Last warp for awhile!

This is my last warp for awhile! Actually, the end of August is the first time I"ll be able to put one on again! Our summers are crazy busy and weaving takes a bit of a back seat! So, this is it. I'm making handbags from this yardage. Last year our Tuesday Weavers challenge was to use 4 colors, fairly warm earth tones, to make something. My choice was to weave a hangbag. In the back of my mind was the idea to make more that I would maybe sell. This is the first warp that I"ve had time to work on to see how other colors would work on that idea. I hope to sew a couple of them in the next week. It's pretty cheerful, red, purple, yellow and blue. I'll post a picture of the finished bag when I get it done.

Last weekend was our Tuesday Weavers retreat. I wasn't able to be there the whole time but came parts of all 3 days. Friday evening's pot luck was just fun! It's good to kick back and enjoy good conversation with friends. That's what that was. Then on Saturday I had to get some production done so instead of bringing my inkle loom, I brought work that I had to get done for my show next week. Watching the others wind their warps onto their inkle loom was fun but I really had to get some work done. So, Sunday. I have an inkle loom. I bought it in 1982 from Knox DeLong. It was one of the last ones that he made in Oak Ridge. He was a weaver if I recall correctly, or at least his wife must have been, because he would make small tools and these inkle looms for us. So I knew I had one. Just didn't know where it was. I hunted through my studio, even going in the back of closets but couldn't find it. I didn't recall seeing it in a very long time either. As a last desperate move, I went up to my husband's studio. It used to be mine until we remodeled and added on in 1994. I had taken out most of my things when I moved down to the studio but had left some things on the top of the closet. Sure enough, there was my inkle loom. I hadn't touched it in 16 years, at least. It's probably closer to 20 years. 

I'm really excited about the Tuesday Weavers. They're not intimidated by any of the weaves and are going gangbusters at figuring out stuff. I"m very proud of them!! So, I have to keep up myself. I had to relearn how to warp that inkle loom. Tina's a good teacher and she told us what to do. I guess I'm one of those that didn't follow her directions. Or, I got ahead of myself maybe. Anyway, I didn't put that black stripe in the middle. I like it the way it is. The pale color is a nice peach that doesn't show up in the picture well. Of course, my selveges are awful. I sat Sunday evening and wove on the belt while watching tv. I think I will try to do several belts this summer and see if I can't get better at it.

Tonight our summer really begins. Pierre is flying in from France. He's a friend of ours that has been coming to our place every summer for at least 10 years. He will stay with us for a week and a half before we all head over to Nashville for the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society convention that DH and I host.  This will be our 26th annual convention.  After the convention I have a craft fair to do and then I drive up to Canada to see my family in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. That's why I won't be able to weave again until the middle of August! Summers are always crazy here but it keeps us on our toes! I've got plenty to keep me busy when I travel as well. More on that as the weeks go by.

Carol