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    • IMScotty wrote:

      OMO, I do genealogy. It is a never ending quest. The answer to one question leads to ten more. My favorite part is 'walking in my ancestors footsteps.' Hope you take your trip to Sweden.
      So would you by chance be Scottish? We visited Scotland a number of years ago chasing down my wife's ancestors. We've taken several trips based on her family history. This will be the first we are chasing my family history. She has relatives all over the place (like many Americans). I'm relatively easy as they all came from the same place. I've already contacted several cousins in Sweden, although some are quite distant (6th cousin, twice removed, for example)

    • odd man out wrote:

      IMScotty wrote:

      OMO, I do genealogy. It is a never ending quest. The answer to one question leads to ten more. My favorite part is 'walking in my ancestors footsteps.' Hope you take your trip to Sweden.
      So would you by chance be Scottish? We visited Scotland a number of years ago chasing down my wife's ancestors. We've taken several trips based on her family history. This will be the first we are chasing my family history. She has relatives all over the place (like many Americans). I'm relatively easy as they all came from the same place. I've already contacted several cousins in Sweden, although some are quite distant (6th cousin, twice removed, for example)
      I have a g-g- grandmother named Sarah Adams who I have traced to County Monaghan in Ireland who was Scottish. I have not been able to determine where the family was from in Scotland. At that time the English moved a lot of the Scottish riffraff to Northern Ireland to help them dominate the Irish riffraff. I am afraid I will never be able to push that branch back any further since the records of these tenant farmers was poor.

      I have been to Scotland and very much enjoyed my time there and the people.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • meat wrote:

      CoachLou wrote:




      .........and since I have been in the office, I have had no time to keep this looking like this! :(
      Wheres that at the shop Lou?
      Yes, that is my office in the pic. When I was in the shop, I planted all that. On Monday morning and thru the week I would walk thru and take care of it and the roses that the old man planted when he put up the building. We both thought that when I went into the office, when he retired, that i would have more time to take care of the beds. :huh: PooFan . Not a chance, I have NO time. The current owner, just calls her brother in law twice a year to come in and mow it all down.
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:

    • meat wrote:

      JimBlue wrote:

      I'm Comanche and Scot-Irish. Along with a long list of other relatives. My problem has been finding names.
      Jim, I too am Scotch Irish and my great grandmother was Comanche...her last name was Pennington.

      I have my Swiss ancestry back to 1650, in Switzerland, from a cousin. The rest, well, ancestry says this and that. I do have Ancestry DNA matches, but many I've contacted talk to me a bit... and then I guess they get busy. My cousins, who are willing to talk about our Native American ancestry, cannot get the older generations to give up information. The older folks claim they have the documents, and when asked for a copy, claim they burned it in the fireplace. I would like to thumb my nose at some of them, or something... it aggrevating.

      The Scot-Irish part is from Scot mercenaries being hired to help one or more clans in Ireland. Land being part of the deal. I think it was around 500 years ago that happened. I have Norse ancestors, accoring to dna, but no names. 37% western Europe, with 2 percent Italy/Greece. Norse is about 20%.

      Of course, the world Ancestry is expensive, more than I can afford, even monthly payments.
      --
      "What do you mean its sunrise already ?!", me.

    • Having guided for many years I found that the fishing in 2nd Meadow was normally as good as 3rd Meadow. Packing in on day trips I would explain this to the clients and also tell them that it would be another 40 minutes each way in saddle to go from the 2nd Meadow to the 3rd Meadow. They could either ride or fish to 3rd Meadow. Just about everyone opted to fish their way up :)

      I did catch my second largest trout ever in 3rd Meadow on a black Conehead Wolly Bugger. I had over cast and hit the opposite bank. When I pulled the fly back it fell right down next to the bank and the cutthroat came out from underneath the bank and inhaled the fly.
      The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you.

    • I did my first successful fly fishing in the Sierra Nevada on my JMT hike using my Tenkara rod. The trout fishing was unbelievable. In some places I was getting bites with almost every cast. Caught Brookies, Rainbows and Golden hybrids. I had more luck in the mountain streams than the lakes (the lake trout seemed to be smarter). But the fishing was great.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • Anyone working on something interesting or learning something new?

      I'm weaving kitchen towels.

      The pattern is called Log Cabin and has been around a long time. It looks complicated but it's just a matter of how you use light and dark colored threads in the warp and weft. It's really easy and can be woven on a simple loom with only two shafts (although I'm using four), making this a popular pattern of our ancestors.
      Images

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      Lost in the right direction.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Traffic Jam ().

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      Anyone working on something interesting or learning something new?

      I'm weaving kitchen towels.

      The pattern is called Log Cabin and has been around a long time. It looks complicated but it's just a matter of how you use light and dark colored threads in the warp and weft. It's really easy and can be woven on the simplest loom with only two shafts (although I'm using four), making this a popular pattern of our ancestors.
      That's really something, I can't say it enough but without the weavers in the world we'd all looking pretty silly backpacking nekid. :D

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      Anyone working on something interesting or learning something new?

      I'm weaving kitchen towels.

      The pattern is called Log Cabin and has been around a long time. It looks complicated but it's just a matter of how you use light and dark colored threads in the warp and weft. It's really easy and can be woven on the simplest loom with only two shafts (although I'm using four), making this a popular pattern of our ancestors.
      Is this an automatic or conventional loom? What's the final size of your dish towels?

      Lest we forget.....


      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      Anyone working on something interesting or learning something new?

      I'm weaving kitchen towels.

      The pattern is called Log Cabin and has been around a long time. It looks complicated but it's just a matter of how you use light and dark colored threads in the warp and weft. It's really easy and can be woven on the simplest loom with only two shafts (although I'm using four), making this a popular pattern of our ancestors.
      You've got some real talent TJ.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • jimmyjam wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      Anyone working on something interesting or learning something new?

      I'm weaving kitchen towels.

      The pattern is called Log Cabin and has been around a long time. It looks complicated but it's just a matter of how you use light and dark colored threads in the warp and weft. It's really easy and can be woven on the simplest loom with only two shafts (although I'm using four), making this a popular pattern of our ancestors.
      You've got some real talent TJ.
      You do too JJ, wish I had your sewing talent.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Dan76 wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      Anyone working on something interesting or learning something new?

      I'm weaving kitchen towels.

      The pattern is called Log Cabin and has been around a long time. It looks complicated but it's just a matter of how you use light and dark colored threads in the warp and weft. It's really easy and can be woven on the simplest loom with only two shafts (although I'm using four), making this a popular pattern of our ancestors.
      Is this an automatic or conventional loom? What's the final size of your dish towels?
      I have a countermarch loom. The preferred loom in the US is a jack loom...not many weavers use counter marches. The jack loom raises your threads and leaves the remaining threads in place. There are many disadvantages of this and I dislike jack looms.

      Countermarch looms are made in Scandinavia and both raise and lower threads simultaneously. I won't get into why this is better but it is. They are physically and mentally more challenging to use but worth the effort (and also more expensive). It's not uncommon to see an aged weaver selling their countermarch because they can no longer thread it. To thread the countermarch, you have to climb inside and sit on the treadles (the 2nd photo).

      I could computerize my loom but it would cost between ten and fifteeen thousand $.

      Once hemmed, the towels will be about 14" wide by ? (I'll decide as I go.)
      Images

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      • IMG_6062.JPG

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      Lost in the right direction.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Traffic Jam ().

    • TJ, and anyone else interested in traditional skills, I would like to recommend a magazine for you. Backwoods Home Magazine is a 'homesteading' magazine I enjoy. Ot often has interesting articles on various homesteading skills and farming skills. Check it out.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • Dan76 wrote:

      TJ...thanks for the response. Now I'm reading about different styles of looms.
      No...thank you, I love to talk about weaving. The history, engineering, and mechanics are fascinating. You better watch out, the majority of male weavers that I've met started weaving because they were interested in the mechanics of the loom. The same for spinning.
      Lost in the right direction.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Traffic Jam ().

    • IMScotty wrote:

      TJ, and anyone else interested in traditional skills, I would like to recommend a magazine for you. Backwoods Home Magazine is a 'homesteading' magazine I enjoy. Ot often has interesting articles on various homesteading skills and farming skills. Check it out.
      I certainly will. While doing some research on fiddle playing, I stumbled across an event in Asheville, NC called the Firefly Gathering where you can learn primitive skills, homesteading, and backpacking skills. (That's where I saw the foraging class.). It looked really fun.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • One of the fun things about weaving is how you can use so many different, recycled, materials. I've been saving old blue jeans for years that will become rags and woven into a rug (one of my planned projects this year), and old bed sheets, blankets, plastic and paper bags, garden twine, etc.

      Our society throws away so much useful stuff.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      IMScotty wrote:

      TJ, and anyone else interested in traditional skills, I would like to recommend a magazine for you. Backwoods Home Magazine is a 'homesteading' magazine I enjoy. Ot often has interesting articles on various homesteading skills and farming skills. Check it out.
      I certainly will. While doing some research on fiddle playing, I stumbled across an event in Asheville, NC called the Firefly Gathering where you can learn primitive skills, homesteading, and backpacking skills. (That's where I saw the foraging class.). It looked really fun.
      TJ, you probably have heard of it, but there is a big fiddlers convention in Virginia every year. This year the Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax is 8/7 thru 8/14.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • I was interested in a loom about 1975. But since I lived with relatives after I got out of the Navy, jerky employers were worried about flash backs I wasn't going to have as I was never in combat, anyway. We didn't have room. I checked on the one i was interested in, and it weighed over 1,000 pounds. My mom suggested I just stick to bead work, at least that loom was very light and portable.
      --
      "What do you mean its sunrise already ?!", me.

    • I toured a carpet weaving school in Turkey once. I am fascinated in this ancient technology, but haven't the talent or patience to do it. It is amazing to watch. In between each weft thread, the weavers tie a tread to each warf thread to make the pile. They tie the knot, cut it to length, and tap it in place all in one motion in just a couple seconds. Each thread has to be the right color to make the intricate design. I have a Turkmen runner in my front hall (from the state carpet store in Ashgabat). Even this small rug has a half a million hand knoted threads. Amazing.

    • odd man out wrote:

      I toured a carpet weaving school in Turkey once. I am fascinated in this ancient technology, but haven't the talent or patience to do it. It is amazing to watch. In between each weft thread, the weavers tie a tread to each warf thread to make the pile. They tie the knot, cut it to length, and tap it in place all in one motion in just a couple seconds. Each thread has to be the right color to make the intricate design. I have a Turkmen runner in my front hall (from the state carpet store in Ashgabat). Even this small rug has a half a million hand knoted threads. Amazing.
      It's a beaut. I had a neighbor who owned a store that sold rugs, he always told me he'd give me a good deal, but still outta my league or what I was willing to pay. Any idea how long it takes to make something like that, working hours?
      We have a rug that was passed down in the family, don't know much about it though.

    • I'm thinking my rug would take one person working full time about a month. A full sized rug probably half a year. Traditionally it would have a project for the winter. But usually they are made by teams of women siting side by side each working on their part of the row. Carpet knotting is traditionally woman's work. It takes small fingers. Because they spend so much time is close quarters, the weavers do a lot of gossiping (or so I've been told). There is an excellent book "The World Is a Carpet " by a woman who spent a year living with a carpet weaving Turkman family in a tiny village in Afghanistan. In Central Asia, carpet making is central to the whole culture. You can see why they are expensive. It helps that I have friends living in central asia. She also got me this Tekke carpet seat cushion. At this size they are affordable.

    • odd man out wrote:

      I'm thinking my rug would take one person working full time about a month. A full sized rug probably half a year. Traditionally it would have a project for the winter. But usually they are made by teams of women siting side by side each working on their part of the row. Carpet knotting is traditionally woman's work. It takes small fingers. Because they spend so much time is close quarters, the weavers do a lot of gossiping (or so I've been told). There is an excellent book "The World Is a Carpet " by a woman who spent a year living with a carpet weaving Turkman family in a tiny village in Afghanistan. In Central Asia, carpet making is central to the whole culture. You can see why they are expensive. It helps that I have friends living in central asia. She also got me this Tekke carpet seat cushion. At this size they are affordable.


      they're beautiful, not really in the market for one though, thanks a bunch though.

    • odd man out wrote:

      I toured a carpet weaving school in Turkey once. I am fascinated in this ancient technology, but haven't the talent or patience to do it. It is amazing to watch. In between each weft thread, the weavers tie a tread to each warf thread to make the pile. They tie the knot, cut it to length, and tap it in place all in one motion in just a couple seconds. Each thread has to be the right color to make the intricate design. I have a Turkmen runner in my front hall (from the state carpet store in Ashgabat). Even this small rug has a half a million hand knoted threads. Amazing.
      I looked at such when I was in Bangalore, India. The two people I was with bought rugs and had them shipped home.