Saori weaving heals

 Saori weaving is different from traditional weaving. It allows your mind to to slow down to a calm and allows your intuitiveness to come out to play. The touch of fibers in your hands, the joy of picking weaving colors  without laboring over RULES  or yarn sizes or  fiber contents .

  The release  of  tension working with an exceptional designed silent floor loom is a  happy experience.   The varying of  sizes and versatility of these Saori Japanese made loom models from Sakaiselki Sangyo Co LTD fit ages 4 yrs and up  different saori loom models are fantastic. The engineered designs to accommodate those in wheel chairs , or with dimished motor skills, to better ergonomic design for more minor physical special neeeds and or daily artistic weaving convienced me years ago to sell my other less responsive non inovative jack action looms.
 The  ease of the light weight  treadles, to the built in bobbin winders and Saori weaving accessories    help  create a flowing  atmosphere of peace and harmony. The weaver and the Saori loom become allies . Time and stress seem to melt and a feeling of calm renewal seems to eminate from each shuttle throw.

Back in the fall last year Mark came and took some Saori classes  . Amoung other skills he learned to wind a warp, dress the saori loom, and  wanted to get back to weaving after a 30 year absence earlier blog and another mark blog. Then Marks health took a turn and back surgery was needed.Months of healing and physical therapy still on going but this week I saw Mark again back in the studio to finish his scarf. How did he do? GREAT! But then I will let the photos speak ….

  Marks cane was left leaning against the table and he wove for three hours taking regular short breaks now and then . The importance of having a the correct adjustable loom bench height for each persons needs is crucial. Abench that can move up closely to the loom  with out obstructions from chair legs or rollers that interfere.

" It's all coming back! I missed weaving so much" saori weaving and spinning classes

  Unfurling his scarf off the loom!

 It is just fantastic!

  Before he leaves  there is just enough time to learn to twist fringes .

  Quick and more manipulative friendly then just using fingers or manual fringe twisters is  using the excelent Lacis fringe /corder twister. mark did well  especially considering that  his hands were learning a  new skill.

  All thats left is to trim threads and give it a soak and line dry which he will do at home!

 "I LOVE IT, Thank you I will be back soon ! This is so fantastic and exciting , I  just HAVE to Saori weave, it is helping me heal and bringing me so much joy"

Peaceful  healing weaving in the costal redwood mountains
Jill Nickolene
www.saorisantacruz.com

New weavings off my Saori WX60 loom

Quality time with my Saori WX60 folding loom is  always GOOD  so in the last few weeks I carved out some time to finish weaving my "middle earth " etherial silk and merino yardage . Deestined for some new designs in clothing I am going  to sew.

  I soaked it sun dryed  and watched it crinkle and curl and collapse in textural goodness.

 
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 Then  I  wanted some more fun colors to weave ….I decided on creating some cotton skinny scarves, I found a warp I had  recieved through a warp exchange several years ago. Of course there were no notes to how many threads or to it's  length but i decided it was perfect for scarves so I dove into the oppurtunity to fearlessly play  and "be bold and adventuresome  "  

 My Saori WX60 loom with the cross protector  cross holder ( in place of using lease sticks)

 Here I am starting to weave...

 off the loom awaiting some final photots I  havent taken yet…..

Peaceful weaving
Jill Nickolene
www,saorisantacruz.com

 SAORI WX60 FOLDING LOOM and other  Saori looms

Learn to Spinn yarn classes at Saori Santa Cruz

Rebecca wanted to learn to make her own yarn and came to a beginning spinning class ( all  Saori Santa Cruz classes specialize  in personal  student attention and specific  individual focuses be it weaving, spinning sewing etc.)
 Before we went to the wheel we practiced spinning on a Turkish drop spindle . She learned quickly. After  the basics  she moved on to use her new fiber drafting skills to make yarn on the Louet spinning wheel. Rebecca's fleece to yarn journey….

In about 30 minutes she was building up a nice ball of hand spun singles yarn

some students take longer to learn but  it was as if she had learned to spin yarn before .

I trurly believe some of our ancestry and DNA leave markers and attribute to different learning sets  especially resurfacing in the fiber arts. 

Her grand mother spun she told me latter. 

Rebecca knits and crochets, I took a shot  of a  cute snail she made

Wait , it is not just a snail ! How clever she crocheted around a retractable tape measure

…..you pull his head and out comes the tape!

push his shell and it retracts!

The transition to the wheel can be challanging but Rebecca made it smoothly

Filling up the bobbin with  dark Coopworth fleece singles  spun into  yarn on the Louet S17 wheel and the wonderful  Louet art yarn flyer

 Using her while Perndale fleece singles she  had spun on the drop spindle she learned to ply the two together on the wheel.

….and how to use the Niddy Noddy to remove her  finished 2 ply from the wheels bobbin into a skein

twisting the skein

 she will soak it and let it dry at home to set the twist . Her first hand spun little skein …. her spinning journey has begun….

Peace through fibers

Jill Nickolene

www.saorisantacruz.com

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