Dear Weavers
I love colours, always have and always will. Colours are something that I honestly could not live without. The different shades of a colour bring joy to me and make me happy every day. I could play with them all day long and sometimes I have to physically stop myself, otherwise the day would be gone. Designing with colour is probably my favourite part in weaving, next to the weaving part itself of course. Just recently I designed some t-towels and my challenge was to use up the colours I had. I made three designs and only stopped at that because I was hungry. Next day I came back to it and couldn't decide which one to choose. Well, so I ended up choosing two out of three. 2x 10m warp for t-towels. Mhmm what have I done? Yes, colours can get me in trouble.
That is why I do enjoy making the sample cards for BB Yarn Supplies yarns. When I started this business I always wanted to have a good array of yarn colours available. The idea always was to have a set of colours per yarn available. The same colours, so that if you need more of that specific colour, it will still be there for you. A sample card was needed to be able to differ the colours. This way the sample card can be sitting at home on your desk and used for designing or maybe just the purpose of thinking about colours. When it comes to ordering the yarn, all you have to do is give me the number of that specific colour and you can be assured, that you will get exactly what you looked at on the card.
But getting back to the making of the sample cards: I enjoy making them, because at the same time, I can look at the colours and dream. Sometimes I find very interesting combinations and I write them down in my ideas booklet for a later day. I don't really know what it is, but colours do cheer me up. Any colour and with all its many shades, one can never stop dreaming. And after that the same green looks different in silk than it does in linen, therefore creates even more options. Never ending...
All sample cards are made just for you. The cards show you the exact yarn in colour and thickness. At the same time each card also represents a business card. Every yarn from BB Yarns has a sample card, some of the yarns even have two. I quite often divide them into warm (reds and golds) and cold (blues and greens) sample cards. All sample cards are for free and can be ordered from my online shop at www.bbyarn.com
Last weekend we had a visitor from overseas staying with us and on Sunday we decided to show him the area we live in. Because of the rain we had over the last couple of weeks, everything looks lush and green. In Mt. Perry we came across this great lookout and the view that greeted us up there was just incredible. I honestly have never seen it so green before. Well, we are certainly enjoying it as long as it lasts.
That's it from me. Back to my looms and weaving.
You can follow me on Instagram as bbyarnsupply
Thank you for reading
Happy weaving
Ursula
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Dear Weavers
I hope you all had a wonderful festive season and started the new year relaxed with lots of creative ideas and amazing plans for 2024.
I have used the time between Christmas and New Year to make the move into my new weaving studio complete. We, my husband and I managed to finish two lots of steps/entrances to the doors. One entrance even received a proper porch, little roof and large steps. I already lost track on how many times I have walked up these steps by now. It's wonderful to have this grand entrance!
My office is now also moved into the weaving shed and with it everything regarding BB Yarn Supply, including the correspondence course and 8+. The weaving shed now has everything in one place.
All of BB Yarn Supply with all its yarns and accessories is now here, my three looms are finally all in one room and all the Glui7 materials are here too. By the way this is the first time all three looms are together in one room. I can now jump from one loom to the other quite easily. This is now truly a weaving place only (except for the orchids...). My happy place!
I like to have all the looms occupied with something. I am totally aware, that one can only weave on one loom at a time, but I don't like looking at a "naked" loom. So therefore this was the first thing I worked on, making a warp for each one of them. At the moment the small computerised Mecchia has the t-towels for the shadow weave workshop on it. The large computerised Mecchia has a white warp on it for a fabric to make caps. It is the same kind of fabric like the pullover scarves, but only one layered. The Glimakra is about to have a 10m warp for turned twill t-towels wound on. Whenever a visitor is stepping into the studio, there will be something to see and nobody has to imagined how these looms are suppose to work. I am more than happy to give a quick demo and show someone what these looms can do. Over the festive season I already had two interested visitors in my studio.
My plans for the future, probably not quite this year maybe next, would be to open the studio for weavers to enjoy workshops right here. I have three looms to work on, so I'm thinking to give private workshops for one or two weavers at the time. Not just a day, probably from two day to a week long stay, to have time to concentrate on a topic in great length. A week of weaving in a relaxed and peaceful place for you to enjoy. Weaving from morning until night, no interruptions and chores to do. Only the accommodation has not been solved yet, but this can be sorted in the nearby town of Gin Gin. What do you think? Would you be willing to come here for a weaving retreat?
So what is in my weaving studio apart from the three looms? There is a great large table for designing or cutting fabrics. My newest edition is a brand new vertical warping mill from Toika, 4m circumference for easy and quick warping. Cupboards and shelves full of yarns. Reading corner with lots of magazines. A mannequin for testing a new form of clothing or take perfect photos. A tv for presentations or watching inspiring videos. The studio is airconditioned for hot days. Beautiful view out the windows.
Enough writing, I better go and do some weaving.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the photos.
Ursula
]]>Dear Weavers
It has been a while! For me it only seems yesterday I wrote the last blog post. But no, it has been 4 months ago!!! And yet so much has happened since.
In May my husband and I made the long journey to Europe and back. We really had the urge to visit our families in Switzerland like so many others after the pandemic. It was absolutely amazing to be able to give them all a big hug, chat for hours and eat lovely swiss food, especially cheese! We indulged in every way or form. It was a very busy holiday, but oh so worth it. Great memories were made. Unfortunately coming home was not so nice. We both got sick the next day we arrived home, most likely Covid and spent the following week in bed. But we were just glad it didn't happen during the holidays and we had beautiful memories to pull from.
Back home we continued with the build of my brand new weaving studio. It is coming along nicely and I will be able to move in soon. Can't wait to finally have my three looms back up and running again. It will be amazing to spread out and have my truly own space surrounded by all my looms and yarns... I think I will call my new studio "BB's weaving shed", as it looks quite similar to a shearing shed.
In August I had the pleasure to give a workshop to the lovely group of weavers in Hervey Bay. The Hervey Bay Spinners, Weavers & Fibre Artists are a very warm and welcoming group of people. And I feel I made a lot of new friends over these couple of days. I drove to Hervey Bay twice for one day of workshop each time. The topic was "Making rag chenille and weaving it back into a mat", twice woven fabric. On the first day I showed them how to set up the loom to weave the rag chenille. Each one of them went home happily to finish weaving the chenille caterpillars. After two weeks I returned to weave the chenille into a lovely soft bathmat or chair pad. A great way to re-use your old t-shirts, pants or other fabrics instead of throwing them into the bin. A little time consuming, but a great way to help the environment and basically going back to what has been done centuries ago. It was a lot of fun and very colourful. Each mat turned out totally different because of the different fabrics used. Not one was even similar looking. Amazing work and thank you Hervey Bay group for having me.
If your guild or weaving group would like to do something similar, send me an email and require about workshops. Due to the demand and my current situation I have decided to be available again for in person workshops from beginners to advance. Or you can attend the weaving seminar in 2024, where there is going to be another exciting 2 day workshop. Send email to sales@bbyarn.com
Last but not least I would also like to announce that the colour theory and twill drafting courses are now also available in print version. It is a little bit costly but would give you the option of having a piece of paper in your hand, rather than reading it on your computer. Go to www.bbyarn.com or click on one of the links below to get straight to the right page.
Colour Theory 1 + 2 print version $42 each + postage
Colour Theory 1 + 2 to download (PC + Mac version) $24.90 each
Twill drafting 1 + 2 print version $42 each + postage
Twill drafting 1 + 2 to download (PC + Mac version) $19.90
That would be all from me. I hope this blog post was interesting to read and I wish you happy weaving wherever you are and whatever you are doing right now.
Cheers
Ursula
]]>Dear Weavers
So far I have always talked about yarn, fibre or any business matters in this blog. This is therefore a quite different blog post. I am really excited to finally show you what I have been working on for the last couple of months. (Drumrolls...) Please welcome the first parts in Drafting theory and the whole course of Colour Theory for weavers. These two topics are sections out of BB Yarns Weaving correspondence course from level 1. Instead of having to do the whole course with all its five subjects, it is now possible to do the drafting and colour theory separately.
Drafting:
Have you ever thought you would like to design your own drafts, but wouldn't feel confident enough to give it a try? Well this course will show you how. Or maybe you would simply like to brush up on twill drafting? After working through all the exercises you will happily design your own twill draft and maybe even go to the loom and weave it.
It is easy to just copy a draft out of a book or magazine. But to actually design your own pattern and weave it? That is using the whole design options of a weaver!
Learn how to draw your own draft and you
The first two parts of Drafting theory include everything about the weave structure Twill. This is such a huge and important part of drafting. It deserves two separate parts just to talk about all the twill patterns. The theory works itself through from the very simple one line twills to undulating twill, turned twill, herringbone twill and lots more.
This two part course starts with simple instructions on how a draft works and how it is built. My drafting theory is based on the drawdown, the designing section of a weaving draft. From there we work out the threading, treadling and tie-up. This way it shows how a draft is created and how you can design your own draft. And you are not limited to shafts or treadles.
Every twill pattern is described to its potential and what it is best used for. After each chapter there is an exercise for you to work through to get your own experience in designing the specific twill. Solutions for the exercises are given in an extra file. Each twill description also includes many examples for your own study. All exercises are added in a separate file in a printable version for your convenience.
For more information go to www.bbyarn.com or simply click on the link below Drafting
Colour theory:
Have you ever felt like breaking out of the same old colour scheme you have been using? But you don't feel confident enough? Would you like to learn more about colours and how they behave?
Well this two part colour theory course will certainly change your mind and hopefully give you the ability and security to leap out and use more colours in your work.
This course is based on Johannes Itten's colour theory and the 7 contrasts. The course is ideal for textile designers and each contrast has special notes on how the theory can be used in weaving. It is eye opening for what a slight difference in a colour can do. What things to avoid and where the harmonious colours hide. What is the trick to make sure the fabric ends up to be balanced in colour?
The course uses water based paints for easier and faster experimentation with colours. Each contrast is explained with lots of examples and has various exercises to complete and work on.
Work yourself through this course and receive colour confidence!
Learn the laws of colour for
For more information go to www.bbyarn.com or simply click on the link below Colour theory
Looking forward to hear what you think about these new learning modules. Are they helpful and would you like to know more?
To finish this off I leave you with a picture of my dog. Poor Lucky had to undergo surgery on her tail late January. She had a lump on her tail which started to grow inwards and we were worried it could eventually effect her use of the tail. So we had the lump taken out. But look what they did to her tail! She looks so silly. But the wound is healing very well and thank goodness the hair already starts to grow back. The lump came out to be benign, which we were very relieved about.
Happy weaving and thanks for reading
Cheers
Ursula
]]>Dear Weavers
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful festive season with family and friends, lots of laughter and beautiful sunshine in your hearts. My husband and I took two weeks off over Christmas and New Years and used the time to do some work around the house. There is still so much we need to do, small jobs everywhere and with all the rain the weeds started to grow like crazy. But of course there was also time to go out and visit friends and neighbours. Overall a very nice change from all the office/computer work and weaving. I am back now with new enthusiasm and energy.
In this blog post I would like to talk about the tencel yarn. BB Yarn Supply has the Tencel 10/2 and 20/2 on stock. Both are available in their natural white colour, ready to be dyed or simply used in white. They come in 100g spools and have the reasonable price of $17.90
What is Tencel? Well, the name Tencel is really a brand name. The real yarn content is lyocell. Lyocell is basically a kind of wood pulp which is 100% cellulose fibre, like cotton or linen. The wood pulp is then chemically processed to create the yarn. A similar process like a rayon fibre. The only difference is that Tencel is a registered trademark and might be slightly different than a rayon or viscose yarn. I find the Tencel yarn quite special, it is a bliss to work with. It is what I call a slippery yarn. The reason why I say this is that the yarn has a very smooth surface and has absolutely no fluff. But it still feels soft and luxurious to touch. Tencel yarn has an absolutely gorgeous drape and feels light and cuddly on the skin. A very suitable yarn to make scarves or shawls and not having to go over your yarn budget. One of the main attributes of Tencel is how well it takes the dye. It is really easy to get a beautiful bright colour with most cellulose dyes. This yarn is therefore ideal for warp dyeing or painting. Just recently the Handwoven magazine presented (November/December issue) a project with Tencel 10/2 and dyed warp. See below.
Handwoven magazin November/December 2022, pp 54-56
The sett I would use for Tencel 10/2 is 20-30epi and for the Tencel 20/2 I recommend 28-45epi. Both yarns make beautiful products in any sort of weave structure. But I would say this yarn is probably best used for a scarf, shawl or yardage. Tencel can of course also be mixed with any other yarn, for example have the Tencel in the warp and another yarn in the weft. Here are some examples:
Leno in Tencel 10/2
Twill yardage for a sofa cover
Huck lace in Tencel 20/2 for a shirt
I hope I was able to inspire you a little bit with my Tencel ideas. Should you be interested and would like to try out the Tencel yarn, use the link below or click on any picture to get straight to the Tencel page on BB Yarns online shop.
Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. Always happy to hear from you.
To finish this off, here is a little visitor from our veranda. This fellow sits on my shoes in front of our window every night and has a feast from all the insect that get attracted by the light. Isn't he handsome?
Thanks for reading and happy weaving until next time.
Cheers
Ursula
]]>Dear Weavers
In this blog I would like to introduce the new organic linen yarn NeL 16/2. Yes, I finally managed to put this new yarn online with all its glory, all colour pictures and description. Putting a new yarn into my online shop is always very time consuming. I do everything myself, which is my own choice to do so, not complaining. It really never made sense to me to have a website and not being able to service it myself. So everything on there had to be manoeuvrable by me. I had to learn how to do it and being able to change it when necessary... And I am sure it takes me three times as long as when a website designer does it. Hey I can do it... but I really don't want to bore you with all the website details.
The new organic linen NeL 16/2 is a beautiful yarn. It is of course a 100% linen yarn made out of organically certified grown flax. The yarn has an amazing shine, wrong... it glows. I love the colours there are available, bright and happy. But the best got to be the smell. Ahhh for me it smells of summer hayfields and sunshine. (Warning: Please don't smell it if you have an allergic reaction to hay). The linen yarn is a very strong yarn and can be used for many things. Actually its tensile strength is even higher when woven in humid weather. Like now. We just experienced another rain period over the last couple of days and the linen yarn loves that. When the yarn is able to suck up the humidity, it is more flexible and not as stiff. The linen yarn is not just used for weaving, there are so many applications. It can be used for stitching, tatting, embroidery and even bookbinding.
An amazing example of what the linen yarn can be used for would be this costrel made by Wayne Robinson. Wayne is reproducing all sorts of medieval and Anglo-Saxon leather works. For more information on his work go to https://leatherworkingreverend.wordpress.com/
The linen yarn can also be quite temperamental and sometimes be declared as stiff and not cooperating. I remember in my early weaving years, I beamed a linen warp very neatly on the warp beam only to discover next day, that the whole warp has unravelled itself. Well, I always keep saying, linen is special and has its own character. Treat it as such and you won't be too surprised when it does not want to behave. But what you can achieve with linen is always worth the trouble. A linen product is very unique and special with its shine and long-lasting quality.
When weaving linen and there is dry weather, it is advisable to have a water spray next to you. Spray it directly onto the warp and you will even notice how the thread pulls itself together. Once moist, it seems to be handled much better. Whenever you use water, just be careful not to spray towards the reed. Most reeds rust and cleaning them is not fun.
The new organic linen from Venne comes in cute 100g cones. Even though this linen is certified organic it has a great price of $15.90 natural and $16.90 bleached and coloured.
There is still some of the old linen 16/2 yarn from Borgs Vavgarner available. You will find this yarn in the On Sale section on the website and it is 20% off. The colours still available are Lavender, Magenta, Basil, Orange, Hickory, Shamrock and Ultramarine. Press on the photo below to get straight to the page.
It has been cold in our neck of the woods. We had the coldest ever day with a top of 11 degrees! Our wood fire heater was on all day long. A couple of days ago it was only 5 degrees in the morning, Oh my was that cold. Thank goodness for the sun, which brings some warmth back during the day. Look, I know it can get much colder than that in some parts of Australia. But not in Queensland. We are definitely not used to such cold weather up here. Anyway, the wattle and casuarina trees seem to like the colder weather and have started to flower. The gold and green from the wattle trees is spread all over our property. The casuarina tree or she oak looks a bit like an autumn coloured tree. But if you look closer it has an extended needle with some reddish pedals on it. Isn't nature just extraordinary?
That is it from me. Stay safe and be good. Looking forward to hear from you.
Happy weaving
Ursula
]]>Dear Weavers
Time seems to fly right now. I didn't even get to write a blog post in May and meanwhile it is already past middle of June, winter solstice. I will have to catch up on writing, because I really want to manage 1 blog/month this year. That means a lot of writing is coming up for me and a lot of reading for you.
Yes, you have read correctly, there are going to be more than one seminar, to be precise there are going to be two. After my little promotion in the last blog post in April, I had an absolutely amazing response for the fabulous weekend ahead. There were so many of you who would love to be part of it. So many, that I would have had to decide who gets in and who doesn't. I couldn't help it and started looking for another solution. A discussion with my husband opened up an idea: Why don't I have two seminars in a row. Two exactly the same, same place, same workshop and same talks? This would open it up for double the amount of weavers to be able to participate. I immediately contacted the Brookfield retreat host and she said yes. The Brookfield retreat is now booked for a whole week. Seminar 1 will be held from 11.-13. October and Seminar 2 from 14.-16. October. One is more for weavers who are not working and can attend during week days. The other seminar is for long weekend lovers. Your choice. There will be one day in between the two seminars, where the cleaning crew will come in to clean and change the bed linens. I will be the only person staying there the whole week.
On offer this year is:
There are going to be a couple of changes:
- The workshop itself will be held in the newly renovated garage, made into a workshop/presentation room. The room has much better lighting and suitable flooring.
- There are only going to be 10 spots available for each seminar. Although the house could hold more, the experience from last year showed that 10 was a good number, regarding house and bedrooms available
- The 10 spots are only available for overnight participants. No more day visitors.
- Last year I prepared all the food in advance. Living 450km away from Brisbane has put a stop to this idea. Therefore the dinner for both nights will be delivered from a local restaurant.
- This year the option of arriving the evening before will be available for long distance travellers. The cost for one more night will be $50. Last year we figured out, that the traffic around this area of Brisbane in the mornings is horrendous. You will now be able to avoid this and arrive early.
If you are interested in participating in this years seminar, you better be quick. Last year the seminar was booked within 4 days. Just saying. Interested? The link below will take you to the website where you can download the registration form. It is a pdf file which can easily be filled in and sent back with payment to me via email.
Email address: sales@bbyarn.com
It has now been 6 months since we have moved out into the country. Still loving it! Even though it is certainly much more work than living in the comfort of a city, we wouldn't change a thing. Every morning I get reminded of why and what for we have moved here. I usually get up every day around 5.30-6am and go for a walk with Lucky my dog along Michelles Road. Lately we have been greeted by the most wonderful sunrises. I reckon this is the most beautiful thing to wake up to. Every day it is different, sometimes red/orange, then there could be clouds, next day it has fog and the day after it is like pure gold on the horizon. I am amazed every day how different each sunrise is. Never the same. It also makes me enormous grateful to be alive and to experience such a wonderful thing every single day. Here are some impressions I was able to catch.
Happy weaving everyone
Ursula
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Dear Weavers
As promises this year I really try to have a blog post out every month with news from BB Yarns weaving world and what's happening up here in Horse Camp. Can you believe it is already four weeks since my last scribble?
This month I have shipping cost news: Because I had to restrict my posting days to Monday and Wednesday only, I thought I make it fair with arranging the shipping costs with an amazing deal for you.
No more adjusting to the weight of the order. All shipping costs are now very straight forward and easy to deal with. These prices are only valid for standard shipping costs. The prices for express shipping have not changed and still vary depending on the weight of your order. But be aware that even express orders will only be posted Mondays and Wednesdays. I simply can't just drive to the post office quickly to drop the parcel off asap.
The next news is that I can now reveal that there is going to be another weaving seminar this year! I have again booked the Brookfield retreat for a long weekend in October, 14. - 16. 10. This year the workshop is going to be all about "Deflected Double weave" and again we will have great talks on Friday and Saturday night. A special talk will be by Jenny Jackett showing us her tips and tricks about "Making up Handwovens". There will also be a follow up on the photography talk from last year and taking it one step further on how to make up the photo on your computer. If time permits we will even venture into how to create an Etsy shop. Next to all this there is a pool, spa and a beautiful garden to enjoy with plenty of food and I am sure there will be a glass of wine. The most common feedback I've got from last years seminar was that it was simply a great time to enjoy with other weavers, have time to weave and chat together, relax and enjoy each others company. Did I catch your interest? If so let me know via email, text or phone and I can put your name onto the list to receive the registration form first up. Last year the 12 spots available were booked within 4 days! If you really would like to be a part of this, you need to get in contact with me now.
Easter is here! Traditionally I will be dyeing eggs with onion skin on Good Friday and finally be allowed to eat chocolate on Sunday. I hope you all have a wonderful Easter celebration and maybe even find time to do some weaving over the coming days.
Happy Easter everyone and don't eat too much chocolate!
Ursula
]]>Dear Weavers
It's been a while! But can you see the rainbow in the picture above?
I hope this blog finds you all well & safe and I hope you have all started 2022 with a new and happy lookout! Yes, it has been a while and I have to say, I missed writing this blog. This might sound rather crazy and weird, but writing these blogs bring me a lot of enjoyment and clarity. It feels a bit like when I write all this down, it seems to clear in my head and there is relief. And I really, really do enjoy being able to help or maybe give a little support or happiness to other weavers. Or to friends. I learned that not just weavers read this blog, there are also some friends who enjoy reading it.
Now to the news: Yes, BB Yarn Supply, Roland and I, with Lucky the dog have moved. We have spent the last two years building this house in the bush with no intentions to move this fast. It was always the intention to retire in this new house and we are no way near retirement. But I guess over the two years building, a lot of things changed. First up there was this mad virus spreading around the world. It made us think that living in the country could be much safer than in a big city. Then of course there is the temptation of being able to move into a brand new house. One that we built ourselves! We thought about this and discussed it many times, before the argument that this new house needs looking after too, gave us the decision. How could we leave this house alone now, when we spent so many hours building and caring/worrying. This house literally has blood, sweat and tears on it. Shouldn't we enjoy it now?
So we collected our courage and took the step. We did it! We moved at the beginning of December last year and had everything unpacked by Christmas. The business side of things took a little bit longer but now eventually I am fully set up and going.
Okay where did we really move to? It is a location called Horse Camp out in the bush, about 15 minutes drive from Gin Gin. Our house sits on a hill and we have the best view in the whole world. It really feels like we are alone on this earth and there is no one else here. In German there is a saying for a remote place, it goes something like a place where the fox says goodnight to the hare. That is how it feels like up here, nature all around with birdsong waking you up in the morning and the croaking of green frogs putting you asleep at night. I haven't seen any fox yet, but there are hares...
Warping with view
The next larger town with facilities like a small hospital, supermarket and post office is Gin Gin. This town is at the Bruce Highway approx. 450km north of Brisbane. Or the larger town of Bundaberg is just an hour away. Having Gin Gin 15 minutes drive away is quite handy and we are very lucky for the supply of things down there. But it is a 15 minutes drive for a packet of screws or some eggs! You certainly start to think what is needed when you drive down the hill and planning ahead is essential. So far I managed to drive to town maybe two times a week. This of course means, that the parcels of yarn orders will only be posted then. We will see how this goes in the future. So far I have reserved Monday's and Wednesday's as my parcel posting days and at the same time do my personal shopping. The best and quickest way to order yarns is now to do it over the weekend or Tuesday. When you order yarn on a Sunday, it will be posted Monday. If you order yarn on a Tuesday, it will be posted the next day. I hope this makes sense and you do understand the reason for it. I will outline these ordering norms on the website too, so it can't be missed. Of course if it doesn't matter to you when you receive the order, then you can make the order any day you like.
Other than the parcel posting, nothing has changed. There are still the same great quality yarns available.
We have the popular Pearl cotton 10/2 in 40 colours
The new organic Cottoline in 28 colours
The fabulous Bambu 7 in 36 colours
Our everlasting yarn the Tussah silk 20/2 in 26 colours
The new soft organic 8/2 cotton in 36 colours
Not to forget the Pearl cotton 3/2, 5/2 and 20/2, Tencel 10/2 and 20/2
Soon there will be a new range of linen 16/2 available
I am also finally able to build up the stock and yarn boxes will soon be ready to be ordered again
Of course the weaving correspondence course has moved with me too and is distributed from here now.
There are still some handwoven articles available on the bbyarn website or you will also find the Glui7 products on www.glui7.com
Email address, website and phone number have not changed. They are still the best way to reach me. sales@bbyarn.com www.bbyarn.com
Looking forward to hear from you all soon and thank you for your patience over these last couple of months (I'll promise I will never move again....)
Happy weaving
Ursula
PS: In case you wonder about the floods.... I started writing this blog before this weather system passed. But we are fine. We only had storms one night long with heavy rain and it dumped 120mm of wet stuff on us. Then the weather moved on south towards Gympie and Brisbane. We were very lucky once more! I feel for all the people who have a flooded house yet again and are cleaning up right now. I can still remember the smell from 2011 and how this mud sticks to everything. I feel for you right now!
]]>Dear Weavers
There is going to be a weaving seminar in October this year in Brookfield, Brisbane, which is planned and organised by me (BB Yarn Supply). There it is, the cat is out of the bag. I have been thinking about this now for a long, long time. Actually, I would have liked it to take place last year, but Covid made it impossible and the seminar was postponed to this year. (And I really hope that it can go ahead this year!!! Fingers crossed.)
The idea behind all this is quite simple. I was looking for a gathering just for weavers, a fun weekend with lots of interaction, talks, speakers, workshop and support. Basically the ultimate weaving weekend. I know that these days you can further your knowledge in weaving very easily online or completing workshops with zoom. But a zoom workshop will never be the same as one to one, being able to interact with everyone and touch the handwoven pieces made. Anyway: The idea came to me after being asked, if I would like to host a workshop with a tutor from overseas in Brisbane. I quickly looked at the costs having this tutor to fly up, overnight stays, venue hire, overall workshop payment and I had to realise that this would not be possible. I simply would have struggled to get the weavers together to cover the costs. This was before Covid, mind you. And as much as I would have liked to have this tutor come to Brisbane, I just did not see it work. But it did make me think. Eventually I came to the conclusion that we don't really need (as nice as it would be to get to know this person) an overseas tutor here. We have plenty of brilliant weavers here in Australia who are able to give a workshop. Just look around or ask any guilds from the East Coast to the West Coast. That is where my idea started to grow into a seminar.
I thought I start this weaving seminar small to hopefully, if successful, give it a chance to grow. The easiest way is to give a workshop myself. I asked around the weavers in Brisbane and surroundings on what they would like to have a workshop of and the topic "Echo & Iris" topped all points. So I have put together a workshop on "Echo & Iris" based on the book from Marian Stubenitsky. Instead of having her here, we will follow her book and create our own colour fun. I have also thought about speakers or topic weavers would like to hear about. One topic close to my heart is photography. Do you know how to take an excellent picture of your pieces to be put into an exhibition or show? I always struggle with it, no matter what I have created and I am never sure if the photo I have sent in was good enough. Coming from this idea, I have organised a product photographer who will come and give us great tips and tricks on how to photograph a textile piece. There will also be a talk about Japanese textile and an introduction to the TC loom from Norway.
And for all this we will stay in a large mansion with spa, pool and garden to relax. Here is the program for the two days:
Friday |
|
9.30am - 4pm |
Echo & Iris workshop, day 1 |
5 - 6pm |
Photography talk by Blake Image Photography, www.theblakeimage.com.au |
6 - 8pm |
Dinner |
8 - 10pm |
Weaving presentations (Suzy Furness talks about her TC loom) |
|
|
Saturday |
|
9.30am - 4pm |
Echo & Iris workshop, day 2 |
5 - 6pm |
Japanese textiles, presentation by Kumi Robinson |
6 - 8pm 8 - 10pm |
Dinner Show and tell, topic Inspiration |
|
|
Sunday |
|
- 11am |
Breakfast and goodbyes |
If you would like to read more about this seminar go to www.bbyarn.com and look for weaving seminar or use the link here
https://www.bbyarn.com/collections/weaving-seminar
Okay now listen to this: I have launched the registration two weeks ago, thinking let's see how many people I can get together without promotion. Within 4 days the whole seminar was booked out!!! It went so quick, that some weavers who were interested didn't have a chance to register. It was sort of good and bad. I struggled with keeping up with the registrations and even had to say no to weavers who really wanted to come. But overall I was amazed. It seems that this is really something weavers want. So therefore I thought I'll start a list for weavers who missed out and would like to be on the next one. Yes, I am thinking of either repeating the seminar or having another one next year. But first I would like to see how this one is going and how the venue is holding up. If you would be interested in a weaving seminar next year, let me know and you will be put on the list straight away. When the next registration will open you will be the first to know and able to register. Send an email to sales@bbyarn.com and let me know what you would like.
I sincerely apologise to each one of you who would have liked to come to the first weaving seminar and unfortunately missed out. You will be missed.
I better get going and start organising. There are only 3 months to go.
Happy weaving
Ursula
]]>Dear Weavers
In this month I would like to introduce the little and older brothers/sisters of the pearl cotton 10/2. The pearl cotton 10/2 is the most popular of the UKI pearl cotton series. There are three more yarns available, spun exactly the same way for which the pearl cotton is famous for. I've heard that this yarn got its name for the way it is spun. The twist in the yarn looks apparently like a pearl. I don't know if this is true, but I kind of like the idea of this. A yarn looking like a pearl, sounds good right?
There are two pearl cottons thicker than the 10/2 and one yarn is finer. The 3/2 is the thickest of them all and I estimate that it has about the thickness of a 4ply Australian standard yarn. The 5/2 is a little bit thinner than the 3/2 and the 20/2 is the very fine one. BB Yarn does now stock all sizes of the pearl cottons, but only in white so far. If I ever win the lotto, I promise I will have the 3/2 and 5/2 yarns in all its colours on stock immediately. Until then, we have to make do with the white. The 20/2 pearl cotton is no longer produced in colour and only available in black and white. I have both of them in stock. But should you need one of the 3/2 or 5/2 pearl cottons in colour, this yarn, being a 100% cotton yarn, is very easy to dye. It takes the dye very well and can be boiled, dunked, painted or even sun or freeze dyed.
Pearl cotton 3/2 = 2548m/kg 100g = 254.8m = approx. 278yds
Pearl cotton 5/2 = 4247m/kg 100g = 424.7m = approx. 463yds
Pearl cotton 20/2 = 16987m/kg 100g = 1698.7m = approx. 1852yds
All of the pearl cottons from 3/2 to 20/2 have the same fabulous price of $16.90/100g
These pearl cotton yarns are good for many weaving projects. The Handwoven magazine has often projects with the 5/2 pearl cotton presented. Like the popular 10/2 pearl cotton, these yarns have a huge versatility of how they can be used. I was looking through my records to find some example where I have used some of these yarns. Maybe I can inspire you to choose one of the yarns for your next project.
Chair pads, stitched doubleweave, pearl cotton 20/2 in warp and weft, 36epi per layer, woven balanced
Did I make you feel like having a go at one of these yarns? Please do! The pearl cottons are such a easy to use yarn and there are endless projects waiting for you to be completed. The link below will take you straight to BB Yarns website and the pearl cottons.
Looking forward to hear from you.
Happy weaving
Ursula
]]>
Dear Weavers
I hope this blog post finds you well and safe. I don't know about you but now that the cooler weather is approaching it makes me feel more productive and I can't wait to sit at the loom for many hours to come.
This blog is all about the launch of my new Glui7 product, the pullover scarves. These fancy little scarves are now available to buy on the Glui7 website www.glui7.com
What is a pullover scarf, I hear you asking. Well, there is a story behind this product. My husband Roland rides a motorbike to work every day. It is not a very long drive to work, but he finds it the most practical way to wind himself through the city traffic every day. He drives his motorbike in sunshine or rain. So this means he is wearing good protective clothing and of course a scarf wound around his neck. I used to make him many scarves, fine, short, wide.... but none seems to fit him well enough. They always seemed to fall down or unwind leaving his neck exposed. Or the worst, get tangled in the velcro from his jacket. A couple of years back we discussed this problem and he suggested he would like something he could just pull over his head. And of course he also wanted it to be elastic, that it wouldn't fall down and it could also be pulled up over his nose in cold weather. The scarf would have to be wind resistant. Right and here was my challenge. Weaving a tube is easy, I'll do it in double weave I thought. But finding the right yarn to make it elastic, stay up over his nose, was a rather bigger challenge. I tried many yarns, made multiple samples until I finally discovered a yarn with elité from Silk City (USA). It is a viscose yarn with the elastic quality (10% elité factor) in the core. The yarn feels normal until treated with heat, that is when it starts to shrink and get elastic. Therefore weaving with this yarn is easy and very normal. After the scarves are woven I steam iron them. That is when you can literally see them shrink. Amazing! The elasticity of the yarn is not massive, just enough to pull over your head and stay in place if needed. This leaves the scarf more soft and I guess, stays more in shape. Once I figured this out it was then only a matter of time to work out how wide the scarves have to be to fit Roland's head.
Of course I then thought someone else would like to use one of these scarves and started producing. This was last year, when the coronavirus came along. Because the scarf can be pulled up to cover the nose, it can now also be used as a protection against any bugs or virus. I have to make this clear, it is not a clinically tested mask and won't give you the full protection. But the pullover scarf will keep at least bugs away and can easily be washed. And it is soft and comfortable to wear, not like some masks!!!
So far I have only produced the pullover scarf for a head size of 56cm. Soon there will be different sizes available. You can now purchase the 56cm size in many different colours. It is made out of 50% cotton, 40% viscose and 10% elité and can be washed in the cold machine wash cycle. It feels beautifully soft, very comfortable to wear around your neck and so quick to put on. For Roland the most positive outcome is, that it doesn't fall down. I have been wearing one of these scarves last winter for testing and I caught myself in the middle of the day still wearing it. Sometimes I left it on because it just felt comforting, but other times I totally forgot it's there. This scarf is so light and soft, that you don't want to take it off.
The scarves are available for $35 each.
Feel intrigued and want to give it a go? Click on the link below or on any picture.
https://www.glui7.com/store/pullover-scarf
This is one thing I really, really love about weaving. You can make anything, no matter what the request and it leaves you thinking "what's next".... bring it on!
Stay safe and happy weaving
Ursula
]]>Dear Weavers
Happy New Year!
Now that the awful 2020 is gone, I wish you all a prosperous 2021. May this year be better than the last, in every possible way.
I am totally aware that a new year isn't exactly a new beginning. It is basically just another day. A butterfly doesn't know that it is New Years day. It keeps flying looking for a mate if it is New Years eve or New Years day. Just because it is a new year, doesn't mean we are going to have a covid-19 vaccine and the world will turn back to normal. Unfortunately not. Patience is needed and life as it is now, will stay that way for a while to come. Some call it the new normal. But even then, what is a new normal? Can we go back to the normal we used to have? Do we want to?
Over the festive season my husband and I got in contact with our relatives from overseas, as we usually do. But this time it was different. One could hear the sadness in their voices, the despair, the helplessness and the longing for this crisis to be over. One relative even compared the situation over there as living through a war. One friend lost his job, he is a pilot with all his heart and is now driving a bus in a city. All this was heartbreaking for us to hear. And then comes the realization how good we have it here. Especially here in Queensland! We are so so grateful for living far away from the rest of the world and not being affected by this pandemic as much as anywhere else. I hope it stays that way (touch wood).
You probably wonder why I'm writing all this. Well in one way this blog is an outlet for me, for my thoughts and feelings to let go. Nothing to do with weaving really. On the other side, I can show you how I cope with the situation and therefore maybe help you. You might feel the same way and sharing feelings always seems to make things better. Or maybe just by reading this you will feel better, realising that we all go through the same process.
Here is what I do: I go for a walk every morning and afternoon. No matter what, sunshine or rain, I walk. This helps me clear my head, sorting thoughts in my mind and tanking up on sunshine, vitamin D. Back home I usually fill my day with work, which of course helps me not to think as much about the current situation. The best work is always weaving and if you have the chance to do some, I think it is the best relaxation method ever. Seeing the fabric grow, using different colours to make you happy and the fact you are producing something useful is priceless. Yes, this makes me happy and what else is there better in this current pandemic than doing what makes you happy?
I looked at my yarns from BB Yarn Supply and let my imagination go wild. There is a suitable project for every yarn in my shop. Of course there are many more projects you could do with these yarns, the list below are just some of my ideas. Yes, I do have more, many more ideas. But I restricted it to one project/yarn. See list below:
Can I also remind you, that some old colours from the tussah silk range and pearl cotton 10/2 are still 20% off. Not many colours left, but still this is a really good offer. In Tussah silk there is only one colour left, the navy blue. It is one of my favorites and I can't really understand why this hasn't been sold yet. Don't you like it? Maybe it is a sign for me to make something with it myself.... or did I just make you feel tempted to go and have a look. I'll give it another 2 weeks, then navy tussah will be mine. ;-)
I hope I was able to make you feel inspired and maybe grab some of the yarns and rush to the loom to weave. I sincerely hope so and I am pretty sure this will make you happy.
Now to something a bit more private: Last year has been filled with all the worry about the virus, but for us, my husband and I, it has also been an extraordinary busy time. Next to work, business and household, we have decided to build a house. When we started this, the virus didn't even exist. But in hindsight it turned out to be the perfect time to build during lockdown and restrictions. You see, we are owner builders, meaning we are building the house ourselves. It is a lot of hard work, but amazingly rewarding. But this is another story to tell one day. The new house is 400km from Brisbane, so we couldn't just stay there and build for months. We had to take the time, a week here and two weeks there to make it work. Therefore the house is nowhere near finished. While I am away building, orders have to wait until I am back in the office. Some of you, dear customers, might have already experienced this issue last year. It will probably be mostly the same this year. I will do my utterly best to get your orders to you as quick as possible and I thank you already for your patience.
This turned out to be a rather long blog. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading. Looking forward to hear from you soon.
Happy weaving
Ursula
]]>BB Yarn Supply will be closed from the 19th of December to the 3rd of January.
Online orders can still be placed but will only be processed on the 3rd of January.
Thank you for supporting my business, every order received is valued and I am looking forward to another great year with you.
Happy weaving
Ursula
]]>Dear Weavers
Can you believe it? Christmas is only four weeks away. And then after Christmas, this year will shortly come to an end. What an year it has been. It is safe to say that this has been a dreadful but extraordinary year. An year we won't forget and hopefully won't ever happen again. If you reading this, then you are safe and healthy like me and very grateful for that.
If anything learnt from this year it is that we should live life at its best. Do not think, yes, I will do that in a couple of years or when I retire. No, from now on we should all enjoy everything we have to live for and what we have or can (allowed to) have. Get yourself something that brings a smile to your face. Like this luxury gadget you have always wanted but thought the money should go on travel expenses. Well no more travelling at the moment so therefore you can now support the artists and buy the beautiful piece of clothing or jewelry you always wanted.
The situation we live in at the moment needs and relies heavily on everything Australian Made. (Which is a good thing that came out of this virus.) Here is where my offer comes into place. This year I sell all my finished handwoven articles for a very special price ready for Christmas and with free shipping. There might be a piece you like and would love for yourself. But I am sure there are also pieces for someone in your family or friends who love a handmade article to treasure for Christmas. There are placemats, shawls, scarves, bags, hand towels, mats and even a sarong for the summer beach. All these pieces are handwoven, handmade with love and very unique. There is only one of each and nobody else in the whole wide world will have the exact same article. Isn't that a treasure?
All these handwoven pieces were made as a single piece and not meant to be woven ever again. Sometimes the warp was longer than expected and I was able to change and weave something different. Or it was meant to just be a single piece to try out a new pattern. Or it was made for an exhibition and didn't sell. All pieces are perfectly produced by me and should last a lifetime for you.
These handwoven products are available on my website. Once sold, they will disappear. Go to www.bbyarn.com click on collections and then Handwoven articles and you will see the "treasures". Here is the link: https://www.bbyarn.com/collections/handwoven-articles
Or you can buy the same pieces through my Etsy shop. Go to www.etsy.com and search for HandwovenbyBB (one word).
All pieces are offered with free shipping! And should arrive at your doorstep before Christmas.
Please support Aussie made this Christmas and buy one of my beautiful pieces. Thank you!
Merry Christmas
Stay safe and happy weaving
Ursula
]]>
Dear Weavers
I can't believe Halloween is nearly upon us and Christmas not that far away too. Unbelievable. The festive season this year will definitely not be as usual. I am pretty sure it has something to do with the hovering pandemic which just does not want to go away. Maybe the fact that we are not suppose to gather and have a happy Christmas party. And what about the warm hugs? Oh how I miss a good hug!
Instead of thinking of what we miss and cannot have, we should look at what we have. So this is the moment when I am going to tell you that there are 7 new fantastic pearl cotton 10/2 colours. Yes!
I base my business on yarns with a certain colour range. I like bright and happy colours and all my yarn ranges do reflect this. My idea always was that I have a certain colour range in stock, so that you, the customer, can always order and re-order the exact same colour again and again. That is also the reason why I offer a free sample card for all my yarns. Unfortunately my idea does not comply with the companies who dye the yarns. Sometimes the colour range changes without notice and there is no other way for me as to adapt. Alas.
Well the company who makes the pearl cotton in the USA has changed directions in their production and reduced/changed the UKI pearl cotton colour range. Unfortunately some of the discontinued colours are in BB Yarns 40 colour assortment of pearl cotton 10/2. There are 7 discontinued colours in the range. I tried to replace them with similar looking colours, hopefully adding another touch of happiness to it.
The discontinued colours are Crab col.#163, Willow green col.#138, Mountain col.#137, Nassau col.#157, Red hot col.#172, Daffodil col.#144 and Oak col.#116. These colours will be available as stock last for 20% off. Therefore a 100g spool will only cost you $13.50. Go to www.bbyarn.com and look for the pearl cotton 10/2 20% off product or simply click on one of the colours below.
Happy days because the new colours are Natural, Avocado, Mint, Teal, Royal blue, Red and Light yellow.
I can imagine you all look for the pearl cotton sample card at home right now and check out the colours. Which one stays, which one goes.... Many of these discontinued colours were favorites and I can't understand why they have been taken from the range. But that's how it is. And don't worry about the sample card. A new card will soon be available to order from the website. Just go to www.bbyarn.com go to products and click on sample cards. Or you can simply send me an email (sales@bbyarn.com) with your mail address mentioning the new cards. All sample cards are for free and sent out immediately.
I thought while I am having to change the pearl cotton range I might finally change the numbers to the proper UKI pearl cotton numbers. They are totally different numbers than before. But these numbers are well known throughout the weaving world and can be found in all the weaving magazines, especially the Handwoven magazine. Most weaving kits with pearl cotton do also use the UKI pearl cotton numbers. This way it will be much easier for you to follow the instructions from the kit or magazines, as the numbers match perfectly. I will of course leave the old pearl cotton numbers on the website and you will find these in brackets after the new UKI number.
Pearl cotton 10/2 is one of the most versatile yarns in weaving. There are so many creations you can make with this yarn. It ranges from t-towels to apron, table cloths, fabric to wear, curtains... I could go on and on. Yes, I admit, it is probably my most used yarn in weaving.
With having seven beautiful colours with 20% off wouldn't this be the best way to give someone the perfect Christmas present? You can either weave something and give it as a gift or you could also consider some spools to be the perfect gift for another happy weaver. Maybe your mum is a weaver and would be happy to weave something with these colours for you? Can I make you feel tempted? Go to www.bbyarn.com
The sett for the pearl cotton 10/2 I normally use is 24epi for plain weave and 28-30epi for twill. But as usual it really depends what you intend to make, so don't stick to these suggestions. Make it the best for your own creations.
I hope you stay safe and I'm already looking forward to write about something else exciting next month.
Happy weaving everyone
Cheers
Ursula
]]>To encourage the recycle process I would like to offer for every 10 spools to be returned back to BB Yarns a free 100g spool of pearl cotton 10/2 or bambu7 colour of your choice. The spools of course would have to be in good condition for re-use. So if you have 10 empty spools at home, think before you throw them into the recycling bin. Send the 10 spools to BB Yarn Supplies address with your choice of colour in pearl cotton or bambu7. You will find the address on our website www.bbyarn.com
While winding the yarns I sometimes feel a knot slip through my fingers. These knots are unfortunately unavoidable and come from where the yarn was produced. Some type of yarns have more knots than others. Bambu7 is one of the yarns which can have a knot or two in it. But I would like to assure you, when I wind these yarns off and feel a knot, I always add a minimum of 2g of yarn more onto the spool. This is courtesy of BB Yarns to make sure you can work around these knots. This way you will be able to cut the knot out and won't loose any yarn from the 100g you have ordered and paid for. My promise to you, dear customer, is for every knot I feel I automatically add 2g of yarn more to the spool.
To use this opportunity I would also like to inform you that most of BB's yarns are also available in small 8-10g spools. These little spools can be very handy when you like to try out a different colour or use it as a supplementary colour to your weaving. But these spools are also very handy for stitchers or bookmakers. BB Yarns also offers these small spools in colourful boxes with 18 spools in it.
This is it from me this month. I hope this was informative, not too boring and you enjoyed the read. Let me know if I missed something. If you would like to add any comment on this topic, please do so.
Stay safe everyone and happy weaving
Ursula
This month in my blog post I would like to introduce a new product to my shop: The thread counter
Those of you who have been to my workshops/classes or talked to me on the phone, know that I only sell accessories for weaving which are extremely helpful and make life in weaving just this little bit more efficient and easier. The thread holder is one of these gadgets which I have sold all over Australia and New Zealand to many happy weavers. To have a look at the thread holder click on the image below.
The needles with ball-point is another article which is just this extra help when it comes to fixing your fabric after weaving. These needles come in three sizes and fit to all of your beautiful handwoven work, fine or coarse. Once you have used these needles, you don't want to ever give them away again. These needles are also very handy for fringing or knotting edges. Click on the image below to get more information.
But now to the thread counter: This gadget is mainly used for counting your picks while weaving. It is extremely difficult to count the picks accurately with a measuring tape and a magnifying glass next to it. Most likely you will loose count at least once. That is exactly where the thread counter comes into place. All you have to do is put the counter on your fabric, look through the glass and count from one end to the other. Each thread counter has marks in metric or imperial. All you really have to do is hold the glass still and count. It is that simple.
Do you wonder why it is so important to count the picks while weaving? I believe to have a stable beat in weaving is one of the most hardest skills to learn. You might start the day weaving with an easy steady beat, but through the day the beat might get harder and harder without noticing. I had a student once who made a scarf. We calculated the weft material and only had the exact amount available. But middle through weaving the scarf she ran out of yarn. Why? Because her beat got harder and harder. She started with the right picks/inch, but through the day it seemed she pushed it ever so a little bit tighter. I then gave her a thread counter to use and it never happened again. Her finished scarf was very one sided, one side quite heavy and the other light and fluffy. A lasting example to keep. So therefore counting your picks is very important. What if you want to weave a product with the same amount of threads in warp as in weft, called balanced? How are you going to make sure you are keeping the beat balanced all the way through? Can only be done by counting. Why not make it easier with a thread counter!
Another great way to use the thread counter is for analysing a fabric. Have you ever come across a fabric and you desperately wanted to know how it is made? With the thread counter you can easily identify each thread and figure out the weaving pattern by yourself. A thread counter is a "must have" if you consider analysing fabrics.
I have two different thread counters in stock for you. One has built in led lights which you can turn on when using. This is my favorite and I use it all the time, every day. This thread counter even comes with a case and it sits in the tray next to my loom.
The second thread counter is foldable and fits in any pocket. This gadget is very handy to take anywhere, fabric store, weaving meetings or even a museum.
Here are the specs for both thread counters:
Thread counter with led light and case (batteries included)
$30
Pocket linen counter, foldable
$24
All I say is that I could not be the weaver I am today without a thread counter, thread holder or even the needles. Try it out yourself and you will be surprised.
To order some of these accessories go to www.bbyarn.com
That is all from me this month.
Stay safe and happy weaving
Ursula
]]>Sometimes things change and all we can do is try to adapt.
While we all try to adapt to the "new" world where social distancing and repeated hand washing are going to be a constant, other things start to change. My yarn supplier seems to think it is funny to suddenly change the colour range of their yarns. I know, I know, they don't do it for fun. There are many different reasons for these changes, for example unpopular colours, difficulty dyeing the colour or simply cutting back on the range of colour. Well this is what happened to the tussah silk yarn Nm 20/2. Five colours of my now long lasting tussah colour range suddenly were no longer available. But the good thing is, there are five new colours here!
The colour which are going to disappear are:
Lilac col.# 2577
Raspberry col.# 2534
Mandarin col.# 2536
Navy col.# 2571
Carob col.# 2551
Some of these colours were quite popular and it's sad to see them go. But because I need room in the cupboard for the new colours, I have decided to take 20% off the regular price for these five colours. It is a bargain and if you are interested, you will have to be fast to grab a bobbin for this price. The regular price for a bobbin of 100g of tussah silk is $40.90. The run-out colours will go for $33! Be quick. You will find the 20% off colours separated from the normal silk range and it is called Tussah silk yarn Nm 20/2, 20% off Or simply go to www.bbyarn.com
The quality of this tussah silk is still amazing, old colour or new, it's the most luscious fibre of them all. Tussah silk is a wild grown silk in its natural environment, not controlled and not indoors. That is why it often has a more natural look to it. The natural colour tussah silk is never as white as controlled grown silk because this silk is exposed to the weather until it is harvested. When it is dyed the colours never tend to be as lustrous as controlled grown silk, it keeps that natural look to it. This is the specialty of tussah silk and that is why we like it.
It is quite easy to weave with the tussah silk and it tends not to be too slippery because of its more courser touch. I usually have a sett of 16epi for a plain weave scarf, but depending on what pattern, it can be up to 20epi. My scarves are mostly woven balanced, meaning it has the same ppi as epi. The picture below is a scarf with tussah silk Nm 20/2 in warp and weft in an Echo threading and 4 colours in the warp. The warp colours are deep navy col.# 2547, purple col.# 2543, snow peas col.# 2574 and hot plum col.# 2532. The weft colour is teal col.# 2545.
Interested in the new colours? Go and have a look at the regular tussah silk range. The new colours are called Cerise, Chestnut, Deep navy, Hot Plum and Poinsettia. Press on one of the new colour names and it will take you straight to the tussah silk range.
Should you have any questions about the tussah silk range, new colours, old colours or simply need some more information about the yarn itself, don't hesitate to send me an email on sales@bbyarn.com
Looking forward to hear from you.
Happy weaving
Ursula
]]>
Dear Weavers and lovers of a handwoven product
How does the Abba song go.... "I have a dream...a song to sing" Well I actually do have a dream and maybe even a song to sing. My dream has been brewing for a long time. This idea (ideas) has been in my head for as long as I can weave. Eventually over the last couple of years I collected all the courage I had and started working on it. My thoughts were that if I don't do this now, I will regret it one day. Even if it doesn't turn out the way I want it, I have at least tried. Courage, courage...
So here I am: I am launching my own designer line, my brand of handwoven products called Glui7. This designer line includes all my functional handwoven articles produced on a production level. I call it "Glui7 Uniquely Handwoven".
It is a collection of articles 100% handmade, unique and produced with love. Each article is made by my hands, the fabric woven on my looms and finished in my own studio in Brisbane. All articles are produced with the highest quality and only available in limited editions. Every product is made out of natural fibres and tested for durability and functionality. That is
My first product available for sale is the messenger bag made out of handwoven cotton fabric. This is a very modern and functional messenger bag. The bag features are:
For more information go to www.glui7.com
So here we are, I've done it!
This is only the first article of hopefully many to come. My head is still full of ideas and I can't wait to put them all together to show you. I am truly delighted to produce these handwoven products for you. I want everyone to see, that real handmade products are still here and "the throw away society" can be avoided. Handweaving is one of the oldest craftsmanship and it is still alive. At the end of the day it is also an art form. With my products you will be using and wearing a piece of art with you every day!
Please visit my new website www.glui7.com and send me your comments. I would love to hear what you think. And of course the Glui7 messenger bag is ready and can be bought straight from the website or give me a call on 0402 973 655.
Please stay safe and happy weaving everyone
Ursula
]]>BB's News
Dear Weavers
I hope this blog finds you safe and well within your comfortable home. What extraordinary times we live in at the moment with this covid-19 pandemic. Who would have thought at the beginning of this year, that we all suddenly have so much time on our hands? Luckily for us Australians, we escaped the worse and never had to encounter a total lock down. I feel for the people in Europe, especially Italy and Spain which have been locked into their houses or mainly apartments for now over 7 weeks! If you are a weaver over there, I guess there is no escaping, you will have to weave all day.... I also feel for the people in the USA which are doing it so tough at the moment. Please stay safe!
How am I coping with this isolation? Well, I have to say, for me not much has changed. I am a typical introvert and therefore not so much confronted with being alone. And I also work from home. So life has not really changed much for me. It only gets different, when I get out of the house. I am also in the not so risky age group for this virus. I therefore volunteered to do the shopping for my elderly neighbours, which is an experience by itself. To find specific items on a shopping list from someone else can really open up your eyes to new things! I did not know there are so many sorts of soy sauces available....
But I also know that with all this going on around us and we sitting in isolation, can have some strange effects on a human being. Things can be turning in our heads. Scary thoughts won't leave us and news have to be checked a million times a day to be sure one doesn't miss a thing. And news are always negative. I try to keep remind myself about the positive side of this pandemic. So here are my positive things:
- I can finally work on things I left in a box and forgotten about ....
- I can catch up on forgotten chores inside the house like clean the pantry or windows, hurrah
- I can still go for a walk with my dog every day
- I have a supporting and loving husband
- Keep in contact with family and friends with smart phone
- I can order everything online if I need to, thanks for the internet
- I can weave and have plenty of yarn to do so (my yarn stash will last for years of isolation if needed)
- I have a garden which is full of weeds and needs work, hurrah
- I have lots of work to do with my yarn business and weaving correspondence course
And here we are at the topic, the weaving correspondence course.
I know that by now with several weeks of isolation behind us, we now have completed all these leftover chores, have a weed free garden, are sick of the walkways in the area, chatted with too many people online and are now looking for something else to do. Well I have something else for you. How about learning to weave in a professional way? This is not just a course where you learn to weave and that's it. This course gives you much more. You will learn how to draw your own draft, there is colour theory for weavers, you get to know all the yarn fibres and their attributes and much more. You will also complete real woven products and not just samples. Within the course you weave t-towels, runners, aprons, bath mats, table mats, scarves and much more. All designed and woven by you.
The course has three levels, beginners, intermediate and advanced. The first level has 4 weaving projects, the second level has 9 and the third level has 18 weaving projects to complete. So much weaving! The course is put together into modules (so called packages) which are full packed with studies and exercises to work through. Once finished with the package, the assignments have to be sent back for review and to apply for the next package. Each level of the course has 18 packages. There is lots of information packed into each one of these packages. Some packages even include a DVD with small videos on it with instructions for a specific technique or example.
This course is not just an easy way to learn to weave, it really is very comprehensive. The information you achieve through this course gives you the professional knowledge of the weaving craftsmanship. Some participants mentioned to me, that they feel like studying an university course.
I have started writing all this down over the last couple of years, because while giving workshops over weekends or with continuous groups, I have been asked so many times, if what I teach could be done over correspondence. This was asked by people who work full time and only sometimes have time for their hobby in the evenings or weekends. It was also asked by people who live remote and aren't able to attend any workshops anywhere. So one day I finally sat down and started typing. And here I am now. At the moment we have about 50 participants all over Australia and New Zealand. These participants are all at different stages of the course and happily working on the course whenever they can. The course is made so that there is no time limit and each package can be worked through in their own pace.
The course is for any weaver at any stage. There are some pretty advanced weavers doing this course and they all tell me, that they pick up new and handy things by reading and working through the packages every time. The course can also be there for new inspiration. Sometimes a weaver can get stuck and feel like doing the same thing over and over again. This course can make you think outside the square and open eyes for new designs and ideas.
I have been working and writing on this course now for a while. I write whenever I have time to do so. It can be quite time consuming to put all this information together. Sometimes I start writing and soon realise that the topic is much larger than I thought it would be. Therefore ending up with pages and more pages. Most of the time I also weave the weaving projects to be sure they turn out the way they have to. At the moment I'm also working on putting some extra courses together like colour theory, drafting or weaving projects only. These would be courses where you can work on weaving projects only and won't be bothered by any theory. Or you may only be interested in colour theory or would like to learn how to draw your own draft only.
There is still heaps to be done. But I thought I introduce the weaving correspondence course here in this blog. Because right now would really be the perfect time to start something like that. Plenty of time and weaving is really relaxing and rewarding. In this uncertain time, you would have a very certain occupation to look forward to. And at the same time you can further your knowledge, learn something new.
Should you be interested, please don't hesitate to send me an email sales@bbyarn.com or comment on this blog. You can read more about the course on the website www.bbyarn.com The enrollment form can also be downloaded from the website.
Should there be a participant from the course reading this blog, I would very much appreciate a comment!
Please everybody, stay safe, keep weaving and think positive
Happy weaving
Ursula
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Dear Weavers
This month I would like to discuss the bamboo yarn. A lot of weavers seem to be rather skeptical about this yarn. I am actually not quite sure why, is it because the yarn is "man-made" or is it because it is hard to believe that it could actually be a real bamboo plant?
BB Yarn Supply sells a 100% bamboo fibre yarn called Bambu7 TM. It is truly made out of bamboo! Really. The Bambu trademark from Silk City, USA insists on cultivation from sustainable and environmentally-sound vegetation. Bambu yarn is 100% cellulose and similarly produced like a rayon or viscose yarn. It is called "man-made" because the yarn is not spun from fibre. The bamboo is cut into a pulp and then pressed through a very fine jet to produce the yarn. The Bambu yarn is also free of pesticide and chemical fertilizing.
Bamboo is known for its skin friendly abilities. In the shops you can now buy socks, baby ware, T-shirts and underwear made out of bamboo. It is because bamboo has the ability to be suitable for any skin problems. And this is not all, bamboo is also really easy to look after. It can be washed in the warm washing machine with no problems. It might be stiff when it comes out of the machine, but after drying in the shade, all it needs is a good shake and hot iron. The fabric will be back to its normal softness and shine.
A fabric woven out of bamboo has a beautiful drape and extraordinary softness. I haven't met anybody who didn't go "uhh" and "ahh" when touching the fabric. It is simply stunning. I always tend to explain to customers that bamboo feels to me like something between silk and tencel.
Can you feel me, yes I love bamboo and I have worked with this yarn many, many times and still not enough. It is one of my absolute favourites.
When I started BB Yarn Supply I always said that I only ever going to have natural yarns for sale. No rayon or polyester. Well I think I still do, because the Bambu yarn is still 100% cellulose or bamboo. There is nothing not natural about it. Let's face it, because it is "man-made" it doesn't mean it's artificial. It is just another way of producing a yarn. Yes, there might have been chemicals involved to produce the yarn. But this doesn't mean the chemicals are still in the yarn. How can it be so good for your skin otherwise?
The only thing to be careful with bamboo is the sett for weaving. If you have a too high sett for your project, it can get heavy and you end up with something nice and shiny, but rather heavy. Bamboo yarn has the same feel in weaving like tencel, it is as slippery and flat. There is not much elasticity in the yarn and advise you to loosen your warp, if you not weaving. If you leave a bamboo yarn warp under tension for too long, it will get loose and you end up with tension problems.
My favourite sett for Bambu 7 is 16epi and ppi, a balanced fabric. The yarn comes in 36 stunning colours to choose from. It runs 4247m/kg and a 100g spool goes for $16.90. The yarn is suitable for weaving, knitting and crocheting.
If there is someone out there who is by any chance reading this blog and is not a weaver, maybe a knitter, I would be very interested to hear how the Bambu 7 behaves in other crafts. Let me know at sales@bbyarn.com I would be very happy to have you included into my monthly blog with some productive comments.
Maybe for some weavers this Bambu 7 yarn might be too modern or out of the ordinary. I like to go with the time and try out new things. What is that saying.... if you never, never try, you will never, never know! Have a try and give Bamboo a chance. Click on any Bambu 7 or picture and it will take you straight to the shop.
Happy weaving
Ursula
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Dear Customers
As this year comes to an end, I would like to thank everyone for their loyalty and support throughout 2019. It has been a great year with new yarns and new developments.
But wait to see what 2020 will bring! There are lots of plans for even more yarns, more colours and more weaving. I can't wait to show you all.
Have a wonderful Christmas and I see you all in 2020.
Kind regards
Ursula
]]>But first the old Cottolin yarn: This beautiful yarn made out of 60% cotton and 40% linen is ideal for weaving t-towels, tablemats, tablecloths, dishtowels, coasters, potholders or even fabrics for a jacket etc. So many options and ideas. Years ago I made a dressing gown in waffle weave with Cottolin yarn! Why not? I am sure there are plenty more ideas of what you can make with this yarn.
Still lots of colours left to buy, like the amazing "teal", "lemon", "watermelon" or "forget me not". Lots of option to create something wonderful. A bobbin of Cottolin which is 250g is now only $22.50. 20% off, a bargain. Click here to get you straight to the Cottolin special page.
Hope you enjoy and happy weaving
Ursula
]]>We hope this doesn't cause too much inconveniences for you. We desperately need a break and hope to be back refreshed to fulfill all your yarn needs perfectly again.
Happy Easter to all of you
Ursula
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