The Jaunty Bag is finished and will be taking flight with me tomorrow night to Australia. It’s stuffed full of Upland white cotton sliver, my mortar spinning bowl, and takli spindle. I don’t plan to spin on the flight although I wish I could. I don’t think my fellow passengers would appreciate having my extended arm in their faces.
It’s one heck of a trip…60 hours from door to door. There’s a reason why some tickets are less expensive than others! At least I arrive at my brother’s place in the evening and can go straight to bed. A million thanks to my weaving friend Emerald who will help me out with my 150lbs of luggage (this is Phase 1 of my eventual move back to Australia) while waiting in Sydney for the train up north. The hardest thing about traveling alone with so much luggage is queuing to buy food and then somehow finding a hand free to carry it away, and going to the restroom.
As for the Jaunty Bag, here’s where I left it in my last post…
The bag had been constructed and I was weaving the strap. I used the structure that I call Andean Pebble Weave in only one color rather than two for the warp-faced part of the strap. I turned Andean Pebble Weave sideways and wove it using weft for the little figured squares. I had planned to weave the strap with four selvedges but overestimated the amount of take-up. With four selvedges the strap would be too long. But I am crazy and created the four selvedges anyway because it’s good experience! As I mentioned in a previous post, I find it much easier to fill the gap between the two ends of weaving with weft-faced weaving rather than warp-faced.
I cut off the excess length of band and sewed it onto the bag. It doesn’t have its lining yet but I did buy a book on stitched shibori which is the technique I would like to use for the lining. When I looked online again for that thirty-five-dollar Stitched Shibori book, it had magically become twenty-six dollars. I’ll have plenty of flight time in which to read it. Even without its lining the Jaunty Bag will go traveling with me.
I haven’t been back to Australia in three and a half years and I haven’t been there in the summer months since 2014. I’m not teaching on this trip because I have no room for any workshop equipment but I will meet up with a weaving friend or two just to have some fun weaving together. I wonder if I’ll be able to attend the guild meeting in Sydney.
I’ll be back in March. There’ll be lots of thinking time on flights to plan my next project. I’m not going to bring back any yarn (Ha! Lets see if I stick to that plan). Working with dwindling yarn stash throughout the pandemic and these last years has been a really good experience and I’d like to keep that going. I will however, bring back some acid dyes.
I guess I’ll see you when I get back to Bolivia. I’ll be posting Aussie things that catch my eye on my personal Facebook account.
The bag came out great. Have a wonderful, safe trip!
Thank you, Theresa.
Safe travels! Wonderful bag & strap.
Thanks so much, Kathleen.
Safe travels, Laverne. It will be wonderful for you to see your family and friends again. You will need a good rest after that amazingly long journey! 💕
Thanks, Nancy. Yes, resting by the pool or on the beach if the weather allows.
60 hours for your trip – that’s a damn long time. 😯 But it’s good to see one’s family and friends. I wish you a good and safe travel. Enjoy your time!
Safe journey, Laverne. And enjoy your stay. The bag is amazing and goes so well with your outfit. Did you weave the skirt too?
Thank you. I love that some people have asked if I wove the skirt. It makes me feel that maybe I could. I’ve always wanted to weave fabric for clothing but haven’t got there yet.
Best wishes for all traipsing to be safe and to have great journey.Empathy for all the single person hauling–know it all too well..will miss you at ‘B&Banter’ this morning…
Thank you. Yes, single traveling has its pros and cons. I thought I’d be able to make it to B&Bant but there’s too much to do this morning. See you at the next one.
Safe travels!
Thank you!
Your new bag is awesome – I’ll bet you will get many positive comments about it on your journey! Have a great trip, and we look forward to some Aussie posts.
Thanks, Marilyn.
Your bag looks fantastic, Laverne. Have a safe trip, enjoy your stay. I’m looking forward to pictures too.
Mary
Hi Mary! So nice to know that you are always here with me reading my blog. Thank you!
Safe travels, Laverne! I’m so happy you get to visit home finally.
Thank you so much.
Welcome home Laverne it’s great to have you back. So wish you were holding a class. Perhaps next time. Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi…good grief…yeah I know 🙄🤣
Thank you! So sorry…how did I miss replying to you? Are you in Sydney? I’ll be in Katoomba when I eventually settle. I hope we can weave together then.