December
almost the end of the year and the end of the challenge...
 

01.12.25

​

Playing around with more bits of rusting wire and the thicker paper yarn. This piece has been sprayed with vinegar water - the rust is starting to seep into the yarn which will continue to change and transform the weave. 

​

​

02.12.25

​

Continuing with the paper warp and pieces of rusty metal. I really like the contrast of the stiff, rusty wire and the clean paper - and also like the fact that these aren't standard weaving materials. The hand of the piece that I produce is pleasing - it has a rigidity and structure of it's own. 

03.12.25

 

A little bit of weave using the fabric from my grand daughters curtains that I am altering. The edges will fray, and the farmyard pattern is distorted, but maybe you can still make out the pigs, the ducks and the trees that form a part of the design. 

 

Does this tell a story? My daughter and I remember buying the fabric, it was my son-in-laws choice. I made the original curtains, and now I am remaking them for a new grandchild in a new room. My grandsons will add their own version of this story, when they slept in the room in which they hung, and my granddaughter will add to the tale.

04.12.25

 

Mixed metal wire weaving on this one - with small amount of paper yarn top and bottom. 

 

I quite enjoyed weaving this on my small frame loom - getting the tension of the warp wasn’t too difficult, and I really like how it glistens in the light. 

 

I may see if I can get some even finer metal wire to continue weaving - but I still like the steel wire which rusts and changes over time more than these coated wires.

05.12.25

 

Another fabric weave - this one of my daughters curtains that I am altering. Curtains that I made about 10 years ago, but that are still going strong!

 

There is something very satisfying about making these small weaves, nothing particularly innovative about them, but they just evoke memories and thoughts about the origin of the fabric and the use to which it has been put.

06.12.25

​

Reflecting today on what I want to do, take inspiration from the day’s activities - today was a wild and blustery day and these are all the pine leaves that have blown onto my drive. Some are fresher than others, and the softness of the wool that is woven in between them contrasts and supports the browns and greens of the leaves. 

 

I wonder what this will look like as they all dry out over time. 

07.12.25

 

Today is clear out and tidy up day - my workroom is now fit for use and I can think clearly again. 

 

As I was throwing rubbish in the bin, and challenging myself with all the waste, I thought I could put some of it to good use for the day.  A quick and simple weave….

08.12.25

 

And back to swimming again this morning - looking at the navy and pale blue tiles as I pound up and down the lanes - todays weave is a reflection of my view in the water. Only by really focussing on the tiles have I noticed how dirty the grouting around them is. What is it in the water/swimming pool that is making them that colour?

09.12.25

 

A bit of cheer needed today, on yet another wet and stormy one, with grey skies outside.

 

Not my normal colour palette but this one I really enjoyed weaving and collecting the colours. Maybe I can take hectic and colourful in small doses!

10.12.25

 

The colours that inspired yesterday’s piece of work. 

 

In order to avoid doing any writing for my PhD I reorganised my files, and actually bought some file dividers! Haven’t had any of those in a while. However they were a bit big, so I had to trim them down, and these are all the offcuts. 

 

I am enjoying the the holes in all the various places, the thick/thin bits of colour and the general mishmash of the weave. 

It’s starting to make me feel a bit Christmassy!

11.12.25

 

Playing around with the offcuts from making some little origami christmas trees. 

 

I’m really aware of the difference in my attitude now that the pressure of the exhibition and the poster are over - and the work that I am doing is more playful. I feel much less stressed, more able to say yes to other things that aren’t weaving related, and I am back to doing a bit of painting etc. What a pleasure this is - so am I saying no to any further exhibitions?!

12.12.25

 

Enjoying this day to day, doesn’t matter what I weave, whatever my eye lights on inspiration.

 

This is the packing material from a small present that got sent to me - ideal for today’s weave. Very light paper, not quite tissue paper interwoven with my extremely fine paper yarn.

13.12.25

 

A little weave from the acorn cups that I picked up whilst out for a walk today. Not very exciting, but one for the day! 

 

Hand painted warp yarn after I wove it- the original white yarn was too strong a contrast. For this I used my clay pigment paint, which is very soft and subtle in colour.

14.12.25

 

Using up the rest of these trimmings - but this time in a more ordered colour and weave fashion.

 

Comparing this with the previous one I much prefer the random nature of both the colour and the hole placement - in this weave my eye is drawn to the holes on the right hand side and now that I have seen them I can’t unsee them!

15.12.25

 

Bit of a grey wet morning this morning - not much inspiration to do a weave, but hey ho.

 

Started this one just thinking I would use all the black end of warp yarns that I had hanging around, but as with all of these projects as soon as I started weaving another idea or suggestion came to me, then another which resulted in this finished piece.

 

Normally I leave my ends loose and raggedy but this time I wanted to see what it would look like with them neatly trimmed - and I am surprised by the effect this has. 

 

Am I going to enter into a ‘neat’ phase?!

16.12.25

 

A day at the sculpture gardens at Tremenheere looking for options for our dance project next year. The yarn that I want to use is this rough spun wool, mixed in with some jute or hessian - so today’s  weave is a little reminder of that thinking.

17.12.25

 

Back in the swimming pool this morning, aware of the lane dividers that are strung across the surface in bright blue, red and white. And as I was swimming past them I suddenly noticed there were a couple of bright orange links. I am not sure what they are there for - and by the time I got out I forgot to look/ask!

 

So lots of bright turquoise water - it surprises me sometimes where you can get inspiration for a weave. I am not sure that I like this colour combination, and can’t imagine that I would weave it again, although the colours without the turquoise might work.

18.12.25

 

Sparkly beads lying around the workroom having done some craft activity with the grandchildren. Christmas is coming….

19.12.25

 

A very simple weave for a very busy day - packing up to go off to Wales. Lots of sheep and lots of lambswool?

20.12.25

Off on holiday to meet up with all my family for a pre-christmas gathering. Large and small groups of people, arriving from Falmouth, Copenhagen, Wells and Swansea to all merge together.

21.12.25

 

Woke up this morning to a misty view of the Brecons, glorious shades of green and browns. Is this last month of my weaving becoming something of a diary of my days? Does that matter? It is where I am getting my ideas for these daily weaves.

22.12.25

 

Definitely not a quiet day today - up and down Craig Cerrig Glesiad - supposed to be an easy hike, but as we discovered - it packs a punch! A steep uphill, followed by a sliding down on your bum descent! 

 

The paper inserts in this weave reflect the contours of the walk.

23.12.25

 

A quiet day today, recovering from yesterday.. Mixing in different groups, coming and going, all amidst the colours of the scenery around us.

24.12.25

 

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat! A bit of glitz on this Christmas eve, woven with some greenery.

25.12.25

 

Christmas debris - wrapping paper, mince pies and of course Terry’s chocolate orange.

 

Another one over - full of noise, games, eating and generally too much of everything!

 

So this weave - reflects the end of the day, bright, colourful and a bit messy.

26.12.25

 

A lovely boxing day walk over the coast path near Perranuthnoe. Don’t think my knees have recovered from the last walk I did - memo: get some walking poles.

 

What do I feel about this weave? Soft colours, dead seed heads that are potentially full of dormant life, waiting to be dropped in the soil for the spring to come. 

 

Both ends of the day are still dark, but the weather is mild.  There is a softness as I write this that is reflected in the weave, although it is fairly stormy and windy outside.

27.12.25

 

A nice little piece of block weave for today - lots going on, so one of the ‘just a weave’ weaves. I’d hoped to do today’s weave in one of the sainsbury’s bags - I seem to have spent both my life and an enormous amount of money there at the moment but I couldn’t find one of the orange ones to cut up. 

 

So this is it - calming and peaceful on this rather grey winters day.

28.12.25

 

Working today on the piece that I have for the art gallery here in Falmouth. Weaving people’s responses, thoughts and ideas as they tour the exhibition and preparing the statements to add to it for the rest of the year. 

 

So these are some of my immediate thoughts today - planning a writing workshop and retreat for later in January - wondering if I have anything worth saying!

29.12.25

 

I seem to have spent my life (and all of my cash) in this supermarket the last few weeks - other supermarkets are available!

Fun cutting up the reusable bag - reusable in an unintended way.

I can’t quite believe that I have only two more weaves to go, feeling slightly sad that it is coming to an end, and want to do an amazing weave to finish off with. But I expect that it won’t be anything particularly special - time is taken up, and the space to plan this seems in short supply.

30.12.25

 

The penultimate weave - number 364!

 

Just started a writing sanctuary for the hush period between Christmas and New Year, and today the colour to focus on was green - so a real mixture of yarns and colours- apparently the human eye can distinguish more shades of green than any other colour. 

 

How do I feel about the final weave tomorrow - more excited and pleased that I have finished this challenge than I expected to. And what will come next I wonder - after this is all over?

31.12.25

 

The final piece - woven in gold thread, with chinese sari silk ribbons. 

 

365 weft threads, one for each day of the year that I have done. Gold and red signifying celebration, positivity, courage, success and achievement - a fitting end to this year of weaves. 

 

And typically one of the most challenging weaves that I have done on my small frame loom. I thought it would be too much effort to thread up a shaft loom - but how much easier the weaving would have been! What was I thinking! The gold thread got into such tangles, weaving so many pics on such a small frame…But it’s done, and so is my year.