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

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)

• Metric & imperial scale measurements
• High quality die cast metal construction
• Glass lens with superior optics
• 10x magnification
• 3 LED's for illumination
• Protective zip up storage case supplied
• Dimensions: height 5cm, width 5.5cm, length 18cm

$30

Pocket linen counter, foldable

• 8x magnification
• Biconvex glass lens (silicate glass)
• Lens diameter: 20mm
• Open window/foot: 20x20mm
• mm / inch scale: 20mm
• Dimensions: height 4.3cm, width 3.4cm, length 3.7cm
• Weight: 28 grams

$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

Dear Weavers

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:

• Colour stripes on flap with matching coloured straps and lining
• Cable for power bank with USB connection from inside of bag to outside
• Exchangeable flap and straps
• Foam padded for extra strength and form
• Magnetic closures
• 7 inside pockets including zipper pocket for valuables
• And lots more

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

BB' s News

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

BB's news

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