The Universal Constant was designed as an entry to Loom To Wrap’s January 2018 Great Competition of Weavers. The theme for the competition was “Change.”
Change is the most constant phenomenon in the universe, beginning with the moment of the big bang. The expansion that follows encompasses all the change there has ever been, from subatomic particles into molecules, coaxed by gravity in a dance with dark matter into stars and then galaxies. Our only glimpse past the singular moment of the big bang is the cosmic microwave background (CMB), which is represented throughout The Universal Constant in a turned taqueté draft derived from the graph of the CMB’s angular spectrum.
The Universal Constant is made of two ring spun supima subwarps: one resist dyed in black and white to represent the formation of stars and galaxies, and one handpainted in a slow departure from greens and blues into the purple grey of nebulous space. The resist dyed subwarp was hand resist-tied on the loom before taking the still unwoven warp off for submersion dyeing, then beaming it a second time for weaving. The weft is solid black tencel for a deep space inspired slinky/cool hand of the finished fabric.
cat's cradle textiles 