CaySwann

Calendar of 2025 with individual days colored in with highlighters... Pink for spinning, Green for braiding, Yellow for weaving, Orange for sewing, Blue for other, and two marks for days off -- circle for nothing to note and red x for heavy paperwork days

Mid-month or so I'm always curious, "How are my crafting streaks going?" And today, the looming pile of sewing needs has reasserted itself. Since I have already woven more days this month than any other month this year, I don't mind that "sewing a little every day" is back on my daily lists.

Great sale friends! Check it out!

Still not sure. It was a "comfort spin"

Ten coiled up skeins of yarn in pink, orange, and yellow

A year ago, the singles were spun. Today, I finished skeining, which I finished plying end of Apr. Stats: Started Oct 2021, half spun in a week, remainder spun in Jul and Aug 2022, in Nov 2023, and May 2024. 404 yards two-ply wool. 225 g, 8 oz. #SlowFashion #HandSpun #SpindleSpun #KeepSpinning

Collage of three pictures: Left, the middle of weaving from the far end back to the middle, right top bright band in Red Xs and yellow interlocking Os wrapped around my hand, bottom right whole band folded in half

Started on Saturday afternoon. Wove again today to finish. Another run at four selvedges, and this one was a bit easier. Gotta keep practicing. #AndeanBackstrap #KeepWeaving #AlwaysAStudent

Six skeins of white yarn with tweed-like spots and flecks of orange, red, and brown

When I do demos about spinning and textiles, the yarn spun while I talk all starts to look the same. Some of this was done on the Great Wheel, some was done on spindles. This evening I finished plying and skeining demo yarn for some type of weaving project #KeepSpinning #TextilesDemos

OMG this explains a "food poisoning" reaction I had AT WORK once in the late 90s. How did I not know this?!?!

That video is insanely beautiful

display of hand spun yarns (wool yarns and cotton), hand dyed yarns, and several weaving techniques all from my studies of Andean Backstrap weaving (from the Andes in Peru, primarily the Cusco region), including the 4-selvedge band I finished last night - one basket filled with colorful balls of yarn, one basket of white cotton, and lots of woven bands and straps, including a wider piece still in progress

Cloak clasp with Celtic knotwork, a pin with three pomegranates, and a collection of charms with a number 50, and oak leaf, and a set of acorns along with a black bead, a white bead, and black and white diagonal striped ribbon

Darach Shire 50th Anniversary - I did a sweeping display of hand spun yarns and weaving, taking People's Choice 1st place, the cloak clasp and the pomegranates pin as my prizes. #MySCA #Caid #DarachShire #KeepWeaving #KeepSpinning #AlwaysAStudent

Collage of four photos: Two embroidery needles holding open the two sheds. Needles and heddles removed with just a few rows left to weave. The finished band in my hand. And the finished whole band pinned on a towel to see the full length.

Finished this four selvedge Tanka Ch'oro this evening. Needle weaving the gap is still REALLY hard to do. #FourSelvedge #AndeanBackstrap #KeepLearning #AlwaysAStudent

A narrow woven band has an X pattern in purple close to the camera. Two shed sticks are balanced in the weaving. A bundle of blue threads and a loop of yellow yarn are stationed in the unwoven warp threads. And at the far end, the patterned X and O in purple and yellow recees away to the anchor point.

I decided "well, since I am not still a five year old, then I guess I know how I have to finish this Tanka Ch'oro" #IYKYK #FourSelvedges #AndeanBackstrap #KeepWeaving #AlwaysAStudent

A lot of people seem to think following the U.S. Constitution is optional—like picking which shoes to wear in the morning. It’s not. If you’re within the boundaries of the United States, the Constitution applies to you.

Fucking rich people. No skills just money. These are the real astronauts, that used their knowledge, skills and determination. And there are more just don’t have photos.

Well, that was the first time my phone broke the "silent setting" to say outloud, "Earthquake" and give instructions (and notifications that there was a current quake happening). I **BARELY** felt and heard a tiny movement. The phone said it was 5.8 and 140 miles away from me (down in San Diego).

Nearly packed, everything staged, and I am just ironing my clothing. 8:30 PM and the site is only 10 minutes from my home. This shall be a lovely weekend. #PreppedEarly #HistoricalTextiles #DemoLifestyle

OMG OUTSTANDING!!! ❤️❤️❤️

I've been keeping track of my crafty progress for 2025, mostly to see if I can make sure I do more weaving this year. I managed to weave on 2 days in January, 3 in February, and 2 in March. So my goal for April: Beat those and weave at least 4x in the month, hopefully minimum "once per week."

Collage with a close up of March and a zoomed out look at January -March. The days have been colored in with highlighters in pink, green, or yellow, with legend notes in red, black, or green pens.

No fooling, I am still mostly remembering to log my daily craft tasks and progress. Here is March and an overall look at 2025 to date. During 10 of 31 days, I spun, 16 of 31 braided more award cords, on two days I wove, and one day I skeined yarn to ship to a student weaver.

Woven band shows outside borders in solid stripes (burgundy, light blue, dark blue, and dark green) and inner pattern in red and yellow, with reflected and mirrored and flipped curled shapes. There is a weaving stick holding open the next row for the weft thread. The base of the weaving is safety pinned on a small dowel which is looped into a yarn belt.

I declared (in a small group) that I would challenge myself to weave AT LEAST ONCE this week. Evidence of success: I've set up the living room again to make it easy to weave again during after dinner TV time. #KeepLearning #ForeverStudent #HandMade #HandWoven #AndeanBackstrap

Two bundles of braided blue-and-white cords

Status on all the braiding lately: Probably 14 yards total so far. #AwardCords #HandBraided

White carnations with pink edges (photographed in front of complex Andean woven textiles)

Fresh carnations, just because #Sweetie #Treats

Also, I truly hope that postal customs don't put too high of a ransom change on top of it. You'll get an email with tracking from me when I ship it.

Email was received and Abby will send the invoice. Literally, I love that hat so much. ❤️❤️❤️

check your email please, you COULD have that hat! 😀 (also, omg you've called dibs on my FAVORITE hat)

White cotton hand spun, pictured on an espinner bobbin (Daedalus Martin)

Hanging from a thick dowel, a bobbin filled with blue and white braided cord and four clothespins wrapped in white or blue threads

FINALLY spent some time spinning last night after work, before dinner. And then continues braiding award cords during TV time. I can do this without looking at all, which is perfect for watching TV. #MakeThingsByHand

True Thomas the Storyteller, kneeling before the king, and me beaming and crying happy tears, sitting on the floor behind him

King Brocc of Caid, holding True's hands as he offers to make him a Pelican in the SCA.

Me, smiling ear to ear and tears are all over my face (hair braided up on top my head)

At home. I'm a T-shirt that says True, Sweetie points to the shiny Pelican medallion gifted from our dear friend Selene

On Saturday March 15, my Sweetie was offered the Pelican at Caidan Pentathlon. He chose to be elevated on the spot. May I present to you "Master True" ❤️❤️❤️

SUPER CREEPY to park my car, open my phone, and feel an earthquake rock my car. Also, the earth is welcome to just wobble all the 4s with no damage. All is fine.

And give credit to the modern master weavers gracious enough to teach me the same way they would teach any 5-year-old. I look forward to meeting my students on Saturday and giving them the same grace I would to any new weaver. ❤ (And P.S. -- if they can learn without charts, we can too.) LOL 🤣 3/3

Now I have a tiny 5pp introductory handout that I'm super proud of that I can share with my class Saturday. Always give credit to your teachers. Give credit to the indigenous communities still holding on to their traditions after centuries of persecution and discrimination and outright conquest. 2/3

I never thought my studies of modern weaving techniques currently practiced by master weavers in Peru now would have a full cross-over into the type of history that my SCA friends would enjoy. But then I accidentally fell down some history rabbit holes, too. 1/3