is the technique of finishing the newly-woven tweed by soaking it and thumping it rhythmically to shrink and soften it - all done by hand in the old days. The songs served to keep the rhythm and lighten the work.

Here you have the sounds of waulking with gaelic song.

Here are some of my photos from 1996 when we did several rounds of waulking with Norman Kennedy at Oakley Plantation, Audubon State Park (the location where John Jay Audubon painted his famous bird scenes--but there's another time for the blog on that)

The wool fabric is wetted, waulked around the table and once fulled to the master's satisfaction, laid out and wound around a board that allows it to dry.  Norman, or the master waulker, blesses the blankets for future generations.  These blanket was woven for my grandkids.

An article was written on this topic for Handwoven magazine--Waulking The Web--

if you ever have a chance to participate in waulking, jump right in!

I've retired from weaving blankets--I've done my 12 as required for the Acadian hope chest.

The Power of Color

We live in a vibrant and colourful world, but few of us truly appreciate the sheer power of the hues around us. This course will lift the lid on the world of colour: exploring the science behind the shades, the theories beyond the tints and the cultural impact of colour.

Join for Free

Future Learn

Seven week course that begins October 17

Understand the science behind colour

On the course we’ll take a closer look at how humans interpret colour - examining the physics and biology that determine our colour perception and getting to grips with how the brain processes colour.

Explore different colour theories

Throughout the course we’ll explore and evaluate different colour theories and apply them in real-world situations. We’ll also meet an eclectic and inspirational group of creative professionals and hear about their personal relationships with colour, as well as examining the use of colour in different disciplines like graphic design and art.

Learn about colour and culture

Broadening our scope, we’ll look at colour from a global and cultural perspective - examining colour preferences in different countries and even looking at the colours of 2016. We’ll then zoom in further to see colour in a more local sense: examining the colours of London and inviting you to share and contrast the colours of your home location.

Get confident using colours

As this course continues your appreciation of colour, and confidence in using colours, will grow. You’ll learn about digital tools that support colour discovery and manipulation and how these are employed in interior design specifically, giving insight into combining colours to achieve a desired effect and create drama and impact in the home.

We hope you’ll finish the course inspired and ready to express yourself confidently through your colour choices; presenting your work, your world and yourself with colourful and creative originality!

C

design, to the colours of 2016.

J

Knitting For Cool Weather--Scarf!

Can we say 'FAB-U-LOUS!  Love it! 

Knitty has the most awesome patterns for any season.

And this pattern is super duper using variegated sock yarn--can you

believe that you use only one skein!

Pincha by Pinpilan Wangsai

The Mighty Structo Lives On!

Our Weaver Study Group is weaving away on Structos!  Those mighty little but powerful looms are ringing out with warp and weft.  The group is working on mug mats for the state conference to be held in 2017.  We have promised 170 mats for the brunch meal.

These wonderful looms are quite portable, easy to carry to workshops or meetings.

at one time I bought a lot of 5 of these gems but I sold them

all--it's okay though--other weavers are enjoying the delights of weaving

The warp of the mats will be 4.5" wide by 4.5" in the state conference colors

There has been much discussion about the sett of the warp--either 36 epi or 30 epi,

so both are being woven using 5/2 cotton or 10/2 doubled.  We'll see where they land.

Several had taken a rep weave workshop earlier this year so using that knowledge to

create this layout.  The weft is one shot of thin and one shot of thick.

Weaving is slow work, but the weavers trudge on

Gerry bought an eight harness Structo and this information booklet came with it.

Dated 1959 

And take a look at the price list--in 1959, you could purchase one of these looms

for $22.50 for 4 harness or $37.50 for 8 harness.  Gerry said she paid $300 for 

her 8 harness!  My, my how things to go up with value.

If you have one of these structo looms, you have a good deal!

Columbus Day--

Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries in the Americas and elsewhere which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in and the discovery of the American Continent on October 12, 1492. The landing is celebrated as "Columbus Day" in the United States, as "Día de la Raza" ("Day of the Race") in many countries in Latin America and as "Día de la Hispanidad" and "Fiesta Nacional" in Spain, where it is also the religious festivity of la Virgen del Pilar. It is also celebrated as Día de las Américas (Day of the Americas) in Belize and Uruguay, as Discovery Day in the Bahamas, as Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural (Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity) in Argentina and as Giornata Nazionale di Cristoforo Colombo or Festa Nazionale di Cristoforo Colombo in Italy and in the Little Italys around the world.^[1][2] These holidays have been celebrated unofficially since the late 18th century and officially in various countries since the early 20th century.

Columbus Day first became an official state holiday in Colorado in 1906, and became a federal holiday in the United States in 1937, though people have celebrated Columbus's voyage since the colonial period. In 1792, New York City and other U.S. cities celebrated the 300th anniversary of his landing in the New World. President Benjamin Harrison called upon the people of the United States to celebrate Columbus Day on the 400th anniversary of the event. During the four hundredth anniversary in 1892, teachers, preachers, poets and politicians used Columbus Day rituals to teach ideals of patriotism. These patriotic rituals took themes such as citizenship boundaries, the importance of loyalty to the nation, and celebrating social progress.^[3][4][5]

Many Italian-Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of their heritage, the first occasion being in New York City on October 12, 1866.^[6] Columbus Day was first enshrined as a legal holiday in the United States through the lobbying of Angelo Noce, a first generation Italian, in Denver. The first statewide Columbus Day holiday was proclaimed by Colorado governor Jesse F. McDonald in 1905, and it was made a statutory holiday in 1907.^[7] In April 1934, as a result of lobbying by the Knights of Columbus and New York City Italian leader Generoso Pope, Congress and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt proclaimed October 12 a federal holidayunder the name Columbus Day.^[7][8][9]

Since 1970 (Oct. 12), the holiday has been fixed to the second Monday in October,^[10] coincidentally exactly the same day as Thanksgiving in neighboring Canada fixed since 1959. It is generally observed nowadays by banks, the bond market, the U.S. Postal Service, other federal agencies, most state government offices, many businesses, and most school districts. Some businesses and some stock exchanges remain open, and some states and municipalities abstain from observing the holiday.^[11] The traditional date of the holiday also adjoins the anniversary of the United States Navy (founded October 13, 1775), and thus both occasions are customarily observed by the Navy (and usually the Marine Corps as well) with either a 72- or 96-hour liberty period.