ProseKnitic – of Words und Wolle

Trying one of the prepacked bread mixes

which made a really lovely loaf of sunflower bread on the large/white setting and having a nice breakfast had been about as much plans for the day as I needed. After all, I have the DH, knitting and books.

The DH got the itch to go somewhere and see something.

Ok, fine – if he figures out where, then I will drive.

and he found just the thing – the Old Silk Mill in Whitchurch,

restored in the last 15 years and open on Sundays.

Set up to weave fancy silks for Judges, the Royalty, decorating and fashion

The Mill is of course, located on a river, complete with the usual wild fowl.

The silk arrives skeined from China, is sent out be be dyed and then is returned to be wound.

The bobbins are then racked

and the warp is beamed sectionally (up to 200 epi)

On the bottom floor – there are 15 looms. Because of the fineness of the fabric and the complexity, each weaver only handles 2-3 looms. Where originally the power shaft could drive all of the looms, there is electric augmentation for several decades.

We drove back along the A30, choosing to see a bit of the country side rather than rushing along the Motorway. And honestly, since it was a bit more direct, it took just about the same amount of time.

-Holly

As you probably guessed from the short posts for the last several days, neither knitting or spinning have really been on my mind.

Reading still – going through a couple of paperbacks a day (or a library book).

But I am contemplating hauling out the loom. Not that I need another project underway. There are only three WIPs that really count – the second “Peacock Sock,” my Kauni cardigan which still needs the second sleeve and facings, and the Gallery Jacket which is now four fingers above the armhole split – all the way across.

Now – that means that I really don’t need to think about starting something new. Even tho I have yarn dyed for a couple of afghans from three years ago. Or a number of cones of this lovely blue that came in a while ago.

What started all of these thoughts? A nice, useful size catalog from Webs that arrived in  today’s mail.  There is no lack of wools, and some decent cottons for weaving. But I haven’t played with Tencil or Bamboo on the loom. Those are new fibers since I last threw a warp on the small beast.

Of course, I also received a lovely box of sales audio books in the mail today. Enough to last me a longish time. The post library loves the CDs and the MP3s, but they are no longer taking donations of anything on cassette.

Hummm.

-Holly