Here a tweak...there a tweak...everywhere a ...

Here is the cartoon I was going to weave on my antique counter balance loom. It was my Mother's loom...I remember it in the kitchen when I was a kid. That must make it over 80 years old since it was old when she got it. Dente, one of our chihuahuas is included to give some perspective of size.


I felt compelled to tweak the cartoon a bit. First I decided the proportion was not quite right. And I thought the sun should be the focal point and not the dunes. Then, it struck me...this wasn't sunrise over Stoptop Wells...its was moonrise. I would love to do another moon piece. And with the moon size I have in mind I could then put in alot of detail. From my yarn selections...a harvest moon is in the works.


From a design standpoint, I felt some golden proportions would improve the spacing as well as make the dunes look more like dunes than mountains. I got these really cool forcep-like items made especially for me for Christmas. They measure out the golden ratio. No more calculator and ruler. Way cool!

This first tool splits a line into two pieces in the golden ratio. It's made out of metal rulers. The longest one is 24 inches long with the tip cut with a dremmel. I covered the tip with tape so I wouldn't spear myself.

Originally, I thought I would rarely use this, but it turns out to be quite useful. Once I decide on the overall size for the piece I draw a frame around that size on the cartoon. Then using my handy dandy tool, I divide each side of the frame by the ratio in both directions. Then connect them, making horizontal and vertical lines. This creates four overlapping golden rectangles. With these inserted on the cartoon it is usually quite easy to decide where various things in the design should go. You, of course, could use a ruler and a calculator but this is much quicker.

This second tool is made of plastic rulers. I didn't put tips on the end of these since I thought the plastic might break...or melt. I just use the edges to measure. The tool is useful when you need two different lines to be in the golden ratio. You line up the first line with the edges of the tool and the distance at the other end of the tool is the ratio for your other line. It is quick and easy.

Here's a site where you can see similar tools being used.

These two tools are great. I have other cool tools I use in design; a variety of compasses and rulers. My celestial navigation and coastal navigation classes introduced me to lots of fun stuff to use. More on those later.