We were expecting snow flurries!

Last Wednesday we were indeed expecting snow flurries, but that isn't what is in these pictures!

It was cold enough, so cold in fact, that Lou Ann brought out a space heater! But no, this is the lint that comes off of those sock loopers we went after early November. You can even see some already sorted in the plastic bag!

Lint and strings, not snow!  

We started out with 6 boxes from the sock factory, Andy took 1, Linda took 1, Bonnie took 1, Carol wanted 1, that left one for the Center Weavers and 1 box for Lou Ann and I to split.  Those last 3 boxes ended up in Lou Ann's garage.

 We opened the first box, and dove in, sorting out the lint and strings.  Here is how it is done.  load up your hand with as many loopers as you can handle, the shake out as much lint as you can onto the floor.  My right hand got tired of shaking so i switched to the left for awhile.  Then you put  them in a plastic bag or container according to color.  (Light or dark)  I had to wear a dust mask, but Carol and Lou Ann didn't.

There are not nearly as many black ones as there are white/gray/natural ones.  We are gearing up for a dye day once we get these sorted. 

Lou Ann made us a wonderful hot soup for lunch, and dessert was GS thin mints from her freezer.  After lunch we worked a little longer, then as the temp dropped even further, we called it a day, and headed for home. In all we processed about 45lbs of  loopers and we are maybe 1/3 of the way thru the first box.  It is going to take several more days like this to get them ready to wash and dye.  However, we decided that it will have to wait til after Christmas.   

I really appreciate Lou Ann letting us store the boxes in her garage, it makes a perfect sorting station for this more than messy job!

Until next time, Happy  Weaving, Tina

Effortless

the underside

I've had quite an experience the last three days, working with one of the most famous pastry chefs in the world, Francois Payard.  He taught me so much, and I think our guests learned a lot from him as well.  But now, I'm in need of a little rest.  Most of my free time yesterday was spent imagining myself at the loom, weaving on this beautiful warp, with a pattern I'm loving to weave.  There are no threading errors, an easy-to-follow treadling progression and the ever-changing colors to watch.  I love the way the shiny silver tencel sparkles above the dyed bamboo, which also has its own shimmer.  This is going to be one sexy scarf!

Almost halfway through the first scarf!

But what I like best is the effortlessness of the work.  I can think about other things, watch HGTV holiday shows, pet Bella, look at the awful gray weather outside while I'm glad I'm warm and safe and dry inside.  I need this today!
  Because soon, I will have to deal with some unpleasantness regarding my sewer lateral.  Know what that is?  Did you know you have one of your own?  Did you know that if you own your house, you own your sewer lateral?  And that if it's defective, you can be forced to repair it or the city will turn off your water?  It will cost thousands of dollars, and must be done within 120 days.  My particular lateral sits under my 100 year old red maple, and so its life might be endangered, something I'd prefer not to think about today.  A couple of plumbers are coming tomorrow to give me some estimates, and I'm hoping my dear tree is able to stay where it is.  If you know of a good plumber in Knoxville, let me know!
  In the meantime, I'll be in the loominaria, weaving.  I hope you're doing the same!  Happy weaving!
Maggie

Happy Birthday, Carl !!!

  Happy Birthday to one of our favorite weavers!!!!

And, what did he get for his birthday????  A rug, which he wove!!!!  And, isn't it a beauty!

  Thank you for sharing your day with us!

  Carl and Lanny cut five rugs off of Carl's loom before the Foothills show, and today was the last of the warp.  And, since Carl was going to keep this one, he took it home to tie the fringes. 

  Of course, that means that we'll be putting a new warp on the loom next Tuesday.....wonder which one will be going on the loom?????  (Tina had wound up a bunch of warps way back when to get some of the cones off the shelf.  They are hanging up just waiting to be chosen for the loom.)

It was busy, as usual, at the Center today.  (I could have sworn that Christy was in this picture....but she must have stepped out of range just before the shutter snapped!!!!) 
  Tina fixed the threading error on her warp, and Bonnie got busy winding the warp for her towels.

  I actually got her to grin at me for a picture!!!!

  Andy had a great weekend at the Holiday Market in Oak Ridge...she's very talented!

  And, healing thoughts go out to Linda today...she's having her replacement replaced (gotta love those knees!!!!)

Stay warm.....
Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

Have Loopers......

I've got a few loopers that I got about a year ago. I've waited this long to use some of them at least!! Knowing how many of each color made sense to me, so I divided them by color. This is about 3/4 of what I have.

The chair on the right is one I got at a show last year. I love it! It's an antique chair that the Cannon's rewove the seat on. It's also not very high, more of a side chair and perfect for chaining loopers!!

 The box on the right is where I mix the looper colors I chose for the weft. Then I chain them in bunches and pile into the container on the left. While I'm doing this, I'm watching LOST. I'm up to the bonus features from season 2. We watched it all when it was first on. Knowing that we probably missed some inspite of that, I got the series for Christmas last year and now have time to watch it episode after episode!!

 DH got himself a new tv for his room Saturday and I  inherited his 32" flat screen for the studio. I just got it so will be interested in seeing how much better and bigger the picture will be. The old tv was fine but this one will sure be awesome. Guess I got an early Christmas gift!!
Looper rugs make me smile. They're cheerful especially when it's raining! Right now the sun is trying to shine but there are clouds all around us, the kind of dull gonna be rain clouds. We're supposed to have a bunch of rain the next few days. Of course, on Tuesday when we need to paint those boards for Allan to put on the annex. Guess we'll paint after they're on. Hopefully one of these Tuesdays will be dry!!

 I was hoping to get the rugs off the loom before today but there's still room for my knees so I'm still weaving. There are only a couple of more rugs on the warp so might get it off tonight. When you weave with loopers, you create a ton of lint. All different colors of lint!! When you get up, you have to brush yourself off before you can walk!! I'll bring down the vacumn cleaner before I put another warp on!!
The first rugs are fairly thin, fabric that I got to match the warp that I put on. The middle section is flannel. There are 2 rugs like that. It's a plaid from Walmart for $2 a yard and 60" wide. That was  a good deal and the rugs are soft! I've got more of that ready for the next time..

 Yesterday afternoon I pulled out the flannel design wall I bought and set it up. That would have been a picture, me trying to get the rods where they belonged!! Good thing I was alone in the studio. I've been fooling with this very nice fabric I picked up in Michigan in June. Had to buy more to add to it to make a twin size quilt but this is the plan for assembling it. I already have the rows in piles with the row number and might have time to sew it this afternoon. The first two rows are overlapped a bit but you get the idea...

 DH decided he needed to buy a bench for his office. He found one at Goodwood Furniture. It's unpainted, of course. He also decided that the side chair he'd taken to the office needed to be the same color as his bench. So, he got some paint that looks like mahogany. This is the primer he's painting on the pieces before he gets to the mahogany. I'm to weave a looper rug to throw over the bench. These will be in his office beside his amp and guitar. Everyone needs  a hobby and he loves to play his guitar!
With the rain scheduled for this week, he's moved them into the greenhouse and will finish painting them there.

That's about all that's happened here. I will be finishing the rugs and then weaving a warp for clothing before going back to more rugs. I do need to dress more looms. They look a bit lonely right now but I think that getting more rugs woven takes priority until I empty at least one of those rubbermaids! There are more loopers out there to add to the stash....
So it's back to weaving and laundry today!!
Til next time.
Carol

Leap Blog

  All packed up and ready to go!  Tote bags, mug rugs and one set of place mats went off to Nashville...hopefully to find new homes!  I've got my fingers crossed that the booth does well!

  In the meantime, it's time to get ready for the holidays, which at my house means that lots and lots of wooden nutcrackers come out of hiding!

   

  So, why am I sitting at the computer playing Leap Blog???

Ah, you know what I mean.....don't you ever check out the blogs that are listed on the sidebar of some of your favorite blogs????
  When the Tuesday Weavers started this blog, we had a core list of blogs that we had already been following, so, of course, they were listed on our sidebar.  We've added some new ones along the way.   Tina, Linda and Maggie (who started their own blogs) have some of their favorites listed in their sidebars, too.
  So, here are some of the blogs I leap to when I'm on the net:

  One of my favorites is Boulderneigh:  Boulderneigh
Michelle raises Shetland sheep, and I just adore her pictures of those fluffy ewes!  She even includes little clips of them racing around the paddock.  She also has a bulldog, which sometimes makes it into the blog.  So, thanks to Theresa (CampRunAMuck) and Sharon (In Stitches) I have become a fan, also.  And, after helping Tina clean those fleeces, I have a greater appreciation of her close-up shots of the fleece.  I can almost feel the wonder of them!

  And, then there's Dawn:   Hey Dawn - what's happening in the studio?
She has this amazing studio....lots and lots of looms....and she does such beautiful weaving!  Right now she is doing a "weave along" with a friend making some beautiful towels.  She really is an inspiration.

  We met Vita Marie at Townsend a few years ago....she's also responsible for getting us involved in the Maryville Foothills Fall Celebration:    Vita Marie Lovett
She lives in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, and she does such beautiful work....plus, she's just a nice person!  It's a little way I can keep in touch with what is going on with her.

  Last, but NOT least, is my niece, Kim:    The Writing Playground
She only blogs on Tuesdays, but I love to hop over and see what's on her mind.  I can hear her voice when I'm reading her blog....I can hear it in her books, too!  Her writing group reminds me of our Tuesday Weavers.  We have that community of people who nurture us in our pursuits, whether it is writing or weaving.  I remember her when she was a wee one, sitting in my lap when I was home on college breaks....she loved to be read to!  (Her daughter did, too!!!)
  So, for now, I'll end my bounce around the blogsphere and get back to the job of getting ready for the holidays.  I'd like to weave a bit, too..............

Happy Weaving!
LouAnn 

Friday is for Finishing!

I was walking Scout (AKA Miss Antsy Pants!) this morning, and I was thinking about my blog post.

It seems as though I have a few things to finish up today.   I have a wedding present to hem,

it is already off of the loom and checked for errors.  It took me all day Wednesday to weave it, (with a break in the middle, for errands), now it just needs hemming, which won't take long, and washing.

I would love to say that I was getting ready to finish off the 2 blanket warps, but I  still have several more to go.  I have woven over 40 of these blankets, each one at least 45 inches long, with a dozen or so, like the one above, a whopping 70 inches.  I started with 80 yards split between the 2 looms, I will do the math later.  LOL!

There is quite a bit here on Lillian, and the Leclerc has a bit more.   So, even though I dreamed last night,( I am not kidding), that I had cut off the last blanket, (Kings Flower in Copper! I could see the knots right up against the heddles!), it will be just a little awhile longer.  I will be re-threading the Kings Flower pattern later this month, I want to do a couple of blankets in a Star pattern.  These have not sold like hot cakes, ( most of them have been used as gifts), so I am not at all sure I will do another warp like this soon, hopefully, they sell this weekend in Nashville.

I have one more Christmas gift to finish up.

I believe that I can finish them up today.  I plan to knit myself several pairs of socks this next year.  I am not saying one pair a month, but I just might try to do that.

I have to finish all of it by 2pm, because today, Dear One and I plan to hop into town, and finish our Christmas Shopping!  We may even try, now that things have dried up a bit from all the recent rains, to decorate the porch!

I have always loved reading, a lot!  Now, more often than not I will listen to an audio book.   Mostly because if I get a good book in my hands I will do nothing else but read it, not even sleep!  With an audio book, I can weave or knit or so many other things.  So today, first thing after outside chores, I will be finishing this book!  I read it years ago, but happily I can't quite remember how it ends.

Maybe tonight I will get to sleep a little earlier!

Until next time, Happy weaving, Tina

Weaving as Metaphor for Life - My Life Anyway

The Woollen Mill

by Jean Earle (1909-2002)

What we are hangs upon that moment -

Which will come -

When the cross is taken in the warp

And the weave is certain.

On the drying - ground

Where the wet wools are hung to blow,

Scarlet, blue,

I was first aware of the pattern

To do with light …

Look back, from evening. A widespread day

Maddened yet skilled with light …

I suppose every turn of the earth

Is loom to someone's light.

A skein untangles

Out of wind and sun,

Lies in the ordered warp, patterning

Scarlet, blue -

The cross is taken.

* Woollen is not a typo – that was the poet's spelling

A copy of this poem was given to me by my spiritual director several years ago. I had been making noises about pulling my loom out and trying to weave again. About that same time I had quit a job and was beginning my struggle with what to do next with my life. A colleague said to me, “When you begin to weave what you want to weave you will know what you are supposed to do.” Hmm... I am beginning to feel confident enough in my weaving to choose my own colors, textures, structures – I am weaving what “I want to weave.” What does that mean in the rest of my life.

I started this blog on Wednesday morning because I was procrastinating. I really needed to be doing something else. For a week or so I had been thinking about using this poem in the blog. But how was I going to weave this poem into something meaningful. So on Wednesday morning, I typed out the poem and began to write - getting to the part where I said "What does that mean in the rest of my life."

And then I realized

a) I was doing what I was supposed to be doing - not procrastinating - I was putting my busy-ness into perspective - instead of journalling - I was blogging  - but it was all about getting centered in my own purpose as I move into 6 days of madness.

b) I am doing what I am supposed to be doing - back to what my colleague said - I am weaving all of the parts of my part life into one cloth. .... working (coordinating spiritual retreats), parenting, being a spouse, being a friend, being a spiritual director, being a board president, volunteering, weaving - no one part of my life is dominant, all are part of the greater pattern - the structure - my life.

Tomorrow I leave for Asheville to coordinate an Advent retreat. Advent a time of quiet waiting, anticipation, hopefulness. May I find a way to weave a bit of that for myself in this time away. May you find a way to weave it into your lives as well.

O come, O come Emmanuel be with us and in us this Advent season - help us to understand all that we are to be.

Be well,

Ann