Organzine
Organzine is a twisted and plied filament silk. This is about a 40denier strand, that has been plied up four strands to the single, and then doubled with another four-strand single. That makes it a 40d4x2 organzine.
This shows the color right; it’s a brilliant, sheeny white.
This skein is just over half an ounce. I haven’t measured the yardage, but it’s quite a lot.
I love the way light catches this stuff. In these pictures, I had to disable the flash to keep it from wiping out all the detail.
That’s a ball-headed sewing pin, for scale.
that is a bright white
That’s like bombazine, right? That’s what 19th c. black skirts were made of.
re: organzine
marvelous!
Stunning, I’m sure it’ll be beautiful to work with.
What have you planned for this??
I think that bombazine is actually a fabric.. but yeah, it’s from the same set of word roots.
You are now my new hero..*nod* someone who speaks my language.
Not sure yet – I’ve got another friend who needs a laureling ribbon, but I may end up with some of the skeins going to Contemporary Handweavers of TX for judging.
This is the direct definition of Bombazine:
A fine twilled fabric of silk and worsted or cotton, often dyed black and used for mourning clothes.
Isn’t that ironic I was thinking of you creating another ribbon with that.
For judging..what does that entail?
It entails a one-ounce skein (this is half as big as what I need) and I’d want to have more even twist (because this has some variances). I’m sending in the entry form for an entry, and I’ll just work out what to actually take a little later. Gotta reserve a place, at this point.
Wow, it get’s that filled?
With the judging what do they do?
Are there honorable mentions, prizes, notoriety, fame, fortune, a rocker lifestyle..;-P
**kidding**
It looks lovely but as you say, there is a little variance in the twist. I assume this is from your own cats again. What did you use to spin it?
Thanks for sharing – I’ll be moving onto purchased silk in the next month or so, and this is really inspiring me to play with cats come next spring (it turned out that there simply wasn’t the time this summer).
those skirts were built for women with asses. You know. Real women.
May I ask if you use historic techniques or more modern kind? I’m thinking about doing a research paper for weaving on asian weaving and spinning techniques. Plus I consider you a font of all knowledge. ^.^
Nah, don’t know nothing about those real women..nope not me..*snort*
I don’t understand this preoccupation that women have that drives them to have a figure that could spin on a toothpick.
It’s sad really, and distressing but at least for me I can make clothing for the larger ladies and they appreciate it being one myself.
You make clothing for women who might actually be able to bear children? Madness!
*sews hand to forehead*
I know it weighs heavy on my heart and I don’t know how I manage some days…however, I always seem to pull through comforted in my blissful layers of fabric and restful in the knowledge that somewhere out there some lovely lady has a momento of a bygone era that I bound together for her mildly tethered form.
Wow – That is some purty stuff! Much finer than the threads I normally spin – I stand in awe.
Bet it’ll be gorgeous when it’s woven up! *eg*
This is such a wonderful hobby — I envy you your obsession.
hmm… most of my technique is historic, because nobody in the “modern” world reels silk by hand. But, some of the stuff I use is modern.
I have a modern accelerated silk reel, based on an Edo period Japanese zakuri. The zakuri is semi-modern, in the sense that it was developed around the turn of the nineteenth century, but it’s not *current* modern. The photos on wormspit.com show the use of an old-style clock reel, which is definitely the older way. I use some modern equivalents, like a crockpot full of hot water instead of a charcoal-fired stove, and a toothbrush instead of a bundle of twigs.
I’m doing the throwing using a castle-style spinning wheel with a flyer and bobbin. The original Chinese technique for throwing silk uses the ancestor of the Great Wheel. Thirteenth and fourteenth century Europeans used water-driven mills with multi-spinner frames to throw their silk… so in a way, I’m way behind technology on that. Pretty much nobody throws silk by hand nowadays.
If you have specific time-period questions, I’d be happy to help; I’ve got lots of resources. I’m not aiming this at a particular period recreation, although I could with some minor alterations.
Have you ever seen Vermis Sericus? (note: the author mis-spells the title, in case you go looking for other copies)
The variances are mainly just from me trying different methods to measure how much twist goes into how much yarn. I used a castle-style spinning wheel.
:chuckle: I don’t think it’s a matter of it getting over-filled; you just have to let them know that you’re going to enter by a certain date, then the actual entries are due by a different date. I think it may help them plan their exhibit space, figure out how many hanging pieces, how many flat cases, etc.
I haven’t entered this show before; I’ll let you know how the judging goes. I’m not expecting a rocker lifestyle, unless you’re talking about the kind of rocker that comes with a footstool.
I’m always totally in awe after these posts.
Are you okay with me printing off the third picture down? It is beautifully set as a photagraphic composition, I would like to have it over my sewing/beadwork area.
Thankyou for sharing the work that obviously gives you so much joy!
It’s oh so gorgeous!
Sure! I can send you a larger version, if you’d like – these are sized down so that they won’t take forever to load.
The only thing that irks me about #3 as a photo, is that it almost looks like there’s a nailhead in the lower-middle left – it’s actually a shape formed by several threads intersecting, it just looks incongruous.
I just mentally parsed your comment about “from your own cats” – I was thinking ‘that damned feline that keeps getting on my threads.’
This is actually reeled from cocoons that I bought. They’re from China by way of Treenway Silks. I’ve traded silk cocoons for several things, and I’m running low on my hand-reared stash; I’ve got enough for one significant project, but I want to get my experimentation out of the way before undertaking that.
Ahh, okay.
Thank you for walking me through this btw..*G*
Yes, please I’d like to know how it works.
*dies laughing*
I was yanking your chain, trying to inject a little humour in my 1001 questions..;-P
The State Fair does a very similar kind of pre-application. You send in a letter with your entry fees, and they send back a letter with a registration code, then you take in your items with that code on them later. I think it’s not entirely standard across all shows, but it’s not an unusual practice.
The Dallas Handweavers and Spinners Guild show, we just took in the form along with the piece and the entry fees.
Actually, if you send me the photo that would be perfect!
Have you tried to photoshop that bit that irks you?
So you agree that it is a great photo?
Hehe.
I shall try to photograph the necklace that I am presently working on when it is done so that you can see what I like working with.
If it isn’t already indicated, my email is
leslie.squirrel@gmail.com
Thankyou so much!!!
Wow. Amazing as always!
Froghair!!! You’ve made froghair. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful stuff.
Hee hee. I’ve considered (after I get the electric spinner) seeing how fine I can go. this is still eight plies…. theoretically I can make a thrown single ply that will work for weft, and a two-ply of the organzine that would hold up as warp.
The raw filaments coming out of China are about half as thick as what I do – but when you get very fine like that, you are at more risk of breakage and other problems. Maybe some day…
I am always amazed at your work. I would never have the patience to do that. I get all bent out of shape if I bead for more than an hour at a time.
that picture, large, without nailhead.
My photoshop skilz aren’t exactly the best. I’m not sure if I like it better this way – or if the spot needs to be there, just altered to look less nail-head-like. I think the spot adds depth to the photo…
like this.
Hee. The only way I’ve managed the patience for this, which is pretty tedious, is to figure a way to do the counting totally without looking at the thread, while watching TV.
Hey.. saw that you friended me, so I’m friending you back… I can understand if you delete this reply from your LJ because, well… my icon isn’t exactly work safe.. LOL…
Hey! No worries about the icon… I don’t usually have a problem with people peeking over my shoulder.
Awesome! Sometimes people dont want their friends seeing stuff like that… that was my concern… At any rate, I added you!
What’s the saying… “fuck ’em if they can’t take a joke?” Or is that “Choke ’em if they can’t take a fuck”?
LOL… both, I think… I’ve just issues recently (it’s in my LJ) with someone who was demanding I use LJ cuts and stuff so now I’m on this kick about being respectful… I know, it’s stupid! But I have family members who read my LJ so I wouldn’t want an icon like mine popping up for them, either… Such is life, I guess!