The Power of What if…

Okay, I have the sample done, and I shared it at the last gathering of the Four Harness study group. There was general approval, but there’s something that’s still bothering me about the Blackwater Project. (I do like saying that though!)

Here’s the crux of it:

I picture the water falling over the dam, and then the river flowing toward me. I want to widen the river as it gets closer to the viewer. I know there are some places where the Thornapple River is rather narrow. But those places are not MY place. I’ve been chewing on this in my head.

The falling water part I have ideas: I have a cone of yarn that is variegated silver/gray/blacks. It’s a beautiful, soft, drapey bamboo that came in a bulk purchase from an estate sale. It’s a knitting weight yarn, but I plan to use this yarn to as the primary waterfall. I may try to bring the yarn through, and let it just hang freely as a fringe.

What if I brought that fringe back into the weaving at wider and wider points through the weaving?? I could bring a strand back in as part of the weft. No – then the weft would go straight out. How could I taper it out wider, gradually?

I need a collapsing reed. Is there such thing as an adjustable width reed? What could I use as an adjustable width reed?? Ah ha -- SLINKY!