I should explain....

The panels on the cave-to-be are part of two projects; the first is to be an element in the sensory garden and the second to be a community tapestry.  To that end, the panels will be full of different textures / sounds and dimensional areas.  The challenge (and the community part) is that all the materials are donations from the local area.  We are hoping to make a memory book where the yarn or fabric comes with reminiscences, and to make individual flowers for those groups or people.  We shall see how it pans out!!  So far the background is made of bundles of 11 strands of Harris yarn from the Loom Lady at West Stoke; the flower centre is chunky Swaledale rug yarn from her, dyed yellow by her and her husband; the core of the stems is 30 yr old 21 ply flax carpet warp from WD (the same I used for 'Lament' - the warp here is 4ply of the same) and the purple is an acrylic chunky - which packs down surprisingly well, and gives a velvety surface in contrast to the rougher Harris.  I had to PVA the back of the yellow because the locking picks would not be strong enough to resist little hands.  I shall Lark's Head knot round individual warps on the next fringing, which will be a main flower in rusty reds, with a plastic bag centre.

I have to attend a seminar until 4pm today, but hope that the weather will be good enough to do some weaving afterwards.  I would rather be at the loom now and for the day.

We are hoping to set up my main loom inside the cave (with a tarp roof!) once these two panels are done, so that I can stay 'in residence' while the renovations continue to make space for me inside.  This will be good; I much prefer working there to working by myself at home.  It is better for my head!