Weekend weaving wananga at Napier

I have had a wonderful long weekend away at Napier taking a weekend school on korowai weaving. Thanks to all those who helped organise this and thanks to those who participated and made it a joy to teach.
The evening and two days were held at a fantastic cooperative at the Waiohiki craft village.

There were 20 people enthusiastic to learn who by the end of the weekend had learnt all the basic skills to make a korowai and some were even experimenting and creating lovely ideas. 

The shop, itself, was one of the best NZ craft shops I have seen.  Beautiful work, so interesting and innovative. Things I had never seen before. It is well worth a visit, so don't just drive past but stop in some day if you are in the area.  I can't praise it enough. 

We are hoping to have another day in May to look at design options, other techniques and bags.  The class is full already but one of the ladies is looking at doing another course for beginners sometime,  so that's great.   My whole mission is to pass the skills on so others can pass it on too,  just as I have been taught by my kaitiaki in Papakura. 

March marches on

Last week I took the Wakari korowai in to show Craig at the Doc office, the Museum where the Kereru were distributed from and finally up to the school.  I was pleased by the reception as it seemed to go down well.  So now that is off my hands.

We have also organised to take all our little Angel korowai in to the maternity hospital and who will deal with them there.  Judy finished her beautiful one this week.  She does such a lot of finishing work.

Judy's angel korowai

The whenu were getting very short at the back so she worked a lot of rows to hold them.  Very beautiful.  

While I was up in  Timaru lady week I screwed up my courage and went to see a lovely lady at a marae up that way to see if they would like korowai classes.  They were very enthusiastic so hopefully some classes will be organized for April. 

And tomorrow I set off on my adventure to Napier/Hastings to take classes up there. It will be a big class but with help I hope we will cope and people will learn this interesting craft. 

Yesterday I went to see Margery Blackman again about taaniko.  She loaned me some samples she had made of interesting taaniko patterns taken from old cloaks in museums around the world. 

You can see that although this is taaniko it is only one colour yet with texture. This is achieved by different taaniko stitches. This is my next learning project. I think I have got the hang of the last taaniko learning project. That of doing multi directional taaniko

This is the start of a pouch using this taaniko where the direction of the stitches changes depending on the direction of the slope. This means that every slope is a clean line and not staggered as is usual when doing taaniko stitch always the same direction like tapestry stitch. This patten is my adaption of a cloak in the Stockholm museum. Lots of working out required but fun to learn a new technique, well not new but very old. 

How much string do I need to make a korowai?

I have been asked this question many times and unfortunately there is not a simple answer except LOTS.  Firstly you need to decide what string you will use.  In NZ we can get three sorts of mop string in large rolls, two  (a thick and a thin, both 4kg and costing around $100 with gst and postage) from ICB Cleaning supplies in Auckland and and thin 4.5kg from Browns Brushware also in Auckland for about $130.  These are the main ones used so I will talk about these.
When you have decided which string I recommend doing a sample piece so that you can work out your personal tension and work out from this.  It is a good idea to keep a record of what you make, how long and how many the whenu and of what material etc.  No matter how much I tell others to do so I am a bit lax myself so these ideas have been hard to work out but here goes.
Next is to decide on a pattern.  Are you going full feather with taaniko at the top and mawhitiwhiti on the back or will you have mawhitiwhiti within the kaupapa of the cloak?   Mawhitiwhiti takes up more string as the diversion uses more each time.  But assuming you are making a straight cloak with taaniko and mawhitiwhiti then decide on a finished length.  To this finished length add about 10cm for the turnover and mawhitwhiti on the back. Now add an extra 1/4 that length for somehow it seems to need that.  And then double the whole amount for casting on two whenu strings.  So for instance if your desired length of 110cm. Add 10cm for turnover making 120cm. Now add an extra 1/4 that length (30cm as the weaving takes it up) making it 150cm. Then you double that for it to be cast on in twos.  Oh and if you want a plait and/or mawhitiwhiti on the sides they will need to be half the length again so that they don't get too short. So lots of maths involved. Make sure when you measure the string you don't stretch it but loosely wind around whatever you are measuring on. I have my weaving board with nails which I also use to wind off my whenu.  Now don't sue me if this is too short.  Its better to cut longer than necessary and use any left overs to make small pieces for framing as gifts than to get up to the top and discover its going to be too short.

Now we come to how many.   I have found that as I go up the korowai it gets skinnier. I don't know why. Maybe my tension gets tighter as I put feathers in. However that needs to be allowed for and don't be surprised if it happens. I can sometimes be 10cm shorter in width at the top than at the bottom. But that's ok because the width doesn't show so much unless lying flat and it is better to be that way round as the cloak may come around the hips more. I don't bother with shaping and few I know do. So this is where your tension piece is really helpful as your tension and mine might be different.  Of course the different strings require differing amounts too.  If I use the thinner strings I generally use them double.  This means each 'whenu' is actually two strings held together and woven as one.  If I was using them singly I would use a finer aho cotton than the 4ply knitting and crochet cotton I use at present.  Otherwise there is a tiny gap between the whenu which would make it unstable and the feather down and stems would poke through making the back unsightly and scratchy.
So I can cast on less than 300 ICB thin used double and more than 350 Browns thin double to make an adult cloak.  It also depends on whether you want it to come together in the front or for the strings to tie with a gap in the front so what you wear under can be seen at the top.  Also whether the korowai is for one person or a family of differing sizes.
All I can tell you is what I would cast on for me to achieve 115cm at the top, say, I would probably cast on 290 double  in ICB thin (or 360 double of Browns string.)  ( 250 thin ICB double ended up 100cm wide on the Wakari school cloak I have just finished) You can see from this that the advantage of the ICB string is that it requires fewer stitches per row  than Browns and so takes that much less time.

I would like to hear if others have a formula to tell people.

I hope this helps with approximating what you need but It is not an exact science at least not in my experience.

Finished

At last the Wakari School kakahu is finished. 

The top is done with mawhitiwhiti with a plait threaded through to keep it drawn up for a smaller person to wear it. 

The top turnover is done with two whenu at once which in this case is four strings. This has made a bigger turnover than normally. A slightly chunkier look. The back is just plain rows with the left over string threaded back through below the mawhitiwhiti to make a fringe. 

All in all I am quite pleased with it and look forward to handing it over sometime soon. 

Nearly at the top

I have finished the poutama pattern on the school kereru cloak and have done three rows of little neck feathers to finish off the feather rows. These feathers are so tiny I have had to not turn them up but keep them flat and do another fairly close row over them. 

I am fairly happy with it but we shall see when it's finished. 

Now for the mawhitiwhiti on the top. 

Using native bird feathers

As you can see I am using kereru feathers for this school korowai. This has come about because DoC had a lot of kereru that needed using and it seemed appropriate for this school. However I needed to apply for them from the joint Ngai Tahu/ DoC committee and then get an authority to hold the birds while I worked on them from DoC according to the Wildlife Act. After these were duly received. I was able to pick the birds up from the museum where they were held. The school is also going to need an Authority to Hold when I hand over the korowai. So it is quite a complicated process but at least I am covered. 

However I got ten birds and they varied in size and condition. Two were beautiful big birds that had white fronts and little damage. The others had stained fronts that didn't whiten and some were badly damaged. So the number of useful feathers varied. However even the best ones only provided perhaps two rows of bundles. The feathers can have quite thick shafts so are awkward to use. 

I am using three sorts of feathers for this design. The 'white' front feathers; the grey back ones and the darker ones from near the wings. The birds are frozen so I thaw them for half a day then pull out the feathers I want sorting them as I go. Some are a decent length but some I have had to layer to get enough to turn up the ends

When I have pulled out everything useful the bird is still quite feathered. 

But the rest if the feathers are too stiff or too small. Sometimes a little meat comes attached to the feather and I pull it off or cut it off. Not for the squeamish. 

Kereru have a particular odour which I don't like so the feathers are all washed. I would hate to go to all this work and have it rejected because the kids didn't like the smell. Unfortunately washing and drying them can take the natural oils out and the feather may not act like a feather should. But I can cope with that for the sake of no odour. 

These are the piles of bundles from those two birds when ready. There are enough I hope for four rows plus some tiny bundles I hope to use as a 'collar' at the top. These are too small to have a turnover so I will have to do three rows over them to secure them. 

I really don't think I will use kereru again both because of the feathers themselves being too difficult to use and because of the legal ramifications of using native feathers. 

Saturday weaving

We had a great day of weaving on Saturday with 10 ladies meeting together. Two new ladies joined us and have made great progress. It was a wonderful day, sunny and warm with lots of interesting projects to see. Our next day will be next Sunday 15th Feb at the Otago Museum at 2pm.  All welcome.

I also received an email from a friend from Palmerston North who has just finished her first big korowai. And most impressive it is too. Especially as she has used the thin string singly and had to cast on 500 whenu. I am in awe of such perseverance. She has used the thin side feathers from a peacock tail feather as splashes amongst the white feathers and mawhitiwhiti between the columns. I am so impressed.  Well done Adrienne.

Feathers

I have often been asked where to get feathers.  This is not as simple to answer as it may seem.  I have gathered feathers from many different places and have always been on the lookout for feather options.  Now don't take anything I say here as an endorsement of anyone, its just what I have used in the past.

There are at least four things to try I can think of depending on how many, what quality and what sort of feathers you want and how much effort you want to go to.

The Internet - eg Feathergirl - can be expensive but sometimes there are good bargains. Feathers are mostly ready to use and generally clean and of consistent quality.  She has good pelts too.

Kentsing Trading Co in Papatoetoe, Auckland PH 09 2789892. The natural brown (shorter) feather strings are just natural brown chook feathers. As they are imported they will have been fumigated but they don't seem to smell now like they used to do.  Maybe the fumigation process has changed.  They need washing, hanging out to dry a bit then finishing off in a pillow case tightly tied in the dryer to fluff up. I wouldn't use them just as they come as they can fluff up much nicer. They also have white ones and dyed ones. I am not swearing to their quality but I send for them for the starter kits I make for beginners. They are cheap.

Road kill, killing your own chooks or roosters or picking up feathers from parks etc where there are lots of geese, swans etc. Messy, yuckky but free. I have a friend who pelts her own chooks and she sells them for around $30 each. 

DoC: you can apply to DoC for birds. There is quite a few hoops to jump through especially for native birds AND you just get the birds usually frozen. They need plucking and washing carefully.

A small company that kills birds for the restaurant market if you can find one. The feathers are waste and maybe free. BUT there is a lot of yukky work to do. This is how I started out and looking back on it I don't recommend it. A great deal of work washing and sorting.

Potama pattern taking shape

Now I can see the pattern taking shape. I am using kereru feathers with the permission of DoC and they aren't the easiest feathers to manage. There aren't very many of a good size on one bird. So to make them go further I am using more smaller ones and putting the feathers closer than normal. To make sure I keep the pattern right I have divided the whenu into groups of ten and am trying to keep the bundles inside the appropriate group. It seems to be working although some are a bit out of alignment. However I don't think it's too noticeable. 

Started again

I have finally managed to get all the paperwork done and have the kereru from DoC to get on with my school project. Some bundles made and some rows done. 

It's great to back at weaving again after Christmas and family visiting. 

I have booked my flights for Napier for the weekend weaving on the 20th-22nd March. All very exciting. 

Feathers go out the door

This morning I sorted out my feather stash. Most if it is bagged up to go on the first Saturday of Feb (7th) at the Ocean View weaving day. Come for the day to weave or just come for the feathers. We start at 10 am. So bring your small change for a koha and get some great feathers to use in weaving. I gave up sorting the bags after a while so there are plenty of mixed bags of previously sorted feathers. Pheasant, duck, peacock, chicken, seagull, white, black, guinea fowl all sorts. Even some already bundled and soaped within bags. 

Delivered

Yesterday I took my cloak to show Margery Blackman the taniko she had inspired. It was loosely based on an old korowai she had seen in Stockholm. And thanks to her I am in the process of learning how to do the two directional taniko. Not that I have it yet. There is more practice required. A lot more. She was pleased with what I had achieved but showed me some of her samples which only whetted my appetite for trying more textural taniko next year. 

Then down to the museum to give them the gift. Migoto and Vicky were pleased with it. Not only will it be worn but can be used to dress a table on official occasions. So that is good that it can be used. Lyann came down to support me which was very kind of her. Thanks. 

I forgot to get a photo of us though. 

Finished

It's done. I have enjoyed this one, learnt some new techniques, used up some feathers and made some people happy. What more could you want. I hope the museum folk can use it. I will hand it over tomorrow afternoon. 

Then I can relax for Christmas. 

Although I am now thinking about what to make next year. 

Learning new things

For the taniko on this cloak I am attempting something new for me. And that is multidirectional taniko. When the taniko stitch is done it usually has a forward diagonal slope like tapestry stitch. This means a slope going in a forward diagonal has a nice clean slope but a backward diagonal is stepped.   However Margary Blackman showed me pictures of an old korowai kept in Stockholm that has the stitch changing direction so that both forward and backward diagonal lines are clean lines. This is not actually hard to achieve BUT figuring out when to change direction has been very hard and I think there will be a good number of corrections made later. 

It all looks a bit rough at the moment but I hope will look better when finished. It had better as I want to finish this week. Early mornings and late nights. 

Anyway here is the finished feather but with the paper taniko design on it

So far so good. 

Last Weaving Day 2014

At least it was the last day for the group. And a lovely day too. So great to see how happy and enthusiastic everyone is with weaving. We all enjoy meeting together even if the only thing that gets done is a cup of tea. 

Elaine brought the doll she is making for her sister. 

So spectacular in red and black. 

Lyann has got her black alpaca homespun korowai started and is doing her taniko on the bottom. 

The alpaca doesn't have the stretch of wool so hopefully will make an interesting and stable cloak. 

I have started a couple of rows in another of the peahens feather types to finish off. After a bit if discussion with the other girls I think I will do three rows of the round tips then one of blue-green, then a row of mawhitiwhiti each side of the taniko. 

After some discussion with the Otago Museum I will finish this for them as a cloak to wear on official occasions. 

Next year I think I will concentrate on tags and taniko rather than feathers although I have heaps of feathers to deal with. Its time to dispose with a good deal of my stash. 

Oh dear

Oops I have discovered I am not going straight. 

As you may be able to see in this photo I am going down a little on the right hand side. About 2 cm out. This happens and only 'constant vigilance' as Mad Eye Moody says can stop it. So now I will adjust my rows over the next few rows to make it even again.  Using measuring tape to try and get rows even. 

I am also running out of these feathers so think the top rows of feathers might be more coloured peahen feathers. Not too many rows to go anyway. 

Growing

My latest work is growing slowly. 

I'm probably half way down the main body. While I think of it here is a picture of the row ending I am using. 

I whatu along to the end of the row and then turn it back and whatu back for about 8 stitches, then knot and cut. The feathers will cover it and the back is kept clean of knots. 

The feathers are quite big so the work grows quite well. 

I am listening to 'Lord of the Rings' audiobook as I work. It's great and quite compulsive so I always look forward to weaving times. 

Something new

I have started something new. I got bored the other day so started sorting feathers and found a bag of big peahen feathers that were languishing in the cupboard. Then it was making feather bundles till my fingers were had it. So I thought I'd better start something. By the end of the day I had it underway. 

The next afternoon I did some more. 

And yesterday afternoon some more. 

The feathers are actually quite big so my rows are further apart than usual and the bundles are further apart too along the row. 

I am listening to a story as I go so I am always keen to get weaving so I can hear more of the story even though I almost know it by heart now as I have read or listened to it so many times over the years. 

Oh I forgot to write about the day at the museum where the ladies got to see some old cloaks in storage. I didn't go down as I was teaching but the others came back astounded by the craftsmanship of the old weavers and by the fineness of their work. Thanks to the folk at the museum for showing them around.  We had a few new ladies come and they are keen to come next year so that was good. 

Sunday 16 th Nov

This coming Sunday 16th Nov we will be meeting at the Otago museum for our last Sunday weaving class this year. We still have two Tuesdays and a Saturday at Ocean View though till we finish for this year.  On Sunday 2 pm we will be able to visit the store rooms to see some of the old cloaks. We will also carry on with our korowai and new people are welcome. Books and kits will be available. 

Starter Kits

We have made up some starter kits which contain everything you need to make your own small korowai for a frame.  They contain a block, the string required, aho cotton, taniko cotton, soap, feathers and the book ' Making your First Small Korowai'.  We can also supply these kits without the book if you already have it.  The cost is $47 including postage within NZ or $27 including postage within NZ without the book.  They have become really useful for people starting out on their weaving journey.