Monday, May 18, 2015

Still in the studio

The pictures are all out of order but I am so exhausted from consecutive studio days that I can't do much more after work (though today was an exception, a whirlwind of tasks at home and outside and back—reminded me of younger days. I can only exert this much energy on Mondays, and then go back to more human workloads for the rest of the week). One of today's tasks was drying the post of paper I made, over 30 sheets over the weekend.
Another task: dye and rinse fiber that I had bleached last week after it was left to rot for two months. I am very excited to see how it pulls tomorrow.
An endless task: hand beating kozo. These are all the dregs, a lot more after I instituted the rule that we have to pick Thai kozo to some extent. This means that we lose about a quarter to a third of the fiber, but it makes a huge difference. Like everyone has always said for 100s of years, fiber prep is the key to good papermaking! But what is left is still viable fiber. This has been collecting over batches, and must be at least 3 lbs. I want to run it through a Hollander and attempt cut-fiber big sheets (and may dye it as well).
In the meantime, I think the rope is as long as I need it to be before shipping it to my partner in crime. I get to have an instant use for all the bad sheets and it's terribly satisfying.
Before pressing and parting and drying,
and after! Lots to wrap up this week, my final full week before I hit the road again. So very grateful that we'll have another respite from hot/humid this week. It will make it much easier to do the important work.

1 comment:

Velma Bolyard said...

paper paper paper. big paper, too. yum!