Spinning again and stuff

Here's the loom troll. He's taken over. I had to laugh this morning because I was trying to lift the 1 and 2 shafts and this genius was walking on them, but I didn't see him. I'm sitting there pushing on the treadle thinking "geez...why are these so heavy this morning?" He almost fell into the sectional beam. It would have been like some hideous industrial accident, only funnier.

I've finally started spinning again. I had stopped for a while thinking that maybe I was becoming allergic to bunny fluff and that's why the dizzys. But no. No such luck. So I started again this morning. Head lump aside, the fluff was driving me crazy. I need to get a dust mask. It's just too much.

I got this old book case from the same friend that gave me the jack loom. My daughter was supposed to take it to her new apartment, but her new apartment is too small. Oh darn! Looks like mom will have to take that off your hands. This case was just what I needed for all my "stuff". I had a mish mash of storage units in there and this just cleaned it all up and consolidated the space.

I just started on this scarf yesterday. I really liked the colors but I know the yarn was a poor weaving choice. I have a feeling I'll be repairing lots of broken warps with this. But it is nice yarn. If I can pull it off, it should be a soft scarf for Valentines.

Christmas tree time!

This year's tree! I finally finished it last night with some help from husband and kids. Every year I gripe about putting it up. Every year I want to get an artificial tree with lights already attached. And every year, I'm glad we got a real tree. This year, I'm not putting out the little village thing. Just the creche. Che made some awesome peanut butter cookies to sustain us through the ordeal.

The tree is really nice this year. Fat and full. Except for one little hollow area. So I put this owl and some air plants in there for a little nest.

I tried to take pics of the mug rugs I'm working on but they're so ugly the camera broke. Not really, but the pics did come out bad so I didn't include them. I want to finish them SOON so I can start on the scarf I want to make.

Weird day off

I hate when I'm off Friday, have to work Saturday and am off Sunday. Ok...I don't really hate the days off part, it's the Saturday part that stinks.

This Friday off was strange. The day started with taking the car to the mechanic because the mysterious "check engine" light came on again. Gerry and I hung out in Ft. Liquordale, had breakfast, went to Pearls Art store, the thrift store then back for the car. That was nice. Got a little more Christmas shopping done. After this, the day gets icky. We came home to a rock through the back window of Daisy.

You can't really tell from this picture. Took this after Gerry cleaned up all the glass. It was shattered. I think some kids were probably walking past the house throwing rocks at each other and missed. It was a small garden type rock. If someone wanted to do this on purpose, they'd have used a brick or something bigger. I couldn't believe such a small rock did such damage. Anyway $45 later, Gerry got replacement glass and we made a police report.

I just don't want to believe someone would have done this on purpose.

I started the supposed log cabin mug rugs. I hated them. The colors looked awful together and I was sort of disappointed. So, not being one to waste a warp already on the loom, I started playing around with this chunky Lion Brand yarn I've got. I can't even begin to guess how this will come out but what the heck. It looks like crap on the loom, which is why I didn't get too close with the camera.

Decided to take a break from this fiasco and watch the cats. You know I'm bored when I find them more interesting than my weaving.

Here they are both trying to pretend that they're not interested in the yarn I just shook in front of their faces.

And here's Ms. Putty completely over it. She wants to go outside and eat a lizard.


LittleMan got tired of the string too and went to his favorite spot...the big loom. He spends more and more time there now. He's either sleeping on the bench or walking around the back and front beams. He thinks he's Olga Korbet...get it...walks the beams, ya har ya har.

I'm still working on the table runner, or whatever this is going to be, on the big loom. The loom came with the warp, and once again...I hate to waste a warp. So I ended my weaving day on the big loom. Later we went for pizza and the Christmas tree. We're letting the branches relax down and will decorate tonight.

Every weird, icky day should end with some comic relief.

Log cabin

I finished the log cabin WAL on Weavolution. My pattern contrast came out a bit more subtle than other projects (click on image). I was also a little concerned about this being too "lacey". But no worries there. I fulled it in some very warm water and it just bloomed. All the little spaces filled in nicely and the selvedge doesn't look too bad. Next time I'd like to try two really different colors, maybe black and lavender.

So this is now an autumn table runner for my oldest daughter. She and her boyfriend are looking for an apartment together so this will be a nice Thanksgiving house warming.

Hope to be starting on some mug rugs soon. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Log Cabin weave-a-long

I started a new weave-a-long. It took a lot of effort to get interested. I've been mentally battling a health issue (which is, thank God, not cancer, but a benign tumor on the left acoustic nerve...a little tiny intruder which I hope to kill dead). But I am feeling stronger mentally and spiritually and want to get back to my weaving. As Forest Gump said...that's all I have to say about that.

I chose these two colors because I wasn't really worrying too much about color. I like the colors, don't get me wrong. But what I really needed was some strong yarn that would work with a 7.5 dent heddle. So these were the best candidates, even though they barely work with the 7.5. It has a bit more of a lacy feel than I had planned or wanted so hopefully wet finishing with fix that.

Hopefully this will be a small table runner. The log cabin pattern is a real challenge to my dyslexia. So, I literally warped this in bundles of 8, being careful to keep the DLDL LDLD (Dark, Light) continuum. I was and am a little nervous about starting the actual weaving.

Also, I've decided to get back to knitting which I put by the wayside. I really need to start from ground zero with it too because I just don't feel competent. Have been doing the freestyle knitting and crochet though so my hand is still in it.

Fabric and fur

It finally cooled down here. Went down to a chilly 58 degrees. I know... people in Buffalo would find that pretty funny, but it has been a brutal summer. Poor BunnyBoop woke up chilled to her little fibers. And she's got a lot of fibers! But even still, she doesn't like the cold. Sam (dog) loves it. The cats just sat on the back porch looking confused. But that's pretty much the way they always look.

I finished the mug rugs for the Weavolution WAL (weave-a-long) this morning. I got 5 rugs out of the warp. I tried 5 different patterns as well. This one is my favorite. This was 7/1 lace I think. Will have to double check. I let the piece rest today and will start finishing them when I get home.

Went yard sale-"ing" this past Saturday. Found these cool fabrics at one place. I've finally started to make strips out of the fabric stash I've got. Not sure how I'll use these, but definately a rag rug. I've been thinking that maybe I'll just go nuts with one and not worry too much about color composition. Just go crazy with colors and see what happens.

Went for a surf on Sunday. The waves were really fun. Was able to get lefts and rights. The water was warm but the air was cold! Stayed out for about an hour, then my ear started to ache a bit so I came in. It was great though. Haven't been on a board in a while. Very grateful for that.

I hope this weather lasts ;)

Ladies dancing

Forgot this picture. When we were in PA, we walked downtown to see the livestock auctions and then to the park to the Fiddler's Picnic, an annual event. I took this at the picnic. Something about these little ladies caught my eye. The picnic was very cool. A lot of follk music and very nice people, but strange too. I got a feeling of deep sadness and can't explain why.

What I did on my summer vacation

Well, let's see. First we bought a 1987 Travel Master (see previous post). I thought that this alone would provide enough comic material to last a few postings. Not so. Daisy performed very well accept for some leaking in the Smokies and another incident that I’ll get to. But first…

Here is Gerry at a rest stop in ... oh heck, I don't remember. One of the Carolina's. At rest stops, you either go to the car side of the building or the truck/RV side. We barely qualified for the truck/RV side as you can see. Daisy is little. And she also has a cataract on her left headlight.

First we went to the Smokies. We camped at Smokemont, or as I liked to call it Smoke-em-if-ya-got-em mont. Apparently, the N. Carolina side of the Smokies is like some kind of rain forest, which is how we discovered Daisy has a little leaking problem. Who knew? Well Bobby did. We met Bobby at Smokemont and we all sort of came together because he too owns a little Daisy. He gave us all sorts of advice on these little campers. He's a super nice guy. We exchanged emails.

Here's Gerry at our campsite.

It was beautiful, as it always is there. There was an abundance of funky fungus and I had to snap pics of all of them. Here's one example.

The leaves were just starting to turn.

While on vacation, I took along Dowde's book on freeform crochet and decided to teach myself...

Here's a pic of me at New Found Gap. Be kind. I haven't bathed in a few days. No water or electric in the Smokies.

Here's me standing in one of the freezing streams. The water was so cold, I literally had a pain shoot up my back when I stepped in it.

This is my Uncle Joe...he's a movin' kinda slow. Ok...not really. He was a park employee at the old mill. He's from Jersey. Somehow, the authenticity was missing there.

Here's an artsy fartsy shot at the mill...

Has Gerry got a short sale deal for you! After the Smokes, we went to the Biltmore. $55 to get in, but worth it. You spend the whole day there. It was awesome. Especially the winery ;)

This is a good one. I was trying to be artsy here. Had no idea I had the lion chomping someones head off! Didn't even notice it until I looked at the picture 2 or 3 times.

Gerry picking the statue's nose....sigh...I think it's a statue of Plato or "Play Dough" :)

Then on to Pennsylvania. I taught my mother-in-law how to weave on the potholder loom.

Here she is in the ducky hat she won at the Farmer's Market

We had a great time in PA. The weather was perfect. In the 50's at night and 70's during the day.

Farms, corn, ham, tatters.....uuuuuuummmmmm!

Then we started home. We got as far as Rocky Mount, NC and poor Daisy got a flat tire. Unfortunately, it's a bit more involved with duel axle. So we had to have road side assistance. There were complications and we wound up having to stay over night. But the mechanic was awesome! They went out of their way for us ... so if you ever break down around Rocky Mount, call Automotive Express!

Daisy's flat foot.

A somewhat distressed Ger...

All in all it was a great vacation. We both came back tired but relaxed too. We met a lot of really nice people along the way. Camping is just way fun. But I think Daisy should stick to Florida from now on....she is getting on in years.

To see all the pics, click here

This dog must come off the loom!

I think this thing has been on the loom for at least the last 50 years...and I'm 48. I have to finish it before I leave on Saturday! I don't know why this is taking me so long. It's a shawl and it will be about 72", I think. I can't remember anymore. It's been that long. But I will finish it. Of course if I wasn't here writing this, I could be working on the shawl. Duh.

Trying to get our shite together before this great adventure. We're going first to the Smokies, then PA to visit folks, then Woodstock to camp. All in a 1987 Toyota camper that we only just bought and have no idea if it will die somewhere in the boonies and we'll be made to squeal like pigs by some big bubbas somewhere between SC and upstate NY.

But I will bring my fiber fun along because I have an addictive personality and can't go very long without it. I figure I'll bring some cotton and angora to card and spin and some crochet and knitting. That'll keep me from jonesin'. Here is a pic of my big mamma cotton plant. She has been giving me cotton for over a year now. The other's all died off, but she's still crankin' out fluffies.

Here are some dahlias for the dye garden...

...they're just babies.

My corner

This is my little corner of the universe. The neat corner. I've got lots of other corners. My family would probably say "too many"... full of yarn, looms, spindles etc. I was sitting there this morning thinking how much I love my little corner. I think one of the best things about it is that some of my pictures are there. They sit on the shelves next to me and I put my morning coffee there and my warping hook there, while I weave in the mornings.

This is my favorite picture in the whole world. This was taken in the hospital when Che was born. Bridget is looking at her new sister. I look at this every morning and it really helps me get through my days and reminds me of how blessed I am.

Went to the beach yesterday. It was so incredibly hot! I practically ran to the water and got in right away before I combusted. Waves were small but I managed to do a little bodysurfing. It felt sort of like swimming in your own saliva, it was so hot. But it was better than nothing.

Later on got a call from my mom. My oldest brother in Texas had a heart attack. He is not doing too good. I feel awful about it. I will pray for him.

On the loom

Latest piece on the loom. The yarn on the shuttle is a cotton / silk blend. I love the colors. I was originally going to use it in a shawl, but it would have cost a fortune in materials. So a scarf. The warp is Lion Woolease in mushroom. For some reason the scarf reminds me of Toll House cookies. But what doesn't.

Going up to Fort Pierce inlet tomorrow. Went last Saturday and the waves were small but fun and glassy. Hope it's good tomorrow!

Cameras and frogs

Cameras and computers can be the biggest pain in the butt. I'm not a photographer. I know nothing about cameras. But I do know frogs and this one was a cutie. The first picture I took of him he was sitting in his little bird house, elbow propped on the sill, happy as a little frog can be. I ran for my camera. The first picture came out bad, because my camera always thinks it's in a dungeon, so the flash always goes off, no matter what. When I went back to take this picture, the poor little guy was cowering in his house, blind and confused. So I took advantage of his blurred state and got this picture. Ran in the house and went to upload the pictures and the cable was fried. So, ran to Target. I wasn't even sure what was wrong or what I needed. Luckily, the nice guy was there and he gave me this little thingy that looks like a jump drive that you can put your picture card into and upload without using the cable.

My new fun thing to play with is the potholder loom...yes, like the ones we all played with as kids with those loopy things. But I used yarn instead of the loopy things and they came out really cool. I didn't even realize it was like 12:30 in the morning; I was getting so into it. I learned about this from the Weavolution (http://www.weavolution.com/) group, the magic of potholder looms. Noreen Crone-Findlay's website tells you how to use these looms with yarn (http://www.blisstree.com/hankeringforyarn/how-to-weave-with-yarn-on-potholder-loom/)
I think I'll make a bunch of these little guys and turn them into a bath mat.

Memorial Day rain

Oh yeah....another rainy Memorial Day weekend. That's how you know it's summer in Florida. The monsoon begins exactly at May 20, plus or minus a day, and goes on for a week or two. Then come the mosquitoes. Have to work today which sucks. No three day weekend for me. But can't complain. I'm taking 4 days off at the end of the week.

Finished this piece this morning before work. I am so happy with the way the colors came out. This will be a bag by tomorrow night. Hopefully I'll be able to stop at JoAnn's on the way home for thread and a nice braid for the handle.

Got a very cool book from the library on freeform weaving. So I'm all set for rainy old Memorial Day. Of course sunny with perfect 3-4' glass would have been cool too....

Italian yarn

I bought this yarn at my little yarn store in the Everglades. That's where I work...the Everglades. Third alligator on the right. Anyway, I saw this yarn and the first thing that attracted me was the color. It's a beautiful green (though that might not be evident in the picture). Then the funkyness of it with the various textures, blew me away. It's an Italian yarn and pretty much, the Italians make yarn as well as they cook because this stuff is gorgeous.

I immediately thought "decorative scarf" and started to crochet. I tried 3 or 4 different types of stitches and found that straight single crochet was the way to go. I wasn't getting the full "funk" effect with fancy lace like stitches. And yes, I realize I've started another project again.

Sunshine Nebula

This was a total experiment. I started crocheting some crazy little thing, not really thinking much about what it was going to be. I like the yarn so much I didn't care. It's a silk yarn really beautiful colors. Anywho, I got the idea to put it in glue and water and stiffen it and mount it on a canvas. The frame was bought at a thrift store and I painted it black and then gold on top of that. I wish I had just put one coat of gold though and let the black show through a little. I tried to sand it and that didn't work well. So next time. This piece is 10x14. The canvas was originally 11x14, but I had to trim an inch off to fit it in the frame. This is an acrylic and oil on canvas board.

Hooked rugs

Reading "American Hooked and Sewn Rugs: Folk Art Underfoot". In 18th cen. America, people couldn't afford rugs unless they were rich, and even then rugs were reserved for only the best rooms. People would spread sand on their floors to absorb and hold the grease and dirt. They would sweep the sand into different designs, sort of like a Zen garden, but for decoration not spiritual purposes. Textiles were a very expensive commodity in the 18th and early 19th century. The book also says that rugs were used to cover beds and furniture and not to put on the floor prior to 1820.

The picture of the bed rug is from the Met's website www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/need/ho_33.122.htm