Griswold Bears, T8 and T2, Get Spruced Up

T8 and T2 (above) looked a bit skinny, and then I remembered that I needed to brush the nap of the mohair.  All the pressing and fusing really flattened it. Talk about squealing!  I had to hold them between my knees, just to make them hold still!  Grandma told them that they just had to put up with it once with the stiff brush, and they they would be sooo pretty.  Well, with a bit of protest, we got the job done.  Now all it will take is a gentle brushing to keep it looking fluffy.  T8 decided to try it on T2, who is looking pleased with her soft fur.

I am still struggling with my last bear fabric.  The warp has slubs, and they keep catching in the reed and breaking warp threads.  It doesn't help that the yarn is a single ply.  It is about half done, and I just had two more warps break side by side .  I'm getting sick of repairing warp threads!

I was frustrated enough to wind another warp, just in case.  I decided to cut off a doubleweave sampler on my 8 shaft Glimakra Victoria table loom and thread it with the new warp.  I picked a dornick twill, pattern #202, in A Weaver's Book of 8-Shaft Patterns, edited by Carol Strickler.  I don't particularly like weaving on a table loom, even with it on a stand.  It is too slow.  Maybe, since this is my first real experience with 8 shafts (except for the little I did with the doubleweave), that won't be so bad.

I love my little gadget for holding my lease sticks and cross.  Unfortunately, I am unable to use it on all of my looms because the back bar is too thick.  It works perfectly with this loom, though.

Getting out the gadget, which I purchased at an estate sale of weaver Alice Griswold, got me thinking about the yarn I have been using for all the bears.  I have wound four warps, and all of them came from the same sale.  Most of the weft for the bears also came from that sale.  I think there are only three out of the twelve that didn't.  Griswold sounds kind of like grizzley, so I think I am going to name this line of bears the Griswold bears, in honor of a prolific weaver from the Lansing, Michigan area.  I never knew her, but I am sure there are many out there that did.  Her great stash has given me much inspiration!  Thanks, Alice!